Washington Nationals
2017 97-65, first place, lost to Cubs in NLDS
MANAGER Dave Martinez (first season)
HE'S HERE 1B-OF Matt Adams, C Miguel Montero, RHP Jeremy Hellickson, RHP Joaquin Benoit, INF Matt Reynolds
HE'S OUTTA HERE Manager Dusty Baker, LF Jayson Werth, 1B-LF Adam Lind, C Jose Lobaton, RHP Matt Albers
PROJECTED LINEUP
POS.;PLAYER;BA;HR;RBI
SS;Trea Turner;.284;11;45
LF;Adam Eaton;.297;2;13
RF;Bryce Harper;.319;29;87
3B;Anthony Rendon;.301;25;100
2B;Daniel Murphy;.322;23;93
1B;Ryan Zimmerman;.303;36;108
CF;Michael A. Taylor;.271;19;53
C;Matt Wieters;.225;10;52
STARTING ROTATION
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SO
RH Max Scherzer;16-6;2.51;268
RH Stephen Strasburg;15-4;2.52;204
LH Gio Gonzalez;15-9;2.96;188
RH Tanner Roark;13-11;4.67;166
RH A.J. Cole;3-5;3.81;44
CLOSER
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SV
LH Sean Doolittle;2-0;2.81;24
OUTLOOK This might be the end of an era at Nationals Park, with Harper eligible to leave as a free agent after the season and General Manager Mike Rizzo's contract set to expire, too. The team has won four NL East titles in the past six years but has zero playoff series victories to show for it. That's why yet another manager (Baker) lost his job, and yet another rookie skipper has been brought in (will Martinez have more success than Matt Williams?). Rizzo has made no secret of the need to start making postseason inroads -- a World Series is the stated goal, and that's certainly not an outrageous aim, given all the talent he's assembled. The lineup remains almost exactly the same, although Werth is gone after playing out his seven-year contract. The rotation and bullpen are also nearly identical to the way they looked at the end of 2017.
Miami Marlins
2017 77-85, second place
MANAGER Don Mattingly (third season)
HE'S HERE INF Starlin Castro, CF Lewis Brinson, OF Cameron Maybin, 1B Garrett Cooper, RHP Jacob Turner, OF-1B Scott Van Slyke, RHP Jumbo Diaz, RHP Sandy Alcantara
HE'S OUTTA HERE RF Giancarlo Stanton, LF Marcell Ozuna, CF Christian Yelich, 2B Dee Gordon, RHP Tom Koehler, OF Ichiro Suzuki, RHP Dustin McGowan, C A.J. Ellis
PROJECTED LINEUP
POS.;PLAYER;BA;HR;RBI
RF;Cameron Maybin;.228;10;35
CF;Lewis Brinson;.106;2;3
2B;Starlin Castro;.300;16;63
1B;Justin Bour;.289;25;83
C;J.T. Realmuto;.278;17;65
LF;Derek Dietrich;.249;13;53
3B;Brian Anderson;.262;0;8
SS;Miguel Rojas;.290;1;26
STARTING ROTATION
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SO
RH Jose Urena;14-7;3.82;113
RH Dan Straily;10-9;4.26;170
RH Odrisamer Despaigne;2-3;4.01;31
RH Jacob Turner;2-3;5.08;23
LH Justin Nicolino;2-3;5.06;26
CLOSER
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SO
RH Brad Ziegler;1-4;4.79;10
OUTLOOK New CEO Derek Jeter is accustomed to winning, but that is about to change. He traded away half of last year's starting lineup, including the NL MVP in Stanton, which means the Marlins are rebuilding yet again. Even with an entirely new outfield, the offense could be decent. But Castro and Realmuto are potential trade bait and might be gone before August, and the season will almost surely end Sept. 30, leaving the Marlins out of the playoffs for the 15th year in a row. This season is really about developing prospects acquired in those offseason trades, and if youngsters such as Brinson and Alcantara perform well, 2018 will be considered a successful start for Jeter.
Atlanta Braves
2017 72-90, third place
MANAGER Brian Snitker (third season)
HE'S HERE RHP Brandon McCarthy, RHP Anibal Sanchez, LHP Scott Kazmir, INF Charlie Culberson, OF Preston Tucker, OF Ronald Acuna, 3B Austin Riley, OF Jeff Decker, 2B Christian Colon, RHP Shane Carle
HE'S OUTTA HERE OF Matt Kemp, RHP R.A. Dickey, 3B Adonis Garcia, 1B Matt Adams, INF Jace Peterson, RHP Jason Motte
PROJECTED LINEUP
POS.;PLAYER;BA;HR;RBI
CF;Ender Inciarte;.304;11;57
2B;Ozzie Albies;.286;6;28
1B;Freddie Freeman;.307;28;71
C;Tyler Flowers;.281;12;49
RF;Nick Markakis;.275;8;76
LF;Lane Adams;.275;5;20
3B;Johan Camargo;.273;14;65
SS;Dansby Swanson;.232;6;51
STARTING ROTATION
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SO
RH Julio Teheran;11-13;4.49;151
RH Mike Foltynewicz;10-13;4.79;143
RH Brandon McCarthy;6-4;3.98;72
LH Sean Newcomb;4-9;4.32;108
RH Anibal Sanchez;3-7;6.41;104
CLOSER
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SV
RH Arodys Vizcaino;5-3;2.83;14
OUTLOOK Teheran, Foltynewicz and Newcomb have provided reasons this spring to believe they can improve their 2017 numbers. For a change, the spring spotlight was on a position player; Acuna was hitting .432 with 4 home runs, 11 RBI and 4 steals when he was sent to minor league camp. The move involving the 20-year-old top prospect was expected. It was made to maintain an extra full season of contractual control down the road, but Acuna likely will be recalled in April and immediately start in left field. He could provide a needed power bat to help Freeman in the middle of the lineup. The Braves likely are still at least a year away from contending in the NL East, but improved starting pitching could push them closer to .500 this year.
New York Mets
2017 70-92, fourth place
MANAGER Mickey Callaway (first season)
HE'S HERE 3B Todd Frazier, RF Jay Bruce, LHP Jason Vargas, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, RHP Anthony Swarzak, LHP Matt Purke, C Jose Lobaton
HE'S OUTTA HERE Manager Terry Collins, LHP Josh Smoker, LHP Josh Edgin, RHP Chasen Bradford, OF Norichika Aoki, RHP Erik Goeddel, RHP Tyler Pill, LHP Tommy Milone, OF Travis Taijeron
PROJECTED LINEUP
POS.;PLAYER;BA;HR;RBI
2B;Asdrubal Cabrera;.280;14;59
LF;Yoenis Cespedes;.292;17;42
RF;Jay Bruce;.252;36;101
3B;Todd Frazier;.213;27;76
1B;Adrian Gonzalez;.242;3;30
C;Travis d'Arnaud;.244;16;57
CF;Brandon Nimmo;.260;5;21
SS;Amed Rosario;.248;4;10
STARTING ROTATION
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SO
RH Noah Syndergaard;1-2;2.97;34
RH Jacob deGrom;15-10;3.53;239
LH Jason Vargas;18-11;4.16;134
RH Matt Harvey;5-7;6.70;67
LH Steven Matz;2-7;6.08;48
CLOSER
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SV
RH Jeurys Familia;2-2;4.38;6
OUTLOOK Callaway had great success with Cleveland's arms, and the injury-plagued Mets are counting on his methods, along with new pitching coach Dave Eiland, to keep their talented but fragile rotation intact. New York also overhauled its medical department, hoping to keep star players on the field. Syndergaard and deGrom make for an imposing 1-2 punch. So if Harvey, Matz and Zack Wheeler -- even one or two of them -- can finally stay healthy and approach their initial big league form, the pitching staff could be terrific again after unraveling last year with a 5.01 ERA that ranked 28th in the majors. Vargas was signed to eat innings but will miss some time at the beginning of the season after surgery for a broken right (nonpitching) hand. All-Star outfielder Michael Conforto (27 HRs, .384 OBP, .939 OPS) is targeting a May 1 return from surgery for a dislocated left shoulder. His status is critical to a lineup that lacks speed and a natural leadoff hitter. Nimmo made strides last season and is a potential candidate for that role while platooning early with Juan Lagares to fill Conforto's spot in center field. After the Mets spent nearly $90 million to plug holes in free agency, it still might be a stretch to envision them seriously challenging star-studded Washington for NL East supremacy. But with better health in a soft division, they could certainly rejoin the wild-card hunt.
Philadelphia Phillies
2017 66-96, fifth place
MANAGER Gabe Kapler (first season)
HE'S HERE RHP Jake Arrieta, 1B Carlos Santana, RHP Pat Neshek, RHP Tommy Hunter
HE'S OUTTA HERE Manager Pete Mackanin, SS Freddy Galvis, INF Andres Blanco, OF Daniel Nava, OF Hyun Soo Kim, RHP Clay Buchholz, 1B Tommy Joseph
PROJECTED LINEUP
POS.;PLAYER;BA;HR;RBI
2B;Cesar Hernandez;.294;9;34
1B;Carlos Santana;.259;23;79
RF;Nick Williams;.288;12;55
LF;Rhys Hoskins;.259;18;48
CF;Odubel Herrera;.281;14;56
C;Jorge Alfaro;.318;5;14
3B;Maikel Franco;.230;24;76
SS;J.P. Crawford;.214;0;6
STARTING ROTATION
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SO
RH Aaron Nola;12-11;3.54;184
RH Jake Arrieta;14-10;3.53;163
RH Vince Velasquez;2-7;5.13;68
RH Nick Pivetta;8-10;6.02;140
RH Ben Lively;4-7;4.26;52
CLOSER
PITCHER;W-L;ERA;SV
RH Hector Neris;4-5;3.01;26
OUTLOOK The decision to sign Arrieta signals the rebuild is over. The Phillies added Santana, Neshek and Hunter to a talented young roster in hopes of being competitive. A month into spring training, they added Arrieta because management thinks it's time to contend. The lineup has the potential to be dynamic if the young hitters continue to emerge and Santana does what he did in Cleveland. The bullpen should be formidable with Hunter-Neshek-Neris at the back end. If Arrieta regains his old form, Nola lives up to his promise and a couple of other starters take steps forward, the Phillies cannot only end their five-year run of losing seasons but maybe even make a surprise push for a postseason berth.
Sports on 03/25/2018