Where the Mets rank in the NL East entering 2022

The National League East is the home of the reigning World Series Champion Atlanta Braves. However, the New York Mets made some significant moves this offseason and are looking to take back the divisional crown.

Where do the Mets stack up in a crowded NL East?

This division figures to be one of the most competitive in all of baseball, as four of the five teams have made the World Series since 2010 and three of them have won it. Even the Marlins, who are the only team that hasn't made it that far in recent years, are on the upswing as they have a talented, young roster that is looking to make some noise this year, with playoffs having been expanded. Although it's a talented division, someone will have to come out on top, and here is how the division ranks up at this point in time.

5. Washington Nationals

Despite winning the World Series in 2019, the Washington Nationals quickly began rebuilding after losing Anthony Rendon in free agency, and losing Bryce Harper the year prior the same way. Last season the team traded away star shortstop Trae Turner to the Dodgers, along with superstar pitcher Max Scherzer, but they acquired two top end prospects in return, who the team hopes will be part of their core moving forwards, as well as two lesser prospects.

The two top tier prospects they got back are Josiah Gray, a starting pitcher and Keibert Ruiz, a catcher. Gray will likely slot in as the number two starting pitcher in the rotation, while Ruiz figures to be the team's starting catcher. It's unclear if the two will pan out or not, but their talents are undeniable, and if they live up to their lofty potentials, the team could have two more cornerstone pieces at crucial positions.

As for the rest of their roster, the Nationals are centered around Juan Soto, arguably the best player in all of baseball. Soto will undoubtedly give the Mets, and the rest of the NL East headaches for years to come, and the team helped him out by getting him some protection in the lineup, in the way of signing Nelson Cruz. The 41-year old designated hitter hasn't slowed down, as he continues to be one of the premier power bats in MLB, and should slot in between Soto and power-hitting first baseman Josh Bell.

Unfortunately for the Nationals, the rest of their lineup is fairly weak, as is much of their pitching staff. While Stephen Strasburg is still one of the better pitchers in baseball, he has struggled to stay healthy over his career, and Patrick Corbin slots in as the third starter, but he looked like a shell of his former self last season. Add in a weak back end of the rotation, with a weak bullpen, headed by an aging Sean Doolittle, and it's easy to see why the Nationals will likely come in last place. However, despite being the worst team in the division, the Nationals do feature some truly exciting players.

4. Miami Marlins

While the Marlins may not have the big names that the Nationals have, they are much better than people think. The Marlins have an extremely young team that is on the rise, and the main reason for their rise is their pitching staff. Sandy Alcantara heads a young pitching staff that features established young starters: Trevor Rogers and Pablo Lopez. Rogers was named to the All-Star team last year as a rookie, while Alcantara threw over 200 innings, and served as the ace of the staff, and Lopez pitched to an ERA just over 3.0. Add in tantalizing young arms Jesus Luzardo and Sixto Sanchez, and the Marlins could have one of the most dominant rotations in all of baseball this year.

As for the offense, the team may not boast a top-end lineup, but they surely are no slouches either. Newly acquired Jorge Soler figures to bolster the lineup, after signing a three-year contract last week with the team. The World Series hero proved he can play in the clutch last year for the Braves and will join the likes of Jazz Chisholm, Jesus Aguilar, Joey Wendle, Miguel Rojas, and Avisail Garcia. While it is not one of the most potent offenses in the league they can surely hold their own.

Like the rest of their team, the Miami bullpen is not comprised of any big names, however the unit as a whole pitched very well last year. Dylan Floro flourished in the closer role last year, and figures to return to it this season after pitching to a 2.81 ERA with 15 saves in 64 innings, according to Baseball Reference. He is joined by Anthony Bender, Richard Bleier, and Steven Okert, all of whom had ERA's under 3.0 last season. If the team can get results like that out of their bullpen again this season, they should have one of the league's better bullpens.

Despite losing, Starling Marte and Adam Duvall the Marlins figure to be the fourth best team in the division, while likely seeing some improvement upon their 67 win season last year. While their lineup may hold them back a bit, they have one of the most underrated pitching staffs in all of baseball, and play in a pitcher friendly ballpark, which should aid them heavily.

2. New York Mets

Steve Cohen and the New York Mets made some huge splashes this offseason, signing Max Scherzer and Starling Marte, while also bringing in Mark Canha, Eduardo Escobar, and Adam Ottavino. Despite the likely loss of Michael Conforto, the team boasts a lineup that features: Marte, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeill. With a talented core, the Mets should have a high-end offense this year, especially if Lindor, McNeill, and Dominic Smith have bounce-back seasons.

However, despite the potentially potent lineup, the thing that jumps out about this Mets team is their dominant duo atop the rotation with Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer. deGrom is widely regarded as the top pitcher in baseball, and Scherzer has been in the top five since signing with the Nationals. But the rest of their rotation is no slouch either, as Carlos Carrasco, Chris Bassitt, and Taijuan Walker join the group. The acquisition of Bassitt in a trade with the Athletics was the move the rotation needed in order to fully take shape, and health permitting it could be the best rotation in the league.

Meanwhile in the bullpen, while talented, it is not nearly as sure of a thing. The bullpen was the team's weak point last year, and they lost their top option, Aaron Loup in free agency this year. However, the team does have some high quality arms including: Seth Lugo, Edwin Diaz, Trevor May, and Adam Ottavino. Each of these pitchers has shown elite upside at some point in their career, and while most of them were solid last year, the team needs at least one of them to pitch at a high level.

While the Mets upside is as high, if not higher than any other team in the division, there are two things that are holding them back from the top spot: injuries and experience. The Mets have proven year in and year out that they get bit by the injury bug more than most teams, and more often than not they have been unable to overcome those injuries. As for experience, much of this team has never made a deep playoff run, and some have never played in the playoffs at all, which knocks them back a notch. If the team stays healthy, or can prove they can overcome injuries, they should be a playoff team, and will have an opportunity to prove that they can play when the pressure is on.

1. Atlanta Braves

It should come as no surprise that the Atlanta Braves come in as the top team in the NL East. While the loss of Freddie Freeman in free agency does slightly close the gap between them and the Mets, they still have the edge due to their talent, youth, and championship pedigree. The team gets Ronald Acuna Jr. back from a torn ACL that caused him to miss the second half of the season and the whole postseason, and added Matt Olson to replace Freeman at first base. Those two bats join a lineup that already features: Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, Eddie Rosario, and Adam Duvall. Their young core makes for a lineup that is likely only second to the Los Angeles Dodgers, even after the loss of Freeman.

The team has a strong starting rotation as well, as they have two budding stars in Max Fried and Ian Anderson, as well as a trusted veteran in Charlie Morton. Add to that the return of Mike Soroka, who was on his way to becoming the ace of the staff, before tearing his Achilles, and missing almost two full seasons. If Soroka can return to form, their top four can be dominant, and then add in talented young right-hander Huascar Ynoa, and the rotation adds even more upside.

The Braves even focused on strengthening their bullpen this season by adding Kenley Jansen and Collin McHugh to the group. The two join an already above-average group that featured: Will Smith, Tyler Matzek, AJ Minter, and Luke Jackson. The two free-agent additions give the team six trusted arms, with three right-handers, and three left-handers. Jansen and Smith both have plenty of ninth-inning experience, and McHugh's time as a starter allows him to serve him as a long-reliever if necessary. Add to that the big-game experience that each pitcher has, and it's easy to see why this unit is so highly regarded.

While the Mets and Phillies have made some key additions this offseason, and should be making noise in October, the Braves remain the cream of the crop in one of the league's best divisions, while everyone else is still chasing after them. It would be no surprise if any of these three teams made a deep playoff run and possibly represented the National League in the NLCS or the World Series. Meanwhile, the Marlins and Nationals, may not be the same caliber of team, but each has some young and exciting players, and it would be no surprise if either team's young cores helps lead them back to the playoffs sooner rather than later.