Mets and Braves Battle It Out for the NL East Crown
According to Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider, one team is full of “lucky hits,” and the other is ready to “see what things are like in October.”
Say hello to a little friendly competition.
The first-place New York Mets and second-place Braves have been battling it out for the National League East division title since the Braves went on a 14-game winning streak in June.
After a game against the Washington Nationals on Sept. 6, the Braves took the NL East lead from the Mets, but fell back in second again after a loss to the Seattle Mariners a few days later.
There might be truth to Strider’s statement about the New York offense. The Mets seem to produce in unlikely spots and not always with their star players.
Mark Canha, for example, has been a godsend for the Mets, hitting game-tying and winning home runs. Additionally, Adam Ottavino, Seth Lugo and Joely Rodriguez have held it down in the bullpen if the trumpets aren’t sounding that day.
Of course, who could forget Mets rookie Brett Baty, who made headlines when he hit his first career homerun in Truist Park on the second pitch in his first major league at-bat.
That’s not to say that Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor haven’t been on the offensive: Alonso is tied for the most RBI in the NL, and Lindor broke a Mets franchise record for single-season RBI by a shortstop (formerly held by José Reyes).
On the mound, Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom make for a pretty solid one-two in the rotation, while Edwin Díaz and his slider rank among the best in baseball right now.
Atlanta, too, has their own strategy: find them young and pay them until they’re old. Their youngest and most talented stars, Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II have all recently inked long-term contracts. Riley has signed on for a 10-year deal, while Olson, Acuña and Harris all inked for eight.
They all follow the leadership of veterans Travis d’Arnaud, Dansby Swanson and Marcell Ozuna, who led the team to a World Series title in 2021. Strider has the stats to back up his bold statements, leading the starters in strikeouts, while Max Fried holds the lowest ERA among starters.
Countering Díaz, veteran free-agent acquisition Kenley Jansen has become a “Met-killer” of sorts, having a career 0.99 ERA against the Amazin’s.
It’s not so much about the Mets losing games, but the Braves winning them. They have crept up in the standings and have taken the NL East by storm, even with the New York lead. It’s hard to beat a team that doesn’t give up.
The Mets held a substantially large lead on the NL East in the first half of the season, but, as the saying goes, “The Mets will Met.” Seemingly, they’ve lost easy games and had a decline in productive hitting.
However, the Mets have refused to stop fighting this year under leadership of manager Buck Showalter, whose encouragement and on-field camaraderie is stronger than the offensive struggles.
The Braves, though, hot off a championship, want nothing more than a back-to-back title, and they’re playing with that World Series mindset.
It’s always a hard call when a division race matters by a half of a game or a game, especially when both teams are equally talented and hungry.
Spencer Strider was right: we’ll have to see what happens in October.
Adrianna Gallucci is a first-year majoring in journalism. To contact her, please email amg7989@psu.edu.
