Chaos! Like most years in the NL over the past decade that term has been used a ton. All but three teams basically have a shot at making the damn playoffs. Even teams that I thought wouldn’t come close are only a few games back. Enough talking, let’s get this thing going head on!
Atlanta Braves (Four Legs Good Two Legs BAAAAAAD!): I didn’t think that this season would be as difficult as it’s been for the Braves. They’re still a very good team, but it doesn’t feel the same as in years past. Well you can thank a freak incident as to why. (BOOM!) Acuna tore his ACL AGAIN? On a non-contact play. This city has to be cursed even with the recent championships. Although to be fair they did win a World Series without him, and with how Marcell Ozuna has been playing, and now that Matt Olsen is heating up, they could begin their journey back to the top of baseball. However, like their franchise face, the pitching staff is also banged up. Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder are done for the year, and their second best pitcher is past prime Chris Sale who somehow has returned to 2018 form. The only good news for the ATL is that they will go big game hunting at the deadline especially for outfield and pitching help. And with Michael Harris coming back from a mid-season injury, they should be set up for a run at revenge. (CRACK!) And then Ozzie Albies goes down. DANG IT!
Miami Marlins (1998 All Over Again): Every time you think the Miami Marlins are going to get out of the mess they are in, you are mistaken. This season is no exception. With how they’ve played this year, it shows that 2023 was a fluke like most good teams in the history of this franchise. Not even a year after their surprise appearance, the Marlins have reverted back to being a gongshow that doesn’t know how to tee up a fastball or an offspeed pitch. Yes I get that their pitching staff is absolutely destroyed by the arms race, but even if Alcantara, and Eury Perez were healthy they’d still be bad. Luis Arraez got so ticked off at how bad this team was that he got traded to San Diego not even a month into the season. Let me put it this way. This franchise needs Bruce Sherman and his ownership crew to sell the team to Jeff Bezos. It’s the only way that they can get out of the financial mess that they’re in. Good grief this team is a joke. (The franchise is getting nuked again, and its going to involve Chisholm, Bell, and many others)
New York Mets (LOLMETS McDonald’s Edition): I love how the MLB keeps pretending that we need to keep seeing the Mets on National TV despite other intriguing storylines in smaller markets. What do they have? ⅓ of their season played on MLB Network or ESPN. Even if they’ve exceeded expectations to the point where they are on track to make the playoffs, LOLMETS never takes a day off. Remember when the Rally Monkey and Baby Shark consumed baseball fans in 2002 and 2019 in both Anaheim, and Washington. Well I’m here to tell you that Queens gets the wonders of an all you can eat Happy Meal consuming Citi Field. Ever since Grimace threw out the first pitch in early June, the Mets have gone from a team with no direction to being back in playoff contention. You can thank an offensive explosion led by Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, and Brandon Nimmo. And this is with Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez having down years. What’s even more insane is that the pitching staff has been serviceable even without Kodai Senga and Edwin Diaz being a roller coaster. Who knew that Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, and Sean Manaea would be the answers. Even if this run of good luck eventually dies down on them, Steve Cohen is still going to use this season as a way to throw money at everything that moves in 2025. Because we’ve seen that movie before.
Philadelphia Phillies (BELL GO DONG!): This is a National Warning! The mass destruction of baseballs coming from Citizens Bank Park is deemed unsafe for opposing fans. If I’m a pitcher who has to face this lineup, I’m literally wetting my pants. Having to face the likes of Harper, Castellanos, Turner, Schwarber, and Realmuto as well as Bohm, Stott, and Marsh is a daunting task. And they’re getting Realmuto back as well. Plus they have a deadly rotation with Nola, Wheeler, Suarez, and another young stud in Cristopher Sanchez. On paper this team should hammer everyone in route to the World Series. But this is a team from Philadelphia so nothing ever comes easy for them. I would say the bullpen is an issue for them, but even if it’s their biggest weakness, it’s still one of the best in the National League. The question here is how do they make their deadly team even better. Well there’s a certain guy in Anaheim who might be begging to come home at long last. That or they’ll purge on the fire sale of someone else. Knowing Dave Dombrowski he’ll throw prospects at a big name on the market. Some things never change, do they?
Washington Nationals (Not There Yet): This is kind of what I expected from the Nationals. They’re making progress but there’s still a few elements they’ve yet to reach. I expected more out of Lane Thomas and CJ Abrams, but both of them are still very good. The Eddie Rosario signing has been an absolute dud. (And they shipped him back to the Braves) Yeah having a batting average of under 200 is not going to cut it. Josiah Gray has been shut down for the year, Patrick Corbin hasn’t been the same pitcher in years, and their best pitcher is Jake Irvin. Yes, a guy who was unknown a year ago and has been in the minors for almost a decade has been their best pitcher. Especially when MacKenzie Gore has had a down year as well. The thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of their big pieces haven’t played up to their potential this year after how well they played at the end of last year. But I shouldn’t go too hard because they’re still a year or two ahead of schedule. But hey at least Dylan Crews is waiting in the wings.
Chicago Cubs (2019 Philadelphia Phillies): What the heck is going on? Seriously, how can a team with this much talent, an upgrade at manager, and riches throughout their farm system be this inconsistent. I know the Cubs have the potential to be one of the most potent teams in the National League. You have Shota Imanaga living up to the preseason hype, a now healthy Justin Steele, Seiya Suzuki finally emerging into a future cornerstone, and Ian Happ putting up a career year. But everything else has been, how can I say this, very flat. Belly hasn’t awakened from his early season slump, Kyle Hendricks is declining big time, the bullpen loves blowing leads, and Christopher Morel is the modern day Javy Baez. He looks great one day, and then terrible the next. That’s pretty much how this season has gone for the Cubbies. But don’t you worry they’re probably going to go on a win streak before the trade deadline, keep the gang around, make the playoffs as a Wild Card, and then get their asses kicked by their little brother 90 miles up the road. This city has already had to deal with Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Giannis owning a stake in it. At this point they don’t want Yelich to join the party.
Cincinnati Reds (A Difficult Evolution): The Reds are still in the process of getting back to contending status. I’m not saying that last year was a fluke, but more like a year where they did better than they thought. This year is where I expected them to be going into 2023. Good enough not to be a gong show, bad enough not to be a contender. In the simplest form they are mediocre. But hey Elly De La Cruz has become a demigod, and Jonathan India is no longer the whipping boy of the fanbase. All it cost them was the lack of pitching depth outside of Greene and Abbott, and Will Benson being a strikeout machine at the plate. The thing that Cincy does have going for them is that their core hasn’t matured yet. That time might be coming but it’s going to depend on if they don’t fool themselves into thinking they can make a run. Knowing Castellini he’s probably going to drink the stupid juice. Now don’t Christian Encarnacion-Strand at the deadline for Vlad Jr please!
Milwaukee Brewers (Who Needs Counsell And Corbin?): When I said that this team was taking two steps forward and one step back at the start of the season I didn’t mean that it would be a small step back. In fact the Brewers have played much better than I thought they would. Think about this. They lost the winningest manager and probably the best starting pitcher they’ve ever had, plus Brandon Woodruff is recovering from Tommy John, and they’re still leading the NL Central 100 games into the season. Christian Yelich is back to being a freaking monster at the plate. Instead of being a power hitter like he was in his prime, he’s rebranded into a contact machine. But where is the power coming from? William Contreras, Rhys Hoskins, and Willy Adames, plus Jackson Chourio is playing up to his lofty preseason expectations. Funny how their bats have carried the load unlike previous years. Especially since Devin Williams and DL Hall have been injured for most of the year. The pitching features Freddy Peralta and Colin Rea single handedly carrying a bunch of unknowns to relevance. Now you see why they traded for Aaron Civale. Those two can’t do it alone. For as good as their hitters have been this year, if the pitching can’t back them up, it’s not gonna be pretty come playoff time.
Pittsburgh Pirates (Hope? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?): Remember when I said that the Tigers had a similar trajectory as the 2022 Orioles? Well I was wrong and now it’s the Pirates who have taken that claim. Early in the season all the stars looked to be aligning. Pittsburgh held the NL Central lead a month into the season with Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds leading the way on offense, as well as Mitch Keller on the mound. (BOOM!) Then came May and everything fell apart to the point where they were nearly 10 games under 500. Yasmany Grandal suffered a hard decline, and Jack Suwinski went from the center fielder of the future to being demoted in a month. (Plus Henry Davis isn’t ready for the big time either) On the verge of yet another lost season, the Pirates looked to be drinking the stupid juice by calling up Paul Skenes not even a year after being drafted, however they’ve been massively rewarded. Skenes hasn’t been just dominant, he’s put up the most efficient season by a rookie pitcher since Doctor K in Queens 30 years ago. A fanbase and city aching for a winner to come out of PNC Park may have just found their savior. Won’t you look at that, the Skenes Effect has lifted them back into playoff contention. And with how weak the NL is, they could take advantage of a Wild Card Race that no one wants to win. They’re going to be massive buyers are they. (I swear if Skenes, and Livyy Dunne show up at Heinz Field for a Steelers game this year, and the NFL promotes them like they did with Taylor Swift, the Raven fan in me is going to lose it!)
St Louis Cardinals (How Do They Do It?): When will anyone learn that you don’t count out the St Louis Cardinals. Every time you think they’re headed towards baseball irrelevance, they answer back with a year where they look like a playoff team again. Even if Arenado and Goldschmidt may not be the game changers that they’ve been in years past it hasn’t mattered so far. When you look at how good Nolan Gorman, Brendan Donovan, and Alec Burleson have been this year, it comes to show you that this team always finds new and creative ways to burn you. And despite the decline of Matt Carpenter, and Jordan Walker not being ready for the big time. But what about the pitching staff? Well they can revive the careers of Kyle Gibson, Sonny Gray, and Lance Lynn. (Miles Mikolas has been good if you exclude his ERA being over 5) The thing I’ve noticed is that they’ve been one of the best teams in terms of winning close games. Well that’s because Ryan Helsley has been a bulldog all year long with how many crucial saves he’s locked down. The question I’m asking now that they have control of one of the Wild Card spots is. Do they add or sell? Knowing the Cardinals they’re going to add on to what has been a year that seen them defy the odds. WHEN WILL THESE GUYS EVER GO AWAY!?
Arizona Diamondbacks (The Hard Slap Of Reality, For Now): When I saw them at Camden Yards this past May, part of me was like this team is doing everything they can to stay in contention despite the gobs of injuries that have hit them. Alek Thomas and Geraldo Perdomo missed significant time early on. Zac Gallen and Paul Sewald were also injured, and Corbin Carroll suffered the second year slump in a big way. Now that they’re regaining their health, Arizona has thrust their way back into playoff contention. Especially when Ketel Marte and Christian Walker are both in their primes. Even better news, the rotation got a shot in the arm as Ryne Nelson went from the front of the bullpen to a solid starter. With Jordan Montgomery and Merrill Kelly back at full strength, the Diamondbacks are going to be a hard team to score on down the stretch. I don’t think there is a specific need at the deadline other than depth, but they just need to heat up. If they do just that come September, it could be another deep run in the making.
Colorado Rockies (Captain Obvious, The Team): What do you expect? The Rockies are near the bottom of the NL with a roster that has a pitching staff emulating the Home Run Derby. Even the hitters have taken a step back. Nolan Jones and Elias Diaz were the great success stories of last year. How have they done this year? (YoYo Sound) Well both of them are hitting around 200, great what a shocker. The only ones doing anything notable are Tovar, McMahon, and Doyle. Everyone else has been very underwhelming but it’s what you expect. Also how does Bud Black still have a job? I know he’s the least of their issues, but they seriously need a new voice. Although nothing’s changing as long as Dick Monfort is in charge. Someone please force him out so that Stan Kroenke can consume this franchise whole.
Los Angeles Dodgers (Operation Survive The Arms Race): The typical Dodgers season. Where their offense is setting the world on fire yet their pitching staff is having its arms fall off at rapid speeds. Both Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez have panned out big time. Ohtani even if he hasn’t pitched this year is showing why he still is perhaps the most potent hitter in the game. Even without Mookie Betts for an extended period, it hasn’t hurt them yet. Especially with how Freeman, and rookie sensation Andy Pages have played. But then as mentioned there’s the pitching staff. (BOOM!) It is decimated again. Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone have been the workhorses at the top of the rotation, but everyone else including Yamamoto has had arm issues. Walker Buehler and Dustin May probably won’t be the same and Kershaw is declining. All the Dodgers need now is more arms in the bullpen, a few of their arms to get healthy, and hope that Mike Trout is on the trade market. If all of these factors are indeed true, GOD HELP US ALL!
San Diego Padres (The San Diego Special, AGAIN!): Padres, Padres, Padres. Seriously, which form are you going to show us? The one where they look like contenders or the one who’s looking to be massive sellers at the deadline. This much talent should not be slightly over 500 despite how packed the NL is. Jurickson Profar and Jackson Merrill have become huge contributors to go along with Machado and Tatis, Luis Arraez has lived up to the hype. (BUZZER!) And then he gets hurt. It says something that their best pitchers this year are Michael King, and Matt Waldron. Cease, Musgrove, and Darvish have been roller coasters all season. Thank god for Robert Suarez because other than him this bullpen has been a mess. I don’t know what’s going to happen with San Diego down the stretch. This team is either making a deep run in the playoffs, or they’re going to lay the biggest 2nd Half egg in franchise history. There’s no inbetween. If the latter happens just blow the whole damn thing up!
San Francisco Giants (As Mediocre As They Come): I thought that the Giants would be better off going into the season than what they are now. Somehow some way most of their big acquisitions this offseason haven’t really made huge impacts. Matt Chapman and Jorge Soler have been alright, but Blake Snell has been battling injuries all season long. Luckily for the Bay Area he’s starting to rebound in a big way as of late. But hey at least they found a revelation in Heliot Ramos who has taken that next step into being a key contributor going forward. To be fair they have been without Jung Ho Lee and Mike Yastrzemski for a good chunk of the season, and they are a few games back of a Wild Card spot. Like I said, they need all of the big fish they signed in the offseason to pick up the slack. Logan Webb and Camilo Doval can only do so much. PAUSE.
The race for the Wild Cards is going to be ridiculous. Nothing is settled and it probably won’t be that way until the final week of the season. You could make the case for 13 teams to make the playoffs this year, including the entire NL Central. Here’s how I see this playing out.
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Brewers
NL West: Dodgers
Wild Cards: Braves, Diamondbacks, Pirates.
Yes I said the Pirates because if they buy at the deadline, the MLB is going to try and rig it for Skenes and the amount of ratings he’ll attract. I know this truth very well. (If the Cubs and Padres miss the playoffs they will be memed to death)
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