In the East of the National, there are the Washington Nationals, a club that cannot yet aspire to win its division.
There are the Marlins, who do not want to progress.
There's the New York Mets, who don't have a clear direction… but who also can't aspire to win the division.
So that leaves the Phillies and Braves among the clubs that can realistically win the division in 2024.
For several years, the Braves have reigned like kings in the East. No one seems able to dislodge them and they always win their division.
But in 2024, Rob Thomson says, the Phillies will try. He can't say otherwise, but oh well.
What's interesting is that the Phillies have essentially the same club as last year. Maybe they need a little help on the mound…
But it's nothing that can't be fixed.
If the club also manages to secure the contract of Zack Wheeler, who will be a free agent in a year otherwise, this will ensure even more stability.
Because yes, I have the feeling that this is the recipe to try to unseat the Braves (if it is possible to do so) in 2024: stability.
Is there a more stable club than Atlanta? I do not think so, no.
Obviously, it is interesting to mention that in 2022 and 2023, the two years following the Braves' World Series, it was the Phillies who knocked Atlanta out of the playoffs.
This is not nothing and this is what Philly will have to build on to dislodge Atlanta in the regular season.
I can't wait to see the duels between the two teams. After all, other than the games against the Dodgers, watching the Braves take on Philadelphia will be a blast.
