NL East

The Atlanta Braves' sweep over the Washington Nationals over the weekend announced to the rest of baseball that the Braves are for real.

The series featured a thrilling comeback victory, a close, grind-it-out win and a dominating start that concluded in a blowout.

The starting rotation, bullpen and offense all had signature moments to signal that this is an all-around very good team.

The New York Mets are playing some great ball right now, and despite the fact that the season is still very young, there are more than a few reasons to expect much of the same in the coming months.

As the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves set to go head-to-head this Saturday, one question remains on everyone's mind: Who is the better team in the National League East?

Join in at 1 p.m. ET for coverage of the NL East battle between the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals.

The 9-1 Atlanta Braves are without doubt the hottest team in Major League Baseball right now.

Not only are their bats on fire, but their pitching staff has been firing on all cylinders. 

Just take a look at their standout offensive players:

Freddie Freeman - .412/.474/.647, 7-for-17, 1 home run, 1 double, 7 RBI, 3 runs scored.

The Atlanta Braves' hot start to the season has received plenty of attention due to the offensive output of offseason acquisition Justin Upton and Evan Gattis, who has backed up the spring training hype with a strong start.

But on Friday night at Nationals Park, it was the role players who stepped up and made key plays in the Braves' 6-4 comeback win over the Nationals.

There's clearly something wrong with Roy Halladay. Your eyes say so, and so do the gory numbers.

The Philadelphia Phillies' veteran right-hander has made two starts so far in 2013, and neither of them have been good. His totals: 7.1 innings pitched, 12 hits, six walks, three home runs, one hit batsman and two wild pitches.

There are few slimier figures in professional sports than Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.

From taxpayer-funded stadiums to broken promises to fire sale after fire sale, the few fans who can call themselves Miami diehards can't possibly take much more.

Roy Halladay came into the 2013 season with question marks surrounding his performance as a co-ace in the Philadelphia Phillies rotation.

Through two awful, uncharacteristic starts, Doc is leaving fans and analysts with more questions than answers. His 14.73 ERA isn't just unsightly; it's unfathomable.