MLB Team X-Factors for 2017, Part IV: NL East
By Jim Turvey
After taking a week off to determine the Most Interesting Man in Baseball, we’re back to looking at the one player who will be the biggest x-factor for each MLB team in 2017. We already conquered the American League, and with less than a week until Opening Day, this week we’ll cover the National League.
The Senior Circuit has won five of the seven World Series this decade, thanks in large part to the do-we-call-this-a-dynasty San Francisco Giants. The Giants have won three of the seven titles this decade, and when added to the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals and last year’s historic Chicago Cubs, they give the league its five rings in seven.
Of course, the Giants play out west and today we’ll be taking a look at the five teams from the National League East. The East is an interesting division. The last five years have seen four different division winners (sorry, Miami Marlins), and after a decade of Atlanta Braves dominance (1995-2005) and a half decade of Philadelphia Phillies dominance (2007-2011), no one team has settled into the role of division bully.
The Washington Nationals seem on the precipice of this distinction, and if they win the division in 2017 it would give them three of the last four NL East titles. However, the club has plenty of questions ahead, especially regarding their top players (Is Bryce Harper destined to be wearing pinstripes in 18 short months?). The top challengers to the Nats would seemingly be the New York Mets, but it seems like they have scary pitcher news two to three times a week these days.
In recent years, it has been a bit of have-and-have-nots in the division, as the Phillies, Braves and Marlins have been more in the rebuilding phases of their franchise. The Braves look to be making moves this year, though, as they open their new stadium with a glut of veterans added to their young core. The Phillies have as fun a roster as you’ll find in baseball, now it’s a question of whether that core can get them enough wins to be relevant in 2017. And the Marlins? Who ever knows with the Marlins.
One thing is for sure, it’ll be fun to watch. Let’s meet the x-factors for the NL East.