The National League East was supposed to be the best division in baseball in 2021. Following an offseason in which a handful of clubs decided to slash payroll budgets, the NL East was the only division in the sport with five teams in win-now mode. It seemed inevitable that at least two teams would make the playoffs out of the division.
It’s safe to say that the division has largely been a disappointment. As of Monday, only the second-place Atlanta Braves have a positive run differential.