This article is part of our Mound Musings series.
We're closing in on Opening Day, and the excitement is sure building. Things will change as spring training finishes up, but we have handled those changes on the fly. This is the fifth of six columns briefly reviewing the pitching staffs of all 30 teams. Remember, the Musings are intended to be interactive. Ask questions and share your opinions. That's what we're here for. Let's get to it and look at the:
National League East
Atlanta Braves – Many of the team pitching staff evaluations will focus on the "haves" and "have-nots" of MLB. No team ever really has enough pitching, but the Braves do appear to fall on the positive side of the ledger. I'm going to start with Spencer Strider. I admit, I was fooled by this pitcher. The first time I saw him, he looked okay, but nothing really special. The next time he was better, and then he was better again, and again. And, by the end of the season, I thought he was one of the best pitchers in the game. The only question is his return to health following a newer elbow surgery. The Braves also feature Chris Sale and he is a genuine ace, too. He says he feels better than he has in years, and he looks it. The Braves' staff is very good, and deep, so Reynaldo Lopez adds another veteran presence who can accumulate a lot of innings. Now we come to the back of the rotation with Spencer
We're closing in on Opening Day, and the excitement is sure building. Things will change as spring training finishes up, but we have handled those changes on the fly. This is the fifth of six columns briefly reviewing the pitching staffs of all 30 teams. Remember, the Musings are intended to be interactive. Ask questions and share your opinions. That's what we're here for. Let's get to it and look at the:
National League East
Atlanta Braves – Many of the team pitching staff evaluations will focus on the "haves" and "have-nots" of MLB. No team ever really has enough pitching, but the Braves do appear to fall on the positive side of the ledger. I'm going to start with Spencer Strider. I admit, I was fooled by this pitcher. The first time I saw him, he looked okay, but nothing really special. The next time he was better, and then he was better again, and again. And, by the end of the season, I thought he was one of the best pitchers in the game. The only question is his return to health following a newer elbow surgery. The Braves also feature Chris Sale and he is a genuine ace, too. He says he feels better than he has in years, and he looks it. The Braves' staff is very good, and deep, so Reynaldo Lopez adds another veteran presence who can accumulate a lot of innings. Now we come to the back of the rotation with Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder and maybe even Ian Anderson who is trying to rebuild his stock. They are all competent, which is quite a luxury these days. Top prospect AJ Smith-Shawver could also be in the mix if needed, but with only 29 MLB innings, he could use more seasoning at Triple-A.
Taking a quick look at the bullpen, Raisel Iglesias has stabilized a group that appeared headed for serious distress prior to his arrival. He is quite competent, and although I don't consider him top tier, he can hold his own. That probably leaves the eighth inning to former closer Pierce Johnson (who might actually be an even better option to close). Southpaws Aaron Bummer and Dylan Lee provide balance and are competent set-up arms. However, I would also keep an eye on Hector Neris, Daysbel Hernandez and the injured Joe Jimenez. They add considerable depth.
Recapping the Braves:
The arm to roster: Sale has looked good, so a huge year is again a real possibility.
He'll likely be overpriced: Schwellenbach hasn't convinced me he is the real deal.
Best of the bullpen: Iglesias, but keep an eye on Johnson if he gets regular work.
Miami Marlins – Exploring pitching staff members is fun. Teams like the Marlins are often even more fun. The Marlins are young, but they are progressing in an organization that is making a name for itself by developing young arms. Sandy Alcantara returns as their unquestioned No. 1 after missing 2024 following Tommy John surgery. There are some who think he has the highest ceiling of any pitcher in MLB. I'm not quite there, but I'm close. Unfortunately, Jesus Luzardo is gone, but there are still bullets in the gun. In my opinion, the duo of Ryan Weathers and the promising Edward Cabrera, also fit into the rotation mix, helped along by the pitcher-friendly home field. Next up is Eury Perez, but he isn't expected back until July. They brought in Cal Quantrill who spent last year with the Rockies, and they are keeping their options open with kids like 2020 first-round pick Max Meyer and Valente Bellozo. I am not sure they are legitimately ready for the show just yet, but Meyer is certainly not far off.
The Marlins bullpen is clearly not a strength of the team. At this writing, I count three or four (maybe more) candidates for saves. At the top of the list is Andrew Nardi, but anyone could emerge. Anthony Bender has also caught my eye. He has good, but not great, stuff, and has just an average strikeout rate. Other than that, he's perfect. Actually, Calvin Faucher, who had a solid year in 2024, might be the most likely candidate to pitch the ninth if Nardi stumbles, but he needs to sharpen his command. And, Jesus Tinoco, Declan Cronin, Lake Bachar and George Soriano could all get into the mix, although I think they are more likely to work in set-up roles.
The arm to manage: Alcantara might generate a feeding frenzy but he has huge upside.
He'll likely be overpriced: Cabrera is good but seems to be at least a bit overvalued.
Best of the bullpen: Faucher is my mild choice as the best in an undermanned bullpen.
New York Mets – The NL East has been a division deep in quality starting pitching, and the Mets, loaded with talent, are typically a part of that equation. The top spot will be manned by Kodai Senga. I'm tagging him as perhaps my biggest sleeper heading into this season. After Senga pitched just 18 innings in 2024 due to a laundry list of injuries, I think he's ready to have a huge season. They also have Sean Manaea (like him a lot, too) and Frankie Montas – or at least they will when the two get healthy – hopefully before mid-May. They also have Clay Holmes, a former reliever they are converting to a starter. Early results have been very encouraging. David Peterson is a solid starter when healthy. He is penciled into the four slot. The current plan is to have Tylor Megill and/or Griffin Canning hold down the five spot, and they fit in there. To begin the season, it also looks like a pair of adequate arms, Christian Scott and veteran Paul Blackburn could share some innings, at least until Manaea and Montas get healthy. So, the rotation is both capable and fairly deep when everyone is healthy.
Last year, Edwin Diaz, their ace closer bounced back from a knee suffered at the WBC that cost him the season. He looks healthy, but that doesn't mean he won't make you crazy with his bouts of wildness. It's just part of the package. Then, Ryne Stanek and lefty A.J. Minter should both be solid in set-up roles. They'll be joined by the steady Reed Garrett, Dedniel Nunez, and Genesis Cabrera.
Recapping the Mets:
The arm to roster: I find myself anticipating a very big year from Senga.
He'll likely be overpriced: He's not bad, but I'm not completely sold on Montas.
Best of the bullpen: Diaz is back, end of line.
Philadelphia Phillies – Like most teams, the Phillies' rotation presents an intriguing scenario. The staff has some upside, but it's not very deep, and that could present challenges in this rough division. They have two genuine aces. After years of frustrating injuries that always interrupted his progress, ace Zack Wheeler has now taken a regular turn every five days over the past few years. He's pitched well since putting the injuries behind him, and there's really no reason to think he won't again competently man the one spot in their rotation. Aaron Nola has been a favorite of mine since his college days. He is an exceptionally talented workhorse who thrives on competition, and those guys are always very appealing. He fits nicely at the top of pretty much any fantasy rotation. Now the question marks arise. The lackluster group following the top two includes Ranger Suarez who just doesn't excite me. Then, it gets really sketchy with perhaps Cristopher Sanchez, and Joe Ross, who has minimal upside, but might be better in the bullpen while he refines his skills. That leaves us shopping for someone capable of stepping in as a legitimate back-end starter, and newcomer Jesus Luzardo might be the guy. He has been a major disappointment, but he is better now than we've seen. They do also have a nice kid in Andrew Painter. He is still high on my kids list, but he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and hasn't pitched since, so he's more of a futures selection. Hopefully he gets back on the mound, but his workload will be limited.
In recent years the Phillies pen has given a whole new meaning to the term ugly. Every season – 2024 included – they bring in pretty much a whole new herd, and every season, the ugliness continues. The newest on the list is Jordan Romano, and he should be the favorite to close. At his best he was a genuine closer in Toronto. They also have lefty Jose Alvarado, who picked up 13 saves last year and Tanner Banks, who did some closing, but these guys are best suited to set-up work. Youngster Orion Kerkering is also a possible sleeper to grab saves if Romero scuffles. Interestingly, their best alternate option to close might be Matt Strahm but he is so versatile they might need him in many other places. Maybe 2025 is the year he gets more opportunities.
Recapping the Phillies:
The arm to roster: Nola, but I need a nice discount hoping for a bounce back.
He'll likely be overpriced: Suarez tends to out-pitch his overall stuff, but I'll pass.
Best of the bullpen: Romero is the clear choice if he can beat the Phillies jinx.
Washington Nationals – Like several other NL East teams, the Nationals are evolving. Two young guys are the hope for the future. Michael Soroka is realistically their No. 1 with Josiah Gray expected to miss most of the year. Soroka has paid the price, learning on the job after being pushed into service before he was ready. He has shown steady, albeit slow improvement due to injuries, and I expect that to continue. The other arm belongs to MacKenzie Gore. A longtime favorite of mine, he hasn't been able to find the strike zone consistently following a few injuries of his own. However, his stuff is still electric, and I'm betting it all comes together. Unfortunately, they'll be followed by some less spectacular arms. Trevor Williams is in the mix but he probably only fits now as an average No. 4 or 5. The other favorites to claim a spot are Jake Irvin and southpaws DJ Herz, and Mitchell Parker. Having recovered from Tommy John surgery, top prospect Cade Cavalli likely pushes his way into the rotation sometime this year.
The Nat's pen seemingly always needs a boost, and they have gotten some help from Kyle Finnegan, but he's not a true closer. I say that, but he has logged 66 saves the past two seasons. So, as the Nats look at alternatives, the top of the list is probably Jorge Lopez or Jose Ferrer, but newly acquired Lucas Sims also fits. If anything gets shaky, he could claim the job. If not, the Nats have other options in Derek Law (love his stuff) and veteran Colin Poche. A sleeper could be import Shinnosuke Ogasawara, who could get into the mix, but I think he fits best as a swingman.
Recapping the Nationals:
The arm to roster: Gore probably comes at a decent discount, and I'm buying.
He'll likely be overpriced: I think Williams is unlikely to pay any sort of dividend.
Best of the bullpen: Finnegan is plug-and-play until someone else steps up.
