Bold NL East Claim from Philadelphia Radio Show Host

Philadelphia sports radio personality Joe Giglio argued that the Atlanta Braves can’t catch the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker / Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

It hasn’t been the best last five weeks for the Atlanta Braves. 

Since beating the Cleveland Guardians in extra innings on April 28, the Braves have posted a record two games below .500. During that stretch, they have suffered a sweep in Los Angeles, sustained a four-game losing streak at home and fell in three out of four to the Washington Nationals at Truist Park.

Not to mention, 2023 MVP Ronald Acuña was lost for the season.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies have won 24 of their last 32 games. That has not only allowed the Phillies to claim first place in the NL East, but they own a 7.5-game lead.

It also caused Philadelphia media personality Joe Giglio to argue on June 6 that the NL East race was finished.

“The Braves came in here and won the first two games of the season,” Giglio said on 94 WIP sports radio. “Since then, the Phillies have been close to 10 games better than the Braves for the better part of two months. This thing hasn’t been close.

“I understand the date … but this division is over. It’s over. The Phillies have won the National League East.”

There’s no denying that the Phillies are off to a tremendous start. They look invincible at the moment. 

But nothing is over in baseball on June 7. For heaven’s sake, the Braves have more than 100 games remaining. The Braves and Phillies will also play 10 more times, and six of those contests will be in Atlanta.

Let’s take a trip in the Back to the Future delorean …. all the way back to … 2022. On June 7 two years ago, the Braves were in worse shape than they are in now at 29-27. They trailed the New York Mets in the NL East by 8 games – a half game more than they are behind the Phillies now.

The Braves, though, finished that season 72-34. So while the Mets posted a .606 win percentage the rest of the campaign, the Braves won the NL East.

Giglio noted that history but didn’t care. He argued the Braves have too many injuries this season that they didn’t have in 2022.

Well, the year prior, the Braves didn’t just win the NL East but the World Series without Acuña. 

This isn’t to say I’m predicting the Braves to erase their deficit in the division and win the NL East. Again, the Phillies are playing tremendous baseball. There’s nothing to suggest they won’t win the NL East. 

But it’s dangerous to count out this Braves team with so much time remaining in the season.