Where do you rank the braves in the NL east?

by BronxBraveFan on Feb 18, 2026 7:09 PM EST

This question has been nagging me and i've asked some other braves fans that i know but i was interested in what you guys thought on this: where do you think the Braves will rank in the NL east at the end of the season?

I'm still a believer that the Phillies will win 1st place but my next few picks might come as a surprise: I'm taking Washington for 2nd place and a chance at the wild card with the Marlins in 3rd and Atlanta in 4th (although none of these teams will have an amazingly "good" record...everyone will be competitive).

What say you?

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My predictions:

Phillies: 98-64
Braves: 92-70
Nationals: 86-76
Marlins: 84-78
Mets: 79-83

The Nats will see a pretty decent boost from a bounce-back season from Jayson Werth, the return of Adam LaRoche, and a full season of Strasburg. The Marlins have done a lot this off-season, but they were awful last year and I’m not sure if the addition of Jose Reyes and Mark Buerhle is quite enough. The Mets….well, they’re the Mets.

by swainzy on Feb 18, 2026 8:54 PM EST reply actions

Phillies/Braves if healthy are the favorites I’d say to finish 1/2 and lock up the top WC spot. However both have injury concerns that could plague them this season.

The nats/marlins both have plenty good talent to where if they avoid major injuries and have a breakout performance from a key player they could easily eclipse the phillies or the braves.

tl:dr Any combination of phillies/braves/nat/marlins predictions could be justified.

by ToBeTooGreat on Feb 18, 2026 8:57 PM EST reply actions

My Opinion

1A - Philly
1B - Atlanta
2 - Washington
3 - Florida
4 - All of the above team’s farm teams
5 - NYM

My dad taught me how to make meat for sloppy joes and my mom let me turn over hot dogs on the grill.

by ChopMaster on Jun 25, 2025 7:25 PM CDT

by justincredubil02 on Feb 18, 2026 9:07 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Eat it!

Troll….

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by ChopMaster on Jul 7, 2025 10:24 PM CDT (joined Jul 19, 2025)

Twitter: @biggentleben

by biggentleben on Feb 18, 2026 9:15 PM EST reply actions

It would be easy to throw out the Braves winning 95 games and the division, but

I’ll go 1.) Nationals 2.) Braves 3.) Phillies 4.) Marlins 5.) Mets

I’d feel a lot better about our playoff chances if they’d put 2 wild cards in this year. I put the Phillies low because they are getting older, and with age comes injuries. Nationals will trade Desmond at the break to fill in any hole(s) they might have with Rendon coming up to play 2B and Espinosa moving to SS. Bryce Harper should come up June 1 moving Morse to 1B and letting them trade LaRoche to fill any holes early on.

by rxadam on Feb 18, 2026 11:40 PM EST reply actions

whoa.

the Phillies in 3rd? their starting staff is good enough for 2nd for that team.

by JoelGuzman'sScout on Feb 19, 2026 9:18 AM EST up reply actions

Nationals will trade Desmond at the break to fill in any hole(s)

no, they won’t. if Rendon is, indeed, ready (which he’s not, fwiw), they’ll trade Espinosa before they trade Desmond.

by JoelGuzman'sScout on Feb 19, 2026 9:19 AM EST up reply actions

They'll TRY to trade Desmond first

FWIW, the clock on waiting for Desmond to figure it all out is ticking thin, and Espinosa is IMO the more ideal SS option for the future. If I’m an MLB team not the Nationals I’d want Espinosa over Desmond, but it doesn’t meant the Nats won’t try to move him before exploring that option.

No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.

by royhobbs on Feb 19, 2026 11:23 AM EST up reply actions

Rendon will shine in spring training. His bat is already at MLB level, and it won’t take him all season to learn to play 2B. They will trade Desmond because he would be an improvement for many teams. Coaches believe they can improve a SS defensively, but it’s hard to make a defensive SS an offensive threat like Desmond already is.

by rxadam on Feb 19, 2026 2:54 PM EST up reply actions

Rendon has yet to have a professional plate appearance, so you might be jumping the gun on MLB-level bat just a bit.

-C

It’s rough to sit through these games and not have someone that can’t hit a Ball?

by cthabeerman on Feb 20, 2026 2:27 AM EST up reply actions

I don't see anyone in the division winning 95 games

However, i didn’t see that last season, and two teams on September 1 were playing at that pace. Depth of pitching is the most enduring thing that keeps a team in it or watches them fall out. The Nationals and Marlins are just too shallow in overall pitching at this point to trust in them. The Phillies bullpen in 2011 wasn’t elite, for example, but it was very deep in solid arms that could step to the back of the pen and perform (and did). The Braves rotation in 2011 wasn’t elite, but it had the depth off the bench that pitching was nowhere near the reasoning for any missed opportunities in September, even with two of the top 3 pitchers on the team out the entire month. Those jumping on Washington because of Edwin Jackson and Gio Gonzalez should be thankful to enjoy the OBP’s that those two will allow Braves hitters to have that are willing to wait on them. I would set the over/under on their combined walks this year at 175, and I could see a 50/50 split on that number (they combined for 153 last year while both pitching 32 games, so missing about 2-3 starts each).

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by ChopMaster on Jul 7, 2025 10:24 PM CDT (joined Jul 19, 2025)

Twitter: @biggentleben

by biggentleben on Feb 19, 2026 12:48 AM EST reply actions

Opening Day

Bourn Hanson
Heyward Beachy
H.Rameriz Medlin
McCain Minor
Uggla Tehran
Chipper
Prado
Freeman

bravesfan1957

by rwh41360 on Feb 19, 2026 7:48 AM EST reply actions

Lets see

You have McCain batting clean-up…..pssshht and everyone said he was too old to run for president. The only problem is: where are we going to play Palin? I suppose we could stick her in Left Field but then she might go bragging about how she plays right next door to Russia. We can’t have that kind of publicity.

AND we have a surprise mystery player batting third!! Where did this H.Rameriz guy come from?! Could he really be the field equivalent of Brandon Beacjy

All while Fredi is surrounded by a bunch of orangutans, trying to teach them how to bunt the rocks and coconuts that angry 300 lb gorillas are throwing at them,

by royhobbs on Jul 29, 2025 11:20 AM PDT

Strong Side / Weak Side: Chipper Jones

http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/chipper-jones,8431/

by Santaklose11 on Feb 20, 2026 1:37 PM EST up reply actions

Beachy (excuse the typo)

All while Fredi is surrounded by a bunch of orangutans, trying to teach them how to bunt the rocks and coconuts that angry 300 lb gorillas are throwing at them,

by royhobbs on Jul 29, 2025 11:20 AM PDT

Strong Side / Weak Side: Chipper Jones

http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/chipper-jones,8431/

by Santaklose11 on Feb 20, 2026 1:38 PM EST up reply actions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry%27s_law

by swainzy on Feb 20, 2026 9:13 PM EST up reply actions

...beautiful how that happens isn't it?

All while Fredi is surrounded by a bunch of orangutans, trying to teach them how to bunt the rocks and coconuts that angry 300 lb gorillas are throwing at them,

by royhobbs on Jul 29, 2025 11:20 AM PDT

Strong Side / Weak Side: Chipper Jones

http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/chipper-jones,8431/

by Santaklose11 on Feb 21, 2026 5:33 PM EST up reply actions

Where are we going to stick Palin?

I shudder to think of the responses this board could give to that question.

http://sportsandgrits.com/

by Mr. Sanchez on Feb 20, 2026 3:21 PM EST up reply actions

HAHA, its an opening for a political euphemism

"No. Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not even allowing natural selection do its work. Pssh. You're like the guy who invented the seat belt."

Dwight Schrute

by Swo12bv on Feb 21, 2026 1:32 PM EST up reply actions

We can stick her right there in that opening

All while Fredi is surrounded by a bunch of orangutans, trying to teach them how to bunt the rocks and coconuts that angry 300 lb gorillas are throwing at them,

by royhobbs on Jul 29, 2025 11:20 AM PDT

Strong Side / Weak Side: Chipper Jones

http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/chipper-jones,8431/

by Santaklose11 on Feb 21, 2026 5:31 PM EST up reply actions

HEYO!

My dad taught me how to make meat for sloppy joes and my mom let me turn over hot dogs on the grill.

by ChopMaster on Jun 25, 2025 7:25 PM CDT

by justincredubil02 on Feb 21, 2026 8:21 PM EST up reply actions

Starters

Hanson
Beachy
Meds
Minor
Tehran

bravesfan1957

by rwh41360 on Feb 19, 2026 7:51 AM EST reply actions

LOL

Medlen? LOL. Wow, you’re so far off it’s funny.

by JoelGuzman'sScout on Feb 19, 2026 9:20 AM EST up reply actions

Well if JJ and Huddy aren't deemed ready

which it’ll only take 1 setback, That will likely be our rotation for opening day

Mike Scott was what Willis was talking about.

by JHey1212 on Feb 19, 2026 11:24 AM EST up reply actions

Read any actual information...

..about the team lately. LOL.

"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti

Follow @DawnBake

by sddbaker on Feb 20, 2026 6:18 PM EST up reply actions

Trade

i read somewhere about the straight-up trade of JJ for Hanley

bravesfan1957

by rwh41360 on Feb 19, 2026 7:53 AM EST reply actions

I can’t make sense of your posts.

If the 2012 Opening Day starting lineup has a Diaz instead of a Heyward, I will be buying a new TV.

by ryan c on Feb 19, 2026 8:53 AM EST up reply actions

you read Bleacher Report…im ashamed i even know where this is from. please, never believe anything on Bleacher Report.

Shark in the water.

by AvoidTheDolphin on Feb 19, 2026 12:54 PM EST up reply actions

Read this

I’m surprised it took be that long to realize just how stupid the site is.
This article is obviously blatantly wrong

Mike Scott was what Willis was talking about.

by JHey1212 on Feb 19, 2026 2:23 PM EST up reply actions

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/881035-los-angeles-angels-10-prospects-you-need-to-know-about#/articles/881035-los-angeles-angels-10-prospects-you-need-to-know-about/page/3

my bad
wrong use of the link button

Mike Scott was what Willis was talking about.

by JHey1212 on Feb 19, 2026 2:23 PM EST up reply actions

third time’s the charm?

Dwight Schrute

by Swo12bv on Feb 21, 2026 1:33 PM EST up reply actions

1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Nationals
4. Marlins
5. Mets

The Braves obviously have injury concerns, but if Braves can stay relatively healthy, I expect them to be a big time force. Should be a very fun and exciting season.

I don’t care if Constanza hit .500 with 30 HRs and 150 RBI in 3 weeks, benching Heyward was a stupid decision.
by justincredubil02 on Oct 24, 2025 9:55 AM EDT

by rockybull on Feb 19, 2026 9:13 AM EST reply actions

1st…Phillies or Braves
2nd… Phillies, Braves or Nats
3rd…Braves, Nats or Marlins
4th… Nats or Marlins
5th…Mets

Biggest concern is Sept, playing a bunch of NL East games will be tough, healthy or not.

"An insult is an insult either way you fucked up freaked out wierd people want to spin it"

PhillyBrave Jan 18, 2026

by bighop on Feb 19, 2026 11:31 AM EST reply actions

That is a brilliant way of predicting it

I agree with your assessment.

All while Fredi is surrounded by a bunch of orangutans, trying to teach them how to bunt the rocks and coconuts that angry 300 lb gorillas are throwing at them,

by royhobbs on Jul 29, 2025 11:20 AM PDT

Strong Side / Weak Side: Chipper Jones

http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/chipper-jones,8431/

by Santaklose11 on Feb 20, 2026 1:39 PM EST up reply actions

Braves will be 1 or 2 in the NL East.

Probably, the Phillies are the favorite and could win 100 games again. Then again, injuries could derail their locomotive.

The Braves - with the top pitching staff in MLB - are a legit contender to take the Division, if the offense is improved and the Phillies falter at all. I predict 94 wins, but think 96 - 98 is within reach, although - as with the Phillies - injuries could knock us off the rails.

The Nats are substantially improved, but will be 3d.

by fandave on Feb 19, 2026 11:58 PM EST reply actions

2nd, in contention for WC

PHI (93-69)
ATL (87-75)
WAS (85-77)
MIA (83-79)
NYM (72-90)

by Daniel McCracken on Feb 20, 2026 12:17 AM EST reply actions

not outlandish

but the Mets are much, much worse than just a 90 loss team. This is a team with less talent than the 2003 Tigers in a division that should be very solid 1-4. I like your order, but I’d have the wins around this:

Philly 90-95
Atlanta 88-92
Washington 82-85
Florida 82-85
New York 58-64

Hey! I’m new.
by ChopMaster on Jul 7, 2025 10:24 PM CDT (joined Jul 19, 2025)

Twitter: @biggentleben

by biggentleben on Feb 20, 2026 12:59 AM EST up reply actions

Your math is a little off….

by MVPrado on Feb 20, 2026 3:55 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

Pretty sure not

I’m saying that’s the range of wins they’d have.

Hey! I’m new.
by ChopMaster on Jul 7, 2025 10:24 PM CDT (joined Jul 19, 2025)

Twitter: @biggentleben

by biggentleben on Feb 20, 2026 7:44 AM EST up reply actions

Bright Idea

Since baseball is a game of numbers I think it is easier to project the wins in range…..good idea….but
If a team is firing on all cylinders through the whole season then having over 100 wins is reasonable? If though through slumps or injury to key players the wins would more rather reflect what could be expected from those that replace those players?
my adjustment:

The Pills 84-105
Braves 78-98
Nats 76-93
Fish 69-88
Mets 53-77

""People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." Rogers Hornsby

by bravestatoo on Feb 20, 2026 4:17 AM EST up reply actions

I go more from the expected, with understood injury stuff included based on the team’s depth. There are huge outliers (like a complete collapse of the offense in September) that can change that, but that’s not in the “expected” range.

Hey! I’m new.
by ChopMaster on Jul 7, 2025 10:24 PM CDT (joined Jul 19, 2025)

Twitter: @biggentleben

by biggentleben on Feb 20, 2026 7:45 AM EST up reply actions

good stuff, but it seems that the unexpected, unpredictable outlier happenings are actually quite frequent in MLB - whether its key players having unbelievably bad slumps or going down with season-ending / -altering injuries or (conversely) having crazy over-the-top MVP or Cy Young caliber years, or entire teams going completely in the tank or (on the other hand) running off extremely high winning % over 40 or 50 game stretches that fundementally change the pennant race.

by fandave on Feb 20, 2026 9:36 AM EST up reply actions

I don't know if the Mets will be that terrible.

The Mets won 77 games last year; they lost Jose Reyes but will be getting back Santana, and if he’s healthy then they basically negate each other. Factor in a full season of a healthy David Wright, improvement from Jason Bay with the changed park dimensions, and advancements from Dillon Gee with more another year of experience and the Mets could possibly be better than they were last year if a few things go their way.

by swainzy on Feb 20, 2026 1:13 PM EST up reply actions

Oh! And a full season of Ike Davis, who I think will be a monster.

by swainzy on Feb 20, 2026 1:19 PM EST up reply actions

yeah, i'm with you.

i don’t think the mets will be good, certainly. and being in our division will probably bring their win total down a bit.

but wright, davis, murphy, and duda should all be above average hitters, and i wouldn’t be too surprised if bay and torres rebounded a bit.

their rotation is a bit of a mess, obviously. even if everything breaks right, it’s hard for me to see them breaking .500. but i don’t think 72 wins is unreasonable. i’d say it’s pretty likely that they end up with somewhere between 65 and 80 wins.

by Daniel McCracken on Feb 20, 2026 1:58 PM EST up reply actions

4th

the nats and marlins are going to make a run one of these days and I think this is the year. theres always that team that is a bust and a team that comes out of nowhere that no one saw. i think one of those will be the nats and or marlins.

by anjinks on Feb 20, 2026 9:38 AM EST reply actions