For the Nationals to get back into contention, they are going to overtake some of the titans of the National League in their own division. The NL East is an unforgiving landscape, where teams like the Mets, Phillies and Braves come into most seasons with championships on the mind. All three have stacked rosters and expect excellence year in and year out.
After finishing last or tied for last in the NL East for four straight seasons, the Nationals finally got out of the cellar of the division thanks to yet another Marlins rebuild. However, this year the team needs to make up some ground on the three top teams in the division.