The Atlanta Braves pitching staff has been excellent to start the season, thanks to former Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.

No team endured a worse spring training than the Braves.

The Atlanta Braves are up 10.5 games on the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets — and up 6.5 games on the second-place Miami Marlins. Is the NL East race over?

Braves heist over rival Mets continues to pay major dividends for Chris Sale and the rotation originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

BOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves meet the New York Mets leading the series 1-0. New York has a 15-12 record overall and a 5-5 record at home. The Mets have a 13-1 record in games when they scored five or more runs. Atlanta has an 11-2 record in road games ...

The Philadelphia Phillies have dropped 10 straight games, their worst skid since 1999, while the New York Mets face key injuries to Francisco Lindor and Jorge Polanco amid a 12-game losing streak earlier this season. Both teams’ struggles have widened ...

Atlanta has survived setbacks because it has depth, role clarity, and organizational confidence. The Mets have spent more money, but they still look reactive. Their bullpen has lacked structure. Their roster has lacked flexibility. Their in-game operation has already produced avoidable mistakes.

A difficult season for the Mets & Phillies got more difficult on April 26. Philadelphia took another loss to the Braves, while the Mets took two to the Rockies in a doubleheader in Queens.