Brian Snitker says he and his Atlanta Braves “plan to win the NL East.” This could be the week to put that plan into action.
The Braves manager and his six-time defending division champions were eight games behind the Philadelphia Phillies when he made that bold but understandable proclamation on June 17. Two weeks later, the Braves face the same deficit.
But success may never be as good as it is now.
The Braves and Phillies will play for the second time this year when the teams meet in Atlanta this weekend. The Phillies will be without leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber (groin) and MVP candidate Bryce Harper (hamstring), both of whom are on the injured list for what are expected to be short stays.
Meanwhile, the Braves have overcome many of their early slumps to win four of their past five series and remain No. 6 in the KeynoteUSA Sports power rankings. They would love to repeat their epic comeback from 2022, when they looked lost on Memorial Day but won 101 games to chase down the Mets.
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A look at our updated rankings:
1. Philadelphia Phillies (-)
- As expected, the teammates are facing off for the NL ERA lead, but it’s Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez.
2. Baltimore Orioles (+2)
- A 60-homer June gives them a major league-leading total of 139 homers.
3. Cleveland Guardians (-)
- And now Gavin Williams is back for his season debut.
4. New York Yankees (-2)
- Is this just a minor setback on the pitching staff? We’ll see.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (-)
- As Max Muncy’s absence stretches on, Dodgers third basemen rank 24th with a .640 OPS.
6. Atlanta Braves (-)
- 1-5 in Spencer Schwellenbach starts.
7. Milwaukee Brewers (-)
- Five grand slams in his last eight matches.
8. Minnesota Twins (+1)
- Is the Bomba Squad back in the game? A club-record 19 games with a home run.
9. Seattle Mariners (-1)
- They have lost four straight series, just as the Astros are waking up.
10. Kansas City Royals (+1)
Seriously though: take three out of four Guardians.
11. San Diego Padres (+1)
- Manny Machado hearing cheers at Fenway Park? That’s what’s happening!
12. Boston Red Sox (-2)
- Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel move into fifth place on the all-time saves list.
13. St. Louis Cardinals (-1)
- Ryan Helsley 30 of 31 in save opportunities.
14. Houston Astros (+2)
- Yainer Díaz (.282, seven homers, .728 OPS) provided the impact they imagined from the catcher position.
15. New York Mets (+2)
- Right-hander Tylor Megill was optioned to the minors, likely until the All-Star break.
16. Tampa Bay Rays (+3)
- Taj Bradley strikes out 11 in his third excellent start in his last four.
17. Arizona Diamondbacks (+1)
- Zac Gallen makes a triumphant return with six scoreless innings.
18. San Francisco Giants (+7)
- Jorge Soler’s June line – .284/.361/.484 an encouraging sign.
19. Washington Nationals (-4)
- Highly touted slugger James Wood is preparing to make his major league debut on Monday.
twenty. Cincinnati Reds (+2)
A disappointing split in St. Louis thanks to two shutout losses.
- Low point: Corey Seager suffers a wrist injury and the team loses for the sixth consecutive time.
- Rowdy Tellez’s odometer keeps climbing: .230, .618 OPS.
- Craig Counsell and his club received a rough reception in Milwaukee.
- The Yankees’ separation is not enough to inspire confidence.
- Mike Trout says he would like to return in late July.
- Reliever Tanner Scott in June: 1.38 ERA, 15 strikeouts, five strikeouts in 13 innings.
- Mark Kotsay’s inclusion in the American League All-Star team is a nice gesture from his former manager, Bruce Bochy.
- It can’t get any lower, but losing a series to the White Sox doesn’t help.
30. Chicago White Sox (-)
- Can this regime be trusted to generate a positive return for Garrett Crochet?
Keynote USA
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