The Atlanta Braves have started 61–31 in the 2023 season and have the best winning percentage in Major League Baseball. With strong hitting, pitching, and an MVP-caliber season from Ronald Acuña, the Braves look to win their second World Series in three years. The real question is how the success can carry over into the postseason. Here are three reasons why the Braves will win the World Series.
1. Light Tower Power:
The Braves lean on the success of the long ball. When it comes to home runs, the Braves do it better than anyone else in the history of baseball. Before the All-Star Break, Sean Murphy hit a home run that broke a major league record.
Sean Murphy's HR in the 4th inning gave the Braves their 167th HR this season. That passes the 2019 Twins for the most by any team prior to the All-Star break in MLB history pic.twitter.com/s5FDnNkxI7
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 7, 2023
The 2023 Major League Baseball Standard Batting statistics compare the Braves’ hitting against the rest of the league, and the Braves lead in these significant statistical categories:
First in Home Runs, SLG, OPS, OPS+, and Total Bases.
The Braves are also top three in these statistical categories:
Second in Runs/G, AVG, OBP.
Third in Runs, RBI.
Regarding hitting average, the Braves lineup is second in the majors. With hitters such as Michael Harris II, Orlando Arcia, Marcell Ozuna, Eddie Rosario, and Kevin Pillar, the Braves depth is successful to their team success. Regarding the seventh, eighth, and ninth batting, the Braves averages hit higher than the league average. The averages for each position are .257, .272, and .271. The seventh, eighth, and ninth batting is significantly better than the league average: .238, .238, .231.
At the top of the lineup, the Braves have Ronald Acuña, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Sean Murphy, and Ozzie Albies. Of those five names, only Austin Riley is not first in home runs for their defensive position. The top-of-the-lineup rakes and pitchers who face these names can’t escape the top of the order without giving up a home run. The Braves went 28 games in a row with a home run until Sunday, July 16, vs. the Chicago White Sox in an 8-1 loss. Before then, the last game the Braves didn’t send one into the bleachers was June 9 vs the Washington Nationals.
2. Pitching Retooling:
Pitching has been one of the Braves focal points in the last decade. The previous two years have made general manager Alex Anthopolous pleased with the Braves pitching staff. The Braves team ERA is listed at 3.67, the current MLB frontrunner. The Braves pitch with young pitchers such as Bryce Elder and Spencer Strider and veterans like Charlie Morton. Relievers such as Raisel Iglesias, Joe Jimenez, Collin McHugh, Michael Tonkin, and Kirby Yates. have led the Braves to a 3.44 reliever ERA. The Braves are listed as the third-best ERA for relievers in the 2023 season.
So what’s there to look forward to from the pitching? Names like Max Fried and Kyle Wright are both on the IL. Max Fried positions himself as a Cy Young candidate yearly, and Kyle Wright won over 20 games in 2022. With AJ Minter soon to debut in 2023 and placed on the 15-day IL, the Braves look forward to more names being added to the 40-man roster.
3. Experience Excels:
With the Braves poised to win their sixth straight NL East title, their players have playoff experience and World Series experience. Players like Ozzie Albies, Eddie Rosario, Austin Riley, Marcell Ozuna, and Travis d’Arnaud are all hitters with World Series experience. Pitchers such as Strider, Fried, Wright, and Morton are all playoff experienced, and Morton has multiple World Series championships. A manager in Brian Snitker has won a pennant and a World Series title, all while holding the job since 2016. Snitker is an experienced manager who has dealt with the playoffs many times.
Compared to other contenders in the NL this year, the Braves are among the higher experienced teams. The Dodgers are always playoff contenders, but the other teams in the field are newcomers. The Reds and D-Backs are revitalized organizations pushing back into the postseason, and the Miami Marlins are also coming into playoff contention. The Braves are in the higher tiers of experience than the other teams in the hunt.
Braves 2023 World Series Hopes:
The Braves are now World Series or bust this season. With a team as deep as this, there is no other goal. What are the chances of the Braves winning the World Series? FanGraphs says the Braves have a 100% chance of making the playoffs with a tweet from July 17.
Playoff chances (via FanGraphs)
with starter ERA in bold:Braves 100%, 3.82
Rays 98%, 3.64
Dodgers 93%, 4.43
Orioles 83%, 4.42
Blue Jays 78%, 3.93
Rangers 76%, 3.72
Brewers 74%, 4.05
Twins 74%, 3.76
Giants 73%, 3.93
Phillies 68%, 4.25
Astros 68%, 3.80
Marlins 62%, 4.11…— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) July 17, 2023
The betting odds also support the Braves chance to win the World Series, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. They are listed at +330 and number one in odds right now. The Braves chances are the best, but can they pull it off when the time comes?
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