Division Preview and Predictions: NL East

To wrap up our division-by-division preview and prediction series, today we focus on the NL East.

Here is how I expect the division to look come October and a preview of things to come this season for each individual team.

1. New York Mets (NL East Champions) - The New York Mets are going to finish the 2017 season on top thanks to some stellar pitching both in their starting rotation and the bullpen. How can you go against a starting rotation that consists of Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Steven Matz along with Zack Wheeler, Robert Gsellman, and Seth Lugo? Granted, the success of their starting rotation in 2017 depends heavily upon each of the three big studs staying healthy and pitching at least 200 innings or more, but it's still chalk full of talent. On the bullpen side of things, the Mets are set and made a few moves to solidify their pen even more this winter. Not only do they have Addison Reed at the back end to go along with Jeurys Familia, they also have Hansel Robles, Jerry Blevins, and Fernando Salas. That should be plenty of depth to get the Mets through the season and if they need, they can always add another reliever or two at the trade deadline depending on where they are at that point. Furthermore, don't overlook the Met's offense especially when it comes to Neil Walker, Lucas Duda, and Jay Bruce. While some people believe that the Mets should have traded Bruce this winter, they will benefit by having him in their lineup come July and I expect him to have a very good season in 2017. Besides Bruce, Walker should have another very good season offensively and defensively at second base and don't sleep on Lucas Duda who could be the most underrated first baseman in the NL at the moment. Look for the Mets to rule the NL East this division and for their starting rotation to finish among the top three in the NL as long as everyone stays healthy.

2. Washington Nationals - Although some might not agree with this choice, I have the Nationals just missing a playoff berth at the very last moment and losing the 2nd Wild Card spot to the St. Louis Cardinals. They certainly have less starting pitching depth after trading, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to the Chicago White Sox in exchange of Adam Eaton, and still have a big question mark at the back end of their bullpen. Washington tried to address the closer issue this winter by putting in an offer for Kenly Jansen and Aroldis Chapman, but both ventures ended up falling through and they are currently slated to rely on Shawn Kelley as their closer. While Kelley had success last season and is a reliable reliever, it should still be an area of concern for the Nationals. Although, they will likely miss the playoffs due to the closer issue and a lack of offense, they do have some good names especially in their starting rotation and in the outfield. Of course, the Nationals have Max Scherzer anchoring down their starting rotation along with Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Tanner Roark, and Joe Ross. Scherzer will be a workhorse as usual and Strasburg should be a reliable number two starter, but after that, it seems like things get a bit merky. Even with the addition of Adam Eaton, the Nationals seem to lack some big bats in their lineup to go along with Bryce Harper. They do have Daniel Murphy, who was a very valuable asset for the team in 2016 and looks to have another great year this season, along with Trea Turner who should provide plenty of delightful defensive plays at shortstop this season. Unfortunately, for Dusty Baker & Company, the 2017 season will likely be one where the team misses out on the playoffs simply because they couldn't address the closer position and lacked enough offense to get them over the top.

3. Atlanta Braves - As the Braves get ready to move into their new home, SunTrust Park, they will go into the season with a lot of new faces and end the year above expectation. While they still aren't a playoff team just yet, they will certainly have a season that puts them above 500 if everyone stays healthy and everything goes according to plan. One of the biggest reasons why I believe that will happen is because of the amount of veterans on their 25-man roster to provide leadership for the younger players. Over the winter, Atlanta added Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, and Brandon Phillips as headline names to try and help them during the 2017 season and still have Freddie Freeman, Matt Kemp, Ender Inciarte, and Nick Markakis. As long as everything comes together and blends nicely with one another, the Braves should be able to score a lot of runs and provide some good competition among the NL East. Besides those names, keep an eye on Dansby Swanson this year as he should be in store to have a monster season and will make plenty of eye catching plays over at shortstop. On the bullpen side of things, Atlanta should be fairly set since they are going into the season with virtually the same relievers they had on the 25-man roster in 2016 when they finished 19th in the league with a 3.95 ERA in 567.1 IP. Ideally, the Braves have two closers in Jim Johnson and Aroldys Vizcaino and plenty of young arms ahead of them as well as down on the farm that could provide some impact during the course of the upcoming regular season. If Atlanta is doing well at the deadline, expect them to possibly trade a few of the veterans to contending teams for prospects in return.

4. Miami Marlins - Many people might put the Marlins ahead of the Braves, but ultimately I believe that the Marlins are going to suffer from having a lack of good starting pitching especially after the tragic death of, Jose Fernandez, who can never be replaced. Heading into this winter, the Marlins knew they were going to be limited in the amount of resources and payroll that they could take on in an effort to acquire a solid starting pitcher or two so they went with the concept of building a "super bullpen." They certainly did that with the addition of Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa, to go along with A.J. Ramos, Kyle Barraclough, David Phelps, and Dan McGowen. While their starting rotation will likely be lackluster in 2017, their bullpen might surprise many of us and be one of the better ones in the NL especially with the amount of depth that it has. On the offensive side of things, Miami should end up in a fairly good spot at the conclusion of the regular season. Of course, the team has the beast, Giancarlo Stanton, over in rightfield, who can provide plenty of pop along with Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich. Yelich is switching over from leftfield to centerfield heading into this season and Ozuna will be the team's new everyday leftfielder which should helps things offensively. In the infield, don't sleep on, Justin Bour, as the team's everyday first baseman and keep an eye on Dee Gordon, Adeiny Hechavarria, and Martin Prado. Gordon rakes up stolen bases every year, Hechavarria is one of the most underrated shortstops in the game right now, and Prado knows how to smack the ball out of the ballpark when he is on. Although there is plenty to like with the Marlins, their lack of solid starting pitching will hold them back during the course of the 2017 season.

5. Philadelphia Phillies - As the Phillies continue their massive rebuilding project, the 2017 season will be one that likely finds the team finishing last in the division, but will also be a year that provides more opportunities for growth for the team's young players and prospects. One of the best things about the Phillies at the moment is the amount of depth they have in their starting rotation. This winter, the team gave starting pitcher, Jeremy Hellickson, the qualifying offer, he ultimately ended up accepting it, and will once again go into the 2017 season as the team's ace. Not only will he be the team's ace, he will also work closely with, Clay Buchholz, to mentor the team's young pitchers like: Jerad Eickhoff, Aaron Nola, Vincent Velasquez, and Alec Asher. Ultimately depending on how well Hellickson and Buchholz do during the first half of the season, they could become expendable at the trade deadline and be traded to a contender for a package of prospects in return. Either way, both Hellickson and Buchholz, should provide the Phillies with some stability and direction. On the offensive side of things, the Phillies still possess, Maikel Franco, over at third base, who led the team with 25 home runs and 88 RBI last season, along with Tommy Joseph, Freddy Galvis, and Odubel Herrera. The team signed Herrera to a five-year extension earlier this winter and also signed free agents, Howie Kendrick and Michael Saunders, to provide outfield depth. While the future is certainly bright and there is plenty of talent coming up the pipeline for the Phillies, it will be another long season in 2017 and one that finds the team looking at various trade options involving the team's veterans at the trade deadline.