Maybe it’s time to stop asking whether the Atlanta Braves are World Series contenders.
Maybe it’s time to start asking whether they’re the best team in baseball right now.
Atlanta has won eight consecutive games, improving to 70-45 and moving within just two games of the Milwaukee Brewers for MLB’s best record. The Braves are also 16-5 over their last 21 games, and seemingly everything is beginning to come together at exactly the right time.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers have lost six straight.
Matt Olson has been at the center of Atlanta’s surge. He leads the Braves with 32 home runs and 70 RBIs, and he’s launched an MLB-high 12 homers since July 1.
But this isn’t just Olson carrying Atlanta.
Michael Harris II is hitting .293 with 20 homers and an .822 OPS. Drake Baldwin has 20 home runs with a .361 on-base percentage. Ozzie Albies has added 19 homers and 63 RBIs.
And then there’s Ronald Acuña Jr.
Acuña has finally returned after missing nearly two months, giving an already dangerous Atlanta lineup another weapon for the stretch run. He hasn’t even fully found his rhythm yet, and the Braves are still piling up wins.
Atlanta’s numbers back up the hype, too. The Braves have scored 568 runs while allowing only 447, giving them a +121 run differential. Their 39-20 home record makes Truist Park one of the toughest places in baseball for opponents.
Are Milwaukee and Los Angeles still loaded? Absolutely.
But baseball is about who’s playing the best when it matters.
Right now, nobody is hotter than Atlanta.
The Braves are healthy again, Olson is crushing baseballs, Acuña is back, and they’ve suddenly moved within striking distance of MLB’s best record.
So remind us again why this team can’t win the World Series?
Because right now, Atlanta looks capable of beating anybody.
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