2013 NL East Preview: Will the
Nationals Repeat as the Best Team in Baseball?
Final
Standings
Washington
Nationals 96-66
Atlanta
Braves 89-73
Philadelphia
Phillies 82-80
New York
Mets 79-83
Miami
Marlins 64-98
1. Washington Nationals (96-66)
Last season the Nationals finished with the best record in
baseball and were upset in the NLDS by the Cardinals. I see the best record
part of that happening again, but this year there will be no upsets. The
Nationals will reach the World Series and cross their names off the list of
teams never to reach a World Series (the Mariners are the only other team). An
argument can be made that the Nationals have not only the best rotation in
baseball but also the best lineup top to bottom. The signing of Dan Haren will
work out well for this team as he will be in a much friendlier pitcher’s park
and he won’t be asked to do much in terms of carrying the staff due to pitching
behind Gonzalez, Strasburg, and Zimmerman. The bullpen is stacked with quality
arms including Rafael Soriano who is coming off a phenomenal year for the
Yankees, filling in for Mariano Rivera.
During spring training Davey Johnson has been batting Bryce
Harper third in the order, and that should absolutely carry over into the
season. Harper will take the next step forward in development, anchoring the
lineup, and will have what I believe to be an MVP season. The addition of
Denard Span will do wonders for this team as he may be one of the more
underrated leadoff men in the game. A full season of Kurt Suzuki will be great
for the pitchers as he is a veteran who knows what it takes to handle a staff.
He may not offer much offensively but with the rest of the guys ahead of him he
won’t need to. Adam LaRoche had a fantastic year last year and I see the power
numbers being about the same, although his run production will go down some due
to the lowering of Harper in the lineup. There is a sports renaissance going on
in the nation’s capital thanks to RG3 and the Nationals and DC has many reasons
to keep the excitement up. On a side note, I would just like to add that anyone
who hasn’t had the chance to see a game at Nationals Park needs to do so. It’s
a great stadium, great atmosphere, and a bunch of great fans. I made the trek
out there last summer and am hoping to again this season.
2. Atlanta Braves (89-73)
The Atlanta Braves made waves in the offseason with their
acquisition of Justin Upton from Arizona and the signing of his brother B.J.
Adding these two players to a lineup that already had some good talent makes
the Braves a scary team to have to contend with. Andrelton Simmons begins his
first full season in the majors and jumps right into the fire by becoming the
everyday leadoff man. Freddie Freeman had a good year last year and will look
to build on that. The average needs to be higher but with the defense he provides
at first he more than makes up for it. This will be the first season in a very
long time where Atlanta opens the season without Chipper at third and Juan
Francisco certainly has some Hall of Fame worthy shoes to fill. Brian McCann
will look to have another undervalued season, or as undervalued as you can get
as a multiple time all-star. He battled through injuries last year, and will be
starting this season on the DL but once back, he will look to be the Brain
McCann we all know and never fully appreciate.
Atlanta’s pitching is what could either derail their season
or move them past the Nationals in the division. The talent is there to be a
great staff, but questions will need to be answered. Can Tim Hudson at age 37
have a similar type year to last year? Can Kris Medlen continue to dominate
like he did as a starter? Can Julio Teheran pitch anywhere near the level his
potential should allow him to? If the answer to all these questions is yes,
look for Atlanta fans to be a happy group this season, and there will be no
need to take cover from flying debris.
3. Philadelphia Phillies (82-80)
The Phillies are a team that is getting old in a hurry. Too
many of their key pieces are on the other side of their prime years. Roy
Halladay has had an abysmal spring so far and questions are being asked about
whether or not he’s totally lost it with the drop in velocity and loss of
command. Cliff Lee had a horrible season last year, by his or any other
standards. John Lannan and Kyle Kendrick are not exactly guys who strike fear
into the hearts of batters either. Cole Hamels back may give him trouble this
year for the carry job he’s going to have to do with this staff.
On offense the Phillies will have a lot of work to do. Ryan
Howard and Chase Utley are coming off injury plagued seasons and that’s never a
good sign for your two best players and the heart of your batting order. Carlos
Ruiz starts the year on suspension due to Adderall, but after the year he had
last year setting career highs in most offensive categories at age 34 it makes
you think about what else he could be taking. The signing of Michael Young was
a puzzling one, because his days as an everyday starter are probably over. He
can still rake a bit with the lumber so he would be more suited as DH or
infield platoon player off the bench. The city of Brotherly Love is not one
known for sitting by and watching mediocrity so if things break down for the
Phillies this year; it’s not going to be pretty.
4. New York Mets (79-83)
The Mets and their fans won’t be experiencing a miracle
season in 2013 but they should feel very optimistic about their future. Young
bats and arms with all the potential in the world are on this team and down on
the farm and will make this division very interesting in the years to come. Add
to that the presence of Captain America himself, David Wright, and you’ve got
one hell of a leader and a guy the young kids can look to for an example on how
to carry themselves and play the game the right way. The financial woes are
reportedly over and that means all good things for a franchise with a great fan
base and the money/lure of New York City to attract free agents.
5. Miami Marlins (64-98)
What can be said about the Miami
Marlins and their ownership that hasn’t already been said? From the start of
last offseason and the spending bonanza the team went on to complement their
new stadium, to this offseason where the Marlins traditional fire sale occurred,
it’s been a rollercoaster ride that Six Flags would welcome with open arms. The
guy you truly have to feel sorry for is Giancarlo Stanton. He will be wasting a
year of his life getting pitched around and running with a supporting cast
right out of Major League. It’s going to be a long season in South Beach, but
realistically, based on Marlins attendance, is anyone really going to care?
