The Braves have been among the best teams in baseball ever since a 5-13 start that is starting to finally feel like a distant memory.

The starting rotation has come together beautifully. Chris Sale looks like an NL Cy Young candidate again after a shaky start. Spencer Schwellenbach continues to be a steady presence, AJ Smith-Shawver has emerged as a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate, and Spencer Strider makes his highly anticipated debut this evening.

A series win over the Boston Red Sox has moved Atlanta over the .500 mark for the first time this season. However, in an extraordinarily tough National League, they are still quite a bit away from being in a playoff spot.

NL East Standings

1. Philadelphia Phillies (29-18)
2. New York Mets — 0.5 GB
3. Atlanta Braves — 5.0 GB
4. Washington Nationals — 8.5 GB
5. Miami Marlins — 9.5 GB

NL Wild Card Standings

1. New York Mets (29-19)
2. San Diego Padres (27-18)
3. San Francisco Giants (28-20)
4. St. Louis Cardinals — 1.0 GB
5. Arizona Diamondbacks — 2.0 GB
6. Atlanta Braves — 3.5 GB
7. Cincinatti Reds — 5.0 GB

The National League is absolutely loaded this season with several surprise teams, most notably the Cardinals and Giants.

The Cardinals looked like a team that was headed for a fire sale during the offseason. They even completed a trade that would have sent Nolan Arenado to Houston, but he vetoed the deal. Many were shocked they didn’t try to sell any of their other spare parts, but as of now, it looks like they made the right decision, sitting firmly in contention for one of the final Wild Card spots and very much in the race for the NL Central crown.

Additionally, nobody really thought the Giants were going to do much, even after making some moves this offseason. A big reason for that is their division, which features now four playoff contenders and the lowly Colorado Rockies.

If those two teams keep playing well, it’s going to make this Wild Card race electric down the stretch. Hopefully, by that time, the Braves can watch it from afar. Despite still being five games back in the NL East, this is a club that is totally capable of going on a run and taking a stranglehold of the division before it’s all said and done.