PROJECTED STANDINGS:
(Top five contenders only)
1. San Francisco Giants
2. Atlanta Braves
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Florida Marlins
5. Cincinnati Reds
The NL Central may be the toughest division, but that isn't good for Wild Card possibilities. With all the teams there winning at home, it dilutes the records of the rest of the division. They may all be good teams, but that hurts their chances when put against an equally good team in a weaker division. The Giants and Braves have the best chances of taking the fourth playoff spot, due to their opponents. While the Braves have to face a Marlins team on the rise and the NL's best team, the Phillies, the Giants will be able to take advantage of the falling Dodgers, the lowly Padres, and the not-quite-there-yet Diamondbacks.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
2010 MLB Preview - The NL East Still Belongs to the Phillies
PROJECTED STANDINGS:
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Atlanta Braves
3. Florida Marlins
4. New York Mets
5. Washington Nationals
The Phillies didn't really do anything to improve this offseason, but they didn't need to. The deal that got them Roy Halladay and sent Cliff Lee to Seattle is pretty much an even trade, and with how weak the East has become, its enough to keep them in first. The Braves and Marlins both made some nice additions in the offseason, but neither did enough to put up much of a fight. The Marlins may be overvalueing their home-grown talent. If they can stay in second place instead of dropping to third, they're probably doing the right things. The Mets probably won't be competetive this year, even if they stay healthy. Without a first baseman, it's kinda hard to beat the back-to-back NL Champions. The Nats picked up Steven Stroudsburgh, and while he may be the future of MLB pitching, he'll start the season in the minors. Even if he was in the majors, he can't pitch every game.
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Atlanta Braves
3. Florida Marlins
4. New York Mets
5. Washington Nationals
The Phillies didn't really do anything to improve this offseason, but they didn't need to. The deal that got them Roy Halladay and sent Cliff Lee to Seattle is pretty much an even trade, and with how weak the East has become, its enough to keep them in first. The Braves and Marlins both made some nice additions in the offseason, but neither did enough to put up much of a fight. The Marlins may be overvalueing their home-grown talent. If they can stay in second place instead of dropping to third, they're probably doing the right things. The Mets probably won't be competetive this year, even if they stay healthy. Without a first baseman, it's kinda hard to beat the back-to-back NL Champions. The Nats picked up Steven Stroudsburgh, and while he may be the future of MLB pitching, he'll start the season in the minors. Even if he was in the majors, he can't pitch every game.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
2010 MLB Preview - Central Probably the NL's Toughest
PROJECTED STANDINGS:
1. St Louis Cardinals
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. Houston Astros
5. Milwaukee Brewers
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
In my opinion, everyone but he Pirates has a shot at winning the NL Central. The reason is partly due to the fact the every team in the division was one game below .500 or better at home last season. That should help make this a close race. The Cards won it last season, and now they have Mark McGwire as hitting coach, Matt Holliday for a full season, and Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter remaining in the rotation. The Cubs didn't hurt their chances coming in, but they didn't help them either. Cutting ties with Milton Bradley was a good move, but bringing in Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady won't exactly put them over the top. The Reds stayed mostly the same. Their big acqusition, Cuban P Aroldis Chapman, has already shown signs of being a problem, leaving a Spring Training game with back stiffness. His control hasn't exactly been perfect, either. Meanwhile, the Astros and Brewers did what small-market teams usually do: sign cheap players nobody else wants and hopes for the best. Both teams have talent, and could be competitive for most of the season, but will fall to nonfactors down the stretch.
1. St Louis Cardinals
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. Houston Astros
5. Milwaukee Brewers
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
In my opinion, everyone but he Pirates has a shot at winning the NL Central. The reason is partly due to the fact the every team in the division was one game below .500 or better at home last season. That should help make this a close race. The Cards won it last season, and now they have Mark McGwire as hitting coach, Matt Holliday for a full season, and Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter remaining in the rotation. The Cubs didn't hurt their chances coming in, but they didn't help them either. Cutting ties with Milton Bradley was a good move, but bringing in Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady won't exactly put them over the top. The Reds stayed mostly the same. Their big acqusition, Cuban P Aroldis Chapman, has already shown signs of being a problem, leaving a Spring Training game with back stiffness. His control hasn't exactly been perfect, either. Meanwhile, the Astros and Brewers did what small-market teams usually do: sign cheap players nobody else wants and hopes for the best. Both teams have talent, and could be competitive for most of the season, but will fall to nonfactors down the stretch.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
2010 MLB Preview - The NL West Gets Weaker
PROJECTED STANDINGS:
1. Colorado Rockies
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. San Diego Padres
The Rockies ended last season right on the heals of the Dodgers, and almost pulled out the Division title. In the offseason, they lost Yorvit Torrealba, but added Miguel Olivo to take his place. They largely kept the rest of the team intact. Below them, the Giants added some strong talent to go along with Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and could contend this year. After that, it looks like a car wreck in progress. The Dodgers and Padres are both hamstrung by the divorces of their owners, and neither added much talent in the offseason. The Diamondbacks added youth to a team on the way up. They probably won't do much this season, but could be a spoiler down the stretch and will most likely keep improving every year.
1. Colorado Rockies
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. San Diego Padres
The Rockies ended last season right on the heals of the Dodgers, and almost pulled out the Division title. In the offseason, they lost Yorvit Torrealba, but added Miguel Olivo to take his place. They largely kept the rest of the team intact. Below them, the Giants added some strong talent to go along with Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and could contend this year. After that, it looks like a car wreck in progress. The Dodgers and Padres are both hamstrung by the divorces of their owners, and neither added much talent in the offseason. The Diamondbacks added youth to a team on the way up. They probably won't do much this season, but could be a spoiler down the stretch and will most likely keep improving every year.
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