Atlanta Braves - Ahh, the Braves. My good old hometown team (that I don't really root for). While some of their division rivals were making blockbuster trades and signings, the Braves stood pat with what they have. Their biggest move so far was addition by subtraction: they shipped veteran starter Derek Lowe to Cleveland for a double-A pitcher. 2011 saw them complete the second biggest collapse in history, overshadowed only by the Red Sox' more epic collapse. As a result, the Cardinals leapfrogged the Braves into the playoffs, and, well, you know the rest. They had a great midseason pickup in Michael Bourn from the Astros, who at the time had only 9 stolen bases less by himself than the entire team. Rookie first baseman Freddie Freeman and rookie closer Craig Kimbrel came in 2nd and 1st respectively for Rookie of the Year. Dan Uggla, traded from the Marlins in the offseason, had a terrible start but put together a 33-game hit streak down the stretch. And, as always, Chipper Jones continued to contribute to the team as he's done for the better part of 2 decades. While they ranked below average in offense, the rotation and bullpen did quite well for being in the same division as Philadelphia. All-Star catcher Brian McCann missed some playing time, only appearing in 128 games, so when he fully recovers from injury, it probably won't be Uggla leading the team in homers and RBIs with 32 and 86.
- 2012 Prediction: Even though they stood by this offseason without making any huge deals, the Braves still have a good, solid core of young players who may not each be good at everything, but every one of them can do something for the team.
Miami Marlins - Even with a new logo and uniform that would make even Ozzie Smith, who used to do backflips on the field, cringe from the flashiness, the Marlins have been dazzling everyone this offseason. After an abysmal 2011 where they started out strong but finished 9 games under .500 and ranked in the middle of the pack in both offensive and defensive stats, they went out and signed speedy shortstop Jose Reyes (who won the NL batting crown with a .337 average last season), consistent hurler Mark Buehrle (who finished his 10th year straight with 10 or more victories), and dominant closer Heath Bell (137 saves in the past 3 seasons, most in MLB in that time period) to exorbitant contracts, as well as acquired noted hothead pitcher Carlos Zambrano, in the hopes that adding these players to a roster that includes Mike Stanton, Hanley Ramirez, Logan Morrison, Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco will propel them into deeper waters in the East. While they've got unlimited potential, it's not injuries, weather or their ballpark that could hurt them...it's their attitude. HanRam has whined about having to move to 3rd base to accomodate Reyes, LoMo is notorious for his excessive usage of Twitter, Big Z was suspended multiple times by the Cubs for his anger, and new manager Ozzie Guillen is noted for speaking his mind, often too brashly. It doesn't matter how many long shots Stanton hits, if the team can't come together as a unit to win.
- 2012 Prediction: Again, if they can lay their giant personalities and egos to the side, this team could make some serious noise in the East. Stanton is quickly becoming an MVP threat, and a healthy Johnson leading the rotation is scary.
New York Mets - The Amazin's have become anything but. Even though they finished 4th ahead of the Marlins, they also lost their best player, Reyes, to the same team. Because of Reyes (and limited stints from injured star third baseman David Wright), they were 6th in the league in batting average and 12th in runs, which is pretty good for a team that had 2 or 3 recognizable names. Reyes and Carlos Beltran, traded to the Giants midseason and signing with the Cardinals this offseason, led the team in every offensive stat. The pitching was worse, ranking in the bottom 10 of all defensive stats except quality starts (18th place). Rookie Dillon Gee led the team in wins with 13, and Francisco Rodriguez, who was traded to the Brewers during the All-Star break, finished the year as the leader of the Mets in saves. It says something about your organization when you look at the team leaderboards at the end of the year and realize that nearly every name on the list is now plastered above a locker in someone else's clubhouse. This team makes the Pirates, who have had 19 straight losing seasons, look like they can turn things around. Now, maybe the front office, with new manager Terry Collins and new general manager Sandy Alderson, were a little distracted with the ongoing financial crisis (owner Fred Wilpon was in business with massive con man Bernie Madoff), but even with the money they had flowing in, they couldn't put a competitive team on the field.
- 2012 Prediction: It's not looking any better next year for the Mets. They couldn't get anything done with Reyes and Beltran, so Ruben Tejada and Andres Torres probably won't duplicate the production at those positions. The Mets will probably fall down to Earth pretty hard in 2012.
Philadelphia Phillies - This was supposed to be the Phillies' year. The stars aligned when Cliff Lee spurned the advances of the Yankees and Rangers in the 2010 offseason and resigned in the City of Brotherly Love to create what many called one of the greatest rotations in recent memory, maybe even history. Lee, then-reigning Cy Young winner Roy Halladay, former World Series MVP Cole Hamels, and tagalong Roy Oswalt were touted as the Four Aces, and they seemed unbeatable. Aside from Oswalt, they almost were. They ranked 1st in every defensive stat except opponents' batting average, where they plummeted to 3rd place. Halladay led the team in wins, Lee in strikeouts, Hamels in WHIP, and closer Ryan Madsen led them with 32 saves from the bullpen after Brad Lidge was injured. Unfortunately, the offense wasn't as superhuman as the pitching, and they ranked between 11th and 17th in all offensive stats. Second baseman Chase Utley missed significant time, and hit only .259/11/44 in 103 games. While first baseman Ryan Howard hit 33 homers and 116 RBIs, and centerfielder Shane Victorino led the team with a .279 average, it was midseason acquisition, right fielder Hunter Pence, that added some pop, going .328/11/35 in 54 games with the Phils. Even though they were heavily favored to win the pennant, they fell short in 5 games in the LDS to the eventual champs. Still, winning 102 games with an average offense speaks volumes about this team.
- 2012 Prediction: Even with the Marlins, Braves and Nationals all vying for the division title, it'll be difficult to wrestle it away from the Phils. A full year of Pence, a healthy Utley, a replenished bench with Ty Wigginton and Jim Thome, and the remaining Three Aces will be a force to be reckoned with.
Washington Nationals - After years of futility of baseball teams in the nation's capitals, the offseason moves made by the Nats have given them a fighting chance. After going 80-81 last season (damn you, inclement weather!), they added young hurler Gio Gonzalez to their rotation that already includes Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann, the three of whom are expected to give Philly's Three Aces a run for their money. They also signed Edwin Jackson to a 1-year deal to shore the rotation up further, which is good, since they ranked average to low in the defensive stats other than 7th in ERA. Closer Drew Storen was a highlight, as he recorded 43 saves, which was tied for 6th with Heath Bell in all of MLB. They ranked in the high 20s in offensive stats as well, even with some young sluggers on the team. Phenom first baseman Michael Morse led the team in every offensive stat, and was in the top 10 in the National League in the same stats. Catcher Wilson Ramos, second baseman Ian Desmond and third baseman Ryan Zimmerman all hit for power, and showed flashes of brilliance that spell good things for the future. The only part of the team that fans might not be crazy about was the new $126 million man, Jayson Werth. In his first year back out of Philadelphia, he hit .232/20/58. If top prospect Bryce Harper follows the timeline the organization has put him on, he might be able to cover some of the missed production from Werth.
- 2012 Prediction: There's a high chance that next year's NL Cy Young and Rookie of the Year will be Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. While 2012 is more a building block for the future than a year they'll seriously contend, the Nationals are clearly poised to strike soon.
2012 Projected Standings:
Philadelphia Phillies
Miami Marlins
Atlanta Braves
Washington Nationals
New York Mets
Nice. I can't for the life of me decide how I think the standings will look. I think that the wild card will certainly come from the East.
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