2026 MLB Season Preview: NL East Odds

A funny thing happened on the way to the Mets dynasty. The team slipped in 2025 and not only failed to win the NL East but did not make the playoffs.

In 2026, the NL East is defined by new and old faces. The Mets have a new first baseman as they say goodbye to franchise home run leader Pete Alonso. The Phillies have old and perhaps long-in-the-tooth mugs up and down the lineup. The Braves welcome a familiar face back to the lineup in hopes of crawling back into playoff contention.

(Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Offense is the leading story for the NL East: four of the top nine offenses in baseball in 2025 were from this division. But as always, pitching will determine which of these teams, if any, can topple the Dodgers in the National League.

Team Odds to Win NL East

Odds for NL East are provided by FanDuel:

• New York Mets +135
• Philadelphia Phillies +190
• Atlanta Braves +230
• Miami Marlins +2700
• Washington Nationals +10000

Why the favorite can win: The Mets have the best player in the division in Juan Soto, a generational superstar who still hasn't had his greatest season. The team also boasts a shutdown bullpen.

Longshot with a chance: One of these three teams will be the division winner: NYM, PHI, or ATL. The Marlins could sneak in as a wild card, but the division title is too much to ask for the bottom feeders in the NL East.

NL East Team Previews 2026

Team previews are prepared with an eye on the division title and win totals markets.

Mets

The lineup reads like past, current, and future MVP candidates. At the center is Soto, who still isn't 28 years of age. There is always the chance Soto can make a run at a triple crown. With Soto hitting near the top of the order, the Mets can't help but score runs.

Pay attention to the middle infield: Marcus Semien is penciled in at second, but he's growing out of a starting role. If Francisco Lindor keeps at his 30/30 pace of HR/SB, that will ensure the Mets are in a lot of games.

Fresh off his World Baseball Classic appearances, Nolan McLean could be the breakout as a rookie in the Mets' rotation, slotting in after Steady Freddy Peralta and and southpaw David Peterson.

The Mets have a veteran bullpen, spearheaded by Devin Williams and Brooks Raley. If it falters, 90 wins is the floor. But if the bullpen holds well, the Mets could approach 100 W's. That's how good this team is.

• Win Total Odds: 90+ Wins (-134)

Phillies

In the early 1980s the Phils won two pennants and a World Series. The team eventually grew so old that it was called "The Wheeze Kids." The Phillies are again in danger of seeing a successful team age out.

Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Treat Turner are 33, and JT Realmuto is 35. The anchors of the pitching staff may sink: Aaron Nola is turning 33, and Zack Wheeler will turn 36 in May. While this team has won 90+ games in each of the last three seasons, but consider this: its key offensive acquisition was Adolis García, who is 33.

If any team is ready for a reset, it's the Fightin' Phils. The average age of their top four starting pitchers is 31. That means, injury and weariness will be a certainty.

A good play is the under on 90 Wins, which you can find at various sportsbooks.

• Win Total Odds: 90+ Wins (-104)

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Braves

Lost in the discussion of the Mets and Phillies lineups is the depth in Atlanta. From 1-7, the Braves have as good a lineup as their division rivals, and possibly better. Here's what to expect:

• Ronald Acuña Jr. ... CF
• Drake Baldwin ... C
• Matt Olson ... 1B
• Austin Riley ... 3B
• Mike Yastrzemski ... LF
• Ozzie Albies ... 2B
• Michael Harris II ... CF

The concern is the rotation: three of the members are on the old side of 30. How long can Chris Sale keep whipping his slim body and arm toward home plate with such violence and be effective. He's 37 as the 2026 season starts. I believe the Braves will need to grab a younger arm this season, or elevate pitching prospects.

• Win Total Odds: 90+ Wins Wins (+122)

Marlins

Baseball in Florida is sort of like pizza in Detroit. Yes, they have it. People will partake in it. But, it's not anywhere near as good as it is almost anywhere else in the country.

The Marlins are the thick, airy, doughy-crusted pizza of baseball.

Each team in this division would take Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez as its 1-2 starters. A 2022 Cy Young Award winner, Alcantara will be in his second season back from shoulder surgery in 2026. Most experts think it's in that second season when a pitcher is back at his best. If so, the "Sandman" might regain form. If he can be even 70% of is 8-WAR award-winning season, and eat up 175+ innings, the Marlins are wild card contenders.

Miami never seems to do things like other teams. That includes the way it tosses young players into the warm waters. Last year, rookie catcher Agustín Ramírez split time as a DH and produced 55 extra-base hits (including 21 HR). The Dominican can rake, and at 24 he's still getting stronger. If he matures, the Marlins could have an All-Star catcher/DH. They need that bat, because the middle of the lineup is punchless.

Win Total Odds: 80+ Wins (+270)

Nationals

James Wood is a record-setting swinger. At the age of 22 in 2025, he set an MLB record when he struck out 221 times. Somehow, the Nats left fielder still managed to hit .256 with 31 HR and 38 doubles. He is strangely, a good hitter. But his love affair with launch angle "grip it and rip it" philosophy at the plate resulted in that bizarre stat line.

The problem in Washington is the dreadful starting rotation and the lack of RH power in the lineup. There's little to protect CJ Abrams and Woods in the lineup. Unlike the NBA, you can't run a two-man offense in MLB.

The Nats might weasel their way to 70 wins (they had 66 a year ago). That's if the Phils come back to the middle of the pack.

• Win Total Odds: 70+ Wins (+184 from FanDuel Sportsbook)