In June, they charged into first place across MLB, maintaining their grip on it through a relatively subdued July. However, come August, they decided to toss moderation aside, unleashing a reign of domination. As a result, here’s where they currently stand with just one month left in the 2023 regular season:

• An overall record of 88-45, holding a five-game lead over both the Orioles and Dodgers.
• Averaging 5.8 runs per game, the highest in MLB, leading the Dodgers by 0.1 runs.
• A remarkable +1.8 run differential per game, the best in MLB, outstripping the Rays by 0.4 runs.
• A position player fWAR of 32.6, leading MLB by over three wins compared to the Dodgers.
• Pitching fWAR at 16.0, ranking third in MLB, approximately four wins behind the Phillies, who are in first place.

Much like their five-game lead for the best record, the Braves also maintain around a 5-fWAR lead as a team.

The only minor disappointment is that the Braves don’t hold the top spot in both position player and pitching fWAR. However, they are making strides, particularly in pitching, as August showcased a fantastic performance from their pitching staff.

At the start of the year, the Atlanta pitching staff impressed, ranking fifth and seventh in MLB for April and May fWAR, respectively. June brought challenging times, plummeting to 26th in MLB for pitching fWAR. July improved but still ranked 12th. August saw the return of Max Fried, a partially reinvented Charlie Morton, and various other enhancements, propelling the Braves to having the second-most productive pitching staff for the month.

Position players once again finished first in August, continuing their dominant streak since June. In August, the Braves posted a 21-8 record. The only surprises were that two teams (the Dodgers and Mariners) had slightly better August records. Still, there was practically nothing to critique about the team’s performance this month. They lost only one series while securing two sweeps, and experienced just one three-game losing streak, countering it with five separate streaks of three wins or more.