Even Bryce Harper is scared of the Braves and Jurickson Profar update won't help

Based on offseason headlines, you'd assume that the NL East would run through the New York Mets in 2025. Not only did New York upend the Atlanta Braves the end of the regular season and the Philadelphia Phillies in October to make it all the way to the NLCS, but the team followed that up by poaching Juan Soto, overhauling its starting rotation and even re-signing first baseman Pete Alonso.

Bryce Harper, however, doesn't seem particularly convinced by all that, despite how Philly's season ended in 2024. Asked about what could be the toughest divisoin in baseball this year, Harper didn't focus on his own team, or their rivals just up I-95. He focused on the Atlanta Braves, who just so happened to get some very good news on the injury front this weekend.

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Bryce Harper sees Braves as Phillies' biggest threat in the NL East

Of course, both the Phillies and Braves had far quieter winters than the Mets did. Atlanta lost Max Fried from its rotation and didn't do much in the way of free agency or trade to replace him, instead adding on the margins, bolstering their bullpen and signing Jurickson Profar from the San Diego Padres to man a corner outfield spot.

But despite that relative inactivity, the Braves were still fresh on Harper's mind when he gave an in-depth breakdown of the NL East over the weekend.

“We’ve got to win the games we’re supposed to win and then everything else kind of evens it out a little bit," Harper told SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio.

"The Braves are getting really good. They’re getting Strider back. Seeing the Braves get healthy is going to be a lot of fun for this game and a lot of fun for our division as well. You know, Acuna getting back and they’ll probably find a double-A pitcher that is absolutely lights out,”

The fact that Harper went here unprompted shows just how much respect the Braves still garner around the league, despite a couple of early postseason flameouts. And it's not hard to see why: With Spencer Strider rehabbing well from elbow surgery, Atlanta's first four starting pitchers can rival just about anybody, and they still have an enviably deep lineup — particularly once Ronald Acuña Jr. returns from his knee injury.

The addition of Profar was so important partially because Acuña Jr.'s status remains a bit up in the air. He's coming off a career year in San Diego, and profiled as the perfect fit in left field. That vision was given a scare a couple of days ago, when Profar left Atlanta's spring training game due to an arm injury, but the Braves avoided any worst-case scenarios, as further testing revealed just a bone bruise that shouldn't threaten to keep the outfielder out for Opening Day.

At this point, it feels like health is the only thing that can sidetrack the Braves this season (at least until October, that is). Profar managed to dodge a bullet; if Strider and Acuña Jr. can do the same, look out.