Don’t look now, but the Atlanta Braves are starting to look like the team nobody wants to see in October.
Atlanta has won six consecutive games, improving to 68-45 and climbing to within two games of the best record in Major League Baseball. While the Dodgers have dropped five straight, the Braves have gone in the complete opposite direction.
And they’re finally getting healthy.
The biggest addition is Ronald Acuña Jr., who has now been back for eight games after missing nearly two months with an injury. Getting Acuña back near the top of the lineup changes everything for Atlanta.
The Braves survived without their superstar. Now they get him back for the most important portion of the season.
That’s a scary thought.
Atlanta currently owns a +110 run differential, trailing only the Dodgers and Brewers among MLB’s top teams. The Braves are also 37-20 at home and have suddenly moved within just half a game of Los Angeles in the overall standings.
This team doesn’t need Acuña to single-handedly save its season. That’s what makes his return so important.
Atlanta was already winning.
Now the Braves are adding one of baseball’s most explosive players back into the equation as the postseason race heats up.
There is still plenty of baseball remaining, and staying healthy will be critical. But after dealing with injuries throughout the season, Atlanta finally appears to be trending in the right direction at the right time.
Six straight wins. Acuña is back. The roster is getting healthier.
The rest of the National League might want to start paying attention.
The Braves are coming.
