2015 PREVIEW NL EAST: It's the Nationals and everybody else

Mar 29, 2015 - 3:29 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Only the Washington Nationals finished above .500 in the National League East a season ago and a huge free agent signing has the club thinking big again in 2015.

On paper the Nationals should dominate and run away with the NL East. Not only is the division theirs to lose, but the addition of pitcher Max Scherzer to an already-loaded rotation makes them serious World Series contenders.

There isn't much after that. The Miami Marlins are loaded up for a playoff push -- likely through a wild card spot -- and the New York Mets are up-and- coming but still raw. The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, former powerhouses of the division, are going through rebuilds and won't contend anytime soon.

ATLANTA BRAVES - (2014 record: 79-83, Tied for Second in NL East)

In just two years, the Atlanta Braves have gone from running away with a National League East title to being a rebuilding club whose better days may be a few seasons ahead.

That's the direction new president of baseball operations John Hart has taken the Braves, who will move to a new stadium in 2017, after general manager Frank Wren and assistant Bruce Manno were fired following last season's 79-83 campaign. Hart immediately restocked the cabinet, trading outfielder Justin Upton (San Diego) and power bat Evan Gattis (Houston) in separate deals that netted Atlanta seven prospects. Outfielder Jason Heyward also was dealt, going to St. Louis in a deal that brought back a young arm in Shelby Miller.

Atlanta figures to get a good look at a number of young players this season, including highly-regarded catching prospect Christian Bethancourt, infielder Jace Peterson (part of the deal for Upton) and, eventually, stud second base prospect Jose Peraza. But Hart isn't letting the kids rule the playground entirely as he signed veteran outfielder Jonny Gomes in addition to well-worn vet A.J. Pierzynski to help tutor Bethancourt. Also, outfielder Nick Markakis was added to the mix, but at a curious contract of four years, $44 million.

If Atlanta has one strength it is in the pitching department. While the Braves wait for their young position players to finish growing, they already have a top-heavy rotation with three arms under the age of 25 in ace-in-the-making Julio Teheran, lefty Alex Wood and Miller. Craig Kimbrel remains one of the top closers in the game and Atlanta added a pair of set-up arms in Jason Grilli and Jim Johnson, both of whom have experience closing out games.

X-FACTOR: MELVIN UPTON JR.

No, that isn't a third Upton brother to come through Atlanta. The outfielder formally known as B.J. has opted to begin going by his birth first name. Hopefully he can leave the old "B.J." and his struggles at the plate behind him as well. Upton enters the third season of a five-year, $72.5 million deal and has hit just .198 with 21 homers, 61 runs batted in and 324 strikeouts over 267 games with the Braves. Of course, Upton's string of bad luck continued as he is dealing with foot inflammation that will likely sideline him until early May and hinder his attempt to fix his struggles at the plate.

PROGNOSIS: Atlanta is a team that has in recent years been one that struggles to score runs. The loss of Justin Upton and Gattis, and their combined 52 homers from a season ago, will hurt again in that department, but Hart has opted to put the future of the club as his main priority. First baseman Freddie Freeman figures to lead the offense into the future and Atlanta has a solid up-the-middle pairing for years to come in Peraza and Andrelton Simmons. The top of the rotation could steal more than a few games this season and would get even stronger if right-hander Mike Foltynewicz -- the key piece of the Gattis trade to Houston -- joins the rotation at some point to replace either Wandy Rodriguez or Eric Stults, a pair of left-handed vets added in the offseason. But the Braves won't contend this season and could struggle to stay out of the basement.

MIAMI MARLINS (2014 record: 77-85, Fourth in NL East)

Sensing that the National League East is in a transition phase, the up-and- down Miami Marlins are ready to pounce again.

The Marlins have failed to finish above .500 for five straight seasons and owner Jeffrey Loria gutted his high-priced roster after a 93-loss campaign in 2012. A 100-loss season followed, but the Marlins improved by 15 victories in 2014 despite losing young ace Jose Fernandez to season-ending Tommy John surgery early on.

That was in large part thanks to the continued emergence of MVP candidate Giancarlo Stanton (37 homers, 105 RBI) and the talks of when he will be the latest star to be shipped out of town hopefully ended when the Marlins signed the 25-ear-old to a mammoth 13-year, $325 million deal that runs through 2027, though it does contain an opt out after six years.

Still, keeping Stanton in the fold should calm the fan base and Loria teamed with his front office to give the slugger no shortage of help. Fellow youngster Christian Yelich was locked up through 2021, while speedy leadoff hitter Dee Gordon and the versatile Martin Prado were acquired in separate deals that cost the Marlins some pitching depth in prospect Andrew Heaney and Nathan Eovaldi. First baseman Michael Morse also was signed to give Stanton some hopeful protection in the lineup.

Miami was able to part with some if its arms due to the presence of Fernandez, who could return as early as late June, and the acquisition of starter Mat Latos, acquired from Cincinnati at the 2014 Winter Meetings. The Marlins also have a very underrated closer in Steve Cishek, a pending free agent who could net the club a solid return should it opt to deal him before this season's deadline.

X-FACTOR: THE NEW GUYS

The Marlins have tried to infuse a bunch of new faces before (see the great 2012 spree of Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and Mark Buehrle) with limited results, so there will be pressure on the likes of Latos, Gordon and Prado. The first two will be counted on the most, with Gordon tasked of setting the table for Stanton, Morse and Prado. The second baseman stole 64 bases last season -- six more than the Marlins as a team -- but struggles to draw walks and get on base as much as he should to utilize his speed. Latos will try to anchor the rotation until Fernandez returns and rebound from an injury-plagued 2014 season that limited him to just 16 starts after he made at least 31 in each of his previous four seasons. There also will be some excitement surrounding reserve outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who comes into the season 156 hits shy of 3,000 for his MLB career.

PROGNOSIS: The Marlins are by no means loaded, but they do have the best young hitter in baseball in the middle of the lineup and a potential Cy Young winner set to return mid-season in Fernandez. The offense has a capable player at each spot and the bullpen looks solid with Cishek at the closer spot and David Phelps, acquired from the Yankees along with Prado, available to fill multiple roles. But the rotation is far from a sure thing as Jarred Cosart will try to prove his late-season success with the Marlins wasn't a fluke. Then there is starter Dan Haren, who also acquired from the Dodgers and at one point threatened to retire if not dealt back to the west coast. He seems to be on board now, but one has to wonder how long his heart will be in it. Miami isn't good enough to challenge the Washington Nationals for the NL East title, but could feast on the rest of the weaker division to contend for a wild card.

NEW YORK METS (2014 Finish - 79-83, Tied for Second in NL East)

A rotating door through surgery may be the one thing that keeps the New York Mets from seriously challenging for a playoff spot this season.

Mets fans have cause for celebration, though, with the return of young stud Matt Harvey to the mound after the 26-year-old missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery, while potential closer/late-inning setup man Bobby Parnell also returns following the procedure. However, those two step into immediate holes left by season-ending elbow injuries to starter Zack Wheeler and left-handed reliever Josh Edgin.

But pitching is one area that the Mets have depth, with Harvey and reigning NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom leading a future rotation that will at some point include the returning Wheeler and pitching prospects Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Rafael Montero, the latter of who could start the season in the bullpen. Syndergaard figures to be pitching in Queens by the middle of the season, a potential replacement should Opening Day starter Bartolo Colon get moved or if Jon Niese or Dillon Gee struggle.

New York should feel fortunate to have the pitching it has since that is what will win them games. The Mets hit only .239 a season ago and slugged at a .364 percentage. First baseman Lucas Duda did emerge with a 30-homer season and outfielder Curtis Granderson reached 20 home runs but hit just .227. Then there is third baseman David Wright, who is coming off a miserable campaign of hitting only .269 with eight homers and 63 RBI.

Wright will be out to prove that his better days aren't behind him, but is now 32 and Granderson isn't turning back the clock either, so that will put more offensive pressure on the likes of Duda, catcher Travis d'Arnaud, shortstop Wilmer Flores and 36-year-old Michael Cuddyer, New York's lone big free agent pickup. Cuddyer hit .332 last season with Colorado but in just 49 games due to injury. He hit .331 in 130 games with the Rockies the previous season.

X-FACTOR: DAVID WRIGHT

With the Mets opting not to add much offense this past offseason, the club instead appears to be banking on Wright having a rebound campaign. Wright didn't mince words about his 2014 campaign, telling the New York Post that "for me, personally, last year sucked." Wright's left shoulder ailment caused him to post the worst season of his career last year, but he claims the injury is behind him and has looked good at the plate this spring. The Mets also brought in a new hitting coach in Kevin Long, who served in that position for the last eight years with the New York Yankees. If Wright can come close to his career average and pop around 20 homers, the Mets offense will be in much better shape.

PROGNOSIS: The Mets are certainly a team on the rise, but also have a slim margin between being a playoff contender and sub-.500 team. Given the aging offense and early injuries to the pitching staff, a safer bet would be on New York coming up short on its first playoff bid since 2006. Wright and Granderson would both need to regain form and stay healthy along with Cuddyer, perhaps asking too much out of the aging veterans. The pitching staff will be fun to watch, but fans will need to be reminded of the growing pains that comes with young arms. The Mets aren't the best team in the NL East, but they aren't the worst either.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (2014 Finish - 73-89, Fifth in NL East)

Strap in Philadelphia Phillies fans, because it is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.

It could be as soon as May when the memory of five straight NL East titles and a 2008 World Series championship seems as distant as the moon. Philadelphia's last-place finish a year ago was its first since 2000 and only then did general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. begin to rebuild. Amaro showed he was finally ready to act when he traded shortstop Jimmy Rollins to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a pair of pitching prospects to restock the farm system.

Amaro has shown a willingness to keep hold of the past himself, so moving Rollins, who debuted with the Phillies in 2000, was a big step. Of course, first baseman Ryan Howard, second baseman Chase Utley and catcher Carlos Ruiz are still major and expensive parts of the lineup, as is aging, but still solid, closer Jonathan Papelbon.

But for a team rebuilding, there aren't a whole lot of young faces to be seen -- yet. Third baseman Cody Asche and speedy outfielder Ben Revere could be mainstays, while shortstop Freddy Galvis is just keeping the seat warm for prospect J.P. Crawford. Rule-5 selection Odubel Herrera could surprise and fireball reliever Ken Giles is the future closer of what could be a solid bullpen that also features Papelbon, lefty Jake Diekman and righty Justin De Fratus.

The biggest concern for Philadelphia used to be its strength: starting pitching. Long gone are the days of the four aces, a group the Phillies used to run out that included Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. Hamels is still around for now, while Halladay and Oswalt have retired and Lee may soon join them as he opens the season on the 60-day disabled list due to a lingering strained left forearm that also limited him last season. In their place are veterans Aaron Harang, Jerome Williams and Chad Billingsley as Philadelphia's young arms are not ready just yet.

X-FACTOR: COLE HAMELS

The MVP of the 2008 World Series is just 31 years old and signed through 2018 with a club option at the end, but it doesn't seem likely that Hamels will finish out that contract in Philadelphia. Simply put, Hamels is too good and still young enough to fetch the Phillies a big haul in a trade and the front office seems content on holding onto him until that happens. While Hamels will open the season as the club's ace, he figures to be one of the more in-demand players come trade deadline time and the Phillies could benefit from teams bidding against each other to secure his services. Only then will Philadelphia's rebuild be in full, going-forward mode.

PROGNOSIS: The question isn't if the Phillies will finish in last place in the NL East, but rather how different will the club look by season's end and how many losses will it rack up. Philadelphia has posted back-to-back 89-loss seasons and isn't any better, so challenging the 97-loss 2000 campaign is possible. Along the way, Hamels and Utley could change uniforms and the Phils will continue to beg teams to take Howard and Papelbon off their hands. Names like Giles, Maikel Franco, Kelly Dugan and Aaron Nola could be well-known in Philadelphia by season's end as the prospects start to get their shot at the major league level.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (2014 Finish - 96-66, First in NL East)

The top team from the National League East last season may in fact now be the best team in all of baseball.

Such is the status for the Washington Nationals, who have complimented a solid offense with the top rotation in the league. Washington posted the best earned run average among starting rotations in 2014 thanks to solid seasons by Doug Fister, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and Gio Gonzalez and all the Nats did was go out and ink a former American League Cy Young award winner in Max Scherzer. Washington opened its wallet to sign Scherzer to a seven-year deal, landing a right-hander that won 21 games during his award-winning 2013 campaign while going 18-5 a season ago.

Washington's rotation is so deep that Tanner Roark, a 15-game winner from last season, is now the long reliever.

That talented rotation overshadows an offense that has an excellent mix of power and athleticism. Outfielder Bryce Harper is on the verge of putting it all together and third baseman Anthony Rendon is another budding star in line for a great season. Shortstop Ian Desmond is masher and veterans Ryan Zimmerman and catcher Wilson Ramos add even more 20-homer potential if they can stay healthy. Zimmerman could be in line for a nice campaign as he shifts from third to first base.

X-FACTOR: THE BULLPEN

The Nationals have won 280 games over the past three seasons, but no playoff series. That could have changed last postseason had closer Drew Storen not been charged with a pair of blown saves, including one in Game 2 that allowed the San Francisco Giants to force extra frames and then take a 2-0 series lead following an 18-inning victory. Other than injuries, it could be the bullpen that hinders Washington the most this season. Storen was solid in the regular season last year with a 1.12 ERA, but all that matters for this team is how it does in the postseason. Reliable setup man Tyler Clippard was dealt to Oakland for infielder Yunel Escobar, with right-hander Casey Janssen signed to a one- year deal to fill that void. Janssen converted 81-of-91 save chances with Toronto over the past three seasons and will be counted on to step in for Storen should the former first-round pick's postseason struggles carry over.

PROGNOSIS: The goal of the 2015 Washington Nationals is loud and clear: win it all. The Nationals are built to be a powerhouse on paper and expectations are giant in the nation's capital. The Nats will try to avoid getting crushed by those weighted goals with a slow start as their pitchers get warmed up and outfielders Jayson Werth and Denard Span recover from likely opening-season stints on the disabled list. The favorite rarely goes wire-to-wire, but that is what is possible out of these Nationals.

PROJECTED FINISH

1. WASHINGTON

2, MIAMI

3. NEW YORK

4. ATLANTA

5. PHILADELPHIA