Projected Divisional Standings Part I: NL and AL East

Here are my projected standings for how I expect the NL East and AL East to look at the conclusion of this coming season.

I. NL EAST: 

1. Washington Nationals (Division Champions) - It's really hard to argue the fact that the Washington Nationals won't win the division. They are the most loaded team among the five, have the most amount of talent, and based on their track record, it should be fairly easy for them to walk away with the division once again.

2. New York Mets (Wild Card II) - The New York Mets have a new vibe this spring and it's a good one. Ultimately, I think the influence of Mickey Callaway is going to play huge dividends with their pitching staff and they will come through with the offense as well. A lot of people are sleeping on the Mets, but I'm not one of them.

3. Philadelphia Phillies (In Contention until the Start of September) - The Phillies have an improved roster now that they have Carlos Santana and Jake Arrieta to go along with Aaron Nola at the top of their rotation, but I think they still fall short because of their inexperience. However, I see them staying relevant and in the conversation for a Wild Card until at the least the start of September.

4. Atlanta Braves - The Braves are going to have another season of growing pains and it will be interesting to see if all of the talent that they have been hyping up throughout the years ends up delivering. In addition, it will be interesting to see what new GM, Alex Anthopoulos, plans on doing with the team. Regardless, the Braves are still about a year or two away from being relevant again.

5. Miami Marlins - Don't be shocked if the Miami Marlins end up with the worst record in baseball this season simply because they have little to no offense and close to zero substantial pitching. The Marlins are clearly in a transitional phase right now and it's really going to show by their performance this season, but that doesn't mean that things won't turn around in three or four years.

II. AL EAST: 

1. New York Yankees (Division Champions) - While the Red Sox are certainly capable of winning the AL East, I believe that the Yankees will end up pulling it off simply because they have the better bullpen. The Yankees should be able to score a lot of runs assuming their impact players stay healthy, but there will also be plenty of strikeouts that come along with all of that power.

2. Boston Red Sox (Wild Card I) - Since I don't project the Red Sox to win the AL East, I do see them absolutely winning the first AL Wild Card spot and probably by a handful of games. Boston is loaded offensively now, they have a talented roster, but the only thing that's concerning is that pitching staff, but they can always address that at the trade deadline.

3. Toronto Blue Jays (In Contention until the Very End) - A lot of people are sleeping on the Blue Jays and it's hard not to pick them for the second Wild Card spot, but something tells me that they will fall just short of it and that it's going to come down to the wire. That means that they will still be in the conversation during the last week of the season and even perhaps the final weekend.

4. Baltimore Orioles (In Contention until the Very End) - I don't see a scenario where the Orioles could outright win the AL East, however, you can never rule out anything because anything is possible over 162 games. With that being said, I do see Baltimore staying relevant just like Toronto until the very end and once again see it coming down to the wire with their improved roster.

5. Tampa Bay Rays - The Rays will probably find themselves in the basement and once again out of the playoff picture once September and October roll around. It's a shame because you want to see a team like Tampa Bay make the postseason, but with how stacked the AL East is, it's hard to see that happening unless a huge surprise happens.