After taking home the National League East with a 95-win season, the Philadelphia Phillies are hopeful to repeat as division champions this year -- but they've got company.
(Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
With the Braves getting healthier and the Mets adding Juan Soto, anything could truly happen here in 2025. Let's break down where each of the NL East teams stand and preview the MLB Futures market.
All odds via
DraftKings
as of February 23, 2025.
Atlanta Braves Odds to Win (+110)
The Atlanta Braves had a brutal 2024, but things should turn around for the better thanks to some healed injuries and additions to the roster.
- You may wonder why Atlanta is sitting up here as the favorites in the NL East, considering the Philadelphia Phillies won nearly 100 games last year and the New York Mets signed Juan Soto, but it does make a lot of sense.
Atlanta lost its to best players to injury last year in Ronald Acuna, Jr. and Spencer Strider, then a key piece in Ozzie Albies, yet managed to come six games from winning the division.
Marcell Ozuna's steady production, which bested almost every hitter in baseball, certainly seems sustainable and this rotation remains a threat even if Chris Sale can't replicate his Cy Young form at the age of 36.
Strider will soon return, joining two pitchers who had breakout seasons in Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach, and the return of Acuna should permeate throughout this entire order.
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Philadelphia Phillies
Odds to Win
(+215)
The Phillies are getting older, but it's hard to say they're getting any worse. They finished eighth in wRC+ a season ago, and for most of the year didn't even hit all that well.
It was a few hot stretches which brought them up to this number, and while most hitters in this order are on the wrong side of 30 the talent can't be overlooked. At the very worst, they're still an above average offense with no discernable holes.
That's what really excites me about this team, because the rotation should be incredibly reliable. Few teams could dream of adding Jesus Luzardo as a fifth starter, but the Phillies will be able to slide him into the back-end of a group led by the indomitable Zack Wheeler and an excellent talent in Cristopher Sanchez.
The bullpen also improved dramatically in 2024, going from a liability to a huge strength, and added Jordan Romano over the offseason. If Andrew Painter is able to make his way to the bigs this season, there is little in the way of a playoff run given the wonderful player development Philly has proven capable of.
New York Mets
Odds to Win
(+240)
Everyone wants to talk about the Mets right now, which is what happens when you add the most expensive free agent over the offseason who is not only in his prime but out-produces almost everyone at the plate.
- There's little doubt in my mind that Soto, Francisco Lindor and even Pete Alonso will hit, but this team still has a lot of question marks starting with its outfield platoon situation and the declining Jeff McNeil.
The reason I'm so concerned here is because the offense will certainly have to carry New York to a division win.
Sean Manaea had a breakthrough in 2024 after working with the Mets' talented coaching staff, but he's done little to prove over the course of his career that he can be an ace. That's currently what New York is hoping, anyway, with Kodai Senga coming off a season lost due to injury and four other projects behind them vying for starting roles.
The Mets did, at least, show a knack for developing late-inning arms last year, but those pitchers began to really struggle late in the year and by the playoffs it was hard for Carlos Mendoza to trust anyone.
I really like the Mets this year, and I love the vibes coming from this clubhouse, but sometimes we have to be realistic. It could happen, sure, but on paper this team still has a relatively low floor and a pitching staff we can't trust.
Washington Nationals
Odds to Win (+6500)
It honestly looked to me at one point last year like the Washington Nationals might make the playoffs. They had a fun group of veterans looking to prove their worth and incredibly talented youngsters growing into their potential.
- Like most teams which are realistic about their chances, however, Washington decided to sell at last year's deadline -- and while the fruits of their labor aren't abundantly present in this Opening Day lineup, a ton of talent remains.
We're expecting Dylan Crews to finally make the big leagues out of camp this year, and he'll hit alongside CJ Abrams and James Wood in this order in what could be a formidable core for many years to come.
There is a seemingly infinite number of players who could step up and make an impact offensively, and the same can be said for this pitching staff with so many players taking steps forward under the tutelage of Sean Doolittle last year.
This is a fun team, and I'll likely look to bet their win total -- but a division win could be far-fetched.
Miami Marlins Odds to Win (+25000)
I really don't know what to say about the Marlins right now. They're young, but unlike the Nationals they lack many game-changing bats which could jettison them into contention.
As always, they continue to collect incredibly fun and exciting pitching talents, but many of these names have seemed to get worse in the Marlins' system rather than better, with Max Meyer being the biggest example.
Perhaps Agustin Ramirez provides a boost at the plate, if he's able to break camp with the major-league team, and it's possible Eury Perez returns in the second half of the year and delivers on his potential. But there's not a ton of hope.
Best bet for the NL East Futures
I can't see any good reason not to bet the Phillies at this number. The underlying numbers put their 2024 season in a good place, and their pitching staff looks like it could be even better than Atlanta's assuming Wheeler doesn't fall off in a big way this year.
There's a lot to be said for how well this team hit last year -- and how many games it won -- despite the season looking lost several times and many hitters enduring cold stretches. That just tells me the potential is sky-high for Philly, and its story is very similar to Atlanta's.
With that said, I do think both of those teams should be given the same chance to win here -- and with what I've said about the Mets that makes Philly the best value play.
Best Bet: Phillies to win the NL East (+215)
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