Last year, the National League East sent three teams to the playoffs and is by all accounts the strongest division in the NL.
If any group of five teams are collectively hungry for the Commissioner’s Trophy, the NL East would lead MLB, even more so than the NL West. With Opening Day just around the corner, here is a look at each of the teams in the division.
Philadelphia Phillies
Last year’s division champions will be looking to take the next step after losing in the NLDS. With the likes of SS Trea Turner, 1B Bryce Harper, and DH Kyle Schwarber returning, this team is poised and ready to make a deep run. The biggest question mark of the offense will always be injuries, with Harper and Schwarber most likely to fall to the scourge. When they are healthy, they are among the best at their positions.
The pitching staff remains strong, with aces SPs Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola prepared to make their Cy Young cases. Wheeler was runner up last season but might start to decline at 34. The issue for the Phillies will always be innings and to what extent Rob Thomson wants to push his starts or manage their workload. If the bullpen has to enter games early, they will suffer in the stretch run.
The Phillies are no longer a team of lovable losers in the East, especially with all the big names remaining from the World Series squad. This is a make-or-break year in Philadelphia, and the early going will be the key indicator for how these guys are doing.
New York Mets
The Mets are perhaps the most fun team in the whole East division, and their positive attitude can be a difference maker. Their magical run to the NLCS almost didn’t happen except for 1B Pete Alonso’s home run in the Wild Card Series. The Polar Bear will look to bring his arctic roar to the rest of the offense but will need to improve his plate discipline. He and OF Brandon Nimmo have both struggled in this area and are declining to around 2 WAR per season. By contrast, SS Francisco Lindor led the team in most categories, including 6.9 WAR. The MVP runner-up will look to repeat that performance.
Young star C Francisco Alvarez recently went down with a broken bode, so he is ceding the catching role to C Luis Torrens, who must step up. The likes of 3B Mark Vientos and 2B Jeff McNeil are both capable of big moments and carrying the offense at times. Vientos famously hit five home runs in the playoffs.
The new starting rotation features SP Clay Holmes, starting for the first time since 2018. The transition to the rotation will be integral as he is replacing SP Luis Severino. The rest of the rotation does not look much better, as SPs Griffin Canning and David Peterson were the only healthy ones to cross 100 innings last season. Peterson will aim to improve on a breakout year.
Finally, we cannot talk about the Mets without bringing up OF Juan Soto. He has all the makings of a Cooperstown-worthy player, but he will need to maintain his health and plate discipline. If he keeps those up, he is the missing piece to make the Mets a championship-winning team.
Atlanta Braves
One man defines the Braves, and that is OF Ronald Acuña, Jr. He is the heart and soul of the team and leader in the clubhouse. But the leg injury that derailed his campaign put the brakes on another run at the East division. He is expected to return in May, so the team needs to move forward without him at the moment.
There are plenty of other players on the Braves who can carry the load. 1B Matt Olson defines reliability, and DH Marcell Ozuna is the driver at the plate. Ozuna is the rare DH excelling in his 30s and now enters the final year of his contract. Meanwhile, the left side of the infield must improve, as SS Orlando Arcia hit just .218 last season with little power. 3B Austin Riley is much better, but he missed two months with a hand injury.
Reigning Cy Young winner SP Chris Sale remains the ace of the team but might face an innings limit to prevent another arm injury. As for the bullpen, RP Raisel Iglesias will continue to be the primary closer and will be paramount in ensuring the team does not squander away victories. Atlanta needs their stars to stay healthy and productive. Giving up is never an option for this team, while facing adversity is welcome.
Washington Nationals
A team in transition and desperate to recreate their glory days is always going to have a difficult time during a rebuilding period. This is precisely the situation the Nationals face, as their young players are honing their skills in both the Majors and minors. The lack of depth and stability in the lineup will be extremely tough for the Nats to overcome in the NL East.
Their pitching staff remains a work in progress, as well. RP Kyle Finnegan is still the closer after resigning following a non-tender. If the Nationals want to turn the clock back to 2019, they will need to go deep in the farm system, or, if they’re still in the race, add at the deadline. It will take a lot to bring back a fun team in DC, but hopefully SP MacKenzie Gore SS CJ Abrams, and OF James Wood can lead the way.
Miami Marlins
The allure of playing just a few miles from South Beach is not enough to draw superstar talent to the warm sunshine of Florida. Nor is it enough to drive fan support, as the Marlins once again finished last in the NL in attendance. Their only healthy bright spot, INF Jazz Chisholm, went to the New York Yankees but left the Marlins with the necessary prospects to bring some stability to the organization. As daunting as the task of rebuilding sounds, that is the front office’s responsibility to find ways to win games. Trading away veterans is one of those methods.
While a team losing over 100 games will always have poor stats on the mound, the Marlins can put together a largely new bullpen. These move to improve the pitching staff will need to come sooner than later, as the attitude in Miami has become increasingly discontented. The Marlins need to care about putting a winning team together, which will require a larger payroll. Settling for 10,000 fans per night is not acceptable, but for now, those few fans will get to watch SS Xavier Edwards.
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