3 reasons this year’s Braves team has escaped being more hated by NY Mets fans

Plenty of New York Mets fans chided the Atlanta Braves organization this past offseason as the Braves used many an ex-Met to fill out their roster as well as their coaching staff.

Any Mets laughter directed in Atlanta's direction has disappeared during the 2026 season, however, as the Braves own the best record in baseball, and as the Mets continue to struggle at the very bottom of the National League East.

You'd think that such a gruesome outcome for the Mets this season would have their fans absolutely despising the Braves at the moment, but that's actually not the case, and there are three main reasons why.

3 reasons Mets fans don't hate the Braves that much right now

1. They haven’t even played each other yet

Distance makes the heart grow fonder. It can also weaken animosity, which is what we've seen with Mets fans so far in 2026, who haven't thought overly much about the Braves without having faced them. (New York has had its hands full enough with every other opponent in the meantime).

This will all change on June 12 when Atlanta visits Citi Field for a three-game set that should be as clear a reminder as any that the Braves are wholly superior to the Mets this season in every facet of the sport. 'But Atlanta was bad last year! This wasn't supposed to happen!'

2. Jeremy Hefner isn't the reason the Braves' staff is so good

The Mets fired pitching coach Jeremy Hefner in early October last year; by early November, he was hired by the Braves in the same role.

While you might think that Mets fans would be incensed to see Atlanta's staff thriving under Hefner right now, these same fans are wise enough to realize that Hefner can't really be credited with all of the success. That's because the Braves are replete with experienced, star arms that don't require much coaching at this point in their careers. Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Robert Suarez, Raisel Iglesias? These guys would be killing it right now with no pitching coach at all.

3. Dominic Smith isn't actually a "guy who got away"

Another ex-Met who is now winning a bunch of games and having the time of his life: Dom Smith!

Is Smith playing the best baseball of his life right now? Yes. He's slashing 317/.353/.484 with five homers and 25 RBI in 49 games. But let's not act like Smith wasn't given an enormous sample size with the Mets (six years!) to show any of his current form, which he never did.

Smith hit .246 in 447 games in a Mets uniform, averaging fewer than eight home runs per season. He's on pace to hit 13 homers for the Braves this season, but not a single person in baseball saw this coming. You can't call Smith a player who "got away" from the Mets.

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