Braves Among League's Best But Behind Rivals in Latest MLB Power Rankings

Expectations remain high for the Atlanta Braves this upcoming season. But nationally, their expectations aren't as high as some other MLB clubs.

Whether that's the result of an early playoff exit last October or the NL East getting better, the Braves remain elite but perhaps a step behind National League rivals.

That's the overall sentiment The Athletic's Jim Bowden conveyed in the MLB Power Rankings he released on Feb. 14.

The Braves placed seventh on the list, which is a very respectable preseason spot. But the Braves were fifth in the National League and third in the NL East, behind the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.

The other NL teams the Braves sat behind in Bowden's power rankings were the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks.

"I wanted to put the Braves just ahead of the Mets, but with ace Spencer Strider, who is recovering from internal-brace elbow surgery, not expected back until late April, and star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. (knee surgery) expected to miss the first month or so too, I decided to put Atlanta one slot below New York," Bowden wrote. "The Braves improved in left field with the signing of Jurickson Profar and should get bounce-back years from first baseman Matt Olson, third baseman Austin Riley and second baseman Ozzie Albies, which will help. I also think we could see center fielder Michael Harris II have a career-best season.

"However, it will be difficult for the Braves to replace Max Fried and Charlie Morton, in terms of their starting pitching value but also their leadership."

I share in Bowden's concern. Spencer Strider didn't really pitch last season, so the Braves are counting on their ace replacing Max Fried in the rotation. To make up for the loss of Charlie Morton, the Braves will turn to some combination of Grant Holmes, Ian Anderson, Bryce Elder and AJ Smith-Shawver.

There's a lot of risk associated with that plan, particularly if the Braves want to deploy a six-man rotation again. That's why Atlanta probably deserves to be ranked behind Philadelphia and New York to begin the season.

It's important to note, though, that Bowden barely had the Braves behind the Mets. New York sat just one spot ahead of the Braves at No. 6. The Phillies were seemingly in Bowden's top tier at No. 3.

Regardless, Bowden clearly sees the Braves as a team one can't take for granted in 2025. Third baseman Austin Riley definitively declared that all they need to be is healthy to be a real threat this season.

If Strider, along with Ronald Acuña Jr., continues to recover as planned, it's hard to argue that the Braves won't be a top 10 MLB team in 2025. It also wouldn't be shocking if they were a top 5 team, not just in the National League, but all of baseball.