NL East Predictions in 2008

It has been a year since Jimmy Rollins told the baseball world that the Philadelphia Phillies were the team to beat in the National League East during last season's spring training. Rollins' words came true and the Phillies went on to play October baseball after the New York Mets suffered the most devastating collapse in the history of baseball.

Leading the NL East by seven games on September 12, with 17 games left to play, the Metropolitans lost 12 of 17, and missed their chance at a one-game playoff with the Phillies when they were blown out at home by the Florida Marlins on the last day of the season.

This season there is no reason for the Mets to not win the East given the fact they boast the NL's top pitching staff. With the addition of Johan Santana, accompanied by Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Orlando Hernandez, and Oliver Perez, the rotation is solid from one through five.

The addition of Santana was by far the most significant move of the off-season for the entire league as the Mets added the best pitcher in all of baseball. Santana had no problem dominating the American League to this point in his career and with no designated hitter in the NL and less potent offenses, his wins total and low ERA could break records.

The New York offense is still very dangerous and if Jose Reyes can avoid falling into a second half funk the way he did last season, expect serious trouble for opposing pitchers on the base paths. Reyes' partner on the left side of the infield, is the most important factor in the New York lineup and It is scary to think that David Wright is only going to get better. Hitting between and around Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado will give him a chance to drive in over 100 runs once again and hopefully he will not have a slow start to the season like last year.

After the Mets, the only other team who has a chance to finish in first in the NL East is the Phillies and that chance appears to be slim right now. If the Phils can find a way to take the season series against the Mets by a large margin the way they did in '07, then they could possibly squeak past New York again late in the season. However, the addition of Santana alone puts the Mets on another level when comparing them to the rest of the competition in the East.

But Phillies fans should not be worried about the East, as their club is still a strong favorite to clinch the wild card berth. Philadelphia will be in a tight race for the fourth and final playoff spot from Opening Day until Game 162 with the NL West fielding four strong teams in 2008. Arizona, Colorado, Los Angeles, and San Diego all have a legitimate shot to win their division and the three clubs that do not clinch the division will be right there all season long for the wild card. After the stunning division races of last September, which included a one-game playoff, there is a chance this fall can be just as crazy with the number of elite teams throughout the league now.

When the last out of 2008 is made, it is hard to see any team but the Mets standing atop the NL East, with Philadelphia only a few games back. Atlanta is not yet on the same level as New York and Philadelphia as their pitching is in shambles and with Florida and Washington battling to stay out of the basement, the Mets have a pretty easy path to the playoffs.

Atlanta will be able to beat up on the bad teams in the NL, but will struggle with clubs over .500, leaving them in third place in the East this season. Washington is opening a new ballpark this season and should have people in the seats until they are mathematically eliminated early on. The loss of Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera to Detroit is the sole reason Florida will be unable to stay ahead of Washington in the standings and the Nationals will take fourth place leaving the Marlins in the basement.

The 2008 season should be an exciting one with old faces in new places all over Major League Baseball. But, in the East it will come down to the blockbuster move that landed Johan Santana in Queens.

Meet the Mets, your 2008 NL East champions. Step right up and greet the Mets.