This baseball offseason had the makings of a Hollywood movie. The greatest player the game has seen in decades, perhaps ever, was a free agent, another generational star was traded, a new Japanese superstar looks to make his stamp on the game, and the reigning NL Cy Young winner is still looking for a new home just days before the start of the season. Hopefully, the 2024 season will live up to the hype. We are fresh off a fun World Series with two teams that we didn’t see coming and new stars are set to take over the game. Let’s dive into some divisional previews. Here’s our 2024 NL East preview.
What Happened in 2023:
The Braves dominated yet again. Atlanta was an absolute powerhouse, winning 104 games, but they were stunned by a divisional foe in the playoffs. The Phillies beat them 3-1 in the NLDS to ruin a dream season for the Braves. Philadelphia gave Arizona a good fight for the NL pennant but came up short. Behind them, the division was still fun to watch with the Marlins punching a ticket to the postseason as a wild card. The Nationals were a disaster, and the Mets essentially gave up at the trade deadline as they shipped two star pitchers – Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer – to the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers respectively.
Best Players to Watch:
Braves – Spencer Strider – He might just be the best pitcher in the National League and that is no exaggeration. Strider is the favorite to win the Cy Young and overpowers hitters, he is a blast to watch.
Mets – Pete Alonso – You will hear his name a lot this season and if the Mets start slow, expect the slugger to have a new home as the Mets simply won’t be able to pay him if he puts up big numbers.
Phillies – Trea Turner – He struggled horrendously in his first season. Then, the Philly crowd gave him a standing ovation and everything changed. Turner was fascinating the last two months of the 2023 season and should settle in this time around much quicker.
Marlins -Luis Arraez – The Marlins traded for this guy last offseason, and he rewarded them by winning the NL batting title. He hit .354 and now has a batting title in both the NL and AL.
Nationals – CJ Abrams – I want to see if Abrams takes the big step this year and becomes the next great shortstop. He was the centerpiece of the Juan Soto/Padres trade a year ago and he can really make it his team this year.
Biggest Addition and Subtraction:
Addition: It is insane that the Braves added Chris Sale to be their number three starter and there isn’t a whole lot of talk about that. Sale, if healthy, is an ace for most teams in the league.
Subtraction: Jorge Soler was a power and impactful bat in the Marlins lineup but took his talents out of South Beach, joining the San Francisco Giants. It will be interesting to see if the Marlins can find a replacement for his 30+ home runs as no one else on the team even hit 20 homers last year.
Prediction:
Until another team can prove otherwise, it’s hard to bet against the Atlanta Braves. The pitching is excellent, and the offense is even better. They are the team to beat. Division Winner: Atlanta Braves, 101-61