The Atlanta Braves have dominated the National League East since they joined the division back in 1994. They've taken the crown 17 times and are in the midst of their second run of five or more consecutive titles after their 101-win campaign in 2022.
Grant McAuley joined Chris Thomas on the Other Side of the Glass on Saturday afternoon to discuss the expectations for Atlanta are no different than they ever have been.
"The Mets and the Phillies went out and spent a lot of money [this offseason], and there's only one reason they did that," McAuley started. "And that is to be able to contend [with the Braves] in this division."
To put this dominance into better perspective, let's compare their success to that of their division rivals. The Braves have six more titles than the Phillies (despite their 25 fewer seasons), their run of five straight match the total count for the Nationals and one fewer than that of the Mets, and their win last year exceeds lifetime total for the Marlins (they have never won).
In fact, the Mets, Marlins, and Nationals still find themselves looking up to the Pittsburgh Pirates for total NL East victories -- and they haven't been in the division for the last 27 years.
These rivals can go out and spend the big dollars, but the Braves have shown a consistent ability to win ballgames. The Braves will once again enter a baseball season with much of the national focus centering on their division rivals, but the title runs through Atlanta until proven otherwise.