What Could the Atlanta Braves’ Final Record Look Like?
Boasting one of the best rosters in all of baseball, the Atlanta Braves have the best record in the National League (Photo by Hakim Wright Sr.)
For the past year, the Atlanta Braves have been one of the hottest teams in baseball. They’ve played at a truly unprecedented pace as they took home the NL East from a 10.5 game deficit last season, and that success has continued deep into 2023.
Despite recent losses to the Diamondbacks and White Sox, they still hold a 61-33 record, the best in the National League. With their accomplishments as a team, it might be time to consider whether they reach one of baseball’s highest records: the most wins in a single season.
The record is split between the 2001 Seattle Mariners and 1906 Cubs at 118 victories, with the Braves sitting 57 wins away. With the season approaching the homestretch, how possible is it that the Braves reach an immortal milestone?
Pre-Deadline Schedule:
Prior to 2023’s trade deadline, the Braves have three series’ to play. Following their series against Arizona, they take on the Milwaukee Brewers twice, bookending a two game visit to Fenway Park and the Red Sox. The Brewers currently lead the NL Central at a 52-43 mark with Boston sitting at 51-46, despite sitting fourth in the AL East. The Braves enter the deadline in the midst of a series with the Angels, a team looking to make a statement prior to the August 1 deadline as well. While these teams all can probably keep it close with Atlanta, they can keep pace and put these teams away, meaning they should be able to win at least five of their matchups, putting them at 68.
August
The Braves will face off with the Mets twice this month, as well as host their neighbors in the Yankees during August (Photo by Brad Penner, USA Today)
The Braves finish their series with the Angels with two games before spending most of the month on the road. They’ll embark on an 11 game road trip to visit the Cubs, Pirates, and Mets, including a doubleheader at Citi Field. All these teams are at a below .500 clip, and the Braves have had the Mets’ number for almost a year now. After the long road trip, they return home for bookend series with both New York teams, the Mets and Yankees, sandwiching a series with the Giants, a fellow playoff contender. The Braves wrap up the month with two series’ against NL West foes in the Giants and Rockies, both on opposite ends of the league spectrum. With this schedule, the Braves could be in a strong position to pad their lead in the East and get closer to history. Ideally, they should win about 20 games, putting them at a hypothetical 88.
September & OCtober:
The Braves will lock horns with another divisional contender in Philadelphia seven times in September, including a doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park (Photo by Casey Sykes, Getty Images)
The Braves wrap up their season with a difficult yet doable schedule. After opening the month at Dodger Stadium to finish their previous road trip, they host two NL Central opponents in the Cardinals and Pirates at home. They will then embark on an NL East roadtrip to Philadelphia for four games in three days, followed by a stop in Miami, both playoff contenders. After hosting the Phillies at Truist Park, they wrap up their season with the Nationals twice and the Cubs. With the Braves on target to clinch the division around mid-month, how much load management they use is to be determined. However, if history is in question, it is entirely possible they push for the record. With their 29 games in question, they could also hit 20 again barring they play full strength, leaving them at 108.
Racking up 57 wins in 68 games seems very difficult, even in hypothetical scenarios it’s hard. However, Atlanta has consistently kept winning at an astronomical pace, meaning that the impossible certainly seems possible. Whether or not Atlanta reaches baseball’s highest mark for regular season victories is to be determined, with what they have ahead of them, it’s far from a guarantee but certainly seems possible at the very least.
