The story line in the NL East entering the season will largely be about the New York Mets, who hope to return to the playoffs after winning the NL pennant last season. To repeat that feat, they will try to stave off a hungry Nationals team, that, for the first time since 2012, will be playing the role of underdog. The fight for control of the NL East will more than likely last late into the summer as the young star-studded Mets rotation dukes it out against a Nats roster full of big name players like Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, to name a few.

But does this story line, one that has been pushed throughout the offseason, really tell the whole story of the NL East? Can no other team make a push to at least contend in the coming season?

Let’s start with the easiest team: The Braves. Or is it the Phillies? It is incredibly difficult to discern which of these teams will be worse. Predicting either of these teams to win the division would be like predicting the 49ers to win the NFC West next year. Neither team broke 70 wins last year (The Braves’ 67 narrowly beating the Phillies’ 63). Both teams have failed to make significant moves this offseason to improve their roster. One of the Phillies’ biggest moves so far is trading for righty starter Charlie Morton, a 32 year old whose ERA jumped a full run last year to a disturbingly high 4.81. No wonder the Pirates parted ways with him. They also traded for RHP Jeremy Hellickson, another shmuck with a 4.61 ERA. The Phillies also picked up Peter Bourjos, a formerly promising outfielder who hit .200 last year in 200 at bats for the Cardinals. Fans of DC native Emmanuel Burriss will be happy to see that the Phils picked him up too, but don’t expect him to make an impact even if he does make the roster. Bad teams can’t get better without making moves. The Phillies could easily be the MLB equivalent of the 76ers.

The Braves have fared little better. They signed a bunch of right handed pitchers. Three are starters, Jhoulys Chacin, Bud Norris and Kyle Kendrick. Two, Alexi Ogando and David Carpenter will be relievers. Although Chacin is decent, posting a 3.76 career ERA despite playing in Colorado most of his career, Kendrick and Ogando have both struggled recently. Neither posted a respectable ERA or WHIP in either of their last two seasons. Norris imploded last year after a decent 2014 and Carpenter missed most of the season with injuries. All in all, this is a lackluster list of pitchers. They also signed a trio of below average infielders in Gordon Beckham, Emilio Bonifacio and Erick Aybar. None of these guys exactly strike fear into opposing pitchers’ hearts. To cap it all off, the Braves lost defensive genius Andrelton Simmons and veteran outfielder Cameron Maybin in attempts to add to their farm system. This is what a rebuilding team looks like, folks.

That leaves us with the Marlins. The Marlins were one of the most disappointing teams in baseball last season. After signing half man/half beast outfielder Giancarlo “not Mike” Stanton to a record deal and adding seemingly key pieces like Dee Gordon and Michael “also not Mike” Morse, they struggled with injuries and finished with a disappointing 71 wins. (Despite the tough season, ownership was encouraged by attendance figures. Although thirty percent of attendees were reportedly asleep at any given time, the team still averaged 100 fans for the first time in recent memory.)

Expectations don’t seem to be as high for the Marlins this season, especially outside of Florida, where no one is talking about them. (That being said, I doubt anyone in Florida talks about the Marlins either). Their lineup, however, is not one that can be overlooked. Leadoff hitter Dee Gordon is one of the best in the league in large part because of his back to back years with over 50 stolen bases. Giancarlo Stanton can drive in runs with the best of them. A broken hand limited him to only 74 games last year but he still managed 67 RBI, a decent number for most major leaguers playing a full season. The rest of the lineup is highlighted by young guys who are steadily improving. 24-year old Christian Yelich is a terrific young player who hit .300 last year in only his second full season in the big leagues. Marcell Ozuna and Adeiny Hechavarria are both good defensive players with decent bats who are only 25 and 26, respectively. Justin Bour hit 23 homers last year in his first full season. Any of these guys, especially Bour, could have a break out season.

The Marlins also possess one of the best arms in the bigs, Jose Fernandez. Another player who lost most of last season to injury, Fernandez has a 2.40 career ERA in 47 starts and is only 23. His stuff is electric. It is nasty. It is all too often unfair. Behind Fernandez is veteran Wei-Yin Chen who posted a 3.34 ERA last year despite playing in cozy Camden Yards. Behind those two guys, the Marlins rotation is mediocre. Tom Koehler, Jarred Cosart and David Phelps are all okay. But they are nothing more than that and have lost the shine they had early in their career. The Marlins are really only one arm away from having a good rotation. If they could sign a decent, cheap arm, a guy like Tim Lincecum or Kyle Lohse, both proven starters, that could propel them into contention in the NL East.

The Marlins may not stack up against the Nats or Mets when comparing position by position, but they are a very decent team with a lot of young talent looking for a breakout season. They might be a player or two away from truly competing, but with both an MVP candidate and a Cy Young contender, this team certainly has the foundation to make a run at the division title.