Say hello to your 2023 World Champion Atlanta Braves

 Now I know what you’re probably thinking: what an insane thing to say when there’s only been three weeks of baseball so far. While that’s true, I’ve never been more confident in a Braves roster than I have been with this one. At the time this post is being written the Braves are in first place in the National League East with a 14-5 record, one of their best starts in franchise history. With only 19 games being played, how could I be so sure they’re going to win it all come October? There’s a couple key reasons why. The first and most important reason is having a healthy Ronald Acuña Jr., who suffered a complete tear of his ACL during the 2021 season. Having his MVP caliber presence at the top of the lineup sets the tone for every starting pitcher as he poses a speed and power threat, something rarely seen in today’s game. However, the Braves can beat you with more than just their former NL rookie of the year, and they have arguably the most formidable lineup top to bottom. With the ban of the shift, Matt Olson has quickly found more success in his second year in Atlanta. Don’t be fooled by one of the top offenses in baseball, the Braves have the best one-two punch in baseball with Max Fried and Spencer Strider helming the top of the pitching rotation. The strength is seen at the end of the rotation with rookie Bryce Elder and veteran Charlie Morton rounding out the core. If that wasn’t enough, the Braves field a top three defense in all major league baseball. This is the strongest Braves team that has graced a diamond since the early ‘90s, and they’ve been doing this without Michael Harris II and Mike Soroka, both of whom will return in early May. So, while it’s a little early to crown a champion, the Atlanta Braves can beat you in every aspect of the game, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what they do come October.