7 National League East Players Who Must Step Up

Baseball fans are aware of the American League East and the powerhouse New York Yankees, the young and talented Tampa Bay Rays, the usually-strong Boston Red Sox, those pesky north-of-the-border Jays and finally, the most surprising team in all of baseball, the Baltimore Orioles.

However, has anyone been paying attention to the National League East as of late (besides the fact that the Phillies are still in last place and are struggling without their sluggers)?

Not only do they have one of the best and most competitive divisions in all of baseball, but many of the star players out of the NL East are struggling big time this season.

I have compiled a list of seven of the top NL East players who need to step up their game if they want their team to have a chance at the October classic.

(The list is not in any particular order.)

1. Ike Davis, New York Mets

The New York Mets’ first baseman Ike Davis has gotten off to a very slow start and it’s almost the end of May! Currently, he is the second-worst batter in the entire National League, just points above Milwaukee’s Ricky Weeks.

Davis is hitting at a lowly .164 batting clip with five home runs and 15 RBI over his first 135 at-bats of the year. His power numbers are not terrible, but his .164 average is something to be concerned about.

Yes, power hitters’ averages are sometimes omitted and over-looked because of the numbers they put up on a day-to-day basis, but his power numbers are not even that high.

In an injury-shortened season last year, he hit .302 in 36 games with seven home runs and 25 RBI. He has already played more games this year and has hit fewer home runs, driven in fewer RBI and is batting about half of what he finished with last year.

If he was not ready to come back, he should have waited longer in the season. In 2010, he finished seventh in NL rookie of the year balloting after he crushed 19 home runs, drove in 71 RBI and hit .264 in his first major league season.

The Mets need him to step it up if they want any chance of breaking through in the east.

2. Gaby Sanchez, Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins were supposed to be the team to beat in the NL East this season with their new acquisitions from Jose Reyes to Mark Buehrle. However, they have struggled to stay around the .500 mark, let alone lead the division.

Gaby Sanchez and his horrendously slow start have been part of the problem this year.

Sanchez is hitting just .197 on the year with only one home run and 11 RBI through his first 36 games. Unfortunately, the Marlins demoted the former All-Star to the minor leagues yesterday.

This demotion gives more of a reason for Sanchez to step up his game and battle his way back to the majors.

Over the last two seasons, he smacked 19 home runs each year and finished with 85 RBI in 2010 and 78 last season. Sanchez finished fourth in the NL rookie of the year balloting (three ahead of Davis) in 2010.

The Marlins need Sanchez to fight his way back to the big show if they want to make a run and challenge the Atlanta Braves for the Eastern Division title this season.

(If I had more time, I would mention Hanley Ramirez's struggles—he is hitting just .232, although he has smashed seven home runs and driven in 27 RBI.)

3. Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies

What is there to say about the former NL MVP Jimmy Rollins besides the fact that the desperate Philadelphia Phillies, who currently occupy the cellar in the NL East, may need him now more than they ever did?

The Phillies need a pick-me-up, and it could be Rollins, if he ever gets off his snide. He is batting just .229 on the year with one home run and only seven RBI.

Not only is he struggling in the power department, he has only slashed six doubles, and has yet to leg out a triple, which he had done so often five years ago. Rollins has scored only 22 runs over his first 42 contests as well.

In his 2007 MVP campaign, Rollins smashed 30 home runs and drove in 94 RBI while batting .296. Not to mention, he recorded 20 triples and 38 doubles along with 41 stolen bases and 139 runs scored. He was their table-setter and game-changer at the same time.

Rollins has struggled since he won the award five seasons ago, however, he was still able to record 16 home runs and drive in 63 RBI last season. There is no injury this season, yet, to report, so he cannot use that as an excuse.

Rollins is just one of many struggling on one of the most-disappointing teams in the majors. If the Phillies are going to have any chance at redeeming themselves and making a run for the title, they need him to step up his game and return to his MVP-form.

4. Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins

We find another fish on the list, this time a new acquisition in Jose Reyes. During the offseason, the Marlins were one of the most, if not the most-talked about team due to their new star-studded lineup.

Atop the lineup is table-setter Reyes, however, he has been another huge disappointment for the south Florida team. Reyes is hitting just .247 on the year and is really struggling in all facets at the plate.

He has yet to hit a home run and he has only driven in six RBI over his first 40 games. OK, so he is their leadoff hitter and home run/RBI numbers are not as important.

However, he has only scored 19 runs this season and he is supposed to be racing around the bases and leading the team in runs scored; not to mention, he has only swiped 11 bases on the year.

Reyes has smashed as many as 19 home runs and driven in 81 in a single season before and he is a career .290 batter. Not to mention, he has stolen as many as 78 bases in a single season, and this year, he is on pace for about 40, if he can even reach that mark.

Critics placed high expectations on the Marlins this season, and with the new acquisitions, they were thought to be definite contenders for the World Series. The NL Eastern Division title was not even a question.

5. Danny Espinosa, Washington Nationals

Yes, the Washington Nationals are in second-place and have surprised almost everyone that they have been able to sustain their strong start, especially since they are missing two of their power-hitters, Michael Morse and Jayson Werth.

So, how have they been able to do it? Their pitching has been the key. However, if they want to make any short of run at the NL East title, second baseman Danny Espinosa needs to step it up at the dish.

Currently, he is batting just .214 on the year with four home runs and just nine RBI. It is amazing that he only has nine RBI through his first 40 games this season.

Not only are his power numbers severely down this season, his strike out number has gone the other way; Espinosa has already struck out 50 times on the year. He is on pace to strike out about 200 times, if he continues to play in almost every game (at this point I don’t know if that is a possibility with his struggles).

Last season, he finished sixth in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting after he smashed 21 home runs and drove in 66 RBI while batting at a lowly .236 clip. He finished with a .414 slugging percentage last year, and this year it sits at just .338.

Obviously, there is a confidence issue, or maybe it is just a sophomore slump, but Espinosa is really having a tough go at it in his second full season with the Nationals.

He needs to step it up if and help the struggling Nationals’ offense if they want any shot at overcoming the Atlanta Braves and win the Eastern Division.

6. Josh Johnson, Miami Marlins

Josh Johnson proved to be one of the most dominant starting pitchers in the game a couple of seasons ago, and as the Marlins were set to move into their new ballpark with their new team, he was one of the faces of the team.

However, this season has not gone as planned for him or Miami.

Johnson is 2-3 with a 4.82 ERA over his first 52.1 innings pitched; not to mention, he has allowed 62 base hits, more than innings, and opponents are hitting over .300 off of him. You might be thinking that those numbers are not terrible, but for him, they are.

Last season, although it was an injury-plagued season, he still pitched to a 3-1 record with a fantastic 1.64 ERA over nine games started. The year before that, he won 11 games and lost six while he finished with a very respectable 2.30 ERA over his 28 starts.

Johnson’s best season came back in 2009 when he went 15-5 with a 3.23 ERA; he recorded 209 innings pitched 191 (all career-highs, except for ERA).

Opponents have never hit above .300 off of him. In fact, last season, opponents hit just .185 off of the right-handed hurler.

If the Marlins are going to make a run at the division title, Johnson really needs to step up his game and perform the way they thought he would this season.

7. Dillon Gee, New York Mets

Do you remember last season when the New York Mets’ Dillon Gee went 8-0 with a 2.46 ERA to begin the season? Well, I do and that is one of the main reasons why Gee made my list.

This season has not been such a great start for Gee. Last year he energized a struggling Mets team and helped to pick them up in May and June.

Currently, Gee is 3-3 with a lofty 5.44 ERA over his first eight outings of the year. He has tossed 49.2 innings and allowed 58 base hits already, including 30 earned runs!

Last season, he finished with a 13-6 record with a 4.43 ERA. Yes, he may have gotten off to a hot start last season, but he has shown he can pitch at the big league level and win.

Entering this season, Gee was 15-8 with a 4.05 ERA in a season plus in the majors.

Something has changed, maybe it’s his goatee? Regardless, Gee needs to find his way and get back on track. If the Mets want any shot at hanging tough in the NL Eastern race, they need to find a way to get Gee to pitch like he did last year.

If I had more time, I would have included a couple more big names who are struggling this season. For example, Jonathon Niese of the Mets, Mike Minor of the Braves, and Shane Victorino of the Phillies to mention a few.

Follow me on twitter: @Alex_VanRees