MLB Betting: Have the Braves Already Won The NL East?

The Atlanta Braves are well on their way to recreating another lengthy streak of consecutive NL East crowns.

At the moment, Atlanta has won five straight division titles and is full steam ahead toward another in 2023. At the break, the Braves have already built an 8.5-game lead.

As somewhat of a surprise, the Miami Marlins are next in the NL East standings right now. Miami is talented and scrappy, but the oddsmakers respect the Philadelphia Phillies -- who currently sit in third -- a little more.

Then, we are left with the New York Mets and Washington Nationals. The two sides have had oddly similar results despite the Mets sitting first in payroll and the Nats ranking 23rd.

Let's have a look through the standings at the All-Star break with an eye on the NL East division odds futures market.

All MLB odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced stats come from FanGraphs.

1. Atlanta Braves -20000

The Braves are only two years removed from hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy, and they have the potential to do so again this season. Largely the best offensive side in the Majors this year, Atlanta leads all of baseball in team OPS (.831), home runs (169) and slugging percentage (.492).

The Braves' division title odds have ballooned to a massive -20000. They were the only team in MLB to reach the 60-win mark before the Midsummer Classic. When you survey Atlanta's roster, none of this should come as a surprise.

Dynamic outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is headed for hardware this season. At FanDuel Sportsbook, the 2023 NL MVP odds have Acuna as the outright favorite (-330) to win the award. Through 89 games, Acuna is sporting his best weighted on-base average (wOBA) of his career (.420). His OPS of .990 is second this year to only Shohei Ohtani.

Of course, Atlanta has plenty of support behind Acuna. Slugging infielders Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies are certified power threats -- those two and Acuna all have more than 20 homers. Collectively, the Braves already have seven different players with double-digit home runs on the year.

The starting pitching duo of Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder has been brilliant this year. Strider is currently pacing MLB in punchouts (166), and the Braves' staff is about to get back Max Fried, which will only make them stronger.

It's hard to see the NL East going to anyone but Atlanta in 2023.

2. Miami Marlins +10000 (8.5 GB)

Despite coming into 2023 as the second-oldest team in baseball (average player age of 30.5), the Marlins are explosive.

Miami's star -- Jazz Chisholm Jr. -- recently returned from a turf toe injury. He is carrying an impressive Statcast hard-hit rate of 43.8%. Additionally, Jorge Soler has continued hitting pitches into the solar system, blasting 23 long balls in the first half to lead the club. Soler has an OPS of .877 at the moment.

On the mound, Jesus Luzardo (3.37 skill-interactive ERA) and Braxton Garrett (3.22) have been a solid one-two punch, helping make up for a down first half from Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young winner.

But, ultimately, history is not on the Fish's side. Although they have won two World Series crowns, the Marlins have made the postseason only three times, and Miami has never won the division. With the Marlins showing a -5 run differential and a Goliath sitting in first in the NL East, 2023 is unlikely to be the year Miami breaks through in the division.

They show inflated +10000 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook despite being in second place. They do, however, have a real shot to make the playoffs as they own the top wild-card position.

3. Philadelphia Phillies +4800 (12 GB)

Philly is a dozen games behind Atlanta. Still, the NL East odds show the Phillies as the second-favorite to win the division -- even if it is at 48/1 odds.

The Phillies were mediocre over the first two months of the season, showcasing a record of 25-30 on June 1st. Since then, the Fightin' Phils have turned on the juice. With a .692 win percentage in June, their run differential was +35 in the month. Worth mentioning: Philadelphia is the only NL East side other than the Braves with a positive run differential so far this season (+9).

In a year where he is recovering from Tommy John surgery, Bryce Harper is seeing the ball well, but his power is understandably lacking. His slugging percentage is currently at a career-low mark of .400.

Philadelphia has had other quality hitters pick up the slack. Kyle Schwarber is hammering the baseball in 2023, showcasing a bruising Statcast hard-hit rate of 47.2%. Additionally, Nick Castellanos (.840 OPS) and J.T. Realmuto (.332 expected wOBA) are respected bats in the lineup. Trea Turner and Bryson Stott are a very athletic middle infield tandem, although Turner's first year in Philly hasn't gone as expected.

At +4800, the Phils' chances in the NL East are slim, but they are just a half-game out of a wild-card spot.

4. New York Mets +25000 (18.5 GB)

Eerily similar to the San Diego Padres, the Metropolitans are paying very handsomely to have a record under .500 (42-48). At more than $350 million in payroll this season, the Mets haven't delivered, and the pressure is on for them to play better ball in the second half.

Future Hall-of-Famers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander have both shown signs of aging in 2023. Scherzer's ground-ball rate has slid to 32.1%, which is one of the lowest marks of his career. Verlander, on the other hand, missed all of April with a teres major shoulder injury and has put up just a 19.7% strikeout rate, his worst since 2014.

The Mets have a few offensive threats in "Polar Bear" Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Francisco Alvarez -- all three players are currently sporting an OPS north of .795.

Big names in the Big Apple aside, New York has simply dug a hole too deep to claw out of in the NL East. They're seven games back in the Wild Card, as well, so they have a lot of work to do if they want to be playing in October.

5. Washington Nationals +25000 (24.5 GB)

The Nats are far from contention. Like, far far. Still, at least they aren't shelling out an absurd amount of cash to be below average.

There's always next season, D.C.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.