The Atlanta Braves have surpassed the Los Angeles Dodgers to become the top team in MLB, reaching 30 wins first this season. Key players like Matt Olson and Chris Sale have contributed significantly despite injuries on the roster.

Braves leapfrog the Dodgers for the best team in MLB originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves continue to show why they're one of the best teams in Major League Baseball, as they became the first team to reach 30 wins on Wednesday. The Braves have also received MVP-level performances from first baseman Matt Olson (.294 batting average and 1.000 OPS) and catcher Drake Baldwin (.294/.889), while left-hander Chris Sale has pitched like a Cy Young candidate -- Sale is 6-3 with a 1.96 ERA in nine starts.
All the Braves' success has come with the roster being one of the most injured in baseball, but it has gotten healthier recently. Catcher Sean Murphy (fractured left middle finger) will be out until July, which is just another setback, but the Braves have the depth to maintain things in Murphy's absence.
These factors have helped the Braves leapfrog the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best team in baseball in ESPN's latest power rankings.
The Braves became the best team in MLB by achieving the first 30 wins of the season and receiving standout performances from players like Matt Olson and Chris Sale.
Matt Olson has a .294 batting average and a 1.000 OPS this season, showcasing his MVP-level performance.
The Braves have faced injuries, including Sean Murphy's fractured left middle finger, but their depth has allowed them to maintain success.
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According to ESPN's David Schoenfield, the Braves getting healthier and production from Olson and Baldwin are the reasons to have them at one, when they were ranked third last ranking.
"The Braves continued their blitz through the first quarter of the schedule by taking two of three at Dodger Stadium, including back-to-back decisive 7-2 wins," wrote Schoenfield. "The big highlight was Spencer Strider allowing one hit in six scoreless innings in his second start back from the injured list, looking more like the pre-Tommy John surgery Strider of 2022-23 than what we saw of him in 2025. Meanwhile, Matt Olson is playing at an MVP level, leading the NL in runs, doubles, RBIs, total bases, OPS and OPS+ heading into Wednesday's action. He also passed Gus Suhr with his 823rd consecutive game played, and now ranks 10th on the all-time list, with Eddie Yost (829) just a few days away."
The Braves have also seen right-hander Bryce Elder emerge as one of the better pitchers in the National League this season. After going 2-5 with a 6.52 ERA in 2024 and going 8-11 with a 5.30 ERA last season, Elder has fared better this year, going 4-1 with a 1.81 ERA in nine starts.
Outfielder Michael Harris II has also returned to the player he was in 2023 (.293/.832), batting .309 with an 832 OPS in 41 games.
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