3 MLB postseason opponents Braves should hope to avoid

Braves should hope to avoid the Astros in the MLB playoffs

Let's say the Atlanta Braves strut past the National League and find themselves eagerly awaiting a World Series opponent. The American League features a far more daunting pool of challengers, from first-place Baltimore and second-place Tampa (who both have 90-plus wins), to the evenly matched NL West.

The Houston Astros hold a one-game lead over the Texas Rangers and a 1.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners. The dust has yet to settle in that division, but even if the Astros barely scrape together the No. 6 seed, the Braves should keep a watchful eye.

Houston won the World Series last season and danced with the Braves in 2021. Atlanta won that series, but it wasn't a blowout. The Astros have the best collection of bats west of the Mississippi on a good day and a wealth of postseason experience to lean on. Cheating scandal aside, the 'Stros have been the most consistent postseason presence in the MLB next to Atlanta these last few years. It's only natural for the Braves to pay them special attention.

Justin Verlander's arrival at the trade deadline was proof of the Astros' intent: to compete for another championship ring at all costs. The Astros struggled with injuries early in the season and it took the team several months to find stable footing, but Houston deserves the benefit of the doubt — maybe more than any team in baseball — when it comes to their ability to translate a shaky regular season into an explosive postseason.

The Braves would be favorites in this series. The Braves would be favorites in any series, for that matter. But, the Astros are the Braves' most formidable threat on the basis of experience and upside.