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SPORTS Friday 8 March 2019
New-look NL East suddenly baseball’s deepest division

By MIKE FITZPATRICK if you’re the other teams
AP Baseball Writer you’ve sort of got to top
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — that,” he explained.
For years, the NL East has “When they add a bullpen
been soft as a bunt single. guy you’ve got to add a
Not anymore. bullpen guy to get better,
Even before Bryce Harper stay ahead.”
decided to stay inside the It’s not as if the NL East was
division, four of the five starved for talent before.
teams spent this offseason Mets right-hander Jacob
swinging for the fences. deGrom won the NL Cy
In addition to defending Young Award last season,
champion Atlanta, the beating out three-time Cy
New York Mets, Philadel- Young winner Scherzer and
phia Phillies and Wash- Phillies ace Aaron Nola.
ington Nationals all have Atlanta outfielder Ronald
enough firepower to po- Acuna Jr. and Washington
tentially contend for the counterpart Juan Soto ran
playoffs. 1-2 in Rookie of the Year
“This is probably going to voting.
be the stiffest competi- And every team has tout-
tion in a division race in ed minor leaguers now in
my career,” Nationals ace play, including Pete Alonso
Max Scherzer said at spring (Mets), Victor Robles (Na-
training. tionals) and Mike Soroka
It’s certainly a noticeable (Braves).
transformation. “It looks like a really tough
In the past eight seasons, division. Whoever comes
the NL East has won a out of that is going to be
grand total of two playoff battle-tested,” Mets out-
series and produced one fielder Brandon Nimmo
pennant winner — with the said.
2015 Mets responsible for “I think you just go ahead
the entirety of that October and look at the starting
success. In this Saturday, March 2, 2019 file photo, Bryce Harper speaks during a news conference at the pitching around this division
Two years ago, Washing- Philadelphia Phillies spring training baseball facility in Clearwater, Fla. and you see right away
ton finished a whopping 20 Associated Press that every single at-bat is
games in front, and no oth- Familia, Jed Lowrie and Wil- moves showed all four or- “It seemed like every other going to be a battle. It defi-
er team in the division was son Ramos. ganizations were serious week the Mets, the Phillies, nitely is something that’s
better than 77-85. Washington spent $140 mil- about winning right away. the Nationals were sign- empowering, no doubt,
Last season, Atlanta rolled lion to plug Patrick Corbin Atlanta brought back vet- ing someone or trading for and gives you a lot of con-
to a surprise title at 90-72, into an imposing rota- eran catcher Brian Mc- someone,” Braves slugger fidence that people look at
the fewest wins of any post- tion that already featured Cann and re-signed All-Star Freddie Freeman said. your division and think very
season participant. No oth- Scherzer and Stephen outfielder Nick Markakis. With only the young Marlins, highly of it.
er NL East squad did better Strasburg. The busy Mets added re- in the early stages of their But again, it just means that
than two games above And the Phillies plucked liever Justin Wilson and massive rebuild, expected every game is going to be
.500. away two big stars from outfielder Keon Broxton, to struggle (again) this sea- a dogfight.”
Miami has endured nine division rivals, trading with among others, significantly son, the NL East appears to One thing the NL East
straight losing seasons. Miami for catcher J.T. Real- improving their bullpen, pack uncommon depth. wasn’t lacking all these
Philadelphia hasn’t been muto and luring Harper bench and overall depth As more and more clubs years was heated rivalries,
a winner since 2011. New from the Nationals with a under new general man- strip down and reboot with which should only grow
York’s last 10 years, two record $330 million con- ager Brodie Van Wagenen. unproven prospects, the more intense.
winning records. tract. Washington boosted its re- division is the only one in And if the Braves, Mets, Na-
But now, an influx of talent “It’s almost like the AL East lief corps with Kyle Barra- the majors with four teams tionals and Phillies knock
and a cavalcade of new — great pitching, great clough and Trevor Rosen- forecast to have winning each other around all sea-
faces have the division lineups 1 through 9. But thal, secured a pair of records in the PECOTA pro- son, maybe the division will
shaping up as a force for that’s what you live for. first-string catchers in Yan jections on Baseball Pro- be decided by which team
years to come. You want to face the best,” Gomes and Kurt Suzuki, spectus. Philadelphia and beats up on the Marlins the
By the looks of it, the NL Braves All-Star pitcher Mike and addressed issues on Washington are pegged most.
least is suddenly a beast. Foltynewicz said. the right side of the infield for 89 wins, with the Mets at “Obviously with Bryce go-
“I don’t think there’s anoth- “People took us a little light- with Brian Dozier and Matt 87 and Braves 84. The pre- ing to the Phillies, I think a
er division harder right now. ly last year and now we’re Adams. Anibal Sanchez diction for Miami is 67. lot of people lean toward
Every team is pretty much the ones kind of getting was signed away from At- “It’s definitely beefed up,” them as being kind of the
loaded,” Phillies outfielder chased. But no panic but- lanta for the back of the Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler favorite in our division, but
Nick Williams said. ton or anything. rotation. said. “Everybody’s gotten to me the Nationals are re-
This winter alone: We made great moves be- Philadelphia paid $50 mil- better.” ally good,” Miami manager
Atlanta signed third base- fore everyone started go- lion for 2013 NL MVP An- “I think there’s a lot of teams Don Mattingly said.
man Josh Donaldson, the ing haywire,” he added. drew McCutchen, another in our division ready to win. “This division got really
2015 AL MVP. “It’s kind of cool to see that $23 million for late-inning re- I hate saying that because good quick, which is good.
New York acquired five re- we might have stirred it up liever David Robertson, and everybody should be ready I think it’s good for us, ac-
cent All-Stars in Robinson for these guys.” traded for two-time All-Star to win. But you know, once tually. There’s gonna be
Cano, Edwin Diaz, Jeurys Even the less-heralded shortstop Jean Segura. one team adds somebody, some black and blue.”q