ATLANTA — The National League East made a strong argument as the toughest division in Major League Baseball in 2022 — and lines up as perhaps even better this season.
The NL East boasted two 101-win teams: the Atlanta Braves, who earned their fifth consecutive division title, and the New York Mets. Another team from the division, the Philadelphia Phillies, reached the playoffs as a wild card and advanced to the World Series before losing in six games to the Houston Astros.
Another strong run looks possible, and perhaps likely, for a division that also includes the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals. FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Braves, Mets and Phillies among its top eight picks to win the World Series. The American League East, which also sent three teams to the playoffs last season, has three of the betting site’s top nine World Series picks as the next-strongest division.
“Now there’s three big-headed monsters in this division,” Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud said, “and it’ll be a battle to the end like it always is.”
The stiff competition in the division fueled an offseason of big spending.