Everyone knows about the rivalry between the Braves and the Mets. Two opponents that use each other a measuring sticks and constantly battle for the top of the NL East, an honor the Braves have won six of the last 10 seasons.
Then there are the Dodgers, a team the Braves have met in the postseason three times in the last five seasons. Add in the fact that long-time Braves first baseman and hometown kid, Freddie Freeman, left the Braves for the Dodgers in 2021 after winning a World Series and you have one of the better out of division rivalries in baseball.
But a new opponent is looking to replace the team in LA.
While on the "Jon Chuckery Show," NBC LA's Michael Duarte was asked by Chris Thomas if the San Diego Padres could be the new postseason rival for the Braves moving forward. Duarte certainly thinks so.
"I think if the Padres lineup holds up, they have a better lineup and better pitching than the Dodgers," said Michael Duarte. Currently, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the best odds to win the NL West according to most sports books, but Duarte believes the padres could "steal the division" in 2023.
What would a Braves versus Padres playoff matchup look like? You would have to go all the way back to 1998, which was the last time the clubs met in the postseason. The Braves lost that series 4-2.
Now, both teams still have to actually get to the postseason, but if the two were to meet, it has the makings of a great series and the Padres, with Manny Machado and Yu Darvish, could become the new cross-country rival for a Braves squad looking to get back to its championship winning ways.