NL East power rankings after the season's first series
The hotdogs were grilled, popcorn was popped, and beers were poured, signifying another season of MLB baseball is upon us.
After a wonderful opening weekend, the question is, where does the NL East stack up after one complete series?
Well let's break down where the five teams in the East land after the first few games of the season.
5. Washington Nationals
Record: 1-2
Upcoming Series: Tampa Bay Rays
Previous Series Recap: The Nationals opened their season at home against the Atlanta Braves. The Nationals lost the first two games of the three-game set but were able to avoid the sweep. There isn't a ton of offensive fireworks in the lineup, and the pitching staff seems a bit suspect. It looks to be a rough year for the boys in D.C.
Who Played Well: Lane Thomas had a good showing with five hits leaving him with a .417 average after three games. Erasmo Ramirez had a good showing pitching in two games and not allowing a run in three innings.
4. Miami Marlins
Record: 1-3
Upcoming Series: Minnesota Twins
Previous Series Recap: The Marlins took one of four games from the New York Mets. The problem was that they only scored eight runs in four ball games. Scoring two runs a game will not lead to a good record. This team does have some good players, which is why they are ranked ahead of the Nationals.
Who Played Well: Luis Arraez has a fantastic first few games smacking nine hits in 16 at-bats for a .563 batting average. Jesus Luzardo made a good start picking up his first win of the season. The lefty went 5.2 scoreless innings striking out five.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 0-3
Upcoming Series: New York Yankees
Previous Series Recap:The Phillies had a rough start to the season, going 0-3 on the road against the Rangers. The reason this team is still ranked above the Marlins and the Nationals is thanks to their star players. They have one of the best lineups in baseball, featuring Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper (currently on IL). They will not get the benefit of the doubt for too long, though, so wins need to start coming, or they will fall down this list.
Who Played Well: Trea Turner had a solid start to the season, going 5-13 in his first three games for a .385 average. Andrew Bellatti had an excellent start to the season, making three appearances and not allowing a run while striking out two in 2.2 innings of work.
2. Atlanta Braves
Record: 2-1
Upcoming Series: St. Louis Cardinals
Previous Series Recap: The Braves played well in their first series, going 2-1. The offense produced 15 runs, and the pitching looked dominant at times. Max Fried getting injured put a dark cloud over an overall good weekend for the team from the Peach State. It was a toss-up between the Braves and the Mets at the one spot, but statistically, the Mets had a better opening series, so we had to slide them in at number one.
Who Played Well:Travis d'Arnaud was 6-13 on the weekend, driving in three runs. He leads the team with a .462 average after three games. Spencer Strider had a dominant outing going six scoreless innings striking out nine.
1. New York Mets
Record: 3-1
Upcoming Series: Milwaukee Brewers
Previous Series Recap: The Mets won the four-game set over the Miami Marlins and looked excellent doing it. They allowed eight runs in four games which is a good look for their pitching staff. They scored 17 runs and even found a way to score a few times on Sandy Alcantara. Unfortunately for Braves fans, the Mets seem to have a good season ahead of them.
Who Played Well: Kodai Senga had a terrific first start of the season, only allowing one run on three hits while striking out eight. Senga picked up the win in this ball game for his first of the year.
After we see each of these teams play a few more games, we should better understand what this division will look like in 2023.
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