MLB Power Rankings: Do the Giants have the best 1-2 punch in baseball?
By Curt Bishop
6. Arizona Diamondbacks
The defending National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks certainly have a lot to boast about.
Not only did they reach the World Series for the first time since 2001, but they did so with two top starters that proved they were capable of pitching under the bright lights of the postseason.
Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly helped carry the load for Arizona during the postseason and even propelled them past three of the National League's best teams, the Brewers, Dodgers, and Phillies to reach the World Series. Kelly especially proved to be a master of the postseason, going 3-1 in his four starts with a 2.25 ERA and even earning the win in Game 2 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers.
The future is bright for Gallen, and he should be able to help the Diamondbacks compete for years to come.
5. Atlanta Braves
You can never count the Atlanta Braves out, especially when they have a rotation that features Max Fried and Spencer Strider at the top.
These are two pitchers that nobody should want to face in the postseason, and with the two of them leading the Braves staff, Atlanta should be the team to beat in the NL East for the seventh straight year.
Fried is in the final year of his contract, and it remains to be seen if he'll stay in Atlanta or go somewhere else. But he is a rotation mainstay for Atlanta and for now, they still a powerful rotation that shouldn't be slept on.
Strider has had two solid seasons in a row, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year race in 2022 and ultimately winning 20 games last season while eating 186.2 innings in his 32 starts.