Post by Commissioner Erick on Jul 15, 2020 11:23:24 GMT -5
The NL East features three teams that could contend for the division, plus two teams that will boost the win totals of the top three. Philadelphia remains the standard bearer, but Washington has championship level talent, and Atlanta has a pitching staff that puts them in the conversation.
1) Philadelphia Phillies
2024: 103-59, NL East Champion. Defeated Washington 4-1 in NLDS. Lost to Chicago Cubs 4-3 in NLCS.
Who They Were: The Phillies built another Regular Season juggernaut but were done in on a misplaced pitch to Giancarlo Stanton. The club has either made it to the World Series or lost in Game 7 of the NLCS three of the past four years. They were first or second in virtually every major offensive category with a stacked lineup led by MVP Seth Beer.
Offseason Review: The Phillies didn't resign Yordan Alvarez after his equestrian accident, and let Max Schrock and Christian Arroyo go in Free Agency. Long-time Philly Odubel Herrera was also not resigned after poor play the past few seasons. Philadelphia brought on Franklin Barreto and Yoenis Cespedes to balance their lefty-dominant lineup a bit. That, combined with a few prospects adding candles to their birthday cakes, should result in the Phillies continuing to field a very deep roster.
On the Farm: Stud Morales looks like a potential superstar and with a strong spring could even be the starting Center Fielder for the club. Bobby Witt Jr. could push Andres Gimenez for playing time, and Mason Englert could be in the rotation when his rotator cuff heals. There are long-term prospects oozing with potential in the lower minors as well should the Phillies decide to plan for the future or cash in for a big acquisition.
Best Case Scenario: Taking Care of Business in Game 6.
Worst Case Scenario: With Barreto disappointing last year and Cespedes 238 years-old, the team could still struggle against lefty pitching
Key Questions: With Joey Wentz struggling last year and Adam Conley trending in the wrong direction, who will be your fourth and fifth starters this season?
Will Bobby Witt. Jr. be a key part of the 2024 Philadelphia Phillies?
2) Washington Nationals
2024: 96-66, 2nd Place NL East. Defeated St. Louis in Wild Card Game. Lost to Philadelphia 4-1 in NLDS.
Who They Were: Washington had an exceptional starting rotation, a patient offense, a world of speed, and Bryce Harper. That carried them to 96 wins. Mike Trout hit .220 with half the home run output of his 48-blast 2022 season. Washington's bullpen was bad and their offense was top heavy. That dragged them to 66 losses.
Offseason Review: Trout's massive contract limits their flexibility, and the team lost some decent relievers and Gerrit Cole without adding more than Luis Cessa and Rule V picks. The team is still very top heavy and its bullpen may be worse than last season's.
On the Farm: Etienne Toet and Bob Gonzalez should provide rotation reinforcements in 2025, with Hennie Caroline not far behind. There aren't a lot of bats in the system though.
Best Case Scenario: Mike Trout goes back to being a $70 million player
Worst Case Scenario: The bullpen offsets all the work the rotation does.
Key Questions: Your pen may be worse than it was last year. How will you try to build a good pen this year?
Who will be your Second Baseman this year, Anthony Rendon or somebody else?
3) Atlanta Braves:
2024: 86-76, 3rd Place NL East
Who They Were: The Braves had a very good defense but were middle-of-the-road offensively and with their staff. They overachieved slightly, but lacked the impact talent to make the playoffs.
Offseason Review: Atlanta added Wilmer Flores and Bryan Martelo to add some power to the team, while Blake Treinen and Joe Biagini add to what should be a very good bullpen. Matt Carpenter didn't work out for the club and Alejandro Diaz didn't have the power for First Base, so replacing them with Flores should be a boost. The team is young so the offense should also get better as more players get stronger.
On the Farm: Basket Case Benoit, Slayer Ramirez, Tony Sierra, Rodeo Tim Barton, and the Dingus, Kwi-Tae Yook, all have big offensive potential but are in the lower minors. Arturo Reineri is closer to the majors and has power, patience, speed, and defense, and he looks like a possible star. There's good position player depth in the upper minors actually, but there isn't as much pitching in the system.
Best Case Scenario: The position players grow and lead Atlanta to 90 Wins
Worst Case Scenario: The offense doesn't hit enough and the team finishes 81-81.
Key Questions: Will Shohei Otani and Marc Eberle operate as starting pitchers or position players this year?
Who has the inside track as your Center Fielder?
4) Miami Marlins
2024: 74-88, 4th Place NL East
Who They Were: All the work Miami did to build a respectable offense and a great run preventing unit in 2022 fell apart last season. The offense cratered and the pitching took a step back leading to a forgettable 74-88 season. Takihiro Norimoto going from a good control pitcher in 2022 to leading the league in walks last year really hurt as he couldn't provide stability to a team that needed it.
Offseason Review: Miami looked at their team and decided to trade some veterans, sending Wilmer Flores to Atlanta and Nick Gordon to San Francisco. A.J. Cole, Matt Andreise, and Luke Weaver are on board to keep the rotation respectable, but nothing was done to boost the offense. IT should be one of the more impotent lineups in the league.
On the Farm: There's some good pitching talent in the upper minors with Sergio Ochoa, Zach Wilkinson, and Juan Ochoa an intriguing trio that could be a foundation of a future good Marlins team. Luis Castillo and Whitey Howell have advanced speed and hit tools in the low minors. There aren't many bats to provide reinforcements in the high minors.
Best Case Scenario: The pitching rebounds and the defense is a plus, leading Miami to be a pretty tough team to face.
Worst Case Scenario: The most boring team in the National League
Key Questions: Who will be the final three members of your rotation this year behind Bradley and Norimoto?
Will Blake Tiberi or Brady McConnell be your Third Baseman this season?
5) New York Mets
2023: 68-94, Last Place NL East
Who They Were: Even with a special season from Noah Syndergaard, the Mets were last in pitching, which is unfathomable. Zach Wheeler had a 6.08 ERA and Matt Harvey tore his UCL. Injuries nicked up the lineup and the result was a disappointing offense. Nick Senzel's slugging mark dropped to .369, and Michael Conforto hit .194. There was no way for the offense to recover.
Offseason Review: The Mets moved on from Syndergaard, realizing the team needed to rebuild. Dominic Smith and Amed Rosario were allowed to walk in Free Agency, with Chance Sisco and Jason Heyward leaving as useful free agents as well. The club has some high minors player who should fill in and not embarrass themselves, which won't lead to wins but will lead to savings.
On the Farm: There are some undeveloped pitching and incredibly young middle infield and Center Field prospects resulting in a lot of variance. If the development is there, New York will have a really good team at some point in the future. If the development isn't, the Mets will be in the wilderness for some time.
Best Case Scenario: Conforto, Senzel, J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts have bounce back seasons and the team finishes in fourth place.
Worst Case Scenario: The pitchers suffer a rash of neck injuries with all the home runs they'll snap their heads back to watch.
Key Questions: Outside of Quadir Murriel, which rookie are you excited to see on your team this year?
Will Brett Langhorne or Peter Alonso be your First Baseman this year?
1) Philadelphia Phillies
2024: 103-59, NL East Champion. Defeated Washington 4-1 in NLDS. Lost to Chicago Cubs 4-3 in NLCS.
Who They Were: The Phillies built another Regular Season juggernaut but were done in on a misplaced pitch to Giancarlo Stanton. The club has either made it to the World Series or lost in Game 7 of the NLCS three of the past four years. They were first or second in virtually every major offensive category with a stacked lineup led by MVP Seth Beer.
Offseason Review: The Phillies didn't resign Yordan Alvarez after his equestrian accident, and let Max Schrock and Christian Arroyo go in Free Agency. Long-time Philly Odubel Herrera was also not resigned after poor play the past few seasons. Philadelphia brought on Franklin Barreto and Yoenis Cespedes to balance their lefty-dominant lineup a bit. That, combined with a few prospects adding candles to their birthday cakes, should result in the Phillies continuing to field a very deep roster.
On the Farm: Stud Morales looks like a potential superstar and with a strong spring could even be the starting Center Fielder for the club. Bobby Witt Jr. could push Andres Gimenez for playing time, and Mason Englert could be in the rotation when his rotator cuff heals. There are long-term prospects oozing with potential in the lower minors as well should the Phillies decide to plan for the future or cash in for a big acquisition.
Best Case Scenario: Taking Care of Business in Game 6.
Worst Case Scenario: With Barreto disappointing last year and Cespedes 238 years-old, the team could still struggle against lefty pitching
Key Questions: With Joey Wentz struggling last year and Adam Conley trending in the wrong direction, who will be your fourth and fifth starters this season?
Will Bobby Witt. Jr. be a key part of the 2024 Philadelphia Phillies?
2) Washington Nationals
2024: 96-66, 2nd Place NL East. Defeated St. Louis in Wild Card Game. Lost to Philadelphia 4-1 in NLDS.
Who They Were: Washington had an exceptional starting rotation, a patient offense, a world of speed, and Bryce Harper. That carried them to 96 wins. Mike Trout hit .220 with half the home run output of his 48-blast 2022 season. Washington's bullpen was bad and their offense was top heavy. That dragged them to 66 losses.
Offseason Review: Trout's massive contract limits their flexibility, and the team lost some decent relievers and Gerrit Cole without adding more than Luis Cessa and Rule V picks. The team is still very top heavy and its bullpen may be worse than last season's.
On the Farm: Etienne Toet and Bob Gonzalez should provide rotation reinforcements in 2025, with Hennie Caroline not far behind. There aren't a lot of bats in the system though.
Best Case Scenario: Mike Trout goes back to being a $70 million player
Worst Case Scenario: The bullpen offsets all the work the rotation does.
Key Questions: Your pen may be worse than it was last year. How will you try to build a good pen this year?
Who will be your Second Baseman this year, Anthony Rendon or somebody else?
3) Atlanta Braves:
2024: 86-76, 3rd Place NL East
Who They Were: The Braves had a very good defense but were middle-of-the-road offensively and with their staff. They overachieved slightly, but lacked the impact talent to make the playoffs.
Offseason Review: Atlanta added Wilmer Flores and Bryan Martelo to add some power to the team, while Blake Treinen and Joe Biagini add to what should be a very good bullpen. Matt Carpenter didn't work out for the club and Alejandro Diaz didn't have the power for First Base, so replacing them with Flores should be a boost. The team is young so the offense should also get better as more players get stronger.
On the Farm: Basket Case Benoit, Slayer Ramirez, Tony Sierra, Rodeo Tim Barton, and the Dingus, Kwi-Tae Yook, all have big offensive potential but are in the lower minors. Arturo Reineri is closer to the majors and has power, patience, speed, and defense, and he looks like a possible star. There's good position player depth in the upper minors actually, but there isn't as much pitching in the system.
Best Case Scenario: The position players grow and lead Atlanta to 90 Wins
Worst Case Scenario: The offense doesn't hit enough and the team finishes 81-81.
Key Questions: Will Shohei Otani and Marc Eberle operate as starting pitchers or position players this year?
Who has the inside track as your Center Fielder?
4) Miami Marlins
2024: 74-88, 4th Place NL East
Who They Were: All the work Miami did to build a respectable offense and a great run preventing unit in 2022 fell apart last season. The offense cratered and the pitching took a step back leading to a forgettable 74-88 season. Takihiro Norimoto going from a good control pitcher in 2022 to leading the league in walks last year really hurt as he couldn't provide stability to a team that needed it.
Offseason Review: Miami looked at their team and decided to trade some veterans, sending Wilmer Flores to Atlanta and Nick Gordon to San Francisco. A.J. Cole, Matt Andreise, and Luke Weaver are on board to keep the rotation respectable, but nothing was done to boost the offense. IT should be one of the more impotent lineups in the league.
On the Farm: There's some good pitching talent in the upper minors with Sergio Ochoa, Zach Wilkinson, and Juan Ochoa an intriguing trio that could be a foundation of a future good Marlins team. Luis Castillo and Whitey Howell have advanced speed and hit tools in the low minors. There aren't many bats to provide reinforcements in the high minors.
Best Case Scenario: The pitching rebounds and the defense is a plus, leading Miami to be a pretty tough team to face.
Worst Case Scenario: The most boring team in the National League
Key Questions: Who will be the final three members of your rotation this year behind Bradley and Norimoto?
Will Blake Tiberi or Brady McConnell be your Third Baseman this season?
5) New York Mets
2023: 68-94, Last Place NL East
Who They Were: Even with a special season from Noah Syndergaard, the Mets were last in pitching, which is unfathomable. Zach Wheeler had a 6.08 ERA and Matt Harvey tore his UCL. Injuries nicked up the lineup and the result was a disappointing offense. Nick Senzel's slugging mark dropped to .369, and Michael Conforto hit .194. There was no way for the offense to recover.
Offseason Review: The Mets moved on from Syndergaard, realizing the team needed to rebuild. Dominic Smith and Amed Rosario were allowed to walk in Free Agency, with Chance Sisco and Jason Heyward leaving as useful free agents as well. The club has some high minors player who should fill in and not embarrass themselves, which won't lead to wins but will lead to savings.
On the Farm: There are some undeveloped pitching and incredibly young middle infield and Center Field prospects resulting in a lot of variance. If the development is there, New York will have a really good team at some point in the future. If the development isn't, the Mets will be in the wilderness for some time.
Best Case Scenario: Conforto, Senzel, J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts have bounce back seasons and the team finishes in fourth place.
Worst Case Scenario: The pitchers suffer a rash of neck injuries with all the home runs they'll snap their heads back to watch.
Key Questions: Outside of Quadir Murriel, which rookie are you excited to see on your team this year?
Will Brett Langhorne or Peter Alonso be your First Baseman this year?
