2009 NL East dvision preview

by Steve

NY Mets

Full disclosure, I'm a Mets fan. Seeing Putz and K-Rod going balls out like its Nov 1st game 7 while actually playing in the lame WBC is more than disconcerting. Pitchers have a finite amount of pitches they can throw. Having these dudes going all out in front of 60,000 fans cheering for their native country getting the players all pumped up will most certainly have a negative effect on the 09 season, book it.

Other than that, count on .290+ and 80 steals from Reyes, .305 30 hrs and 100 rbi from Wright and .260 25 hrs and 100 from Beltran. Other than that is is a lot of question marks throughout the lineup. Church is inconsistent and missed big chunks of last season, Murphy is young and will now be splitting time with Shitffied, Delgado is old, Schneider is Schneider and Castillo is deteriorating before our eyes. Can't complain though when you have 3 pimps year in and year out.

The top of the rotation will remain solid assuming Johan stays healthy. Maine is a decently good #3, Pelfrey emerged last year as a legit #2 (finally) and when Perez is on, he is tough to hit. Livan is the #5 and is listed as thirty-four but if he's thirty four i'm twelve. Still, he could be a nice surprise this season.

I like Jerry Manual. Not sure if he is the right guy for this team but we'll know soon enough. This team has the second highest payroll in baseball and if they start out slow especially with the new stadium opening up, Jerry might get the Willie Randolph treatment before fathers day.


Philadelphia Phillies


Still can not get over this team winning the world series. Either they caught lightning in a bottle, they didn't reach their peak until the right time last year or they got extremely lucky every step of the way. However it happened, it happened and Charlie Manual is a big reason why it happened. The dude looks terrible in baseball pants but he knows how to manage and with nearly the whole team back this team has a look at going back to back.

J-ro, Utley and Howard make up the 3/5ths of the best infield in the National League. These three are perennial mvps still in their prime, look for them to put up similar numbers to '08. The rest of the team is a seemingly perfect mixture of roll players and grind it out anti premadonas. Victorino is the AJ Pierzynski of the N.L. with better stats, Werth has weird facial hair, Coste is Coast while Feliz and Ibanez fill in where needed.

Other than a stud legit ace, the rotation doesn't appear to be championship caliber. Maybe Moyer found the fountain of youth and Myers won't go postal but don't count on it. Blanton is a solid four but counting on Chan Ho once every five days is a dangerous proposition. Oh and if anyone can explain Brad Lidge's renaissance you could be a multi millionaire.


Atlanta Braves
God damn Bobby Cox is old. Anyone else agree its time to hang up the ol' cap? Its not that he doesn't have it, but he doesn't have it any more. The team has floundered as of late and some fresh blood couldn't hurt. Larry Jones just got a multi year extension? I guess I don't hate it. This team is in the top ten in payroll and needs to win now and that doesn't appear to be the case in '09.

The infield is solid and looks to emerge as possibly elite. Kotchman can put up numbers at first and is still improving, Kelly Johnson appears to be a solid every day 2b, Yunel Escobar has virtually no ceiling, Chipper is Larry and McCann is an all-star.

The outfield is a completely different story. Garret Anderson is a stop gap LF but had good numbers last year. Not sure if he is capable of continuing a .290 15 and 80 clip but it is possible as the #6 in their order. "Phenom" CF Jordan Schafer won the CF position outta spring training but hasn't played above AA in his career. Jeff Francoeur, roids?


Florida Marlins

This is my "sleeper" pick of the year. They won't be the Rays of '09 but they could be close.. Disagreeing with Larry Beinfest (Beane Jr.) is foolhardy and best and sacrilegious at worst but i'm not sold on disposing of the hammer and Olsen within the division. Bonifacio could be a solid 3b Figgins esque player but it was a clear salary dump that could cost this team in 2009.

Hermida and Maybin are potential starts in the outfield with Cody Ross in right. It may be now or never for all these of these dudes who have shown flashes but have yet to really take the step. Hermida is 25 and has power but needs to balance in a better average to be considered a legit LF. Maybin is even younger at 22 but has added pressure as the center piece of not only the outfield but of a trade that sent away Willis and future hall of famer Cabrera to Detroit.

Han-ram is potentially the best player in all of MLB so you know what you get there, Uggla has the biggest forearms in all of baseball and needs to prove last year wasn't a fluke. Jorge Cantu came out in a major way last season hitting 29 hrs 95 rbi and .277 and he needs to have a prove it year also. A major flaw with this team could be the catcher. John Baker (who) is in charge of a young pitching staff and has little to no experience himself. He isn't offensively gifted so he better be V-tek esque in his ability to run a rotation behind the dish.

The most exciting and potentially scary part of this whole operation in SoFlo is the pitching staff. They are extremely young, extremely gifted and interchangable. Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez have already reconstructed their arms but appear to be 100%, Andrew Miller (also part of the Dtrain/Cabs trade) is in the 5 spot and should start to prove his worth. Nolasco has the most experience out of the bunch but isn't an ace. Volstad is another youngster but at 6'8 225 is a monster out there. He only has 14 career starts but had a 2.88 ERA last year so look out. Again the book is still out on all of these dudes and with any young staff they will have ups and downs but if they get the trains on the tracks look the fuck out.


Washington Nationals

Shit, the final 4 is on so this one will be succinct. There are two Zimmerman's one is good, one is bad, Dukes could break out, Willingham is starting the year on the bench, Belliard is the vet of the team, i'm still scratching my head about the Adam Dunn signing, Guzman is a solid SS, most of hte players on this roster are retreads, major holes in the rotation but I like Scott Olsen, Milledge needs to bust out and probably will, Danny Cabrera will be much more effective in the NL and Manny Acta needs about 25% more wins than last year's 59 which will be tough. This is going to be a second half team that could dash some teams chances of making it to October.

Phillies 91-71
Mets 89-73
Marlins 88-74
Atlanta 77-85
Nats 67-95