The National League East holds a special place in my heart. As a Phillies fan, this is the division that I am most familiar with and the teams that I see the most. The division is also filled with three of the best teams in the National League. The Phillies, Mets, and Braves represent the top of the division while the Marlins and Nationals are hoping young talent can come up and lead them back into contention. Spring Training is where we will get a first glance at several key battles that will impact the fantasy baseball world. Keep reading to see which battles fantasy managers should be paying attention to from each NL East team.
NL East Spring Training Battles
Philadelphia Phillies – Closer Competition?
The Phillies had a revolving door at closer last season. Eight different players accounted for at least one save last season. The closer-by-committee approach seemed to die down after the acquisition of Carlos Estevez at the trade deadline but the competition is wide open heading into 2025. Four of the eight pitchers who saved a game for the team last season are no longer on the roster. Newcomer Jordan Romano appears to be the projected favorite for the job but incumbents Jose Alvarado and Orion Kerkering will likely have something to say about it.
The biggest thing to watch for in Spring Training is Romano’s health. If healthy, he is an obvious fit for the closer role. Romano has saved 105 games in his career including 36 in two consecutive seasons from 2022-2023. Injuries limited him to just 13.2 innings last year and resulted in an ERA of over six. The Phillies should be able to tell pretty quickly if Romano is back to his former self during Spring Training.
If Romano continues to struggle, the Phillies do have two solid alternatives. After a dominant 2023, Alvarado opened last season as the closer but struggled with walks and saw his velocity take a slight step backward. When Alvarado is throwing strikes, he can look unhittable, but control is a major issue. Then there is Orion Kerkering who is one of the most dominant bullpen pitchers in baseball. Kerkering has everything you look for in a closer but has no experience closing games out. The Phillies have opted to use him in the fireman role and could opt to leave him there again in 2025.
The Phillies are projected to win a lot of games again in 2025 making the closer role extremely valuable. The most likely scenario is that it is either Romano or nobody for fantasy managers. If Romano cannot lock down the role in Spring Training, the expectation should be a closer-by-committee approach.
New York Mets – Third Base Battle
There is a chance that this section becomes OBE. Fresh off a run to the NLCS, the Mets made the biggest free agent signing of the off-season bringing in Juan Soto. The one piece they have been unable to retain thus far is the Polar Bear. Rumors have been swirling all off-season about reported negotiations and the frustration that lies on both sides. The only thing that is clear is that at the moment of writing this; Pete Alonso is not a member of the New York Mets. With Alonso’s potential departure, the team has been open about shifting Mark Vientos to first base. This leaves third base up for grabs with three young players all battling for playing time. Ronny Mauricio is returning from a torn ACL, Brett Baty has struggled to gain footing at the Major League level, and Luisangel Acuna never played a professional game at third base.
The Mets’ preferred option is likely for Brett Baty to win the starting job. Baty was viewed as the team’s top prospect a couple of seasons ago. He was setting the Minor Leagues on fire but has struggled in three Major League stints. He was ultimately passed on the depth chart by Vientos but appears likely to get another chance this spring. The biggest issue for Baty has been getting the ball in the air consistently. High ground ball rates have limited Baty’s power output while resulting in below-average BABIPs. A swing adjustment this spring would go a long way to helping Baty secure a starting role.
Mauricio was working his way through the Mets’ system at the same time as Baty. Mauricio had a bit more Major League success but tore his ACL and missed the entirety of the 2024 season. From a fantasy ceiling standpoint, Mauricio has the highest ceiling of anybody battling for this third base job. He has easy power and plus speed with 25/25 potential. The concerns are health, an overly aggressive approach, and suspect contact skills. Will Mauricio look rusty in Spring Training this year? How will the knee injury impact his willingness to run? These are all things to pay attention to and factor in Mauricio’s chances to win the job in Spring Training.
The third player battling for the starting spot has the notoriety from his last name alone. However, Luisangel is much more than just the brother of Ronald. He appeared in 14 games for the Mets down the stretch when Francisco Lindor got hurt. He hit .308 with three homers. Prorated out, that is 45 homers. Considering Acuna’s power is the biggest question mark in his profile, this bodes well. Acuna has excellent speed and is a threat for 40+ stolen bases in regular playing time. If he shows up in Spring Training showing off an ability to consistently launch the ball in the air, he will become an instant impact bat for the Mets and fantasy managers in 2025.
Atlanta Braves – No. 4 and 5 Starters
How will the Braves fill out their rotation following the departure of Max Fried and Charlie Morton? The Braves’ quiet offseason has surprised many but they are reportedly confident in the pitchers they have in-house to fill in the gaps. Two rotation spots could be up for grabs with a plethora of young arms battling for spots. Grant Holmes and Ian Anderson are the projected fourth and fifth starters according to Roster Resource, but do not be surprised if we see AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep make plays for those slots in Spring Training.
Making his Major League debut at age 28, nobody expected much from Grant Holmes who was used primarily as a reliever in recent years. The Braves used Holmes in a swing role throughout 2024. He put together strong numbers over his final six appearances (three starts) with a 2.25 ERA and an increased strikeout rate. Holmes posted strong chase and whiff rates but the concern is how his stuff will play if given the chance to start consistently. Holmes has not thrown 100 innings in a season since 2017 and likely represents a low-ceiling option for fantasy managers.
The two pitchers fantasy baseball managers should be most intrigued by are Waldrep and Smith-Shawver. Waldrep was the team’s first-round pick from 2023 and has a filthy splitter. There are concerns about his fastball shape and command but his splitter gives him obvious upside. Smith-Shawver set the dynasty world on fire in 2023 but has struggled to find success against the competition in the upper levels of the Minor Leagues. Contrary to Waldrep, AJSS has an excellent fastball that gets a ton of whiffs but his secondaries are suspect. Both pitchers have the Minor League track record to support the idea of fantasy relevance but are far from finished products.
Then, there is Ian Anderson. Anderson, who was dominant in his Major League debut in 2020, has struggled enormously since. Injuries have played a part, but there is little reason to believe he has suddenly solved his issues heading into 2025. His slurve/changeup combination is a plus, but like Waldrep, his fastball is a below-average offering. As a fantasy manager, all of these pitchers come with risk. If you are taking one late in drafts, you might as well shoot for the moon. Waldrep and AJSS winning the jobs out of Spring Training would be the best outcome for fantasy managers, thanks to the upside they possess.
Washington Nationals – Third Base Job
For a team that is still rebuilding, the Nationals do not have a lot of obvious holes in their lineup. The addition of Dylan Crews and James Wood to the outfield gives them a stable base and then Luis Garcia, CJ Abrams, and Josh Bell in the infield are nothing to scoff at. Third base is the one gaping hole in the lineup that seems to be up for grabs. Roster Resource has Jose Tena pegged as the starter on Opening Day. The team also signed Amed Rosario this off-season and he played 100 innings at third base last year. The biggest question entering Spring Training is: Can Brady House do enough to win a job on Opening Day? The Nationals top infield prospect received an invitation to Spring Training this year and is the name fantasy managers should be paying attention to.
After being acquired from Cleveland during the 2024 season, Tena played well down the stretch for Washington, hitting three homers with six steals and a .274 batting average. Tena has shown the ability to drive the ball out of the park during his time in the Minor Leagues and his batted ball data with Washington was excellent. The issue is an overly aggressive approach that could get Tena in trouble against Major League pitching. Tena will need to show off more plate discipline in Spring Training if he is to become fantasy-relevant. Amed Rosario has bounced from team to team over the past couple of seasons but has not found much success. Much like Tena, his overly aggressive approach can get him in trouble although he does handle left-handed pitching well. He is unlikely to be more than a utility infielder.
Excluding Tena, the real fantasy-relevant option for the Nationals is Brady House. Standing at 6’4”, House has plenty of power upside that fantasy managers would love to have. He drives the ball with the ability to go yard to all fields. He hits a lot of line drives and could turn into a force offensively. House, though, also has plenty of red flags. Much like Tena and Rosario, House struggles to lay off pitches out of the zone. He is overly aggressive at the plate and has a lot of swing-and-miss in his profile. High strikeout rates and low batting averages have been problems for House, which projects to continue. Even with his upside, he will need to show significant improvements to his plate discipline and contact rates in Spring Training. Until he does that, fantasy managers should be hesitant to buy in.
Miami Marlins – Backstop Battle
Miami made a lot of moves last season to replenish their farm system. Between Deyvison De Los Santos, Kyle Stowers, Connor Norby, and Jakob Marsee, there are plenty of names that could make some noise in camp. The one specific position battle that could have major fantasy implications is at catcher. Nick Fortes served as the team’s primary catcher last year to underwhelming results. They brought in Liam Hicks by way of the Rule-5 draft, but the real focus will be on Agustin Ramirez and whether or not he can win the starting catcher job in Spring Training.
The baseball community is well aware of what Nick Fortes brings to the table. Fortes owns a wRC+ below 60 over the last two seasons but is a strong defender and good game manager. He is exactly what teams look for in a backup catcher. His lack of offensive production prevents him from accumulating fantasy value despite regular playing time. Hicks spent last year with both Detroit and Texas’ Double-A teams posting strong contact rates and excellent plate discipline but zero power or speed. Hicks has almost no long-term value to fantasy managers.
Then, there is Ramirez. The former Yankees’ prospect was dominant last season. Between Double and Triple-A, Ramirez crushed 25 home runs with 22 stolen bases while working an 11.1% walk rate. While his speed does not profile to translate to steals at the Major League level, Ramirez’s power is legit. Even in Miami, Ramirez is a threat for 30+ home runs. Offensive production is nice, but his ability to make the team out of camp could come down to how much Miami trusts his defense. Ramirez’s long-term home could be at first base or DH due to defensive deficiencies. Seeing Ramirez play well behind the plate could go a long way toward winning him the starting job and securing the maximum fantasy value for managers.
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