On June 1st, the Mets had a 10.5-game lead in the National League Eastern division. From then on, the Braves have had the best record in baseball and have a two game lead on the Mets with three games to play. Was this a case of the Mets losing the division or the Braves winning it?

Case For Mets Collapse

In early August, the Mets had a 6.5 game lead in the NL East after sustaining numerous injuries most notably to aces Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer. This 6.5 game lead came after a series against the Braves where the Mets won four of five and completely dominated the Braves to almost assuredly win the division. The Mets are 15-13 since the start of September which is hardly a collapse, but with such a large lead in August they blew multiple opportunities to take control. In mid to late August they were swept by the Chicago Cubs at home, and went 2-6 vs the same Cubs, Nationals and Marlins. In the last month all three teams are under .500. This undoubtedly shows the blown opportunities that slipped from their finger tips down the stretch.

Case For Braves Comeback

The Braves trailed the Mets by 10.5 games on June 1st, which was clear evidence of their World Series hangover. The Braves have had the best record in baseball since, and haven’t looked back. They began their comeback by reeling off a 14-game win streak in June after promoting 21-year-old center-fielder Michael Harris II from Double-A and moving fireballer Spencer Strider from the bullpen to the rotation. Both of which are strong candidates for NL Rookie of the Year. This year the Braves lead the NL in home runs, and have a potent bullpen. To claim a two game lead in the NL East, the Braves swept the Mets this past week all while facing Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Chris Bassitt. The biggest reason why it is clearly a Braves comeback is that the Mets went 64-44 since June 1st, while the Braves have gone 77-33 during this span. The only team that matches this pace is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have the best record in baseball this year.

Verdict

The Braves have had the best record since June 1st for a reason, being on pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers who have won 110 games this year. This and of itself is a clear reason why the Braves came from behind to win this division rather than the Mets giving it away to their arch rivals.