Was there ever any doubt that that the Atlanta Braves would win their sixth straight National League East championship? Was there ever a moment, especially once the division lead ballooned to more than 10 games?

Well, there were moments of apprehension, especially when your two aces (Max Fried and Kyle Wright) are lost to injuries for extended periods of the season. But this week’s division championship-clinching win capped a dominating regular season for the Braves.

That does not lessen the celebration this week when the Braves took three out of four games against division rival Philadelphia Phillies; the same team that knocked the Braves out of the playoffs last year. How appropriate that Braves fans celebrated on the same field that they were knocked out on in their quest to repeat as World Series champs last year.

For those that don’t know, it’s now six years and counting that the Atlanta Braves have been crowned as division champs. This is a remarkable achievement despite multiple attempts by the New York Mets to buy their way to a division title in recent years and a late surge by the Phillies this year that ultimately left them short yet again.

How quickly this organization’s fortunes changed. It was only six years ago that the Braves were mired in a rebuild; a fourth straight season with a losing record. With the way the Braves are set up for the future, it does not appear they’ll need to return to another rebuild any time soon.

The bulk of the team’s starters and pitching is under team control for the foreseeable future. One can only hope, dare I say expect, this team to be World Series contenders for the next decade.

Of course, every baseball fan knows this team doesn’t want to just be crowned division champs. They are eyeing the world championship and why not? They boast the best and most explosive offense the game has seen in quite some time. They feature a potentially tough top of the rotation with Fried, Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder.

They also certainly have the experience, having just won the title two years ago.

Only 18 years ago, the Braves won their 14th straight division championship, an impressive feat then. This team has the feel of one that could duplicate that team’s success and maybe even win more World Series titles in the process. Hopefully, another World Series title is in the cards this year.

Until then, we’ll celebrate another division crown.