Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin talks with relief pitcher Jesse Chavez. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves took another gut punch on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, as the club squandered a 5-0 lead and lost to the defending-champion Dodgers on a walk-off home run by Shohei Ohtani. The defeat dropped the Braves to an MLB-worst 0–7 to begin the season.

But that’s not all.

In beginning the ’25 campaign 0-7, Atlanta’s postseason hopes have entered the danger zone. According to MLB analyst Ryan Spaeder on X, no team has ever made the postseason after starting the year 0-7.

Just four years removed from winning the World Series and two years since winning 104 games, Atlanta entered the ’25 season with championship aspirations. Making the playoffs for an eighth straight time was already going to be an arduous task though, given that ’23 National League MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. and ace pitcher Spencer Strider are both sidelined as they continue to recover from season-ending surgeries this past season.

The Braves are also without All-Star catcher Sean Murphy, who has been on the Injured List since spring with a cracked rib, and ’24 breakout pitcher Reynaldo Lopez, who was placed on IL earlier this week with shoulder inflammation.

And just when it seemed like things couldn’t get worse, Jurickson Profar, the team’s $42 million free agent pickup this offseason, was suspended 80 games after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

But the Braves aren’t 0-7 simply because of injuries and a suspension. The club is 0-7 because, surprise, they simply aren’t playing well.

Atlanta has scored just 14 runs, the third-fewest in the majors, and ranks dead-last in MLB with a team OPS of .485. Braves pitchers have surrendered the fourth-most earned runs in the sport. Fully whole or not, that’s not a recipe for winning.

But all hope is not lost. According to MLB.com, 14 teams have started the season with four or more losses and still advanced to the postseason. Three of those teams started the season 0-6. The Braves can also look to a division rival for an example of a recent success story. The New York Mets started the ’24 season 0-5 and proceeded to make a run to the National League Championship Series.

All this to say, it’s a long season. Teams can flip a switch. The Braves know that better than anyone. The ’21 team that won the World Series? That club didn’t have a winning record until Aug. 6 of that season.

So yes, the Braves are facing an unprecedented road to the playoffs. But there’s a first time for everything.