NL East
1. Atlanta Braves- This might be the best division race in the Major Leagues this year. I give the Braves a slight advantage because of what should be a superior lineup. Injuries have decimated Atlanta during Spring Training, but the Braves have patched the leaks enough to stay in it until they can get their pitching back, and a weak schedule for the first two months of the season should help. Freddie Freeman will lead a stacked Braves lineup that shouldn't have much problem scoring runs. Watch for Dan Uggla and BJ Upton to rebound from horrific years last year. (For what it's worth, both performed well in Spring Training.) The rotation is the biggest question for this team, as key starters Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy were both lost for the year after Spring Training injuries. Ervin Santana and Aaron Harang were signed to replace them. The Braves will start the year with a four man rotation led by Julio Teheran until Mike Minor and Gavin Floyd return from offseason surgeries by mid-to-late April. The bullpen, led by Craig Kimbrel, will once again be one of the best in baseball and will be aided by the midseason return of setup man Jonny Venters. Although this should be a tight division race that comes down to the last days of the season, I expect the Braves to make a push when they get healthy and repeat as division champions in 2014.
2. Washington Nationals- The Nationals didn't make any earth-shattering news this offseason, but they return most of a team that won 86 games last year and should be improved this year. The lineup isn't one of the league's elite, it should be above average. The middle of the order, which includes Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman, and Bryce Harper, will be tough for opposing pitchers to handle. This team, however, will go only as far as their starting pitching will carry them. The rotation as a whole might be the best in baseball. Stephen Strasburg, the former number one overall pick in the MLB Draft, has developed into one of the league's premier starters and will be the ace of the staff. Behind him, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, and Doug Fister fill out a fantastic rotation. The bullpen should be strong as well, with proven relievers such as Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen, and closer Rafael Soriano back for another year. The Nationals will field a strong team this year, but the National League Wild Card race will be a tight one, so both of the top NL East teams will have to perform at a very high level if both hope to make the playoffs.
3. New York Mets- Much was made of Mets' general manager Sandy Alderson's offseason comments that the Mets can win 90 games this year. That is a lofty and almost unrealistic expectation, but it sounds good to fans and sells tickets, so I suppose he's just trying to help out his marketing department a bit. Nothing wrong with that. As far as on the field performance, the Mets should be improved, but still not good enough to compete for a playoff spot. They signed Curtis Granderson in free agency, which should help bolster the lineup and provide some protection for David Wright. Those two will provide some pop in the middle of the order, but outside of Wright and Granderson, the Mets don't offer much resistance on offense. As far as the rotation, the Mets number one starter, Jon Niese, will begin the year on the disabled list, but should be back by mid-April. He will be joined in the rotation by veteran Bartolo Colon, as well as Dillion Gee, who is looking to build on a good year in 2013. The bullpen isn't very good, but Bobby Parnell returns as the best reliever and will be the closer again this year. Although the Mets should be decent this year, it should still be a year or two until they can seriously compete for a playoff spot.
4. Philadelphia Phillies- The Phillies are much like the Yankees this year in the sense that their success largely depends on health. Even while healthy, they can't compete with the Braves and Nationals, but they could challenge the Mets for third place if key players can stay on the field. Unfortunately, like the Yankees, most of the stars have a lengthy injury history. Another problem for this team is the growing dispute between franchise shortstop Jimmy Rollins and manager Ryne Sandberg over Rollins' benching in Spring Training. Many experts believe that Rollins will be traded to dissolve the issue. The lineup could be potent in such a hitter-friendly ballpark, with players like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Domonic Brown taking advantage of the short porch in right field at their home ballpark. Also look for young outfielder Ben Revere to have a breakout year in the leadoff spot. The starting rotation should be good. It's led by veteran Cliff Lee, but also features solid starters such as Cole Hamels (will return in late April from DL), AJ Burnett, and Kyle Kendrick. The bullpen is the weakness of the club, with the one strong link being closer Jonathan Papelbon. The Phillies have the potential to be a good team this year, but injuries will likely keep them from being a force in the NL East.
5. Miami Marlins- I hate to put the Marlins in last here because, as I've mentioned before, I love teams with good pitching. The Marlins have one of the best young rotations in baseball, but with little to no offense, they have little chance to have a decent team this year. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was added in the offseason to upgrade the lineup and the defense at catcher. Giancarlo Stanton is one of the best power hitters in the game, but with no protection in the lineup, opposing teams should be able to minimize his effectiveness. Jose Fernandez will lead a young pitching staff with loads of potential. Nathan Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez will help fill out a great 1-2-3 in the rotation. The bullpen is also young and talented, led by some of team's only veterans in Carlos Marmol and Mike Dunn, as well as young closer Steve Cishek. Although the pitching should do enough to improve on the club's dismal 62-100 record in 2013, the Miami front office will have to add more offensive help before this team is able to seriously contend.
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