The NL East could be the best division in baseball. It could also disappoint again. What does each team have to do to be successful?
Despite the Braves going on a postseason run for the ages, the NL East largely underachieved last year. The Phillies couldn’t pitch, the Mets locker room imploded, and the Marlins and Nats entered rebuilds. Now the division enters 2022 with a ton of expectations. The Braves are expected to contend for another title, the Phillies are expected to be a playoff team, and no team generated more buzz during this offseason than the New York Metropolitans.
The question is, will this division live up to the hype? The final portion of our MLB Divisional breakdown takes a look at the NL East.
Atlanta Braves
2021 Record: 88-73
Key Additions
Matt Olsen: Acquired in a trade with the Oakland Athletics
With the trade for hometown hero Matt Olsen, Braves fans should know that FF is adios. This is a good move IMO to shore up 1st and still have plenty of capital to get OFs and another SP.#TheChampsAreHere pic.twitter.com/h5NFyLtoLx
— The Changeup (@TheChangeupLS) March 14, 2022
Key Losses
Freddie Freeman: Signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Joc Pederson: Signed with the San Francisco Giants
Season Outlook
The defending champs were able to hold on to the majority of their roster for 2022. The question will be how they hold up before Ronald Acuna gets back from injury. The NL East improved across the board this offseason, meaning the Braves will need timely hitting from the veterans they acquired at last year’s deadline. Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario helped solidify the lineup from top to bottom, which allowed their pitching to shine.
Speaking of the pitching, the Braves bolstered their bullpen to help shorten games for the back end of their rotation. Without Mike Soroka for most of the year, the Braves will need quality starts from Charlie Morton and Max Fried, followed by a breakout season from Ian Anderson, if they want to maintain the top spot in the NL East.
If all goes according to plan, Matt Olsen provides similar production to Freddie Freeman, the Braves’ pitching and defense carry them until Acuna returns, and Soroka comes back in time for a stretch run in September.
Philadelphia Phillies
2021 Record: 82-80
Key Additions
Key Losses
Freddie Galvis
Season Outlook
Last year was a disappointing year for the Phillies, but it was finally the year Phillies fans have been waiting for from Bryce Harper. The 2021 NL MVP is now anchored by some legitimate lineup support in Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber; both of whom should have monster years in the hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park.
The question mark for Philadelphia is going to be their pitching and defense. An outfield of Castellanos, Odubel Herrera, and Harper isn’t exactly stellar on the defensive end. Alec Bohm has had his share of mishaps at third base, and the right side of the infield is more known for its offense than its defense.
On top of that, the starting rotation has to get production from someone not named Zach Wheeler or Aaron Nola. Having a big two is really good, but that alone does not win you pennants.
The final question mark here is the bullpen. Philadelphia made some nice additions with Knebel and Hand, but both are flyball pitchers in a hitter’s paradise. Jeurys Familia has had his share of ups and downs, as has Jose Alvarado. Is there enough consistency here to lock down the end of games?
Overall, the key to the Phillies’ season will be consistency. If the lineup can consistently produce, and the pitching staff can do enough, Philadelphia could find themselves back in the postseason this October.
New York Mets
2021 Record: 77-85
Key Additions
Chris Bassitt: Acquired in a trade with the Oakland A’s
Mark Canha
Key Losses
Jeurys Familia
Javy Baez
Season Outlook
The Mets lost some key pieces this offseason, but managed to replace them with quality pieces. When Noah Syndergaard left for the west coast, the Mets somehow convinced Max Scherzer to come back in the other direction. Michael Conforto had been a staple of the Mets outfield since 2015. However, the Mets upgraded at that spot by landing Starling Marte to hit leadoff and play quality defense at a number of outfield spots. Chris Bassitt should have similar success in this ballpark to Marcus Stroman, and he will also benefit from the improvements the Mets made on the defensive end.
Perhaps the biggest offseason move for the Mets was Buck Showalter, and it’s why he’s included in “key additions.” Showalter has had a lot of success in the league and has provided stability for clubhouses at every turn. The Mets clubhouse was a disaster last year. Most of their moves this year were not only to upgrade the team on the field, but to upgrade the team off the field as well. Showalter is a part of that.
The key for the Mets this year will be health. The Mets have the talent on paper to win this division. However, Jacob deGrom is already missing the first month and a few others have had bumps and bruises so far. Even though their depth improved from top to bottom, the Mets have historically been a punch line when it comes to big injuries. If they can keep their core on the field for most of the year, this could be a special season in Flushing.
Miami Marlins
2021 Record: 67-95
Key Additions
Jacob Stallings: Acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Joey Wendle: Acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays
Key Losses
Season Outlook
The NL East is going to be a competitive division from top to bottom. Believe it or not, even though the Marlins are in a rebuild, they are a part of that. Miami’s lineup has some sneaky pop in it with Soler, Garcia, and Jesus Aguilar. Miguel Rojas and Joey Wendle are professional hitters that provide timely hits, and Jazz Chisolm is electric at the top of the lineup.
Having said that, Miami’s pitching is a gigantic question mark, and it’s likely what prevents them from reaching a .500 record this year. If everything goes according to plan, and Miami’s lineup produces at a high volume, this team could spoil playoff hopes for a number of teams in the National League down the stretch.
Washington Nationals
2021 Record: 65-97
Key Additions
Key Losses
Season Outlook
The Nationals are in a similar position to the Miami Marlins. The lineup could surprise people. Juan Soto is a legitimate superstar, and the Nats gave him some lineup protection with Nelson Cruz. Keibert Ruiz should hold down the catching position for a long time, and the Nationals have veterans up and down the lineup. This lineup could provide solid numbers throughout the year.
The pitcher points to the sky to let everyone know Juan Soto just went OPPO pic.twitter.com/OmSWnAI6zU
— Washington DC Sports News (@DCSportsNews365) April 1, 2022
Much like the Marlins, the Nationals lack pitching. Also similar to the Marlins, the Nationals are relying on veteran hitters to keep them afloat while they rebuild. It can be productive if the team is competitive. Keep an eye on how teams approach Juan Soto this year. Soto can be avoided at all costs if the Nationals lineup doesn’t produce. If they get enough timely hits and teams are forced to actually pitch to Soto in big spots, the Nationals could approach .500, like the Marlins.
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