Who’s the team the beat in the NL East?

The MLB season is nearly three weeks old, and the New York Mets, who are currently 3-6 after nine games, are clearly not where they want to be. The Mets were well aware that the season would not be simple due to a number of critical injuries and the NL East’s overwhelming strength.

The Atlanta Braves, who went 10-3 against the New York Mets in 2023, will present the team’s next major test at Truist Park. Where do the Braves, Mets, and the other four NL East teams rank in the division power rankings before these two bitter rivals square off in this four-game series set?

1. The Braves of Atlanta
The Braves just seem to be getting better all the time. They react anytime you think they’re going to lose and get overwhelmed. After trailing the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-0 on Saturday and rallying to win, the Braves appear to be the overwhelming favorites to win the division for a seventh consecutive year. However, with star pitcher Spencer Strider on the disabled list and fellow star pitcher Max Fried having struggled in his first two starts of the year, their starting pitching is undoubtedly a concern. The Braves are always dangerous when Matt Olson and Ronald Acuna Jr. are in the lineup.

2. The Philadelphia Phillies
If the Phillies challenge the Braves for the NL East championship, it won’t come as a surprise. The Phillies are a talented team even though they are only 4-4 so far this season. Bryce Harper is leading the offense, which has already started the season quickly with three home runs, and Zack Wheeler has had two strong starts. In 2024, the Phillies might pose a threat to the Mets, but the Braves will also be a formidable opponent.

3. The New York Mets
Under first-year manager Carlos Mendoza, the Mets have had a rough start to the season, but as they prepare to play the Braves starting on Monday, no one should be too alarmed just yet. Even though they are only 3-6, their starting rotation, which we had assumed would be the team’s weakest point, has one of the best ERAs in the National League, and Edwin Diaz’s return has helped the bullpen perform well as well. Additionally, the Mets appear to have found their offensive groove this past weekend against the Cincinnati Reds, following a slow offensive start at home.

4. Nationals of Washington
The Washington Nationals finished this past weekend with a record of 3-6 after dropping two of their three games against the Phillies, so expectations weren’t particularly high going into the season. There are some highly regarded players on this team, including pitchers Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore, as well as CJ Abrams and Joey Meneses. Even so, it doesn’t appear that the Nationals will have much of an impact on the division after their first nine games. They just lack the depth and talent of their fellow NL East competitors.

5. The Marlins of Miami
Cheers to the Miami Marlins winning a game after ten games! This team still has a lot of problems even though their offense finally found its groove in today’s series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. With the exception of their Sunday 10-run explosion against the Cardinals, the Marlins offense has struggled mightily to begin the season, and their severely injured pitching staff always seems to blow up at the wrong moment. In 2024, the Marlins, who were a playoff team the previous season, will be languishing in the division’s cellar.

GET MORE NEWS HERE