2008 Season Preview: National League East
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.