Handicapping the NL East

With roughly two months to play in the 2007 Major League Baseball campaign, I am giving my division outlooks on how teams will finish up. Keep in mind, I am not a professional in any way....please do not make bets based on what I say.

This is part three. Yesterday we focused on the NL Central and NL West. Today we are looking at the other division in the NL...the East. At the beginning of the season, most people picked the Mets or Phillies to win. I was among those that said the Mets would. So far, I have turned out right but two months is a long time still.

Current standings (July 20)

New York 53-42
Atlanta 51-45 2 1/2 GB
Philadelphia 47-48 6 GB
Florida 45-51 8 1/2 GB
Washington 40-55 13 GB

Now for team by team looks.....

New York - Have led the division since day 1 and I see them going wire to wire this season. They have had some close calls with both Atlanta and Philadelphia getting near them but through it all the Mets have remained on top. The team that has constantly been referred to as "that other New York team" is starting to prove they should not be left under the Yankees shadows (could be due to their division though). Their hitting is among the leagues lesser teams and their pitching si far from stellar. Somehow, they do just enough to win ballgames. In the end, thats what matters. I still say they are the team to beat in the division even though they struggle against other top tier teams. They have the talent to win which is why I give them odds of 5 to 1

Atlanta - Once again, Bobby Cox has this team contending for the division title. Even though their pitchers have done the job, this is a ballclub that probably needs one more starting pitcher to be taken as a major player in the National League. Andruw Jones is having one of the worst seasons in his career, hitting only .220 while striking out 90 times in 94 games played. The scary part is, those numbers are an improvement over a few weeks ago. Tim Hudson and John Smoltz are as good as any 1-2 starting combination in the NL (with the exception of Jake Peavy and Chris Young in San Diego) and so far they have helped this team out. They won't be enough though as I see the Braves coming up just short of the Mets. The wild card is not out of the question though. Odds 8 to 1

Philadelphia - This team is the biggest mystery of the division. Who knows which team will show up game to game with these guys? One game they pound the Dodgers for 26 hits then two nights later they might be shutout on 2 hits. They are good enough to put together a run and challenge the Mets as they did earlier this season but, then they fall off and they go right back to where they are now. They are the best hitting team in the NL so obviously their pitching is the big problem. They should get some help with Tom Gordon, Brett Myers and Freddy Garcia coming back soon. Will it be soon enough to help out the teams ace, Cole Hamels? My guess is no. Odds 10 to 1

Florida - The biggest question in South Florida is will Dontrelle Willis end the season pitching for the Marlins? My guess is that he will if the GM of the Fish knows what he is doing (and he is considered one of the better ones). I would expect the Marlins to make some moves to get younger players in return for what they have now. They aren't going anywhere this season, so build for the future! Odds 30 to 1

Washington - Is it time to bring back the old saying about Washington teams, only with a minor twist? It was always said that Washington was "First in war, first in peace, last in the American League" back in the Senator days. Well the Nationals play in the National League so that would have to change. This is a franchise that is just backwards in every way in my eyes. They started in Montreal and had some decent years (1981 and 1994 come to mind) but their second playoff trip (1981 was the other) is a long time coming. Odds 75 to 1

That wraps up the look at the National League.....next up the American League East.