Due to the fact that a lot of work is put into writing an article about one team but maybe only one viewer on Clickege is actually interested in them, I've decided to just do predictions for a division. This will allow me to get to the more important things for each team and cut down on the length of the articles. If anyone disagrees with this please leave a comment below. Enjoy.
5. Miami Marlins
The Marlins are right up there with the Astros as the most dysfunctional franchise in Major League Baseball. With a measly $25 million payroll this season, you could say that the expectations are low, even for them.
Owner Jeffrey Loria wrote a letter to fans explaining why he completely overhauled the team only one year after tricking Miami into letting the team have a new stadium. In this letter he claimed that since last season didn't quite work out, it's totally justifiable to unload $150 million worth of payroll for a group of prospects. The only thing is that the best prospect that was acquired is rated as the 71st best according to Baseball America, and Loria has been known to support firesales in order to save some money. And oh by the way, he told Jose Reyes to buy a house in Miami because the shortstop would remain a Marlin "for a long time." Reyes was traded two days later.
One season removed from a new stadium, logo, name, and a jumble of new players, the Marlins are back to being one of the worst teams in the league. The pitching staff is nothing special with Ricky Nolasco being the number one starter(for now). The lineup is borderline atrocious. And it's really sad because slugger Giancarlo Stanton is the best power hitter in the game. Logan Morrison, who was once a top prospect for the Marlins, is hitting fourth this year despite never hitting more than 24 homers in a season.
The Marlins are a great example of why good ownership is essential in sports. An owner that supports winning can turn a franchise around, but an owner that is focused on making money can drive a team into the ground.
4. New York Mets
The Mets are lucky that the Marlins are in their division because they're a for sure last place team in any other division.
New York did make some outstanding moves this offseason, locking up third baseman David Wright to an eight year, $138 million extension. Wright is the Mets' all time leader in multiple categories including hits and RBI's. Then general manager Sandy Alderson made the move of his life, which involved trading a 38-year old knuckleballer on a one year contract for six years of the games best catching prospect along with another top pitching prospect. This, of course, was when R.A. Dickey was traded to Toronto.
Even though the Mets seem to finally be on the right track with their offseason success and Johan Santana's enormous contract coming to an end, this season will still be brutal. The outfield consists of Lucas Duda, Mike Baxter, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Not good. The infield shows a little more upside with the all star Wright at one corner and power hitting Ike Davis at the other. Davis has a horendous first half last season but bounced back with 32 homers and 90 RBI's. Ruben Tejada is a solid defensive shortstop who knows how to make contact, and second baseman David Murphy fits the exact same description.
The pitching staff consists of Johan Santana, Matt Harvey, Jonathon Niese, Dillon Gee, and sometime in the near future Zack Wheeler. This group of young, solid pitchers provide a nice nucleus for the Mets, and it's even better that this is the final year of Santana's $136 million contract.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are not what they used to be. The impeccable lineup of slugger Ryan Howard, speedy Jimmy Rollins, and near-perfect hitter Chase Utley. Howard is now 34 years old and is coming off an achilles injury that sidelines him for almost a year. Utley has had knee problems the past few years that limited him to 83 games in 2012. Rollins, now 34, doesn't posses the speed and quickness he once had that made him the MVP player that he was. Utley and Howard's OPS has fallen each of the last five seasons and both played fewer than 90 games in 2012.
The pitching staff definitely ranks in the top half of the league, but doesn't scare teams like they used to. Cliff Lee didn't win a game until mid-June, and Roy Halladay made only 25 starts. The bullpen had a 4.67 ERA last season although closer Jonathon Papelbon had a solid season.
This offseason the Phillies made a series of small moves instead of signing a big name like Bourn or Lohse. They traded 24-year old pitcher Vance Worley for speedy center fielder Ben Revere. He then signed troubled outfielder Delmon Young for a bargain at $750,000 this season. Reliever Mike Adams, coming off of a surgery to cure the constant numbness in Adams' arm, was inked to a 2 year, $12 million deal. 36 year old third baseman Michael Young was acquired from Texas and is owed $10 this season. Young had a down season last year but may be capable of bouncing back with the Phils.
The Phillies core of Utley, Howard, Ruiz, and Rollins is old. The youngest player of that group is Ruiz at 33. The pitching staff has a lot of questions this season with the only consistently productive pitcher being Cole Hamels. Maybe the Phillies can make one final run at a wild card spot this year, but after a series of debatable offseason moves that didn't fix their aging roster problems, it's more than likely that Philadelphia's reign of dominance in the NL East has come to an end.
2. Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves decided that one Upton wasn't enough this offseason. Once they signed B.J to a five year deal, Atlanta traded all-star Martin Prado and pitching prospect Randall Delgado to the D'backs for his brother Justin. With the two Uptons manning center and left fields and 23-year old star Jason Heyward in right, the Braves may have the best outfield in all of baseball.
After losing Chipper Jones to retirement and leadoff man Michael Bourn to free agency, many wondered what this team would do to restock. Well they reversed their however-long philosophy of pitching first. For what seems like forever, the Braves have had dominant pitching staffs and at times shaky offenses. But now the outfield is superb on both sides of the ball and has great longball threats. The infield is made up of a young group of players led by shortstop Andrelton Simmons, first baseman Freddie Freeman and veteran Dan Uggla at second.
Simmons, in limited time last year due to injury, proved that he is a decent hitter, but an amazing fielder. And Freeman had a solid season last year with 23 homers and 90 RBI while improving his range at first.
The rotation is what could hold back the Braves this season though. Weird, right? Kris Medlen was unstoppable in 2012, going 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA and a good performance in the playoffs. Tim Hudson, even in his older age should still be able to provide at the top of the lineup. and Mike Minor was somewhat reliable, going 11-10. But after that it's get even dicier. Paul Maholm is Paul Maholm, which is to say average, and Julio Teheran, every bit the prospect of Matt Moore a year ago, is soured in the eyes of scouts after struggling mightily in not just the big leagues but at Triple-A. The Braves are confident in his 97-mph fastball to tide over the rotation's fifth spot until Brandon Beachy's return from Tommy John midsummer. Keep an eye, too, on J.R. Graham, a 23-year-old whom the Braves believe is a Hudson clone: a 6-footer whose sinker makes up for everything he might've been shortchanged in height.
The Braves had an amazing lineup that has power from both sides of the plate and a healthy mix of veterans and young studs. The rotation has some question marks, but there enough established pitchers there to hold up, especially with the best bullpen in baseball there to handle the late innings.
1. Washington Nationals
Remember when the Nats were the laughing stock of baseball? Livan Hernandez was the number one starter and the team played in Washington's soccer stadium known as RFK. Now, Stephen Strasburg will compete for a Cy Young. Bryce Harper won rookie of the year. The rest of the rotation is solid and the lineup is well balanced. The team has postseason success last year making it to the NLDS.
The teams fourth starter is Dan Haren, a former 20-game winner and if healthy, can help push the Nats even further this year. Gio Gonzalez won 21 games, and of course Strasburg will have the luxury of pitching a full season and not having to worry about being shut down. This offseason the Nats added to their stacked bullpen by signing closer Rafael Soriano to a two year deal, who will join bona fide closers Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard.
The lineup has been improved as well. The Nationals traded prospect Alex Meyer to Minnesota for center fielder Denard Span. This will allow Bryce Harper to move to left and focus more on his offense. Many think Harper is already an MVP candidate after scoring almost 100 runs and making an all-star appearance last season. Ryan Zimmerman has had shoulder problems the past year but if healthy he is an elite third baseman in baseball.
The Nationals are coming off of a 98 win season and now all of their young talented players have endured a postseason battle which will no doubt help them moving forward. Jayson Werth seemed to somewhat live up to his $126 million contract last season after coming back from an injury. Adam Laroche has a 30-100 season and even shortstop Ian Desmond slugged 27 homeruns. With an improved, more experienced lineup, better rotation and bullpen, the Nationals will be the team to beat in the NL and have all the pieces to bring a championship to Washington.
5. Miami Marlins
The Marlins are right up there with the Astros as the most dysfunctional franchise in Major League Baseball. With a measly $25 million payroll this season, you could say that the expectations are low, even for them.
One season removed from a new stadium, logo, name, and a jumble of new players, the Marlins are back to being one of the worst teams in the league. The pitching staff is nothing special with Ricky Nolasco being the number one starter(for now). The lineup is borderline atrocious. And it's really sad because slugger Giancarlo Stanton is the best power hitter in the game. Logan Morrison, who was once a top prospect for the Marlins, is hitting fourth this year despite never hitting more than 24 homers in a season.
The Marlins are a great example of why good ownership is essential in sports. An owner that supports winning can turn a franchise around, but an owner that is focused on making money can drive a team into the ground.
4. New York Mets
The Mets are lucky that the Marlins are in their division because they're a for sure last place team in any other division.
New York did make some outstanding moves this offseason, locking up third baseman David Wright to an eight year, $138 million extension. Wright is the Mets' all time leader in multiple categories including hits and RBI's. Then general manager Sandy Alderson made the move of his life, which involved trading a 38-year old knuckleballer on a one year contract for six years of the games best catching prospect along with another top pitching prospect. This, of course, was when R.A. Dickey was traded to Toronto.
Even though the Mets seem to finally be on the right track with their offseason success and Johan Santana's enormous contract coming to an end, this season will still be brutal. The outfield consists of Lucas Duda, Mike Baxter, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Not good. The infield shows a little more upside with the all star Wright at one corner and power hitting Ike Davis at the other. Davis has a horendous first half last season but bounced back with 32 homers and 90 RBI's. Ruben Tejada is a solid defensive shortstop who knows how to make contact, and second baseman David Murphy fits the exact same description.
The pitching staff consists of Johan Santana, Matt Harvey, Jonathon Niese, Dillon Gee, and sometime in the near future Zack Wheeler. This group of young, solid pitchers provide a nice nucleus for the Mets, and it's even better that this is the final year of Santana's $136 million contract.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
The pitching staff definitely ranks in the top half of the league, but doesn't scare teams like they used to. Cliff Lee didn't win a game until mid-June, and Roy Halladay made only 25 starts. The bullpen had a 4.67 ERA last season although closer Jonathon Papelbon had a solid season.
This offseason the Phillies made a series of small moves instead of signing a big name like Bourn or Lohse. They traded 24-year old pitcher Vance Worley for speedy center fielder Ben Revere. He then signed troubled outfielder Delmon Young for a bargain at $750,000 this season. Reliever Mike Adams, coming off of a surgery to cure the constant numbness in Adams' arm, was inked to a 2 year, $12 million deal. 36 year old third baseman Michael Young was acquired from Texas and is owed $10 this season. Young had a down season last year but may be capable of bouncing back with the Phils.
The Phillies core of Utley, Howard, Ruiz, and Rollins is old. The youngest player of that group is Ruiz at 33. The pitching staff has a lot of questions this season with the only consistently productive pitcher being Cole Hamels. Maybe the Phillies can make one final run at a wild card spot this year, but after a series of debatable offseason moves that didn't fix their aging roster problems, it's more than likely that Philadelphia's reign of dominance in the NL East has come to an end.
2. Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves decided that one Upton wasn't enough this offseason. Once they signed B.J to a five year deal, Atlanta traded all-star Martin Prado and pitching prospect Randall Delgado to the D'backs for his brother Justin. With the two Uptons manning center and left fields and 23-year old star Jason Heyward in right, the Braves may have the best outfield in all of baseball.
After losing Chipper Jones to retirement and leadoff man Michael Bourn to free agency, many wondered what this team would do to restock. Well they reversed their however-long philosophy of pitching first. For what seems like forever, the Braves have had dominant pitching staffs and at times shaky offenses. But now the outfield is superb on both sides of the ball and has great longball threats. The infield is made up of a young group of players led by shortstop Andrelton Simmons, first baseman Freddie Freeman and veteran Dan Uggla at second.
Simmons, in limited time last year due to injury, proved that he is a decent hitter, but an amazing fielder. And Freeman had a solid season last year with 23 homers and 90 RBI while improving his range at first.
The rotation is what could hold back the Braves this season though. Weird, right? Kris Medlen was unstoppable in 2012, going 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA and a good performance in the playoffs. Tim Hudson, even in his older age should still be able to provide at the top of the lineup. and Mike Minor was somewhat reliable, going 11-10. But after that it's get even dicier. Paul Maholm is Paul Maholm, which is to say average, and Julio Teheran, every bit the prospect of Matt Moore a year ago, is soured in the eyes of scouts after struggling mightily in not just the big leagues but at Triple-A. The Braves are confident in his 97-mph fastball to tide over the rotation's fifth spot until Brandon Beachy's return from Tommy John midsummer. Keep an eye, too, on J.R. Graham, a 23-year-old whom the Braves believe is a Hudson clone: a 6-footer whose sinker makes up for everything he might've been shortchanged in height.
The Braves had an amazing lineup that has power from both sides of the plate and a healthy mix of veterans and young studs. The rotation has some question marks, but there enough established pitchers there to hold up, especially with the best bullpen in baseball there to handle the late innings.
1. Washington Nationals
Remember when the Nats were the laughing stock of baseball? Livan Hernandez was the number one starter and the team played in Washington's soccer stadium known as RFK. Now, Stephen Strasburg will compete for a Cy Young. Bryce Harper won rookie of the year. The rest of the rotation is solid and the lineup is well balanced. The team has postseason success last year making it to the NLDS.
The teams fourth starter is Dan Haren, a former 20-game winner and if healthy, can help push the Nats even further this year. Gio Gonzalez won 21 games, and of course Strasburg will have the luxury of pitching a full season and not having to worry about being shut down. This offseason the Nats added to their stacked bullpen by signing closer Rafael Soriano to a two year deal, who will join bona fide closers Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard.
The Nationals are coming off of a 98 win season and now all of their young talented players have endured a postseason battle which will no doubt help them moving forward. Jayson Werth seemed to somewhat live up to his $126 million contract last season after coming back from an injury. Adam Laroche has a 30-100 season and even shortstop Ian Desmond slugged 27 homeruns. With an improved, more experienced lineup, better rotation and bullpen, the Nationals will be the team to beat in the NL and have all the pieces to bring a championship to Washington.
