Braves vs Dodgers: 3 positions where Atlanta has clear edge in NL arms race

The holiday season can be tricky. It's important to practice financial restraint. You see something cool and shiny in the storefront window, but you can't just buy it. That's not a gift for someone else. You don't need it. Put your wallet back in your pocket and keep walking.

Few folks showed less restraint this holiday season than the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball club. Mark Walter and the ownership group dolled out over $1 billion in expenses in late December and early January, signing Shohei Ohtani ($700 million), Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($325 million), Tyler Glasnow ($136.5 million), and Teoscar Hernandez ($23.5 million).

The Dodgers are now the most expensive team in baseball. On paper, they're also the most talented.

Every preseason prediction will feature the Dodgers hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy. That said, we cannot discount the Atlanta Braves, who won 104 games last season behind the most powerful offense... ever. The Braves shattered home run records and sent eight players to the All-Star game. If any team can match Los Angeles on paper and on the field, it's the Braves.

Here are the specific positions where Atlanta still holds the edge.

3. Braves are better than Dodgers at catcher

Dodgers catcher Will Smith put together a strong campaign in 2023, slashing .261/.359/.438 with 19 home runs and 76 RBI in 464 AB. He's excellent behind the plate and he played a significant role in the Dodgers' recruitment of Yamamoto. Last season marked Smith's first All-Star nod, too. That said, the Braves have Los Angeles beat here — both in terms of depth and top-end talent.

Atlanta's Sean Murphy also made his first All-Star appearance in 2023, slashing .251/.365/.478 with 21 home runs and 68 RBI in 438 AB. Murphy's comparable output at the plate, combined with superior hard-hit metrics (41.6 percent for Smith, 45.8 for Murphy) and all-world defense, gives Atlanta the slight edge. An edge that only widens when the backup catchers are factored into the equation. Travis d'Arnaud was once a starter during the Braves' World Series run. His power can still change the course of games. Dodgers backup Austin Barnes is little more than a break-in-emergency option.

Murphy is quite literally the best defensive catcher in baseball. The Braves' bullpen loves him and nobody can guard the plate better. Murphy landed in the 100th percentile for blocks above average last season (16) and the 86th percentile for pop time (1.90). His arm strength, with all due credit to Smith, is peerless. Stealing on Sean Murphy is bad for business.

The Dodgers probably won't lose sleep over the deficit here, as Smith is an excellent catcher in his own right. But, the postseason is often a chess match that comes down to the slimmest of margins. Atlanta has the upper hand here.