The New York Mets are certain winners of the offseason, bringing in multiple stars and making meaningful changes to their roster that missed out on the postseason in 2025. Still, the National League East is a tough division, and the Mets certainly are not automatically winners of the division. Here’s a prediction of how the standings will look after the 2026 offseason:

The Nationals won’t exactly be in the picture much during the 2026 season, as they’re headed for another bottom-of-the-standings finish this year. Washington traded away young left-hander MacKenzie Gore for the 12th overall selection in the 2025 draft, infielder Gavin Fien. They also lost first baseman Josh Bell and third baseman Paul DeJong while only bringing in catcher Harry Ford and pitcher Foster Griffin. Their intention in 2026 is not to win, it’s to focus on their youth development again.

Prediction: Fifth place

Miami finished just two games below .500 last season, which was enough for a third-place finish in the NL East. They’ll be without two of their stronger pitchers in 2026 after trading Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers away this winter. They also dealt outfielder Joey Weimer and Dane Myers in trades. To make up for the losses, the Marlins added outfielders Esteury Ruiz, Owne Caissie, infielder Christopher Morel, and reliever Pete Fairbanks. They lost more talent than they got this winter, and they’ll drop in the standings because of it.

Prediction: Fourth place

The Phillies were able to bring back DH Kyle Schwarber and catcher J.T. Realmuto after winning 96 games last season, but they likely didn’t do enough to keep their spot at the top of the division. They lost starting pitcher Ranger Suarez, outfielder Harrison Bader, and relievers Matt Strahm and David Robertson. Philadelphia is still a good team and could very well get a Wild Card spot, but they didn’t do enough to keep up with the top two teams in the NL East.

Prediction: Third place

Atlanta had an uncharacteristically bad 2025 season, winning just 76 games. They will certainly be back in 2026, however, after their positive offseason. The Braves brought in reliever Robert Suarez, utility man Mauricio Dubon, and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski while not losing any significant players. They did a good job in re-signing several key players on their roster, such as infielder Ha-Seong Kim and relievers Raisel Iglesias and Tyler Kinley. The Braves are predicted to be one of the biggest risers in 2026, but it’s still not enough to claim the first=place spot in the NL East.

Prediction: Second place

New York dove headfirst into the offseason and came back up with a much-improved roster in 2026. Despite losing star first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz, the Mets found a way to sufficiently replace them and then some. They traded for outfielder Luis Robert Jr. and infielder Marcus Semien, while signing Jorge Polanco to fill in at first and relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to make up for Diaz’s absence in the bullpen.

The Mets also landed right-handed ace Freddy Peralta in a trade and signed star infielder Bo Bichette to play third base. With a completely revamped lineup, an improved starting rotation, and bullpen, the Mets are in a prime spot to take hold of the NL East. After collapsing in 2025, New York is due for a bounce-back season after their great offseason.

Prediction: First place