The Atlanta Braves are on the verge of winning the NL East title for the sixth time, with a magic number of 6. They are the first team in 2023 to secure a spot in the playoffs.
The magic number in baseball is a crucial statistic. It indicates the number of victories a team must secure, or the losses its rival must suffer, to either win the title or advance to the playoffs.
This number is determined by assessing a team’s victories, its competitor’s losses, the total games played, and the games yet to be played.
As a team wins more games during the season, its magic number decreases, signaling that it is getting closer to achieving its ultimate objective.
Currently, the Atlanta Braves are leading not only the NL East Division but also the entire National League in the 2023 season. They have amassed 93 victories and suffered 49 defeats, resulting in a winning percentage of .655.
Atlanta Braves Magic Number 2023
The Braves are on a winning streak, with a recent victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, defeating them 8-4.
This win brings their magic number down to 6, making them the first team to secure a spot in the 2023 playoffs. They are currently 14 games ahead of the Phillies, the second-best team in the NL East.
They are leading the National League, followed by the LA Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers. Additionally, they are at the top of the MLB standings, with the Baltimore Orioles in second place.
Interestingly, their magic number corresponds to the number on the back of Harris II’s jersey, and also represents the total wins by their selected starters this season, which is 23.
In the beginning of August, the Braves were having trouble fine-tuning their starting rotation. This led to Morton and Elder stepping up when the team hit a rough patch.
Together, these right-handed starters have a combined season record of 23-14 and a 3.38 ERA as of August 25, 2023. Charlie Morton has a 13-10 win-loss record this season, while Bryce Elder is at 10-4.
With only 20 games left in the 162-game regular season, the Braves will be facing teams like the LA Dodgers, Giants, Rockies, and Marlins. Recently, they’ve won 7 out of their last 9 games, only losing to the Giants and Mets.
Given the current form of their starters, the Braves are aiming to decrease their magic number and get closer to the playoffs, needing just 23 more wins.
As of now, based on the win-loss records of the top teams in the NL East division, the Braves have already secured their spot in the playoffs, leading both the NL East division and the National League.
Atlanta Braves Magic Number To Clinched NL division
The Atlanta Braves are on their way to clinched the division, with a magic number of just 6.
Additionally, the number needed for home-field advantage throughout the season is 33, and for playoffs, it is 20.
The Braves magic number is calculated as follows:
- A Major League Baseball season consists of 162 games.
- So far, the Braves have competed in 142 matches, securing 93 victories and facing 49 defeats, leaving 20 games yet to be played.
- Similarly, the Phillies have participated in 142 matches as well, winning 78 and losing 64, which also leaves them with 20 games pending.
- Notably, the Braves lead the Phillies by 14 games, as they have 14 more victories than the Phillies.
- Hence, to calculate the Braves’ Magic Number, the formula used is: Total games in a season (162) – Total victories by the Braves (93) – Total defeats by the Phillies (64) + 1 (i.e)162+1-93-64=6
This information is crucial for fans and the team as it provides insight into the Braves’ performance and what is needed to secure their positions in the upcoming playoffs and, potentially, throughout the home-field advantage.
Atlanta Braves Magic Number By Years
Every year, the Braves’ magic number changes based on the current standings and the games left to play.
This magic number is determined by the total of the Braves’ victories and the losses of the team ranked second in the NL East.
The following is a summary of the Braves’ significant figures over the past five years, determined by the total victories on the specified dates of those seasons:
| Years | Atlanta Braves Magic Numbers by Years |
| 2023 | 23 |
| 2022 | 17 |
| 2021 | 30 |
| 2020 | 27 |
| 2019 | 13 |
As of September 12, 2022, the critical number for the Braves was 17. They were at the top of the NL East leaderboard, boasting a record of 76 wins and 66 losses, while the Mets were in the second spot with a 72-22 record.
With 20 matches left to play, the Braves needed to secure the division by winning at least one more game than the Mets, given there was a four-win difference between the two teams.
Hence, the calculated magic number was 20 (games remaining) minus 4 (win gap) plus 1, which equals 17.
Atlanta Braves Magic Number (2021)
As of August 31, 2021, the magic number for the Braves was 30.
Up until the end of August, the Braves were at the top of the NL East division with a record of 70 wins and 59 losses, which gave them a lead of four wins over the Phillies, who had a 66-64 record.
There were only 33 games left to play, so the Braves needed to secure the division by winning at least one more game than the Phillies.
So, when you do the math, the Braves’ magic number on August 31 was calculated by subtracting the four-win lead from 33 and then adding one, resulting in 30.
Atlanta Braves Magic Number (2020)
On August 31, 2020, the Braves’ magic number stood at 27. At that time, they were topping the NL East with a record of 20 wins and 14 losses, while the Miami Marlins, who were in second place, had a 15-15 record.
Atlanta had 26 games left to play, and in order to secure the division and progress to the playoffs, they needed to end with two more victories than the Marlins.
Despite having four fewer games played compared to the Braves, the Marlins were still in contention, which is why the magic number was determined to be 27.
Atlanta Braves Magic Number (2019)
As of August 31, 2019, the magic number for the Atlanta Braves was 13. At that time, the Braves were at the top of the National League East Division, having secured 84 wins and 54 losses.
In contrast, the Nationals had a record of 77 wins and 59 losses.