NL East
When Cliff Lee shunned bigger money in Texas and New York to sign where he was truly happy in Philadelphia everyone thought the NL East was all sealed up. As time as gone on over the Spring the perception has changed somewhat, the Phillies have hit some injuries with both their All-Star second baseman and closer set for the DL. While the Phillies and Braves are set to battle it out for the division the Marlins remained competitive despite giving up their power hitting second baseman to a division rival, the Nationals have shown they aren’t afraid to spend money along with an obscene two years of draft talent and the Mets seem to finally be approaching the end of their futility.
Philadelphia Phillies
Without doubt the Phillies possess the best rotation in baseball and the best since possibly the mid-90’s Braves rotation. The success experienced by Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels for the duration of 2010 gave a glimpse of what a full season of this rotation can provide, especially now that Roy Oswalt is bedded into his surroundings and Cliff Lee is back where he feels comfortable. While the pitching has improved the offense has regressed with both the loss of Jayson Werth and the injury to Chase Utley. Despite the size of Citizens Bank Park don’t expect many runs to be scored there.
Star- Roy Halladay. The best pitcher in baseball Halladay built himself a legend in his first season in Philly. A perfect game and postseason no-hitter in the bag from 2010 the comfort Halladay should feel from his second season as Philadelphia’s ace could potentially make him better. He won the NL Cy Young with a 21-10 record with a sparkling 2.44 ERA and 219 strikeouts in 250.2 innings.
Top Prospect- Domonic Brown OF. A potentially five-tool player Brown has incredible physically possessing a body that has been compared to a young Barry Bonds or Darryl Strawberry. Brown had the opportunity to take the opening right field job vacated by Jayson Werth but constant tinkering with his swing that resulted in a poor Spring Training that was ultimately ended by a broken knuckle. Brown should be back in the Majors this year but looked like he needs more Minor League seasoning.
Win Total- 92. The rotation guarantees that this will be an elite team but the potentially patchy offence could hurt the Phil’s.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves come off their first postseason appearance since 2005 with an improved line-up thanks mostly to the offseason theft of Dan Uggla. General Manager Frank Wren traded utility infielder Omar Infante and lefty reliever Mike Dunn to the Florida Marlins for Uggla who has hit thirty home runs in each of the last four seasons. If they can get a full season out of Chipper Jones, Brian McCann and Jason Heyward the Braves hope to have a potentially explosive offence. The rotation includes 2010 comeback player of the year Tim Hudson and one of the potential breakout players of 2011 in Tommy Hanson and could very easily go toe-to-toe with the mighty Phillies staff.
Star- Brian McCann. It seems that finally this has become Brian McCann’s team. The 27-year-old catcher begins his seventh Major League season and will hope to bounce back from what has been two years of eye problem resulting in reduced production. Expect his average to return closer to his career mark and for another 20 homer season. His presence in the locker room also deserves praise for his growth.
Top Prospect- Julio Teheran RHP. The top pitching prospect in baseball Teheran is still a couple of years away from the big leagues: he will begin 2011 as a 20-year-old. With three above average pitches and a slight build he has been compared to Pedro Martinez but some supporters claim he is more advanced at that age. Likely to split 2011 between AA and AAA he has the stuff to challenge Tommy Hanson for the role of staff ace.
Win Total- 93. Homerism I hear you say? Maybe some rose color glasses affect this number a tiny bit but I do truly believe the Braves have the team to beat out the Phillies in the division.
Florida Marlins
Expect the Marlins to be exactly what they have been for the majority of the last decade: a .500 wins with young talent but not enough budget to push them over the top. Thanks to their financial restraints they traded away the power bat of Dan Uggla for two affordable serviceable Major League players. Josh Johnson and Hanley Ramirez give the Marlins a couple of serious stars but the line-up seems to be a couple of years away from genuine contention despite their talent. This could still be a breakout season for young players like Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison while the signing of Javier Vazquez could either be a great pick-up or a huge problem for the Marlins.
Star- Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez produced at an All-Star level once again in 2010 hitting .300 with 21 home runs and a .378 OBP. His season last year was overshadowed by his perceived role in the firing of former manager Fredi Gonzalez. After booting a ball into left field Hanley proceeded to loaf after it allowing runners to advance, after being benched he then attempted to show Gonzalez up in the media with his comments. Whether he actually had a role in Jeffrey Loria firing Fredi is not clear but in this case perception meant as much as fact.
Top Prospect- Matt Dominguez 3B. One of the best defensive players in the Minor Leagues Dominguez could fill the hot corner for almost any Major League team; he has some questions to answer at the plate however. He will begin the year at triple-A and look to prove himself against higher level pitching. His average Major League could translate into plenty of double in the cavernous Sun Life Stadium.
Win Total- 82. A slight improvement from last year but only slight, this is not just a team but an entire organisation built to play .500 ball.
New York Mets
The firing of Jerry Manuel and movement of Omar Minaya has got Mets fans hoping for a future much brighter than the last two decades. While this year should be another poor one the organisation is shaping up to make improvements in 2012 and beyond. The loss of Johan Santana hurts but with the likelihood of contending being small they have no reason to rush him and would prefer to see Santana healthy in 2012 than pitching in 2011. Ike Davis provided some highlights in a sold rookie campaign while the big free agent pick-up in Jason Bay did not have the effect the front office was hoping for.
Star- David Wright. After suffering through a horrendous concussion in 2009 Wright bounced back in 2010 with what can be described as a very solid year. He hit .283 with 29 home runs while playing excellent defensive third base and further established himself as the best third baseman in the National League.
Top Prospect- Jenrry Mejia RHP. Mejia has been on the fast track since arriving in the Mets organisation back in 2007 but that looks to be coming to an end this year. After pitching at five levels of pro ball in 2010 Mejia may spend more time at the Triple-A level as the Mets attempt to see if he can be an effective starter. His current career high in innings is 81 and it remains to be seen if his raw stuff plays at the front of the rotation or back of the bullpen.
Win Total-77. Nobody expects this team to be good and a lot of pundits are expecting them to finish below the Nationals, it could very well happen.
Washington Nationals
The highest spending team in the NL East this year aren’t quite ready for the return on that investment but they are starting to blood some younger players that might be effective for them for a very long time. The huge free agent signing of Jayson Werth away from the division rival Phillies was a statement of intent by the Nationals but was offset by the losses of Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham. The injury suffered by uber-prospect Stephen Strasburg put a major dampener on the end of 2010 but having Tommy John surgery at this point of his career might not be that bad for the 2009 number 1 pick.
Star- Ryan Zimmerman. If David Wright is the best second baseman in the NL than Zimmerman is a very close second to him and by far the superior defensive player. Zimmerman hit over .300 for the first time in his career in 2010 whilst also hitting 25 home runs in a line-up that didn’t proved him with much protection. Expect him to be even better this year, he has the potential to start in the All-Star game.
Top Prospect- Bryce Harper OF. If you haven’t heard of Bryce Harper then you probably shouldn’t be reading this blog. The power hitting 18-year-old out of the College of Southern Nevada has all the potential in the world to be one of the best players in baseball. His raw power is completely unmatched and he could 50 home runs on a regular basis when he arrives at the big league level. He still has plenty to learn and was baffled by off-speed and breaking pitches in Arizona Fall League but has plenty of time to learn his craft both at the plate and in the outfield.
Win Total- 73. The rotation leaves a lot to be desired and, outside of Zimmerman and Werth, the offense could be very patchy. Still a long way to go until this team reaches a competitive level.
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