The Washington Nationals are headed into the 2014 season with World Series expectations, and rightfully so. Returning a loaded lineup and arguably the best pitching staff in the majors, the Nats are poised for an excellent season. Their geographical counterpart, the Baltimore Orioles, are also looking to make a World Series run. Unfortunately for the Orioles, they only spent money on their lineup, and their pitching staff is atrocious.

The Nats definitely have an easier schedule than the Orioles. The NL East, where the Nats play, has only one other playoff contender, the Atlanta Braves. The AL East, where the Orioles play, has three other playoff contenders: New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and defending-champion Boston Red Sox. The Orioles’ lack of pitching is going to hurt them within their division because all teams in the AL East have fairly strong lineups.

Speaking of pitching, the Nats’ rotation is possibly the best in the league. Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, and Gio Gonzalez are three top-of-the-rotation starters. Doug Fister, the number four starter whom the Nats traded for in the offseason, is a seasoned veteran who could be a number two starter on most other teams. The Orioles have one good starting pitcher in Chris Tillman. Last year was a breakout year for him, and he will look to repeat that performance this year.

The Nats and the Orioles both boast one of the brightest stars in the game today: Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, respectively. Machado has had more success to this point, but Harper has been constantly nicked up and that could play a role into why he hasn’t lived up to his sky-high expectations yet.  However, Machado is starting this year on the disabled list.

The Orioles have a deadly lineup.  Last season’s home run-leader, Chris Davis, is right in the middle of the lineup and will look to repeat his 53-homerun campaign from last season. Surrounding Davis are all-stars Adam Jones and Matt Weiters. Machado is on his way back from the disabled list which will boost the lineup even more. Nelson Cruz was a big-time offseason acquisition who just adds more power to an already powerful lineup. The Nationals lineup is not one to scoff at either.  Jayson Werth is coming off a strong 2013 campaign where he hit over .300, and Harper and catcher Wilson Ramos – who both hope to stay healthy – should be solid contributors this year. Of course, Ramos’ Opening Day injury doesn’t help this prediction much.  Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond will look to build on their 25-homerun campaigns from last season.

The Nats will be better than the Orioles this year simply because of pitching, as the Orioles’ pitching staff does not compete with the Nats’.  The Orioles will still be contenders, but in the difficult AL East, they have their work cut out for them to make the playoffs. The Nationals should be solid enough in every facet of the game to make a deep playoff run.