The NL East has a tight race at the top. The Nationals, Marlins, or Mets could all win the division. The Nationals are the favorites to repeat, but only slightly over the reloaded Marlins. The Mets have made many drastic moves to get into contention and are going to make a run at the division as well. The Braves could catch one or two of the top teams with some luck. The top teams in the Central (Cardinals/Pirates/Reds) are going to make it very hard for more than one of these teams to make the playoffs, so the race for the division and possibly the second spot in the division should be exciting to watch.
In order from favorite to least favorite (2013 record)(My projection):
Washington Nationals (18-4)(17-5)- The Nationals won the tightly contested NL East last season by a game over the Marlins. The race is going to be tight again. The Nationals have a solid lineup. Zimmerman is strong option at a weak position, Desmond is a star at SS, and Morneau should be great for points as a 1B at Coors. They have people that will get ABs at every position and Ramos could breakout if he stays healthy. They could definitely use a couple more everyday players to be an elite offense, however. The Nats do have a strong pitching staff though. Bumgarner, Strasburg, and Burnett are three guys that can put up ace-like numbers. Buehrle and Kuroda will also put up strong numbers. Detwiler has a chance to do the same. Papelbon, Storen, and Clippard will rack up the holds/saves. The Nats will be solid once again and should be knocking on the door to the playoffs.
Miami Marlins (17-5)(15-7)- The Marlins were 1 win away from the World Series last season and made some offseason moves to get over the hump. The Marlins have a solid lineup headlined by Matt Holliday. Victor Martinez gets to bat behind Cabrera this year, but will also be the DH. The RBIs will be offset by the lack of fielding stats. Granderson should rebound, Alvarez will likely regress a bit, and J.J. Hardy should be the consistent good SS option he has been for years. Otherwise, the lineup is shakey and the Marlins are missing the big 1B bat. The Hamels injuries have scared me a lot this spring and I don’t expect a lot from him. That being said, the Marlins still have a deep rotation. Cingrani has ace stuff, Tim Hudson has always pitched well, and Ian Kennedy is a good bet to rebound after a bad 2013. The Marlins could have 8 starters coming out of spring. Cishek and Johnson should provide a ton of saves as well.
New York Mets (6-16)(13-9)- The Mets probably look the most different from last year and, outside of the Blue Jays, will probably have the greatest increase in wins this season. The Mets did a whole lot with very little, but I just do not think they have caught up with the Marlins or Nats yet. Freeman, Cano, Villar, and Wright probably make up the best infield in the league. The rest of the team leaves a lot to be desired. Satin is looking like a potential starting 1B to start the season with the Mets and could be a huge asset. Outside of Soto, no other position player is expected to play every day. Mike Minor’s injury woes will delay his start to the season, but he is still an ace. Jimenez, Santiago, and Colon round out a solid rotation. As a Phillies fan, M.A.G. is not going to contribute this year. The Mets also boast many options that have a good possibility to get at bats and innings. The Mets will have people playing throughout and probably have the most second tier options and depth in the league. The Marlins and Nationals have more top-level talent, however.
Atlanta Braves (9-12)(9-13)- Medlen’s injury puts the Braves rotation in a bad spot. Coupled with the possibility that Beachey will not be back early in the year, the Braves pitching is a huge question mark. Sabathia and Nolasco are solid, but cannot carry the staff with little depth. I like the Braves offense. Perez and Hanigan should put up very good numbers as catchers. Kendrick is a good 2B, Prado has versatility and is a stud, Rollins will play better than last year (he gave up on caring halfway through the season), Aramis Ramirez is still good when healthy. The Braves lack the star 1B, but otherwise have a solid field. Their OF is good, headed by Beltran, Quentin, and Ethier. Ichiro and Ethier will lose some playing time in crowded outfields, but will put up numbers. Have to mention how beastly Kimbrel is as a closer. The Braves currently lack the depth, but are not a bad overall team.
Philadelphia Phillies (5-17)(5-17)- The Phils are lacking much firepower offensively. Howard has looked bad in the spring, but has the potential for 30+ homeruns. Zobrist is the best offensive option by far however. Avisail Garcia could breakout and contribute star like numbers, Galvis could take Rollins job by the end of the year, and Clint Barmes should get plenty of innings in Pittsburgh. The Phils are in rebuild mode and there are still many holes. Garza headlines a rotation with mediocre potential. Kendrick will get innings and pitch okay, Odorizzi could put up good numbers with the Rays defense behind him if he gets the chance, and Cosart could keep outpitching his peripherals. Wandy Rodriguez could also return to his old form and be a middle of the rotation starter. Largely, however, There are a lot of 4-5 starter options and Matt Garza. Jake Diekman could get a lot more holds than people are expecting. The Phils are rebuilding, but are in much better shape for this season than the other rebuilders.
