2020 MLB season: Biggest risks in the NL East

Miami Marlins: Impatience in the Rebuild

The Marlins seem to yet again be the only true non-contender in the NL East heading into the 2020 MLB season. However, the fruits of their rebuild are starting to become apparent. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report placed Miami at #9 in his overall farm-system rankings for 2020.

The only thing that the Marlins need now is to commit to this rebuild and await a bright future.
If they grow impatient and refuse to sell at the 2020 trade deadline, then their farm system will
stay put.

The Marlins have a chance to build an incredible talent-pool of prospects that they can either
develop themselves or use as trade-bait when the time to compete arrives, and they are better off
continuing to build it rather than forcing a few more wins in an already crowded division.

New York Mets: The New Bullpen

Throughout the 2019 season, the contenders of the NL East all found themselves with the same
weakest link: relief pitching. The Mets were surely not immune to this as they blew 27 saves in
2019 and tons of early leads, as well.

The Mets have addressed the pitching issue during the offseason by not only signing multiple
starting pitchers in Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha, but also by signing Dellin Betances to a
one-year deal. Betances has the ability to be a truly elite reliever when healthy, but has struggled to avoid injuries in the recent past. Still, if he can find a way to stay on the field during the 2020 MLB season, the Mets bullpen will have gained a much-needed cornerstone.

It is safe to say that if Edwin Díaz manages to bounce back in 2020, the addition of a healthy
Betances will not only make the Mets heavy contenders, but it will also give them one of the best overall pitching staffs in the MLB.