NL East Power Rankings and Preview for 2025

As we gear up for the 2025 MLB season, there are few divisions in baseball more exciting than the race we expect to enjoy at the top of the NL East.

For the last three years, the NL East has taken up half of the playoff spots for the National League, with three teams punching their ticket to October each year. Again we expect to see three teams to make their way into the playoffs, as this division has three World Series hopefuls, each of which has enjoyed a deep playoff run over the past four seasons.

In 2021, the Atlanta Braves came from behind to take the NL East, and went on to win the World Series. In 2022, they beat the Mets on a tiebreaker to win the division, with each team racking up 101 wins. Despite the regular season success of the Mets and Braves, it was the Phillies who went on the deep run come October.

The 87-win Phillies rode the momentum of beating the Cardinals in the Wild Card round and went on to eliminate the Braves in the NLDS. After that, the Phillies nearly took it the distance, coming up just short to the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the World Series.

The 2023 season brought a similar story, as the Braves again won the NL East, but lost to the Phillies in the NLDS. Prior to beating the Braves, the Phillies beat the Miami Marlins in the NL Wild Card round after they surprisingly took the Mets place as the third-best team in the division.

After beating the Marlins and the Braves, the Phillies nearly went to back-to-back World Series’ losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 7 of the NLCS.

With two deep playoff runs under their belt, the Phillies got off to a fast start in 2024, and ended up winning the NL East for the first time since 2011. This marked the first time since 2017 that the Braves didn’t win the division, snapping a six-year run.

Meanwhile the Mets shook off their disastrous season in 2023, and a rough start to the 2024 season, to go on a miracle run from 11 games under .500 at the end of May, to Game 6 of the NLCS in October. The Mets took one out of the Phillies playbook from the prior to years, riding their Wild Card momentum to beat the NL East winner in the NLDS, knocking Philly out.

Coming into 2025, the Braves, Phillies and Mets are all threats to win this division, although maybe the better route is to sneak in as a Wild Card and ride that momentum to the top when it matters most. Either way, with three teams who are clearly in playoff-or-bust mode, and two up-and-coming teams who are in the midst of a rebuild, the NL East is primed to be a thrilling race in 2025.

Let’s look at each team’s strengths and weaknesses, as we create our first power ranking of the top teams in this division ahead of Opening Day.

5. Miami Marlins

2024 Record: 62-100, Finished 5th in NL East

Projected Opening Day Starting Lineup

Lineup vs. RHP/LHP

1. Xavier Edwards, SS

2. Connor Norby, 3B

3. Jesus Sanchez, RF

4. Jonah Bride, DH

5. Matt Mervis, 1B

6. Otto Lopez, 2B

7. Griffin Conine, LF

8. Nick Fortes, C

9. Derek Hill, CF

Notable IL:

The Miami Marlins are a long way from contending in this division, and that could not be more evident than when you look at their starting lineup.

There is not a single member of this Marlins team who has 500 career games played in the big leagues. Jesus Sanchez is the closest at 446 games, and then it drops off to 304 played by catcher Nick Fortes.

With the lack of experience on the roster, this really is a team where everything is up for grabs.

Xavier Edwards and Connor Norby will hit atop the lineup and carry the most intrigue, with Edwards coming off a season where he hit .328/.397/.423, with 31 stolen bases on 35 attempts. The 25-year-old shortstop has to prove he can do it again, but there was a lot to like from his rookie season.

Xavier Edwards is the first Marlin EVER with three triples in a game! pic.twitter.com/sFecJQMrbz

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) September 28, 2024

Considering the fact that Edwards played only 70 games, there is a world where Edwards can steal north of 60 bags if he continues to get on base at a high clip. Behind him, Norby will be looking to make the most of the RBI opportunities that he gets.

Acquired from the Orioles in the Trevor Rogers trade, Norby posted a .760 OPS across his first 36 games played for the Marlins, hitting seven home runs during that span. This was Norby’s first extended taste of MLB pitching, making him a wild card entering 2025.

When it comes to offseason moves, the Marlins did not do much to bolster their roster, but they did swing a trade with the Cubs to acquire first baseman Matt Mervis, betting on a change of scenery candidate.

In 2022, Mervis was one of the best hitters in minor league baseball, crushing 36 home runs across three levels of the Cubs farm system. A strong Arizona Fall League only bolstered Mervis’ stock further, but he never broke through on the Cubs roster in 2023.

Last year would have been the time for Mervis to establish himself as a big leaguer, but he failed to do so when given opportunities and even saw his numbers in Triple-A dip for the first time.

Now that he is out of Chicago, Mervis is set to see his clearest path to playing time in his career, allowing him to focus solely on trying to sink or swim against big-league pitching. Many other Marlins farmhands will get similar opportunities throughout the upcoming season.

Notable Depth/Bench

C Liam Hicks, OF Dane Meyers, OF Kyle Stowers

The Marlins depth is really just a breeding ground for competition for at-bats in the starting lineup. Left-handed outfielders Grifin Conine and Kyle Stowers are each vying for playing time in the left field, while Dane Meyers and Derek Hill are competing for innings in center.

Hot hand is likely to trump all throughout the season for the Marlins, as they look to find players who can be foundational pieces in their starting lineup.

Projected Starting Rotation

Rotation Depth Chart on Opening Day

1. Sandy Alcantara

2. Ryan Weathers

3. Edward Cabrera

4. Max Meyer

5. Cal Quantrill

Notable IL: Braxton Garrett, Eury Perez

The Miami Marlins might not have the best starting lineup, but there is plenty of talent to dream on in their starting rotation.

First and foremost, every contending team in baseball has their eyes on Sandy Alcantara right now. The 29-year-old has not allowed a run across his first five spring training starts, while consistently lighting up the radar gun in the process.

Alcantara is 18 months removed from Tommy John surgery and still has three years left on his deal. In today’s game, a pitcher who is on the other side of TJ can be a commodity, especially when they have the track record of Sandy.

People forget that even in the year he went down, Alcantara was one out away from giving the Marlins 185 innings, in a season where they went to the playoffs. The year prior, he led the league with a 2.28 ERA and 228 2/3 innings pitched, winning the Cy Young in the process.

Owed just over $55 million over the next three seasons, teams are going to be lining up to get their hands on Alcantara if he is pitching at an All-Star level in the first half. This could be the Marlins chances to really boost their farm system for the future.

Meanwhile, the Marlins rotation features plenty of young arms that carry intrigue, with Ryan Weather and Max Meyers being of most note to start the season.

Cal Quantrill was signed late in this offseason to provide further depth to the back-end of the rotation, while the Marlins wait for Braxton Garrett and 21-year-old phenom Eury Perez to return from injuries.

Projected Bullpen

Bullpen Depth

1. Calvin Faucher

2. Jesus Tinoco

3. Anthony Bender

4. Declan Cronin

5. Anthony Veneziano

6. Lake Bachar

7. Ronny Henriquez

8. Connor Gillispie

Notable IL: Andrew Nardi

Outlook

The Marlins have the chance to have a really good rotation, but that is due in part to a guy who will surely not spend the whole season in Miami with Sandy Alcantara. This is a team that is still at the beginning of a rebuild, where individual success stories in player development will ultimately be how their season is judged.

Washington Nationals

2024 Record: 71-91, Finished 4th in NL East

Projected Opening Day Starting Lineup

Lineup vs. RHP/LHP

1. CJ Abrams, SS

2. Dylan Crews, RF

3. James Wood, LF

4. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B

5. Josh Bell, DH

6. Luis Garcia Jr., 2B

7. Keibert Ruiz, C

8. Paul DeJong, 3B

9. Jacob Young, CF

Notable IL:

Look at the top three in the Nationals lineup, and you will see a budding core that this team can finally build around. CJ Abrams is coming off an All-Star season at the shortstop position.

James Wood was the top prospect in baseball last year prior to his debut. Now he enters his first full season, coming off a rookie campaign where he more than kept his head above water offensively (120 wRC+) despite being just 21 years old.

Dylan Crews is still considered a prospect, as he is currently ranked at No. 6 on our top 100. Crews has five-tool potential, and could really expedite the Nationals’ rebuild if he lives up to the promise that made him the No. 2 overall pick behind college teammate Paul Skenes in the 2023 MLB Draft.

To further bolster their lineup, the Nationals traded for Nathaniel Lowe to man first base. Lowe has posted at least 2.0 fWAR in each of the last four seasons, while getting on base at a near .360 clip, with at least 16 home runs.

He’s not the flashiest of starting first basemen, but he will get the job done.

The Nationals also brought back old friend Josh Bell, giving them an above-average switch-hitter who could hold down the DH spot to start the season.

Luis Garcia Jr. and Jacob Young are both coming off breakout seasons, where they established themselves as strong pieces of the Nationals young budding core. Garcia came two home runs short of going 20-20, while Young is one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball.

Notable Depth/Bench

C Riley Adams, UTL Amed Rosario, OF Alex Call, Nasim Nunez UTL

While the Nationals are moving closer to end of their rebuild, this is still a team that lacks the depth of a true contender. As they continue to wait for more big leaguers to be developed in their farm system, Washington added some depth this offseason when they signed a pair of veteran infielders.

Amed Rosario was the first to sign, inking a one-year deal, $2 million deal with Washington in early January. Rosario split time with three different teams last season but spent the majority of the year with the Tampa Bay Rays, before getting traded to the Dodgers at the deadline for the second year in a row.

Prior to getting dealt, Rosario hit .307/.331/.417, with 116 wRC+ in 76 games.

Rosario played just five games with the Dodgers before being put on waivers, where he was claimed by the Cincinnati Reds. Rosario struggled mightily with the Reds (3 wRC+ in 22 games) which significantly tanked his numbers, but there was a really solid player in there for half the season.

While he’s not going to all of a sudden turn into some commodity that gets the Nationals a blue-chip prospect at the deadline, Rosario is at the very least a serviceable big leaguer who can eat some innings around the diamond until young players are ready to take over.

The exact same thing can be said about the Nationals other utility infield signing of Paul DeJong.

DeJong took a $1 million deal with the Nationals in the middle of February, giving Washington yet another utility infielder who will compete for time over at third base. DeJong is coming off a good year, where he hit 24 home runs and posted a 1.7 fWAR.

After beginning the year as the starting shortstop of the lowly Chicago White Sox, DeJong was traded midseason to play next to Bobby Witt Jr. in Kansas City. While his bat did tail off a bit down the stretch, DeJong at least played an excellent third base, posting 3 DRS and 6 OAA.

Having DeJong to start at third base, with Rosario playing the utility man role all over the infield, and even the outfield, the Nationals have at least made sure they will have competent MLB-caliber players in the lineup and veterans in the locker room for a team that will need to be lead by their youth on the field.

Projected Starting Rotation

Rotation Depth Chart on Opening Day

1. MacKenzie Gore

2. Jake Irvin

3. Mitchell Parker

4. Trevor Williams

5. Michael Soroka

Notable IL: Josiah Gray (TJ)

When we ranked aces in the NL East, it was both easy and hard to come up with who would represent the Washington Nationals. MacKenzie Gore was the obvious answer based on the stuff he has, but Jake Irvin was the leader in terms of innings pitched last year.

Either way, we were picking between pitchers who are really only aces by circumstance, as neither has established themselves as a true frontline starter for a winning team.

Gore has the better shot at getting there, which is why he was our choice, but he still needs to take a leap to be considered a true ace.

With all of that said, the Nationals have at least built a rotation that can give this team a fighting chance most days. Gore and Irvin are clearly big league caliber starting pitchers, and Mitchell Parker joins to give the Nationals a trio of arms that represent a foundation.

To build out a back-end behind them, the Nationals re-signed Trevor Williams, signed Michael Soroka and made an international signing with Shinnosuke Ogasawara.

If one of the three pops, the Nationals might have a nice trade chip at the deadline, but if nothing else, that trio should eat up plenty of innings for the Nationals in 2025.

Projected Bullpen

Bullpen Depth

1. Kyle Finnegan

2. Jorge Lopez

3. Derek Law

4. Jose A. Ferrer

5. Lucas Sims

6. Eduardo Salazar

7. Colin Poche

8. Shinnosuke Ogasawara

The Nationals’ bullpen looks a lot better now than it did this time last month when closer Kyle Finnegan still sat on the free-agent market. Washington had non-tendered Finnegan earlier in the winter, avoiding paying him through his final year of arbitration.

After making $5.1 in arb-2 last year, Finnegan was due for a nice raise after pitching to a 3.68 ERA in 65 games last season. Finnegan converted 38 of 43 saves, which would have weighed heavily into his next contract had he stayed in the arbitration system.

Instead, the Nationals let Finnegan test his market, but kept enough of a dialogue with him that when he couldn’t find another deal, they were able to bring him back with a modest raise to make $6 million this season.

For a team that is looking to turn a new leaf towards winning baseball, having no one to handle the ninth inning would have been a very tough hurdle to overcome. By bringing Finnegan back, they at least at some stability to their back end, with a guy who has clearly been comfortable in the role over the last two seasons, notching 66 saves.

Outlook

If we are comparing the bottom-dwellers of the NL East, the Washington Nationals have a much brighter outlook than the Miami Marlins in 2025, as they are far closer to their rebuild being over.

This is thanks to consistency in their front office, as Mike Rizzo is entering his 17th season running the show in Washington. When the Nationals decided to trade Juan Soto at the deadline in 2022, they likely forecast a 3-5 year rebuild. They are now entering their third full season removed from the trade, and there is already light at the end of the tunnel.

With James Wood and Dylan Crews set to star together this season, the Nationals very well could have a building blocks for the next winning era of baseball. They spent over $40 million in free agency this offseason, building out the depth to make a run at being a winning team in 2025.

Maybe by next year, we will be talking about a team that can have legitimate playoff hopes and a window to contend for some time.

3. New York Mets

2024 Record: 89-73, Finished tied for 2nd in the NL East

Projected Opening Day Starting Lineup

Lineup vs. RHP/LHP

1. Francisco Lindor, SS

2. Juan Soto, RF

3. Pete Alonso, 1B

4. Brandon Nimmo, LF

5. Mark Vientos, 3B

6. Jesse Winker/Starling Marte, DH

7. Jose Siri, CF

8. Brett Baty/Luisangel Acuña 2B

9. Luis Torrens, C

Notable IL: C Francisco Alvarez, 2B Jeff McNeil

Fresh off their NLCS run, the New York Mets were once again active spenders this offseason, with their biggest prize of course being Juan Soto, and his $765 million deal.

Along with adding Soto, the Mets brough back homegrown fan favorite Pete Alonso, making him the highest-paid first baseman in baseball for the 2025 season. Francisco Lindor returns to the top of the Mets lineup to hit in front of Soto and Alonso, giving the Mets three four-time All-Stars to open up their lineup.

Brandon Nimmo is coming off a relative down-year, but one where he still drove in a career-high 90 RBIs. Mark Vientos enjoyed a breakout season, and returns to his position at the hot corner.

Looking at a 1-5 that will have some combination of Lindor, Soto, Alonso, Nimmo and Vientos, the Mets have a chance to have one of the best lineups in baseball. Especially when you factor in a DH platoon of veterans Jesse Winker and Starling Marte, and young star catcher Francisco Alvarez.

However, Alvarez will miss at least the first month of the season with a broken hamate bone, putting backup Luis Torrens into the starting lineup at the beginning of the year. Starting second baseman Jeff McNeil will also begin the season on the IL with a strained oblique.

Notable Depth/Bench

OF Tyrone Taylor, UTL Ronny Mauricio

The Mets have already seen their depth take a hit with the injuries to Alvarez and McNeil. At the beginning of camp, the Mets were looking at a competition between former top prospect Brett Baty, and a current top prospect in Luisangel Acuña for a backup utility infielder role.

Now those two will instead be competing for at-bats at second base until McNeil comes off the IL. The Mets could very well roll with a platoon at second base, letting the left-handed Baty start against righties, with Acuña taking the starts against lefties.

Beyond Baty and Acuña, the Mets have another former top prospect waiting in the wings in Triple-A, where Ronny Mauricio will likely start the season. Mauricio is coming off a lost year due to a torn ACL, and needs time to shake off the rust by playing everyday in Syracuse.

The switch-hitting shortstop could be a sparkplug called on at some point later in the season, the same way we saw Mark Vientos make his impact felt in the middle of last year.

Projected Starting Rotation

Rotation Depth Chart on Opening Day

1. Kodai Senga

2. Clay Holmes

3. David Peterson

4. Paul Blackburn

5. Griffin Canning

6. Tylor Megill

Notable IL: LHP Sean Manaea, RHP Frankie Montas

This offseason, the Mets saw all three of their workhorses from last season hit free agency at the same time, as Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana all hit the open market. The Mets tendered QOs to both Severino and Manaea.

Severino signed a three-year deal with the A’s, but Manaea returned to the Mets on a three-year, $75 million deal. The Mets also signed Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes, with the intention of converted the former Yankees closer into a starting pitcher.

So far in camp, the Holmes experiment has gone remarkably well, with the burly right-hander showing off an expanded arsenal capable of turning a lineup over. Meanwhile both Manaea and Montas has dealt with spring injuries, tasking the Mets with relying on their depth early.

Kodai Senga is an x-factor for this rotation, as the Mets hope their ace is healthy after a lost year. David Peterson is looking to build off a breakout season, and Tylor Megill returns hoping to find one of his own.

Griffin Canning and Paul Blackburn round out the back-end of a Mets rotation that will likely be a six-man unit with Senga at the top, and Holmes needing his workload managed in his first year back in a rotation.

Projected Bullpen

Bullpen Depth

1. Edwin Diaz

2. A.J. Minter

3. Ryne Stanek

4. Dedniel Núñez

5. Reed Garrett

6. Jose Butto

7. Max Kranick

8. Danny Young

The anchor of the Mets bullpen is the $102 million closer, Edwin Diaz. Now a few years removed from his tragic knee injury in the World Baseball Classic, Diaz will look to get back to his prior form from 2022, when he was the most dominant reliever in the game.

To help create the bridge to Diaz, the Mets went out and signed former Brave A.J. Minter to a two-year, $22 million deal. Minter is coming off hip surgery, which should allow him to pitch pain-free for the first time in years.

The Mets also re-signed Ryne Stanek, a deadline acquisition from last year that really stood out come October, when the flamethrower became Diaz’s primary set-up man. Reed Garrett and Dedniel Núñez return after enjoying breakouts in 2024, and Max Kranick looks primed for a breakout of his own in 2025.

Outlook

The New York Mets have as high of expectations as any team in this division, and rightfully so after their deep playoff run last year, and their addition of Juan Soto.

With Lindor, Soto, and Alonso atop the lineup, the Mets should score runs consistently throughout the season, and they have enough standout defenders up the middle to be strong in that regard as well. The question for the Mets, as is for most teams, is if they have enough quality pitching.

Last year, the Mets rotation looked sub-par on paper, and yet they took everyone by surprise with how effective they were. Those optimistic on the Mets outlook are giving this front office the benefit of the doubt that they can once again cobble together a quality rotation full of bounce back and breakout successes. If there is an Achilles heel of this team though, the rotation is clearly it.

2. Philadelphia Phillies

2024 Record: 95-67, Finished 1st in the NL East

Projected Opening Day Starting Lineup

Lineup vs. RHP/LHP

1. Trea Turner, SS

2. Bryce Harper, 1B

3. Alec Bohm, 3B

4. Kyle Schwarber, DH

5. Nick Castellanos, RF

6. Max Kepler, LF

7. J.T. Realmuto, C

8. Bryson Stott, 2B

9. Brandon Marsh, CF

Notable IL: Weston Wilson, UTIL

The Philadelphia Phillies are aiming to shake up the top of their lineup this season, moving Trea Turner into the leadoff spot, with Bryce Harper sliding up to the two-hole.

In previous years, Kyle Schwarber was the leadoff hitter for the Phillies, where he would consistently lead MLB in leadoff homers. Now the Phillies are looking to bring that power to the cleanup spot, where he very well could set a career-high for RBIs after reaching 104 in each of the last two seasons.

The Phillies have a pair of right-handed bats that could hit near the top of the lineup with Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos, giving them a few options on who can break up the left-handed bats of Harper and Schwarber. Fangraphs RosterResource projects Bohm to slot into the three-hole and Castellanos to bat fifth.

Max Kepler is the new addition to this lineup, as the Phillies hope the 32-year-old can enjoy a healthy season where he produces at a similar rate to what we saw two years ago in 2023 when he hit 24 home runs and posted a 123 wRC+ for the Twins.

The Phillies have three of the top players in this division with Harper, Turner, and, Schwarber, but will need more out of Bohm, Castellanos, Bryson Stott, and J.T. Realmuto if they go to compete with the Mets and Braves offensively.

Notable Depth/Bench

C Rafael Marchan, UTL Edmundo Sosa, UTL Kody Clemens, CF Johan Rojas

The Phillies bench is a bit thin on impact bats, but has plenty of strong gloves with utilityman Edmundo Sosa, and center fielder Johan Rojas.

Rojas will surely eat into Brandon Marsh’s playing time, and if he hits, could form a nice platoon. Counting on him as more of a fourth outfielder than a starting center fielder is definitely setting proper expectations with how he struggled with the bat last year.

Projected Starting Rotation

Rotation Depth Chart on Opening Day

1. Zack Wheeler

2. Cristopher Sanchez

3. Aaron Nola

4. Ranger Suarez

5. Jesus Luzardo

Notable TOp Prospect: Andrew Painter

Here lies the strength of the Philadelphia Phillies. They have one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball, if not the best.

Zack Wheeler is one of the most consistent aces we have in the game, and come playoff time there is truly no one better. Cristopher Sanchez is coming a breakout in his first full season, as he made 31 starts and pitched to a 3.32 ERA in 181 2/3 innings pitched.

Aaron Nola being mentioned third speaks to how deep this rotation is, as he is coming off six-straight seasons of pitching at least 180 innings annually. Nola came two outs away from his fourth 200+ inning season across that span last year, all while pitching to a 3.57 ERA.

Rounding out the rotation are a pair of volatile lefties, who give this rotation an immensely high ceiling. At one point last season, Ranger Suarez was leading the NL Cy Young talk, riding the buzz to his first career All-Star appearance. While he did fade in the second half, no one is doubting how good Ranger can be when he’s right.

The same can be said for Jesus Luzardo, the Phillies biggest acquisition of this winter.

Luzardo came via the division rival Miami Marlins, who chose to trade him in the offseason despite the fact that he is coming off a season where he made just nine starts and pitched to a 5.00 ERA. The fact that Marlins traded him a testament to his injury concerns, but the upside is real.

In 2023, Luzardo was a top 30 starting pitcher in baseball, leading the Marlins to the playoffs as their ace. He pitched to a 3.58 ERA across 178 2/3 innings pitched. If the Phillies get that version of Luzardo, watch out.

Beyond their top five, the Phillies also have one of the top pitching prospects in baseball in Andrew Painter, who checked in at No. 11 in our preseason top 100.

Projected Bullpen

Bullpen Depth

1. Jordan Romano

2. Orion Kerkering

3. Jose Alvarado

4. Jose Ruiz

5. Tanner Banks

6. Joe Ross

7. Kyle Tyler

8. Taijuan Walker

Notable IL: Matt Strahm

The Phillies’ big offseason acquisition for their bullpen was former Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano.

After being non-tendered by Toronto, the Phillies inked Romano to a one-year, $8.5 million deal. Romano pitched to a 6.59 ERA in an injury-plagued year. However, in 2023, Romano pitched to a 2.90 ERA across 59 innings pitched. He also saved 36 games for the second year in a row.

The Phillies can deploy Romano in his familiar closer role, or they could always eventually give those opportunities to one of the nastiest young relievers in baseball with Orion Kerkering.

In his first full season, Kerkering pitched to a 2.29 ERA with 74 Ks across 63 innings pitched. They combine Kerkering’s youth, with a veteran flamethrower in Jose Alvarado, and the Phillies have three solid late-inning options to start the season.

Matt Strahm is expected to start the season on the IL with a shoulder injury, but when he comes back, the Phillies bullpen could become a real strength.

Outlook

The Phillies are entering year four of this window to win a World Series. Bryce Harper elevates his performance as well as any hitter in baseball come October, and the same can be said about Zack Wheeler headlining a deep Phillies rotation.

Offensively, the Phillies are probably a step behind the Mets and they might be two steps behind the overall depth and top-end talent of the Atlanta Braves. Still, the great separator for Philly is their pitching, which could very well carry them to another division crown in 2025.

1. Atlanta Braves

2024 Record: 89-73, Finished tied for 2nd in the NL East

Projected Opening Day Starting Lineup

Lineup vs. RHP/LHP

1. Jurickson Profar, LF

2. Austin Riley, 3B

3. Matt Olson, 1B

4. Marcell Ozuna, DH

5. Michael Harris II, CF

6. Ozzie Albies, 2B

7. Drake Baldwin, C

8. Orlando Arcia, SS

9. Jarred Kelenic/Bryan De La Cruz, RF

Notable IL: Sean Murphy, Ronald Acuña Jr.

Last year, the Atlanta Braves were riddled with injuries and they still won 89 games. If this team stays healthy, there is not another as talented in the NL East.

Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson are about as consistent of a left/right slugging duo that we have seen in Major League Baseball, particularly over the last two years. Ozuna and Olson have combined to hit more home runs and drive in more runs than any other teammates since 2023.

Those two were the constants in a Braves lineup that lost Ronald Acuña Jr. to a torn ACL, while Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, and Michael Harris II all battled injuries in 2024.

Luckily for Atlanta this year, Acuña’s injury is the only one that should carry over into the new season. Which presents the biggest x-factor for the Bravos.

Acuña is eying a May return, with the earliest possible series he could play being one against the World Champion Dodgers at home. If Acuña makes it back and looks like himself, the entire league could be put on notice that the Braves are as good as anyone.

Regardless of what happens in that series alone, or even with Acuña, that fact remains to be true about this Braves lineup.

Jurickson Profar was added to the fold, giving an Atlanta lineup with plenty of thump someone who can get on base at the top of the order. Something that will be especially important while they await Acuña’s return.

When 100%, few teams can compete with a lineup that includes Acuña, Profar, Riley, Olson, Ozuna and Albies. It really doesn’t matter who is hitting at the bottom third of your lineup if that’s what you are rocking with at the top.

Notable Depth/Bench

C Chadwick Tromp, UTL Nick Allen, UTL Eli White

One notable injury we have yet to mention is the one to starting catcher Sean Murphy, who can’t seem to catch a break for Atlanta. Murphy suffered a cracked rib on a hit by pitch at the end of February. Atlanta has yet to sign a replacement for Murphy, leaving the door open for one of their top prospects in Drake Baldwin.

Checking in at No. 17 in our top 100, Baldwin is a top-three catching prospect in baseball and is likely the one we see the most out of this season.

Coming off a great Arizona Fall League performance(.942 OPS), Baldwin has been an on-base machine this spring, reaching base at a .500 clip, en route to a .955 OPS across his first 11 games.

If the Braves don’t hand the keys to Baldwin to start the season, Chadwick Tromp would be the guy, unless they went outside the organization. Tromp is a fine backup defensively but leaves a lot to be desired with the bat.

Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz will likely form a platoon in right field to start the season, but would be moved to bench roles once Acuña returns.

Projected Starting Rotation

Rotation Depth Chart on Opening Day

1. Chris Sale

2. Spencer Schwellenbach

3. Reynaldo Lopez

4. Grant Holmes

5. Ian Anderson

Notable IL: Spencer Strider

The Atlanta Braves starting rotation might not be quite as dependable as what we can expect from the Phillies, but the ceiling is arguably even more tantalizing.

If the Braves ever get to the point this season where Chris Sale and Spencer Strider are both healthy and pitched at the peak of their powers, there may not be a better 1-2 punch in all of baseball. You have the reigning NL Cy Young and the guy who was predicted to win the award prior to the season.

Strider is coming off getting the internal brace procedure on his elbow, which has a shorter timetable to return than Tommy John surgery. This could have Strider back on the mound before the end of April. There is no telling how he will look upon return, but it’s hard to bet against Strider to figure it out and get back to being the dominant pitcher he once was.

If Strider is not able to manage the workload, or if Sale has another injury pitching in his age-36 season, the Braves still have two other potential frontline arms with Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach.

Across 135 2/3 innings pitched last year, Reynaldo Lopez posted a 1.99 ERA, with 148 strikeouts in his first year back in the starting rotation. Schwellbach was a rookie, making 21 starts and pitching to a 3.35 ERA in 123 2/3 innings pitched.

If the Braves can get more innings out of Schwellbach and Lopez, it would take a lot of the pressure off Sale and Strider atop the rotation. Ian Anderson and Grant Holmes will be key in that regard as well, with both slated to fill the back-end of the Braves rotation to start the year.

Projected Bullpen

Bullpen Depth

1. Raisel Iglesias

2. Pierce Johnson

3. Aaron Bummer

4. Dylan Lee

5. Hector Neris

6. Daysbel Hernandez

7. Angel Perdomo

8. Buck Farmer

Notable IL: Joe Jimenez

The Braves are one of those franchises in baseball where you can always count on them finding their way to a good bullpen.

Raisel Iglesias is one of the better closers in baseball, Aaron Bummer is coming off a solid bounce back season in his first year in Atlanta, and Pierce Johnson was very consistent for the Braves last year as well.

Dylan Lee pitched to a 2.11 ERA with 76 strikeouts across 59 2/3 innings pitched, giving the Braves another lefty they can turn to, along with Bummer. Joe Jimenez could miss the entirety of the 2025 season as he recovers from a surgically repaired knee.

In his place, the Braves signed Hector Neris to a minor league deal with an invite to camp. If Neris makes the team, he will look to flush a down-year in 2024, and get back to being a trusted high-leverage reliever like he has been throughout his career.

Outlook

The Atlanta Braves are the best team in the NL East on paper, and really are the one team in the entire National League that is as well-rounded as the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As our top ranked team in the NL East, we are predicting that the Atlanta Braves will flush their one-year aberration of not winning this division, and get right back on top this season.