A well-read Washington Nationals fan should take it upon themselves every once in a while to check in on the team's National League East division rivals, just to see what they're up against. The Nats don't figure to compete in 2026, but this upcoming season is likely when we're going to start to see what the club's identity looks like going forward after years of wandering through the wastes searching for some sense of self. Today, let's go through each of the four other teams in the NL East and see how they stack up as we approach the halfway point of the offseason.
Much of the information in this piece was sourced from FanGraphs. Check out their incredibly helpful free tools at the Offseason Tracker and RosterResource.
Philadelphia Phillies (96-66 in 2025)
Departed:
- C J.T. Realmuto (free agent)
- RF Max Kepler (free agent)
- LHSP Ranger Suárez (free agent)
- OF Harrison Bader (mutual option declined)
- LHRP Matt Strahm (trade)
- RHRP David Robertson (free agent)
- RHRP Jordan Romano (free agent)
- RHP Walker Buehler (free agent)
- LHRP Tim Mayza (free agent)
- RHRP Lou Trivino (free agent)
- RHP Daniel Robert (non-tendered)
- 2B Rafael Lantigua (minor league free agent)
Added:
- RF Adolis García (free agent)
- RHRP Brad Keller (free agent)
- RHRP Zach Pop (free agent)
- RHP Zach McCambley (Rule 5)
- OF Pedro León (waivers)
- LHP Kyle Backhus (trade)
- RHP Jonathan Bowlan (trade)
Out of the gate, the Phillies look again like the frontrunners to take the NL East. There's still a few burning questions, though. The Phillies are, as ever, thin on catching depth. Bringing back J.T. Realmuto, given his declining performance, might not solve that issue, and even if they find a starter they're still stuck between Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs as the backup. Nick Castellanos is currently rostered as a formality, with the team all but openly having no intent on him being with the team by Opening Day. They're also still looking for a competent small-side platoon bat to play off Brandon Marsh in left field, and Justin Crawford is unproven as a Major League center fielder. There's also whatever Bryce Harper is doing and the question of whether it might impact his long-term performance.
Regardless, the Phillies might be tough to beat. Even after losing Ranger Suárez, the rotation is deep and has the exceptional Cristopher Sánchez up front. Zack Wheeler might be ready by Opening Day, and Andrew Painter is waiting in the wings to make his debut. The bullpen at present is a little thin but the team is likely to sort that out in the coming months. Top prospect Aidan Miller looks like he's ready to usurp someone's job on the infield at any moment, and they got Kyle Schwarber back. This is the team everyone's going to be gunning for, including the Nationals.
New York Mets (83-79)
Departed:
- 1B Pete Alonso (declined player option)
- LF Brandon Nimmo (trade)
- 2B/LF Jeff McNeil (trade)
- CF Cedric Mullins (free agent)
- LF/DH Jesse Winker (free agent)
- INF Nick Madrigal (minor league free agent)
- RF/DH Starling Marte (free agent)
- RHCL Edwin Díaz (opted out)
- RHRP Ryan Helsley (free agent)
- RHSP Griffin Canning (free agent)
- RHRP Tyler Rogers (free agent)
- LHRP Gregory Soto (free agent)
- LHRP José Castillo (non-tendered)
- LHRP Danny Young (non-tendered)
- RHRP Max Kranick (non-tendered)
- RHSP Frankie Montas (released)
- RHRP Ryne Stanek (free agent)
- RHRP Drew Smith (club option declined)
Added:
- INF Jorge Polanco (free agent)
- 2B Marcus Semien (trade)
- C Drew Romo (waivers)
- RHCL Devin Williams (free agent)
- RHRP Luke Weaver (free agent)
- LHRP Richard Lovelady (free agent)
- RHRP Joey Gerber (trade)
- RHP Cooper Criswell (waivers)
The new-look Mets still have some work to do. After missing the Postseason and barely finishing above .500 in 2025, they've seen four long-tenured pieces of the team depart via free agency and trade and haven't yet done much to replace most of them. The Nimmo divorce might have been necessary if you believe certain claims regarding him and Francisco Lindor, but it's left the team without many good options in either left or center field. Tyrone Taylor is a good defender, but posted an OPS under .600 in over 300 plate appearances last year. Top hitting prospect Carson Benge ripped up Double-A last year, but the transition to Triple-A wasn't quite so smooth.
The rotation looks alright with some excellent young pitching but they could still use another higher-end arm if they can manage it. There's not a ton of that left in free agency with Dylan Cease and Michael King off the board. David Stearns has his work cut out for him over the coming two months if the Mets are going to return to playoff contention in 2026.
Atlanta Braves (76-86)
Departed:
- DH Marcell Ozuna (free agent)
- OF Jarred Kelenic (free agent)
- UTL Luke Williams (free agent)
- C Sandy León (free agent)
- C Chuckie Robinson (free agent)
- SS Nick Allen (trade)
- OF Carlos Rodríguez (free agent)
- INF/P David Fletcher (club option declined)
- OF Jake Fraley (waivers)
- RHSP Charlie Morton (free agent)
- RHP Dane Dunning (free agent)
- RHRP Alexis Díaz (free agent)
- RHRP Pierce Johnson (club option declined)
- RHRP Tyler Kinley (club option declined)
- RHSP Alek Manoah (non-tender)
- LHP Austin Cox (free agent)
- RHP Nathan Wiles (released)
- RHP Connor Seabold (free agent)
Added:
- UTL Mauricio Dubón (trade)
- OF Mike Yastrzemski (free agent)
- RHRP Robert Suárez (free agent)
- LHRP Danny Young (free agent)
It looks like it's going to be another Braves offseason for the Braves. They lost a lot of players, but most of them were not impact pieces by any means; they've made a few quality adds in Dubón, Yastrzemski, and Suárez, but nothing earth-shattering. Once again, their performance in 2026 will largely come down to the players they already have under contract. On paper, that lineup looks pretty good. They have two excellent catchers, one of whom just won National League Rookie of the Year, they have Ronald Acuña Jr., and they have Matt Olson. The re-acquisition of Ha-seong Kim is a massive boon for a team that really had no other true answer at shortstop.
Whether or not the Braves lineup can succeed in 2026 comes down to whether or not the other bats in that lineup can return to form. Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley both greatly underperformed last year, and Michael Harris II can't help but swing at every pitch he sees. If the lineup can stay healthy and hit the way they're generally expected to, that's an offense that can win 95 games. If not... well, you saw what that looks like already.
There's a couple question marks in the back of the rotation but a healthy Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach would quell many of the concerns a Braves fan might have. Spencer Strider and Reynaldo López are question marks, with Strider's strikeout rate suffering post-UCL and hamstring injuries and López making just one start before needing shoulder surgery. The back of the bullpen has some reclamation projects, but it's generally business as usual for the Braves. A number of the bats in the lineup are either approaching or are already on the wrong side of 30, though, and they lack any true impact prospects especially on the hitting side. It's not a problem they particularly need to face in 2026, but it's something to bear in mind for the future.
Miami Marlins (79-83)
Departed:
- OF Joey Wiemer (trade)
- 1B/OF Troy Johnston (waivers)
- RHP George Soriano (waivers)
- RHP Freddy Tarnok (free agent)
- RHP Jesús Tinoco (free agent)
- RHP Valente Bellozo (free agent)
- RHP Christian Roa (free agent)
Added:
- UTL Christopher Morel (free agent)
- RHP Zach Brzykcy (waivers)
The Marlins have been quiet this offseason, but don't get the wrong idea. Peter Bendix's team has spent the last few years cultivating a roster and farm system that now features 4 players in FanGraphs' top 50 and one of the best young cores in baseball. Jakob Marsee and Kyle Stowers look legit, Xavier Edwards and Otto López have broken out as a strong up-the-middle tandem, and a combination of Liam Hicks and Joe Mack could do some serious damage behind the plate. Javier Sanoja just won a utility Gold Glove, and FanGraphs RosterResource doesn't even project him to be in the everyday lineup.
Sandy Alcántara and Edward Cabrera constantly have trade rumors swirling around them, but with or without them the Marlins can probably manage. Thomas White is on the doorstep of the big leagues, and Robby Snelling eviscerated Triple-A in an 11-start sample last season. Max Meyer, Ryan Gusto, Adam Mazur, and Dax Fulton all provide rotational depth; Meyer in particular has great upside. The bullpen is rife with guys you've never heard of just waiting to break out, though losing Ronny Henríquez to elbow surgery is a harsh blow.
This Marlins team is sneakily deep and is backed by a front office with a knack for finding low-cost talent to, for lack of a better word, exploit. They finished ahead of the Braves despite having $150 million less in payroll than them (the lowest payroll in baseball in 2025), and with smart spending, they just might be able to get around owner Bruce Sherman and crack the Postseason in 2026.
So some teams are trending up, and some teams still feature enormous blinking neon question marks that need to be addressed before they venture into the great beyond of the 2026 season. The Nats have their work cut out for them either way, with another year and potential 2027 work stoppage in the way before they start making efforts to contend again.