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Believe it or not, Mets still have advantage over Braves in NL East race

By Rylie Smith

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 28: Jacob deGrom #48 of the New York Mets walks back to the dugout after the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on May 28, 2022 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Phillies 8-2. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 28: Jacob deGrom #48 of the New York Mets walks back to the dugout after the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on May 28, 2022 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Phillies 8-2. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images) /
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The Atlanta Braves caught up to the New York Mets quickly in the NL East standings, but the Mets may be better off than they appear.

The Atlanta Braves caught up quickly to the New York Mets and are just a half game behind in the NL East standings. Many expect the defending World Series champions to end up on top, but the Mets may actually be in a better spot than they appear.

New York have a fairly easy schedule the rest of the season. They face the Milwaukee Brewers and the Braves, but aside from those two teams, they don’t play any teams currently above .500.

Atlanta also has a fairly easy schedule, but it doesn’t compare to what lies ahead for New York.

New York has also recently beat some of the best teams in the league, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Braves in early August. They’re still capable of success, especially with their ace Jacob deGrom back.

Mets and Braves have roughly the same talent in their rotations and lineups

Among all MLB teams, New York ranks above the Braves in some areas with the sixth-best batting average (.257) and third-best on-base percentage (.328). The Braves have the eighth-best batting average (.254) and seventh-best on-base percentage (.319).

Atlanta, however, has more power in the lineup. The Braves have the second-best slugging percentage (.446) and OPS (.765). They also lead the NL in homers (206) and runs (683). New York falls decently behind with the 10th-best slugging percentage (.407) and eighth-best OPS (.735).

For pitchers, the Braves and Mets are nearly the same. Atlanta has the sixth-best ERA (3.48) and seventh-best WHIP (1.19), and New York trails just slightly behind at seventh-best (3.51) and eighth-best (1.20). The most significant difference is opponent batting average. Atlanta has the fourth-best OBA (.227), and New York has the 10th-best (.236).

Both are well-rounded teams with a lot of potential, but the Mets had more early-season success which may carry over well in the final race to the playoffs. It’s difficult to predict who will win the Braves vs. Mets series, but the Mets could still end up on top.

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