The Philadelphia Phillies have made deep runs into the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, besting their division rival Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series (NLDS) both times.

The Braves entered both of those series as the NL East champion and were upset by the Phillies, the Wild Card Series winner, twice. For many watching from the outside in 2023, it seemed like the Braves were flustered by their underdog opponent.

“That was kind of the difference,” Jeff Francoeur, a former MLB outfielder who spent his first four seasons with the Braves, recalled during an appearance on “Foul Territory.” “If you watched, the Phillies played like their hair was on fire, man. They were first to third, running. And it almost seemed like the Braves were a little shell-shocked in a certain sense.”

Jeff Francoeur Calls Out Orlando Arcia for Beef With Bryce Harper

After Game 2 ended on a dramatic base-running play involving Bryce Harper, Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia mocked the Phillies first baseman. When word got out, Harper arrived before Game 3 in a suggestive outfit and glared at the shortstop following both of his home runs in a decisive matchup that the Phillies won.

Francoeur suggested that Arcia could have done more to meet the response from Harper.

“If I was Arcia, to me, it would have been more if he said, ‘Yeah, I said it, what are you going to do about it?’” Francoeur added.

He also pointed to a lack of decisiveness by Braves manager Brian Snitker as a possible reason the team, who had the most regular season wins in 2023, lost that decisive playoff game and ultimately lost their momentum in the series.

“You got to find a way when you get to the postseason,” said Francoeur, who played for eight teams in his MLB career, including the 2015 season with the Phillies. “It’s a sprint, man, you can’t say there’s going to be tomorrow. And for the Braves, unfortunately man, it was like, all of a sudden, how are you the best team in baseball this year and you don’t know who your Game 3 starter is going to be? I mean, that’s not a good recipe for success.”

Postseason Rivalry Between Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies Can Continue in 2024

After two years of meeting in epic playoff series, these iterations of the Braves and Phillies have built up a healthy rivalry. And that could continue to be the case in the 2024 postseason.

Playoff odds from FanGraphs project that the Braves will win the NL East once again, with a 98.5% chance to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Phillies are expected to come in second in the division, with a 59.5% chance to make the playoffs.

In that likely scenario, the teams could meet in the 2024 NDLS, with the Braves entering as the division champion and the Phillies as the Wild Card Series winner once again. It’s certainly an outcome that would make for some dramatic baseball.

The Braves will kick off their season against the Phillies in a series in Philadelphia that begins on March 28, 2024.