With 32 games remaining, the Atlanta Braves are in great shape. Every major statistical projection system indicates that the Braves are more likely to make the playoffs than they are to sit out the postseason and, by nature of a 3.5-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East, Atlanta is in the driver’s seat for a division title.
Nothing about the paragraph above is particularly insightful, as Braves fans have been closely monitoring the standings for some time. In April, it would have felt (very) silly to believe Atlanta would have the inside track at a playoff spot, much less a division title, and those same statistical projections told a rather bleak story concerning the team’s 2018 outlook.