2008 Season Preview: National League East

Can one player make a team? Better question. Can one player who only plays twice a week – on a good week – make a team? My answer, we’ll have to wait and see, but the Mets surely hope that’s the case. With the acquisition of Johan Santana, the Mets have pegged him to be the Savior of the Big Apple. The Mets suffered arguably the biggest collapse in Major League history last year by losing 7 game lead with 17 games to play. They played poor defense and lost important division games to the Phillies and Nationals. They must rectify this situation or they could see themselves mired in third place and on the outside looking in again in the NL East.

That being said, who is the team to beat in the National League? Better question. Who is the best team in the National League East? I believe this is as wide open as the league has been in years. I would have to say that the Phillies are the team to beat again, but who knows what will happen with pitching and injuries. Who’s to say that the tandem of Smoltz, Glavine, Hudson, and Hampton won’t bring the Braves back to the top.

Now…here is my preview of each team in the NL East and how I believe that they will finish this year, along with team MVPs and LVPs. Read on and enjoy!

1ST PLACE: Philadelphia Phillies (95-67)
The Phillies have the best chance to repeat as division champs of any of the three winners from last year. They also have the biggest challenge to repeat of any of the three winners from last year. The Mets and Braves are just as good and they want to win just as badly. The question, as always in Philadelphia, is how well the team gets out of the gate and how well the pitching holds up.

1B – Ryan Howard: poised for another MVP season, the newest $10 million man will have better protection in the lineup than in years past. He’ll probably also break his own record for single season strikeouts.
2B – Chase Utley: MVP 3-peat? Why not. The best second baseman in baseball, bar none. Hardest working player on the team and one of the leaders in the clubhouse.
SS – Jimmy Rollins: Last year’s MVP continues to make bold predictions for this Phillies team and will back it up once again as part of the best double-play combination in baseball.
3B – Pedro Feliz: The best third baseman to come through Philly since Scott Rolen will hit behind Howard and probably hit 30 HRs in the friendly confines.
LF – Pat “The Bat” Burrell: In his contract year, Burrell can only get better than he’s been in years past. His move to sixth in the order takes some pressure off of him.
CF – Shane Victorino: “The Flyin’ Hawaiian” finally gets to play the position that he is most suited for. He won’t put up the power numbers of the dearly departed Aaron Rowand, but the defensive upgrade will be remarkable.
RF – Geoff Jenkins: Proof that the Phils have to have a player named Geoff every year, Jenkins will provide some power from the 7 hole, even if he only plays in half of the games.
C – Carlos Ruiz: In his second full season as the starter, he handles the game well and has begun to hit more. Very little pressure on him as the 8 hole hitter in such a potent lineup.

Bench: Chris Coste, Eric Bruntlett, So Taguchi, Greg Dobbs, Jayson Werth: A deep bench with the best pinch hitter from last year in Taguchi. Dobbs and Werth will get a bunch of playing time at 3rd and in RF, respectively. Coste has proven to be a very steady backup for Ruiz at C. Bruntlett is a capable backup middle infielder with absolutely no pop in his bat.

Rotation: Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, Who Knows?: When healthy, this rotation could be very successful. Unfortunately, all four definite members are question marks. Can Myers move back into the rotation seamlessly? Can Hamels stay healthy? Can Moyer make it another full season before breaking down? Can Kendrick duplicate his success as a rookie? And who is the fifth starter?

Bullpen: Brad Lidge, Tom Gordon, Ryan Madson, JC Romero, Chad Durbin: Again, when healthy, the deepest bullpen in the division by far. Lidge’s knee is a problem (of course). Gordon’s arm and age are problems (of course). But again, they are deep. The question is whether or not Durbin wins a rotation spot or if Adam Eaton or Kris Benson join this group.

Management/Coaching: Charlie Manuel’s extension should calm the troops and allow for more relaxation. Davy Lopes cancer could be a distraction, but I don’t believe too much. The question is whether Pat Gillick, in his final year as the GM, will be able to do enough in July to get this team what they need to succeed.

Phillies Team MVP: Chase Utley. He should win the league MVP this year as well. As I said before, he is the leader of this team on and off the field and deserves to be rewarded for it.

Phillies Team LVP: Either Eaton or Wes Helms. Probably both because somehow they will both end up making the team and causing a better player to be sent to the minors or released. If the team finds a way to get rid of one or both of these player, partial salaries will have to be covered just to get another team to take them and that will come back to be an excuse in July when the Phillies need that one player to put them over the top.

2nd PLACE: New York Mets (94-68)
Yep, you read it right. It’s going to come down to the last day of the season again, my friends. There’s no way that the Mets collapse the way that they did last year again. Their problem is that the Phillies are in their heads and that hurts them in head to head meetings. Billy Wagner will blow a save late in September and that will cost the Mets the division. And possibly the wild card.

1B – Carlos Delgado: If his arthritic hip holds up, he’s one of the premier slugging first basemen in the league. If not, there’s no one to take his place in this clubhouse.
2B – Luis Castillo: Having Luis for a whole season will be a definite upgrade defensively and it adds to the already phenomenal speed at the top of the lineup.
SS – Jose Reyes: One of the top three shortstops in the game (all in the NL), Reyes is the sparkplug of this lineup. When he goes, the Mets go.
3B – David Wright: Last year’s MVP if the team didn’t implode, Wright is the best 3B in the NL with no close competitors. He is also a gem defensively and will scoop up anything that comes remotely close to him on the field.
LF – Moises Alou: He’s just another year older and not what you fear coming up in the lineup. Alou is just keeping the position warm for when Fernando Martinez is ready to make the leap to the big leagues permanently.
CF – Carlos Beltran: The best centerfielder in the division with the departure of Andruw Jones. He doesn’t talk much, but he continually produces on the field. He’ll be key to the Mets success this year.
RF – Ryan Church: If he doesn’t have lingering effects from the concussions that he suffered in his collision with Marlon Anderson, he should be an adequate defender, but a definite downgrade from Shawn Green last year.
C – Brian Schneider: A downgrade as a leader from Paul LoDuca, but an upgrade defensively. The pitching staff will love his play calling and his handling of the game. Not too much power, but he’s a good clubhouse guy.

Bench: Ramon Castro, Ruben Gotay, Marlon Anderson, Endy Chavez, Damion Easley: If you don’t recognize the names on this list that weren’t former Phillies, you’re not alone. This is a weak bench offensively. If any of the regulars get hurt, it could be a tough road for this crew.

Rotation: Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez: This is a daunting rotation to face on a daily basis. Santana is the best pitcher in the game and will be a definite upgrade of the departed Tom Glavine. Pedro is still a question mark, but as long as he is adequate, he’ll still win 12-15 games with this lineup. Maine is an up and coming star and Perez still has some untapped potential. El Duque is just too old to be any help anymore.

Bullpen: Billy Wagner, Scott Schoeneweis, Aaron Heilman, Jorge Sosa, Pedro Feliciano: A decent pen, but there’s no replacement for Billy Wags when he implodes again. Rumors are that Sosa and/or Schoeneweis could be moved to keep Mike Pelfrey from going back to the minors. Stay tuned…

Management/Coaching: Willie Randolph, although a bit cocky, is still one of the classiest guys in the game and you know that he won’t let his team forget what happened last year. The Wilpon family and Omar Minaya will do whatever it takes to get this team to the World Series, so expect to see some changes if the team is lagging in July.

Mets Team MVP: David Wright. I can’t say enough about his defense and leadership. He’ll be an MVP someday, just not this year.

Mets Team LVP: Billy Wags. Since Craig Biggio hit the home run that knocked the Phillies out of the playoffs in 2005, Billy hasn’t been the same clutch guy that he was in Houston. Expect more of the same this year.

3rd PLACE: Atlanta Braves (88-74)
The Braves will give this division a run for most of the season until Mike Hampton slips on a banana peel and gets hurt again. Or Smoltz and Glavine start to act their age. The do have question marks at shortstop and in the outfield and the bullpen is lacking, but this is still a team with the best management in the division and 14 straight division titles still fresh in their memories.

1B – Mark Teixeira: Another slugging first baseman, he will be the key to the middle of Atlanta’s lineup for a full season. Expectations are high for this young star to replace Andruw Jones as the pop in the order.
2B – Kelly Johnson: Johnson has an average first season as the everyday second baseman, but he’ll have to produce at the top of the lineup to keep his job.
SS – Yunel Escobar: Escobar is a highly touted prospect charged with the challenge of replacing one of the best in Edgar Renteria. He has some pop, but he’ll need to consistent to stay in the big show.
3B – Chipper Jones: The old mainstay is hurt again this spring, but you can be sure that he’ll be ready when the season starts. He’ll need to have another MVP-type season for the Braves to contend.
LF – Matt Diaz: An adequate outfielder with some pop, he’ll get the everyday job vacated by Jones’ departure for Dodgertown.
CF – Mark Kotsay: The injury-plagued replacement for Jones is a huge downgrade when he’s in the lineup. Kotsay will have to stay healthy for the Braves to succeed.
RF – Jeff Francoeur: The best rightfielder in the division. He has a booming arm to go with his booming bat. He’ll be counted on heavily to make up some offensive ground left by Jones.
C – Brian McCann: The best catcher in the division. He’s a perennial All-Star and should continue to be. You don’t see too many great left-handed hitting catchers.

Bench: Scott Thorman, Omar Infante, Martin Prado, Clint Sammons, Josh Anderson, Brandon Jones: Again, a bench of nobody’s. Three are rookies who possibly could test for starting jobs in left and center field. The others are marginal middle infielders trying to save their careers.

Rotation: John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Tim Hudson, Mike Hampton, Chuck James/Jair Jurrjens: When healthy, this could be a fearsome rotation…the best in the division if not the entire NL. Smoltz and Glavine could get back to the good old days and Hudson could duplicate his success in Oakland. Hampton is a strong lefty when he stays out of trouble. James and Jurrjens will battle for the fifth spot.

Bullpen: Rafael Soriano, Mike Gonzalez, Peter Moylan, Will Ohman: Soriano will most likely be the closer until Gonzalez is healthy and can regain his Pittsburgh form. There isn’t too much depth here and that could cause a big issue if any of the big four spend extensive time on the DL.

Management/Coaching: Even with John Schuerholz out of the picture, Bobby Cox is still running the show in Atlanta. Until that changes, the Braves will always be in the picture with the most respected manager in the NL, if not in all of baseball.

Braves Team MVP: John Smoltz. He’s done everything possible for this team since coming over from Detroit in the late 80’s. He’s one of two pitchers in the history of baseball with 200 wins and 200 saves (joining Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley). There’s no reason that he won’t succeed again this year.

Braves Team LVP: Hampton or Kotsay. Both are injury prone and will inevitably spend more time in the training room than on the field, which will cause the Braves to have to use young, unproven players in their stead.

4th PLACE: Washington Nationals (78-84)
The Nationals continue to make strides in a very difficult division. They have a potential All-Star third baseman, an intriguing position battle at first base and a budding star in center field. As always on a rebuilding team, pitching is an issue and this team has a bunch of young starters that still need to develop. Barring a collapse by one of the big three in this division, the Nats are looking up from 4th place.

1B – Dmitri Young/Nick Johnson: The best position battle in the league will have a sure winner and a loser that probably will end up traded by opening day. Johnson’s broken leg has set him back and Young is the reigning NL Comeback Player of the Year.
2B – Ronnie Belliard: A good acquisition from the World Champion Cardinals a year ago, another full year as the second baseman in a new ballpark will be beneficial to the team’s success.
SS – Cristian Guzman: Guzman is way too old to be in the league anymore and he is injury prone. There’s a good chance that Felipe Lopez will win this job when Guzman gets hurt.
3B – Ryan Zimmerman: The best player on this young team, hands down. He’s slick defensively and has power from the right side of the plate. If his injury at the end the of last year haunts him, it could spell doom for the Nats.
LF – Wily Mo Pena: Wily Mo has gone from the Reds to the Red Sox and now will get a chance to start for the Nats. He has power, but his strikeouts are still very high.
CF – Lastings Milledge: The Mets castoff could succeed in this change of scenery. He’ll need to improve his clubhouse skills and showboating or he could be considered a cancer once again.
RF – Austin Kearns: the “Ear of Kearns”, as I like to call him is a very consistent outfielder with an above average arm. He’ll be hitting in the middle of this lineup, so production is crucial.
C – Paul LoDuca: On the tails of the Mitchell Report, LoDuca was spurned by the Mets and had a hard time finding a job. He landed with the Nats and will be pushed by Johnny Estrada and Jesus Flores for his job.

Bench: Estrada/Flores, Felipe Lopez, Ryan Langerhans, Willie Harris, Elijah Dukes, Aaron Boone, Rob Mackowiak: This bench has potential as all of these players have started for former teams. It’s good injury protection, but still not great for success.

Rotation: Shawn Hill, John Patterson, Jason Bergmann, John Lannan, Matt Chico: The most inexperienced rotation in the division will cause many setbacks for this team. There’s good potential in this rotation, though and it will be interesting to watch their progression.

Bullpen: Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, Luis Ayala, Ryan Wagner, Jesus Colome, Saul Rivera: Good bullpen with an established closer. The potential of Cordero lasting the season with the team is unlikely, but while there, he’s a durable closer that will help this team for at least the first half of the season.

Management/Coaching: With the new ballpark opening, Manny Acta will have his work cut out for him with the increase in attendance and fans’ expectation. Look for him to have a relaxed team that will progress nicely for the future.

Nationals Team MVP: Dmitri Young. He kept the clubhouse lively and fun like last year. Assuming he wins the first base job, he’ll continue the trend this year.

Nationals Team LVP: Paul LoDuca. LoDuca worked with talented veterans in past years and it will be tough for him to keep his frustration down with youngsters that have not yet reached their potential.

5th PLACE: Florida Marlins (62-100)
The Marlins rebuilding process was dealt a huge blow with the losses of Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. Since the 2003 World Series victory, the entire Marlins roster has been turned over. The team does have potential young studs in Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla, but they have a ridiculously long way to go to get back to that glory. That being said, two World Series championships in eight years is nothing to shake a Louisville Slugger at.

1B – Mike Jacobs: Jacobs is the power in the middle of this Marlin lineup. He must anchor this team in order for them to avoid a 100 loss season after making promising strides.
2B – Dan Uggla: A perennial All-Star backup to Chase Utley at second base, Uggla almost moved to third this year before the Marlins went in a different direction. Good choice.
SS – Hanley Ramirez: One of the top three shortstops in baseball with Rollins and Reyes. Brings up a reminder of the Jeter, Tejada, Garciaparra debates of the late 90’s. Must be a force at the top of this young lineup.
3B – Dallas McPherson/Jorge Cantu/Jose Castillo: This is the battle between two former second baseman and the fallen prospect from Anaheim. McPherson should win this battle, although Cantu has more power. Perhaps a change of scenery will be good for Dallas.
LF – Josh Willingham: A decent fielder with some pop, he, like Jacobs, will be expected to provide offense from the middle of the lineup. Veteran Luis Gonzalez could, or should, push him for the starting job.
CF – Cameron Maybin: The jewel of the Cabrera/Willis deal, Maybin will get a chance to play every day and become a star the way that Hanley did when he came from the Red Sox. If he performs as expected, he could be a mainstay at the All-Star Game.
RF – Jeremy Hermida: The starter in right field who should also be pushed by Gonzalez must perform consistently up to expectations for the Marlins to challenge the Nats for 4th place.
C – Mike Rabelo: The other major league ready prospect from the Tigers is, by default, the starting catcher after the team was spurned by the likes of Paul LoDuca. Rabelo, like Maybin, gets a chance to show that Detroit made a mistake in letting him go.

Bench: Luis Gonzalez, Matt Treanor, Alfredo Amezaga, Alejandro de Aza, Cantu/McPherson/Castillo: An experienced vet like Gonzalez can definitely keep the clubhouse together. They just need more talent and depth to be a player in the division again.

Rotation: Scott Olsen, Sergio Mitre, Andrew Miller, Mark Hendrickson, Ricky Nolasco: A more inexperienced group you will not find. Olsen is a bomb waiting to explode. Hendrickson is coming off of an injury. Mitre and Nolasco wouldn’t make most rotations in the league. Miller is the wild card here. He was a big prospect in Detroit and has a chance to become the ace of this staff.

Bullpen: Kevin Gregg, Justin Miller, Matt Lindstrom, Taylor Tankersley: Gregg enters his second season as the Marlins closer and remains a question mark. This could turn out to be one of the worst pitching staffs that we’ve seen in a long time.

Management/Coaching: The Marlins have one of the cheapest owners in the sport. They’ve won two championships in team history and imploded the teams in the following years. Freddy Rodriguez has a lot of work to do with this bunch, so we’ll see what the future holds. It doesn’t look too bright.


I believe that the Wild Card will indeed come out of the East, but the Phillies and Mets will not play each other in the playoffs.

Who will make it and who won’t? Stay tuned.