1) Washington Nationals: I thought about picking the Braves for a split second but then I realized the Nats have the best all around pitching staff in the division. The addition of Dan Haren gives them a solid fifth starter and the addition of Rafael Soriano at the back end just makes them shorten the game with Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen and Craig Stammen already in the pen. Their lineup will be better than last year with Bryce Harper in his second year, Denard Span playing centerfield and the always dangerous Ryan Zimmerman still holding down third base. They are the team to beat in the NL East, no questions asked.
2) Atlanta Braves: They'll hit the piss out of the ball this year with the addition of the Upton brothers. The problem that I can foresee is the middle of their bullpen. Can they get to Craig Kimbrel without much of a mess? That will be the question the Braves face all year. I expect them to compete for and win the wild card. Basically because there just aren't many lineups better than theres.
3) Philadelphia Phillies: It's a weird looking team I'll tell you that much. They look like they're in the transition stage with a really young outfield but their infield is just flat out old at every position. The pitching staff is also old. I don't expect the Phils to compete for a playoff spot because of that and I expect them to deal some of their older pieces at the deadline. But with their young outfield, they are heading in the right direction, they're a few years away.
4) New York Mets: They flat out stink. They have one guy in their lineup who can hit, he goes by the name of David Wright. Other than that, no one fears anyone in their lineup. They have a AA outfield, no bullpen and an above average starting pitching staff. This team is going to be abysmal this season. Mets fans, we're some serious years away. The only thing to look forward to is when they actually bring up Zack Wheeler and we can see what he has.
5) Miami Marlins: Speaking of teams who are awful, this is one of them. Their complete and total firesale this winter turned their team into what is basically a AAAA team. Yes, that was four A's there. It's the spot between AAA and the Majors, where your team isn't really a major league team, but they're not really a minor league team; that's what the Marlins are. They have five major leaguers on their entire roster. It's a joke. They will lose between 90 and 100 games this season, hands down.
No comments:
Post a Comment