NL East Update

ATLANTA BRAVES

Spring Leaders

Hits - Chipper Jones 23
Home runs - Chipper Jones 4
RBIs - Chipper Jones 15
Stolen Bases - Wilkin Ramirez 4
Innings - Jair Jurrjens 21
Strikeouts - 2 tied with 16

News: Brandon Beachy will be Atlanta's #5 starter to start the 2011 season. The 24 year old right hander made his major league debut at the end of 2010 and made 3 starts and while he went 0-2 he had an ERA of just 3.00. Between AA and AAA last year, Beachy was dominant posting a 1.73 ERA over 35 appearances (13 starts) and going 5-1 with a pair of saves. An undrafted free agent signed out of Indiana Wesleyan in 2008, Beachy has really been sharp this spring with an ERA of just 1.13 over 16 innings with 16 strike outs and holding opposing hitters to a meager .130 average.


FLORIDA MARLINS


Spring Leaders

Hits - 2 tied with 21
Home runs - 4 tied with 2

RBIs - 3 tied with 10
Stolen Bases - Emilio Bonifacio 5
Innings - Josh Johnson 20
Strikeouts - Anibal Sanchez 15

News: Mike Stanton missed the Marlins' first 24 games this spring. It didn't take long for the 21 year old to get back up to speed. Facing Boston's Clay Buchholz is his debut, Stanton clubbed a pair of 3-run homers and drove in 7 runs en route to a 15-7 Florida win. Through two games, Stanton is 4 for 6 with a double, 2 homers and 9 runs batted in. Stanton led all rookies last season with 22 home runs and if his spring debut was any indication, you can expect more of the same in 2011. 


NEW YORK METS

Spring Leaders

Hits - Nick Evans 22
Home runs - 4 tied with 3

RBIs - Ike Davis 12
Stolen Bases - Angel Pagan 4
Innings - 2 tied with 20 1/3
Strikeouts - Jon Niese 20

News: The Mets have been eating some serious salary this spring. First they cut ties with Luis Castillo eating the final $6M on his contract, and then they cut ties with lefty Oliver Perez who was owed $12M this season. Castillo, who has since been picked up by the Phillies, was hitting .286 (8/28) with the Mets this spring but he was coming off a season where he hit just .235 with only 6 extra base hits in 86 games. A career .290 hitter, and 3-time all star with 3 gold gloves to his name, Castillo was not popular among Mets fans, and New York has decided to go a different direction at second. Perez was more of a disappointment as he pitched himself out of a roster spot this spring. On the heels of a back to back seasons with an ERA of 6.80 or higher, Perez posted an ERA of 8.38 this spring in 7 appearances with 8 walks in just 9 2/3 innings.


PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Spring Leaders

Hits - Ben Francisco 20
Home runs - John Mayberry 5

RBIs - Raul Ibanez 12
Stolen Bases - John Mayberry 4
Innings - Joe Blanton 28
Strikeouts - Cole Hamels 23

News: Closer Brad Lidge is going to open up the 2011 season on the disabled list with shoulder pain. Lidge who bounced back from an abysmal 2009 season (0-8 7.21 ERA, 11 blown saves) to save 27 of 32 games and post a 2.96 ERA last year is hopeful that he can return by mid-April. Ryan Madson or Jose Contreras will likely assume the closing duties in Lidge's absence. Madson has saved 20 games over the past 7 seasons and is coming off a strong 2010 where he posted a 2.55 ERA. Contreras picked up his first four career saves last season and over 67 games had a 3.34 ERA.


WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Spring Leaders

Hits - Michael Morse 21
Home runs - Michael Morse 7

RBIs - 2 tied with 15
Stolen Bases - Nyjer Morgan 6
Innings - Jordan Zimmerman 20
Strikeouts - 2 tied with 13

News: Jim Riggleman has announced that Drew Storen and Sean Burnett will share the closing duties for the Nats in 2011. Storen, 23, made his debut last season posted a 3.58 ERA over 54 appearances and saving 5 games. While he's struggled a bit this spring (9.31 ERA, .348 average) he has saved a pair of games. Burnett, a lefty, came to the Nats in 2009. Last year he posted a 2.14 ERA over 73 games and had a career high 3 saves.