Most MLB rosters are nearly finalized outside of a few minor personnel adjustments. There are a couple of trade candidates like Bryan Reynolds that could be significant additions to a team’s 2023 outlook, but there are essentially no impactful free agents left on the open market, assuming Carlos Correa‘s deal with the Mets works out. With most teams set, MLB.com released the first 2023 power rankings, and the Braves came in third behind the Mets and Astros.
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I think that you could make a case for any of the top three teams to sit above the rest. The Astros, Mets, and Braves are all loaded wherever you look — lineup, rotation, bullpen. Houston and Atlanta have the best young cores in baseball, and Steve Cohen’s seemingly endless pockets will always keep New York relevant. Vegas feels the same way as well.
Regardless of where you look, the Braves are near the top for 2023 future odds. For the World Series, the club sits with the fifth-best odds, behind the Astros, Mets, Yankees, and Dodgers. And it’s fair to assume the Dodgers and Yankees figures are inflated, considering the large number of wagers coming in on two of the most popular sports franchises in the world.
The Braves are projected to win around 94 games, trailing only the Mets and Dodgers in the National League. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley are in the top 10 odds to win the 2023 NL MVP. The club also has the third-best odds of winning the National League.
Regardless of the metric or rankings, the Braves are going to be mentioned among baseball’s best. It’s a testament to the job Alex Anthopoulos and the rest of the staff have done in building a contender for the better part of the next decade.
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Photographer: Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire
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