For the second straight postseason, the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves will meet in the National League Division Series. This was cemented Wednesday night with the Phillies completing a two-game sweep of the Miami Marlins in the wild-card series.
Last season, Philadelphia defied all odds by winning the National League pennant despite sneaking into the playoffs with 87 wins. The high point of their October run was a stunning 3-1 upset of the Braves in the NLDS.
After winning the World Series in 2021, Atlanta started last season four games under .500 but ended the year on a scorching pace. The Braves went 78-34 after May 31 to finish with 101 wins, but despite their torrid finish, they were blindsided by the upstart Phillies in the playoffs.
After splitting the first two games in Atlanta, Philadelphia outscored the Braves 17-4 in Games 3 and 4 at Citizens Bank Park. Those two games were punctuated by such memorable moments as first baseman Rhys Hoskins’s bat spike and catcher J.T. Realmuto’s inside-the-park home run.
While the Phillies are arguably a better team than last season, the Braves are obviously a better team than last year, particularly on offense.
For Atlanta, it all starts with National League MVP favorite Ronald Acuna Jr. In 119 games last season, Acuna hit just .266 with 15 home runs and 50 RBI after missing the Braves’ 2021 World Series run with a torn ACL. This year, he exploded for one of the greatest single seasons in recent memory: a .337 average, 217 hits, 41 home runs, 106 RBI and 73 stolen bases. While Acuna became the first 40/70 hitter in major league history, he also developed greater plate discipline. After striking out 126 times to just 53 walks last season, he lowered his strikeouts to 84 this season and increased his walks to 80.
What makes the Braves even more dangerous is that Acuna isn’t a one-man band on offense. This season, Atlanta tied a major league record by hitting 307 home runs as a team. Among the team’s everyday starters, shortstop Orlando Arcia had the lowest homer total with 17. Look at the numbers that Acuna’s most productive teammates put up:
- Matt Olson: 54 HR, 139 RBI
- Marcell Ozuna: 40 HR, 100 RBI
- Ozzie Albies: 33 HR, 109 RBI
- Austin Riley: 37 HR, 97 RBI
On the mound, the Braves are led by National League Cy Young Award front-runner Spencer Strider. This season, Strider led the major leagues with 20 wins and 281 strikeouts. Fellow starters Bryce Elder, Charlie Morton and Max Fried round out a solid rotation. Should Atlanta get in trouble, it’ll rely on the likes of Jesse Chavez, Kirby Yates, Joe Jimenez and Raisel Iglesias out of the bullpen.
The Phillies had their fun in last year’s NLDS, but the upcoming rematch could produce quite a different outcome. This Braves offense doesn’t seem like the kind that will score only 13 runs over four games like last year’s — 13 runs in one game is more like it.
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