The NL is looking like a dogfight so far with teams fighting for their lives and others going full steam ahead and suffering chaos. Lets see how everyone is doing.
Leading the pack are the Cubs. This past week was highlighted beating up Kansas City 3 times in a 4 game series as well as Kris Bryant back at full strength. Willson Contreras and Ian Happ are both hitting 300 and Javy Baez is playing some of the best ball of his career. Their main focus is the pitching staff, Jon Lester is back to 2013 form, Yu Darvish is back in his prime as well, and Kyle Hendricks is again in Cy Young contention. It also helps when everyone in the division has trouble catching these guys like its 2016.
At the top of the henhouse in the NL West, the Colorado Rockies (Vincent Price Laugh). This is a team that is leading the NL in Batting Average, Wins and Quality Starts from the Rotation. This is very shocking to say considering that this team plays in “Homer Happy” Coors Field. Charlie Blackmon is on a mission to become the first man since Ted Williams to hit 400 in a season who cares if it is a 60 game season! Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story are also playing as advertised in the Mile High Altitude. As for the pitchers, German Marquez and Kyle Freeland are having the best years since being called up from the minors and the bullpen is locking down games now. SHOCKING!
The Padres are also hanging in there at the top of the NL West. The main pieces for their success, Fernando Tatis, Manny Machado, Tommy Pham, and the surprising bounce back story of Trent Grisham. Remember that guy yeah because he is overcoming his error in the Wild Card game last year and playing the way he did in Triple A. The Friars have a pair of young stars in the rotation in Chris Paddack, and a highly touted prospect in Dinelson Lamet, plus that Kirby Yates guy in the pen who is in most San Diegans eyes the second coming of Trevor Hoffman. Fitting!
Even though they are in 3rd place in their division the Dodgers are playing as advertised to start the season. If there is a weakness on this team it is the hitting corp excluding Mookie Betts, AJ Pollock, and Corey Seager. Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner have been stone cold to start the year, Kershaw has again been injured, and Walker Buehler has been ok. I think they are about to go on a massive win streak and challenge the Rockies at the top of the West because that is how this league works.
Over in the NL East there is the Atlanta Braves, a team that has their championship window open once again and their core of young talent is only getting stronger. Marcell Ozuna and Dansby Swanson are at the head of the pack and Freddie Freeman and Ronald Ocuna aren’t that far back but there is an interesting fact in the rotation. They may have their next Tom Glavine in Max Fried. He is mowing down hitters and making their mascot Blooper look like a genius with his “Frying the Other Teams” sign in the stands at Truist Park.
After their Chicken Wings, Strippers, and whatever you want to call it scene, the Miami Marlins are back on the diamond. First off they swept a feel good story in the Baltimore Orioles, but then lost 2 of 3 to the Mets, at least Jesus Aguilar and Corey Dickerson are back in 2018 form as well as Brian Anderson becoming the face of the franchise. The only problem is how long will Caleb Smith and pitching staff be able to have strong outings on the mound? IDK.
The Reds are in an interesting spot. They will get beat up by their much superior Ohio rivals in Cleveland but then give their fans hope by winning a series against another rival in the Brewers. Nich Castellanos is perhaps the only free agent signing that has lived up to the hype this season plus Sonny Gray, and Trevor Bauer have ERAs under 2 as of August 10. As a Cubs fan I don’t want to face those two in the playoffs if they play each other.
As for the Milwaukee Brewers they are in a situation that could require disrupting their long term plans. Christian Yelich is hitting below 200, Lorenzo Cain has opted out for the season and I think they need to trade for Whit Merrifield to add more depth in their struggling lineup. At least the rotation is not as bad as you think but who am I kidding they are probably going to trade for fossilized Jeff Samardeja aren’t they.
The Phillies are in a mixup as well. No it has nothing to do with Bryce Harper, Didi Gregorious, or the hitting core. It is the pitchers! Jake Arrieta is past his prime, the young guys aren’t ready, and they cannot seem to close out games, and this is with David Robertson and Seranthony Dominguez as the closer and setup man. I won’t go hard on them since they played the Yankees and Braves.
The Nationals are at least getting their depth back at the right time at least. The wunderkind Juan Soto is back from the COVID list, Max Scherzer, and Patrick Corbin have been off to solid starts and they are still searching for an identity after the loss of Anthony Rendon. I will say this, If they are going to beat up teams like the Mets and Blue Jay, why are they getting owned by Dem O’s on their home field. It turns out that the Nats aren’t the only team in the Beltway Area that will be in playoff contention.
The Pirates and Mets have nothing to see besides waisted talents and tanking for the No.1 pick. That goes for the D-Backs and Giants too.
The Cardinals are still breaking the laws of the MLBPA. Remember the scene when they had chicken wings, playing poker and getting drunk resulting in COVID cases in Minnesota? They are still doing this nonsense back in St. Louis. I feel like they may be watching too much Hockey and playing Fortnite. Because this has never played out in the history of the Cardinals before. I feel like their fans are losing their cool just like they did when they blew a 3-1 lead in the 1985 World Series to Kansas City.
Bragging Rights Sports 