Initially of the season and following an analogous path for a couple of years, the Dodgers and Braves emerged because the undisputed class of the Nationwide League. For the primary time in 2024 these two organizations and each fulfill their respective expectations by main their respective divisions. Atlanta has the perfect document within the NL, whereas the Dodgers are fourth finest.
Nonetheless, whereas they could be virtually in the identical place, the trail every of those groups took to get there couldn't be extra completely different and that's one thing to handle as they put together to fulfill.
Listed below are some statements concerning the Braves in 2024:
- Spencer Strider is out for the yr after elbow surgical procedure
- Sean Murphy performed in only one sport, nonetheless out with an indirect pressure
- Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Ronald Acuña Jr. all of them have one factor in widespread, a slugging proportion beneath .400.
- The Braves nonetheless have a 20-9 document
Right here you may have a crew with out its prime starter, and maybe the perfect in all of baseball. That very same crew has three hitters that aren’t solely producing effectively beneath their profession common, but in addition beneath the league common.
Nonetheless, Atlanta at the moment has the fourth finest offense within the Nationwide League, scoring 5.41 runs per sport. How are the Braves made, one could ask, and it speaks to its depth.
Not many groups can have a trio that fights powerfully and nonetheless be capable of belief one another sufficient within the core. One that features a perennial All-Star bat in Ozzie Albies, younger outfielder Michael Harris II (Rookie of the 12 months in 2022), and the NL's prime slugger in the intervening time in Marcell Ozuna (.624 SLG).
There’s a purpose why this crew was the membership with the very best rating in baseball final yr, and when you want extra proof of this, this primary month over the 2024 season is simply that.
For anybody ever, it could be tough to dwell as much as the numbers that Acuña and Olson had in 2023, however they’re most likely superb, one solely hopes that they don’t get up within the vibrant lights of this collection. Keep in mind Acunã Jr. vs. Mookie Betts late final yr?
On the pitching facet of issues, don't be fooled by Max Fried's 4.02 ERA. The southpaw was completely out for his first two begins, however he's again on monitor and coming off two gems. Chris Sale and Charlie Morton are regular as dependable vets, and Reynaldo López has transitioned effectively into the starter position.
The Dodgers and their second-best offense within the NL have reached that time with a totally completely different path, one which sees superstars by some means exceeding expectations, which is the case for Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani. Even Freddie Freeman, who has been up and down, nonetheless has a superb 139 OPS+.
Alternatively, many complementary items for the Dodgers haven’t achieved a lot this season. Jason Heyward is out indefinitely, Kiké Hernández, Chris Taylor, Gavin Lux and James Outman are all hit at a stage that’s not solely disappointing, however actively very damaging to coaching. After all, the Dodgers even have their nice surprises within the likes of Andy Pages and Miguel Rojas, however they’re within the minority.
This evaluation opens up the house for questions surrounding this three-game collection at Chavez Ravine.
Will the Braves' superstars heat up with the baseball world watching? Will they be the Dodgers' complementary items, as Kiké Hernández and Lux did within the 7-2 street journey? May the shortage of manufacturing from their finest hitters lastly begin to harm Atlanta? May bottom-of-the-order woes harm the Dodgers as soon as once more?
All of the issues to look at this weekend at Dodger Stadium.
