MLB Preview: NL East

The Mets have a new Ballpark and New Closer. Will they finally win end the pain of two consecutive seasons out of the playoffs?

The NL East was very familiar in 2008. The Phillies repeated as division champions, the Mets repeated their chokejob. Hanley Ramirez continued to become a great young star, and the Washington Nationals were the place where Ryan Zimmerman continued his development.
NEW YORK METS
The biggest Achilles heel for the New York Mets last season was the fact that their bullpen could not hold any leads, helping the Mets lose the division for the second straight season. The Mets have finally decided they have had enough. They went out and signed record setting closer Francisco Rodriguez to contract, and then traded for J.J Putz from Seattle to become New York's new Setup man. The key for the Mets will be: How tired are they of choking away the division for the last two seasons? I think we will see guys like David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and Carlos Beltran with fire in their eyes this season.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS

The Washington Nationals now have a 40 homer guy in the capitol city, as they have signed slugger Adam Dunn to a contract. Dunn is a big time power hitter, don't let his many strikeouts bother you. Their rotation may be headlined by the former Baltimore Orioles Ace Daniel Caberera. Two former Marlins are now in DC, outfielder Josh Willingham and pitcher Scott Olsen. The Nationals seem ready to let Joel Hanrahan take over the closer duties. This team seems ready to take the cellar, but Adam Dunn could be the team's saving grace.
FLORIDA MARLINS

The Florida Marlins are ready to revolve around shortstop phenom Hanley Ramirez. The Marlins are going through a growth spurt. The Marlins will have to sort out their mess of an infield? Will Dan Uggla stay at second? Who plays third base? Ditto with the void the Marlins have at first base. If the Marlins are able to answer these questions, they may place fourth in the division, behind Washington.
PHILLADELPHIA PHILLIES

The Phillies are coming off an amazing season. Nobody picked them to win the division, to beat Milwaukee in the NLDS (or the Dodgers in the NLCS), or to beat the Rays in the World Series. Sure enough, they did all that. The Phillies are going to defend their title on Opening Night against their division rival Atlanta Braves. Cole Hamels developed into the premier pitcher before our very eyes this season. Let's not forget about players like Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard. The Phillies biggest pitching strength last season was Brad Lidge, as he was 48 out of 48 in save chances in 2008. Could he do it again? The Phillies are prepared to defend their NL east crown, as they will play the Atlanta Braves Opening Night, the team that had a stronghold on the NL East for the past 14 seasons.
Speaking Of Those Atlanta Braves:
ATLANTA BRAVES

The Atlanta Braves used to be the model for the rest of the NL East to imitate and envy. Times have changed. The Braves are trying to recapture their glory years, as they signed sinkerballer Derek Lowe. They may have missed out on A.J. Burnett and Jake Peavy (along with longtime Braves Pitcher John Smoltz), but they are ready to let top prospects Tommy Hanson and Jo-Jo Reyes compete for the rotation. Jeff Francoeur will have to get back to his 2005 form, as they will be a make or break season for him. Chipper Jones turns 37 this season, could he have another great season left in him? The Braves may have lost an answer to their Left Fielder question when Ken Griffey Jr. returned home to the Seattle Mariners, but Jordan Schafer will hit the Big leagues very soon.


My Division Projections:
1. NEW YORK METS
They have to be tired of choking their season away, right?
2. Philladelphia Phillies
They are the defending World Series Champions, but I think they are poised for a dropoff. Not from Ryan Howard, of course.
3. Atlanta Braves
The Braves have some good young players who will make it on the Braves this season. They are still only the third best team in the NL East.
4. Washington Nationals
Could Adam Dunn make all the difference between fourth and last place?
5. Florida Marlins
The only thing certain for them is that Hanley Ramirez will play Shortstop this season.

In the next MLB Preview, we will look at the NL West. Does San Francisco now have a Super rotation? Are the Dodgers in trouble if they lose Manny Ramirez? Find out in the next MLB Preview!