There can be no denying that the Atlanta Braves are loaded with talent--even if much of it is on the injured list.
2024 has been a trying year for the Braves, who have lost most of their best players for extended stretches due to injury. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider won't be back until 2025, and Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies are still absent with injuries of their own.
It's a testament to the Braves' resilience--and the dominance of ace Chris Sale and the pitching staff--that they're still in the race. Entering play Thursday, Atlanta maintained a half-game lead on the surging New York Mets for a playoff spot in the National League.
Amid all the injuries, it's easy to forget how good the Braves can be when they are at full strength. But is their "good" still the best of any team in Major League Baseball?
On Thursday, ESPN's Kiley McDaniel ranked all 30 MLB teams' "cores" based on talent under control for at least the next two years. And after finishing at the top in each of the first two years of McDaniel's rankings, the Braves fell off the throne, finishing second.
"After running away with this exercise the first two years, the Braves have hit some bumpy ground outside of the heist and extension of Sale that has been nothing short of amazing, and the addition of Lopez to a lesser degree," McDaniel said.
"Injuries to (Acuña), Strider, Riley, Harris, and Albies don't affect their long-term projection much, but most of them have had slightly down years around those injuries so there were a few downgrades to account for that. In atypical fashion for Atlanta, there also hasn't been a prospect with a Harris or Strider-level breakthrough this season."
Though falling from the top of a list is always a cause for strife, the Braves still graded out exceptionally well in McDaniel's model.
Three players, Acuña, Sale, and Strider, were graded as "elite," meaning they were considered near-locks for 5+ WAR seasons. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers, who took the top overall spot on McDaniel's list, had more.
The Braves also had five players (Riley, Harris, Albies, Matt Olson, and Spencer Schwellenbach), who McDaniel considered "plus" assets, and another 12, including prospects, who he considered "solid."
There may be 28 other teams who would sign up for what the Braves already have, so it's hard to react too harshly to this "demotion." But if Atlanta really wants to prove it has the best talent in baseball, winning a title shorthanded this year would be one heck of a statement.
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