Braves’ collapse has turned the NL East into a free-for-all
The last six weeks have completely erased all the good the Braves did over the first two months of the season. A 10.5-game lead has withered to just 2.0 — and it could be gone entirely by the time the All-Star break arrives. But the NL East isn’t just a two-man race between the Braves […]
The last six weeks have completely erased all the good the Braves did over the first two months of the season. A 10.5-game lead has withered to just 2.0 — and it could be gone entirely by the time the All-Star break arrives.
But the NL East isn’t just a two-man race between the Braves and Phillies anymore. The Marlins and Nationals have entered the chat as well with some surprisingly good play.
NL East Standings
- Braves 52-38
- Phillies 51-41 (2.0 GB)
- Marlins 50-42 (3.0 GB)
- Nationals 47-46 (6.5 GB)
- LOL Mets (15.0 GB)
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The Phillies and Braves have essentially flipped scripts. Philadelphia sat 10 games under .500 early in the season and has since been the hottest team in baseball — becoming the first club in MLB history to be 10 games under .500 in April and reach 10 games over .500 before the end of June.
The #Phillies are the first team in #MLB history to be 10 games under .500 in April and be 10 games over .500 at any point prior to the end of June.
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrPHL) June 27, 2026
If that sounds impressive, then how about the Miami Marlins? They’ve won 24 of their last 32 games, which currently has them slotted in the third Wild Card spot and right in the thick of things in the NL East. They should absolutely be taken seriously in this race, even if most of the attention heading into the All-Star break and the trade deadline will land on the division’s two perennial powers.
The Nationals are also a wildly fun team, powered by one of the most potent offenses in the sport. They probably don’t have enough pitching to hang around for a full 162 games, but they can certainly play spoiler in the division race and perhaps even sneak into the Wild Card conversation.
This is not what anybody in Atlanta expected six weeks ago. The club was firing on all cylinders, featuring one of the best offenses, rotations, and bullpens in the sport. To watch it all unravel this quickly should have everybody on high alert. This is a flawed baseball team that, as currently constructed, will not hold off the competition behind them.
But just as quickly as things went sour, they can turn back around. This team has already proven it’s capable of playing elite baseball over a long stretch. The return of Ronald Acuña Jr. is right around the corner, with the trade deadline coming shortly after. The Braves are going to look a lot different soon — they just have to find a way to right the ship until then.
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Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)
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