1. Philadelphia Phillies -
The Phillies will finish first in the division, yet again. They went after a few key guys in the offseason while losing a few as well. Leaving the Phils was Brad Lidge (who hasn't done much in the last year and a half), Ryan Madson, and Raul Ibanez. They brought in Jonathan Papelbon, Ty Wigginton, and Jim Thome. There is definitely more leaving than there is coming in. Ibanez gave them 20+ HR and 80+ RBI on average his three years in Philadelphia. He went for 34 HR and 93 RBI back in 2009. The biggest addition, however, came late last season when the team obtained Hunter Pence from the Astros through trade. During the offseason, Pence and the Phillies avoided arbitration and worked out a deal to stay. In his 54 games with the squad, he batted .324 with 11 HR, 35 RBI, quite some production. 
Chase Utley is looking to return from injury after a less than stellar 2011 season. He missed quite some time due to a concussion amongst other injuries. His production has declined each of the last two seasons as he has dealt with injury. He is looking to regain his form and once again pair with Ryan Howard in the middle of the lineup. The pitching rotation did lose Roy Oswalt to free agency, but Joe Blanton and Vance Worley are more than capable of providing consistent quality starts. Worley would have won Rookie of the Year honors if it were not for Braves' closer, Craig Kimbrel, getting the nod instead. Worley posted ridiculous numbers his first year in the bigs, helped in large by the offense, but is capable of doing it again. Cliff Lee was strong last year and is looking to return to the same as he joins Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels to round out the staff, arguably one of the best in baseball, if not the best (see Tampa Bay Rays).
Keys to Success - Chase Utley needs to be able to stay healthy to lead the way. The rest of the offense is potent enough to carry the team, but with Utley's leadership, the offense can be taken to another level. With the offense scoring runs, the rotation should have plenty of support to win games.
Reason to Panic - The Phillies addressed their need for a closer in Papelbon, but did not do much else to provide bullpen depth. It still remains a mystery how well this unit will do, but Philadelphia is lucky to have such a strong rotation that can go the distance if necessary.
All Stars - Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels
2. Atlanta Braves -
The Braves will finish 2nd in the division but they will make a huge late season push for the division title. The Braves were not an active player in free agency this offseason, only picking up Adam Russell, former Tampa Bay Rays reliever. He will be thrown into a pen that already has proven to be consistent enough to win games. The bullpen will be anchored by NL Rookie of the Year, Craig Kimbrel. He had a dazzling rookie campaign compiling over 40 saves with a 2.10 ERA. The bullpen should be able to hold its own when games are turned over to them. Atlanta's starting rotation is phenomenal. Led by veteran Tim Hudson, the rotation should be what holds this team together. The team did lose Derek Lowe to free agency, but the Braves have the youth to step in and fill that void. Each starter is fully capable of winning 15 games this season. Very unlikely, but it can be done, each guy has the stuff to do so. Brandon Beachy is due to break out this year, Tommy Hansen has apparently altered his delivery to prevent injury, and Jair Jurrjens is looking to repeat his success from last season. However, all four of these guys went down with some sort of injury last year. If this rotation can stay healthy, Philadelphia better watch out.
The lineup is as potent as ever, pending injury. Chipper Jones can still supply a prominent bat when he's healthy. He has been dealing with knee surgeries the past two years, but claims he is not done playing. Jason Heyward, Atlanta's budding young star, was fighting shoulder issues for most of last season. If these two guys can return to form, the lineup with Dan Uggla, Martin Prado, and Brian McCann, will be a force to be reckoned with.
Keys to Success - Pitching will be the key this year. As long as the starters can stay healthy, Atlanta should have no issues at all keeping up with Philadelphia. The offense is potent enough to provide solid run support, no issues there. Once the game is handed to their closer, Kimbrel, it is lights out, game over. If they can get to situations where they can hand the ball to Kimbrel to preserve leads, Atlanta will win a lot of games.
Reason to Panic - Injuries have plagued the Braves for the last few seasons. It will play a major part again this season as Chipper and Heyward are both working their way back from their injuries. If players start going down in similar fashion to last year and the year prior, Atlanta will have a tough time getting anywhere in this division. All-Stars - Craig Kimbrel, Brandon Beachy, Jason Heyward
3. Miami Marlins -
So, who didn't the Marlins sign this offseason? All jokes aside, Miami has made a huge push to bring in revenue for all the money they've spent. Whether it was spent on a brand new stadium, a new manager, or several premium players, the Marlins spent a lot of money to attract attention to South Beach for something other than basketball and football. A lot of attention has been put on the Miami Heat and Dolphins, but the Marlins are now relevant in Miami. Ozzie Guillen was brought in to manage the club. With him he brings a wealth of experience getting to the postseason and even winning. This alone should show the direction this team is heading. The signing of Jose Reyes brings the offense and defense to an entirely new level. They are bringing in contact and speed on the basepaths, as well as defensive flash. It was noted that Reyes has lost some of his range, but he should look rejuvenated enough to give Miami a consistent glove on the infield. The Marlins also have Hanley Ramirez, Mike Stanton, and Logan Morrison to provide some pop to the middle of their lineup, however, it will be interesting to see how the new park affects that power.
The Marlins have also brought in three key pitchers in Mark Buehrle, Carlos Zambrano, and monster closer Heath Bell. This significantly improves their team pitching. Coupled with Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez, Zambrano and Buehrle could provide the depth in the rotation that they have been missing. Bell gives them the backend bullpen strength that could prove to have more of an impact on their season.
Keys to Success - Their lineup. You can put Hanley Ramirez in the number 3 spot when you have a guy like Jose Reyes batting leadoff, and good things are bound to happen. However, the key is power. Can the Marlins put up good power numbers in their new park? Its been said that the new park favors pitchers. There is enough speed here for sure, but it will be up to the power guys to drive them in.
Reason to Panic - Ego. The Marlins' demise could be all the personalities that they have in the clubhouse. For starters, Ozzie Guillen, has a personality all his own. Hanley Ramirez has already played diva, hinting that he would not want to move to third base. Carlos Zambrano has had a myriad of character issues in his time with the Chicago Cubs.
All-Stars - Hanley Ramirez, Heath Bell, Mike Stanton
4. Washington Nationals -
Speaking of youth, the Nationals have perhaps the best prospect in all the land in Bryce Harper. There have been personality and character issues, but if Washington can allow him to mature (he's only 19), they shouldn't have any issues down the road. He has a potent bat, one that has been crushing home runs at the major league level since he was in his early teens. It has been up the air as to whether he will get called up this season to join the Nationals' lineup, but if he does it will make their lineup that much stronger. The lineup already includes guys like Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman, and Adam Laroche. Each of these guys have been struggling as of late, but they are looking to turn their fortunes around.
Keys to Success - The Nationals' offense must get it going, and get it going early in games. The rotation and the bullpen will struggle, but if they score enough runs to outweigh the difficulties that their pitching will have, they should be fine. It is up to guys like Werth and Zimmerman to get the offense going and play the veteran role that Washington needs.
Reason to Panic - The only real reason to panic would be if these young guys that Washington has invested so much in, end up failing their projections. Strasburg and Harper have been two of the most exciting prospects in the last 5 years, and the sky is the limit for these two. However, if injuries persist for Strasburg and Harper just completely tanks, the Nationals will have a reason to panic, but more for the long term future.All-Stars - Stephen Strasburg, Ryan Zimmerman
5. New York Mets -
The Mets finish last in their division due to their massive budget overhaul, opposite of their New York counterparts. They have cut costs all across the board, losing Angel Pagan and Jose Reyes, two key players in their offense. They did bring in several players, but none that will help them in this division. Jon Rauch might ultimately be the most significant acquisition for the Mets in the offseason, and he may not even be a difference maker. The Mets are getting Johan Santana back from injuries and surgeries, David Wright is looking for a rebound year, and Ike Davis is looking to blossom into what he is supposed to be. Buster Olney, ESPN's senior baseball analyst, tweeted not too long ago that the Mets payroll stood at about $87.5 million with Jason Bay, Johan Santana, and David Wright making up $57.5 million, or about 65% of the payroll. How are the Mets supposed to go after other guys in free agency when you have 3 guys making up most of their payroll? They've invested too much for players that haven't lived up to their contracts. Santana hasn't pitched a game in over a year. Wright missed 60 games last season. Jason Bay hasn't been the same since he left Boston two seasons ago. The Mets simply could not afford to go after anyone significant in the offseason and could end up paying the price for it (aka $57.5 million for three potential injury-laden seasons).
Keys to Success - Specifically, it comes down to those 3 players carrying this team. The Mets have an average bullpen, a somewhat maybe above-average rotation with Santana, and what could be a potent lineup with Wright and Bay in the middle of it. These 3 guys produce, they could play a part in the division.Reason to Panic - The fact that those 3 players tie up so much payroll ultimate cost the Mets a chance at getting anyone that would increase the likelihood of winning this season. If those guys go down, the season goes down. It will be interesting to see which direction the Mets go this year.
All-Stars - David Wright, Ike Davis
I think you are right about the Phillies, but I see the Marlins coming together late and giving them a run for their money. The Wild Card probably wont come out this division this year, unless the bottom two teams are absolutely horrid. I am Marlin fan. As such, I have seen two world championships from teams that didn't have a lot of pop and played in a pitchers ball park in Joe Robbie or Pro Player or Dolphins' Stadium or whatever they are calling it these days. This team has a lot of the same attributes as the championship teams. Speed and good pitching. Your concerns over ego or justified. Hanley is a diva who doen't hustle. Morrison has issues with the front office, and you have to wonder about Bonafacio, who is coming off a stellar year and may now find himself ridding the pine. But look for the Marlins to make more moves via trade. They have a lot of options, and Ozzie likes his guys to play the game right, the way he did. I think Ozzie has his work cut out for him managing so many stars, but the key to the season will be Josh Johnson and his ability to stay healthy. He needs to pitch 35 games. When healthy, he is the most dominate power pitcher in the game.
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