NL East

Dominic Brown- Untouchable.  Jake Diekman- Off the radar.

As the Phillies try for a sixth consecutive NL Eastern Division crown, it's obvious this season will be more challenging than the previous divisional crowns.  Injuries and age are taking their toll on this core and the latest blow, a shoulder strain to ace Roy Halladay might be too much to overcome.

The New York Mets have done surprisingly well so far this season, and as June nears, there are whispers of a playoff run.

They have the tools at the plate. David Wright has an all-multiverse batting average of .373, and the Mets have been pleasantly surprised by the output of Mike Baxter, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Daniel Murphy and others once considered little more than fill-ins.

Mark Bowman of MLB.com has confirmed what the Atlanta Braves faithful have been hoping for recently when he reported Kris Medlen has been optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett to prepare for starting duties.

He will likely need two or three starts in order to get stretched out for the rotation.

Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper are the future of the Washington Nationals. 

Strasburg will be the ace of a formidable starting rotation for years to come, and Bryce Harper will anchor the outfield and the lineup with his five-tool talent. The future is in good hands. 

Here are seven reasons why the Washington Nationals need to quickly sign both players to long-term contracts to ensure the successful future of the franchise.

The Washington Nationals are being cautious with Ryan Zimmerman since his DL stint earlier this season.

Zimmerman was originally in the lineup on Tuesday but was scratched after manager Davey Johnson forced him to sit according to Amanda Comak of the Washington Times.

Playing Rough

Something you hear a lot about from fans is the lack of an "old-school" mentality in the modern game of baseball.

The Washington Nationals bullpen appears to be in trouble and Chien-Ming Wang is on his way to the MLB to provide some help.

Last year, Ike Davis played in 36 games before he suffered a freak ankle injury from a collision with David Wright.

That cost him the rest of the season.

Coming into this season, Davis was expected to put up high numbers. Thus far in 2012, he has done anything but that. 

Hitting just .161 in 137 at-bats, Davis is looking discouraged. A slow start is understandable, but it's late May already and Davis has shown very little, if any, signs of improvement.

In 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series, their second in the history of the franchise. Following that historic run Pat Gillick, the general manager, retired. This decision opened the door for Ruben Amaro Jr. to become the Phillies current general manager.

The 2012 MLB season is about to hit the quarter mark, and a lot of teams who were considered "playoff contenders" are still struggling to find their footing.

A lot of baseball fans are counting out the Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and Tigers, but be warned, there's a ton of baseball left to play, and all five of these teams will lean on their experience to pull through in the end.