As we get ready to begin the 2nd half of the baseball season, I figured we'd take a moment to take a look at Baseball outside of Boston, MA...as unappealing as that sounds. We'll take a look at every division and even play a little Power Rankings, which I will try to update every week (no promises). Today, we'll take a look at the National League - American League to come tomorrow.
NL EAST
ATL - 52-36
The Braves have got the 'chop going again in the dirty dirty, with the best record in the National League as we head into the 2nd half. If I told you the Braves and Padres would be the only two NL teams with 50+ wins at the half you'd have probably crapped your pants. But here we are. Rookie sensation Jason Heyward has breathed new life into this great franchise. Despite battling some minor injuries Heyward has put together an impressive first half with 11 HR and 45 RBI. Troy Glaus has found the fountain of youth and is once again one of the best mashers in the league, 14 HR 58 RBI. The Braves also have a great rotation and solid bullpen. They look poised for a deep run in the playoffs. We'll see how the 2nd half plays out and whether they can hold off Philadelphia, a notorious 2nd half team.
NYM - 48-40
Ah, The Mets! Those amazing Mets, always seem to blow it in the 2nd half in recent years. At 48-40 there in decent position and look forward to getting Carlos Beltran back into the lineup. The key will be finding regular AB for Angel Pagan who has been a pleasant surprise. He'll likely see some of Francoeur's AB with Beltran healthy. The Mets could use another starter, like many teams, and should be in the hunt for one come trade deadline time. Jose Reyes has also seen a lot of DL time and will hopefully be a contributor going forward. They need him atop the lineup to be successful. Any rotation with R.A. Dickey has some question marks. I don't expect to see this team in October.
PHI - 47-40
Rumored clubhouse problems involving Jayson Werth and Chase Utley's wife abound, and may be part of the cause of Philly's underwhelming first half. Utley is banged up again and they'll need him to be the catalyst of the offense when he gets back. The rotation led by Roy Halladay has some holes and could probably use another starter. Ted Lilly??? Either way the Phils will probably need some tinkering to make it back into the post-season after two straight World Series appearances.
FLA - 42-46
The Marlins have already gone through a managerial change this season as Fredi Gonzalez was shown the door not too long after benching the franchise player, Hanley Ramirez for lack of hustle. The only team in the division under .500 at home, that might have something to do with their 3rd place standing. It's not fault of Josh Johnson who is arguably the best pitcher in baseball right now. He's leading the league with a 1.07 ERA and a whip of 0.96 He has been downright filthy, and unfortunately for the fish he can only go once every 5 days. Young phenom Mike Stanton has yet to really make a splash, but don't ignore him in the 2nd half. He had nothing left to prove in the minors, and Peter Gammons has a chubby for him that would make Peter North jealous.
WAS - 39-50
Another losing season in Washington, but one man has made them instantly relevant...Stephen Strasburg. He will fill stadiums on nights he takes the hill and with good reason. The best prospect baseball has seen, maybe ever struck out 14 in his MLB debut and has looked every bit as dominant as people expected. It's a rare day that an athlete delivers on hype, so it is a real treat to watch this kid throw. If you like big time gas and nasty breaking balls this kid's got it. Don't miss it.
Hopefully, in a few years he won't be having a one hour special about his decision to leave Washington and take his talents to the Bronx.
NL CENTRAL
CIN - Along the same lines as San Diego, a big surprise division leader here in the Reds. Led by the resurgent Scott Rolen and would-be All-Star snub Joey Votto, the Reds sit atop the Central at the half. Votto is the best hitter in the league right now, and we'll see if he can maintain that title through the whole season. There is another guy named Albert Pujols, after all. The Reds have gotten good pitching from Johnny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo and a string of guys no one has heard of. They hope to get Edison Volquez back at some point in the 2nd half (ahead of schedule) to bolster the rotation. I don't know if they're really a contender, but no one wants a piece of them in that ballpark right now.
STL - 47-41
The Cardinals have been a bit underwhelming thus far as well. Their offense ranks in the bottom half of the league in most offensive categories. While Albert is putting up his numbers, the Cards on a whole are struggling to score runs. To be honest I think the only other Cardinal I can name off the top of my head are Matt Holiday, Yadier Molina and Colby Rasmus. This franchise hasn't done a great job of putting a team around Pujols. Their rotation however, led by Adam Wainwright, is another story. They continue to pitch well, and I expect that to be the reason that STL gives CIN all they can handle down the home stretch.
MIL - 40-49
Milwaukee, after a couple years of seemingly breaking through into contention, are back to the ol' Brewers we know and love...losing. As they continue to struggle look for the team to be shopping Prince Fielder, who is likely to want too much money next off-season. They may also be shopping Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks. Their asking prices seem to be steep, so we'll see if they cave as the deadline approaches. Looks like another decade of rebuilding ahead for Milwaukee.
CHC - 39-50
The Cubs are a joke. How's that Soriano contract looking right about now? Not so good! Everyone thinks they're underachieving, but that is because Cubs fans are dillusional and think they have a good team every year. Carlos Zambrano is entertaining, but not because he is pitching well. Derek Lee is too old, Starlin Castro is too young and the rest of the team just isn't that good. They'll probably sell off Ted Lilly to the highest bidder and hopefully get some more young pieces to go with Castro and Brett Jackson. Lou Piniella continues to be the most overrated manager in baseball, and I suspect that if he survives the season this will be his last in Chicago (just my own thoughts).
HOU - 36-53
The Astros. I almost forgot about them when doing this post. They've yet to deal Oswalt, but I know plenty of teams are interested. Mets? Phillies? The Astros should move him sooner rather than later, as they're more likely to dip their asking price as the weeks go by. They need to move him and Carlos Lee (although his contract is very unappealing) to have some hopes of rebuilding soon. They've done an awful job in recent drafts and their farm system continues to be ranked among the leagues worst. What more can I say? This team is a LONG way from the 2005 World Series.
PIT - 30-58
Is this the worst team in American sports? God, how long has it been since Pittsburgh had a winning season? Well, since you asked that would be 1992 the last year Barry Bonds was in town. I don't know what to say. Pedro Alvarez looks like he might be a nice young power hitter of the future, and Andrew McCutchen is a nice player. That's about it. Years of selling off decent and good players for peanuts have left this team in shambles. Hopefully, new ownership can get some momentum going.
*Why doesn't MLB move the Astros to the AL West so every division has 5 teams? Fucking stupid. Also, this division is terrible. I thought the NL West was bad. You couldn't pay me to watch any of these teams right now.
NL WEST
SD - 51-37
Wow. Even typing that seems weird. Coming into the season, we were all predicting where Adrian Gonzalez would end up at the trade deadline. Well those plans have been put on hold for the time being. This team is rolling, and their pitching leads many to believe they'll keep on rolling, all the way into the post-season. I don't know if I'm buying that just yet, because Colorado is pretty good, although Tulo is out with a fractured wrist. The Padres have gotten stellar pitching from youngster Mat Latos and the rest of their rotation which is rounded out with a bunch of no-names and journey-man Jon Garland. Their offense is built around get on base and let Adrian drive 'em in which has been working thus far. Heath Bell is locking down wins at the back end of the pen, and the Padres look like a contender for the playoffs anyway. A great pitchers park in Petco, they've done well building a team to fit, though I'm convinced they're as surprised as anyone else.
COL - 49-39
Nipping at the heels of the Padres are the Rocks, who have battled through injuries much like the Red Sox. Brad Hawpe, Huston Street and Troy Tulowitzki have all seen the DL, among others, and yet here they are tied for 2nd in the NL West. If they can get healthy for the 2nd half, they're my pick to win the division. They've got the Ace in Ubaldo Jimenez that could take a team deep in the playoffs, and they're fairly well-rounded on offense. They also have the 2nd best home record in baseball (Detroit), which could fair well come September. Don't count out the Rockies just yet.
LAD - 49-39
Despite all the off-field turmoil involving the McCourts' divorce and legal battles over the rights to the team, the Dodgers are still hanging around. Young star Matt Kemp was benched briefly by Joe Torre for showing a lack of discipline and baseball fundamentals, which drive Torre nuts, but has come up big in recent weeks. James Loney has been steady, hitting over .300 and Andre Ethier got off to a hot start before hitting the DL for a stint. Clayton Kershaw, the young lefty, leads the rotation along with Hiroki Kuroda and Jonathan Broxton locks down saves with his 100 mph heat. They still have Manny being Manny in left field, and when he gets hot he could carry them for a couple weeks. I'm not sold that this team has enough depth on the mound to win the division or the wild card, and I doubt that with the legal battles going on they'll be buyers at the deadline. I think they'll run with what they have which might not be enough.
SF - 47-41
A sexy pick heading into the season, with their great rotation led by "Big Time Timmy Jim" Lincecum, the Giants have been even lighter in the hitting department than expected. They finally turned loose their best hitting prospect, Buster Posey who looks ready to take his place in MLB as a regular run producer. They still have time to right the ship, but could probably use another bat. Corey Hart might be a nice fit for the Giants, but Milwaukee will want a pitcher in return, and I'm not sure San Francisco will give one up. The Kung Fu panda really has to turn it around from here on out for them to be a contender in the West.
AZ - 34-55
Arizona became the second team in the league to rid themselves of a manager this season, and they cleaned out the front office while they were at it. Owner Ken Kendrick has his hands full rebuilding this team, and not much to do it with as he just ate about 5 1/2 years of GM Josh Byrnes contract. Rumors have been swirling in the valley of the sun that the team is shopping Steven Drew and Mark Reynolds, although the latter would come with a pretty steep asking price. They've got some talent coming through the pipeline in Jarrod Parker, a young ace in the making, but recent moves and the 2001 World Series team have crippled this team - 2007 NLCS aside. The real kicker is the $50 mil they shelled out to 4th OF Eric Byrnes who is now playing beer league softball and yucking it up like a real deuchebag. Clearly, the highest paid softball player in the world. Still not as famous as Jenny Finch though.
Here's my Top 10 NL Power Rankings for the week of July 12, 2010.
#1 Atlanta Braves
#2 Cincinnati Reds
#3 Colorado Rockies
#4 San Diego Padres
#5 St. Louis Cardinals
#6 New York Mets
#7 Philadelphia Phillies
#8 Los Angeles Dodgers
#9 San Francisco Giants
#10 Florida Marlins
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