New York Mets: How they stack up against the NL East

Washington Nationals

The reigning World Series champions are ready to defend their title after bringing back their top four starting pitchers Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, and Anibal Sanchez. The Nationals locked in World Series MVP Strausburg to a huge seven-year deal worth $245 million.

All four pitchers are a big reason why Washington was able to go from a 19-31 start to a World Series title. Will the staff be tired from all of that pitching and wilt in the hot days of August? A World Series hangover is real and only time will tell if the Nats are affected.

While the pitching for Washington is impressive, their young star Juan Soto is the real talk of the team. Soto smacked 34 home runs and had 110 RBI last season. He did not crumble under the pressure in October and was a key part of the Nats World Series run. The moment is never too big for Soto and the National League has been put on notice that the next big slugger has arrived.

Losing, “Tony Two-Bags” Anthony Rendon is significant and could hurt them offensively. However, this team is resilient and found a way to go from a losing record to being champions.