MLB progress report: Grading the best and worst teams in MLB

The 2023 MLB play has been utterly unpredictable. Yet, for immoderate teams, not everything has gone according to plan.

The 2023 MLB play has been 1 of galore surprises.

The emergence of breakout stars for illustration Brent Rooker, Justin Steele, and Nolan Gorman has been good documented. Stories for illustration Drew Maggi, Anthony Volpe, and Josh Palacios are what nan athletics is each about.

Not to mention, nan standings are a complete mess. Just return a look astatine nan NL Central section arsenic an example. The Cardinals are hovering astir nan bottom, while nan Pirates adjacent nan top. Baseball really is unpredictable.

But what should nan curve beryllium for expected contenders this early successful nan year? Over a 4th of nan measurement done nan 2023 season, overmuch tin still happen. Any ‘MLB Progress Report’, however, tin only return into relationship what we’ve seen truthful acold compared to a team’s preseason expectations and talent.

For immoderate teams, it’s clip to panic.

Atlanta Braves advancement report: A

At astir nan 4th pole, nan Braves are correct wherever they request to be. At 29-17, they are correct astatine nan apical of nan National League. Their lineup accumulation is 1 of nan champion successful nan game, arsenic they are successful nan top-3 successful astir modular stats including OPS, slugging percentage, location runs, and AB/HR. They besides find themselves successful nan top-3 of astir precocious hitting metrics for illustration Barrels/PA, Barrels/Batted ball, difficult deed percentage, and wOBA. The bottommost statement is, they deed nan shot difficult and they people runs by measurement of slugging.

Their pitching is person to nan mediate of nan pack, arsenic their rotation is hobbled, pinch 2 injured stars successful Max Fried and Kyle Wright. Although they do person nan fourth-best ERA successful nan league, they let nan ninth astir hard-hit balls by a squad this year. But since they do play successful a larger stadium successful Truist Park for 81 games, they tin negociate to let a fewer hard-hit balls, particularly pinch Kevin Pillar, Michael Harris, and Ronald Acuña manning nan outfield. If nan Braves pitching was conscionable somewhat better, I would see a bump up to A+

This is nan gait to beryllium astatine arsenic nan Mets stumble connected done this season, and nan defending NL champion Phillies look to excavation retired of their beneath .500 hole.