IT’S THEIRS TO LOSE
IT’S STARTING to look a lot like the 1990s in the NL East. The Braves enter this season gunning for their seventh straight division title, and with much of their elite talent locked up for the rest of the decade (or longer), the possibility of another dynasty to complement their 14 straight division titles between 1991 and 2005 is real. Atlanta also has the talent to one-up the previous crew by winning a second World Series. There is some urgency with regard to the Braves’ pitching staff, however, with Max Fried entering his final year under contract, Charlie Morton turning 40 and elite talent scarce in the farm system.
While Atlanta has recently kept the Phillies at bay during the regular season, consecutive defeats to them in the NLDS have bred a fierce rivalry and a popular notion that Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Co. hold the upper hand
in the postseason. Philadelphia sure seems to think so, as it returns essentially the same roster, hoping for a third consecutive deep run in October.
The bigger, looming threat, however, may be the Mets, backed by owner Steve Cohen’s seemingly bottomless pit of cash. While New York has indicated it’s focused on returning to contention in 2025, newly hired president of baseball operations David Stearns showed a tendency to exceed expectations during his time with the Brewers.
The Marlins also have a new head honcho in the front office after poaching former Rays executive Peter Bendix with an eye on replicating the low-budget success of their in-state rivals. Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams has a legitimate shot to become the fifth player in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and steal 60 bases in a season. Abrams, catcher Keibert Ruiz, starters Mackenzie Gore and Josiah Gray, and outfielder James Wood could mature into a formidable force in Washington the next few years.