With the 2023 regular season entering the home stretch of the schedule, the Los Angeles Dodgers eye the postseason as they command the top spot in the National League West.
The Dodgers currently trail the Atlanta Braves by four games for the best record in baseball heading into a highly-anticipated series at Dodger Stadium. Both teams display an array of talent up and down their rosters, all of which have contributed to their respective clubs leading in various collective statistical categories.
The Braves lead Majors in runs scored and several other categories, and one general manager of a team in the NL East deemed them the best in baseball, per Jesse Rodgers of ESPN:
“They’re the best [team in baseball], and it’s not even close,” one rival general manager from within their own division said.
Another within the MLB executive ranks further expanded on what makes the Braves such a formidable team, highlighting their offensive versatility and strong starting pitching:
“I think they are dangerous because of their lineup depth. They’ve got nine guys who can beat you offensively every single night. And they can do it in a number of different ways — they hit the homer, run the bases, etc. It would be difficult to imagine them having a weeklong, teamwide slump. So they should be able to score runs regardless of who is hot at that moment in time. There truly is not a safe lead. It will be really hard to keep them down for that many games. Plus, they can pitch. Their starting rotation is top-heavy, which is exactly what you want in the postseason. They can roll out a top-of-the-rotation kind of starter in each of the first few games of a series, so they can match up with anyone.”
Led by NL MVP candidate Ronald Acuña Jr., the Braves have bulldozed their way to a 13.5-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East and are well on their way to a sixth consecutive division title. Having won the World Series in 2021, their franchise is accustomed to playing meaningful baseball deep into the postseason.
Braves manager Brian Snitker and Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts are guiding their respective rosters to similar seasons. The main difference, however, could reside in which heavyweight can outlast the other in once the schedule turns to the playoffs.
Where do the Dodgers and Braves best matchup?
In pure star power, both teams have everything a marquee matchup should feature. But the Braves edge the Dodgers in main statistical categories, including runs scored, home runs, team batting average, isolated power and hard-hit rate, among other areas.
Directly on their heels are the Dodgers, led by MVP frontrunner Mookie Betts and fellow candidate Freddie Freeman. The former Braves first baseman is having a career year of his own, posting a new best with 51 doubles and still a full month-plus left to play.
Freeman’s .999 on-base plus slugging percentage is highlighted by his .338 batting average, which ranks second in MLB. Betts propelled himself in the MVP spotlight with a torrid month of August and he currently leads the NL with 7.5 fWAR, a full win over Acuña Jr.
Both the Braves and Dodgers feature solid pitching at both ends, and with strong supporting casts around their stars, they are the premiere teams in baseball.
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