National League East Preview 2020

Welcome to our NL East Preview 2020 page! Our NL East Preview 2020 is your connection to individual, in-depth team previews. Our analysis of each club includes an evaluation of the team’s starting rotation, bullpen, and offense. We also consider any moves a team has made as well as their recent history and where they stand in relationship to other club’s in the division. For 2020, we like the Atlanta Braves, which if filled with young talent. After that, it the up and coming New York Mets with the Washington Nationals right behind them in third. Although we’ve picked the Philadelphia Phillies to finish fourth, that does not mean we consider them a bad ball club. There’s just a lot of competition in this division. Last in the NL East is the Miami Marlins.

NL East Preview 2020 – Teams

In the next section, we’ve listed each club alphabetically. We provide you with three strengths and three weakness that we think will define each team’s 2020 season. For more information, follow each link to the appropriate team page. Our individual team pages are designed to give you a complete picture of each club. If you want to be totally ready for the upcoming season, you need to read every page of our NL East Preview 2020.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Atlanta Braves

Strengths

• Rotation includes Soroka, Hamels & Foltynewicz
• RF Acuna has 40/40 potential
• Closer Will Smith saved 34 for SF last season

Weaknesses

• SP Kuechel gone
• Mets improved and Nats Series champs
• Minor league system questionable

Miami Marlins

Strengths

• 3B Villar hit 24 homers and stole 40 bases
• SS Rojas fine defender
• LF Dickerson .906 OPS and.304 BA

Weaknesses

• Went through 26 pitchers last season
• No money
• Do Sherman and Jeter know what they’re doing?

New York Mets

Strengths

• SP deGrom wins second Cy Young in a row
• RF Conforto is a complete player
• Catcher Ramos and 1B Alonso both solid hitters

Weaknesses

• Ramos needs to upgrade defense
• Need a dependable closer
• 2B Cano declining quickly

Philadelphia Phillies

Strengths

• SPs Nola and Wheeler fine one-two starters
• 1B Hoskins and RF Harper offer top-notch offense
• Catcher Realmuto premium defender

Weaknesses

• Rotation gets thin from third man down
• SP Arrieta has underperformed
• Bullpen must do better in 2020

Washington Nationals

Strengths

• Fine rotation led by Scherzer
• LF Soto gets it done
• Nats have depth

Weaknesses

• Closer Sean Doolittle uneven
• Plenty of competition from Braves and Mets
• World Series Champs – tough to repeat

Our NL East Preview 2020 Projections

This division has some very fine teams. We do expect the competition to be intense. The only team of the five we think will not be in the mix is the Marlins. They are thin in each and every area. Our NL East Preview 2020 sees this division as being a battle between the Braves, Mets, and Nationals with the Phillies being pesky enough to make it interesting.

1. Atlanta Braves
2. New York Mets (Wildcard)
3. Washington Nationals
4. Philadelphia Phillies
5. Miami Marlins