Phillies have been biggest surprise in competitive NL East

As Memorial Day arrives, the Nationals lead the National League East because of their excellent starting pitching and improved bullpen.

That's not unexpected.

But how about the Phillies? The team that lost 99 games last season has started the first two months as a contender because of their rotation and bullpen. They are proving that a team doesn't need to score a lot of runs when pitching dominates.

Anyone see the Phillies coming?

Like the Nationals, the Mets are winning even though they aren't playing their best. And, the Mets have to figure out what to do with ace pitcher Matt Harvey.

The Marlins are a good team, but it's hard to compete with only one consistent starter. The Braves aren't winning, but their 25-and-younger rotation is making strides. It's interesting that the Phillies and Braves are the two weakest run-producing teams in the NL, but they are in two different places in the standings.

Here's the Memorial Day rundown of the NL East teams:

Atlanta: The Braves expected to have a tough season and after starting 0-9, that's exactly what happened. This is a rebuilding year in Atlanta. ... The good news is the promising group of 25-and-younger pitchers taking their lumps in the rotation. Julio Teheran, 25, who will average $8.4 million a year from 2017-2019, has a 2.57 ERA and probably will not be traded come July. ... Matt Wisler, Williams Perez and Mike Foltynewicz each have ERAs under 4.00.... Freddie Freeman hit .313 with runners in scoring position from 2011-15, but he's in a stretch of 1-for-26 in the clutch. ... The Braves have scored the fewest runs in the NL. ... Manager Fredi Gonzalez was fired and replaced by interim manager Brian Snitker, who began managing in the Braves system in 1982. If Snitker isn't hired, the top three candidates for the job could be Braves coaches Bo Porter, Terry Pendleton or Eddie Perez.

Miami: The Marlins and new manager Don Mattingly have recovered from a 3-7 start. The Marlins go into the weekend 25-22. ... The Marlins have strength at the top of their rotation in Jose Fernandez (7-2, 2.82 ERA). Former Oriole Wei-Yin Chen has not pitched well at 4.61. After that, they have questions. Adam Conley is an impressive prospect and had a hitless streak of 11 1/3 innings over two games, including a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Milwaukee. ... The Marlins bullpen has one of the best ERAs in the league, thanks to Kyle Barraclough, David Phelps and closer A.J. Ramos, who is 15-for-15 in saves. ... The Marlins will be without second baseman Dee Gordon, who led the NL in average (.333) and stolen bases (58) last season, until July because of a PED suspension, but Derek Dietrich is hitting .302 with an on-base percentage of .394 as Gordon's replacement. ...The best story is Ichiro Suzuki, who played his first season in the majors at 27 with 2001 Seattle. Ichiro is 40 hits short of 3,000 for his career. He had 10 hits in a three-game span and became the first 42-year-old to do that since Hall of Famer Cap Anson did it in 1894.

New York: The Mets have the third-lowest ERA in the National League, but you wouldn't know it by all the questions in their rotation. Steven Matz (7-1, 2.36) and Noah Syndergaard (1.94) have been their two best pitchers. ... Jacob de Grom has lost few miles per hour on his fastball and Matt Harvey is dealing with an ERA that's over 6.00. He'll start Monday. The Mets say he's not injured. They see progress in his slider and say he's battling fatigue after last season when he came back from Tommy John surgery and pitched more than his innings limit trying to help the Mets win the World Series. ... Just when you think Bartolo Colon is done at 42, he pitches a gem, as he did in D.C. last week. ... Yoenis Cespedes, who sunk the Nationals with his bat in 2015, is among the league leaders in home runs (15) and RBI (36), and Michael Conforto, with his sweet left-handed swing, is developing into a star. Conforto is hitting .270 with eight home runs. ... The Mets replaced Daniel Murphy with Neil Walker, who has hit with power (11 home runs) and played a steady defense. ... First baseman Lucas Duda, who has seven home runs, is out for at least six weeks with a back injury and that could move David Wright from third to first. Wright's arm strength isn't what it used to be, but his persistent back problems could prevent him from learning a new position. ... The Mets bullpen, in a constant state of turmoil because of injuries last season, has been one of the best in the NL. Closer Jeurys Familia has converted 32 consecutive regular-season saves.

Philadelphia: After going 63-99 last season, the Phillies are contending despite a run differential that ranks 25th in baseball. They are on pace to be outscored by 107 runs and only 14 teams in the last decade after been outscored and finished with a .500 record or better. ... They are winning a good chunk of one-run games (14-4) with an ERA of 2.37 during those games ... The sparkplug is center fielder Odubel Herrera, a Rule 5 selection in 2014, who, as the leadoff batter, has a .440 on-base percentage and 33 walks in 46 games. ... Jeremy Hellickson is the experienced leader in the rotation, but the question is how long can their talented trio of young pitchers can go. Vince Velasquez (23) Jerad Eickhoff (25) and Aaron Nola (22) have not pitched an entire six-month season in the big leagues. ... The Phillies bullpen seemed to be a mess at the start, but the 1-2 punch of Hector Neris and Jeanmar Gomez changed all of that. ... The Phillies need offense, so Ryan Howard, hitting .160, might wind up in a reserve role in favor first base prospect Tommy Joseph, who has hit well in his first nine games.

Washington: The Nationals, under manager Dusty Baker, are winning with a dominating rotation and an improved bullpen. The offense is a work in progress, but there are positive signs. ... The best news in the rotation is the turnaround of lefty Gio Gonzalez, who has new focus and discipline and only one clunker game the first two months. His ERA is 2.87. Max Scherzer cut his ERA by run from April to May, thanks in part to a 20-strikeout game versus Detroit, and Stephen Strasburg, with a $175 million contract, has been unbeatable while piling up 86 strikeouts, nine behind league-leading Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers. ... Second baseman Daniel Murphy leads the league in average (.394) and multi-hit games (24) and has carried the offense. Wonder if the Mets, who helped adjust his swing in the final two months of last season, have regrets about not keeping him around? ... The other big bat is Wilson Ramos, who is grieving his grandfather's death and leading major league catchers in average (.333) and RBIs (21). ... Could Bryce Harper's 12th home run off the façade of the third deck Thursday night end the worst slump of his career? ... Two struggling batters, Jayson Werth (second) and Anthony Rendon (sixth) showed life after changing places in the lineup. How long does Baker stick with that plan? ... Werth is hitting .224, and says he's working to be better. But, he's 37 and how much can the Nationals expect? ... After missing five weeks with an injury, leadoff batter Ben Revere used May as his spring-training month. His low strikeout rate, ability to get on base and steal is a key to getting the offense rolling.