Going into the season, many expected the NL East to be a two-horse race. Many thought it would be a battle between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets for the division crown, with the Atlanta Braves as a dark horse. While the NL East ended up a two-team race, it was between the Phillies and Braves. The Miami Marlins made some noise but fell off toward the end of the season. In the end, the Braves defied preseason expectations and won the NL East by a comfortable margin. Going into 2027, it’s shaping up to be one of the more competitive divisions in the majors. Here is what each team needs to target this offseason.
What Should Each NL East Team Target?
Atlanta Braves, Grab a Front Line Starter: On paper, the Braves have three solid arms in their rotation: Chris Sale, Grant Holmes, and Bryce Elder. But the rest of their rotation leaves a lot to be desired. There is also concern that Sale is starting to regress, as he will be 38 at the start of the 2027 season. They do not need an ace, but adding a strong two could stabilize this rotation. Freddy Peralta could be a perfect fit. Despite a rollercoaster 2026, he finished strong with the Tampa Bay Rays. He also will not have the pressure of being an ace, which should help Peralta repeat his success in Milwaukee and Tampa Bay.
Philadelphia Phillies, Improve the Outfield: The Phillies window is quickly closing. With an aging roster and consistently shorter postseason trips, it feels like this core has one or two more chances to win. This should make them aggressive and try to fill every hole they have on the roster. One of their most glaring holes is in the outfield, and Dave Dombrowski has already said they’re targeting it. They should be in the running for guys like Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki. Ian Happ could also be an option. While he’s coming off a down year, he’s shown power and the ability to get on base throughout his career.
Miami Marlins, Power Bat: The Marlins were a pleasant surprise in 2026. They were only four games back of first place in the NL East during the All-Star break. Many thought they could be buyers at the deadline and make a run at the postseason. But a cold streak ended any chance at an NL East crown or a playoff berth. To build on last season’s success, they need more pop in their lineup. They only hit 168 home runs last season, the 8th fewest in the majors. They could take a flyer on Taylor Ward. While he struggled in 2026, he had 25 or more home runs in both 2024 and 2025.
Washington Nationals, Fix the Bullpen: The Washington Nationals have a ton of young and exciting players on their roster. This helped create an explosive offense that scored the third most runs in the majors. The issue was that their pitching gave up the 5th most earned runs. This prevented them from having a real shot in the NL East. While both the rotation and bullpen struggled, the pen was the much bigger issue. They will need to add some solid relievers to fix it. Sean Newcomb and Shawn Armstrong would bring a veteran presence to this pen and make it a much more competitive group.
New York Mets, Find an Ace: The Mets were arguably the biggest disappointment of 2026. Despite World Series aspirations, they finished last in the NL East and 14 games under .500. But it wasn’t all negative for the Mets. They have seemingly found a solid core, and just need to add the supplemental pieces. One of which is an ace to anchor their young pitching staff. The most obvious target is Tarik Skubal. He’d be the pitcher the Mets have been missing for years and give them the big-game arm. If they miss out on Skubal, they could pivot to Michael King or try to trade for someone like Logan Gilbert.
