NAT IONAL LEAGUE
1
AT L ANT A
BRAVES - 240 DIV .............. + 650 WS
BEST CASE Another historic regular- season offensive performance carries into October to support dominant years from starters Spencer Strider and Max Fried.
WORST CASE Chris Sale and Charlie Morton look their ages while battling injury issues. A depleted pitching staff proves too shallow in another early postseason exit. 2
PHIL ADELPHIA
PHILLIES + 310 DIV .............. + 1100 WS
BEST CASE Trea Turner hears applause all year during an MVP campaign. The pitching is boosted by top prospect Andrew Painter in his return from Tommy John surgery.
WORST CASE After a quiet offseason, Philadelphia’s winning formula turns stale as its army of 30-something stars shows signs of decline. 3
NEW YORK
METS + 1100 DIV ............ +2500 WS
BEST CASE David Stearns brings his pitching development magic from Milwaukee, and New York’s patchwork, veteranladen rotation does enough for a wild-card spot.
WORST CASE Stearns’s shortterm free agent bets fall flat and Steve Cohen’s focus on 2025 pressures the Mets into a trade deadline fire sale that ends the Pete Alonso era. 4
MIAMI
MARLINS + 1600 DIV ...........+ 5500 WS
BEST CASE Executive Peter Bendix shows he was the real brains behind the Rays’ recent success, and a flurry of shrewd midseason moves helps Miami earn a playoff berth.
WORST CASE Despite having 2023 batting champ Luis Arraez, the Marlins once again field the NL’S lowestscoring offense. The surging Nats push the Marlins into the NL East cellar. 5
WASHINGTON
NATIONALS + 10000 DIV ........+ 12500 WS
BEST CASE
The trades of Juan Soto, Trea Turner and Max Scherzer for prospects continue to bear fruit as the youngsters take a step forward. The Nationals flirt with .500.
WORST CASE Top prospect James Wood (6' 6", 234 pounds) plays more like Joey Gallo than Aaron Judge. The Nats fall short of last year’s 71 wins for yet another losing season.