MLB Preview: NL East

Part 4 of the MLB Preview....My favorite division (obviously with the Braves there)...should be a tight one...and I've agonized accordingly

1. New York Mets- I settled on the Mets for 1 reason....The bullpen solidification job they did adding 2 all-star level closers (Putz to setup and K-Rod to close)....the lineup? Yea, you can't hate on it....Johan too...but that's the biggest difference in this team from last year when they just absolutely could not hold a lead.....Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Delgado....4 legit bats....I like Daniel Murphy in left too....The staff has its question marks after Johan and John Maine...it's really their only hole...I can't figure out why a team with as much of a spending habit as they do trots out Mike Pelfrey, Odalis Perez, and Freddy Garcia's corpse...I don't get it....but at any rate....they'll win 90-93 and be right there.... X-factors: Starting pitching 3-5, Daniel Murphy, Luis Castillo


2. Atlanta Braves- Well I could write 3 pages on them...but I'll scale it back.... This is the best pitching collection in the division....The starting pitching is the deepest and best of the 5 teams when you factor in the signing of Lowe and Kawakami, the trade for Vasquez, and the prospect of adding Tommy Hanson AND Tim Hudson late in the year...and the bullpen is only 2nd to the Mets (and are actually deeper, just not better, cough, James, cough)....That's the bright side....The lineup, however....It isn't the lack of guys who can hit .300...they are everywhere...Chipper, McCann, Garret Anderson, Casey Kotchman, Kelly Johnson....can all hit .300....but where's the power? Outside of Chipper and McCann...there isn't a single guy who has above-average power for his position (save maybe Yunel Escobar)....the only guy in that lineup with 90 RBI capability is Jeff Francoeur and he's gotta avoid hitting .220....The pitching itself should take them to the wild card race the entire way....but unless they get some production from Franceour/Anderson/Kotchman at the power spots, they have no shot..... X-factors: Kenshin Kawakami (who noone has any idea on), Jeff Francoeur, bullpen health


3. Philadelphia Phillies- You may be shocked to see them behind the Braves...but hear me out.... You can't tell me a team that features Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton, and someone you've never heard of in it's rotation is a lock....you can't tell me Brad Lidge won't blow a save this year....their setup guys are borderline at best....and they still only won 92 games last year with everything going their way.... I'm not saying they disappear....and they'll be in the Wild Card to the end...but the pitching won't allow it.... The infield is out of this world good....Howard/Utley/Rollins/Feliz can't be topped by anyone short of the healthy Yankees infield, and the outfield isn't anything to sneeze at if Raul Ibanez can drive in 100 with Shane Victorino giving you speed and pop....I actually like their lineup more than the Mets...but I value pitching above all else....so they reside here.... X-Factors: Brad Lidge repeat, 3-5 starters, Setup question marks


4. Florida Marlins- On young talent alone...this a fairly scary roster....Hanley Ramirez is a top-5 player in all of the league hands down.... Maybin, Cantu, Uggla, and Hermida are legit options...but there are holes/youth question marks there....the pitching is young but good with Ricky Nolasco (who looked fantastic in the 2nd half last year), Josh Johnson, and the underrated Chris Volstad....the bullpen looks borderline awful on paper though, and that could be a hamper....They won't be putrid, but not enough to compete with the other 3 teams...and there's always the threat of fire sale here.... X-Factors: Bullpen, Cameron Maybin's development, Whether they will trade Hanley


5. Washington Nationals- Well, the lineup isn't bad at all...especially by Washington standards...Adam Dunn, Elijah Dukes, Lastings Milledge is an above-average OF....Ryan Zimmerman can play...but the rest of the infield is spotty at best....and we haven't discussed the rotation.... I like John Lannan and Scott Olsen...but yikes after that....same goes for the bullpen save Joel Hanrahan....there's some talent and it almost seemed like they wanted to spend some money giving Dunn 10 million a year and offering Mark Texeira all that money....but I still think they should have thrown $30 million a year at Manny to make a splash...there's just not alot of life there....X-Factors: Pitching, Elijah Dukes keeping his head on straight, Did I mention pitching?