National League East Preview
The National League East is regarded as one of the best divisions in baseball and for good reason. The National League East sent three teams to the playoffs last year, including the eventual National League champs, the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies, the Mets and the Braves all arguably got better this offseason. The race to win this division should be an exciting one and is going to come down to the last week of the season.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves have dominated this division of late, winning the last five division titles. And the Braves are not going anywhere, Atlanta has built a core of young superstars that will be together for the foreseeable future.
Ronald Acuña, Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, Spencer Strider and Michael Harris II are all on team-friendly long-term deals.
Atlanta has revolutionized how front offices have approached contract extensions. The Braves have decided to bypass arbitration and give out long-term deals for relatively unproven players.
The ex-factor for this team is Ronald Acuña. Acuña had an up-and-down season, in his first year after coming back from a torn ACL.
Acuña has the star power and potential to be one of the premier players in baseball but just needs to stay on the field.
New York Mets
Steve Cohen has changed the perception of the New York Mets. The Mets have gone from one of the bottom feeders in baseball to the team with the largest payroll in the sport.
In year two of Cohen, the Mets took that next step and made the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Buck Showalter brought leadership to a team that was considered a laughing stock. New York won 101 games because of great pitching and timely hitting that was predicated on contact.
There was a lot that Mets fans could hang their hat on last season, Edwin Díaz had one of the greatest seasons a closer has ever had, and Franciso Lindor won over the New York fan base.
However, what was such a promising season turned south towards the end of the year.
The Mets were swept by the Braves in the second to last series of the season and lost the division to the Braves. A team that dominated the NL East for most of the season, fell flat in the most important series of the year and limped into the playoffs.
As the Mets head into year three of Cohen, there is a dark cloud hovering over the franchise. Díaz will likely miss the whole season because of an injury suffered in the World Baseball Classic.
The former face of the franchise, Jacob deGrom, has also moved on to the Texas Rangers.
Philadelphia Phillies
The team that lost to Houston in the World Series actually improved this offseason. The Phillies added arguably the best shortstop in baseball, Trea Turner.
However, the Phillies struggled in the regular season last year. This team squeezed into the playoffs but showed it was built for postseason play, going on an unbelievable run.
Expect the Phillies again to coast this regular season and just wait until October comes around, as Bryce Harper is reportedly out until the all-star break. Rob Thomson as their manager for the full season should also make a difference.
Miami Marlins
The Marlins are victims of being in a tough division. Miami is led by one of the best rotations in baseball that is headlined by Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara.
The problem for the Marlins has been their offense. Miami added AL batting leader Luis Arrȧez that should add a boost to this offense. However, it will be an uphill battle to make the playoffs with the Phillies, Mets and Braves in this division.
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are in for a long season. The Nationals severely lack talent after trading superstar Juan Soto. Washington should lose close to 100 games this season and will likely be the doormat of the NL East this season.
Aidan Torok is a third-year majoring in telecommunications and minoring in broadcast journalism and political science. To contact him, email ajt6051@psu.edu.
