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NL East: 3 storylines to watch down the stretch

Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Sport / Getty

With less than five weeks to play in the regular season, the National League East has emerged as unpredictable as any division in baseball.

Everything that wasn't supposed to happen has - the New York Mets are winning games on the strength of their offense, the Washington Nationals almost need a miracle to make the playoffs, and the trendy Miami Marlins are as dysfunctional as ever.

From rookies to pink slips to star-studded disappointments, here are three NL East storylines to watch down the stretch:

Crisis in the capital

Perhaps no two quotes better sum up the Nationals' collapse than Bryce Harper's bold statements, then and now. Following the Max Scherzer signing in January, it was Harper who famously asked, "Where's my ring?" More than six months later, the MVP front-runner is saying his club will have to "shock the world" just to make the playoffs. With the Nationals sitting 6 1/2 games back of first-place New York, Harper's not wrong. The Mets are showing no signs of slowing down after acquiring Yoenis Cespedes and his career-best power numbers, while the club's exceptional rotation is deep enough to afford its starters rest down the stretch. The Nationals have a slightly easier schedule with just six of their last 30 games coming against teams with a record over .500. Their opponent in those games? The Mets, of course.

Rookie spotlight

Helping to secure the Mets their first division title in nine years will be a trio of rookies thrust directly into the thick of the playoff race. Outfielder Michael Conforto (.963 OPS in 31 games), lefty Steven Matz (1.32 ERA, five RBIs!), and hard-throwing right-hander Noah Syndergaard (129 strikeouts in 122 1/3 innings) have been key contributors to the Mets' surprising surge, and all are expected to play pivotal roles as New York chases its first playoff appearance since 2006. Though the attention promises to be on Queens and the nation's capital, two other East rookies could steal the spotlight in September. Top prospect Aaron Nola should see a few more starts down the stretch for the Phillies, while all eyes in Atlanta will focus on Cuban phenom Hector Olivera, the 30-year-old infielder who defected for a $62.5-million deal last winter.

If you can't beat 'em, fire him

The Marlins appear on the verge of another purging after failing to meet their self-imposed high expectations after an historic offseason. After extending Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, and making several other notable acquisitions, the Marlins have stumbled to the fourth-worst record in baseball at a staggering 24 games below .500. Owner Jeffrey Loria will reportedly ask Dan Jennings to return to the front office, leaving his manager and former GM as the fall guy for a rotation that's received just seven starts from Jose Fernandez and an underachieving lineup missing Stanton for more than half the year. Perhaps most disappointing has been the play of Yelich and Marcell Ozuna, who've combined to hit just 14 homers, after going deep a total of 32 times last season.

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