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The Atlanta Braves' early season struggles have reached such depths that they now must defy history if they're going to reach the postseason. Thursday night in Los Angeles, the Braves, still searching for their first win of the 2025 season with a desperation that calls to mind a lost set of car keys, barged to an early 5-0 lead over the reigning-champion Dodgers. That lead got whittled down in the frames ahead, though, until Max Muncy's torpedo bat-less double in the eighth tied it up. That was prelude to the latest Shohei Ohtani Moment in the bottom of the ninth: 

When the ball landed, the Braves were 0-7. That's a jarring start for any team, but it's especially so for a squad that's made seven straight trips to the playoffs, won the World Series in 2021, and clocked a combined 205 wins from 2022-23. The Braves last season still managed 89 wins and a trip to the postseason despite a roster shot through with injuries to major contributors. The expectation was that the team would bounce back in 2025 and contend for the flag in the challenging National League East. They probably still will, especially once two sidelined stars, former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and ace Spencer Strider, return from their injuries reasonably soon, barring late setbacks. However, the Braves have dug themselves an imposing crater to start the season. 

How imposing? No MLB team has ever made the playoffs after starting a season 0-7, according to the CBS Sports' research desk. That's the bald reality for the Braves moving forward. 

You can, if so inclined, mitigate these concerns a bit if you like. When we say "ever," we're barely reflecting current playoff realities, in which there are six postseason berths, including three wild-card spots, in each league. That's been in place since just 2022. Yes, the National League figures to be a hotly competitive circuit this season, but still – six of the 15 NL teams are going to get in. As well, comebacks not unlike what's facing the Braves right now can and do happen. To cite just two recent examples, the Rays in 2011 began the season 1-8, but they eventually went on to win 91 games and make the playoffs. In 2019, the Nationals were 12 games under .500 as late as May 23. They recovered to win 93 games and the World Series. However long you think MLB's marathonic 162-game regular season is, it's still longer than that. Nope, still longer. 

On another level, let's also note that the Braves have had a tough slate to start the season. They've been on the road for all seven defeats, playing on the opposite coast, and squaring off against the Padres and Dodgers, who last season won 93 and 98 games, respectively. Thanks to a highly active winter, especially by the standards of defending champs, the Dodgers may be even better this season. The Braves have an opportunity for damage control in their upcoming weekend series at home against the Marlins, who – respectable start notwithstanding – project as one of the worst teams in baseball.

Let's circle back to the "it's a long season" reality for a moment. Yes, the Braves have endured a miserable start to the season, and rooters of the team are understandably gnashing teeth and bellowing lamentations right about now. It's also within the range of possibilities that the Braves are not a good team, yes, but it's far too soon to know that or even suspect that. For instance, here's how a sampling of projection systems see the Braves' 2025 season going in light of their 0-7 start (win totals rounded off): 

Average those, and you get 88.3 wins, which should put the Braves squarely in the mix for an eighth consecutive trip to the postseason. 

Baked into those numbers, though, is the assumption that the Braves are going to find their expected level in the days, weeks, and months to come. For that to happen, Atlanta must reverse what's afflicted them through these first seven defeats. Speaking of which, here are some more relevant numbers from the CBS Sports' research desk: 

  • The Braves' current team batting average of .151 is the fourth-worst mark by any team over the first seven games of a season since 1901. It's also the Braves' worst batting average in any seven-game span since 1942. 
  • The Braves' top 10 in plate appearances thus far are all batting .200 or worse. (Aside: The team "leader" in batting average among qualifying players is Jurickson Profar with a figure of .200, and he will … not be with us for a while.) 
  • The quality of contact isn't there either, as the Braves are presently last in MLB with an expected batting average of .151. 
  • The Braves' outfield is slashing .135/.158/.216 thus far on the season. 
  • The Braves as a team are batting .122 this season with runners in scoring position. 

Batting average is of course not the most illuminating of hitting statistics, but it's still important. As well, it does shed light at the far margins. Atlanta hitters, suffice it to say, are presently occupying one of those far margins, and not in a good way for their purposes. The Braves last season ranked 15th in runs scored with, again, unlikely levels of injuries up and down the lineup, along with some surprising under-performances. The lineup will no doubt find a higher tier of performance soon, but will it be enough to make the offensive attack an asset as opposed to something the other facets of team performance must drag along? They could use a dose of vintage Acuña when he gets back, one hopes, in May. In the meantime, is anyone in the outfield going to hit? Are Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson edging into their decline phases? Will Sean Murphy hit like he did in 2023 (good) or 2024 (bad) when he returns from his rib injury? 

A related concern is whether the offense will be enough to compensate for a shaky rotation. Strider is one of the most dominant starting pitchers in baseball, but coming off a torn UCL he's no guarantee to be his peak self right away. Chris Sale, last season's Cy Young campaign aside, has a long history of health and durability concerns. Charlie Morton is employed by the Orioles. Reynaldo López just underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

As you have surmised, the Braves' terrible start, while it obviously doesn't define their season, has raised questions that will define their season. The sensible takeaway is that the Braves will probably be relevant in the standings and maybe even good enough to win the division over the (much) longer haul ahead, as those projections above suggest. Still, you can't be as certain about that as you were, oh, seven games ago.