Nationals Vs. Mets Vs. Braves: Who's the Best Team in the NL East?

Nationals vs. Mets vs. Braves: Who’s the best team in the NL East? originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

With the NL East shaping up to be one of baseball’s most competitive division races, NBC Sports Washington’s Matt Weyrich previewed the 2021 season by ranking each team at every position on and off the diamond. Points have been awarded* to teams based on their spot in each ranking.

Here’s the final tally.

1. New York Mets – 64 total points

Breakdown: 32 points from hitters, 29 points from pitchers, 3 points from front office & coaching staff

The Mets take the top spot in these composite rankings, leading the division in points accrued by both hitters and pitchers. Three of their players claimed the No. 1 spot at their respective positions: Brandon Nimmo (center field), Jeff McNeil (second base) and Jacob deGrom (starting pitcher). Perhaps most impressive was how the Mets held either first or second at every non-pitcher spot on the diamond aside from right field, where they have a former All-Star in Michael Conforto (4th among RF).

By acquiring Francisco Lindor (2nd among SS), Carlos Carrasco (Tier 3 of SP) and James McCann (2nd among C) over the offseason, the Mets are hoping to jump back into the playoff picture after missing the postseason each of the last four years. New owner Steve Cohen has promised to expand their payroll, which likely indicates that midseason reinforcements will be on the way.

However, this is no runaway contest. The Mets finished just two points ahead of the Nationals and six in front of the Braves. The Phillies still have a fighting chance 11 points behind them. New York will be the favorite to win the NL East this season, but that doesn’t mean the division is theirs. It may take all 162 games to determine which team will wear the 2021 crown.

2. Washington Nationals – 62 total points

Breakdown: 26 points from hitters, 28 points from pitchers, 8 points from front office & coaching staff

Coming in at No. 2 are the Nationals, who finished with an identical 26-34 record to the Mets last season and are counting on their rotation to help them replicate their success from 2019. Washington received the most points (17) of any rotation in the division as it was the only team with a starter in each of Tiers 1, 2 and 3. The Nationals top players at their respective positions were Juan Soto (right field), Trea Turner (shortstop) and Brad Hand (reliever) while Max Scherzer was a Tier 1 pitcher.

With Scherzer heading into the final year of his contract and many of the Nationals’ new additions signed only to one-year deals, this will be an important year in D.C. Turner and Soto will be relied on heavily to carry a lion’s share of the offense. Beyond them, the Nationals didn’t have a single position player finish within the top two of these rankings.

But considering the pitching staff they have, the Nationals still stand as good a chance as any of the other teams in the division to make it to the playoffs this season. Health will be an important factor, as it always is for teams with big stars and thin depth. If the roster is still mostly intact by October, nobody is going to want to face this club in a postseason series.

3. Atlanta Braves – 58 total points

Breakdown: 29 points from hitters, 23 points from pitchers, 6 points from front office & coaching staff

The Braves beat out the Nationals for the second-most points from hitters, never once ranking last at any position. Reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman took the top spot at first base while Ronald Acuña Jr. (right field) and Marcell Ozuna (left field) each finished second at their respective positions. Atlanta’s offense finished one run behind the Dodgers for the most runs scored in the majors last season, so none of that should come as a surprise.

It was the pitching staff where the Braves lagged behind. The team accrued 14 points from its starters and nine from its relievers, which ranked fourth and third in the division, respectively. A big reason for that? Youth. The Braves are relying on Mike Soroka (Tier 2), Max Fried (Tier 3) and Ian Anderson (Tier 5) to anchor their rotation this season. Soroka is returning from a torn Achilles while Anderson has 50 career MLB innings and Fried has yet to pitch like an ace over the course of a full season.

As much potential as those three arms have, it’s impossible to rank most of them above the experienced arms littered throughout the rotations in New York and Washington. That could very well change this season, but first they have to go out and prove it. After making it to the NLCS in 2020 on the heels of their third-straight division title, there’s only one thing the Braves have left to do.

4. Philadelphia Phillies – 53 total points

Breakdown: 22 points from hitters, 21 points from pitchers, 10 points from front office & coaching staff

The Phillies’ come firmly in fourth place here, finishing in the same spot among both hitters and pitchers. Re-signed catcher J.T. Realmuto was the lone position player to earn a No. 1 spot while Aaron Nola cracked Tier 1 for starting pitchers. Even with Bryce Harper earning the bonus point for being a top-5 position player in the division, he couldn’t crack the top two in right field thanks to Soto and Acuña.

Philadelphia entered the offseason with a slew of roster holes and not much payroll space to fill them. Offseason additions Archie Bradley (Tier 3 reliever) and Chase Anderson (Tier 6 starter) should help the pitching staff, but neither is enough of an impact player to push the needle. Even with Dave Dombrowski (1st among GMs) and Joe Girardi (1st among managers) at the helm, the roster doesn’t pull enough weight to put the Phillies in the same range as the Mets, Nationals and Braves.

However, Dombrowski carries a winning reputation. If the Phillies keep it close enough to remain in contention by the trade deadline, the famed front office executive could pull off a few moves that help close the gap. After nine straight seasons without a playoff appearance, the pressure will be on owner John Middleton to spend — especially if the team is close.

5. Miami Marlins – 28 total points

Breakdown: 16 points from hitters, 9 points from pitchers, 3 points from front office & coaching staff

Closing out the rankings are the Marlins, who made the playoffs in 2020 but still have a lot to prove as their farm system starts churning out young talent. Miami had one player finish at the top of his position in Brian Anderson, whose glove and gap-to-gap power made him the top third baseman. Ultimately, however, the Marlins had five position players rank last at their respective positions.

On the pitching side, the final tally doesn’t represent the excitement that’s building in Miami. Sandy Alcantara (Tier 5) and Pablo López (Tier 6) highlight a young rotation that will have Sixto Sánchez and Elieser Hernández (both unranked) attempting their first full MLB campaigns as starters. In the bullpen, Anthony Bass (Tier 3), Dylan Floro (Tier 4) and Richard Bleier (Tier 5) could form a respectable trio.

The future is bright in Miami, but the Marlins’ time has not yet come. A shortened season and expanded playoff field allowed them to get back into the postseason in 2020. With a full 162-game slate and only five playoff spots up for grabs in the NL, a lot would have to happen for the Marlins to make any noise in 2021.

*Scoring will be determined as follows:

Max total = 100 points

• 5 points awarded for each of the best position players, 4 for second-best, etc.
• 1 bonus point awarded for each of the five best position players in the division
• 6 points awards for each of the top three starters, 5 for the next three, etc.
• 1 bonus point awarded for each of the two best starting pitchers in the division
• 5 points awarded for each of the top three bullpen arms, 4 for the next three, etc.
• 5 points awarded for the best manager, 4 for second-best, etc.
• 5 points awarded for the best GM, 4 for second-best, etc.

Scoring breakdown = 45 max points for hitting, 45 max points for pitching, 10 max points for coaches/GMs

NL East position rankings:

Right field: Soto, Acuña, Harper, Conforto, Duvall

Left field: Ozuna, Smith, Schwarber, Dickerson, McCutchen

Center field: Nimmo, Marté, Robles, Pache, Kingery

First base: Freeman, Alonso, Hoskins, Bell, Aguilar

Second base: McNeil, Albies, Segura, Castro, Chisholm/Díaz

Shortstop: Turner, Lindor, Swanson, Gregorius, Rojas

Third base: Anderson, Davis, Bohm, Riley, Kieboom

Catcher: Realmuto, McCann, Gomes, d'Arnaud, Alfaro

Starting pitcher: deGrom, Scherzer, Nola highlight top 18 starters

Relief pitcher: Hand, Smith, Díaz highlight top 15 relievers

Manager: Girardi, Martinez, Snitker, Mattingly, Rojas

GM: Dombrowski, Rizzo, Anthopoulos, Alderson, Ng