NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto is back in the NL East, a much richer man with a new address and a different uniform.
Same powerful bat, though. Again a serious problem for Braves and Phillies pitchers.
Following a World Series appearance for the New York Yankees last year, Soto jumped across town and signed a record $765 million, 15-year contract with the Mets in free agency. The four-time All-Star slugger returns to a division where he played for the Washington Nationals from 2018-22, helping them win a 2019 championship before they traded him to San Diego nearly three years later.
His future finally settled, the 26-year-old Soto now joins Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso on a free-spending New York team coming off a surprising trip to the National League Championship Series.
Needless to say, expectations at Citi Field are soaring.
“We want to win and we have an owner that is willing to do whatever it takes,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.
It won’t be easy to overcome Philadelphia and Atlanta in a division the Mets haven’t won since 2015.
Sporting a special tattoo, Bryce Harper and the Phillies are the defending champs after ending the Braves’ six-year run atop the NL East standings. Philadelphia is seeking its fourth straight playoff berth, Atlanta its eighth — and both clubs still hold a pair of aces in the rotation to complement a dangerous lineup. Wheeler and Aaron Nola headline Philly’s staff, while the Braves feature 2024 NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale and All-Star Reynaldo López.
All three teams ranked among the top seven MLB clubs in payroll after spending at least $233 million apiece. With the young Nationals still under reconstruction after showing signs of improvement in 2024, and the new-look Miami Marlins seemingly in the early stages of a massive purge and rebuild, the NL East once again shapes up as a three-way rodeo this year.
“We’re all aware of Father Time,” Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said. “We don’t have unlimited time together. There’s a bit of urgency.”
How they project
1. Atlanta Braves. After enduring an overwhelming wave of injuries last year that left them without star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., ace pitcher Spencer Strider, slugging third baseman Austin Riley and more, the Braves figure to have better luck this season. The lineup remains loaded with power. The rotation took a hit with Max Fried and Charlie Morton leaving via free agency, but Sale still looks dominant and reliable closer Raisel Iglesias anchors the bullpen. All-Star catcher Sean Murphy will miss the beginning of the season with a cracked rib, giving top prospect Drake Baldwin a chance to open as the starting backstop. The team’s biggest offseason addition, outfielder Jurickson Profar, jammed his left wrist during spring training but is confident he’ll be ready for opening day. Atlanta is in good hands with President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos and manager Brian Snitker, who rarely gets enough credit.
2. Philadelphia Phillies. Harper and the Phillies remain in win-now mode, and the 2024 NL East champions have World Series title expectations. The Phillies have whiffed their way down the postseason ladder lately, losing in the 2022 World Series, the 2023 NL Championship Series and a 2024 Division Series. Left-hander Jesús Luzardo was acquired from Miami and could become a significant addition to an already-solid rotation. But the team failed to make a real splashy offseason move and will mostly run it back with the core players from its past three postseason appearances, including Harper, Realmuto, Wheeler, Nola and Kyle Schwarber — all back to try and make it four straight playoff berths in Philadelphia for the first time since 2007-11.
3. New York Mets. With the addition of Soto to a potent lineup, this team looks terrific on paper. But injuries started to pile up during spring training, and the rotation is a question mark. Sean Manaea (oblique), the top starter last year, and newcomer Frankie Montas (lat muscle) will miss the beginning of the season. Kodai Senga, an All-Star and NL Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2023, made only one start during the 2024 regular season because of shoulder and calf injuries. Clay Holmes, a successful closer with the Yankees, is being converted into a starter, and the results of that experiment could prove critical. Following a lengthy free agent saga, Alonso returns on a short-term deal needing 27 homers to break Darryl Strawberry’s franchise mark. The offense looks formidable, although starting catcher Francisco Alvarez is expected to miss at least a month with a broken bone in his left hand, and second baseman Jeff McNeil will begin the season on the injured list with an oblique strain.
4. Washington Nationals. It’s been five straight losing seasons since the 2019 World Series title and not a single player remains from that championship roster. Washington went 71-91 each of the past two years as it continues a slow reconstruction — and there is still plenty of work to do. The offseason was filled with small, quiet, inexpensive moves. The mindset is still about trying to find pieces that can be part of an eventually competitive team. The biggest source of optimism rests in the outfield with youngsters James Wood and Dylan Crews; their development is key. Another possible cornerstone to keep an eye on is shortstop CJ Abrams, whose eventful 2024 included an All-Star selection and a demotion to the minors late in the season.
5. Miami Marlins. The rebuild under President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix continues with an overhauled roster and a new manager in Clayton McCullough, hired in November after winning a World Series as the Dodgers’ first base coach. Miami again underwent a ton of turnover after losing 100 games amid an injury-marred 2024 season. Bendix traded away three-time batting champ Luis Arraez and Jazz Chisholm Jr. midseason, then Luzardo and slugger Jake Burger during the offseason. Marlins outfielder Jesús Sánchez, who had 18 homers and 64 RBIs last year, will miss the start of the season after straining his left oblique. The club gets a boost with the return of Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner who missed last season because of Tommy John surgery. But he’s a potential trade candidate, and the focus will be figuring out which of Miami’s young additions can be key pieces for the future.
Comeback clock
Strider, a 20-game winner for Atlanta two years ago, could return from elbow surgery in April. Acuña, the 2023 NL MVP, might be back from his knee injury in May.
“We’re going to make two really big trades at some point in time early in the season and get, you know, an All-Star and a potential Cy Young Award winner back,” Snitker told MLB Network.
Changing places
Phillies manager Rob Thomson may no longer bat Schwarber leadoff this season and has tinkered with letting speedy Trea Turner hit first. … Luzardo isn’t the only left-hander switching teams within the division. New York signed reliever A.J. Minter away from Atlanta, and he’s expected to be an important setup man for closer Edwin Díaz.
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AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum and Stephen Hawkins, and AP freelance writer Chris Nelsen contributed to this report.
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Mike Fitzpatrick, The Associated Press
