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Are the Atlanta Braves Still a Playoff Team?

By Jake Mastroianni

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 23: The Atlanta Braves celebrate winning the National League East Division with the fans at Turner Field prior to facing the Milwaukee Brewers on September 23, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 23: The Atlanta Braves celebrate winning the National League East Division with the fans at Turner Field prior to facing the Milwaukee Brewers on September 23, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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With Spring Training underway and a better understanding where most teams stand, we look at whether or not the Atlanta Braves are a playoff team.

A lot of moves have been made this offseason, and there are still several big moves to be made, so it’s time to see how the Atlanta Braves stack up against the National League.

With Manny Machado going to the San Diego Padres, that gives the National League another solid contender for 2019 — but likely 2020 for the Padres.

Bryce Harper, Craig Kimbrel, and Dallas Keuchel are still out there as big-time free agents who could still change the landscape for either league.

As we all know, the Atlanta Braves were a playoff team in 2019 winning 90 games and the NL East by eight games over the Washington Nationals.

But I think if Braves fans were being honest, they would all agree we were the fifth best team in the NL last season.

Not much has been done to improve the team from last year, while every other team in the NL East — except the Miami Marlins — have gotten better.

Bringing in Josh Donaldson could be a huge plus, but he is somewhat of an unknown coming off an injury at age 33.

I would say Brian McCann, while a great clubhouse presence, is a step back from Kurt Suzuki. And bringing back Nick Markakis is a lateral move, and there is a good chance he’s not nearly as good offensively as he was in 2018 when he made his first All-Star game.

Plus, the Braves lost one of their best pitchers from last season in Anibal Sanchez — the Nats no less.

Knowing all of that, are the Atlanta Braves still a playoff team?

They are definitely a playoff contender. I fully expect them to contend for the NL East into September. But I’m not sure if they are a playoff team on paper right now.

If the game was being played on paper, I would put the Nationals, Brewers, Cubs, Cardinals, and Dodgers ahead of the Braves right now.

If the Phillies get Harper, they could move in front of the Braves as well. And the Rockies and Mets are not far behind them.

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That makes nine NL teams who are realistic contenders to make the playoffs this year. And then you throw in the fact that the Reds and Padres are making move to at least be better in 2019, and that only leaves three or four NL teams who won’t be competitive.

Right now I would not say the Atlanta Braves are a clear playoff team, but they are certainly near the top of the contenders’ list.

A lot of what the Braves do in 2019 will depend on sophomore performances from young guys like Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, and Sean Newcomb.

They’ll also need a couple of bounce-back seasons from Ender Inciarte and Dansby Swanson. And then they’ll also need some of their young pitching prospects to step up in the rotation.

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That’s just a lot to ask for in a very crowded NL race. I still think the Atlanta Braves are on the right track for the future, but after making the postseason last year, they aren’t guaranteed to be a playoff team in 2019.

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