Who Is Going to Win The National League East?

As of Saturday morning, the Phillies are the No. 1 team in the competitive NL East. Do I think they are going to win the division? No.

They don't have enough quality arms behind Cole Hamels and even Brett Myers. I think the Braves are going to land in first place by the end of the season, but below I will give some reasons why each team will or will not win the division.

Phillies

Why they will win: The Phillies have the NL's best offense by far. The only break in the lineup is the pitcher. Talk about pitching, Brad Lidge and Cole Hamels have been great. If Myers and Moyer pick it up, they can win.

Why they will lose: A team cannot expect to score eight runs every game. The Phillies rank second in runs per game in the National League, but have an unexpected team ERA of 3.97. Their ERA is bound to go up, and with that, losses will go up as well.

Marlins

Why they will win: Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla have been so good that they have carried the team thus far. Both are playing like All-Stars.

Why they will lose: Their ace is Mark Hendrickson.

Braves

Why they will win: At the moment the Braves possess the National League's best ERA (3.47), but Smoltz and Mike Gonzalez are both injured. Their bullpen will have three proven closers. Their offense is in a bit of a swoon (other than Chipper and McCann) and will pick up.

Why they will lose: The Braves have not proven that they can win on the road consistently. They hold the major's worst road record. Also, Jorge Campillo has been a nice surprise, but how long can it last?

Mets

Why they will win: Jose Reyes and Johan Santana will eventually play like Reyes and Santana. Pedro is returning soon, and with their offense he does not need to be the Pedro of old.

Why they will lose: The Mets have so much inner turmoil right, it's surprising they are still hanging around .500. They don't have a bullpen right now beyond Billy Wagner, and Luis Castillo is turning out to be a poor signing.

Predicted Standings at the end of the Season:

1. Braves (92-70)

2. Phillies (89-73)

3. Mets (86-76)

4. Marlins (79-83)

5. Nationals (70-92)

Tell me what you think by posting a comment below!