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National League East (predicted order of finish and records)

New York Mets (92-70) – The Mets addressed their most pressing needs in a big way by shoring up their bullpen, and they still have left-handed ace Johan Santana going every fifth (or third) day, but the psychological factor of overcoming the last two late-season collapses will be there come September. Both young stars on the left side of their infield, Reyes and Wright, need to become true leaders and turn this team into the division winner that it clearly should be. This team has pennant-winning talent, but putting together the pieces of this puzzle will be a tough task; I think it will be done this season.

Atlanta Braves (86-76) – In my opinion, calling this Braves squad improved would be an extreme understatement. Their lineup, when healthy, is among the best in the National League, led by the aging, but never declining Jones, and their rotation should not be slept on after signing Derek Lowe, complemented by the maturing Jair Jurrjens.
Their bullpen might be an issue, and don’t forget to factor in team morale after missing out on Burnett, Furcal, Peavy, etc. Anyhow, this Atlanta team should be able to contend enough so that we might see a late-90s style division race down the stretch with the Mets and Braves.

Philadelphia Phillies (83-79) – A team that can still be considered a legitimate threat in the National League, it seems to me like the Phils took a huge step back between ’08 and ’09. Pitching is very shaky behind Hamels (who’s not healthy), they have no more true right-handed bats that are capable of production, and teams usually suffer a hangover after a championship season. If their "Big Three" can produce like they’re supposed to, and some other starters fill in nicely behind Hamels, this Philadelphia team can contend for the division title. Until then, no dice (for me anyway) with this Phillies squad.

Florida Marlins (81-81) – A starting rotation that has the potential to be superb is already in place under Fredi Gonzalez, not to mention a lineup that could probably hold its own against those of the top three suitors of the NL East. Hanley Ramirez puts up numbers like few other shortstops ever have in our league, but this team is too incomplete to contend this season. Any team that contends usually has even a smidge of veteran presence, which the "Fish" have none of, but they are certainly a team to watch out for down the road. Eighty wins would be a nice plateau for this team to reach in 2009.

Washington Nationals (64-98) – What else is new? There’s nothing to like about the Nationals this season. This organization is still a joke until further notice, and it will take at least a few years of stable, intelligent management for the Nats to both gain a local fan base and be relevant at all in this tough division. As others move forwards, the Nationals continue to move backwards, and if they could rid themselves of trouble (Milledge, Dukes, etc.) and start building in the right direction, we might see something good from the nation’s capital in a few years.

National League Central (predicted order of finish and records)

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