Lincoln Zdunich
New York Mets
Expectation: This is a Mets club burgeoning under the weight of all their talent. If anything is going to hold this team together it’s their incredible offensive stars. With superstar Juan Soto alongside offseason acquisitions Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, and Luis Robert Jr., as well as top prospect Carson Benge making his debut in right field, this lineup is deadly.
Concern: New York missed the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion last season. If they do so again this year it’ll be because of their bullpen. They attempted to shoestring relievers together this offseason after losing closer Edwin Díaz to free agency. That won’t work out well if their starters can’t pitch deep into games.
Philadelphia Phillies
Expectation: The rotation in Philadelphia is fantastic. Even without ace Zack Wheeler for a small portion of the year, Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo make up a fearsome 1-2 punch. Behind them is Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, and top prospect Andrew Painter to make up the back end of the rotation.
Concern: This is a Philly lineup that just keeps getting older. The rotation lost Ranger Suarez and will begin the season without Wheeler. Hopefully they can continue to produce across the board but their contention window is fading fast.
Miami Marlins
Expectation: The Marlins could seriously make the playoffs this year. It’s easy to forget how close they came in 2025. Kyle Stowers will likely build on his breakout year, and top prospect Owen Caissie will get his first year in a Marlins uniform.
But the true strength is the rotation. With Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez anchoring the front end, Miami’s starting group is formidable.
Concern: The bullpen is atrocious. Even after signing closer Pete Fairbanks, it is not looking great for Miami. Even if the starters work deep, the team will rely mostly on the offense to produce in order to win games.
Atlanta Braves
Expectation: After getting bounced early from the postseason in 2024, the Braves were looking forward to 2025. But then they struggled, greatly, for the entire season. The shining star of Atlanta’s team is Ronald Acuña Jr., who will hopefully get a full season of action after struggling with health issues the last few years.
Concern: The rotation is elite, when healthy. They have struggled immensely with injury after injury throughout the last few years. They’ll start the season without Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep but will still have Spencer Strider and Chris Sale to anchor the front end of the rotation.
Washington Nationals
Expectation: There’s not a lot to be excited about with this Washington group, but they do have one good thing going for them. Young stars CJ Abrams and James Wood will remain with the club to start this season after numerous trade rumors this offseason. They’ll anchor a Nats lineup that is, overall, lackluster.
Concern: The rotation is basically extinct, without much hope for great production, and the bullpen isn’t any better. The pitching staff overall is not expected to fare well, and the offense will have to keep up (which it has no real history of doing).
