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New York Mets (90-72, 1st)

Why they're great: It's as much fun to play with SS Jose Reyes (A speed, A-plus acceleration) as it is to watch him play. Beyond that, a stacked lineup-CF Carlos Beltran, 1B Carlos Delgado, 3B David Wright, LF Moises Alou (an average overall of 92)-can strike serious fear.

Why they stink: Speaking of fear, C Paul Lo Duca's defensive skills are frightening, and fifth starter Oliver Perez's (77 overall) affinity for serving up countless runs isn't fun.

O to the K: We may bash Perez, but that didn't stop him from leading the league with 184 strikeouts. Impressive, but he still ended up with an 8-17 record.

Philadelphia Phillies (88-75, 2nd, wild card)

Why they're great: Team leader Chase Utley (the No. 1 ranked 2B in the game) plays with lots of heart, and monster-masher 1B Ryan Howard (94 overall, and A-plus power vs. lefties) can hit it clean out of Citizens Bank Park.

Why they stink: 3B Wes Helms plays defense like a matador, only with less range, and fourth starter Jamie Moyer may be rated 80 overall, but we're not in the market of supporting octogenarian hurlers.

This is Howard Do: Following up on his MVP, 58 homer season, Ryan Howard only parked a measly 40 while driving in 121-though he wowed us by hitting .334.

Atlanta Braves (87-76, 3rd)

Why they're great: CF Andruw Jones (95 overall) can do it all, from gunning down runners to snaring would-be gap shots, 3B Chipper Jones (90 overall) is still a fierce offensive force, and ex-starter/ex-reliever/starter John Smoltz's A-rated fastball, slider, and splitter are a wicked trio.

Why they stink: Leadoff man Willy Aybar (C-plus speed) can hardly circle the bases without taking a nap, and their three through fifth starters average below 70 overall.

Tomahawk Chop: In his contract year, Andruw Jones made his agent happy. He hammered 44 home runs and drove in 126 RBI.

Florida Marlins (76-86, 4th)

Why they're great: Dontrelle Willis (90 overall)-oddball windup and all-is brilliant, superstud 3B Miguel Cabrera (94 overall) is clutch, and SS Hanley Ramirez (A speed) is a demon on the basepaths.

Why they stink: The low-rent Marlins only have one pitcher with an overall rating over 80 (Willis). That's really unfortunate.

Life's a Beach: The Fish had an embarrassing average attendance of 14,911. Why would they ever want to leave Miami?

Washington Nationals (72-90, 5th)

Why they're great: Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (87 overall) is the team's offensive foundation, and closer Chad Cordero (89 overall) is the team's lone pitching bright spot.

Why they stink: Beyond Zimmerman, this team's offense is as threatening as leadoff hitter CF Nook Logan's first name. Their pitching is just as bad: Their top five starters average 68 overall.

National Emergency: We knew the Nats would be bad, but pitcher Michael O'Connor trumped that awfulness by going 6-18 with a 5.16 ERA.