MMO Roundtable: How Will The Mets Fare Against The Braves?

We know how important this series against the Braves is. The Mets are coming into the series now in sole possession of the second Wild Card spot. The Mets currently lead the Diamondbacks by a half-game, and the Braves by two games. It’s an exciting, agita-inducing time, Mets fans.

So, how do we think the Mets will fare against the Braves?

David Melendi

I think the Mets, top to bottom, hitting and pitching, are better than Atlanta. That will show itself during the series. Mets hitters, by and large, are more of a pain to get out, especially as you move down the batting order. But I don’t see the Braves getting swept at home in the biggest series of their season. And Chris Sale is pretty good. Mets take two of three.

Patrick Glynn

The one area the Braves have the advantage is in their starting pitching. But over the last couple of months, Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and David Peterson closed that gap, enough so that it might be a toss up with Reynaldo Lopez out. These 2022 Mets have found a way since June, playing at the league’s best pace for the last four months. Francisco Lindor’s status is up in the air, and if it’s wet and slippery for parts of the series, the Mets may hold him out for another game or two and see if they can get it done without him. But I think in either scenario, they win the series two games to one.

Allison Waxman

The Braves are missing a few key players compared to the last time Atlanta and New York played a key September series (2022). Ronald Acuña Jr. is out, Austin Riley is out and Dansby Swanson is wearing a different shade of blue and red. Max Fried isn’t the same pitcher this season. Now, I’m not trying to give the Braves excuses, but they’re fundamentally a different team. But so are the Mets. They’re more mature, but also younger. They’ve been down this road before. They have a grit that teams of the past haven’t had before. They simply have no quit. While Atlanta’s starting pitching might be superior, the Mets still may have the upper hand with how they take at-bats. Mets take the series 2-1.

Matt Mancuso

In 2022, the Braves rocketed into their late-season series with the Mets with a fury only the eventual NL Champions could halt, weeks later. This season, led by the unlucky trio of Grimace, Candelita, and Seymour Weiner, the Mets are waltzing into their late-season clash with the Braves with the momentum at their back. Despite the plethora of empirical evidence proving that there is no such thing as momentum, the vibes have never been stronger. The Mets currently control their own destiny, have staggered their rotation for this three-game set, and are awaiting the immediate return of their MVP candidate. What more could you ask for entering the biggest series of the year?

Prediction: Mets take two out of three, clinching the playoffs in the final game.

Christian De Block

The Mets have the edge in talent but more importantly, they are far healthier at this point in the year. This version of the Braves is nowhere near the level of team they saw late in ‘22. The Mets NEED to take advantage of that. I think hitting with RISP will decide this series. The Mets rank 8th in that category. The Braves rank 18th in that category. If Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Álvarez among others deliver in those moments, the Mets will be in good shape. It will tight, it will be nervy, but the Mets are taking two of three in Atlanta.

James Villani

This is certainly not a Braves teams of years past, due specifically to injury, but one thing for sure is their pitching is still close to elite; starters and the bullpen (third-best ERA in the majors). Unfortunately, for the Mets, they face the Braves three best starters.

The oddsmakers in Vegas will likely show Atlanta as a favorite in all three games, especially given the home field. As it comes to the pitchers, the Braves will likely have the advantage in two-of-the-three. It’ll be up to the Mets offense to get it done.

With all that being said, I believe Atlanta takes 2-of-3. However, the Mets hold their slim 1.0 game margin until season’s end, returning to the playoffs.

Mojo Hill

This is primed to be an interesting series, with each team badly craving a series win to shore up a playoff spot.

The Mets’ outstanding starting pitching as of late has helped minimize the team’s other flaws — though I’m still a bit wary that David Peterson and Jose Quintana (the latter not pitching this series) can maintain this success. The Braves’ offense isn’t nearly as high-powered as it was the last couple years, though, due to both injury and underperformance. So it should be a good battle.

I’m gonna say Luis Severino outduels Spencer Schwellenbach and the Mets take Game 1. But then I think Chris Sale completely shuts them down in a Game 2 rout. And then in the decisive Game 3, the Braves have Max Fried, who’s still a very good pitcher and another tough lefty. I think Manaea mostly holds steady with him until a big hit around the sixth or seventh inning, and the Mets drop two of three.

The Mets would still be a game ahead of the Braves after the series in this scenario, but would have not yet achieved the elusive clinch.

Jack Ramsey

The Mets once again themselves with their playoff fate hanging in the balance on their way into Atlanta. While there are plenty of obvious differences between the 2022 series and this year’s edition, the idea of heading into Atlanta for three games with six games left at the peak of a playoff push is still worrisome.

As you start to look deeper into this year’s series, the differences seem to play into the Mets’ favor. Everything the Mets have touched this year has turned into some level of gold. Whether it be the starting pitching trio of Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, and David Peterson, the addition of Jose Iglesias, the revelations of Jose Butto and Reed Garrett, or any of the other wonderful developments for the Mets this year, they seem to still be playing well above their means.

In Atlanta, however, their season has been ravaged by injuries, and even a Marcell Ozuna MVP campaign can’t propel them to a safe playoff spot. The one bright spot for the Braves, however, has been their starting pitching. They line up, in order, rookie sensation Spencer Schwellenbach, Cy Young candidate Chris Sale, and Met-killer Max Fried for this series. The Mets have their hands full, much like they did with the Phillies to end their most recent home stand. We all know how that series went.

The Mets are on the upward swing. The vibes, coverage, wins, and just about everything surrounding the Mets have been positive for the last few months. They’ve been on an incredible run. This feels the exact opposite from the Braves, who have been covered as a team just trying to navigate injuries and stay afloat and try to sneak into October.

Ultimately, I believe this series doesn’t come down to starting pitching, or who can get the clutch hit. The Mets will be led in by the likes of Peterson, Edwin Diaz, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and several other Mets who suffered the embarrassment of the 2022 series. If the Mets’ team leaders can prove they’ve moved past the 2022 defeat and lead a new generation of Mets into Atlanta with confidence, they have a shot to clinch a playoff berth at Truist Park. If they can’t escape the memories of two years ago, the Mets don’t stand much of a chance. This Mets team has a chance to eradicate the demons they’ve encountered in late September in Atlanta before. This Mets team feels like the one who can do it and clinch a spot in the 2024 National League Playoffs.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki

I know most fans are scarred by what happened in 2022. The difference between that year and this year is that the Mets had barely any momentum and zero wiggle room going into that critical series. This year, expectations weren’t nearly as high, but the Mets enter the series on fire.

I think the Mets will get to Spencer Schwellenbach, rallying in the middle innings to handle the series opener. Game 2 will be tough to win, as Chris Sale has been unbeatable for most of the season, and David Peterson has struggled in two of his last three outings. However, Sean Manaea will outduel Max Fried in the series finale, and the Mets will be postseason-bound, winning two of the three games.

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