TheDudes NL East Picks

1.) Braves
Whaaaaaaat? The Mets and Phills rely too heavily upon the fragile arm/shoulder/cuffs/psyche of Pedro, Perez, Hamels, and Myers. Their spectacular lineups consist of 3 all-stars 4 mediocre to sub-par hitters and one oft humorous pitcher. Don't get me wrong I can easily make a case for each team winning the division, but the Braves were just 5 games out last season, and have a pentient for pennants. I believe the rotation is as solid as they come, and that lineup will be bolstered by 3 potential all-stars of their own. The Braves have a chip on their shoulder as evident by Chipper's latest remarks on the Beltran vs. Rollins trash talk, and will battle all season. This is the playoff pick that all the experts will miss.
W: 85-90

2.) Phillies
This team relies less on their pitching than any other playoff hopefull. They play in a hitters park, and the strategy is simple; outmash the opponent , and hope for a pitching gem once in while. Hamels and Myers are a great one two punch, but stability is a big issue, and the back end of the rotation offers no relief. Speaking of relief...Tom Gordon will start as closer due to Brad Lidge's injury. This in itself is not a problem as Gordon is a solid first half contributor. He'll fade miserably in the second half though, so if Lidge's mental or physical ability renders him obsolete, the Phillies have major bullpen issues.
W: 85-90

3.) Mets
Johan was a neccesity. Pelfrey and Maine didn't quite pan out like the Mets were hoping, and with Pedro's inconsistency they were in dire straits for an Ace pitcher. On paper this is the team to beat in the NL, but if you look a bit closer....Pedro and Alou will not play a full season, Oliver Perez is Charlie Sheen's Wild Thing sans glasses, El Duque throws a floater that makes the Rookie of the Year post arm miracle look like an all-star, and Delgado is a real life Pedro Cerano with a full fledged Jobu hex going for him. This team has a few too many smoke enshrouded mirrors for my liking. If the paper reads like it's supposed to pencil them in for the playoffs, but if Jobu gets his hands on them prepare for massive dissapointment.
W: 85-90

4.) Washington
The offense is a bit improved, so I'd expect them to steal a few games against the weak pitching in the NL. Milledge and Dukes have massive ego's, and if it causes disruption in the clubhouse this team will be perennial losers. Hopefully the first year of a few fresh faces will inspire the team, and they'll be able to cause problems down the stretch in this heated division.
W: 73-78

5.) Marlins
The key losses cemented their doom this season. I'm not sure this is the gritty team of a few years ago either. Hanley isn't going to improve without Cabrera, and you can only expect so much from Hermida. The Marlins did make headway towards a new stadium, and I think that will be the beginning of great things for the franchise. Hopefully the young pitching that was injured last year can stay healthy and have continued success. How well Girardi fare's this season in NY, should also shed light on the management, and their assessment of the teams future.
W: 64-69