The Braves and Mets are never far from the minds of Phillies fans. The early going has given Phillies fans reasons to think about the former, although not the reasons they had expected: The Braves’ not-exactly-torrid start to the season made them temporarily the laughingstock of the league, though nobody expects that to hold for long. Meanwhile, the Mets, projected by many to finish just behind the Braves and Phillies, have had a solid start to the season at 8-3.
Though the season is young, the Braves have done real damage to their division title and playoff hopes with their slow start.