The National League East is shaping up as one of baseball’s more competitive divisions in 2023. The defending champion Braves, Mets and Phillies have all made big moves to bolster their already strong rosters, while the Marlins will lean on a quality rotation to try and be competitive. The Nationals are, of course, in full rebuild mode and won’t be among the division’s best this year.
There’s still a chance of one or two significant moves to be made in this division. It’s been reported that Miami has made four of their starting pitchers available in trades, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them ship out a starter to bring in an offensive upgrade, possibly an outfielder.
Nonetheless, let’s take a look at each team’s off-season to see how they stack up in this division heading into the new season (teams listed in last year’s standings order).
Atlanta Braves (101-61)
In: C Sean Murphy, LHP Lucas Luetge, OF Jordan Luplow, OF Eli White, LHP Kolby Allard, RHP Joe Jimenez.
Out: SS Dansby Swanson, RHP Kenley Jansen, RHP Darren O’Day, RHP Luke Jackson, OF Adam Duvall, C William Contreras, C Manny Pina.
The Braves big splash of the off-season was their trade for Murphy. In typical Braves fashion, they wasted little time in extending him as well, signing him to a six-year, $73MM pact to lock him in as their catcher of the future. The Braves weren’t struggling at catcher, but the arrival of Murphy is still an upgrade over Contreras and Pina, who were both shipped out in the deal. He’ll join a lineup that is largely the same as the one that won 101 games last season. The big hole remains at shortstop and in left field. Swanson departed for the Cubs in free agency, and the team could either rely on Orlando Arcia or rookie Vaughn Grissom to take over. Eddie Rosario was worth -1.1 fWAR in 2022, but the Braves are paying him $9MM this year and it seems likely he’ll be back as the starter in left. Luplow could get some opportunities to take the starting job on his new team, but he posted a wRC+ of just 78 last season.
In the rotation, Max Fried will be back to lead a starting corp that also features Kyle Wright, Spencer Strider and veteran Charlie Morton. A wretched run of Achilles injuries meant Mike Soroka has only made three starts in the past three seasons, but he’s back and if he can stay fit and return to his 2019 performance he gives the Braves a quality fifth option. The acquisitions of Luetge and Jimenez gives the Braves another couple of quality relief arms to cover the departure of Jansen in free agency.
All told it’s a quality roster that doesn’t appear to be weaker the 2022, but will it be enough to hold off other teams in the division?
New York Mets (101-61)
In: RHP Justin Verlander, LHP Brooks Raley, RHP Zach Greene, LHP Jose Quintana, RHP David Robertson, RHP Kodai Senga, C Omar Narvaez, SS Danny Mendick, RHP Stephen Ridings, RHP Elieser Hernandez, RHP Jeff Brigham.
Out: RHP Jacob deGrom, RHP Chris Bassitt, RHP, Seth Lugo, RHP Trevor May, RHP Trevor Williams, OF Tyler Naquin, LHP Joely Rodriguez, RHP Taijuan Walker, 1B Dominic Smith, RHP Mychal Givens, C James McCann.
The Mets effectively had to overhaul their rotation and bullpen this winter, after a series of major departures in both areas. In a fashion befitting the Steve Cohen-era Mets, they did so in expensive fashion. The Mets quickly offset the departures of deGrom, Bassitt and Walker by signing Verlander, Quintana and Senga to big deals and ensuring their rotation is at least as strong as last year. In the bullpen they re-signed Adam Ottavino, brought in David Robertson and made a series of smaller trades and waiver claims to rebuild their relief group.
Offensively, the Mets didn’t have too many moves to make. The big hole was in the outfield, but the team addressed that by bringing back Brandon Nimmo on an eight-year, $162MM deal. They came close to adding Carlos Correa, but that move broke down over the much-publicized medical concerns. Correa would’ve certainly been a boost to their offense, but they’re still in a good spot without him. They could probably still do with another outfielder, and it’s been reported that they’re interested in the remaining free agent options there (Tommy Pham, Adam Duvall etc).
The Mets led the East for the majority of 2022 and they’ll again be up there in ’23. Perhaps one more major move (like Correa) would’ve sealed them as division favorites, but they’re still in a very good spot as is.
Philadelphia Phillies (87-75)
In: LHP Gregory Soto, INF Kody Clemens, RHP Craig Kimbrel, RHP Taijuan Walker, LHP Matt Strahm, SS Trea Turner, OF Jake Cave,
Out: OF Matt Vierling, INF Phil Maton, C Donny Sands, INF Jean Segura, RHP Noah Syndergaard, LHP Brad Hand, RHP Chris Devenski, RHP Kyle Gibson, RHP David Robertson, RHP Zach Eflin, RHP Corey Knebel.
The Phillies went all the way to the World Series in 2022, but they still finished 14 games back of the Braves and Mets in the division so had a bit of work to do to try and close that gap going into this season. The addition of Turner gives them a superstar at the top of their lineup alongside Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and co. If youngsters Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh can take a step forward at the plate this year they’ll have a much deeper lineup. They’ll hope they can do enough to stick with the Braves and Mets in the first half of the season, before welcoming back star Bryce Harper from injury at some stage mid-season.
On the pitching side of things, Walker slots in as a quality third option behind Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler in the rotation. The bullpen lost a number of players this winter, but the additions of Strahm, Soto and Kimbrel to a group that already has Seranthony Dominguez, Jose Alvarado and Andrew Bellatti should make that area of the team a strength in season.
All told, the Phillies do look a better unit than they were to start 2022, but it remains to be seen whether or not that’ll be enough to make up 14 games on the Braves and Mets – who certainly haven’t taken a step backwards themselves this winter.
Miami Marlins (69-93)
In: INF Jacob Amaya, INF Jean Segura, OF Jake Mangum, RHP JT Chargois, SS Xavier Edwards, RHP Johnny Cueto.
Out: SS Miguel Rojas, RHP Elieser Hernandez, RHP Jeff Brigham, 3B Brian Anderson, RHP Nick Neidert.
The Marlins have had a quiet off-season, but they could be one of the busiest teams in all of baseball, let alone the NL East, between now and the start of the season. That’s because they’ve reportedly made four of their starters – Pablo Lopez, Trevor Rogers, Edward Cabrera and Jesus Luzardo – available in trades. That speculation has only intensified in the wake of them agreeing to a deal with veteran starter Johnny Cueto.
As such, it makes sense to start with a look at their rotation as things stand. Sandy Alcantara isn’t going anywhere and he’ll be back to lead the rotation after winning the Cy Young award in 2022. Beyond Alcantara will be Cueto and then some combination of the four previously mentioned starters. The fact team also has Sixto Sanchez returning as well as Braxton Garrett available shows how deep their rotation options are, but also that they could feasibly deal two starters and still be in a good position in the rotation. In any event, pitching should be a strength for the Marlins in 2023.
Presumably any trade of a starter would be to add a bat to their lineup. The signing of Segura likely filled out their infield, but the team could certainly do with an outfield upgrade. Bryan Reynolds is the highest profile option there, but other options on the could include Max Kepler or a free agent addition such as Pham or Duvall.
The Marlins do look capable of topping last year’s 69-win total as is, but it’d be interesting to see how they’d go with a deeper lineup, and whether or not a swing-for-the-fences-type move such as trading for Reynolds would propel them into the Wildcard conversation.
Washington Nationals (55-107)
In: OF Corey Dickerson, 1B Dominic Smith, SS Jeter Downs, RHP Trevor Williams, OF Stone Garrett, 3B Jeimer Candelario.
Out: 1B/DH Luke Voit, RHP Steve Cishek, RHP Will Harris, 2B Cesar Hernandez, RHP Joe Ross, DH Nelson Cruz, LHP Sean Doolittle, RHP Anibal Sanchez, RHP Erick Fedde, RHP Tommy Romero, RHP A.J. Alexy.
After eight-straight winning seasons between 2012-19 culminated in a championship in 2019, the Nationals are in full rebuild mode. They lost 107 games in 2022, and wouldn’t be a surprise to see them lose a similar amount in 2023. While the new schedule calls for fewer divisional matchups, the Nats certainly won’t be helped by regularly playing in a division with a number of quality teams.
Offensively, the Nationals will look for contributions from youngsters CJ Abrams and Keibert Ruiz – two players they’ll hope to build their next playoff roster around. They’ve also brought in a couple of cheaper bounceback candidates in Smith and Candelario, and both could turn themselves into trade chips at the deadline. It’s a similar story on the pitching side, where they’ll hope Josiah Gray, MacKenzie Gore and Cade Cavalli can show they can be long-term rotation pieces for the team.
While the Nationals are the clear favorite to prop up the group, it should be an interesting battle in the NL East, particularly with the Braves, Mets and Phillies. What do you think? Who will finish top of the East? Have your say in the poll below.
Flip a coin between top 3. Think it comes down to key injuries. Wild card is Senga to me – If his stuff translates strong to MLB
Well, also the new schedule. Since every team is playing all the others it’s tough to gauge how those series matchups will play out now.
I have it a head-to-head between the Mets and Braves again.
I went with the Phillies, they are the only team to markedly improve this off season.
Mets kept pace and put together an expensive pitching staff that could be as good as last seasons, Braves took some shrapnel but survived, Soroka will be interesting to follow this year.
Markedly improve with Bryce on the mend possibly June-July? Their key RPs all have control issues (almost 4 BB/9). I get Turner is huge, but losing Bryce’s bat is massive.
Bryce was out last season too. Marsh, Turner and Stott for a full season as opposed to Fidi Herrera and Segura. On paper it’s a massive improvement. But of course,on paper means nothing.
I didn’t know Harper was out until the all-star break, or had forgotten, does change my thinking but Phillies still have the momentum and would have been considered the team to beat had Harper not had the surgery, as it is they seemingly have held on to their underdog status, which may suit them.
He will be at least DHing sooner than that.
The Phillies finished 14 games behind the Braves and Mets. They didn’t improve nearly enough to close that gap. And Harper is out at least half the season.
If you take post-Girardi into account, they were on pace for 95 wins. I think that’s q much more accurate idea of where they stand. They also started the season with guys like Herrera and Didi as starters. They now have Marsh and Stott starting. They replaced Segura with one of the best SSs in the league. They replaced Gibson with Walker. They vastly improved the pen and also have a full year of their closer who missed half the season last year. All this doesn’t make them better than the Mets or Braves, but I think that 14 game lead thing is completely misleading. And while the Phillies may very well finish in 3rd place again, I guarantee (barring injury) it’ll be a lot closer gap than last year.
@10centbeer – I agree. And it may not matter who wins the division; whoever is the hottest of the three going into the postseason has a good shot at winning the NLCS.
Since the Phillies did this last year, logic dictates that other teams can do it too, but I think people are underestimating how difficult that path is. I think the AL situation is what we see more of: Division winners coasting to the Championship Series. The road for the WC teams is harder than ever before. So winning the division is important IMO.
@von I’m not saying it is going to happen just because it happened last year. The top three teams are unusually competitive to the point where the wild card teams will be better than usual (in sharp contrast to what the wild card will be in the AL). Also, the Mets and Braves have elite pitching staffs that are built to go far in the playoffs, and the Phillies still have a solid rotation if it stays healthy.
Not to nitpick, but how can you flip a coin between three competitors? Is one of them going to be assigned the side of the coin just in case it lands on its edge?
Sane logical people not looking to troll would deduce he’s saying an even 33% split between them
The remaining 1% could be split 0.5% between Marlins and Nats just to satisfy any unnecessary curiosity in a follow up post
I had a dropped coin stand on edge one time, many years ago. Time stood still.
Nonetheless, interesting point by Hflew
Obviously hiflew never resolved something with 2 other guys by coin flip. It’s not heads/tails, it’s odd/even. 2 coin flips usually decided it.
@goob: “Coin stood on edge”
And ever since then, you belonged to the Flat Earther Club?? Just kidding, of course.
What do you mean? The Earth is still flat, right? Just look at the ocean and you can tell – straight out and then a sharp drop off…
@Carver Ha – actually, all my horizons immediately expanded…”to infinity and beyond”!
Why do people always assume someone is trolling just because they dare to ask a question regarding someone’s logic. A sane logical person would not deduce that. A sane logical person would realize that a different comparison should be used when comparing 3 teams instead of 2 teams. But you don’t care because you are just going to fight me just to fight me simply because I disagreed with you on another topic. Well I hope it makes you feel better. Good luck to you.
@Hiflew.
In all honesty I stop reading after you asked, “why do people assume someone is trolling”
Because the majority of the replies/statements I see from you are purposely negative, Inciteful, for negative turns in comments, to cause dissenting opinions to collide or allow a minority group who are completely wrong a platform to troll along with the statements and sentiments.
That….that is why people like me who have no time patience or tolerance for your humor are enlightened by your “hot takes” and your “opinion”.
Read the room. Tik tok and Twitter will get you plenty of attention if that’s what you seek
Someone gets a bye in this scenario? I like that person’s odds.
There is a mute button if my humor and hot takes offend you. I plan on using mine right about now.
Fantastic…. oh FYI offended is NOT what your opinions do to me. You’re projecting
Be a baby and hide fom reality. That’s what Mute button is for
My life’s been way better after Samuel muted me too.
There’s a trend, the ones needing the mute button are ironically the ones in most need of being muted.
But most adults can handle reading an opinion that’s not connected to theirs ….most lol
Usually I’d go for the reigning division champ but in this case the other one who went to the World Series last year and has made some upgrades is worthy of top billing
Marlins of course just to make the one and only Marlins fan that spams the comments section happy!
I wouldn’t be boast too much because if they sign Mancini, trade for a center fielder and get a closer they might just finish ahead of the Mets.
Lmfao
Thats a lot of “if’s” there
The Braves will win the division again by a landslide. The Phillies are a very flawed team that got hot and the Mets had a lot of good fortune last season. The most improved team as far as added wins will be the Marlins. I could honestly see them winning 20 more games next season.
The most improved team as far as added wins will be the Marlins.
=============================
Right now, it looks like Segura replaces Rojas and maybe Cueto replaces Cabrera? They should have slightly better health, and could make more moves, but they haven’t improved much.
Segura replaces Anderson. I’m not sure who replaces Rojas. Why would Cueto replace Cabrera? Cabrera is basically their number 2. Unless you’re referring to a possible trade? I think these are the beginning stages of their moves. I’m also banking on Garcia being better as well. No way the guy gets worse. At least I don’t think he can lol.
You might want to update your narrative with a bit of current research…
My marlins have a chance at a WC berth but no way they win this division.
Yet they last in the poll behind the Nats. People here bright.
Atlanta 94-68
Phillies 88-74
Mets 81-81
Marlins 74-88
Nats 68-94
It’s the Braves’ division to lose imo. Mets had them on the ropes until the last month and a half of the season. It’s not even like the Mets did bad. The Braves just became scorching hot. From August 12 through the end of the year, the Braves were 35-15 and the Mets were 28-22. But the additions of Verlander, Quintana, and Senga are massive.But the Braves seem to pull out at least one star rookie every year. 2018 it was Acuna, 2019 it was Soroka, 2020 and 2021 it was Ian Anderson, and 2022 it was Strider and Harris. Maybe this year it’s Grissom.
Verlander, Quintana, and Senga
========================
It basically a trade of those three guys for DeGrom, Bassitt & Walker. That’s an additional of 8.1 fWAR, and a loss of 7.4.
Doesn’t that basically round out to a 0.7 improvement?
The Mets top two starters carry a lot of age and a lot of mileage. They could either be really good or health could be a huge factor. And then there is hoping Senga’s stuff plays in the majors.
No Bryce Harper for a large chunk of the first half will hurt the Phillies offense. If they can weather that, it will be a three horse race, if not then its Braves/Mets
@RSox Well said, though I think I’d change
“They could either be really good or health could be a huge factor”
to…
They’ll probably be really good and health will be a huge factor.
Scherzer was brilliant in 2022 but pitched by far the fewest innings of his career. At 38 that only rates to get worse, but will it be a useful 135 innings, or a catastrophic 60 innings?
And given how delicate both he and Verlander are at this late date, you might as well dock the team one of them for the offseason, leaving the Mets probably headed into a 4-round postseason with a rotation something like
Verlander
Senga
Quintana
Peterson
It would be if we were still playing the games in 2022. WAR does not predict the future, it just defines the season it defines. Very few players have the same WAR from year to year.
@hiflew Exactly this. Some of the best players of 2022 are not going to come close to their numbers.
The Mets lost a lot and gained a lot. It’s almost a wash.
Pretty much how I see it.
A lot out. A lot in.
Plus, a lot of the guys they resigned were more expensive, and many guys they lost and replaced were arb players being replaced with free agents.
How is it a wash when deform didn’t pitch for 2/3 of the season and we replaced him with last years cy young winner. Walker was non existent the second half and we replaced him with Quintana and senga with the potential number 1 stuff? Our bullpen is better as well. I would’ve love one more proven bat but we also won 101 games with that line up. We are definitely better than we were last year.
1. Miami Marlins
2. New York Mets
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Washington Nationals
My heart tells me Phillies…my head tells me “probably not”. Just make the playoffs again.
I miss baseball
30 Days till spring Training!
I get excited for the Super Bowl, not because of the game but knowing that just a few weeks later, baseball is back…
I give two bleep about the NFL…I’m feigning for baseball!
The WBC starts March 8.
Ooooh yeah!!!
I feel the same LosPobres. I foresee watching the Sandlot in the near future. Followed by 61, league of their own, bull durham, major league(s), and more
For Love of the Game lol
I’ve been picking the Braves every single year, and in theory I should do so again. I think the Phillies are the most improved, even more so than the Mets, but the Phillies were a notch below the Mets and Braves to begin with. I don’t think the Braves and Phillies have the slow starts they had last year. I don’t think the Mets match the offensive production they had last year, but I think Cohen goes nuts at the deadline, trading away prospects for high-level controllable talent. So I’m going Mets > Braves > Phillies. Close race though.
Makes sense to assume the Phillies won’t have such a slow start. But be careful, Von. It’s just as easy to say the Phillies won’t have such a strong finish as last year. They won’t get that bump from change in managers.
But overall, it’s a coin flip, as Halos said.
Yeah. I totally agree.
As a Cubs fan, I just love me some Kyle Schwarber. Schwarbombs were all the rage at Wrigley! DH mainly, but we know power is there and he has a good eye.
Yes. He’s a great clubhouse dude too. That Cubs/Cleveland WS was so tough for me as non-fan of either team because both squads were so likable. I was happy the Cubs won and sad Cleveland lost.
Von;
I can’t predict in January. All those teams will have probably have major changes to their rosters by July 1 for one reason or another. But I will go by the Rule of Thumb:
“Older players get hurt more often than young players and take longer to heal.”
The Mets – and for that matter the Jays – are doing what George Seinbrenner did for 12 years where the Yankees didn’t make the playoffs – throwing money every year at expensive veteran players in free agency, or trading some of their prospects to take on other teams salary dumps.
On paper the Mets – and Jays – look better. In reality lots of players will miss time….at times an excessive amount.
The Phillies and Braves are run by experienced FO heads. Yes, they brought in some older players. But the Phillies are committing to Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, Edmundo Sosa, Seranthony Domínguez, Ranger Suárez, and a good chance that Andrew Painter and possibly even Mick Abel pitch for them in 2023 – while the Braves veterans are still relatively young and players such as Kyle Wright, Spencer Strider, Sean Murphy, Matt Olson, Vaughn Grissom, Austin Riley, and Michael Harris II still have room to grow.
The Mets upside is factored in. Not the Phillies and Braves. The smart FO heads want a consistent infusion of young players getting more ML playing time each year.
I can’t see the Mets losing it. They were close last year and had a huge off-season. Mets should win the most games in baseball next year.
Depends on how many games Verlander and Scherzer pitch. And if he’s a good #2 or #3, Senga is used to pitching once a week. So a lot comes down to how the aces and the wild card do. With Correa I would agree completely. Without him, idk.
Yes, the Mets had a huge offseason, so this comment is not meant to suggest that isn’t true. But keep in mind, they also lost quite a bit. So, while I agree they’ve improved, they did have holes to fill. I’ll take the Braves, but who knows? Health will be key.
Three dudes cool flip among the top 3.
Braves are the smart bet but I’m going Philly. I think defense matters more post shift and Turner at short along with a full year of Marsh in center helps that pitching staff look better.
Three way coin flip*
“Three dudes cool flip” sounds much more interesting!
I like Philly a lot, and picked them, though more as a dark horse. But, while Turner greatly improves that IF defense, the OF is still a little suspect for me. But they made it work last year, so why not?
If defense matters that much, why pick the Phillies? They have two horrible corner outfielders, a butcher at first, and a guy at third that’s put one okay season in the books.
True.
I think Marsh and Turner were great moves to shore up their most obvious weakness. So I like that improvement.
The Braves replaced a good catching team with a good catcher. The Mets did a ton of reshuffling.
I think the Phillies have improved the most
j_butte, Because, I thought that OF defense would hurt the 2022 Phillies, and apparently it didn’t that much. Not sure if it was a factor, but last season I had wondered whether the smallish OF at Citizen’s might work to their benefit. Bad OF defense certainly would have been more of a problem in a park with a huge OF.
I do believe that defense matters, but it’s also relative, and that park is a factor. So, I’m assuming, since they were able to get by last season, that it isn’t that big a negative. And I picked them because of their core, and the improvements they made, despite the suspect OF defense.
Defense matters a lot – I am rather old school as a pitching and defense guy and I love hearing some of the folks on here that totally discount defense.
Going into last season the Phils had a thoroughly flawed roster construction. However, they really upgraded CF and SS….very key. 2B will probably be better as well and 3B now appears to be competent. The “up the middle” is now quite strong, but yes the corners are flawed.
Having watched Schwarber, he is actually mostly ok out there in left…below par but he really makes most of the plays. Castle is stiff and will not get to as much as he should but he is not a disaster. Rhys was actually a bit better for much of the year, and then looked kinda’ bad late. But as a realist, they are very much improved and should not have defense as the Achilles heel that it was at the start of 2022.
CarverAndrews, Totally agree. Defense is vastly underrated by a lot of fans. It seems like a lot of them look only at batting stats, then don’t understand why a defensively elite, but so-so hitter, has a high WAR. WAR isn’t perfect by any means, but the undervaluing of defense explains a lot.
But my point was defense on the IF counts for more than it does in the OF. And if you have a smallish OF like at Citizens, then it’s less a detriment than someplace like Coors. It seems like the Phillies have been able to get by with Schwarber and Castellanos, where they could be an utter disaster playing for the Rockies.
Also small thing, but I absolutely do not see Walker as the Phillies number 3. Ranger Suarez is cold as ice. That dude is their number 3. With Walker as a solid 4.
Yeah I like Suarez a lot, and not because Ranger Suarez is a cool name.
A healthy Bryce (Harper) from day one could tip the scales, but the Braves look the best top to bottom. The Mets are obviously solid but the aging rotation has to give pause. If the Marlins could hit they’d at least be in the conversation. That staff is nasty.
Maybe I’m reading what you wrote wrong but Harper isn’t expected to play until after All-Star break.
Ya, I just meant IF he wasn’t hurt I think they’d have a good chance to win it. Probably wasn’t very clear.
I am taking the Boys from Philadelphia.
Former Phillies and current Tigers utility man is NICK Maton not Phil.
Healthy Acuna and Albies from Day 1 is an under-appreciated difference.
Health will be the biggest factor. Braves rotation has been banged up. Mets are old. Phillies are already missing Harper for a big chunk.
Yeah Von, just consider the Mets rotation for a minute. Co-aces, one in his 40s & the other knocking on the door.
The old-age decline happens fast. Don’t get me wrong, I’d feel pretty good about Scherzer and Verlander, but they’re on borrowed time. I think they’ll still be phenomenal this season, but the risk is there.
Yes, in a perfect world both would be great. But injuries to pitchers happen a lot as we know, and that advanced age is scary if you’re a Mets fan
Phil Maton? Such disrespect to the leader of the Wolfpack, Nick Maton!
Too early, 6 wks to ST, more moves to come
Either Philly or NY. It could go either way.
the Phil’s got there last year with NO HELP FROM Nick Castellanos what so ever. our rotation was AMAZING our bullpen aside from a few outings were good.
We set a record for most K’s in a world series, and also the lowest BA IN THE LAST 3GMS OF THE SERIES AO THE ENTIRE SERIES ITSELF. we go out and get either the best or 2nd best FA this past winter in Turner, T. Walker is gonna be a great #4 (or #3). DD went get landed some quality bullpen arms to bolster the pen that pitched very well in the postseason.
BTW, sorry for all the caps earlier, I didn’t releaize they were on
Kind of surprised the Fish are bringing up the rear (so far). Unless they trade one of them, that rotation is decent. I would put them ahead of the Nats.
100% better than the Nats.
I think they could even breakout and be the biggest sleeper of the year. I’ve been saying that for two years now though, so who knows. They have a lot of talent and just need to click one year.
Braves are the class of the division. Philly is 2. Mets are 3. Wait till max/verlander get hurt. Relying on two 40 year olds to lead you to the WS? Idc how talented they are…father time is undefeated.
@Milwaukee-2208 I 100% agree. These guys are on the cusp of being finished. Thats over 200 million between the 2 of them, when the Mets could of gotten young controllable pitchers with that money. Could of traded for Castillo at the deadline and then extended him, would have been a smarter option
Must be a slow news day.
I don’t vote for standing polls, but if there was an underrated, potentially big move; I’d vote for the Raley trade. Keyshawn Askew imo has the floor of a solid lefty reliever (like Raley), but I could definitely see him as a decent starter with the right coaching. And the Rays have the coaching to do it.
If history tells us anything, it’s Never Bet on The Mets. But that Correa signing was HUGE!!!! Oh, wait………nevermind
Signing Turner, improving the pen, Castellanos moving back to his career norm probably gives the Phils 10 or 11 wins (I predict Harper will DH sometime in June, making his time missed a wash compared to last year’s 2 missed months).
They had 14 games to make up to catch the other 2, so I still had them slightly short. The Mets stayed the same by replacing deGrom, Bassitt, and Walker with Verlander, Senga, and Quintana.
So, my head says it’s probably the Braves. I’m not sold on Soroko and losing Jansen and Swanson is bound to hurt. But, Acuña was never healthy last year and Murphy is a great addition.
Having said all of that, the Phillies closed the gap enough that I went with my heart over my head – Go Phils!
Losing Jansen is addition by subtraction with the amount of blown saves he went through, elevating a better Iglesias to closer (where he was acquired to be) and relying, again, on Minter/McHugh, etc. Also, don’t sleep on the ghost of Kirby Yates and Nick Anderson. AA seems to find a Lazarus every year. Re: Swanson – he was a leader, but could be another – losing Correa (star SS), replacing with rookie SS (Peña) — with Grissom taking over.
On paper I’d give the Braves the edge, based on the current rosters.
But, I suspect the Mets are going to keep adding, through the rest of the off season and up until the trade deadline as well which effectively makes them the deeper roster.
So I will give them the slight edge in regular season wins once they are done adding.
Its easy to add when you’re buying free agents. Once the season starts, that’s not an option. Get ready for more Ruf and Vogelbach action, as they don’t want to trade the farm.
I don’t think that the braves are done making moves. I fully expect them to make more before the season starts AND I also expect them to address any needs that come up during the season.
I see Atlanta winning a VERY competitive NL East.
Going out on a limb and saying Mets but it’s probably a bad choice. On paper, they’re good. I know on paper doesn’t always transfer but I’ll wager them. Braves are tough though and the Marlins are a breakout season away… honestly, I think either of the teams (outside of Nationals) have a fair chance.
Can’t believe anyone would actually vote for the Marlins or Nationals.
Braves until proven otherwise. Loss of Swanson will hurt but they still have good young players. Of course, does it really matter? The Phillies proved it last year that getting there and getting hot with the expanded playoff is more important than winning the Division. The Braves, the Mets and the Phillies are all making the playoffs. We’ll need to see what they look like (trades, injuries. prospects) when they get there.
Also these clubs aren’t done adding. Impressive what PHI has done to strengthen pen. A sort of notorious weakness last few years is now on paper a true strength. Expect ATL and NYM to also add depth these next few weeks. PHI lost some Girardi era games by seismic pen implosion. Don’t expect that to be the case as they have strongly addressed
A huge misconception this off-season is that people think the Mets just replaced their subtractions with somewhat equal players.
DeGrom did not pitch for most of the year, so whether they resigned him or signed Verlander they’re adding a Cy Young-Qualiity ace to a 101 win team.
People thinking Verlander for deGrom is a wash, well, deGrom didn’t play. Even if they resigned him instead of JV they would be much improved.
@Chris G sure, but guys are going to get injured this year too. Particularly the older guys. Also the Mets offensive core was fairly healthy compared to the Braves and Phillies. Injuries are always a factor.
That’s true but you can’t predict that and the same applies to every team.
Yea agreed. I just mean you can’t assume Verlander is going to pitch more than deGrom. Just as you can’t assume the Mets rotation will match the wins Bassitt and Walker got. Every year is different.
Here is my very boring, but probably accurate prediction:
The division will be won by whoever among the Braves, Phillies and Mets is the healthiest.
The World Series will be won by which team gets the hottest in October.
And tomorrow the sun will rise in the morning and set in the evening.
The Mets will be lucky to finish in third place. We have league average offense, league average pitching, and a below average bullpen (Diaz is top 3 in baseball at relief and I like Otto, need a lot more)
That rotation is way above league average if healthy. The Mets offense was great last year, but I do expect to see some regression there. Still a solid offense though.
I thought he was trolling because it was so ridiculous.
@VonPurpleHayes Scherzer is a year older and has injury concerns, Verlander missed the 2 previous seasons (besides this year) with injury and will be 40 years old so he bound to get injured, you don’t know what you are going to get from Senga as he could either be the next Hideo Nomo or flunk out and be like Daisuke or Yusei Kikuchi. I’m sure you have seen in my previous posts that I don’t think Carrasco is any good (Gets destroyed by any team with a W/L over .500), and Jose Quintana was below average for the past 4-5 seasons until last season. This rotation doesn’t exactly give me any confidence. Last years rotation was much better. I believe Peterson needs to take Carrasco’s spot in the rotation and they should sign Bauer. Probably a good chance the Yankees sign Bauer with that whole Montas injury concern going into next season
NYM will be seriously tested if one of their dual aces goes down long term. But of course that’s true for PHI and ATL aces. Who is best able to deal with that kind of situation? Again think X Factor is Senga and if his A Plus stuff translates. Which NL east team has the best SP depth chart could loom large.
Mets will likely win 105+ games this year. The roster is basically the same but they won 101 games last year with just 5 wins, 64 innings, and a 3.08 era from deGrom. Swap that out with Verlander’s 18, 175, and 1.75 and the Mets are frightening.
The Mets lost Bassit and Walker, who were responsible for quite a big chunk of those 101 wins. Sure they replaced them, and potentially improved the rotation, but it would be foolish to assume they automatically win 100+ again. Also, there are new rules, no shift and a completely different schedule. I don’t think any team in the NLE wins 100 games, but you may be right. Who knows?
Agreed, it would be foolish to assume they “automatically” win 101. Just like it would be foolish to assume they “automatically” don’t. The same can be said for every team, every year. I’m just sayin’ all things being equal the Mets are well positioned. I think it’s easy to overlook the lack of contribution from deGrom to that 101. Also, none of their position players over-performed. They all pretty much performed to their back of the baseball card numbers. The Mets were fortunate health-wise on their hitters. Their pitching staff, however, was not so lucky. Tylor Megill had to start opening day.
Just my opinion, but I would never pick any team to win 105+ no matter how loaded they look on paper.
I said the same thing this time last year, the Braves are the class of the division, if not the entire league. They make great decisions at the Major League level as far as contractual commitments, and the kids keep coming (more importantly, the arms)
Braves, Phils, Mets, Marlins, Nats in that order.
All of you will feel pretry silly once Patrick Corbin goes 35-0…and thr Nats sill finish in 4th.
Yup. My guess is that the Nats will be “Atlas” for the entire MLB…
Gimme them Barves…
Toughest Division in baseball. Only 13 games head to head with divisional opponents down from 19 with the unbalanced schedule. Braves Country stand up and let’s get 6 in a row! 2023 will be a bAtTLe but Truist is ready! Go Braves!
The Mets have really had a lateral off season. Philly has been most improved. The Braves will have big years from Soroka, Acuna, Albies, and rossario. It’s gonna be fun. And a hell of a race.
Largely ignored in all this is how the Mets are an old team that generally overperformed their projections in 2022. They needed Correa just to field a team that projects to matches its 2022 performance.
They also rate to do no better in the 2023 postseason than they did in 2022, and don’t seem to have a coherent plan—are they aiming to win the division? If so, what’s likely to be left other than broken bones and dessicated arms by late September?
Are they aiming to survive and win a 4-round postseason? If so, why is their rotation a 38 year old who managed just 145 ip in 2022, a 40 year old who pitched largely on 5 days rest in 2022, and an uncertain Sunday Pitcher out of Japan, followed by pitchers no team wants starting a postseason game for them?
If Steve Cohen’s building a reputation, it’s for pulling up short at the finish line.
Hard to see that the Braves aren’t the favorite. They have the pitching and enough offense vs. other teams in the division. How do other teams surpass the preseason predictions?
As a Mets fan, i think the Mets are a big bat and a mid rotation starter away from 1st in the East. Braves, Phillies and then the Mets…
@PolarBear99 Solid points. It’s a real shame the Mets didn’t go after Rodon, though, instead of Senga (or Quintana). He might have signed for less with the Yankees, but the Mets could certainly have outbid them, and given how likely it is that one of Verlander and Max are likely to be hurt or ineffective by late September, the Mets are likely to be in desperate need of a second postseason-caliber stud.
—I thought it was likely they’d try dealing for Pablo Lopez if they had signed Correa, making Baty available as the headliner in that deal.
They might want to try it anyway, offering Vientos, Carrasco (picking up his salary) and even Mauricio to make it work. Otherwise they’re just praying Max, JV, and Senga somehow make it to October in good shape even though none of those three were able to handle a regular rotation spot on four days rest in 2022—and now they’re all a year older.
I’m not optimistic.
I think Epplers lack of foresight has been revealed as well. This guy was like the 50th choice to be Mets GM and his flaws are evident. Staying with Vogelbach and Ruff as a platoon dh backfired last year and will this year too. They went from trading prospects to fill needs to being over cautious. If its a win now team, you need to acquire the pieces to WIN NOW! The Twins got a sweet deal for Correa and the Mets shouldve at least matched it. Cohens inexperience is showing now. 3rd place
Disappointed that the Mets have not done more to improve their weakest link, DH. They over-performed last year, and maybe they will do so again. But I don’t think they’ll win the division. They’ll make the playoffs – and from there it’s all about momentum, stamina, health, and luck.
Meanwhile my Nationals will finish last in the division for the 4th straight year, still paying big money for one guy that may never pitch again, and another guy that’s been one of the worst starting pitchers in baseball the last three seasons.
And the troubles don’t end with the roster. The Lerners can’t even sell the the team, largely due to a terrible TV deal that (it would appear) they can’t get out of without moving?
As depressing as it is, I can’t wait for ST and the 2023 season to start.
I had the Mets when I thought they signed Correa, but now I’ll default back to the Braves.
I think the Braves reign is over after this off season. Seems like they are too complacent with what they have rather than improving.
Phillies improved the most so I’ll go with them.
Looking at the Mets, they didn’t get better whilst massively overachieving last season.
Everyone has picked against the Braves for quite a while and yet we keep winning the division. It’s getting silly. Mets and Phillies have had a better team on paper for quite a while. Neither can win the division…
Who? The Braves are winning the poll. Most people have picked the Braves the last 5 years. I also don’t think the Phillies or Mets had better teams on paper. The Braves are good and get a ton of respect by experts. The Mets are the MLB’s version of the Dallas Cowboys in the sense that they get a lot of media attention and certain people will pick them every year, but I think you’re underestimating how much respect and credit the Braves are justifiably getting.
OK, I love the Marlins and all, but whoever voted for them and the Nats have got to be joking or delusional. The only way the Marlins would be a good pick is if you have a chance to take a bet on a long shot that could surprise enough to steal a playoff spot.
As for this division, the Braves are the best team until one of their rivals proves otherwise. Fan bases and media can talk all the garbage, but the game is played on the field. The Braves have proven they are the best team in our division on the field.
There’s always a chance that everything breaks right. The odds of the Marlins (30-1) winning the division are about the same as Lindor winning MVP. That seems within the realm of possibility to me.
Now the Nationals are another story at 200-1, which is twice as unlikely as your favorite player winning the MVP. Brandon Nimmo is a 100-1 to win the NL MVP. In other words the Nationals have absolutely no chance. I can’t believe anyone honestly believes they have any chance.
The Phillies will have Rob Thomson for a full season too. Taijuan Walker will be the #4. Ranger Suarez will be the #3.
You guys really think the Braves are that much of a lock to win the NL East?! Look what the Mets and Phillies acquired. And why would the Marlins be worse than the Nationals? You guys aren’t paying attention. That being said I think the Marlins front office is lost at the plate. They traded their 3rd baseman for an overrated prospect and they don’t have anyone to play third. Now they have their entire starting rotation on the trade block. They are in a growth spurt and need to be patient. The Marlins and Rangers are my underdog picks