MLB Post-All-Star Schedule Offers Braves Glimmer of Hope: Analyst

The Atlanta Braves have their work cut out for them to get back into the 2025 playoff race.

Despite a series win against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Braves sit 12.5 games back in the National League East standings. The Braves are also 9.5 games behind the final NL wild card spot.

To secure a postseason berth in the wild card race, the Braves will have to pass six NL teams during the second half.

While that's not likely, ESPN's Tristan H. Cockcroft had some positive analysis for the team's offense while making second half of the season projections on July 9.

Cockcroft predicted the Braves to have the best non-Rockies hitter schedule the final 11 weeks of the 2025 regular season (the analyst didn't include Colorado because of the advantage the team's offense has at Coors Field).

"Atlanta faces only two pitching staffs that the Forecaster grades 5% or more better than league average for the remainder of the year -- the Cleveland Guardians (Aug. 15-17, in Cleveland) and Seattle Mariners (Sept. 5-7, in Atlanta)," Cockcroft wrote. "Additionally, the Braves are the team likeliest to face the largest volume of left-handed pitching during the second half (potentially 30% of their opposing starters), which is a boon to Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, and Marcell Ozuna who have historically been excellent against lefties."

Austin Riley landed on the injured list on Saturday. Hopefully for the Braves, it's just a 10-day stint, but the third baseman has a strained right abdomen.

Marcell Ozuna has been dealing with a hip injury throughout this season. There's no guarantee Ozuna or Riley will be able to produce against lefties as they have in recent years.

But if both players get healthy, the Braves could see better middle-of-the-order production given the schedule.

Albies could also provide more toward the bottom of the order. The second baseman isn't injured like Riley or Ozuna, and yet, he's experiencing the worst offensive season of the three. Albies entered the All-Star break slashing .220/.290/.316 with just 20 extra-base hits in 403 plate appearances.

Facing more left-handers could be exactly what Albies needs. He has an OPS 132 points higher versus lefties than right-handers this season.

Albies is a switch hitter, so he's not supposed to have lopsided splits. But all seven of his home runs this season have come with Albies hitting right-handed versus a lefty.

If Albies gets going, things could drastically change for the Braves offense. The second baseman has been a key member to the Atlanta lineup in the past, but over the past couple seasons, he's shown surprising decline.

To stay in the race, Albies and several other Braves hitters will have to turn things around quickly when the second half begins Friday against the New York Yankees.