NL East

Mike Minor carried the Atlanta Braves to a 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.  Justin Upton hit another home run, and Evan Gattis had three hits in the victory.

New York Mets fans have adopted patience during this period of rebuilding. Actually, there has been no choice but to be patient, considering the plan the organization has implemented. To be fair, it has begun to yield results. 

The Braves started off the 2013 season on the right foot with a 7-5 victory over Philadelphia.

And the atmosphere at Turner Field was electric. 

The offseason acquisitions of B.J. and Justin Upton created a buzz around the Braves, and fans were even more excited when they learned Chipper Jones would be throwing out the first pitch. 

The Philadelphia Phillies fell to the Atlanta Braves 7-5 in their first game of the 2013 season, but it wasn't all bad news.

Cole Hamels and Chad Durbin struggled on the mound, Chase Utley brought life to the offense and newcomers made their debuts. It is a much different Phillies team than a few years ago, when it had the best rotation in all of baseball and was considered a title contender. Now, the Phillies try to put a .500 season behind them as they set out to retake the NL East throne from the Washington Nationals.

After weeks of speculation and predictions, the Philadelphia Phillies have officially set their Opening Day roster and determined which players will be charged with making the 2012 season a distant memory and 2013 a return to the postseason.

What makes a fresh baseball season so beautiful? Maybe it's that moment when you first open the newspaper and see the standings and find every team tied at zero. It's the only time during the season where every team has an equal chance to succeed. Even the Astros, however briefly, take comfort in not yet being mathematically eliminated.

After six weeks of preparation, the Washington Nationals will play their first game of the regular season on Monday afternoon. Spring training is officially in the books after their final tune-up against the New York Yankees on Friday afternoon.

Have we seen the last of Johan Santana?

The Atlanta Braves are poised for major success in 2013. As the final roster decisions are debated between Fredi Gonzalez and the front office, remember that the Opening Day roster is just that: an April 1 roster.

Beyond the pageantry of Opening Day, many moves will be made to solidify a roster on the rise.

With a mix of veterans, ascending superstars and young players looking to establish themselves, Atlanta has a deep and diverse group.

Of course, they're led by the Upton-Upton-Heyward outfield that was assembled via free agency and trade.

Roy Halladay's 2013 spring training performance has been just shy of disastrous.

Halladay was cuffed around again in his most recent trip to the mound, a four-inning, 81-pitch seven-hit slog against a lineup comprised of Triple-A hitters, per Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.