Here we go!

After piling up wins against lesser competition over the last 2 months, we're about to find out if the Marlins are for real

Considered by most the front runner for the NL MVP Award through the first half of the season, Ronald Acuña Jr. and the powerful Braves await the Marlins this weekend in Atlanta. (Photo: Getty Images)

Now things get interesting.

I wrote on April 21 in advance of a 50-game stretch of schedule I’d circled. From May 5 through last night, the Marlins spent nearly 2 months playing the bulk of their games against the flotsam and jetsam of the American and National leagues.

11 of the last 16 series and 35 of the last 50 games (70 percent) were against teams that as of yesterday were either 4th or 5th in their division. Only 2 of the series and 6 of the games came against current division leaders (the surprising D-Backs and Reds). In the last 50 games, the Marlins didn’t play a single game against the Braves, Phillies or Mets, who began the year expected to be their 3 chief competitors in the NL East.

And they took advantage.