2023 NL East Breakout Stars
Talk about a division that truly feels up for grabs. With Steve Cohen’s wallet, anything feels possible at this point. The Braves are still the Braves and the Phillies just added Trea Turner after a World Series run. Let’s run through the 2023 NL East breakout stars!
Atlanta Braves: Vaughn Grissom
Dansby Swanson is gone and Vaughn Grissom is the new shortstop. Swanson is a big loss but maybe Braves’ fans shouldn’t really be that worried. Grissom showed out as a rookie hitting .291 in 141 at-bats in 2022. Grissom has sky high potential and has the look and feel of an every day shortstop. Credit the Braves development system for having a guy like this in-house.
Miami Marlins: Edward Cabrera
I may have been cheating with this one but it feels like Cabrera has another level to climb. Sort of like the way Sandy Alcantara kept getting better and better. Cabrera sported a 3.01 ERA across 14 starts in 2022. What happens if Cabrera makes 35 starts and becomes one of the premier starters in baseball? I think that’s the way we’re trending.
New York Mets: Brett Baty
There is one positive to the Mets missing out on Carlos Correa. Bretty Baty is awesome and now he will eventually get the opportunity to be an everyday player. I’m very confident that out of all of the Mets’ young players, Baty has the best chance to become a star. Don’t take last year’s small sample size as a sign of what’s to come. The Mets first round pick in 2019 has immense talent and the third base job is his for the taking. Expect that to be the result.
Philadelphia Phillies: Andrew Painter
We may have to wait until July for this one but it’s worth the wait. Painter, 19, already reached AA and is on the fast track towards an MLB promotion this Summer. When the time comes to fill a spot in the rotation, Painter will be called upon. Painter was named as MLB.com’s pitcher of the year for the minors. 6-foot-6 with a serious pitch mix. The Phillies have a good one on their hands.
Washington Nationals: Thaddeus Ward
Will the Red Sox regret not protecting Ward during the Rule 5 Draft? I believe they will. Ward will likely become a back end starter but on a Nationals team that needs help everywhere, expect Ward to become a contributor. His stuff doesn’t totally blow you away but he’s a true fix pitch mix guy that can locate. Expect Ward to eat plenty of innings in Washington in 2023.
