Do you remember April 2?
The Braves played at the Nationals in the final of a three-game series to start the season. They lost 4-1. Their record was 2-1 and they trailed the Mets by .5 games in the National League East standings.
As it turns out, that was the one and only day that the Braves have not led the division this season.
The Braves took the division lead back, by .5 games, the next day with a win at the Cardinals. Their lead would be as low as .5 games only once again after back-to-back losses at the Astros on April 22-23.
The division lead was as much as 7.5 games in May, seven games in June and nine games July 3, when the Braves were 30 games over .500. The Braves finish a three-game series at the Guardians on Wednesday with an 8.5-game lead over the Marlins, 11.5 over the Phillies, 18 over the Mets and 23 over the Nationals.
The Braves (57-28) have the best record in baseball and the biggest division lead. The Rays (57-31), with the second-best record, have a six-game lead in the American League East.
FanGraphs gives the Braves a 100% chance to make the playoffs, a 98.5% chance to win the division and a 98.4% chance to get a first-round bye.
When do playoff tickets go on sale?
