Ranking the top 25 players in the National League East for 2023

The 2023 Major League Baseball season gets underway in just under two months now, and the National League East is infused with so much talent that will make the division one of the areas to watch around the league this season, which will pose challenges for the New York Mets.

The division this year has two teams coming off 100+ win seasons, another coming off a surprise run to the World Series, the American and National League Cy Young winners and batting champions from last year, and a surplus of marquee stars. These teams will be the subject of many national broadcasts, and you can argue three of the four or five best teams in the National League come from the East.

We knew there were going to be some brutal exclusions from this list because three teams have such deep rosters that it was impossible to include all the impact players from around the division. Nonetheless, here are the top 25 players in the NL East for the 2023 season.

25. Joey Meneses, Washington Nationals

Joey Meneses was the most exciting player on the Nationals the last two months of the season, hitting .324 with 13 home runs and a .930 OPS in 240 plate appearances. He made his MLB debut in August after spending more than a decade in the minors with four organizations before he broke through last summer in an underrated feel-good story. He is projected to be the Nats' best hitter in 2023, is primed for a 30-home run season, and could play spoiler for opponents in pennant races.

24. Rhys Hoskins, Philadelphia Phillies

Hoskins is coming off a year where he hit 30 home runs in the regular season and six more in the playoffs, including four in the team's NLCS win over San Diego. Hoskins has had an OPS+ of 120 or better in five of his six seasons in the majors, and provides needed protection in the lineup for the team's other star sluggers.

23. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies

Kyle Schwarber goes into the 2023 season as the defending NL home run champion, as he hit 46 of them during the regular season and six more in the playoffs. Schwarber will be tasked with being the team's most reliable source of home run power at least for the first half of this season as Bryce Harper is recovering from surgery. But when Schwarber is hot, he is the most immovable object in baseball. But he did hit just .218 last year and struck out a major league high 200 times last year.

22. Starling Marte, New York Mets

Marte had a marvelous first campaign in Flushing last year as a dynamic all-around player, batting .292 with 16 home runs and 18 stolen bases and was named to his second career All-Star team. Marte will help set the tables for a strong New York lineup from the No. 2 spot in the lineup again this season.

21. Luis Arraez, Miami Marlins

The Marlins acquired 2022 AL batting champ Luis Arraez in a big trade with the Minnesota Twins on January 20 and he becomes the team's best leadoff hitter since Hanley Ramirez. He is one of the best contact hitters in baseball and has more walks in his four-year career than strikeouts, and was the toughest hitter to strike out in baseball last year, averaging 12.7 at-bats per strikeout. His strengths will play brilliantly into spacious loanDepot Park in Miami.