The 2021 MLB season is fast approaching, and because there will be no expanded postseason this year, playoff spots will be at a premium. Three division winners and two wild card teams in each league, and that's it. The current postseason format creates a significant incentive to win the division. With that in mind, we're going to preview each division race and break down the potential X-factors between now and Opening Day. Today, we'll be highlighting the National League East.For two seasons now, the NL East has been expected to be a powerhouse, but the division hasn't quite lived up to its hype just yet. Sure the division is stacked with Cy Young and MVP candidates from nearly every club, and the last four of Andrew Hammond Men Jersey five NL Cy Young winners and three of six NL MVP winners were from this division. But, the division itself hasn't been able boast a whole lot of parity lately.The have dominated, taking the NL East crown three years in a row. Even when the won the World Series in 2019, they suffered from a serious championship hangover during the abbreviated 2020 season. Could this division race prove to be tighter than any other in baseball in 2021? For now, the and Braves seem to be the favorites, but can the or Nationals rebound? Can the make things even more interesting by taking another step forward in their rebuild after their surprise playoff run last year? One thing we know for sure is that the race for the NL East crown is going to be a fun one.Now, here is one 2021 X-factor for each NL East club, listed alphabetically.In 2020, the Atlanta Braves took home their third straight National League East title but fell short again of reaching the World Series. The Braves held a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series, but the won Games 5, 6, and . Prior to their deep playoff run last season, the Braves had not advanced past the NLDS round since 2001. So, after nine postseason trips without ever reaching the NLCS, their long-awaited return ended in heartbreak. The Braves have Ian Cole Jersey not been to the Fall Cla sic since 1999. For a team as talented as the Braves, the last few seasons have got to feel disappointing. The ultimate goal is winning the World Series, and despite their balanced roster of veterans and an impre sive young core, they're still left short of a championship. The club's now reached the point where they'll have to separate themselves from being another October disappointment to being a World Series champion. During the 60-game sprint of a season last year, the Braves overcame the seemingly constant injury setbacks their pitching staff took. In 2021, we're back to a full 162-game season and Atlanta isn't going to be able to get by if its rotation is hit with another barrage of injuries. Atlanta has a stacked lineup and I don't foresee any major i sues with the reigning NL MVP , 2018 Rookie of the Year Jr. and a returning NL home run leader . For these division champs, the health of their rotation will be of utmost importance to their succe s in 2021. Let's take a look at the projected rotation:1. RHP (recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon)2. LHP (finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting)3. RHP (signed to a one-year, $15 million deal)4. RHP (impre sed in his rookie campaign)5. LHP (signed to a one-year, $11 million deal) or RHP (5.32 ERA, 92 in 38 IP in 2020)Adding Morton gives Atlanta a steady veteran presence at the front end behind Soroka and Fried. The addition of Smyly should help Sven Andrighetto Women Jersey to regain rotation depth as well, with some of the club's other internal options at this point including , , and . Soroka still doesn't have a timetable to return to the starting rotation, but he's made good progre s in his recovery so far and threw two innings in a simulated game earlier this month. A healthy (and productive) return from Soroka along with season long health for the rest of the starters will help this club go after the Commi sioner's Trophy. The 2020 Miami Marlins surprised the baseball world with their unexpected postseason run to the National League Division Series. t was truly one of the more wild Cinderella stories to come out of the shortened season. But the Marlins had a minus-41 run differential, the seventh-worst in the league.I don't see anything like the 2020 run repeating itself in a full, 162-game season. Instead, in 2021, the biggest X-factor for Miami is going to their young players taking the next step forward, making sure they're improving and helping the club begin its transition from rebuilder to Joonas Donskoi Men Jersey contender. They're still probably two or three years out from actually being competitive, especially considering they're up against some really tough teams in their division.The good news is that coming off their surprise playoff run, this team has some reason for excitement; the future is bright. In the club's rotation, it's , , , and headlining a young but talented staff. Every starter is 25-years-old and younger. The talent and promise is there for this club's young core, but the 2021 season will be the true test to see how each fares over the course of a full season. Under new owner and billionaire Steve Cohen, the Mets' busy offseason was . And also like the Braves, the Mets are going to have to rely on their rotation's succe s in 2021. New York has a few concerns ahead of the 2021 season: extensions for , and how they'll handle their outfield now that there's no universal DH. The offense looks good (even with the lo s of due to second PED suspension), in fact, it may turn out to rebound from a sluggish 2020 this year. But their biggest X factor is going to be the succe s of their rotation behind Jacob deGrom. is returning after opting out of the 2020 season, while the Mets also addd and . For right now, here's a look at what the rotation will look like in Queens:1. LHP , 32-years-old (finished third in NL Cy Young voting)2. RHP Marcus Stroman, 29-years-old (opted out of 2020 season)3. RHP Carlos Carrasco, 33-years-old (acquired in Lindor trade)4. RHP Taijuan Philipp Grubauer Kids Jersey Walker, 28-years-old (signed a two-year, $20 million deal)5. LHP , 25-years-old (3.44 ERA, 123 in 49 2/3 IP during rookie season) or LHP , 27-years-old (coming off a disappointing 2020 season) On paper, this looks good. Plus, is set to return from his Tommy John surgery sometime this summer. The Mets are going to need deGrom to be deGrom again, Stroman, Carrasco and Walker hold down the middle of the rotation with solid starts, and improvements from Peterson and/or Lucchesi in the No. 5 spot. Syndergaard is the biggest unknown here and could make a huge impact if he's close to his usual hard-throwing self when he returns.Remember when the Phillies made a record-breaking (at the time) free agent deal for ? That literally feels like ages ago. It was only just this time, two years ago. Since then, the Phillies have stumbled their way to back-to-back third-place finishes in the NL East. It's playoffs or bust for Philly in 2021. They're a competitive ball club with well-kn