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ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves have made a remarkable turnaround in 2026, shaking off the struggles of a challenging 2025 season that was marred by injuries, suspensions, and lackluster performances. This year, the team has hit the ground running, boasting the best start in Major League Baseball.
Following a successful series in Los Angeles, the Braves find themselves leading the MLB with a stellar 28-13 record as of May 11. Notably, when the team reached a 25-10 record after 35 games, it marked their strongest season start since 1982, a milestone that has thrilled fans and reignited hopes.
The Braves’ resurgence is not only reflected in their impressive overall record but also in their commanding position within the National League East. They have carved out a substantial nine-game lead over the competition, with the Philadelphia Phillies, Miami Marlins, and Washington Nationals all tied for second place.
This nine-game gap is the largest between first and second place in any division across the league, with the next closest being a 3.5-game lead in the NL Central. Such dominance raises the question: what factors have contributed to the Braves’ ascent to becoming the top team in baseball?
Aside from the seemingly obvious answer being everything, what has gone right for the Braves and how have they catapulted to the best team in baseball?
Offensive juggernaut
The Braves’ offense has been the league’s best through the first month and a half of the season, looking similar to that of 2023 when Atlanta set a National League record and tied an MLB record for home runs with 307.
Currently, the Braves lead MLB in batting average (.270), runs scored (228), hits (383), slugging percentage (.450) and OPS (.784), a stat combining slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
Atlanta is second in home runs with 57.
Individually, multiple Braves are near the top of the leaderboards in multiple statistical categories.
Matt Olson, the team’s first baseman, is tied for the league lead in runs batted in with 36. He is fourth in the league in home runs with 14. In total, he is batting .296 with 15 doubles, 14 home runs, 36 RBIs and an OPS of 1.031.
Drake Baldwin, the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year, picked up right where he left off to begin 2026. Baldwin is tied for the third-most hits in MLB with 49. He is currently batting .297 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs.
The team’s second baseman, Ozzie Albies, is also having a resurgence in 2026, tied with Baldwin at 49 hits. Albies has clubbed 8 home runs and brought home 25 runs with a batting average of .306.
Shutdown pitching
While originally thought to be a weakness heading into 2026, the team’s pitching staff has been nothing short of phenomenal to start the year.
The Braves and New York Yankees are tied for the league’s best earned run average (ERA) at 3.14.
Chris Sale, the team’s ace, is off to a 6-2 start with an ERA of 2.20 and a walk and hit per innings pitched (WHIP) ratio of 0.88. Sale has 56 strikeouts.
Bryce Elder has been a major surprise for the team, off to a 4-1 start with a 1.81 ERA and 53 strikeouts.
Spencer Strider, who began the year on the injured list, made his second start of the season on Saturday and looked like his old self once again.
Strider threw a gem against the Dodgers, allowing only one hit and walking two through six innings while striking out eight.
Depth
The Braves, like any team, have dealt with injuries both before and during the beginning of the season. Pitchers Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep, along with catcher Sean Murphy and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, all began the season on the injured list.
Only Stider and Murphy have officially returned, but Kim was activated on Monday.
Since the beginning of the season, closer Raisel Iglesias and right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. have also had brief stints on the injured list.
And despite not being related to an injury, the team’s projected starting designated hitter or left fielder, Jurickson Profar, was issued a season-long suspension at the beginning of the year for performance-enhancing drug use.
What has separated this Atlanta team, however, is the players who have stepped up and made significant impacts in others’ absences.
Utility player Mauricio Dubon, shortstop Jorge Mateo, designated hitter Dominic Smith and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski have all played a significant role during the beginning of the long season.
Back to the postseason?
Currently, according to Fangraphs.com, the Braves seem destined to return to the postseason after missing out last season.
Fangraphs gives the Braves a 96.5% chance to make the playoffs, with an astounding 85.8% chance to win the NL East.
For fans looking for a repeat of 2021 or 1995, the Braves also hold the third-best odds to win the World Series at 10.9%. Only the Dodgers and Yankees have better odds.
While the season is long, and anything can happen throughout the summer months, the Atlanta Braves’ return to the top has been impressive and one of the stories of the young MLB season.