Brian Snitker sends a clear threat to Phillies despite Braves rough start

The Philadelphia Phillies have proven to be a major threat come October, but in the regular season, the Atlanta Braves have been as dominant as they come. Not only have they won over 100 games in each of the past two seasons, but the Braves have won each of the last six NL East division titles.

That streak, of course, is in serious jeopardy with Atlanta getting off to a slower start than they were expecting, and the Phillies being among the best teams in the majors all year. The Phillies are an NL-best 47-24 entering Monday's action, and hold an 8.0-game lead over the 38-31 Braves.

Some Braves fans might prefer Atlanta secure a Wild Card since they've lost to these same Phillies as the division winner in the postseason in each of the last two years, but Brian Snitker has other ideas. His eyes are on the first-place Phillies.

He does not want a Wild Card. He wants a seventh-straight NL East title. He made that very clear when asked if it'd be beneficial for Atlanta to settle for a Wild Card.

Brian Snitker sends clear message that his eyes are on first-place Phillies

Arguments can certainly be heard from both sides of the coin here. There are reasons for Braves fans to want the team to win the NL East, and there are reasons for fans to want them to be a Wild Card team.

The division-winning argument is quite simple. Home-field advantage is important. Rest is important. Those are two things that Atlanta would get by winning their division, assuming they're a top-two seed in the NL. They'd have a fresh bullpen, can order their rotation however they'd like, and can play in front of their home crowd.

As for the argument for a Wild Card, the Braves can avoid a long break and might have the desire to try something different. The Braves lost the opener of the NLDS in each of the last two seasons against the Phillies, which essentially eliminated them since they've lost all four games that they've played at Citizen's Bank Park in October in those years. The fact that they've had five-day breaks could be why they've lost Game 1s.

The Braves might have more success by trying something different. If they approach a potential series against the Phillies as the underdog, they might actually win. The fact that three of the last four pennant winners in MLB have been Wild Card teams is another thing for Braves fans to point to.

While those arguments deserve to be heard, it's hard to say Snitker's approach is wrong. The Braves should be gunning for another division title, and all of the advantages that come with achieving that feat.

What's scary for the Phillies is that they have the roster to do it and a history of coming back from big deficits. They came back from even longer odds in 2022 when they stole the NL East from the New York Mets. The Phillies have to like their chances of ending Atlanta's streak, but it's far from a given. The Braves are playing with house money, and that can be terrifying.