"Yeah cause half of their fanbase are bandwagons" "Second place teams get insecure" - MLB Twitter calls out Atlanta Braves and New York Mets fanbases for their toxic rivalry

The race for the National League East Pennant is poised to go down to the wire. The New York Mets currently lead the division, but only by a slender margin of two games.

Defending World Series champions, the Atlanta Braves have no signs of slowing down. Having won eight of their last 10, they are well on course to overtake the Mets, who have been erratic in recent weeks.

The two sides share quite a storied rivalry, going all the way back to the '90s. However, the rivalry has turned bitter and toxic in recent years.

"Mets fans vs. Braves fans has been one of the more toxic relationships that Twitter has seen in quite a while" - Talkin' Baseball

Earlier this month, a fight broke out between an Atlanta Braves fan and a couple of New York Mets supporters at Citi Field. The Braves fan failed to connect with a punch before one of the Mets fans hit back and knocked him out.

Violence of any kind is unacceptable and has no place in society, let alone in sports. The toxicity between the two sets of supporters has been noticeable not just in real life, but on social media platforms too. Neither side is ready to accept responsibility as the banter and blame game rages on simultaneously.

As you can see here, acknowledging that your rivals are strong and in a good position is a difficult task for certain people.

At least some fans are ready to extend the olive branch.

Rivalries aren’t bad. Rather, they are essential in sports. It’s toxic and violent rivalries that are problematic, and in 2022, it just doesn’t make sense. People should be able to go to baseball games without the fear of a fight breaking out.

Braves rookie throws shade at New York Mets

It’s not just fans who have contributed to the fierce Braves-Mets rivalry. Rookie sensation Vaughn Grissom had a chance to take a shot at the New York Mets, and he didn’t miss.

Speaking to MLB insider Mark Bowman, Grissom said he was worried about getting selected by the Mets during the 2019 MLB draft.

“I thought I was going to be a Met, which would have been terrible.” - Vaughn Grissom

Grisson ended up being selected by the Braves in the 11th round of the draft that year. The New York Mets back then settled for top prospect Brett Baty in the first round.

The race for the NL East crown this year is very tight. Given the high stakes involved, the Braves-Mets rivalry will remain as intense as ever, possibly even moreso.