How the Phillies pulled off a 19-game swing on the Braves - ESPN

The 2024 edition of the National League East race is a big turnaround from last season, when the Atlanta Braves finished 14 games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. This year, Philadelphia took control of the division early on and has held solo possession of first place every day since May 3.

As the two teams meet this weekend, let's dig into how the Phillies have turned the tables on the Braves.

2023 offense: Braves +151 runs (Braves scored 947 runs; Phillies scored 796)

2023 pitching/defense: Phillies +1 run (Phillies allowed 715 runs; Braves allowed 716)

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Sunday, 7 p.m. ET: Braves-Phillies

The Braves' big advantage came on the offensive side of the ball last season. No surprise there, as the Braves' offense was one of the best of all time. Atlanta hit an MLB-record-tying 307 home runs and became the first team to slug .500. The Phillies finished fourth in the NL with 796 runs, which was the most they had scored since 2009 — but was still 151 fewer than the Braves.

The teams were essentially equal at run prevention, with Atlanta allowing one more run. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola gave the Phillies one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, while the Braves got expected strong performances from Spencer Strider and Charlie Morton along with a breakout by Bryce Elder.

Interestingly, the Braves had the more active offseason despite their better record in 2023. They traded for Jarred Kelenic to replace free-agent left fielder Eddie Rosario, then added rotation depth by acquiring Chris Sale from the Red Sox and signing Reynaldo Lopez as a free agent (with the idea of moving him from the bullpen to a starting role).

The Phillies' biggest move wasn't