Post by sfdave on Sept 15, 2019 13:22:09 GMT -5
The powerhouse NL East didn’t disappoint in 2021. Not only did the Washington Nationals win the Word Series, but both the NL MVP and Cy Young award winners – Nationals outfielder Mike Trout and Mets starter Noah Syndergaard – hailed from the NL East. The Nationals, Phillies, and Mets will be tough again this year, but the big story in 2022 could be the improvements in Atlanta and Miami.
Washington Nationals
2021: 97-65. First place in the NL East and World Series Champions. Defeated Arizona 4-0 in the NLDS; defeated Chicago 4-2 in the NLCS; defeated New York 4-1 in the World Series.
Who They Were: With a star-studded lineup featuring League MVP Mike Trout, Gold Glove/Platinum Stick winner Bryce Harper, and young CF phenom Victor Robles, Washington finished in the top-3 of every major NL offensive category last year, and led the league in OPS, WAR, WPA, wOBA, and wRC. Their pitching staff was nearly as impressive. Anchored by 25-year old staff ace Peter Solomon, the Nationals were near the top of the NL in ERA, FIP, WAR, and Quality Starts.
Offseason Review: The team lost SP Max Scherzer, C Mike Zunino, and SP Colin Rea to free agency, while adding oft-injured SP Yu Darvish to their rotation.
On the Farm: The Nationals have the league’s 5th rated farm system led by No. 1 overall prospect SP Eric Pena. Just 22 years old, Pena already tops 100 mph on the radar gun and features one of the game’s better sliders. Given Scherzer’s departure, it will be interesting to see if the National’s add Pena to the major league rotation to start the year. If his 2.25 ERA so far in spring training is any indication, he may not be on the farm much longer.
Best Case Scenario: The offense stays healthy, Pena performs well leading Nats fans say “Max who?” and the team tops 100 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: Age catches up with the bullpen, Darvish spends the year on the IL, Pena’s not ready, and GM Jake Pennel has to scramble to add some arms mid-year to fend off the Phillies and Mets.
Key Questions: With so much money tied up in multi-year deals for Trout, Harper, and Ross, will you have enough flexibility to eventually lock up your young stars like Robles, Solomon, and Perez? How confident are you that Pena and Darvish can solidify the back end of your rotation? Over the past decade, the Nationals have never finished outside the top-2 in the NL East, what’s your secret for maintaining such long-term consistency?
Philadelphia Phillies
2021: 92-70. Second place in the NL East. Lost to Arizona in the NL Wildcard Series.
Who They Were: Led by a bevy of young stars including Seth Beer, Mickey Moniak, and Yordan Alvarez, the Phillies high-powered offense put up 5.6 runs per game in 2021, second only to Washington in the NL. While their pitching was less impressive with a slightly below league average 4.69 FIP and only 42 quality starts, it sported some impressive young arms including Edgar Garcia and Franklyn Kilome. Combined, it was enough to propel Philadelphia to its second straight playoff appearance.
Offseason Review: In one of the bigger trades of the offseason, the Phillies added ace starter Madison Bumgarner, closer Dan Altavilla, and infielder Andres Gimenez from the Rays. Leaving in the trade were promising young starter Sixto Sanchez and standout shortstop JP Crawford. Philadelphia also added relievers Joe Caulder and Cody Edge to their bullpen, while losing pitchers Tony Watson, Vince Velasquez, and Aaron Nola to free agency.
On the Farm: The Phillies have the 10th ranked farm system in the PBA, led by highly-touted prospects Luis Morales, Mason Englert, and Marc Eberle. While Eberle, a young knuckleballer and former No. 7 overall draft pick, may be close the big leagues, most of the Phillies other impact prospects are still several years away from helping the major league club.
Best Case Scenario: Young hitters like Beer, Moniak, Alvarez, Hall and Gimenez continue to carry the offensive load while Bumgarner proves to be the ace Philly needed to shore up its otherwise workmanlike staff allowing them to catch the Nationals atop the NL East.
Worst Case Scenario: Injuries and inconsistency plague their young hitters, keeping them behind the Nats juggernaut and once again playing bridesmaid in the NL East.
Key Questions: With Maikel Franco turning 30 this year and coming off a disappointing 2021 season, what are your plans for him and could he be moved? Which of your young hitters are you most interested in signing to a long-term deal?
New York Mets
2021: 88-74. Third place in the NL East.
Who They Were: After five straight playoff appearances from 2015-2019, the Mets have fallen on hard times over the past two years. Having said that, 2021 was a vast improvement over the prior year and shows New York is still a threat in the NL East. Led by Cy Young award winner Noah Syndergaard, the Mets pitching was slightly above league average last year with a 4.60 FIP and 1,414 strikeouts, second only to the Dodgers in the NL.
Offseason Review: It was a fairly quiet offseason for the Mets. While they lost pitchers AJ Ramos, Jeurys Familia, and Matt Andriese to free agency, they replaced them with three quality arms in veterans Tommy Kahnle, Jeanmar Gomez, and Luis Avilan. Off the field, the Mets cut ties with long-time scouting director Jean-Paul De Sousa, with newcomer David Chadd taking over.
On the Farm: The Mets farm system is ranked 27th in the PBA, but that seems to be based more on a dearth of superstars rather than an overall lack of talent. In fact, the Mets have several interesting prospects including Matt Cleveland, Brett Langhorne, Jefferson Escorcha, Nick Sprengel, and Nicholas Canderlari who could be solid major league players someday. Cleveland in particular looks like a safe bet to crack the Mets rotation in 2022 after putting up eye-popping numbers in AAA last year.
Best Case Scenario: Cleveland’s addition gives the Mets one of the top rotations in the PBA, Betts and Conforto discover their 2019 forms again, and the Mets pull a Wildcard rabbit out of their hats.
Worst Case Scenario: They say father time waits for no man, and this could be the year he catches up with the Mets. If so, a .500 record isn’t out of the question despite their star-studded lineup.
Key Questions: With one of the oldest teams in the NL and a farm system ranked #27 in the PBA, what is your plan for adding younger talent to the team? Between Harvey, Carrasco, and Betts, who do you secretly hope opts out of their contract in 2023?
Miami Marlins
2021: 73-89. Fourth place in the NL East.
Who They Were: The Marlins struggled on offense last year, scoring only 706 runs and drawing fewer walks than any team in the NL. The team has some talented young hitters in Trent Clark, Nick Gordon, Israel Soto, and Jeren Kendall, but 2021 was a year of adjustment for many of them. The Marlins pitching was adequate in 2021, with a respectable 4.70 FIP and solid numbers across most pitching categories. Veteran Archie Bradley anchored the staff and led the league with 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
Offseason Review: Miami made a splash this year signing SP Takahiro Norimoto to a three-year deal. Norimoto, 31, was a perennial All-Star in the Nippon Professional league and should help an already solid Marlins staff. Miami also added veteran catcher Bruce Maxwell in a trade with Oakland, as well as a couple of interesting young outfielders in this year’s Rule 5 draft. Not surprisingly given their offensive struggles, the Marlins jettisoned hitting coach Dan LeBlanc after only one year, replacing him with former Cardinals hitting coach, Kevin Jordan. Jordan seems like a perfect fit for a young team struggling with the ability to make solid contact.
On the Farm: The Marlins have the league’s 26th ranked farm system highlighted by 21-year old starting pitcher Juan Ochoa, a 3rd round draft pick in 2020, and first baseman Kwi-Tae Yook, a rare international signing out of North Korea. Miami’s system is heavy on pitching, and despite its low ranking, includes several solid young arms like Alfredo Flores, Akinori Hayashida, and Henry Valencio.
Best Case Scenario: The Marlins should be a better team this year with the addition of Norimoto and another year of experience for their young hitters. A .500 record is a possibility if everything goes right.
Worst Case Scenario: If the offense never gels and Norimoto struggles in his PBA debut, expect the Marlins to finish about where they did last season.
Key Questions: Competing in the NL East as a low-budget team isn’t easy, what is your strategy for being able to take on the big spenders in your division over time? Your owner, 81-year old Jeffrey Loria, is rumored to have high expectations and a thin wallet, what additional challenges does that pose for you as a general manager?
Atlanta Braves
2021: 65-97. Fifth place in the NL East.
Who They Were: 2021 was a challenging year for the Braves. The team was near the bottom of the NL in most hitting and pitching categories. There were some individual bright spots, though. Young starter Ian Anderson built on a fine 2020 debut, putting up 2.6 WAR and a 123 ERA+, while third baseman Bobby Dalbec proved he could handle the hot corner in Atlanta, putting up 2.2 WAR for the year.
Offseason Review: General Manager Aaron Dunham had a busy offseason. Joining the Braves are relievers Hunter Strickland and Robbie Ross, power-hitting third baseman Matt Chapman, starters Zach Davies, Peter Lambert, and Eduardo Rodriquez, outfielder Austin Meadows, and promising young catcher Blake Hunt. In addition, the Braves traded away two good young players in starter Ian Anderson and gold-glove second baseman Ozzie Albies.
On the Farm: Atlanta has the top-ranked minor league system in the PBA, and according to league scouts it isn’t even a close call. With standout prospects Bobby Witt, Jr. Shane Baz, Luis Ramirez, who came over in the Albies trade, and Ronny Mauricio, the Braves are in a great position as their rebuilding efforts move forward.
Best Case Scenario: Who knows? The Braves have made so many significant changes over the offseason it’s hard to guess their upside. They’re significantly improved in several areas and while I think a .500 record is probably too much to ask, something close to that isn’t impossible.
Worst Case Scenario: Despite their offseason moves, the Braves still have a lot of holes to fill, especially on offense. Help is on the way, but it may not arrive this season. Atlanta will be better in 2022, but the improvement may be relatively small if the offense and bullpen struggle despite the rotation upgrades.
Key Questions: Trading Ozzie Albies was a big move, what was the catalyst for the trade and what was the critical piece(s) you got back from the Rangers that made it worthwhile? You made some big FA signings to improve your rotation during the offseason, do you plan to continue being aggressive in FA over coming years or do you feel your farm system is strong enough you can fill most of your remaining holes internally?
Washington Nationals
2021: 97-65. First place in the NL East and World Series Champions. Defeated Arizona 4-0 in the NLDS; defeated Chicago 4-2 in the NLCS; defeated New York 4-1 in the World Series.
Who They Were: With a star-studded lineup featuring League MVP Mike Trout, Gold Glove/Platinum Stick winner Bryce Harper, and young CF phenom Victor Robles, Washington finished in the top-3 of every major NL offensive category last year, and led the league in OPS, WAR, WPA, wOBA, and wRC. Their pitching staff was nearly as impressive. Anchored by 25-year old staff ace Peter Solomon, the Nationals were near the top of the NL in ERA, FIP, WAR, and Quality Starts.
Offseason Review: The team lost SP Max Scherzer, C Mike Zunino, and SP Colin Rea to free agency, while adding oft-injured SP Yu Darvish to their rotation.
On the Farm: The Nationals have the league’s 5th rated farm system led by No. 1 overall prospect SP Eric Pena. Just 22 years old, Pena already tops 100 mph on the radar gun and features one of the game’s better sliders. Given Scherzer’s departure, it will be interesting to see if the National’s add Pena to the major league rotation to start the year. If his 2.25 ERA so far in spring training is any indication, he may not be on the farm much longer.
Best Case Scenario: The offense stays healthy, Pena performs well leading Nats fans say “Max who?” and the team tops 100 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: Age catches up with the bullpen, Darvish spends the year on the IL, Pena’s not ready, and GM Jake Pennel has to scramble to add some arms mid-year to fend off the Phillies and Mets.
Key Questions: With so much money tied up in multi-year deals for Trout, Harper, and Ross, will you have enough flexibility to eventually lock up your young stars like Robles, Solomon, and Perez? How confident are you that Pena and Darvish can solidify the back end of your rotation? Over the past decade, the Nationals have never finished outside the top-2 in the NL East, what’s your secret for maintaining such long-term consistency?
Philadelphia Phillies
2021: 92-70. Second place in the NL East. Lost to Arizona in the NL Wildcard Series.
Who They Were: Led by a bevy of young stars including Seth Beer, Mickey Moniak, and Yordan Alvarez, the Phillies high-powered offense put up 5.6 runs per game in 2021, second only to Washington in the NL. While their pitching was less impressive with a slightly below league average 4.69 FIP and only 42 quality starts, it sported some impressive young arms including Edgar Garcia and Franklyn Kilome. Combined, it was enough to propel Philadelphia to its second straight playoff appearance.
Offseason Review: In one of the bigger trades of the offseason, the Phillies added ace starter Madison Bumgarner, closer Dan Altavilla, and infielder Andres Gimenez from the Rays. Leaving in the trade were promising young starter Sixto Sanchez and standout shortstop JP Crawford. Philadelphia also added relievers Joe Caulder and Cody Edge to their bullpen, while losing pitchers Tony Watson, Vince Velasquez, and Aaron Nola to free agency.
On the Farm: The Phillies have the 10th ranked farm system in the PBA, led by highly-touted prospects Luis Morales, Mason Englert, and Marc Eberle. While Eberle, a young knuckleballer and former No. 7 overall draft pick, may be close the big leagues, most of the Phillies other impact prospects are still several years away from helping the major league club.
Best Case Scenario: Young hitters like Beer, Moniak, Alvarez, Hall and Gimenez continue to carry the offensive load while Bumgarner proves to be the ace Philly needed to shore up its otherwise workmanlike staff allowing them to catch the Nationals atop the NL East.
Worst Case Scenario: Injuries and inconsistency plague their young hitters, keeping them behind the Nats juggernaut and once again playing bridesmaid in the NL East.
Key Questions: With Maikel Franco turning 30 this year and coming off a disappointing 2021 season, what are your plans for him and could he be moved? Which of your young hitters are you most interested in signing to a long-term deal?
New York Mets
2021: 88-74. Third place in the NL East.
Who They Were: After five straight playoff appearances from 2015-2019, the Mets have fallen on hard times over the past two years. Having said that, 2021 was a vast improvement over the prior year and shows New York is still a threat in the NL East. Led by Cy Young award winner Noah Syndergaard, the Mets pitching was slightly above league average last year with a 4.60 FIP and 1,414 strikeouts, second only to the Dodgers in the NL.
Offseason Review: It was a fairly quiet offseason for the Mets. While they lost pitchers AJ Ramos, Jeurys Familia, and Matt Andriese to free agency, they replaced them with three quality arms in veterans Tommy Kahnle, Jeanmar Gomez, and Luis Avilan. Off the field, the Mets cut ties with long-time scouting director Jean-Paul De Sousa, with newcomer David Chadd taking over.
On the Farm: The Mets farm system is ranked 27th in the PBA, but that seems to be based more on a dearth of superstars rather than an overall lack of talent. In fact, the Mets have several interesting prospects including Matt Cleveland, Brett Langhorne, Jefferson Escorcha, Nick Sprengel, and Nicholas Canderlari who could be solid major league players someday. Cleveland in particular looks like a safe bet to crack the Mets rotation in 2022 after putting up eye-popping numbers in AAA last year.
Best Case Scenario: Cleveland’s addition gives the Mets one of the top rotations in the PBA, Betts and Conforto discover their 2019 forms again, and the Mets pull a Wildcard rabbit out of their hats.
Worst Case Scenario: They say father time waits for no man, and this could be the year he catches up with the Mets. If so, a .500 record isn’t out of the question despite their star-studded lineup.
Key Questions: With one of the oldest teams in the NL and a farm system ranked #27 in the PBA, what is your plan for adding younger talent to the team? Between Harvey, Carrasco, and Betts, who do you secretly hope opts out of their contract in 2023?
Miami Marlins
2021: 73-89. Fourth place in the NL East.
Who They Were: The Marlins struggled on offense last year, scoring only 706 runs and drawing fewer walks than any team in the NL. The team has some talented young hitters in Trent Clark, Nick Gordon, Israel Soto, and Jeren Kendall, but 2021 was a year of adjustment for many of them. The Marlins pitching was adequate in 2021, with a respectable 4.70 FIP and solid numbers across most pitching categories. Veteran Archie Bradley anchored the staff and led the league with 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
Offseason Review: Miami made a splash this year signing SP Takahiro Norimoto to a three-year deal. Norimoto, 31, was a perennial All-Star in the Nippon Professional league and should help an already solid Marlins staff. Miami also added veteran catcher Bruce Maxwell in a trade with Oakland, as well as a couple of interesting young outfielders in this year’s Rule 5 draft. Not surprisingly given their offensive struggles, the Marlins jettisoned hitting coach Dan LeBlanc after only one year, replacing him with former Cardinals hitting coach, Kevin Jordan. Jordan seems like a perfect fit for a young team struggling with the ability to make solid contact.
On the Farm: The Marlins have the league’s 26th ranked farm system highlighted by 21-year old starting pitcher Juan Ochoa, a 3rd round draft pick in 2020, and first baseman Kwi-Tae Yook, a rare international signing out of North Korea. Miami’s system is heavy on pitching, and despite its low ranking, includes several solid young arms like Alfredo Flores, Akinori Hayashida, and Henry Valencio.
Best Case Scenario: The Marlins should be a better team this year with the addition of Norimoto and another year of experience for their young hitters. A .500 record is a possibility if everything goes right.
Worst Case Scenario: If the offense never gels and Norimoto struggles in his PBA debut, expect the Marlins to finish about where they did last season.
Key Questions: Competing in the NL East as a low-budget team isn’t easy, what is your strategy for being able to take on the big spenders in your division over time? Your owner, 81-year old Jeffrey Loria, is rumored to have high expectations and a thin wallet, what additional challenges does that pose for you as a general manager?
Atlanta Braves
2021: 65-97. Fifth place in the NL East.
Who They Were: 2021 was a challenging year for the Braves. The team was near the bottom of the NL in most hitting and pitching categories. There were some individual bright spots, though. Young starter Ian Anderson built on a fine 2020 debut, putting up 2.6 WAR and a 123 ERA+, while third baseman Bobby Dalbec proved he could handle the hot corner in Atlanta, putting up 2.2 WAR for the year.
Offseason Review: General Manager Aaron Dunham had a busy offseason. Joining the Braves are relievers Hunter Strickland and Robbie Ross, power-hitting third baseman Matt Chapman, starters Zach Davies, Peter Lambert, and Eduardo Rodriquez, outfielder Austin Meadows, and promising young catcher Blake Hunt. In addition, the Braves traded away two good young players in starter Ian Anderson and gold-glove second baseman Ozzie Albies.
On the Farm: Atlanta has the top-ranked minor league system in the PBA, and according to league scouts it isn’t even a close call. With standout prospects Bobby Witt, Jr. Shane Baz, Luis Ramirez, who came over in the Albies trade, and Ronny Mauricio, the Braves are in a great position as their rebuilding efforts move forward.
Best Case Scenario: Who knows? The Braves have made so many significant changes over the offseason it’s hard to guess their upside. They’re significantly improved in several areas and while I think a .500 record is probably too much to ask, something close to that isn’t impossible.
Worst Case Scenario: Despite their offseason moves, the Braves still have a lot of holes to fill, especially on offense. Help is on the way, but it may not arrive this season. Atlanta will be better in 2022, but the improvement may be relatively small if the offense and bullpen struggle despite the rotation upgrades.
Key Questions: Trading Ozzie Albies was a big move, what was the catalyst for the trade and what was the critical piece(s) you got back from the Rangers that made it worthwhile? You made some big FA signings to improve your rotation during the offseason, do you plan to continue being aggressive in FA over coming years or do you feel your farm system is strong enough you can fill most of your remaining holes internally?