National League East Preview: Braves, Mets Present Elite Options

The National League East has two favorites to win the World Series, the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, but which team will come out on top in the division?

We’ll dive into each team in the NL East and their odds of winning the division from the FanDuel Sportsbook. 

It’s hard to find flaws with the Atlanta Braves as they look to repeat as NL East Champs. The Braves are coming off a 1o1-win campaign but were knocked out of the postseason by their NL East foes, the Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves upgraded at catcher, acquiring Sean Murphy from the Oakland Athletics. Their starting rotation is headlined by Spencer Strider and Max Fried, comprising one of the league’s top staffs if they can stay healthy. On offense, the Braves are led by Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley, who have the potential to be NL MVP candidates. The Braves are a top contender to win the NL in 2023 and own the best odds to capture another NL East crown at +100. 

Not far behind are the New York Mets, who sit at +155. The Mets also won 101 games in 2022 and have the potential to do serious damage again. An injury to All-Star closer, Edwin Diaz, puts a damper on things, but the Mets are still a threat to win the NL East. A top-of-the-rotation featuring Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander will be difficult to match up with if the veteran duo can stay healthy. The bullpen will be a question for the Mets, but they have a stacked rotation and a lineup that can do damage.

Despite making a surprise run to the World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies have the third-best odds of winning the NL East at +400. Like the Mets, the Phillies also had a significant injury in the leadup to the regular season, as Rhys Hoskins tore his ACL. Bryce Harper likely won’t be ready until the All-Star break, so they’ll need contributions from other options in the lineup. Trea Turner bolsters the top of the lineup and provides stability. The rotation will be headlined by Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, and if the Phillies can stay afloat until Harper returns, the playoffs could be on the horizon. Still, don’t count on a division title in 2023. 

There aren’t many positives surrounding the Miami Marlins heading into 2023. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is on the cover of MLB The Show 23, which could be the peak of their success this year. He’s a budding star and could break out, but there’s not much else to get excited about. The Marlins are long shots at +4000.

When you look at the Washington Nationals’ current roster, which players would you want on your team? There are some young players with potential, like MacKenzie Gore, but the Nats will likely find themselves in the cellar of the NL East when all is said and done. They are extreme long shots at +25000. 

Odds for all five NL East teams to win the division on the FanDuel Sportsbook.