The Washington Nationals outdistanced the field in the NL East by 17 games in 2014, seemingly high-stepping their way to a division title. Will the Nats provide an encore in 2015? Can improved clubs in New York and Miami pull off a shocker? Here's how we see the NL East shaking out.
1. Washington Nationals
Sporting one of baseball's best starting rotations before adding Max Scherzer, the Nats now go legitimately six deep when it comes to starter options in 2015. That luxury, mixed with one of those most versatile and impressive lineups 1-through-8 in all of the National League, should be enough for the Nats to lap the field and bring home another division crown. 100 wins? It's possible with this group.
2. New York Mets
New York has the only starting rotation in the division that could conceivably compete with the Nats, and the offense will benefit tenfold with healthy, consistent efforts from David Wright and Curtis Granderson. There's enough here for a magical run to an NL Wild Card, but the Mets will have to figure out what the heck to do at shortstop before selling off any playoff tickets.
3. Miami Marlins
The Marlins may be young, but they're talented and on the verge of something special on South Beach. If Giancarlo Stanton comes back and doesn't miss a beat and the Marlins can get Jose Fernandez back for the stretch run, Miami is just a breakout season or two away from making noise in the NL Wild Card race.
4. Atlanta Braves
The dropoff from the NL East's top three teams to the bottom two is much more pronounced than any other division in baseball. The Braves are in the midst of a full-scale rebuilding effort after pawning off three of their four best hitters for limited to no MLB-level help. The team's pitching has a chance to be good, but with no offense the Braves will languish near the cellar for the majority of the year.
5. Philadelphia Phillies
This team remains bloated with ill-advised contracts and an incogruent mish-mash of "not there yet" youth and over-the-hill veterans. You can pick and choose decent seasons to come out of this bunch (Cole Hamels, Ben Revere), but that doesn't add up to anything close to a contending team. It'll be a long season full of potential upheaval and trade rumors for the team's loyal (and frustrated) fan base.
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