With our third segment in our Preseason Preview, we take a look at the new look NL East. As noted in the AL West preview, the NL East has some newcomers to a division already loaded with talent. Actually I take that back, this division has been completely overhauled for 2011. The only mainstay from 2010 are the defending NL East champion Cincinnati Reds. Joining them are real-life NL East members Atlanta, New York, and Philadelphia. Let's get started with the two-time division champs.
Cincinnati Reds:
2010 Record: 14-7-1 (1st in NL East/3rd in ADBL)
Cincy goes into 2011 with a world of confidence. As the most successful franchise in terms of winning percentage through the ADBL's first two seasons, expect more of the same from the Reds this year. Taking the field for the Reds in 2011 are a flurry of talented hitters:
C: Carlos Santana
1B: Joey Votto
2B: Brandon Phillips
SS: Elvis Andrus
3B: Evan Longoria
OF: Torii Hunter, Nick Swisher, Andrew McCutchen
Util: Gaby Sanchez
The Reds boast one of the best offenses in ADBL, and it comes as no surprise, as they are led by NL MVP Joey Votto. The infield is one of the best I have seen, and the scary part is they are still extremely young. Throw in a healthy Carlos Santana for a full season, and it makes the Big Red Machine even scarier. The outfield is solid boasting a good combination of power, run production, and speed. This offense really has no weakness. The only thing that could derail this bunch are insurmountable injuries, which I just don't see happening.
The starting rotation is probably Cincy's biggest strength, which is really saying something, given how strong their offense is. The Reds boast some of the biggest names in baseball headlined by:
Tim Lincecum RHP
Justin Verlander RHP
Edinson Volquez RHP
Johnny Cueto RHP
Ricky Romero LHP
This rotation is anchored by a pair of strikeout machines in the Freak and Verlander. Expect more of the same from those two studs at the top. Although talented, the back-end of the rotation does have some concerns. Volquez is coming off Tommy John surgery, but there is no reason to believe he can't return to his former All-Star form. Cueto is coming off a pretty good season, but must prove he can continue to improve upon his peripherals in 2011. Finally, we have young lefty Ricky Romero, who had a break-out year with the Blue Jays in 2010. Expect big things from him in 2011. To go along with these guys, the Reds also have a pair of young lefties in Travis Wood and Mike Minor. Expect big things from the Reds rotation come 2011, especially if the youngsters continue to mature and gain a better understanding of the big leagues.
The bullpen in Cincinnati is pretty darn good. With closers like Andrew Bailey, Heath Bell, and the young Drew Storen in the fold, providing the Reds with a ton of saves if all goes according to plan. Throw in a reliable group of set-up men headlined by Scott Downs and Brian Fuentes, holds should also be abundant for the Reds.
The Reds are clearly poised for a big 2011. Expect more of the same from a model franchise in the ADBL, as they look to make it a 3 peat atop the NL East. You've got to give their GM a ton of credit for the way he has assembled this team. It is really one of the best teams I have seen from top to bottom.
Philadelphia Phillies:
2010 Record: 15-6-1 (1st in AL West)
The Phillies come into 2011 as transfers from the AL West. They too have been very successful early on here in the ADBL's short existence, winning the league championship in the league's inaugural season. With 2 winning seasons already under their belt, the Phillies look to take their success with them to the NL. Here's how last years AL West champs stack up offensively:
C: Kurt Suzuki
1B: Justin Morneau
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Jimmy Rollins
3B: Jose Bautista
OF: Michael Cuddyer, Jayson Werth, Josh Hamilton
Util: Adam Lind
Another talented offense resides in Philadelphia. With All-Stars at almost every position, you'd be hard-pressed to find a deeper offense than this one. There are a few things that do concern me, mainly the injury history of some of the Phillies' star players. Morneau has a scary concussion history, Utley is coming off an injury riddled year, and is complaining of knee issues early on here. Hamilton has also had his share of injury issues in his successful career. All signs point to these guys being ready for Opening Day, but their health throughout the season will be of the utmost importance for the Phillies if they are to contend for a Championship like they are capable of. The Phils will also need Jose Bautista to prove last year was no fluke. Although no one expects him to hit 50+ HRs again, he cannot go back to being the scrub he was in Pittsburgh. Lind's production will be interesting to monitor. Personally, I think he will bounce back and provide solid numbers this season. Keep an eye on this offense because if all goes right, they can be very dangerous come 2011.
Philadelphia has also got a nice collection of starting pitching led by former WS MVP Cole Hamels. Joining Hamels in 2011 are:
Cole Hamels LHP
Wade Davis RHP
Joe Blanton RHP
Scott Baker RHP
Bronson Arroyo RHP
This rotation is solid. With a bona-fide ace at the top, and a young flamethrower behind him in Wade Davis expect solid production from the top 2 hurlers on this staff. The concern comes with the guys following them. Blanton had injury woes in 2010, but will be expected to carry less of a load with the new look Big 4 in the MLB Phillies rotation. Will that take some pressure off of him, and allow him to perform like he did back in Oakland? That remains to be seen. You know what you're going to get from Baker, plenty of innings, double digit wins, and a resepectable WHIP and ERA. Nothing flashy, but very useful. Everyone would love to have a guy like Baker to round out your rotation. Arroyo is very similar to Baker, providing much of the same type of production. Throw in youngster Mark Rzepzczynski and a possible bounce back year for Javy Vazquez, and the Phillies will be right there in contention for a postseason berth come 2011.
The bullpen in Philadelphia has some really nice pieces, including two sources of saves in Brad Lidge and Ryan Franklin. Although both of these guys come with their fair share of question marks, they are a reliable source of saves and should hold down that category for the Phils come 2011. Supplemented with solid holds contributors like Dotel and Madson, expect the bullpen in Philly to be as solid as the rest of the roster.
Overall, the Phillies have got a really nice team. Expect them to be right there with the Reds fighting for a division title come 2011. If they can get some key players to bounce back from off years (due to injury or ineffectiveness), they will be a very tough match-up for any team.
Atlanta Braves:
2010 Record: 11-10-1 (2nd in NL West)
Atlanta is another powerhouse team coming over to the NL East this season. With playoff appearances in each of the league's first two seasons, Atlanta looks to take that next big step to become a serious threat to win a championship in 2011. Here's a look at the starting line-up in Atlanta for 2011:
C: Brian McCann
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
2B: Ben Zobrist
SS: Derek Jeter
3B: Chipper Jones
OF: Jason Heyward, Alex Rios, Ichiro Suzuki
Util: Adam Dunn
The Braves offense has a solid mix of savvy vets and young talent. Led by two big time sluggers in A-Gonz and Adam Dunn, along with the young gun Jason Heyward, the Braves will have plenty of firepower on offense. Still, a lot will hinge on the production Atlanta can get out of two future Hall Of Famers, Chipper Jones and Derek Jeter. Both coming off down years, these two vets want to prove they still have something left in the tank. How well these two play will go a long way in determining how much success the Braves have in 2011.
The rotation for Atlanta is extremely deep. They have 5 legitimate number 1 type starters in their rotation. On paper, this has a chance to be the best rotation in the division, maybe the whole league.
Roy Halladay RHP
Cliff Lee LHP
Tim Hudson RHP
Tommy Hanson RHP
Yovani Gallardo RHP
The amount of talent in this rotation is absurd. Halladay and Lee up top is as good as it gets. Hanson and Gallardo are extremely talented and have tremendous ability when going right. A key is for Gallardo to not have his typical 2nd half collapses and for Tim Hudson to stay healthy. If there is one criticism of this rotation, it's the lack of depth past the first 5. An injury to any one of these 5 would be devastating for the Braves.
The bullpen in Atlanta lacks a closer, but it is loaded with a ton of solid set-up men, so it will at least take care of holds. Losing out on one category isn't the end of the world, but it would help if they had at least one saves contributor.
The Braves are another NL East power, looking to make some noise in 2011. With an excellent balance of offense and pitching, expect the Braves to be in contention for a division title, and a third straight post-season berth. If they can get some solid contributions from their aging stars, like Chipper and Jeter, they can be very dangerous.
New York Mets:
2010 Record: 6-16 (4th in AL West)
The Mets try to turn things around this season, coming off a disastrous 2010. There's only one problem they are bringing their talents to one of the toughest divisions in ADBL. Will the shift to the NL bring better things for the Metropolitans?
C: Joe Mauer
1B: Ike Davis
2B: Clint Barmes
SS: Ian Desmond
3B: Casey Blake
OF: Cody Ross, Josh Willingham, BJ Upton
Util: Garrett Jones
The Mets offense isn't terrible, it's actually very solid. You can certainly do a whole lot worse. They are led by one of the best catchers in baseball in Joe Mauer, but they lack firepower behind him. With a lot of nice players, like Ike Davis and BJ Upton, the Mets have some good looking pieces in place, but with the rest of the talent in this division, it may be tough for the Mets to hang with the likes of the Reds, Phillies, and Braves this year. If the Mets are to contend this year, it will take some career years from some of their players to keep up with the rest of the NL East. However with Bryce Harper in the farm, brighter days are coming for the Mets offense.
Here's a look at the Mets rotation for 2011:
Mike Pelfrey RHP
Jorge De La Rosa LHP
Jonathon Niese LHP
Kevin Slowey RHP
Ryan Dempster RHP
JA Happ LHP
Like their offense, the Mets have some solid pieces in their rotation, but lack that true number one to put them over the top. They have a bunch of number 3 type starters, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when other teams in your division are trotting out number 1 type starters almost every day, it makes it very hard to keep pace. Still, the Mets rotation should keep them in more games than not. If they can acquire an ace via trade or Free Agency in coming years, the Mets will be very much a contender in the NL.
The bullpen in New York is led by one of the most consistent closers in baseball: Joakim Soria of Kansas City. He's surrounded by a solid supporting cast led by Pedro Feliciano, Peter Moylan, and Mike Adams. This bullpen is definitely one of the Mets' strengths, and may help compensate for their lack of superior talent in the starting rotation.
The Mets may not challenge for a playoff spot in 2011, but they are definitely on the right track. With a lot of solid talent on both sides of the baseball, a hitting phenom in Bryce Harper in the minors, and more top picks this season, it won't be long before the Mets get their first taste of postseason baseball in the ADBL.
Division Outlook:
For 2011, the NL East looks to be a monster of a division. Like their American League counterparts, the NL East can possibly have 3 postseason representatives. Home of the pre-season favorite Reds and perennial powers Philly and Atlanta, it is very likely the eventual league champ may come out of this grueling division. Don't discount the Mets either; they are on the fast-track to becoming relevant again. Expect big things from the NL East in 2011 and beyond.
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