Looking at the NL

Posted on | July 20, 2009 | No Comments

In the last blog entry we took a look at the American League. Now we’ll take a look at the National League. Though every team has only played one series since the break, there was a bit of shift in how I see the American League shaping up. Will there be a similar shift in the National League? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see.

First of all, in NL East, before the All Star Break, the Philadelphia Phillies were red hot. They had opened up a decent lead on the rest of the division. Meanwhile, the New York Mets were stumbling and bumbling their way right out of the race. Well, since the All Star Break it’s been a lot more of the same. The Phillies have now won 8 straight games. And they’ve opened up a 6.5 game lead in the East. This division just might be all over by mid-August.

In the Central, the Cardinals continue to lead but the Chicago Cubs are charging hard. They haven’t lost since before the All Star Break. They’ve pulled within 2 games of the Cards. Again, this looks like it will be a battle between the Cards and the Cubs all the way to the last weekend of the season. It’s tough to pick the winner but I’m going to stick with the Cardinals.

Out West, the Dodgers have been in control of the division for the entire season. However, the Giants have also played good baseball and they look like they have a really good shot at the Wild Card. But the Colorado Rockies have crept into the mix too.

So, the sure playoff teams in the National League are the Phillies and the Dodgers. I like the Cards to win the Central and I like the Giants to take the Wild Card. I just think the Giants have superior pitching.

Related posts:

1. MLB: Great Race in NL Wild Card
2. MLB: NL Sorting Itself Out
3. MLB: Looking at the National League in Early August
4. MLB: Looking at the National League Races
5. MLB: A Look at the National League

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