Mlb Tickets - Nl East Preview
Even with the improving Atlanta Braves and the free-spending New York Mets, the NL East looks to be the easiest to predict in all of baseball. Defending NL champ Philadelphia has an even stronger team than they had last year and is the clear favorite to return to the World Series. But even with a dominant team likely to repeat as NL East champs, the division is also filled with up-and-coming talent that is sure to make <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/mlb-tickets/">MLB tickets</a> popular items all season long.
Philadelphia Phillies: The Philadelphia Phillies won 93 games a season ago, easily taking the NL East title on their way to an NL pennant. What's scary about the Phillies, though, is that they actually got better in the offseason. Though they lost Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners, the Phillies signed Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays, whom many believe is the top overall pitcher in the entire league.
Lee was a dominant force for the Phillies in the second half of the season and into the playoffs, but a full season of Roy Halladay will improve the Phillies' starting rotation considerably. Due to their prolific lineup, the Phillies ran away with the division even with second starter Cole Hamels having a terrible overall year. If Hamels can regain even part of his top form from 2008, the Phillies will be in great position to win more than 100 games.
Even without a great year from Hamels, however, the Phillies are backed by one of the top overall batting orders in the entire league. With three legitimate MVP threats in Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, the Phillies have more than enough pop in their lineup already. The Phillies also have plenty of protection in their lineup with Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth. After scoring the most runs in the National League in 2009, the Phillies are likely to do the same in 2010 on their way to capturing another division title.
Atlanta Braves: Many thought in 2009 that the Atlanta Braves were a year away from having a legitimate chance at playoff contention. This turned out to be true, but the Braves surged down the stretch and made a strong push for the Wild Card. Thanks to a very strong pitching rotation, the Braves were able to compete in the NL East, even without the type of bats that the Phillies boast throughout their lineup.
Starting pitchers Jair Jurrjens and Kenshin Kawakami both had breakout years in 2009, though Kawakami's run support was among the worst in the league, which lead to him having only a 7-12 overall record despite a 3.86 ERA. Tommy Hanson posted a brilliant rookie year, going 11-4 on the season with a 2.89 ERA. The Braves did lose Javier Vasquez to the New York Yankees but they will also get Tim Hudson back from injury. Though the Braves still likely lack the offensive firepower to take down the Phillies, they could make a serious push for the Wild Card.
New York Mets: With one of the highest payrolls in baseball, the New York Mets were one of the biggest overall disappointments in 2009. In their first season in a new ballpark, the Mets were riddled with injuries at key spots and had one of the worst offenses in the league. With Jose Reyes and Johan Santana hopefully set to come back for the start of the season, and with their signing of outfielder Jason Bay, the Mets can challenge the Braves for second place in the NL East. If David Wright returns to his run production before 2009, the Mets should be an interesting team that could also challenge for the Wild Card.
Florida Marlins: Even with plenty of young talent, the Florida Marlins have too many unproven players to be considered a legitimate division contender going into the season. This doesn't mean they won't be exciting, as shortstop Hanley Ramirez is one of the league's very best players and is in position to have a monster year.
Washington Nationals: The Nationals finished last in the division in 2009 and once again have one of the lowest payrolls in the league. With serious talent issues, the Nats will likely be looking to sell their top assets around the trading deadline and are an extreme long shot to move up the division standings. At least they have Stephen Strasburg.
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