The Major League Baseball season is officially underway and all the baseball fanatics, including myself, are gathered in unison breathing a sigh of relief that spring training is through. The month of March is an agonizing one for most fans as they gear up for April (or March 31st in this case) and the start of games that count. Continuing on from yesterday's blog, today I want to preview the National League divisions and what to look for during the next 6 months of ball. The overarching theme in the National League is definitely pitching, pitching and more pitching as some of baseball's best staffs reside in the NL. Here is my pre-season breakdown of the 2011 National League.
National League East
Well here we are again looking at the East division and once again we must talk about one powerhouse that seems to have set themselves above the rest and goes nicely with our theme of pitching dominating the NL. No, it's not the Boston Red Sox anymore (we've moved to the NL if you weren't following), but the Philadelphia Phillies have created possibly the biggest buzz in the offseason by creating a juggernaut starting rotation. The surprise addition of Cliff Lee, right from under the nose of the Yankees I might add, has given the Phillies a foursome for the books. Lee re-joins the Phillies alongside future hall of famers Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt, as well as 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels. The Phils come in as heavy favourites to win the National League title and analysts have them virtually on par with the Red Sox as favourites to win the World Series. However, the loss of Jayson Werth and the uncertainty of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Brad Lidge's health puts the Phillies in a precarious position offensively and in the bullpen. I believe their rotation should be enough to get them into the post-season, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is a closer race then people think.
In contrast to the Phillies loaded pitching staff, the Atlanta Braves have quietly built an excellent foundation of power and speed in their lineup. The main competition the Phillies should have this year will come out of Atlanta where the Braves come off a 91 win campaign and a Wild Card berth last year. This team went out and added Dan Uggla, the premier power hitting second baseman in baseball, in the offseason to compliment Brain McCann, Chipper Jones and Jason Heyward. With veterans Derek Lowe and Tim Hudson alongside young phenom Tommy Hunter, the Braves should push the Phillies all year and once again fight for the Wild Card at the very least. Regardless who wins this division, I think their will be meaningful games played in late September to determine the NL East crown.
Pick: Philadelphia Phillies
Sleeper: Atlanta Braves (if the Phillies offence falters, the Braves could seize the moment)
National League Central
The two-headed monster developing in the NL central looks like it may turn out to be the best race in the National League (and sorry Cubs fans you're still not part of this conversation). With the season ending injury to Adam Wainwright, the St Louis Cardinals have been removed from legitimate NL central contention discussions. Consequently, the defending central champion Cincinnati Reds and the up and coming Milwaukee Brewers should battle for first in the central division.
The Reds are a fairly self-explanatory bunch; they love to hit. Cincinnati once again looks to have put together a makeshift, yet solid, starting rotation which is just required to not lose games for the Reds. No one is expecting the likes of Travis Wood, Mike Leake, Bronson Arroyo or even wild man Edinson Volquez to steal many games for them. Keep the games close and leave the rest up to reigning MVP (and Canadian) Joey Votto and company to put wins on the board. If they are able to do that then the Reds have a shot at defending their NL central title.
The other head on this monster features yet another potent offensive attack in Milwaukee. Led by Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, the Brewers should be able to match the offensive output of the Reds and are able to score runs in bunches. The difference? You guessed it, pitching. Offseason acquisitions Shaun Marcum and Zach Greinke (after he recovers from his stupidity at trying to become a pro basketball player), should compliment Yovani Gallardo and Randy Wolf exceptionally well giving the Brewers an excellent starting rotation. The back end of the bullpen looks to be solid as well as John Axford should continue to emerge as one of the better closers in baseball. The Brewers and their fans have reason to be optimistic in 2011 as expectations coming in are extremely high.
Pick: Milwaukee Brewers
Sleeper: Cincinnati Reds (like the Rangers they aren't quite a sleeper, but if the Brewers rotation does not pan out as planned then the Reds will repeat in the central)
National League West
The San Francisco Giants brought World Series glory back to the NL West for the first time since Luis Gonzalez broke the Yankees hearts and the Arizona Diamonbacks tasted victory in 2001. The Giants rode their plethora of young phenoms on the mound right through October and got a boost from a wiley veteran in the World Series. There is no reason to believe there will be any drop-off in 2011 coming out of San Fran. The Giants return their whole starting rotation, this time with the invaluable experience of a playoff run and World Series title added to their resume. Madison Bumgarner, Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain, alongside ace Tim Lincecum, will allow the Giants to compete with anyone in the majors. With Buster Posey having a full season to produce in 2011, Pablo Sandoval coming into the season in the best shape of his life and the veteran presence of Miguel Tejada now at shortstop, the Giants look poised to repeat in the NL west.
The NL west looks like it may shape up to be the weakest division in the National League this season as the Diamonbacks, Padres and Dodgers all look to be a level below competitive. However, if there is someone in the west that will give the Giants a scare it is the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies, though, have a few glaring question marks that need to be addressed before we call them a contender. Their starting rotation is fairly suspect and could become even more so if Ubaldo Jiminez doesn't continue his CY Young contending form from last season. Also, the aging Todd Helton and injury prone Troy Tulowitzki need to have strong seasons at the plate and stay healthy if the Rockies hope to return to the post-season for the first time since 2009.
Pick: San Francisco Giants
Sleeper: Colorado Rockies (Giants are just too strong, but the Rockies may contend for the Wild Card)
Well there you have it, the National League wrapped up in a tight little package. As I said yesterday, pre-season predictions are tough because of the length and unpredictability of the baseball season, but they provide a nice framework in which to start off with. As for the Wild Card, I can see the Braves repeating as Wild Card winners with a cool 95 plus wins and making some noise in the playoffs as well. Now there's only one thing left to do: Let's Play Ball!
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