NL East race is getting interesting

NEW YORK — Don’t look now, but we might have a race on our hands.

The Mets still enter their weekend series against the Angels with a 6.5-game lead in the National League East, the largest cushion of any NL division leader. But the Phillies have rattled off seven wins in a row and are inching toward .500 again, while the Braves have done them one better. Atlanta charges into the weekend having won eight in a row to claim their spot in second place.

Even the Marlins are lurking beneath the surface. Miami, sitting in fourth place, has a better run differential and record against NL East teams than the Braves. The Marlins’ 6-3 start to June has made things more interesting, and the team also has Sandy Alcantara, who’s doing his best impression of Jacob degrom’s first half from last year. Washington’s biggest impact on the 2022 season will come at the trade deadline when they decide who to get rid of.

With the teams in the Mets’ rearview mirror finally playing up to their capabilities, the division has a much different feel than it did just two weeks ago. At that point, the Mets were the only team in the East with a winning record. Atlanta’s hot streak has put them back in that club, and another good week from the Phillies and Marlins will make it even more crowded.

In other words, buckle up. On paper, the NL East is one of the most talented divisions in Major League Baseball.

For the Braves, the schedule gods have been on their side recently. The eight consecutive wins have come at the expense of the Diamondbacks, Rockies, A’s and Pirates. At 28-31, the D-backs have the best record of that quiet quartet. But the question was never if the Braves were a good team, it was when they’d remember.

In Philadelphia, the month of June has been somewhat of a spiritual cleanse. Joe Girardi was fired on June 3 and the team has not lost since. During this momentous month in Philly, Bryce Harper has been living on another planet. The reigning MVP has been unable to play the field due to an elbow injury, and focusing only on hitting has had the anticipated effect for one of the best hitters of his generation.