Atlanta Braves: 2004 was supposed to be the year their lock on the East was to break, but the Braves kept their streak of 13 straight division titles (1994 notwithstanding) intact on the same old formula: pitching and defense. Pitching Coach Leo Mazzone looks forward to the staff he’ll have this year. Starting off, the acquisition of closer Dan Kolb from Milwaukee allows last year’s fireman, John Smoltz, to return to the rotation. Smoltz, the 1996 Cy Young winner and the last of the triumvirate Atlanta rode to all those titles, had 44 saves last season, but he looks forward to starting on a regular basis for the first time since 1999. They also made a deal with the A’s for ace Tim Hudson and his consistent excellence. A concern is that lefties hit .298 against him. Mike Hampton and Horacio Ramirez add left-handed balance to the rotation.

Offensively, this team is hit or miss. The first three hitters should be excellent, featuring All-Stars Rafael Furcal, Marcus Giles, and Chipper Jones, who returns to third this year. All three of these guys have solid gloves and are part of the reason for the Braves’ excellence since 1991. Centerfielder Andruw Jones has outstanding range and solid power though he is inconsistent at the plate and rightfielder Raul Mondesi will try to resurrect his career after jumping a pair of contracts last year. He still has a world of talent and a cannon for an arm. If the offense plays to its potential, there is no reason the Braves can’t make a run at the title again, but how far will they go in the playoffs?

Florida Marlins: The 2003 World Series Champs kept their roster intact and went 83-79 last year. Though they failed to re-sign Carl Pavano, they did bolster their offense by signing slugging first baseman Carlos Delgado. Delgado, who has hit 30+ homers for the last eight years with Toronto, should benefit from Pro Player Stadium’s natural grass as he anchors what could be one of baseball’s best infields. Second baseman Luis Castillo, who won his second straight Gold Glove last season and remains one of baseball’s fastest players, will likely bat seconded behind Juan Pierre. Josh Beckett, the 2003 Series MVP, leads the rotation along with southpaw Dontrelle Willis and his bizarre wind-up. Al Leiter provides veteran leadership. For the Marlins to get back to the postseason, the young starters need to rediscover the 2003 magic, and Delgado, 32, must prove he’s worth his contract.

New York Mets: After yet another injury and controversy-marred season, the Mets have revamped themselves, naming former Yankees 2B Willie Randolph their new manager, and signing OF Carlos Beltran and starting pitcher Pedro Martínez. Beltran turned into a hitting machine for the Astros in the playoffs last year, hitting .435 with 8 dingers and 14 RBI, but is he worth what Omar Minaya paid? Their middle infield of the future, José Reyes and Kazuo Matsui, both missed time last year, but hope to have breakout years, especially in the field. They switch positions this season. Martínez and Tom Glavine are the top two in the rotation, though they are two totally different types of pitchers. Pedro is a power type who can strike guys out in bunches, but his durability is questionable these days, and his control suffered last year, in which he went just 16-9 with a career-high 3.90 ERA. But a good sign is that he has already befriended catcher Mike Piazza. Kris Benson, a 30-year-old Clemson graduate who finally found consistency with his stuff last year, fills the three spot. Other than closer Braden Looper, who had 29 saves, the bullpen is questionable, and its success will be key in the Mets’ improvement this season.

Philadelphia Phillies: Many expected the Phillies to win the East last year, but Atlanta surged past them in July and eventually won by ten games. New manager Charlie Manuel should be a welcome change from the explosive Larry Bowa. He’ll have a talented lineup from top to bottom, led off by shortstop Jimmy Rollins, a two-time All-Star. The speedy switch-hitter reached double figures in doubles, triples, homers and stolen bases for the third time in four years while playing Gold Glove defense. Bobby Abreu and Jim Thome provide power; Abreu is younger and had a 30-30 campaign while improving his defense in right.

In the rotation, Brett Myers has been compared to Josh Beckett, but he still needs to work on his changeup and pitching with runners on base. The newest starter is Jon Lieber, who resurrected his career with a 14-8 record with the Yankees last season, though opponents batted .301 against him. Another talented starter is Vicente Padilla, an All-Star in 2002. His power arm can dominate opponents, but his inconsistency is worrisome. The bullpen should be solid once again, spearheaded by a healthy Billy Wagner who still has 100-mph heat. Felix Rodriguez should bring the game to Wagner. If the Phillies play to their potential, they could break the Braves’ hold on the division.

Washington Nationals: All eyes will be on the former Montreal Expos this year, as new prospects are on the horizon, as well as some recently signed veterans including Christian Guzman, Vinny Castilla and the talented Jose Guillien. Barry Larkin, an assistant to the GM, should be of great help to Guzman, who should form a great DP combo with All-Star 2B Jose Vidro.

The rotation is very young except for the 33-year-old Esteban Loaiza, their X-Factor. For eight seasons, he bounced around the majors as teams hoped he would reach his potential. In 2003, Loaiza won 21 games with the White Sox and started the All-Star Game. Last year, he was an average innings eater who fell in love with his cutter. Up front is Livan Hernandez, whose 11-15 record does not do justice to a season in which he led the league in innings and complete games but received the league’s sixth-worst run support. Tony Armas, Jr., Tomo Ohka, and Zach Day round out the rotation. It will be an interesting season for baseball’s “newest” franchise. Expect development throughout the season, and an offense that scored just 635 runs last season to improve dramatically. If it doesn’t happen, expect a modified version of the old Washington baseball jingle: “Last in war, last in peace, and last in the National League.”