A team-by-team look at the National League East, including key players each club acquired and lost, top hitters, projected rotations and season outlooks.
ATLANTA BRAVES
2023: 104-58, first place, lost to Philadelphia in NLDS
Manager: Brian Snitker (ninth season)
Opening Day: Thursday, at Philadelphia
He’s Here: LHP Chris Sale, RHP Reynaldo López, LHP Aaron Bummer, OF Jarred Kelenic, INF David Fletcher, INF Luis Guillorme
He’s Outta Here: OF Eddie Rosario, SS Vaughn Grissom, OF Kevin Pillar, OF Sam Hilliard, LHP Brad Hand, RHP Kirby Yates, RHP Collin McHugh, LHP Jared Shuster, RHP Michael Soroka, RHP Kyle Wright, RHP Nick Anderson
Top Hitters: OF Ronald Acuña Jr. (.336, 41 HRs, 106 RBIs, 149 runs, MLB-leading 73 SBs, 1.012 OPS, NL MVP), 1B Matt Olson (.283, MLB-high 54 and 139, 127 runs, .993 OPS), 3B Austin Riley (.281, 37, 97, 117 runs), 2B Ozzie Albies (.280, 33, 109), DH Marcell Ozuna (.274, 40, 100)
Projected Rotation: RH Spencer Strider (20-5, 3.86 ERA, MLB-high 281 Ks), LH Max Fried (8-1, 2.55), LH Chris Sale (6-5, 4.30 with Boston), RH Charlie Morton (14-12, 3.64), RH Reynaldo López (3-7, 3.27 in 68 relief appearance with White Sox, Angels and Guardians)
Key Relievers: RH Raisel Iglesias (5-4, 2.75 ERA, 33/37 saves), LH A.J. Minter (3-6, 3.76, 10 saves), RH Joe Jiménez (0-3, 3.04), LH Aaron Bummer (5-5, 6.79 in 61 appearances with White Sox)
Outlook: After winning the 2021 World Series, the Braves have been eliminated by the Phillies in the Division Series two consecutive years. They enter this season looking to extend their string of six straight NL East titles and determined to add another World Series championship. Acuña leads a potent lineup that topped the majors in hitting, hits, homers, runs and RBIs. He became baseball’s first player to hit at least 40 homers and steal at least 70 bases as he became the unanimous NL MVP. Then he shook off a spring training scare when soreness in his surgically repaired right knee was found to be irritation around the meniscus. He is expected to be ready for the start of the season. The major offseason additions were Sale and Kelenic, expected to assume the starting job in left field. The goal will be to have Sale healthy to claim one of the top three rotation spots in the postseason.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
2023: 90-72, second place, lost to Arizona in NLCS
Manager: Rob Thomson (third season)
Opening Day: Thursday, vs. Atlanta
He’s Here: OF Whit Merrifield, RHP Spencer Turnbull, LHP Kolby Allard
He’s Outta Here: 1B Rhys Hoskins, RHP Craig Kimbrel, RHP Michael Lorenzen
Top Hitters: 1B Bryce Harper (.293, 21 HRs, 72 RBIs, .900 OPS), DH Kyle Schwarber (.197, 47, 104, 108 runs, 126 BBs, .817 OPS), RF Nick Castellanos (.272, 29, 106, .788 OPS), C J.T. Realmuto (.252, 20, 63, .762 OPS), SS Trea Turner (.266, 26, 76, 35 2Bs, 30 SBs, 102 runs, .778 OPS), 3B Alec Bohm (.274, 29, 97, .765 OPS)
Projected Rotation: RH Aaron Nola (12-9, 4.46 ERA), RH Zack Wheeler (13-6, 3.61), RH Taijuan Walker (15-6, 4.38), LH Ranger Suárez (4-6, 4.18), LH Cristopher Sánchez (3-5, 3.44)
Key Relievers: LH José Alvarado (0-2, 1.74 ERA, 10 saves), RH Orion Kerkering (1-0, 3.00), LH Matt Strahm (9-5, 3.29), RH Jeff Hoffman (5-2, 2.41, one save), RH Seranthony Domínguez (5-5, 3.78, two saves), LH Gregory Soto (3-4, 4.62, three saves)
Outlook: The Phillies made few roster changes in the offseason and instead decided to run it back with a team that has reached two straight NL Championship Series. Philadelphia re-signed Nola and gave Wheeler an extension to keep the top of the rotation intact. The Phillies would like to become more of a contender in the NL East and give the perennial champion Braves a run at the division title. But making the playoffs as a wild card has worked out fine in Philly. Harper, Turner and Schwarber are the heart of an offense that should help lead Philadelphia into the postseason for a third straight year.
MIAMI MARLINS
2023: 84-78, third place, lost to Philadelphia in wild-card series
Manager: Skip Schumaker (second season)
Opening Day: Thursday, vs. Pittsburgh
Here: President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix, SS Tim Anderson, C Christian Bethancourt, OF Nick Gordon, INF Vidal Brujan
Outta Here: GM Kim Ng, DH Jorge Soler, LHP Steven Okert, 1B Garrett Cooper
Top Hitters: 2B Luis Arraez (MLB-best .354, 10 HRs, 69 RBIs, .861 OPS), 3B Jake Burger (.250, 34, 80, .828 OPS with White Sox and Marlins), OF Bryan De La Cruz (.257, 19, 78, .715 OPS), CF Jazz Chisholm Jr. (.250, 19, 51, .761 OPS), OF Jesús Sánchez (.252, 14, 52, .777 OPS)
Projected Rotation: LH Jesús Luzardo (10-10, 3.58 ERA), LH A.J. Puk (7-5, 3.97, 15 saves), RH Eury Pérez (5-6, 3.15), RH Edward Cabrera (7-7, 4.24), LH Trevor Rogers (1-2, 4.00, missed most of season with multiple injuries)
Key Relievers: LH Tanner Scott (9-5, 2.31 ERA, 12 saves), LH Andrew Nardi (8-1, 2.67, three saves), RH Anthony Bender (Tommy John surgery), RH Bryan Hoeing (2-3, 5.48)
Outlook: The Marlins will be without their ace and 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara for the entire 2024 season after he underwent Tommy John surgery in October to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Still, the team boasts a pretty deep rotation that will be led by Luzardo. Bendix, newly in charge of baseball operations, did not add many flashy pieces during the offseason but did sign Anderson, a former AL batting champion, to a one-year contract. Miami made the postseason last year for the first time in a full season since 2003 thanks to Arraez’s hitting and Schumaker’s guidance.
NEW YORK METS
2023: 75-87, fourth place
Manager: Carlos Mendoza (first season)
Opening Day: Thursday, vs. Milwaukee
He’s Here: President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, DH J.D. Martinez, RHP Luis Severino, LHP Sean Manaea, RHP Adrian Houser, CF Harrison Bader, OF Tyrone Taylor, INF Joey Wendle, LHP Jake Diekman, RHP Jorge López, RHP Shintaro Fujinami, RHP Michael Tonkin, RHP Yohan Ramírez, OF Trayce Thompson, INF Zack Short, RHP Max Kranick, LHP Kolton Ingram
He’s Outta Here: Manager Buck Showalter, GM Billy Eppler, RHP Carlos Carrasco, DH Daniel Vogelbach, INF Luis Guillorme, RHP Trevor Gott, RHP Jeff Brigham, RHP Sam Coonrod
Top Hitters: 1B Pete Alonso (.217, 46 HRs, 118 RBIs, .821 OPS), SS Francisco Lindor (.254, 31, 98, .806 OPS, 31 SBs, 108 runs in 160 games), LF Brandon Nimmo (.274, 24, 68, .829 OPS), C Francisco Álvarez (.209, 25, 63, .721 OPS), 2B Jeff McNeil (.270, 10, 55, .711 OPS)
Projected Rotation: LH José Quintana (3-6, 3.57 ERA in 13 starts), RH Kodai Senga (12-7, 2.98, 202 Ks in 166⅓ IP), RH Luis Severino (4-8, 6.65 with Yankees), LH Sean Manaea (7-6, 4.44, one save in 37 games, 10 starts, with Giants), RH Adrian Houser (8-5, 4.12 with Brewers), RH Tylor Megill (9-8, 4.70 in 25 starts)
Key Relievers: RH Edwin Díaz (3-1, 1.31 ERA, 32/35 saves, 118 Ks, 18 BBs over 62 innings in 2022; missed last season following knee surgery), LH Brooks Raley (1-2, 2.80, three saves), RH Adam Ottavino (1-7, 3.21, 12 saves), LH Jake Diekman (0-2, 3.34, 64 Ks in 56⅔ IP with White Sox and Rays), RH Drew Smith (4-6, 4.15, three saves), RH Jorge López (6-2, 5.95, 3 saves with Twins, Marlins and Orioles), RH Shintaro Fujinami (7-8, 7.18, two saves in 64 games, seven starts, with Athletics and Orioles)
Outlook: After falling flat last season despite the biggest payroll in baseball history, this team is under new management. Mets owner Steve Cohen brought in Stearns, who hired a rookie manager in Mendoza – the former Yankees bench coach. Alonso’s impending free agency next winter will put him under a microscope all year. But the lineup could hinge on the addition of DH J.D. Martinez, a bounce-back season at age 35 for All-Star right fielder Starling Marte, and the maturation of young hitters such as Álvarez, third baseman Brett Baty and DH Mark Vientos. A suspect rotation took a significant blow when Senga, runner-up for 2023 NL Rookie of the Year, went down early in spring training with a shoulder strain. He’s expected to be sidelined until at least late April or May. Díaz returns from his knee injury to anchor a much deeper bullpen. The defense should be improved, and the position-player nucleus from a 101-win playoff club in 2022 is still here. But this looks like a third- or fourth-place team in the NL East. With some touted prospects in the pipeline, New York is pointing toward 2025 while hoping to squeeze into the 2024 postseason behind several stopgap arms.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS
2023: 71-91, fifth place
Manager: Dave Martinez (seventh season)
Opening Day: Thursday, at Cincinnati
He’s Here: OF Eddie Rosario, INF Nick Senzel, 1B/OF/DH Joey Gallo, OF Jesse Winker, RHP Derek Law
He’s Outta Here: RHP Carl Edwards Jr., RHP Cory Abbott, 1B Dominic Smith
Top Hitters: OF Lane Thomas (.268, 28 HRs, 86 RBIs, .783 OPS), SS CJ Abrams (.245, 18, 64, 47 steals), C Keibert Ruiz (.260, 18, 67), OF Eddie Rosario (.255, 21, 74 with Braves), 1B/OF/DH Joey Gallo (.177, 21, 40 with Twins)
Projected Rotation: RH Josiah Gray (8-13, 3.91 ERA), LH MacKenzie Gore (7-10, 4.42), LH Patrick Corbin (10-15, 5.20), RH Trevor Williams (6-10, 5.55), RH Jake Irvin (3-7, 4.61)
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Key Relievers: RH Kyle Finnegan (7-5, 3.76 ERA, 28/36 saves), RH Hunter Harvey (4-4, 2.82, 10 saves), RH Derek Law (4-6, 3.60, two saves with Reds), LH Joe La Sorsa (1-0, 4.41 with Rays and Nationals)
Outlook: The Nationals are still a work in progress, as Martinez and GM Mike Rizzo oversee the ongoing roster reconstruction. This season, like last, is not about any sort of win-loss expectations but rather whatever positive steps forward can be taken by the inexperienced bunch counted on to eventually end the run of futility – four last-place finishes in a row in the NL East – since the 2019 World Series championship. Will 2023 NL All-Star Gray, Gore, Abrams and Ruiz blossom? Could outfielders James Wood (who, like Gore and Abrams, arrived in the trade of Juan Soto to the Padres) and Dylan Crews (the No. 2 overall pick in June’s amateur draft) get some time in the majors? One thing no longer hanging over the franchise: The Lerner family has decided not to sell the club after nearly two years of looking for a buyer. Still up in the air as the season approaches: When and how will Stephen Strasburg, no longer able to pitch after a series of injuries and operations, announce that his playing days are done?
