The Washington Nationals were the talk of baseball heading into the season. Coming off of a divisional series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals without their ace, Stephen Strasburg, the Nats were the favorites of many analysts and fans and a popular preseason pick to make a run at the World Series.

Despite staying quiet in free agency -- they did add Denard Span to create a deeper outfield -- they were the resounding favorite to win National League. Little did they expect, the team with the youngest roster in the NL would become their biggest foil.

The Atlanta Braves added the Upton brothers to team up with new centerpiece Jason Heyward. Their pitching rotation, anchored by veteran Kris Medlen and star closer Craig Kimbrel, would get a dose of youth from Julio Teheran.

Both teams have dealt with their fair share of injuries. Bryce Harper missed the entire month of June with knee issues. Tim Hudson was lost for the season after fracturing his ankle in a freak play on July 24^th. Both clubhouses have had to find unsung heroes to fill unexpected voids, but the Braves have dealt much better with adversity.

Chris Johnson and Mike Minor have held things together for the Fredi Gonzalez's Braves, providing a consistent backbone en route baseball's best record. Johnson has had the tough task of replacing Chipper Jones. The 28-year old spent four years with the Houston Astros before a short stint as a deadline snag by the Arizona Diamondbacks last summer. He was then part of the package that brought B.J. Upton to Atlanta and has proven to be the more consistent bat in their lineup. Johnson's .332 batting average is the team's best and tied with Yadier Molina for the best in the NL.

Evan Gattis, who worked as a janitor and wandered around Texas before playing in Atlanta, has come out of nowhere to play an integral role with the Braves. His big bat propelled him to cult status in April and May (12 home runs) and helped the team break out to an early division lead.

The resurgence of All-Star catcher Brian McCann, who missed all of April, gives the young rotation and bullpen the veteran presence it needs as a trusted backstop. Freddie Freeman, has been the rock of the infield, hitting .314/.390/.479 with 15 homers and a team-leading 83 RBI.

Despite two regulars, B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla, struggling to get their averages over .200, the team sits in second in the NL in runs per game (4.47), while the Nationals sit near the bottom of baseball with just 3.82 per outing.

The struggles in the nation's capital are real. The rotation, though young and possessing quite a bit of upside, continues to rack up innings due to a lack of run support and shaky bullpen. Atlanta's pitching staff, however, has their best ERA since 2002 when Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine were still on the mound. Part of this is due to the presence of Minor and Teheran. Minor, with an 3.06 ERA, leads the team in wins and strikeouts (12 and 145). Teheran, a fantastic Colombian right-hander, has been part of an insanely talented young class in the NL East that includes Matt Harvey and Jose Fernandez. He is one of four NL rookies with a sub-3.00 ERA and has the least walks of all rookie starters, with just 34 in 149 innings pitched this season.

On July 1^st, the Braves (48-34) held a six-game lead on the Nationals (42-40), who still had hope in the division race. Less than two months later, the Nats are 15 games behind Atlanta with fewer than 40 games remaining. Washington would need to go on a historical run just to enter the Wild Card conversation, let alone catch the Braves.

Enduring what may simply be a case of injuries and jarred chemistry, the Nationals can still be a force for years to come.The Phillies, Marlins and Mets all look to be a few years away from contention. The Braves, however, pose a massive threat because of their similar structure. Atlanta's treasure trove of young talent and veteran leadership may mesh even more once everyone is healthy and swinging a consistent bat.

This season could turn out to be an aberration for the Nationals, but the success the Braves have enjoyed is very real.