Burning questions for every National League team

From pennant contenders to cellar-dwellers, we address the burning questions surrounding each National League team in 2020.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Can Ketel Marte replicate his outstanding 2019 season? Marte earned his first All-Star game nod and finished fourth in the MVP voting after batting .329 with 32 homers and 92 RBI, all career-highs. 

Atlanta Braves

How will Mike Soroka fare in his sophomore season? After finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2019, Soroka has been tabbed as the Braves’ Opening Day starter. We’ll see if this 22-year-old with only one year of experience can anchor the rotation of a team with World Series aspirations.

Chicago Cubs

Can David Ross cure what ails the Cubs? The North Siders underachieved in 2019, and manager Joe Maddon paid for it with his job. Ross, a member of the 2016 World Series-winning Cubs team, will now be asked to manage a roster in which half of the players were his former teammates. It could get messy quickly if the Cubs don’t get off to a good start.

Cincinnati Reds

Will it all come together for the Reds in 2020? They may have won the offseason by signing Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos, Shogo Akiyama, and Wade Miley, but they need to prove they can be effective as a unit.

Colorado Rockies

Which Kyle Freeland will show up in 2020? After going 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA in 2018, Freeland went into the tank last year by going 3-11 with a 6.73 ERA, further sullied by a six-week stint in the minors. Not surprisingly, he put some work in during the offseason to try to correct the issues that plagued him last season. Only time will tell if they’ll work or not.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Can the Dodgers finally get over the hump? After losing in the World Series in 2017 and 2018, L.A. took a step backwards last season by getting bounced out in the NLDS by the eventual champion Nationals.

Miami Marlins

Is it time to start taking the Marlins seriously? A solid rotation, led by Sandy Alcantara, is beginning to take shape, and the offseason acquisitions of Jonathan Villar and Corey Dickerson bring them a couple of steps closer to respectability, at least on paper.

Milwaukee Brewers

Do the Brewers have enough reliable pitching? Having Brandon Woodruff as a staff ace and Adrian Houser and Brett Anderson behind him does not seem to be adequate to chase the NL Central title this year.

New York Mets

Can the Mets count on anyone – aside from Jacob deGrom – in their rotation? Projected No. 2 starter Marcus Stroman was an underwhelming 4-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 11 starts as a Met following a deadline deal in 2019. Of the No. 3 through 5 starters, Steven Matz had the best ERA in 2019 at 4.21.

Philadelphia Phillies

Will Didi Gregorius have a bounce-back season? After tallying a career-high .829 OPS for the Yankees in 2018, he was injured for half of last year and struggled at the plate, producing a .718 OPS. The Phillies rolled the dice on Gregorius with a one-year, $14 million contract for 2020.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Can new manager Derek Shelton right the ship in Pittsburgh? Clint Hurdle left in disgrace following a disastrous 2019 marked by several clubhouse scandals.

San Diego Padres

Can Manny Machado shake off a sub-par season? After recording a career-high .905 OPS in 2018, the Padres inked Machado to a 10-year, $300 million contract. He struggled to produce in Year 1 of that deal, putting up a .796 OPS.

San Francisco Giants

When will the Joey Bart era begin? Buster Posey has opted-out of the 2020 campaign, paving the way – at least in theory – for No. 14 overall prospect Joey Bart to take over catching duties. However, the team seems hesitant to hand over the "tools of ignorance" to the 23-year-old greenhorn.

St. Louis Cardinals

Can Jack Flaherty replicate his second half of 2019? Flaherty, St. Louis’ Opening Day starter, was practically unhittable after the All-Star break last year, going 7-2 with a 0.91 ERA in 15 starts.

Washington Nationals

Who will replace Anthony Rendon in the lineup? With Rendon defecting to the Angels, a vacuum is left behind at third base that Carter Kieboom and Asdrubal Cabrera will try to fill. 

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