The NL East was one of the more whacky divisions last year. The Mets blew a seven-game lead in the standings with two weeks left in the season to win the division and knock the Mets from playoff contention. The Braves quietly regained a little respect after losing the division for the first time in 14 years in 2006. This year could be just as crazy, and maybe even better than advertised. The Mets, Phillies and Braves all have what it takes to win the division.
1. ATLANTA BRAVES
Despite the loss of Andruw Jones, the lineup still looks as good as it did a year ago, thanks in large part to last season's mid-season trade for first baseman Mark Teixeira. The Braves also sent Edgar Renteria to Detroit to make room for up-and-coming Yunel Escobar at the top of the order, who WOW-ed the Braves last year while Renteria was hurt, making Renteria expendable. The middle of the lineup figures to drive in a bunch of runs with Chipper Jones, Teixeira, Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur. Mark Kotsay takes over the center field duties, and adds some experience at the top of the order.
The Braves brought back Tom Glavine after a three-year stay in New York, to add some depth to a pretty solid rotation. There are concerns here though. Glavine and John Smoltz are now over 40 years old, and Tim Hudson hasn't been healthy for a full season since coming to Atlanta. Mike Hampton is still recovering from all sort of injuries that have shelved him for over two years. The big upside in the rotation will be from the back end, where Jair Jurrjens, acquired in the Renteria deal from Detroit, Jo-Jo Reyes and Chuck James all have bright futures. With Hampton still not at 100%, two of these three will be in the rotation. The bullepn will rely heavily on the starters being able to throw more innings. If the starters can do that, the pen will be more effective. Rafael Soriano resumes the closer duties with Peter Moylan and Manny Acosta at the back end. The Braves also hope Mike Gonzalez can add depth when he returns mid-season.
The Braves have the best balance of combined depth in their lineup, rotation and bullpen of anyone in the division. If the rotation stays healthy, They should have no problem taking back the East crown.
2. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
The Phillies have arguably the best hitting lineup in the National League. They also have the most power in the lineup, having hit 213 home runs in 2007. But this team can also run, and run with success, as they had the best stolen base rate in baseball last season. And it all starts at the top with reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins, and Shane Victorino. The middle of the lineup is arguably one of the best, as well, with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell. Add in Geoff Jenkins and Jayson Werth splitting up right field, and you've got another 200- plus home runs.
The Phillies rotation is their thorn in their side with some staggering statistics and very little depth. Cole Hamels is one of the best young starters in the game. However, Brett Myers is recovering from an injury that sidelined him a good part of 2007; Jamie Moyer will be 45; Adam Eaton had an ugly ERA over 6. They do get Kyle Kendrick for a full season, and Chad Durbin will push Eaton. The starters must cut back on the number of home runs they give up, and have to find a way to improve on an ERA near 5. The bullpen gets a boost with the addition of Brad Lidge, even though he was the least effective closer in the NL in 2007 with eight blown saves. However, they do have plenty of depth with Tom Gordon, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madsen and J.D Durbin.
The Phillies can score with anyone, and they have a formidable bullpen. If the rotation can improve on last season's atrocity, they'll be a force in the National League.
3. NEW YORK METS
The Mets had an epic collapse of epic proportions at the end of last season, and they intend to make sure it doesn't happen again. The lineup is more or less the same as last season. The offense can score runs in multiple ways: power, speed or small ball. The Mets have very good balance at the top of the lineup with Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, David Wright and Carlos Beltran. However, age and injuries have already begun to take its toll on Moises Alou and Carlos Delgado. The addition of Ryan Church in right field will give the bottom of the lineup some balance.
The rotation lost Tom Glavine, but GM Omar Minaya pulled the trigger and dealt for superstar ace Johan Santana, then signed him long-term. But Santana can only pitch every fifth game, and that could be a problem for the Mets. No one knows what to expect from Pedro Martinez, who's not only returning from an injury that forced him to miss most of 2007, but is aging, as well. And while Orlando Hernandez has been consistent in recent years, he is only getting older, as well. Oliver Perez and John Maine are two solid young pitchers, but Mike Pelfrey is relatively unproven. One of these three won't make the rotation. Other than Santana in Minnesota last season, none of the starters were consistent. The bullpen is an even bigger question mark than the rotation. Billy Wagner is a three-out closer. So unless the starters go eight innings every time out, the Mets might be in trouble. Aaron Heilman gives up a ton of home runs and Duaner Sanchez hasn't pitched in about 18 months. The rest of the pen isn't even worth a discussion.
The Mets will score enough runs on most nights, but the uncertainty behind Santana in the rotation and Wagner in the pen will likely leave the Mets on the outside looking in again come October.
4. WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Nationals made two very daring trades for two very troubled young stars-in-the-making. Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes will finally get their opportunities in the nation's capital to prove they were worth it. Milledge is the sure bet of the two to start on opening day, and will be penciled in the two spot and center field. DC hopes Milledge, along with long-forgotten Cristian Guzman, will provide them more scoring chances at the top of the lineup than Nook Logan or Felipe Lopez did in 2007. The middle of the lineup is solid with Ryan Zimmerman, a Nick Johnson/Dmitri Young first base tandem, Wily Mo Pena, and Austin Kearns. Lopez slides to the bottom of the lineup and will split second base time with Ronnie Belliard. Paul Lo Duca takes over the catching duties. The Nationals hope this lineup won't finish dead last in runs scored again as the move into a brand new cozier ballpark this season.
The Nats new cozier ballpark won't help their pitching staff much, particularly the starters. Their rotation was like an army infirmary last season. Shawn Hill, John Patterson and Jason Bergmann all spent quality time on the disabled list last season. Matt Chico was the only healthy starter, but he has some control issues. Mike Bascik, Joel Hanrahan and Timm Redding will determine the fifth starter. The bullpen is the strength of the pitching staff. Chad Cordero anchors a solid back end with Jon Rauch, Luis Ayala and Saul Rivera handling the set-up duties.
The Nationals new park should help them score a few more runs, but it will also help them give up more runs. Thanks in large part to Florida, the Nationals will avoid the cellar.
5. FLORIDA MARLINS
The Marlins will be hard-pressed to match last season's team record established of 790 runs scored after trading superstar third baseman Miguel Cabrera to Detroit, along with pitcher Dontrelle Willis. However, there is still a lot of upside in this offense. Hanley Ramirez, an MVP candidate last season, and Dan Uggla form an interesting combination of power from the middle infield spots. Jeremy Hermida will be asked to pick up some additional slack left behind by the departure of Cabrera, and could be slotted in the third spot in the lineup if highly-regarded prospect Cameron Maybin wins a job and can handle the lead off spot. Josh Willingham and Mike Jacobs add some young veteran power to the middle of the lineup.
With ace Willis gone to Detroit, the Marlins rotation will have to step it up. More importantly, they have to stay healthy. That said, Scott Olsen or Sergio Mitre will become the ace. Florida also hopes top prospect Andrew Miller, acquired in the big trade with Detroit, will help some. The last two spots are huge question marks, with no real clear-cut favorites for either spot. Last year, the pen was a mess. Now, it just might be their strength. Kevin Gregg establish himself as the closer, and Justin Miller, Lee Garnder, Taylor Tankersley and Renyel Pinto add some depth in the pen. The return of Logan kensing is a huge plus.
Th Marlins are capable of scoring runs, and they have a solid pen now, but they will be hard-pressed to win many games with their rotation as uncertain as it is.
Next up, the American League!
1. ATLANTA BRAVES
Despite the loss of Andruw Jones, the lineup still looks as good as it did a year ago, thanks in large part to last season's mid-season trade for first baseman Mark Teixeira. The Braves also sent Edgar Renteria to Detroit to make room for up-and-coming Yunel Escobar at the top of the order, who WOW-ed the Braves last year while Renteria was hurt, making Renteria expendable. The middle of the lineup figures to drive in a bunch of runs with Chipper Jones, Teixeira, Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur. Mark Kotsay takes over the center field duties, and adds some experience at the top of the order.
The Braves brought back Tom Glavine after a three-year stay in New York, to add some depth to a pretty solid rotation. There are concerns here though. Glavine and John Smoltz are now over 40 years old, and Tim Hudson hasn't been healthy for a full season since coming to Atlanta. Mike Hampton is still recovering from all sort of injuries that have shelved him for over two years. The big upside in the rotation will be from the back end, where Jair Jurrjens, acquired in the Renteria deal from Detroit, Jo-Jo Reyes and Chuck James all have bright futures. With Hampton still not at 100%, two of these three will be in the rotation. The bullepn will rely heavily on the starters being able to throw more innings. If the starters can do that, the pen will be more effective. Rafael Soriano resumes the closer duties with Peter Moylan and Manny Acosta at the back end. The Braves also hope Mike Gonzalez can add depth when he returns mid-season.
The Braves have the best balance of combined depth in their lineup, rotation and bullpen of anyone in the division. If the rotation stays healthy, They should have no problem taking back the East crown.
2. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
The Phillies have arguably the best hitting lineup in the National League. They also have the most power in the lineup, having hit 213 home runs in 2007. But this team can also run, and run with success, as they had the best stolen base rate in baseball last season. And it all starts at the top with reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins, and Shane Victorino. The middle of the lineup is arguably one of the best, as well, with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell. Add in Geoff Jenkins and Jayson Werth splitting up right field, and you've got another 200- plus home runs.
The Phillies rotation is their thorn in their side with some staggering statistics and very little depth. Cole Hamels is one of the best young starters in the game. However, Brett Myers is recovering from an injury that sidelined him a good part of 2007; Jamie Moyer will be 45; Adam Eaton had an ugly ERA over 6. They do get Kyle Kendrick for a full season, and Chad Durbin will push Eaton. The starters must cut back on the number of home runs they give up, and have to find a way to improve on an ERA near 5. The bullpen gets a boost with the addition of Brad Lidge, even though he was the least effective closer in the NL in 2007 with eight blown saves. However, they do have plenty of depth with Tom Gordon, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madsen and J.D Durbin.
The Phillies can score with anyone, and they have a formidable bullpen. If the rotation can improve on last season's atrocity, they'll be a force in the National League.
3. NEW YORK METS
The Mets had an epic collapse of epic proportions at the end of last season, and they intend to make sure it doesn't happen again. The lineup is more or less the same as last season. The offense can score runs in multiple ways: power, speed or small ball. The Mets have very good balance at the top of the lineup with Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, David Wright and Carlos Beltran. However, age and injuries have already begun to take its toll on Moises Alou and Carlos Delgado. The addition of Ryan Church in right field will give the bottom of the lineup some balance.
The rotation lost Tom Glavine, but GM Omar Minaya pulled the trigger and dealt for superstar ace Johan Santana, then signed him long-term. But Santana can only pitch every fifth game, and that could be a problem for the Mets. No one knows what to expect from Pedro Martinez, who's not only returning from an injury that forced him to miss most of 2007, but is aging, as well. And while Orlando Hernandez has been consistent in recent years, he is only getting older, as well. Oliver Perez and John Maine are two solid young pitchers, but Mike Pelfrey is relatively unproven. One of these three won't make the rotation. Other than Santana in Minnesota last season, none of the starters were consistent. The bullpen is an even bigger question mark than the rotation. Billy Wagner is a three-out closer. So unless the starters go eight innings every time out, the Mets might be in trouble. Aaron Heilman gives up a ton of home runs and Duaner Sanchez hasn't pitched in about 18 months. The rest of the pen isn't even worth a discussion.
The Mets will score enough runs on most nights, but the uncertainty behind Santana in the rotation and Wagner in the pen will likely leave the Mets on the outside looking in again come October.
4. WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Nationals made two very daring trades for two very troubled young stars-in-the-making. Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes will finally get their opportunities in the nation's capital to prove they were worth it. Milledge is the sure bet of the two to start on opening day, and will be penciled in the two spot and center field. DC hopes Milledge, along with long-forgotten Cristian Guzman, will provide them more scoring chances at the top of the lineup than Nook Logan or Felipe Lopez did in 2007. The middle of the lineup is solid with Ryan Zimmerman, a Nick Johnson/Dmitri Young first base tandem, Wily Mo Pena, and Austin Kearns. Lopez slides to the bottom of the lineup and will split second base time with Ronnie Belliard. Paul Lo Duca takes over the catching duties. The Nationals hope this lineup won't finish dead last in runs scored again as the move into a brand new cozier ballpark this season.
The Nats new cozier ballpark won't help their pitching staff much, particularly the starters. Their rotation was like an army infirmary last season. Shawn Hill, John Patterson and Jason Bergmann all spent quality time on the disabled list last season. Matt Chico was the only healthy starter, but he has some control issues. Mike Bascik, Joel Hanrahan and Timm Redding will determine the fifth starter. The bullpen is the strength of the pitching staff. Chad Cordero anchors a solid back end with Jon Rauch, Luis Ayala and Saul Rivera handling the set-up duties.
The Nationals new park should help them score a few more runs, but it will also help them give up more runs. Thanks in large part to Florida, the Nationals will avoid the cellar.
5. FLORIDA MARLINS
The Marlins will be hard-pressed to match last season's team record established of 790 runs scored after trading superstar third baseman Miguel Cabrera to Detroit, along with pitcher Dontrelle Willis. However, there is still a lot of upside in this offense. Hanley Ramirez, an MVP candidate last season, and Dan Uggla form an interesting combination of power from the middle infield spots. Jeremy Hermida will be asked to pick up some additional slack left behind by the departure of Cabrera, and could be slotted in the third spot in the lineup if highly-regarded prospect Cameron Maybin wins a job and can handle the lead off spot. Josh Willingham and Mike Jacobs add some young veteran power to the middle of the lineup.
With ace Willis gone to Detroit, the Marlins rotation will have to step it up. More importantly, they have to stay healthy. That said, Scott Olsen or Sergio Mitre will become the ace. Florida also hopes top prospect Andrew Miller, acquired in the big trade with Detroit, will help some. The last two spots are huge question marks, with no real clear-cut favorites for either spot. Last year, the pen was a mess. Now, it just might be their strength. Kevin Gregg establish himself as the closer, and Justin Miller, Lee Garnder, Taylor Tankersley and Renyel Pinto add some depth in the pen. The return of Logan kensing is a huge plus.
Th Marlins are capable of scoring runs, and they have a solid pen now, but they will be hard-pressed to win many games with their rotation as uncertain as it is.
Next up, the American League!
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