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Every team has its strengths and weaknesses. Here's a look at how the National League East clubs rank.
Starting pitching
1. Braves: Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, Kenshin Kawakami
2. Phillies: Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels (L), Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ (L), Jamie Moyer (L)
3. Marlins: Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Chris Volstad, Anibal Sanchez, Rick VandenHurk or Clay Hensley
4. Mets: Johan Santana (L), Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez (L), John Maine, Jonathan Niese (L)
5. Nationals: John Lannan (L), Jason Marquis, Craig Stammen, Livan Hernandez, Garrett Mock or Scott Olsen (L)
Breakdown
Lowe was the weak link in Atlanta's rotation last season. And he won 15 games. When the decision was made to re-sign Hudson, somebody had to go. It turned out to be Javier Vazquez, but with a full season from Hanson and Hudson fully recovered from shoulder surgery, Braves starters could do even better than last year's 3.52 ERA, assuming Jurrjens is completely over early spring shoulder issues. Any rotation with Halladay at the top will be formidable but Phillies still have to see if Hamels bounces back, if Happ can repeat his strong rookie season and if the 47-year-old Moyer has anything left. Johnson and Nolasco give the Marlins a strong 1-2, but the key will be whether Volstad and Sanchez can once again pitch to their presumed potential. Mets question marks even extend to Santana, who is coming off surgery to remove six bone chips from his elbow. Pelfrey must establish himself as a legitimate No. 2 starter and Perez was a huge disappointment in the first season of his 3-year, $36 million free agent contract. Before the season is over, heralded Nationals rookie Stephen Strasburg should arrive and Chien-Ming Wang, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler are expected to return from injuries. When that happens, the Nationals rotation will offer a lot of promise. Right now, not so much.
Relief pitching
Rankings
1. Mets: Closer Francisco Rodriguez. Jenrry Mejia, Pedro Feliciano (L), Ryota Igarashi, Hisanori Takahashi (L), Fernando Nieve, Bobby Parnell
2. Braves: Closer Billy Wagner (L). Takashi Saito, Peter Moylan, Eric O'Flaherty (L), Kris Medlen, Jesse Chavez, Scott Proctor or Jo-Jo Reyes (L) or Jonny Venters (L)
3. Phillies: Closer Ryan Madson. Danys Baez, Jose Contreras, Chad Durbin, David Herndon, Antonio Bastardo (L), Kyle Kendrick
4. Marlins: Closer Leo Nunez.
Jose Veras, Brian Sanches, Renyel Pinto (L), Burke Badenhop, Dan Meyer (L), Seth McClung
5. Nationals: Closer Matt Capps. Brian Bruney, Jason Bergmann, Tyler Clippard, Sean Burnett (L), Tyler Walker, Miguel Batista
Breakdown
After suffering pink eye early in spring training, Rodriguez has decided to go back to wearing goggles. "It makes him look menacing," said Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen. So does 35 saves for a team that won only 70 games. Mejia, 20, has been compared to a young Mariano Rivera. The Braves are gambling that Wagner, 38, and Saito, 40, still have something left. And that Moylan does, too, after appearing in 87 games last year. Proctor, coming off Tommy John elbow surgery, may not be ready for Opening Day. The Phillies should be better once Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero return. Even then, they're still wagering that Baez and Contreras will be healthy and effective and that Bastardo can hold his own as the only lefty in the pen until Romero returns. If Nunez falters, the Marlins don't have an obvious fallback plan. Derrick Turnbow was released after blowing out his shoulder in his second Grapefruit League outing. Mike MacDougal and McClung had spotty springs after signing minor league deals although another nonroster invitee, Veras, had intermittent success. New Nationals closer Capps has experience in that role, but also had a 5.80 ERA and a .324 opponents batting average for Pittsburgh last season. And he was hit hard this spring. Bruney or Bergmann may be options.
Infield
Rankings
1. Phillies: 1B Ryan Howard, 2B Chase Utley, SS, Jimmy Rollins, 3B Placido Polanco, C Carlos Ruiz
2. Marlins: 1B Gaby Sanchez, 2B Dan Uggla, SS Hanley Ramirez, 3B Jorge Cantu, C John Baker or Ronny Paulino
3. Braves: 1B Troy Glaus, 2B Martin Prado, SS Yunel Escobar, 3B Chipper Jones, C Brian McCann
4. Nationals: 1B Adam Dunn, 2B Adam Kennedy, SS Ian Desmond, 3B Ryan Zimmerman, C Ivan Rodriguez
5. Mets: 1B Daniel Murphy, 2B Luis Castillo, SS Jose Reyes, 3B David Wright, C Rod Barajas
Breakdown
The Phillies took one of the best infields in baseball and, offensively at least, improved it somewhat by getting Polanco to replace Pedro Feliz at third. Howard is always a threat to compete for the MVP. Utley and Rollins have slipped statistically a bit in the past couple seasons but there's no reason why both can't have big years. Ruiz continues to improve at the plate. Marlins shortstop Ramirez is an MVP waiting to happen. Sanchez has apparently beaten out touted prospect Logan Morrison for Florida. The Braves signed Troy Glaus to strengthen their lineup, but he has to be considered something of a question mark. He's 33 and missed most of last season with injuries. Prado batted .307 after beating out Kelly Johnson and appears to be the real deal, but Jones hasn't been healthy for a full season in years. McCann has made four straight All-Star teams. Dunn will hit a lot of homers for the Nationals and Zimmerman remains the cornerstone of the franchise. Cristian Guzman lost his job to Desmond even though he'll make $8 million this year. The Mets are a mess. Wright lost his power last year. Reyes is coming off a serious injury. Murphy could lose his job to hot prospect Ike Davis. And Barajas is a journeyman.
Outfield
Rankings
1. Phillies: LF Raul Ibanez, CF Shane Victorino, RF Jayson Werth
2. Mets: LF Jason Bay, CF Angel Pagan, RF Jeff Francoeur
3. Marlins: LF Chris Coghlan, CF Cameron Maybin, RF Cody Ross
4. Braves: LF Melky Cabrera or Matt Diaz, CF Nate McLouth, RF Jason Heyward
5. Nationals: LF Josh Willingham, CF Nyjer Morgan, RF Willie Harris
Breakdown
All three Phillies outfielders made the All-Star team in 2009 but Ibanez struggled in the second half while playing with a sports hernia that required postseason surgery. He has struggled this spring, which is a concern only because he's coming off an injury and turns 38 in June. Bay is a huge upgrade in left for the Mets and Francoeur revived his career after being traded to Queens at midseason. Carlos Beltran (knee) is expected back in May. When he returns, New York's outfield will rank right up there. Coghlan is the Marlins' reigning rookie of the year and Ross is one of the league's more underrated players. But Maybin still has to live to up his promise. The Braves have almost completely revamped their outfield from the start of last season. Cabrera came from the Yankees in the Javier Vazquez trade and McLouth was a midseason pickup last year. But all eyes will be on NL Rookie of the Year front-runner Heyward. After releasing Elijah Dukes, the Nationals left themselves without a legitimate rightfielder; New manager Jim Riggleman will mix-and-match with Mike Morse and Willy Taveras also getting playing time. Morgan was a sparkplug after being acquired from the Pirates last year.
Bench
Rankings
1. Phillies: IF-OF Greg Dobbs, IF Juan Castro, OF Ben Francisco, OF-IF Ross Gload, C Brian Schneider
2. Marlins: IF Wes Helms, IF Emilio Bonifacio, C John Baker or C Ronny Paulino, IF Mike Lamb, IF Brian Barden
3. Mets: OF Gary Matthews Jr., IF Alex Cora, IF Fernando Tatis, C Henry Blanco, OF Mike Jacobs or OF Frank Catalanotto
4. Braves: OF Matt Diaz or OF Melky Cabrera, IF Omar Infante, IF Eric Hinske, C David Ross, IF Brooks Conrad or IF Joe Thurston
5. Nationals: OF Mike Morse, OF Willy Taveras, C Wil Nieves, IF Cristain Guzman, IF-OF Eric Bruntlett or IF Alberto Gonzalez
Breakdown
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has vowed to use his bench more this season to give his regulars some rest. That should help the extra men stay sharper than they did in 2009. Dobbs and Gload are both lefthanded hitters, which could be a redundancy. Baker and Paulino give the Marlins a solid platoon behind the plate. Helms is a professional bat and Bonifacio adds speed. The Mets have a lot of veteran experience available to come off the bench. Braves will likely platoon in left, but overall the depth is thin. The Nationals decision to go with rookie Ian Desmond at shortstop puts the veteran Guzman on the bench.
Intangibles
Rankings
1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Marlins
4. Nationals
5. Mets
Breakdown
If success breeds success, the Phillies should be in good shape once again this season, bringing back most of the team that has gone to the World Series the last 2 years and adding Roy Halladay and Placido Polanco to the mix. But does a team that has made a significant midseason move each year recently have the available prospects and payroll flexibility to do it again? The Braves are on the upswing and have the added incentive of trying to send respected manager Bobby Cox, who is retiring at the end of the season, out a winner. The Marlins kept their nucleus largely intact and have a new stadium on track to open in 2012. But management's bullish comments about making the playoffs have painted a bull's eye on manager Fredi Gonzalez. After a turbulent season in which both general manager Jim Bowden and manager Manny Acta were fired, the Nationals are trying to right the ship. It isn't as easy to put 103 losses in the rear view mirror, though. The Mets season starts with both manager Jerry Manuel and general manager Omar Minaya rumored to be under the gun. That, plus continuing scrutiny of the team's handling of medical issues and a tough early schedule, can only hurt.
Starting pitching
1. Braves: Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, Kenshin Kawakami
2. Phillies: Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels (L), Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ (L), Jamie Moyer (L)
3. Marlins: Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Chris Volstad, Anibal Sanchez, Rick VandenHurk or Clay Hensley
4. Mets: Johan Santana (L), Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez (L), John Maine, Jonathan Niese (L)
5. Nationals: John Lannan (L), Jason Marquis, Craig Stammen, Livan Hernandez, Garrett Mock or Scott Olsen (L)
Breakdown
Lowe was the weak link in Atlanta's rotation last season. And he won 15 games. When the decision was made to re-sign Hudson, somebody had to go. It turned out to be Javier Vazquez, but with a full season from Hanson and Hudson fully recovered from shoulder surgery, Braves starters could do even better than last year's 3.52 ERA, assuming Jurrjens is completely over early spring shoulder issues. Any rotation with Halladay at the top will be formidable but Phillies still have to see if Hamels bounces back, if Happ can repeat his strong rookie season and if the 47-year-old Moyer has anything left. Johnson and Nolasco give the Marlins a strong 1-2, but the key will be whether Volstad and Sanchez can once again pitch to their presumed potential. Mets question marks even extend to Santana, who is coming off surgery to remove six bone chips from his elbow. Pelfrey must establish himself as a legitimate No. 2 starter and Perez was a huge disappointment in the first season of his 3-year, $36 million free agent contract. Before the season is over, heralded Nationals rookie Stephen Strasburg should arrive and Chien-Ming Wang, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler are expected to return from injuries. When that happens, the Nationals rotation will offer a lot of promise. Right now, not so much.
Relief pitching
Rankings
1. Mets: Closer Francisco Rodriguez. Jenrry Mejia, Pedro Feliciano (L), Ryota Igarashi, Hisanori Takahashi (L), Fernando Nieve, Bobby Parnell
2. Braves: Closer Billy Wagner (L). Takashi Saito, Peter Moylan, Eric O'Flaherty (L), Kris Medlen, Jesse Chavez, Scott Proctor or Jo-Jo Reyes (L) or Jonny Venters (L)
3. Phillies: Closer Ryan Madson. Danys Baez, Jose Contreras, Chad Durbin, David Herndon, Antonio Bastardo (L), Kyle Kendrick
4. Marlins: Closer Leo Nunez.
Jose Veras, Brian Sanches, Renyel Pinto (L), Burke Badenhop, Dan Meyer (L), Seth McClung
5. Nationals: Closer Matt Capps. Brian Bruney, Jason Bergmann, Tyler Clippard, Sean Burnett (L), Tyler Walker, Miguel Batista
Breakdown
After suffering pink eye early in spring training, Rodriguez has decided to go back to wearing goggles. "It makes him look menacing," said Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen. So does 35 saves for a team that won only 70 games. Mejia, 20, has been compared to a young Mariano Rivera. The Braves are gambling that Wagner, 38, and Saito, 40, still have something left. And that Moylan does, too, after appearing in 87 games last year. Proctor, coming off Tommy John elbow surgery, may not be ready for Opening Day. The Phillies should be better once Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero return. Even then, they're still wagering that Baez and Contreras will be healthy and effective and that Bastardo can hold his own as the only lefty in the pen until Romero returns. If Nunez falters, the Marlins don't have an obvious fallback plan. Derrick Turnbow was released after blowing out his shoulder in his second Grapefruit League outing. Mike MacDougal and McClung had spotty springs after signing minor league deals although another nonroster invitee, Veras, had intermittent success. New Nationals closer Capps has experience in that role, but also had a 5.80 ERA and a .324 opponents batting average for Pittsburgh last season. And he was hit hard this spring. Bruney or Bergmann may be options.
Infield
Rankings
1. Phillies: 1B Ryan Howard, 2B Chase Utley, SS, Jimmy Rollins, 3B Placido Polanco, C Carlos Ruiz
2. Marlins: 1B Gaby Sanchez, 2B Dan Uggla, SS Hanley Ramirez, 3B Jorge Cantu, C John Baker or Ronny Paulino
3. Braves: 1B Troy Glaus, 2B Martin Prado, SS Yunel Escobar, 3B Chipper Jones, C Brian McCann
4. Nationals: 1B Adam Dunn, 2B Adam Kennedy, SS Ian Desmond, 3B Ryan Zimmerman, C Ivan Rodriguez
5. Mets: 1B Daniel Murphy, 2B Luis Castillo, SS Jose Reyes, 3B David Wright, C Rod Barajas
Breakdown
The Phillies took one of the best infields in baseball and, offensively at least, improved it somewhat by getting Polanco to replace Pedro Feliz at third. Howard is always a threat to compete for the MVP. Utley and Rollins have slipped statistically a bit in the past couple seasons but there's no reason why both can't have big years. Ruiz continues to improve at the plate. Marlins shortstop Ramirez is an MVP waiting to happen. Sanchez has apparently beaten out touted prospect Logan Morrison for Florida. The Braves signed Troy Glaus to strengthen their lineup, but he has to be considered something of a question mark. He's 33 and missed most of last season with injuries. Prado batted .307 after beating out Kelly Johnson and appears to be the real deal, but Jones hasn't been healthy for a full season in years. McCann has made four straight All-Star teams. Dunn will hit a lot of homers for the Nationals and Zimmerman remains the cornerstone of the franchise. Cristian Guzman lost his job to Desmond even though he'll make $8 million this year. The Mets are a mess. Wright lost his power last year. Reyes is coming off a serious injury. Murphy could lose his job to hot prospect Ike Davis. And Barajas is a journeyman.
Outfield
Rankings
1. Phillies: LF Raul Ibanez, CF Shane Victorino, RF Jayson Werth
2. Mets: LF Jason Bay, CF Angel Pagan, RF Jeff Francoeur
3. Marlins: LF Chris Coghlan, CF Cameron Maybin, RF Cody Ross
4. Braves: LF Melky Cabrera or Matt Diaz, CF Nate McLouth, RF Jason Heyward
5. Nationals: LF Josh Willingham, CF Nyjer Morgan, RF Willie Harris
Breakdown
All three Phillies outfielders made the All-Star team in 2009 but Ibanez struggled in the second half while playing with a sports hernia that required postseason surgery. He has struggled this spring, which is a concern only because he's coming off an injury and turns 38 in June. Bay is a huge upgrade in left for the Mets and Francoeur revived his career after being traded to Queens at midseason. Carlos Beltran (knee) is expected back in May. When he returns, New York's outfield will rank right up there. Coghlan is the Marlins' reigning rookie of the year and Ross is one of the league's more underrated players. But Maybin still has to live to up his promise. The Braves have almost completely revamped their outfield from the start of last season. Cabrera came from the Yankees in the Javier Vazquez trade and McLouth was a midseason pickup last year. But all eyes will be on NL Rookie of the Year front-runner Heyward. After releasing Elijah Dukes, the Nationals left themselves without a legitimate rightfielder; New manager Jim Riggleman will mix-and-match with Mike Morse and Willy Taveras also getting playing time. Morgan was a sparkplug after being acquired from the Pirates last year.
Bench
Rankings
1. Phillies: IF-OF Greg Dobbs, IF Juan Castro, OF Ben Francisco, OF-IF Ross Gload, C Brian Schneider
2. Marlins: IF Wes Helms, IF Emilio Bonifacio, C John Baker or C Ronny Paulino, IF Mike Lamb, IF Brian Barden
3. Mets: OF Gary Matthews Jr., IF Alex Cora, IF Fernando Tatis, C Henry Blanco, OF Mike Jacobs or OF Frank Catalanotto
4. Braves: OF Matt Diaz or OF Melky Cabrera, IF Omar Infante, IF Eric Hinske, C David Ross, IF Brooks Conrad or IF Joe Thurston
5. Nationals: OF Mike Morse, OF Willy Taveras, C Wil Nieves, IF Cristain Guzman, IF-OF Eric Bruntlett or IF Alberto Gonzalez
Breakdown
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has vowed to use his bench more this season to give his regulars some rest. That should help the extra men stay sharper than they did in 2009. Dobbs and Gload are both lefthanded hitters, which could be a redundancy. Baker and Paulino give the Marlins a solid platoon behind the plate. Helms is a professional bat and Bonifacio adds speed. The Mets have a lot of veteran experience available to come off the bench. Braves will likely platoon in left, but overall the depth is thin. The Nationals decision to go with rookie Ian Desmond at shortstop puts the veteran Guzman on the bench.
Intangibles
Rankings
1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Marlins
4. Nationals
5. Mets
Breakdown
If success breeds success, the Phillies should be in good shape once again this season, bringing back most of the team that has gone to the World Series the last 2 years and adding Roy Halladay and Placido Polanco to the mix. But does a team that has made a significant midseason move each year recently have the available prospects and payroll flexibility to do it again? The Braves are on the upswing and have the added incentive of trying to send respected manager Bobby Cox, who is retiring at the end of the season, out a winner. The Marlins kept their nucleus largely intact and have a new stadium on track to open in 2012. But management's bullish comments about making the playoffs have painted a bull's eye on manager Fredi Gonzalez. After a turbulent season in which both general manager Jim Bowden and manager Manny Acta were fired, the Nationals are trying to right the ship. It isn't as easy to put 103 losses in the rear view mirror, though. The Mets season starts with both manager Jerry Manuel and general manager Omar Minaya rumored to be under the gun. That, plus continuing scrutiny of the team's handling of medical issues and a tough early schedule, can only hurt.
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