National League East Preview

Zack Jarrett
Phi Kappa Tau

There's a lot going on in the sports world right now. Baseball season may not have started yet, but there is a ton of moves being made and several new aspects to this coming year.

The National League's eastern division has seen a complete overhaul so far this offseason, and it's not over yet. This division may be of interest to you, for the same reason it interests me... the Braves are in it! And while I cannot wait for this 2012 season, I have a feeling this year could be a struggle for any team that's not the Marlins, Phillies or Nationals.

I firmly believe that this year, the four best teams in the National League will come from the eastern division. The good part about this is that there will be an extra wild card team added to each league. That means, potentially, that the Phillies could win the division and the Braves and Marlins could finish second and third and still make it into the playoffs.

The only problem with this theory is "The Nationals Factor." The Washington Nationals have been hiding in the shadows for a while. They went out on a limb last year when they grabbed Jayson Werth from the Phillies. He wasn't enough to make them a legit team, but this year, they'll have a rebounding Werth, Ryan Zimmerman (the best third baseman in baseball right now), and Stephen Strasburg will come back with a clean bill of health. 

There's really no reason the Nationals couldn't sweep in and grab first place in the east this year. Their potential is insanely high. But so is everyone else's. There are just too many variables to call this one.

Some of these variables for the Nationals include having the number one outfielding prospect in the MLB - Bryce Harper.  Look for him to make a splash around mid-season or maybe even opening day. Another "what if" involves the Nationals' talks with Prince Fielder, the all-star first baseman from the Brewers. If Washington can close a deal with Prince, they automatically jump to the top of everyone's World Series probables.

Basically, this division could go in several different directions. The same goes for the Braves who are talking with a few power hitting left fielders such as Adam Jones and Andre Ethier.

As a baseball fanatic, I can't wait for what should be a very exciting season, especially in the eastern division. As a die-hard Braves fan however, I can't help but worry about what they may be in for in 2012. I just hope they can at least stay in the top three in what will be a crazy upcoming year of baseball.