Despite back-to-back series wins over the Milwaukee Brewers and the Colorado Rockies, the Braves are currently sitting third in the NL East. The reason? Well, before the series against the Brewers, they were on a series-losing streak against the Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, and San Francisco Giants. Even with 4 wins in the last 5 games, they are limping with a 31-38 record, and their playoff hopes seem to be dashing.

Ronald Acuna Jr and Chris Sale, two of Atlanta’s most in-form players, are still going strong, but the insiders on MLB Central believe the Braves might not be able to challenge for a playoff spot now. “When I watch them play right now, I do not think they are going. There’s a long season left,” Mark DeRosa said on the latest episode of MLB Central, remaining skeptical of the Braves’ chances.

However, Joel Sherman, another analyst on the panel, didn’t seem to be on the same page. He responded, “Right now, it’s a little interesting period. You know, in the middle of June, the Mets and Braves have not played yet; they are about to play seven times in ten days starting the next week, at a point when the Mets are flying. The Braves can really get in it or get hurt over the next ten days.”

Well, it looks like a do-or-die battle for the Braves now. They need to get to 88 wins and for that, the series against the Mets is a must-win. But will that be possible?

The way Ronald Acuña Jr. and Chris Sale are going, Braves might still be hopeful. Acuna posted his seventh home run of the season against the Rockies and is now hitting .387 with an OPS of 1.178 OPS. Additionally, the Braves’ pitching staff has improved as well, with Chris Sale leading the pack. He has gone 4-4 with an impressive 2.79 ERA and 80.2 IP, recording 107 strikeouts at a 1.21 WHIP.

But again, they are still under .500 in the middle of June. So, even with Acuna and Sale, it’s very difficult to pull off anything close to the mark that might get them to the playoffs. But who knows what can happen until October rolls around?

Rather than looking too far ahead though, the Braves would only be focusing on their next opponents – the Mets. A series loss against them might mean curtains.

New York Mets might just end the Braves’ remaining hopes

The New York Mets are dominating this season as they stand at the top of the NL East with a 45-26 record. Despite their recent loss to the Tampa Bay Rays by 4-8 on Saturday, there’s no denying that the Mets are the team to look out for.

The were on a winning streak against the Rockies and the Nationals, before it was finally broken by Tampa Bay Rays. However, most of their hitters are having a good run. Pete Alonso is in red-hot form, as he is averaging .297, scoring 17 home runs this season.

Following him, there is Francisco Lindor, who has posted 14 home runs, averaging .282. Brandon Nimmo and Juan Soto are also averaging .244 and .249, respectively, boasting an equal number of home runs (13). But it’s not just the Mets hitters who are shining!

Their pitching unit has been quite strong as well. While Tylor Megill has gone 5-5 with a 3.95 ERA and recorded 89 strikeouts to date, David Peterson, Kodai Senga, and Clay Holmes have also been breathing fire. Peterson boasts a 2.49 ERA with 71 strikeouts, while Senga is going with a 1.47 ERA and has recorded 70 strikeouts.

So, on paper, the Mets look much stronger than the Braves. But an upset is never out of the equation. Can Atlanta pull it off and keep themselves in the playoff hunt? Time will tell!