Atlanta Braves with MLB-high eight players in ESPN's Top 100
ESPN released its list of the top 100 players in Major League Baseball on Thursday and the Atlanta Braves featured eight players.
There is a reason why so many in the media are very high on the Braves going into 2023 -- it's because of the depth of really good talent.
The Braves have a league-high eight players on ESPN's list of the best players in all of baseball. Houston, the defending World Series champions, are the only other team with eight players listed.
OF Ronald Acuña Jr. leads that group for the Braves coming in at 14. As mentioned in the article, if he gets back to his pre-injury form, he'll move up to the top of the list.
Next on the list is 3B Austin Riley at 18 who has put together back-to-back MVP-type seasons.
Team ace, SP Max Fried, was the third-highest at 32.
The top two NL Rookie of the Year finishers from last year jump onto this list as well with CF Michael Harris II at 41 and SP Spencer Strider at 50.
1B Matt Olson ranked 53rd, but if he hits in the regular season anywhere close to the way he has hit in Spring Training, he'll soar up this list.
The big acquisition in the offseason for the Braves was catcher Sean Murphy, who ESPN ranked 66th largely due to his immense value on defense -- especially with the new rules that open up the running game and place enhanced value of the arm of a catcher, where Murphy shines.
And then last but not least, 2B Ozzie Albies was ranked 74th despite coming off a lost season in 2022.
While these rankings are great for the Braves, it also shows why the NL East will be the toughest division in baseball.
Behind the Braves are the Mets with seven players in the top 100, and the Phillies are one behind them with six.
The NL East alone accounts for nearly 25 percent of the entire top 100.
There is a lot of talent on the Braves and in the NL East that should make this a very fun season for fans.
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