The postseason may as well be starting early for the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. With just six games left on the season, the Mets hold a one game lead over the Braves in the National League East. It just so happens that the Braves and Mets will play three of those final six games against each other, with Max Fried squaring off against Jacob deGrom in the series opener on Friday night. If you ask Dansby Swanson, that's just how the Braves want it.

Swanson and the Braves have watched Fried put together a Cy Young worthy campaign for them this season, and while he will likely end up getting beat out by Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins, that doesn't take away from how good Fried has been this season. Even going up against deGrom, widely considered the best pitcher in the majors, Swanson feels like the Braves have a great shot of winning because they will have their ace in Fried taking the hill against him.

Swanson's take on Fried is likely how the whole Braves organization feels heading into a pivotal series against the Mets. In a season where Charlie Morton and Jake Odorizzi have struggled, and Ian Anderson ended up getting sent back down to Triple-A, Fried's strong performances have been what's kept Atlanta afloat. For that reason, the Braves feel great about their chances against deGrom and the Mets on Friday night.

The Braves have been chasing the Mets all season long, and there's a very good chance that the winner of their upcoming series will end up winning the NL East. The difference between automatically advancing to the Division Series and having to play in the Wild Card to move on is huge, and that's what is on the line here.

Even though they are going up against deGrom, Dansby Swanson and the Braves feel good about their chances of winning given that Fried will be on the mound for them.