2020 Major League Baseball - National League East - Final Ranking Predictions

2020 looks to be a terrifying year so far. Serie A just shut down its league due to the novel coronavirus. The NBA is possibly talking about playing in front of empty stadiums. Professional baseball teams in Japan have already been playing the remainder of the season in fan-less stadiums due to the fear of the virus.

With all that swirling around, that's when I get lost in baseball and sports. A perfectly, imperfect world where I can watch thousands of games and analyze every player, manager, roster move, line-up change to my hearts' desire. I've read the rosters and crunched the numbers for this year. This is where I present to you my first division rankings for the National League East. It's a tough division with great rivalries. Lookout 2020 because things are getting shaken up.

1. Atlanta Braves

Atlanta is clearly the best team in this division. The National League East winners of the several last years look to add on another crown and I expect them to. There is just too much young talent on the field here that could blossom even more at any given moment. Acuna Jr. and Albies are two of my favorites going into this year. As long as the starting rotation can get it together I look for the Braves to be back in the playoffs in October.

2. New York Mets

The most intriguing team of this division. The Mets have a LOADED pitching staff. If you exclude all the errors of the bullpen last year, this could have been a 95 win team easily. With that being said, the line-up looks lethal especially if Yoenis Cespedes tries to play big for another contract. Pete Alonso will look to be half the man he was last year and with another solid year, Michael Conforto could become a house-hould name in New York. If the Mets can score some more runs and support their Cy Young winning ace, I look for them to make a playoff push this year.

3. Philadelphia Phillies

I think the Phillies did what they needed to do this offseason and brought in some guys who can help establish the core of this team. A manager like Joe Girardi will set the tone in the clubhouse and bringing in veterans like Zach Wheeler and Didi Gregorious will help the overall roster. The Phillies however do fall short in the pitching staff department and don't have the depth that it will take to win the number of games that will be needed to compete in this division.

4. Washington Nationals

Punch drunk and satisfied. Coming off of that big World Series win and losing one of their key leaders in Anthony Rendon, the Nationals will have an uphill battle in 2020. Locking up older aces, although proves to be aesthetically pleasing, does little for a team future. Although Strasburg and Scherzer are still solid workhorses, the line-up will struggle to support them. Last year the Nationals started off slow and it was only their marvelous run at the end that propelled them to the World Series. As magical as that was, the team will be enjoying that victorious run and will take a step back this year.

5. Miami Marlins

The bottom dwellers. The team that is always rebuilding. Not much to say about the Marlins besides that they will end up being one of the worst teams in all of the MLB this year. Their lack of talent on their roster shows tremendously. The one bright side that does seem to shine through a little is their starting rotation. I thing that some of the pitchers that we see starting for them now, could end up being some reliable starters in the future. Don't expect much from this squad otherwise.