The NL Central hasn't played out like we thought it would. No one expected the Brewers to be in first, the Cardinals and Pirates to struggle, and the Reds also struggling. Things are starting to move around in the division. The Brew Crew is on a down trend, the Reds are heating up, the Cardinals are also heating up, and the Pirates are staying in it. This is the best division battle in baseball right now.
Milwaukee Brewers (53-43)- I think we all expected Milwaukee to at least stay in the playoff talks, but not in first. But that is where they are at the midway point. They are trending downwards, though. St. Louis just took 2 out of 3 from them. Segura, even in his poor offense, is gonna be gone for a bit. This team can mash with the best of them. Ryan Braun, Carlos Gomez, and Jonathan Lucroy are leading this surprisingly productive offensive team. The rotation has some question marks. Matt Garza is starting to clean-up his season a bit. Marco Estrada needs to be replaced, though. If they stay the course, the have a shot at making the playoffs. I feel the need to make some moves if they want to ensure a playoff spot, though.
Final Record Prediction: 87-75, 4th in the NL Central
Final Record Prediction: 87-75, 4th in the NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals (52-44)- The Cardinals had a tough first half of the season. The injuries have hurt the team. The lost Jaime Garcia for the year, and Wacha is out right now. Now Yadier Molina is out for up to 3 months. I think if this team makes a move for a catcher at the deadline, they will be the favorites in this division. If Matt Adams keeps producing like he has of late, that could go a long way for this team. They also need to start hitting better with RISP, and figure out what to do with Oscar Taveras. Taveras has had a rough go of it since he has been up, but he is starting to look more comfortable. Also some rotation depth would help. Martinez is getting his first shot at the rotation, and while he is a little rough around the edges and will surely have some sort of limit on him, can be solid. He can't be any worse then Shelby Miller, who should be taken out of the rotation. There are rumors swirling around that the Cards could go for Jake Peavy, so that could solve some problems. With a few moves the Cards can once again be the favorite in the NL Central.
Final Record Prediction: 92-70, 2nd in the NL Central, *2nd Wild Card
Final Record Prediction: 92-70, 2nd in the NL Central, *2nd Wild Card
Cincinnati Reds (51-44)- The Reds have just recently entered back into serious contention talk. Playing without Votto definitely hurts the team, but they have been doing that for the majority of the season. Billy Hamilton has done far better then anyone expected. Todd Frazier and Devin Mesaraco are having break-out years. Brandon Phillips is having a solid year. The rotation has been a little above-average. Cueto is having a CY-Young year. Alfredo Simon is the next big thing right now, although he is due for some regression. Mike Leake has impressed, and Mat Latos has been solid when healthy. Homer Bailey is not playing up to his contract, so they have to hope he gets better. I think to improve this team needs to go out and grab another impact bat, whether it be a SS or OF. A high-average, big power bat could make this team the clear-cut favorites for the Central. Still, where they stand, they look like the team to beat in the Central.
Final Record Prediction: 95-67, 1st in the NL Central
Final Record Prediction: 95-67, 1st in the NL Central
Pittsburgh Pirates (49-46)- The Pirates have managed to stay in the playoff talks, after a horrid start to the season. At one point they were 8.5 GB. Since they have called up Polanco, this team has worked its way back into contention. The key problem with this team is pitching. It has either been poor or injured. Liriano and Cole have both missed extended periods of time. And Liriano just hasn't been good when he is pitching. Then there was the whole Jason Grilli debacle. They semi-fixed that by trading him away. The starters have all been good, sans Liriano. The real pitching problem lies in the bullpen, where no one can really seem to get the job done. This team needs to get some bullpen help if it has aspirations of contending for the rest of the season. Up and down, the lineup has been good. McCutchen is having an MVP year again, and some how Josh Harrison is having an All-Star season. Polanco has been solid since his call-up. They could probably add a depth piece, but there isn't a huge weak spot on offense. I think the problem with the Pirates is very similar to the Red Sox problem. They had a lot of magic last year, and it has just disappeared this year.
Final Record Prediction: 90-72, 3rd in the NL Central
Final Record Prediction: 90-72, 3rd in the NL Central
Chicago Cubs (40-54)- The Cubs are doing fairly well by their standards this year. They aren't going to win anything for a few years. It isn't looking like Bryant or Baez will get called up anytime soon. Rizzo and Castro have really put together great campaigns. The club subtracted Samardzija and Hammel from the rotation, so the rotation will stink it up a little more, but they added some great players in that trade. Arrieta has really stepped up his game this year. Just about everyone else in the rotation has stunk, but the bullpen has some really good pieces in it currently. And their first really good prospect, Alcantara, has been called up. Basically what I am saying is that even though the Cubs won't contend this year, we are starting to see some of their great moves and prospects show up. Things are looking up in Chicago.
Final Record Prediction: 66-96, Last in the NL Central
Final Record Prediction: 66-96, Last in the NL Central
This will definitely be baseball's tightest race, with 4 out of the 5 teams within spitting distance. I think the Reds have the best shot at overtaking everyone, though. The Pirates have too many questions with pitching. The Cardinals just don't look like a great team this year. And I have doubts about the Brewers abilities to stay in contention. It will be a fun race to watch, though.