Why the Nationals will win the NL East
Mar 30, 2014 10:09:48 GMT -5
leeobrien, 7SwordMaster7 AKA SlamBaseball, and 1 more like this
Post by jonnyheller on Mar 30, 2014 10:09:48 GMT -5
This is not something that is easy to write because I am a Phillies fan, but the facts need to be faces. Let's start with the Braves.
In two consecutive days, the Braves lost two of their best starters, Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, to arm injuries that will end up getting them both season ending surgery. Also, they have Mike Minor starting on the DL. Without these three guys, who do they have? They have Teherean and Wood, but they are not #1 and #2 starters! They are meant to be in the 4th and 5th spot, and maybe Teheran could be a #3. There is nothing the Braves can do as far as I can see. No matter how good their offense is (won't be great, strikeout a lot and lost McCan in the offseason), they can't go far without good starting pitching.
Now, the Phillies. Let me start off by saying that GM Ruben Amaro is a flat out idiot. He has done nothing for this team except make them older and weaker. The stars that once were great are no decayed and average, and they are unable to go a season without getting themselves injured. The offense for the Phillies will be terrible, I have no doubt. They made no big signings over the offseason (unless you count Marlon Byrd as a big signing) and their offense will be as bad, if not worse as 2013 was. The one upside I see for the Phillies is their pitching staff, especially their bullpen. Young pitchers like Jake Diekman and B.J. Rosenberg really stepped up last year, and we can expect the same out of them this year. Paper on had a down year in 2013, but he expects himself to bounce back well. The starting pitching will be good from the 1,2, and 3 starters (Lee, Hamels,Burnett), but what can we expect from 4 and 5? Kyle Kendrick is very inconstistent, and Roberto Hernandez had a terrible 2013 seasin with the Rays. Now to the Mets.
The Mets made one big signing over the offseason, but it will not be enough to make a difference in the offense that they need. Curtis Granderson is good for them, but what else do they have? All that has been seen in the Mets offense in recent years is inconsistency, and can one man really change that? And the pitching staff for the mets, what can we expect from them? Colon had an up year for Oakland last year, but can he do it again? Wheeler did not have a great start to his career, and Neise, Gee, and Mejia have been decent pitchers over the years, but nothing special is expected from them. I must add, they don't have Matt Harvey!
And finally, the Marlins. Where do I start? A team filled with young no name players and old players that no team wants, the Marlins will not be even in the hunt this year. I stare at their rotation and see men I haven't heard of, and their bullpen was aweful in 2013. And the offense, well other than Stanton (who has been injured for large parts of the last two years), what do they have? Hecheveria, Ozuna, and other young guns that should be on Triple A squads! And Dobbs and Saltalamachia, who are not fit to carry a team!
The Nationals have a great offense, with Harper and Werth leading the way, and are fit for this National League East title. With a staff that has stars like Gio Gonzales and Stephen Strasburg, they have had good starring pitching the past couple years, and we can expect it from them again. They have a decent bullpen led by Drew Storen, and we can expect their offense to carry them to the NL East Title.
In two consecutive days, the Braves lost two of their best starters, Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, to arm injuries that will end up getting them both season ending surgery. Also, they have Mike Minor starting on the DL. Without these three guys, who do they have? They have Teherean and Wood, but they are not #1 and #2 starters! They are meant to be in the 4th and 5th spot, and maybe Teheran could be a #3. There is nothing the Braves can do as far as I can see. No matter how good their offense is (won't be great, strikeout a lot and lost McCan in the offseason), they can't go far without good starting pitching.
Now, the Phillies. Let me start off by saying that GM Ruben Amaro is a flat out idiot. He has done nothing for this team except make them older and weaker. The stars that once were great are no decayed and average, and they are unable to go a season without getting themselves injured. The offense for the Phillies will be terrible, I have no doubt. They made no big signings over the offseason (unless you count Marlon Byrd as a big signing) and their offense will be as bad, if not worse as 2013 was. The one upside I see for the Phillies is their pitching staff, especially their bullpen. Young pitchers like Jake Diekman and B.J. Rosenberg really stepped up last year, and we can expect the same out of them this year. Paper on had a down year in 2013, but he expects himself to bounce back well. The starting pitching will be good from the 1,2, and 3 starters (Lee, Hamels,Burnett), but what can we expect from 4 and 5? Kyle Kendrick is very inconstistent, and Roberto Hernandez had a terrible 2013 seasin with the Rays. Now to the Mets.
The Mets made one big signing over the offseason, but it will not be enough to make a difference in the offense that they need. Curtis Granderson is good for them, but what else do they have? All that has been seen in the Mets offense in recent years is inconsistency, and can one man really change that? And the pitching staff for the mets, what can we expect from them? Colon had an up year for Oakland last year, but can he do it again? Wheeler did not have a great start to his career, and Neise, Gee, and Mejia have been decent pitchers over the years, but nothing special is expected from them. I must add, they don't have Matt Harvey!
And finally, the Marlins. Where do I start? A team filled with young no name players and old players that no team wants, the Marlins will not be even in the hunt this year. I stare at their rotation and see men I haven't heard of, and their bullpen was aweful in 2013. And the offense, well other than Stanton (who has been injured for large parts of the last two years), what do they have? Hecheveria, Ozuna, and other young guns that should be on Triple A squads! And Dobbs and Saltalamachia, who are not fit to carry a team!
The Nationals have a great offense, with Harper and Werth leading the way, and are fit for this National League East title. With a staff that has stars like Gio Gonzales and Stephen Strasburg, they have had good starring pitching the past couple years, and we can expect it from them again. They have a decent bullpen led by Drew Storen, and we can expect their offense to carry them to the NL East Title.
