Post by Commissioner Erick on Nov 27, 2021 11:05:29 GMT -5
The recent National League East vintage has been a three-team affair, but the New York Mets shocked the world last year to take the division. 2027 should be another rock fight.
1) Atlanta Braves
2026: 91-71, 2nd Place NL East. Lost to San Francisco in NL Wild Card Game.
Who They Were: Atlanta was an excellent run prevention team, finishing third in runs allowed. They overcame a slow start to have a huge second half before being swept by the Mets the final weekend of the season to lose the NL East. Relegated to the Wild Card Game, they were dominated by Tripod under the bright lights, shut out to complete a disappointing end to a stellar season.
Offseason Review: Well-regarded GM Aaron Dunham stepped away from the team replaced by Travis I. The team lost star closer Trevor Rogers, infielders Xander Bogaerts and Mikey Polansky, and relievers Denyi Reyes and Bobby Wahl, with Mike Zunino brought on to compete for the starting Catcher job. Shane Shifflet and Basket Case Benoit will likely be given more offensive responsibility, and I is hoping that a deep stable of young, talented arms can overcome the loss of Rogers, Wahl, and Reyes.
On The Farm: The Braves still have youngsters near the majors to provide reinforcements. Kwi-Tae Yook may be a Dingus, but he has a good approach and easy power. Scouts see him becoming an extra base powerhouse. Luis Mendoza is a couple of seasons away from being a big part of the team. If he can refine his Knuckle Curve, it will be as a mid-rotation arm and not a reliever. Yale Ziegler may be called up this season, or he may need a season of development. When he arrives, he’ll have four pitches, three of them excellent, and he should be able to overwhelm hitters with his stuff.
Best Case Scenario: The Mets play like they’re supposed to.
Worst Case Scenario: The Phillies play like they’re supposed to.
Key Questions: You lost some offensive talent this offseason, particularly Xander Bogaerts. Do you think you’ll be able to overcome that?
Do you feel Art Winker has the offensive chops to start in the majors?
2) Philadelphia Phillies
2026: 88-74, 4th Place NL East.
Who They Were: The Phillies were a solid team, winning 88 games in a loaded division. Alas, it was only good for fourth place. Seth Beer, Mickey Moniak, Andres Gimenez, and Luis Morales all missed time. Darrick Hall hit 29 fewer home runs (he still finished with 50) than the prior year, and had a .284 OBP. Their run-prevention fell to ninth in the league. Their stars still produced when healthy, but with so many injuries, that was the difference between first and fourth place.
Offseason Review: Andres Gimenez was allowed to walk in free agency, and the Phillies won’t pay for Ryon Healy after his career year. Carson Kelly and Thomas Nido departing in free agency means the Phillies will have a new Catcher. Prospect Juan Herrera will get the first crack at earning the starting nod, with veteran backup Robert Molina right behind him. Former first round pick Isaiah High will likely start at Third Base, pushing Bobby Witt Jr. to Shortstop.
On The Farm: Bobby Siegel looks like a star and should be up this season. He has a good approach, big power, and he’s crushed the minors. Philadelphia’s other best prospects are mid-rotation starting pitcher prospects in A-Ball. There aren’t as many position players, but Allen Whitmore has the bat to be a starting Right Fielder, and Jeremy Schuit has the speed and defense to be a starting Shortstop. Like Philadelphia’s best pitchers, the duo is currently operating in A-ball or High-A.
Best Case Scenario: Some better health and positive regression for Darrick Hall could lead to a huge rebound. There’s a 100-win team in there.
Worst Case Scenario: The Phillies have the worst pitching among the four NL East contenders, and could be a fourth place team again.
Key Questions: You’ve tried a number of strategies for getting Catching production. Why are you going with Juan Herrera this year?
What are your plans for Bobby Siegel?
3) Washington Nationals
2026: 89-73, 3rd Place NL East.
Who They Were: Washington underperformed its Pythagorean record by six games last year, missing the playoffs by two games. The offense was strong, best in the league, but Bryce Harper had career lows in home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases in seasons he’s played at least 138 games. The pitching was okay, but Eric Pena followed up a historic 2025 with 5.2 fewer WAR last year and Peter Solomon, Joe Ross, Miguel Almonte, and Kyle Hurt combined for 3.2 WAR. The lack of pitching depth and slight declines from their superstars did the Nationals in.
Offseason Review: Washington let Kyle Seager, Paul Goldschmidt, and Juan Soto walk in free agent, but made a major acquisition bringing in Alex Bregman. The Nationals won’t have much depth at all if there’s an injury though, not signing any backups, and not having much in the upper farm.
On The Farm: It’s a decent farm, but the better players are a few years away. Steven Reed is a nice Third Base prospect deep in the minors who should probably be at a more advanced level, but he still needs more seasoning. He can be a First Division starter in a few years though. Marc Butler and Mr. Clean, Luke Crites, also look like possible starters, Butler at Second Base, and Crites in the outfield. Each is probably two seasons away. Bendito Facamelo is the best pitching prospect, but if his changeup doesn’t come around, he’s a closer.
Best Case Scenario: Harper and Pena rebound and the health holds up. If that happens, Washington can win the title.
Worst Case Scenario: If two players get injured, this is an 85 win team with this division.
Key Questions: Do you feel that you can hold up if a few players get hurt?
Are you concerned that Harper had his worst season of his career last year?
4) New York Mets
2026: 92-70, NL East Champion. Lost to Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 in NLDS
Who They Were: The Mets defied all expectations, overcoming a brutal division and sweeping the Braves the final series of the year to take the NL East. Not content, they battled the eventual defending champion Dodgers to extra innings in a Game 7 before a Willie Calhoun walkoff home run sent them home. The Mets had the second best zone rating in baseball, relying on their pitching and defense to win games.
Offseason Review: The Mets made only one major acquisition, obtaining Trevor Rogers to add to their staff. Early indications are that they’ll take the exceptional closer and try him in the starting rotation. That would give the Mets a stellar staff of Rogers, Ryan Beyer, Shohei Otani, Andre Stinson, and either Zach Davies or Rebel Ceja. Young phenom Tomaz Espassandim will also assume full time Second Base duties.
On The Farm: The Mets have a Top 5 farm, with a number of pitchers in the upper minors. Rebel Ceja may need another year before reaching the majors, but he’s a potential ace in waiting. Luis Ortiz is also a potential ace if he can develop a changeup, and a top-flight closer if he doesn’t. Juan Trinidad will likely break camp with the team from the pen, but he’s a year away from being in the starting rotation. All three of those arms are close. Luis Castenada, like Ceja, may start the year in the minors, but is a future infield starter. The Mets have a number of pitchers in the mid-minors as well. Ricardo Artiaga, Fahd Bin Naim, Rob Singleton and Liam Thomas could all be potential starters as early as next year. It’s impressive the pitching depth in the upper minors.
Best Case Scenario: The pitching and defense stymie everyone, and the Mets win 94 games.
Worst Case Scenario: The offense struggles and the team isn’t as good in close games. The Mets may be an 82-win team with a little bit of bad luck.
Key Questions: What will Luis Castenada’s role be this year?
Your offense struggled last year, but your pitching and defense were great. Why sign Rogers and not a bat?
5) Miami Marlins
2026: 42-120, Last Place NL East
Who They Were: The Marlins lost the second most games in PBA history last year, exceeded only be the 2025 Marlins with 125 losses. Miami had the third best zone rating in the league last year, and was incompetent in all other areas, last in all other offensive and pitching categories. As many position players had 0.8 WAR or more as had -0.8 WAR or less. The team had a collective slugging percentage of .329 and a collective 5.57 ERA. They were horrendous in all aspects of baseball, with nary a bright spot to cut the darkness of a bleak roster.
Offseason Review: Miami lost its two best players to free agency in Jonathan Holder and Carl Edwards Jr. They let Tucker Barnhart walk after a nice season from him, putting up 1.0 WAR at Catcher. They took on some prospects and Joc Pederson’s contract in a smart move for the rebuilding club. They also got Nick Dunn and Alex Reyes from Miami in exchange for Andy Buzzell. The Marlins are doing the right thing, leverage their budget room for assets. They don’t have any significant contracts on the books that run after this year aside from Pederson, but don’t have much talent either.
On the Farm: Miami’s starting to put a few young players on the horizon of the majors. Dale Messina is a Top 5 prospect and should be up this season. Jon Adams is a couple of seasons away as a nice starting pitcher. Farther away, Destiny Galemberti has a quick enough bat to make an impact when he arrives, but is years away. Still, for such a poor major league team, the minor league system is undertalented.
Best Case Scenario: The team is an ordinary terrible team and not the snuff film they’ve been the past two season.
Worst Case Scenario: 130 losses? 135 losses? We’re pushing the limits here.
Key Questions: What’s he plan here? The Marlins have been historically bad the past two years. How do you dig out of this?
Justin Towne is a nice looking prospect. Will he be your starting Center Fielder this year?
1) Atlanta Braves
2026: 91-71, 2nd Place NL East. Lost to San Francisco in NL Wild Card Game.
Who They Were: Atlanta was an excellent run prevention team, finishing third in runs allowed. They overcame a slow start to have a huge second half before being swept by the Mets the final weekend of the season to lose the NL East. Relegated to the Wild Card Game, they were dominated by Tripod under the bright lights, shut out to complete a disappointing end to a stellar season.
Offseason Review: Well-regarded GM Aaron Dunham stepped away from the team replaced by Travis I. The team lost star closer Trevor Rogers, infielders Xander Bogaerts and Mikey Polansky, and relievers Denyi Reyes and Bobby Wahl, with Mike Zunino brought on to compete for the starting Catcher job. Shane Shifflet and Basket Case Benoit will likely be given more offensive responsibility, and I is hoping that a deep stable of young, talented arms can overcome the loss of Rogers, Wahl, and Reyes.
On The Farm: The Braves still have youngsters near the majors to provide reinforcements. Kwi-Tae Yook may be a Dingus, but he has a good approach and easy power. Scouts see him becoming an extra base powerhouse. Luis Mendoza is a couple of seasons away from being a big part of the team. If he can refine his Knuckle Curve, it will be as a mid-rotation arm and not a reliever. Yale Ziegler may be called up this season, or he may need a season of development. When he arrives, he’ll have four pitches, three of them excellent, and he should be able to overwhelm hitters with his stuff.
Best Case Scenario: The Mets play like they’re supposed to.
Worst Case Scenario: The Phillies play like they’re supposed to.
Key Questions: You lost some offensive talent this offseason, particularly Xander Bogaerts. Do you think you’ll be able to overcome that?
Do you feel Art Winker has the offensive chops to start in the majors?
2) Philadelphia Phillies
2026: 88-74, 4th Place NL East.
Who They Were: The Phillies were a solid team, winning 88 games in a loaded division. Alas, it was only good for fourth place. Seth Beer, Mickey Moniak, Andres Gimenez, and Luis Morales all missed time. Darrick Hall hit 29 fewer home runs (he still finished with 50) than the prior year, and had a .284 OBP. Their run-prevention fell to ninth in the league. Their stars still produced when healthy, but with so many injuries, that was the difference between first and fourth place.
Offseason Review: Andres Gimenez was allowed to walk in free agency, and the Phillies won’t pay for Ryon Healy after his career year. Carson Kelly and Thomas Nido departing in free agency means the Phillies will have a new Catcher. Prospect Juan Herrera will get the first crack at earning the starting nod, with veteran backup Robert Molina right behind him. Former first round pick Isaiah High will likely start at Third Base, pushing Bobby Witt Jr. to Shortstop.
On The Farm: Bobby Siegel looks like a star and should be up this season. He has a good approach, big power, and he’s crushed the minors. Philadelphia’s other best prospects are mid-rotation starting pitcher prospects in A-Ball. There aren’t as many position players, but Allen Whitmore has the bat to be a starting Right Fielder, and Jeremy Schuit has the speed and defense to be a starting Shortstop. Like Philadelphia’s best pitchers, the duo is currently operating in A-ball or High-A.
Best Case Scenario: Some better health and positive regression for Darrick Hall could lead to a huge rebound. There’s a 100-win team in there.
Worst Case Scenario: The Phillies have the worst pitching among the four NL East contenders, and could be a fourth place team again.
Key Questions: You’ve tried a number of strategies for getting Catching production. Why are you going with Juan Herrera this year?
What are your plans for Bobby Siegel?
3) Washington Nationals
2026: 89-73, 3rd Place NL East.
Who They Were: Washington underperformed its Pythagorean record by six games last year, missing the playoffs by two games. The offense was strong, best in the league, but Bryce Harper had career lows in home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases in seasons he’s played at least 138 games. The pitching was okay, but Eric Pena followed up a historic 2025 with 5.2 fewer WAR last year and Peter Solomon, Joe Ross, Miguel Almonte, and Kyle Hurt combined for 3.2 WAR. The lack of pitching depth and slight declines from their superstars did the Nationals in.
Offseason Review: Washington let Kyle Seager, Paul Goldschmidt, and Juan Soto walk in free agent, but made a major acquisition bringing in Alex Bregman. The Nationals won’t have much depth at all if there’s an injury though, not signing any backups, and not having much in the upper farm.
On The Farm: It’s a decent farm, but the better players are a few years away. Steven Reed is a nice Third Base prospect deep in the minors who should probably be at a more advanced level, but he still needs more seasoning. He can be a First Division starter in a few years though. Marc Butler and Mr. Clean, Luke Crites, also look like possible starters, Butler at Second Base, and Crites in the outfield. Each is probably two seasons away. Bendito Facamelo is the best pitching prospect, but if his changeup doesn’t come around, he’s a closer.
Best Case Scenario: Harper and Pena rebound and the health holds up. If that happens, Washington can win the title.
Worst Case Scenario: If two players get injured, this is an 85 win team with this division.
Key Questions: Do you feel that you can hold up if a few players get hurt?
Are you concerned that Harper had his worst season of his career last year?
4) New York Mets
2026: 92-70, NL East Champion. Lost to Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 in NLDS
Who They Were: The Mets defied all expectations, overcoming a brutal division and sweeping the Braves the final series of the year to take the NL East. Not content, they battled the eventual defending champion Dodgers to extra innings in a Game 7 before a Willie Calhoun walkoff home run sent them home. The Mets had the second best zone rating in baseball, relying on their pitching and defense to win games.
Offseason Review: The Mets made only one major acquisition, obtaining Trevor Rogers to add to their staff. Early indications are that they’ll take the exceptional closer and try him in the starting rotation. That would give the Mets a stellar staff of Rogers, Ryan Beyer, Shohei Otani, Andre Stinson, and either Zach Davies or Rebel Ceja. Young phenom Tomaz Espassandim will also assume full time Second Base duties.
On The Farm: The Mets have a Top 5 farm, with a number of pitchers in the upper minors. Rebel Ceja may need another year before reaching the majors, but he’s a potential ace in waiting. Luis Ortiz is also a potential ace if he can develop a changeup, and a top-flight closer if he doesn’t. Juan Trinidad will likely break camp with the team from the pen, but he’s a year away from being in the starting rotation. All three of those arms are close. Luis Castenada, like Ceja, may start the year in the minors, but is a future infield starter. The Mets have a number of pitchers in the mid-minors as well. Ricardo Artiaga, Fahd Bin Naim, Rob Singleton and Liam Thomas could all be potential starters as early as next year. It’s impressive the pitching depth in the upper minors.
Best Case Scenario: The pitching and defense stymie everyone, and the Mets win 94 games.
Worst Case Scenario: The offense struggles and the team isn’t as good in close games. The Mets may be an 82-win team with a little bit of bad luck.
Key Questions: What will Luis Castenada’s role be this year?
Your offense struggled last year, but your pitching and defense were great. Why sign Rogers and not a bat?
5) Miami Marlins
2026: 42-120, Last Place NL East
Who They Were: The Marlins lost the second most games in PBA history last year, exceeded only be the 2025 Marlins with 125 losses. Miami had the third best zone rating in the league last year, and was incompetent in all other areas, last in all other offensive and pitching categories. As many position players had 0.8 WAR or more as had -0.8 WAR or less. The team had a collective slugging percentage of .329 and a collective 5.57 ERA. They were horrendous in all aspects of baseball, with nary a bright spot to cut the darkness of a bleak roster.
Offseason Review: Miami lost its two best players to free agency in Jonathan Holder and Carl Edwards Jr. They let Tucker Barnhart walk after a nice season from him, putting up 1.0 WAR at Catcher. They took on some prospects and Joc Pederson’s contract in a smart move for the rebuilding club. They also got Nick Dunn and Alex Reyes from Miami in exchange for Andy Buzzell. The Marlins are doing the right thing, leverage their budget room for assets. They don’t have any significant contracts on the books that run after this year aside from Pederson, but don’t have much talent either.
On the Farm: Miami’s starting to put a few young players on the horizon of the majors. Dale Messina is a Top 5 prospect and should be up this season. Jon Adams is a couple of seasons away as a nice starting pitcher. Farther away, Destiny Galemberti has a quick enough bat to make an impact when he arrives, but is years away. Still, for such a poor major league team, the minor league system is undertalented.
Best Case Scenario: The team is an ordinary terrible team and not the snuff film they’ve been the past two season.
Worst Case Scenario: 130 losses? 135 losses? We’re pushing the limits here.
Key Questions: What’s he plan here? The Marlins have been historically bad the past two years. How do you dig out of this?
Justin Towne is a nice looking prospect. Will he be your starting Center Fielder this year?
