This Major League Baseball season, the National League East is expected to be one of the most competitive divisions in the league. While the Atlanta Braves ran away with this division last season, there are a few teams with a chance to take this division away from them. Here, we look at the NL East futures odds and where each of its teams stands looking forward.
2024 NL East Futures Betting Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: Convincing Favorites
The Atlanta Braves won the NL East convincingly last season, winning the division by 14 games. But they fell short in the playoffs against another NL East team, getting beaten in the NLDS by the Philadelphia Phillies. This season, the Phillies have jumped out to a commanding lead in the NL East standings, earning a place as favorites to win this division. While Bryce Harper is no longer in the NL MVP race, the Phillies are in the race for the pennant and to win the World Series, which is much more important.
Atlanta Braves and New York Mets: Wild Card Contenders
Last year’s NL East champions find themselves at the top of the NL Wild Card standings so far this year. The Atlanta Braves have not been bad by any means this season. However, their offense has not been as electric as it was in 2023. Unless that changes, the Braves may be relegated to a Wild Card spot this October, instead of the division championship positioning they have become used to.
Last year, the New York Mets were expected to be one of the top contenders to win the NL East and the National League as a whole. But they were a disaster and ended up punting on the season around the trade deadline. The Mets are well behind the Phillies in the NL East standings this year, but they are in the Wild Card mix in the National League, which is a marked improvement from what we saw during last year’s horror show. We could see either the Mets or the Braves miss the playoffs, while the other gets in, creating a fun stretch run in this division.
Washington Nationals: Encouraged By 2024
The NL East title is not within reach for the Washington Nationals at this stage, nor is a NL Wild Card spot. But Washington hung around in the playoff race way longer than expected going into this year. Though the second half of their season went very poorly, there are some positives to be taken from this year for the Nats, who will look to build on them in 2025.
Miami Marlins: A Disastrous 2024
The Miami Marlins have been the worst team not just in the NL East, but arguably in the National League as a whole. They traded table setter Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres, limiting their offensive capabilities early in the season. Combine that with one of the worst pitching staffs in the National League from top to bottom and this year is not going to be one where the Marlins see the postseason.
