2 MLB teams the Mets should fear, 1 team that is a fraud

The New York Mets have done a lot this offseason to try and improve from the 101-win team they were in 2022. Obviously improving from one of the best teams in franchise history was a tall task, but the Mets did a really nice job trying.

Justin Verlander is here replacing Jacob deGrom. While he might not be as talented, Verlander is definitely more reliable than the Met legend. Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana replace Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker. Brooks Raley and David Robertson are here to fortify the bullpen.

The Mets in my opinion are better heading into the 2023 season, but will have some stiff competition. They're in arguably the best division in baseball, as they were last season. While it'll be tough to win the division, not every team we'd perceive as dangerous feels that way right now.

The Atlanta Braves are still the biggest threat to the Mets succeeding in 2023

The Braves are here to annoy the Mets in 2023 and will continue to be there for years to come. Atlanta won 101 games last season and did lose Dansby Swanson but added Sean Murphy.

While it might seem like a bit of a lateral move because Atlanta already had two really good catchers in William Contreras and Travis d'Arnaud, Murphy is a pretty sizeable upgrade in my opinion and will torment the Mets for years.

The Braves won 101 games last season with Ronald Acuna Jr. being a shell of his old self. He hit just 15 home runs and had a .764 OPS in 119 games. He should be fully healthy now after his knee bothered him throughout last season, and I expect nothing more than him jumping right back into the NL MVP conversation.

The Braves have one of the best rotations in baseball led by Max Fried and with the additions they've made, they might have the best bullpen in baseball.

Losing Swanson and replacing him with Vaughn Grissom or Orlando Arcia hurts, but Atlanta is loaded pretty much everywhere you look. Expect the Braves to be toe to toe with the Mets all season long once again.