Rating angst of fan bases for National League teams

At the beginning of February, roughly two weeks before the start of spring training games, hope springs eternal for fans of most MLB franchises. Teeth-gritting Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals fans, however, may be approaching this season with a sense of dread or anger.

Ahead of this special time on the sports calendar, Yardbarker MLB writers rate the angst of fan bases of all 15 NL teams on a scale from "1" (Worries? What worries?) to "5" (OMG!). Last season's records are in parentheses.

NL East 

ATLANTA BRAVES (89-73) | Rating: 2 | In 2024, the Braves ended the season tied with the Mets for second in the division before a quick elimination from the playoffs. However, they achieved this despite missing RHP Spencer Strider and OF Ronald Acuna Jr., who are expected to return fully healthy in 2025, making Atlanta a strong contender again. That’s something for fans to celebrate.

MIAMI MARLINS (62-100) | Rating: 4 | If the Marlins had fans, they’d probably be unhappy. Coming off a dreadful 2024, Miami hasn’t done much this winter to earn it more wins in 2025.

NEW YORK METS (89-73) | Rating: 3 | After an incredible second half and a Cinderella playoff run, New York's 2024 ended in the NLCS. Luckily for Mets fans, the club added slugger Juan Soto this offseason, although they likely could’ve added more on the pitching front.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (95-67) | Rating: 4 | The 2024 regular season was sweet for Phillies fans, but the elimination in four games by the Mets in the NLDS was not. Philadelphia fans have relished success recently, but their team hasn't won the World Series since 2008. They’re growing impatient.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (71-91) | Rating: 2 | Since winning the World Series in 2019, the Nats have entered a rebuild. The future is bright with outfielders James Wood and Dylan Crews leading the way. Nationals fans must remain patient. — Lauren Amour

NL West 

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (89-73) | Rating: 2 | A pair of pitchers named Corbin (Burnes and Carroll) will give the Diamondbacks a great chance to be in the postseason hunt. However, with the Dodgers in the division, that may be the extent of the ceiling in the desert. Sorry, D-back fans.

COLORADO ROCKIES (61-101) | Rating: 1 | Come to Coors Field for the scenic views and the defense displayed by Gold Glovers Brenton Doyle, a center fielder, and Ezequiel Tovar, a shortstop. Potential call-ups for pitcher Chase Dollander and outfielder Zac Veen will give Colorado a glimpse of the future in another rebuilding season.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS (98-64) | Rating: 1 | A franchise that just won the World Series and has committed an eye-popping amount of money — more than $450M guaranteed, per ESPN — to the roster for 2025 has Dodgers fans feeling quite confident. The biggest worry in Los Angeles for fans is traffic heading to Dodgers Stadium.

SAN DIEGO PADRES (93-69) | Rating: 5 | It’s been a rough offseason for the Padres, with Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki choosing the rival Dodgers and a lawsuit over the ownership of the franchise dominating recent headlines. San Diego was close to knocking off the Dodgers in the NL Division Series last season, but the gap between the franchises seems to have widened.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (80-82) | Rating: 2 | New president of baseball operations Buster Posey finally helped San Francisco land a big-name free agent in shortstop Willy Adames, but that’s the lone highlight of the offseason. Giants fans are simply hoping their team will play spoiler in a stacked division. — Kevin Henry

NL Central 

CHICAGO CUBS (83-79) | Rating: 3 | After reshaping the roster with trades for RF Kyle Tucker and RHP Ryan Pressly, among other moves, the Cubs are in a position to compete for the division title. Add that to a winter where Sammy Sosa has been welcomed back into the franchise and Cubs fans are feeling ready (and dare we say...hopeful?) for spring.

CINCINNATI REDS (77-85) | Rating: 2 | Terry Francona, who has a 1,950-1,672 record in 23 seasons as a big-league manager, is at the helm for the Reds, who have made moves to beef up the roster (drawing praise from ESPN insider Buster Olney). But this is still a team that isn’t likely to contend in Francona's first season the helm. Getting closer to .500 would be a step in the right direction.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS (93-69) | Rating: 4 | The Brewers collapsed in the NL wild-card round series against the New York Mets, then traded closer Devin Williams this offseason (landing starting pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. from the New York Yankees in return). Outside of that, it has been a quiet winter in Milwaukee, and fans are wondering why. 

PITTSBURGH PIRATES (76-86) | Rating: 5 | Pitcher Paul Skenes has quickly become the face of the franchise in Pittsburgh, but there’s not much else to talk about when it comes to the Pirates, whose cheap ownership drives fans nuts. 

 ST, LOUIS CARDINALS (83-79) | Rating: 5 | 3B Nolan Arenado is still on the roster, despite the front office saying it’s a priority to move him. St. Louis is supposedly in the middle of a “reset,” frustrating fans as the franchise appears to be stuck in neutral and caught between a youth movement and trying to figure out which veterans to keep or to trade. — Kevin Henry