3 reasons Phillies should embrace playoff rematch with Braves, 1 they shouldn’t

Should the Phillies hope to face the familiar postseason foe again this year?

The Philadelphia Phillies have faced the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS two postseasons in a row
The Philadelphia Phillies have faced the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS two postseasons in a row | Tim Nwachukwu/GettyImages
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The Braves have tough road ahead

By the time the Phillies could meet the Braves this year in the postseason, the Braves could be all battered and bruised. Why is that? They are currently battling hard just to get into the playoff picture, and they would need to play all out to make sure that they get in.

That means playing all their best players with barely any rest till the end of the season, because they still have some tough teams ahead in their schedule, including the Kansas City Royals, the daunting Los Angeles Dodgers, and their main Wild Card competitors in the New York Mets.

On top of that, if they do manage to get in, barring a major collapse by the Phillies, the Braves will need to also play in the NL Wild Card Series. In doing so, they would likely be using up at least two or three of their top pitchers in the process. If they manage to get through, by the time the Braves could meet the Phillies in the NLDS or NLCS, their starting rotation most likely won’t have their best starters lined up against the Phillies’ best.

Moreover, with all the extra games the Braves would need to play, fatigue could start settling in, giving the Phillies a huge advantage when they do meet. Added to the fact that they have also their top player in Ronald Acuña Jr. and top pitcher Spencer Strider not coming back this year due to season-ending injuries, the Braves could be right there for the picking by the Phillies.

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