NEW YORK — Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Atlanta Braves are ready for another crack at the Philadelphia Phillies this season.
They won't need to wait long: opening day, first pitch.
The reigning National League MVP and his teammates begin their 2024 schedule Thursday afternoon, and they do so right back at Citizens Bank Park, where last season ended for the Braves with a painful playoff loss in Game 4 of an NL Division Series.
Just like the year before.
With six straight NL East titles and a 2021 World Series crown, the Braves are the class of the division — there's no arguing that — but the Phillies have owned them in October, reaching the past two NL Championship Series at Atlanta's expense, only to fall short of earning World Series rings.
"This is a window that we've got to win in," Philadelphia slugger Bryce Harper said at spring training in Florida. "Our ownership deserves that. Our fans deserve that."
The recent power struggle between the teams has produced a budding rivalry. And while the surprising Miami Marlins gave the NL East a third playoff qualifier last year, the battle for the division title shapes up as a two-team tussle this season.
Never a big spender, Miami is minus 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, who had Tommy John surgery in October. The inconsistent New York Mets are pointing more toward 2025 after their high-priced flop last season led to a trade-deadline selloff of veteran players in exchange for prospects. And the Washington Nationals are still rebuilding around youngsters.
So here we go again.
Atlanta compiled the best record in Major League Baseball for the 2023 regular season at 104-58, finishing 14 games ahead of the Phillies for the second consecutive season. After matching an MLB single-season record for home runs by a team with 307, the Braves added outfielders Adam Duvall and Jarred Kelenic to a powerful lineup that features Acuña, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies and Marcell Ozuna.
They also made a trade with the Boston Red Sox to acquire starting pitcher Chris Sale, a seven-time MLB All-Star derailed by injuries in recent years.
"I'm excited to join this staff," Sale said. "We can feed off each other and compete for another division title and hopefully a World Series championship."
Philadelphia spent big to re-sign Aaron Nola ($172 million) and retain fellow ace Zack Wheeler from 2025-27 ($126 million).
Acuña figures to lead off against Wheeler on Thursday in Philadelphia. And maybe meet up again this fall.
"Playing in Citizens Bank in October," Wheeler said, "there's nothing like it."
AP photo by Charlie Neibergall / Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, left, talks with first baseman Bryce Harper during a spring training game against the New York Yankees on March 11 in Clearwater, Fla.HOW THEY PROJECT
1. Braves: Last season, Atlanta led the majors in hits (1.543), homers, runs (947), RBIs (916) and batting average (.276). They must replace left fielder Eddie Rosario's 21 homers, so the spotlight is on the 24-year-old Kelenic, who showed promising power potential during last season's strong start with the Seattle Mariners but was traded in December. Duvall is in his third stint with Atlanta after being signed to a one-year deal earlier this month to platoon with Kelenic. Another hitter to watch is Michael Harris II, who will move up to sixth or seventh in the lineup after batting ninth most of last year. Only 22, he flashed power this spring and could join the team's list of 30-homer hitters that last season included Olson (54), Acuña (41), Ozuna (40), Riley (37) and Albies (33). Four of them had at least 100 RBIs, while Riley finished with 97. Olson set the franchise's single-season record for home runs, and Acuña also stole 73 bases, becoming the first 40-70 player in MLB history.
2. Phillies: They made few significant roster changes in the offseason and instead decided to run it back, with the biggest moves keeping the rotation intact. The Phillies would like to become more of a contender in the NL East and give the Braves a run at the division title, but making the playoffs as a wild card the past two years has produced a trip to the 2022 World Series and last year's NLCS. Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto are the heart of a lineup that should help lead Philadelphia into a third straight postseason. Harper takes over at first base on a full-time basis after switching from the outfield.
3. Marlins: Even without Alcantara, a young and athletic roster has a capable rotation led by talented left-hander Jesús Luzardo (10-10, 3.58 ERA, 208 strikeouts in 2023). New president of baseball operations Peter Bendix didn't add many flashy pieces during the offseason but did sign former American League batting champion Tim Anderson to a one-year contract. The Marlins made the postseason last year for the first time in a full season since 2003 thanks to the steady guidance of NL manager of the year Skip Schumaker and the sweet swing of MLB batting champ Luis Arráez (.354), and both are back to build on that success.
4. Mets: After falling flat last season despite the biggest payroll in MLB history, this team is under new management. Mets owner Steve Cohen brought in new president of baseball operations David Stearns, who hired a rookie manager in Carlos Mendoza, a former bench coach for the New York Yankees. Star slugger Pete Alonso's impending free agency next winter will put him under a microscope all year. A suspect rotation took a significant blow when Kodai Senga, runner-up for 2023 NL rookie of the year, went down early in spring training with a shoulder strain; he's expected to be sidelined until at least late April or May. Edwin Díaz, the team's closer and a two-time All-Star who missed last season with a knee injury, returns to anchor a much deeper bullpen. The nucleus of the lineup from a 101-win playoff club in 2022 is still here, but this looks like a third- or fourth-place team.
5. Nationals: They're still more about progress than their win-loss record, counting on certain possible future cornerstones to continue making strides and move the team away from its four consecutive last-place finishes. Will Josiah Gray, CJ Abrams and Keibert Ruiz blossom? Could outfielders James Wood (obtained from the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto trade) and Dylan Crews (the No. 2 pick in last year's amateur draft) get some time in the majors? One thing no longer hanging over the franchise: The Lerner family has decided not to sell the club after nearly two years of looking for a buyer.