Braves' historically slow start could bode well for Mets' NL East chances

The Atlanta Braves are off to a historically slow start, which could be a significant boost to the New York Mets' chances of winning the National League East.

Mike Phillips | Apr 3, 2025

Apr 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder (55) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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Fans of the New York Mets are undoubtedly taking some pleasure in the early struggles of the Atlanta Braves.

Shohei Ohtani's walk-off home run last night denied Atlanta their first win, sending the reigning World Series champs to 8-0 while the Braves completed a winless West Coast road trip with an 0-7 record.

BALLGAME.

Shohei Ohtani sends everyone home ... with his bobblehead! pic.twitter.com/Js8h2qVaLw
— MLB (@MLB) April 3, 2025

There are plenty of reasons not to count the Braves out yet, including the fact the trip came against two playoff teams (the Dodgers and San Diego Padres) and without two of their best players (Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider), who are rehabbing from injuries that knocked them out for the majority of the 2023 season. While both should be back in a month, the hole the Braves have dug themselves is massive and historic.

Braves fans will likely point to last year's Mets, who started 0-5 and got to Game 6 of the NLCS, as proof a turnaround is possible. But history says the opposite, as no team that has ever lost its first seven games reached the playoffs and it has been 42 years since a team that started 0-7 even posted a winning record.

The Atlanta Braves fell to 0-7 tonight

No team in MLB history has ever made the playoffs after starting 0-7

It's been 42 years since a team that started 0-7 finished with a winning record

(h/t @KevinKeneely1) pic.twitter.com/BVTgERZ3uv
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 3, 2025

While the eventual returns of Acuña and Strider will help, the Braves also lost their top offseason pickup (outfielder Jurickson Profar) for 80 games due to a steroid suspension, weakening their lineup significantly. Atlanta also didn't do much to replace departing free agent starters Charlie Morton (who signed with the Baltimore Orioles) and Max Fried (who signed with the New York Yankees), while No. 3 starter Reynaldo Lopez will miss significant time with a shoulder injury.

Reynaldo Lopez will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder to determine if he has any structural damage. Imaging only showed inflammation. Timetable for return won’t be known until after surgery. You can expect him to miss at least a couple months.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 2, 2025

The schedule didn't do the Mets a ton of favors in terms of their schedule with the Braves, who they won't see until June (when both Acuña and Strider should be back). Regardless, digging out of an 0-7 hole in the most brutal division in baseball is a very tall task for Atlanta; it would take a 14-7 stretch in their next 21 games just to get back to .500, which would still leave them with ground to make up on the Mets (who are 3-3 in six games) and the Philadelphia Phillies (4-1 in five games).

The expanded postseason field should offer more opportunities for Atlanta to sneak in if they can put together a prolonged hot streak, but the history of teams off to a start that slow is bleak. The Mets are certainly hoping history repeats itself for Atlanta, which could turn the National League East into a two-team race between themselves and the Phillies.

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