Is the NL East wide open for the Miami Marlins? Part 2

This is part 2 and part 1 can be found here. The NL East is the hardest division in MLB, but it will get a bit worse next season and that gives the Miami Marlins an opening. We have an elite rotation and if we fix our hitting and receive better luck we can contend. Free agency and aging will be hitting the New York Mets hard and the Atlanta Braves are getting affected as well. The Philadelphia Phillies are good but flawed and the Washington Nationals are rebuilding. The Miami Marlins have an opening and it’s just a matter of time before we take advantage of that.

The Miami Marlins have a good chance in the NL East next season.

The Atlanta Braves won the World Series in 2021, but were bounced out from the playoffs early this season. They have a good team and locked up their core, in a move that the Miami Marlins should emulate as soon as possible and long-term. Some of their players are questionable long-term in my opinion. 1B Matt Olson is a low average hitter and 3B Austin Riley is the same but is outperforming his BABIP’s.

SS Dansby Swanson is a free agent after this season, but will almost certainly not hit .277/.329/.447 again considering his career .255/.321/.417 batting line and .348 BABIP. Atlanta aren’t big spenders in free agency and are already at their record payroll, so they won’t be signing any top free agent SS to replace him either. They’re also stuck with DH Marcell Ozuna and his .226/.274/.413 batting line and $16 million salary. Add bullpen and back of the rotation issues and there’s a reason they were behind the New York Mets most of the season.

The Philadelphia Phillies are potentially future NL Champions, but they didn’t win 90 games for a reason. The rotation is top heavy and Aaron Nola can be gone as a free agent after next season, with his replacement potentially worse. The bullpen is a mess and star RF Bryce Harper can’t seem to stay healthy. I don’t think it’s impossible to imagine The Fish overtaking them.

The Atlanta Braves are a good team, but are not a dynasty or an elite team, remember they didn’t get to 90 wins in their championship year. The New York Mets are getting worse and the Philadelphia Phillies are questionable. The Miami Marlins need to act not wait.