National League East offseason recap: Are Braves favorites again?
NORTH PORT, Fla. — The Braves will hope to reclaim the National League East in 2026 after the Phillies have taken the division over the past two years. The Braves’ roster is well-rounded, even as it’s been hit with injuries, but how does it compare with the rest of the division?
Here’s a recap of the National League East’s offseason (FanGraphs’ win projection in parenthesis):
Braves (91.5)
The Braves addressed nearly all their primary needs. They re-signed closer Raisel Iglesias and signed All-Star reliever Robert Suarez, giving them a duo most teams will envy. They re-signed Ha-Seong Kim to a one-year deal, though Kim will miss the start of the season because of injury. New utility man Mauricio Dubon will handle shortstop in the meantime. The Braves also added outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, bolstering their depth and lineup optionality.
Certainly, injuries have derailed the past two Braves seasons. The team already is dealing with several more absences, and it could use another starting pitcher. But the roster is playoff caliber. It just needs to stay relatively healthy and the best players must perform to their standards.
Philadelphia Phillies (87.1)
The two-time reigning division champs retained Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto. The Phillies just missed out on infielder Bo Bichette, who ultimately joined the Mets. Philadelphia signed slugger Adolis Garcia to a one-year deal and will hope for a bounceback season. Brad Keller was a nice addition to the bullpen.
But the Phillies aren’t notably improved from their past iterations. They are another year older and expensive. The window to win a title with this Bryce Harper-led group is getting closer to slamming shut. Ace pitcher Zack Wheeler, recovering from thoracic outlet decompression surgery, won’t be ready for opening day but isn’t expected to miss significant time. Will he be the same pitcher? Youngsters such as infielder Aidan Miller, pitcher Andrew Painter and outfielder Justin Crawford loom large as it pertains to extending this contention timeline.
All that said, this is an extremely talented and experienced club. It will be a popular pick for another division title. But there’s immense pressure on this franchise to capture that elusive championship.
New York Mets (89.5)
The Mets had a busy offseason; it’s unclear if it made them better. Mainstays Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Edwin Diaz are all gone. Enter starter Freddy Peralta, Bichette, outfielder Luis Robert Jr. and infielder Marcus Semien. It was evident the Mets needed a bit of a shake-up, if not a reset, and they did it.
Juan Soto remains the lineup’s centerpiece. Shortstop Francisco Lindor could need surgery for a hamate injury and will miss time. The Mets are very much a wild card. They could be a middling team. They also could be better than expected if it clicks. Some will pick them as a division dark horse, but it’s truly hard to evaluate them until there’s a sample size.
Miami Marlins (74.5)
The Marlins actually finished ahead of the Braves last year with 79 wins. There’s plenty of young talent there, and the team swapped some of its pitching surplus for offensive help: Enter new outfielder Owen Caissie, acquired from the Cubs in the Edward Cabrera trade. The Marlins also signed Christopher Morel as a possible bounceback candidate, and closer Pete Fairbanks, whom the Rays opted not to retain with an $11 million team option (the Marlins paid him $13 million).
Miami has a young, pesky lineup that should only improve, but it lacks the star power and experience of the Braves, Phillies and Mets. The Marlins’ pitching staff could be exhilarating if Sandy Alcantara recaptures form and Eury Perez takes a step forward. The team needs Max Meyer and/or Braxton Garrett to take a step forward, otherwise the staff underwhelms past the top two. The Marlins could be competitive, but they’re still lacking enough to be a true threat to win the division.
Washington Nationals (68.6)
The Nationals aren’t just rebuilding. They’re stocking their entire organization with youth. New general manager Ani Kilambi is just 32 years old. New manager Blake Butera is 33. The team again projects for a last-place finish as it retools its lineup around James Wood. Washington simply needs more pitching — it traded a potential front-line starter in Mackenzie Gore for multiple Rangers youngsters — but the lineup should continue improving. The top NL East contenders will need to avoid slipups against this hopeful up-and-comer.
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
