Atlanta Braves 2025 Expectations Set High In Early Power Rankings

A less-than-stellar, injury-plagued 2024 season didn't stop the Atlanta Braves from being expected to have a strong 2025 season

Mark 2025 to be a bounceback year for the Atlanta Braves / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

The Expectations for the Atlanta Braves are already higher heading into 2025. MLB.com released its way-too-early power rankings, and the Atlanta Braves are ranked third. 

They rank behind the World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 1) and their NL East rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies (No. 2).  

To round out the top five, the Braves finished ahead of the San Diego Padres, who knocked out the Braves in the Wild Card series, and the New York Yankees, who won the American League Pennant. 

It seems perplexing at first glance that the Braves could rank ahead of these teams. But when you look into the reasoning, it makes sense. 

MLB’s Will Leitch acknowledges that the team is better than how last season went down. 

“Just about everything that could have gone wrong for them in 2024 did -- other than likely NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale,” he wrote.  

Leitch fittingly alludes to Murphy’s Law here. It applies to the Braves’ 2024 season better than any team besides the Chicago White Sox - no matter how bad the injuries and inconsistent bats got, you can’t top a historically bad 121 losses. 

However, he expects to have more luck in the health department, even with the injury news already not off to the best start this offseason. 

“But 2025 has to be healthier, right? Even with the news that Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider probably won’t be ready for Opening Day, this team is stacked. They wanted to hit the reset button on 2024 all year. Now they get to.”

That alone should put the Braves in a better spot. Nothing was said about any potential additions that are expected to be made, but if they can address certain needs at certain positions, that will make a difference too. 

The Braves finished 89-73 and finished in second place due to having the tiebreaker with the New York Mets for the higher playoff seed.