As the marathon MLB season marches on, the Atlanta Braves find themselves five games out of a playoff spot.
It’s not the dominant position fans might’ve envisioned in March, but far from a disaster given their trajectory.
Despite their slow start, former All-Star Jason Kipnis believes the Braves remain a legitimate contender in the World Series race.
Appearing on Foul Territory, Kipnis explained that Atlanta’s early losing streak may have distorted perceptions of their true potential.
“A lot of teams will have a losing streak at some point in the season, whether it’s three, four, five, six, seven games it doesn’t matter. Or your might just go 2-8 in 10 games. It happens,” Kipnis said.
“The fact that they did it the first seven games of the season was an overreaction, a panic set in. This team’s gonna be there in the end. They’re too good not to be.”
That dismal start came against playoff-caliber competition, including the Padres and Dodgers. Since then, the Braves have gone 25–21 – not elite, but certainly solid enough to keep them within striking distance.
Now, with star power returning to the field, the Braves appear poised to make a climb in the standings.
One major source of optimism: Ronald Acuna Jr. is back. The reigning NL MVP made his long-awaited season debut last week and wasted no time making an impact.
“Now they’re starting to get a little bit healthier with Acuna and [Spencer] Strider, all them back. They’re getting their feet,” Kipnis added.
“I don’t think anybody wants to see them get going. Everybody’s kind of hoping this is a real thing. It’s not. They’re gonna be there at the end.”
While Acuña’s return sparked immediate production, Spencer Strider’s return to the mound has been a bit more of a work in progress.
The hard-throwing righty made his first start since coming off the injured list on May 20, surrendering four runs on six hits over 4.1 innings against the Nationals.
Still, expectations for Strider – who struck out a staggering 281 batters in 2023 – remain high.
The Braves know they’ll need more than just Acuna and Strider to make a serious push.
But with both back in action and the trade deadline still weeks away, the pieces may finally be falling into place for a midseason surge.
What are your big-picture thoughts on the Braves? … Do you agree that they’re still a legitimate World Series contender???
