Storyline: Is this the year–finally–that the Cubs win the NL and go to the World Series?
Last week I predicted that the Red Sox would win the AL. This week we will look at National League clubs that have the best chance of giving Boston a run for its money.
Max Scherzer, strikeout king (photo, fivethirtyeight.com)
NL East Winner, Washington Nationals: The Nats picked up a stellar free agent this past offseason in Daniel Murphy. The former Mets’ second baseman has not disappointed, leading the Majors with a superb .369 batting average. Reliable Bryce Harper has continued to produce at stable levels, sending 13 balls over the wall so far this season. But the main thing for Washington has been the performance from the starting hurlers. Stephen Strasburg has proved, yet again, that he’s one of the best in baseball–undefeated with a 3.03 ERA. The Nats also have a great talent in Max Scherzer, who recorded 20 strikeouts in a win over his former team, the Detroit Tigers. Scherzer made history that night, becoming the first pitcher in the 21st Century to get 20 Ks in a game. If those guys keep producing then the Nationals should take the NL East by storm.
NL Central Winner, Chicago Cubs: For years, the Cubs were looking up at the rest of the division, consistently finding themselves on the bottom of the NL Central. But, man, have things changed! Chicago has not only been leading the division all season long, but they also have the best record in the Majors. The Cubbies are indescribably good! First, just look at their offense. Their lineup is an absolute nightmare for opposing pitchers. Not only do opposing teams have to deal with RBI machines, like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Jason Heyward, but they also have to deal with excellent contact hitters, like Ben Zobrist and Dexter Fowler. Next comes the pitching staff. The Cubs have the best pitching staff in the Majors with an outstanding 2.65 ERA. Whether you have to go up against Jake Arrieta, John Lackey, Jon Lester, and Jason Hammel, the idea of scoring more than a couple of runs is about as likely as a Kentucky summer without humidity.
Courtesy: movietvtechgeeks.com
NL West Winner, San Francisco Giants: San Francisco has been consistently good on offense, ranking 15th in MLB. But the primary things going for the Giants are pitching and defense. With Johnny Cueto and Madison Bumgarner on the mound—and three-time all-star Buster Posey behind the plate—the Giants should continue to perform all season long. San Francisco is also in the weakest division in baseball. The division is subpar outside of the Dodgers. The D-Backs and Rockies are both below .500 and the Padres have continued to do what they do best–lose. Winning the division should be as easy as 1-2-3 for Bruce Bochy and the Giants.
First Wild Card, St. Louis Cardinals: Mike Matheny’s team was struggling to tread above the .500 mark. But then something happened—Jhonny Peralta returned. Peralta suffered a thumb injury in Spring Training and has not been with the team until recently. Last Tuesday the Cardinals recalled Peralta, sending second baseman Kolten Wong on down Interstate 55 to Triple-A Memphis. The Cards have looked like a totally different team since his return, winning five of six games and sweeping division-rival Pittsburgh. The return of Peralta not only boosts an already dangerous Redbirds’ lineup, but it should help improve the Cards’ fielding woes (St. Louis is one of the worst fielding teams in baseball). But the Cardinals need to pitch better. St. Louis has way too many infielders, but not enough good starting pitchers. Don’t be surprised to see Cardinals’ GM John Mozeliak trade away a couple of those infielders for some quality starting pitchers before the trade deadline.
Courtesy: newsday.com
Second Wild Card, New York Mets: The Mets’ offense must have decided to take a vacation this season because it’s simply not there. New York is one of the worst offensive teams in the Majors. But pitching is a different story: the Mets trail only the Cubs in team ERA. Excellent pitching will get NY into the postseason, but horrendous plate production will eliminate them in the Wild Card Game.
The “Close but no Cigar” Teams
Pittsburgh Pirates: Pittsburgh has a nice team this year. Left fielder Starling Marte is playing at the best levels of his career and David Freese is making a comeback after a couple of poor seasons (batting an excellent .294). The Bucs also have versatile Andrew McCutchen. But pitching will do in Pittsburgh. Outside of Jonathon Niese, the Pirates’ pitching staff has been serving up hits and runs. Pittsburgh has good pieces, but they just don’t have all of the right pieces.
Los Angeles Dodgers: With the way Kershaw has been pitching lately you’d think LA would be on top of the NL. But the Dodgers have been around the .500 mark all season long. Like the Mets, the Dodgers just don’t have offensive firepower to back up the pitching staff.
Miami Marlins: The Marlins have shown improvement this season and are definitely in playoff talks, but that’s where it’s going to stay. Miami has a smorgasbord of excellent prospects, but it’s a stretch to say this team is worthy of the postseason appearance in ’16.
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With an explosive lineup and stellar pitching staff the Cubs will take home the NL crown. The Cubs will go on to win the World Series, too—meaning the Cubs’ World Series drought will finally end. If that doesn’t happen this season—with all the outstanding players Chicago has on the roster—I don’t know if it ever will.
