What was supposed to be a quick look at each Major League Baseball team and how they have done so far this year turned into a long, and probably boring, thesis on the American League. I must say though, it was at least informative for myself. I hadn't looked that closely at each and every team this year, so I got to do that. So now, without further ado, I begin my long and boring thesis on each and every team in the National League...
NL East
Nationals (49-34, 2 games ahead of the pack for the best record in the NL) - The Nationals were an intriguing team coming into this season. They had two of the most talked-about prospects in baseball in Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg, and it seemed like the team was headed in the right direction. What I didn't expect though, was how quickly this team would ascend. Harper is only 19 years old, but is already an All-Star, and the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year in the National League. Not to be outdone, Strasburg has 9 wins at the break, an ERA of 2.82, and has struck out 128 batters (tied for the most in all of baseball). Add Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann to that, and the Nationals rotation is very good, and very young. Henry Rodriguez began the season as the closer, but he struggled, and Tyler Clippard has taken over and done a more than respectable job. Still though, the bullpen includes four other pitchers with ERA's below 2.00. Ian Desmond, Adam LaRoche, and Ryan Zimmerman have been hitting well, and Jayson Werth has been injured for much of the first half. He is getting close to healthy, and he should be back with plenty of time to get hot before the season ends. If the Nationals continue playing the way they played in the first half, they won't just be good this year, they will be good for many years to come.
Braves (46-39, 1/2 game ahead of three teams for the final Wild Card spot) - I expected this team to be good, and so far they have been just that. The Braves have been getting production from up and down their lineup, and they have a little bit of everything. Michael Bourn has been excellent at the top of the order, hitting .311 with 25 stolen bases. Martin Prado and Chipper Jones are also both hitting over .300, and Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Brian McCann, and Dan Uggla have supplied the power, as they all have driven in at least 40 runs. It sounds a bit odd, but the weakest part of the Braves might actually be their starting rotation. Tommy Hanson and Tim Hudson have been very good, but aside from them, the rest of the rotation has been mediocre at best. Brandon Beachy got off to a great start, but is gone for the year thanks to Tommy John surgery. Randall Delgado and Mike Minor have combined for 15 losses and both have ERA's above 4.50, and Jair Jurrjens seems like he will never reach the heights that some expected he might. However, just like last year, the Braves have a very solid bullpen. Eric O'Flaherty and Kris Medlen are both sporting ERA's below 3.00, and Craig Kimbrel has become one of the most reliable closers in all of baseball, with 25 saves and an ERA of 1.36. Overall, I like this team. They have been good so far, and I would expect that to continue into the postseason when October rolls around.
Mets (46-40, 1/2 game behind the Braves for the final Wild Card spot) - Here is a team that I was way off on. When the season started, I thought they were guaranteed to finish last in the division, yet here they are, only one win out of a Wild Card spot at the All-Star break. If Mike Trout has been the best story in the American League, then R.A. Dickey has been the best story in the National League. At this point, Dickey is tied for the Major League lead with 12 wins, only five strikeouts away from the Major League lead, and has an ERA of 2.40. In my opinion, he should be starting in the All-Star Game, but Matt Cain got the nod for that instead. Johan Santana has also been very good, and he etched his name into the Mets record books with their first ever no-hitter. Jonathan Niese has been good as well, and Bobby Parnell has been good in the bullpen. Frank Francisco has been a bit of an adventure during many appearances as the closer, so that could come back to haunt the team, although the Mets have been mentioned in a number of trade scenarios involving other closers, so maybe they can solve that problem with a trade at the deadline. As far as the offense goes, David Wright has been the star. His .351 batting average puts him right near the top of baseball in that category, and he also leads the Mets with 59 RBI. Lucas Duda, Scott Hairston, and Ike Davis have also supplied power with 12 home runs each. The problem is just that the lineup is full of unproven players, as well as players who have proven that they are mediocre. They have far surpassed my expectations to this point, but I still can't believe that this team will have what it takes to make the postseason.
Marlins (41-44, 5 games out of the final Wild Card spot) - Here is a team that I can proudly say I was right on with as far as preseason predictions go. They made a big splash in free agency and by moving into a new ballpark, but they have not been too great, despite the big names they have on their roster. Omar Infante and Giancarlo Stanton have led the offense, and Jose Reyes, Logan Morrison, and Hanley Ramirez have been pretty good as well. The catcher position has been a black hole offensively though, and Gaby Sanchez has been a huge disappointment at first base. The team just acquired Carlos Lee to try to fix that, but Lee is past his prime, and is a liability defensively. The starting rotation has been, if nothing else, extremely consistent. Of the 85 games that the Marlins have played, all 85 have been started by the same five pitchers, with each member of the rotation making 17 starts. This is actually quite a feat, but just because the rotation has been consistent and injury-free does not make it good. The starters have combined to go 29-32, and only Mark Buehrle has an ERA below 4.00. In the bullpen, Heath Bell has been a massive disappointment. He has 19 saves, but has an ERA of 6.75, and has given up 43 hits and 26 earned runs in 34.2 inning pitched. Steve Cishek and Randy Choate have been terrific in the bullpen, and if it weren't for the huge contract that Miami gave to Bell in the offseason, I think one of them would be closing games. The offense still has the potential to be better, but the pitching staff has been pretty much mediocre across the board, hence the mediocre record. I don't see this team in the hunt when the playoffs roll around.
Phillies (37-50, 10 games out of the final Wild Card spot) - Now this is not somewhere we have seen the Phillies in a long time. Before the season even started, they were without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, but I am still very surprised to see them with such a poor record. The offense has been pretty good, but without its two main cogs in the middle of the lineup, any team would obviously drop-off in terms of scoring runs. Carlos Ruiz has been having a great year, as his .350 batting average shows. Hunter Pence has been very good as well, leading the team in both home runs and RBI. Juan Pierre has been very good at the top of the order, hitting over .300 with 20 stolen bases. Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, and Shane Victorino have put up respectable numbers, but they have been sub-par based upon their usual standards, and this definitely has to do with Howard and Utley both missing so many games. We all knew before the season that Philadelphia's offense would be significantly hurt due to the losses of Howard and Utley, but I don't think anyone could have predicted how abnormally poor their pitching has been. Cole Hamels has been his usual self, and is having a very good year, but after that, the rest of the rotation has not come anywhere close to meeting expectations. It took Cliff Lee until July 4th to even get his first win of the season, a statistic that is almost impossible to believe. Roy Halladay has been the definition of durable during his career, and he is on the disabled list and has a disappointing 4-5 record. At the back end of the bullpen, Jonathan Papelbon has 18 saves and Antonio Bastardo has 16 holds, but neither has been able to perform up to their career bests. With Utley and Howard finally back, and Halladay due back soon, this team will definitely be better. However, I think that they have simply put themselves in too big a hole to climb out of, and I think this will be a disappointing year for the Phillies in comparison to their recent past.
NL Central
Pirates (48-37, 1 game ahead in the race for the NL Central crown) - Well at least Pennsylvania got it right this year. One good team, and one bad team. The only difference is that this year the good team is the Pirates and the bad team is the Phillies. Andrew McCutchen has gone from up-and-coming youngster to absolute stud, and a case can be made that he is the frontrunner for MVP in the National League at this point in the season. He leads the team in every major offensive category, and he plays center field very well to boot. While McCutchen is the obvious star of this offense, he is getting support from other youngsters like Neil Walker, Pedro Alvarez, Jose Tabata, and Garrett Jones as well. McCutchen has shown no signs of slowing down, and if the rest of the lineup can chip in from top to bottom like they have so far, this offense can be good enough. As far as the pitching goes, this is where I would be a bit concerned. I just don't know if the rotation has enough firepower to last through the entire season. James McDonald has been brilliant at the top, and he seems to be turning himself into a pretty good pitcher. The bullpen has been terrific as well, with Joel Hanrahan, Jason Grilli, Jared Hughes, and Juan Cruz all putting up very good numbers through the first half. The problem is the rest of the rotation after McDonald. Looking at the numbers alone, the #2 starter is 10-2 with a 3.68 ERA. On paper, that seems great. The problem though, is that the name of that #2 starter is A.J. Burnett. Burnett is a proven mediocre pitcher, and he has been so wherever he has pitched. There is no way he continues this pace through the second half of the season. After Burnett, the rotation has been a mix of even more mediocre pitchers like Kevin Correia, Erik Bedard, and Charlie Morton. McDonald and Burnett have been great, but at least one of them is highly likely to plateau and then probably descend during the second half. This team has some good young players, and one great young player in McCutchen, but I'd be surprised to see them in the playoffs.
Reds (47-38, 1 game behind the Pirates in the division, and leading the race for the first Wild Card spot) - After winning the Central in 2010, the Reds were a disappointment last year and missed the playoffs. This year, I think they will be back in the postseason. The offense is led by a man that is likely the most underappreciated superstar in all of baseball, Joey Votto. This man already has an MVP in his trophy case, yet many fans would still be unable to recognize him if he walked past them on the street. His .348 batting average speaks for itself, and his 14 home runs and 48 RBI are very good as well. Aside from Votto, the Reds also have Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips putting up excellent numbers. Phillips also must be leading the league in SportsCenter defensive highlights. Even though that is not an official stat, the man is a defensive wizard at second base. With those three anchoring the batting order, and guys like Zack Cozart, Ryan Ludwick, Chris Heisey, and Todd Frazier providing support, this is an offense that can be very good and be playing into October. It may have taken a bit longer than the Reds hoped, but Johnny Cueto has been having a great year, with 10 wins and a 2.39 ERA. Bronson Arroyo has been pretty good, and Mike Leake, Mat Latos, and Homer Bailey have been average, with the potential to still be better in the second half. Aroldis Chapman has been excellent coming out of the bullpen with a 1.83 ERA and 11 saves, and Jose Arredondo and Sean Marshall have had good years as well out of the 'pen. The pitching staff is definitely not great from top to bottom, but with an offense like the Reds have, the staff is good enough to at least get this team into the playoffs. They may not be World Series contenders, but I think this team is definitely good enough to make the playoffs.
Cardinals (46-40, 1/2 game out of the final Wild Card spot) - After winning the World Series last year, the Cardinals were obviously a very good team. However, losing one of the best first basemen to ever play the game, Albert Pujols, would no doubt be a huge loss. The offense has actually not taken as big a hit as I expected, thanks in large part to Carlos Beltran, who has had a magnificent first half. Matt Holliday has been his normal, steady self, and other parts of the offense like David Freese and Yadier Molina have been very good as well. The Cardinals have been missing Lance Berkman for most of the season up until this point, and his return (which should be shortly after the All-Star break) will only make this offense even better. As far as the pitching goes, the injury bug has bitten Chris Carpenter, and it seems as though he and Adam Wainwright can never both get through an entire season together. Guys like Lance Lynn and Kyle Lohse have picked up the slack though, as they have gone a combined 20-6. Lynn came flying out of the gate, but has slowed a bit since then, so I'm not sure that he can continue to be that good in the second half. Mitchell Boggs and Jason Motte have been very good at the back end of the bullpen, but the middle relief has only been mediocre. That could spell trouble later in the year when the starters may not be able to pitch as deep into games due to wear and tear, but this team can still score runs, and with the extra Wild Card spot, I fully expect them to be in the playoff hunt all season.
Brewers (40-45, 6 games out of the final Wild Card spot) - Despite my newfound hatred of this team for a number of reasons that arose at the end of last season, I still thought that they would be a bit better than they have been. Losing Prince Fielder would obviously hurt their offense, and it has. Ryan Braun had some off-field issues this offseason, but he has obviously put those well behind him, and he is leading the team in most major offensive categories. Other guys like Aramis Ramirez, Corey Hart, and Norichika Aoki have provided support around him, but this offense definitely has been unable to replace Fielder's presence in the middle of the order. The top three starters in Milwaukee's rotation have been good. Zack Greinke, Yovani Gallardo, and Shaun Marcum have combined for 21 wins, and they are all sporting ERA's under 3.75. This team has been mentioned as a possible seller at the Trade Deadline though, as Greinke's name has been connected to a whole bunch of rumors. We will have to see what ends up happening with the roster moves, but if they can't come out of the gate hot for the next few weeks, the Brewers might be unable to stay in contention for the rest of the year.
Cubs (33-52, 13 games out of the final Wild Card spot) - The Cubs have been in a holding pattern for quite some time now, and that is not a good thing. They are only 1/2 game from being the worst team in all of baseball, and things just can't get better during the second half. They have too many teams to pass and simply not enough good players to make the giant leap it will take to simply be considered a contender come September. The lineup at least has some promising young players that seem as though they will only get better. Starlin Castro was an All-Star, and despite some mental lapses, can hit the ball and will be very good for years to come. Bryan LaHair has had a great year, and Anthony Rizzo seems like he will finally get a chance to show what he can do, and has been very good over the past two weeks since he has been called up from the minor leagues. Alfonso Soriano has given the team his normal, above-average production at the plate, but aside from Castro, there is not much else in this lineup that is awe-inspiring. On the mound, Ryan Dempster has had a great year, and has an ERA of 1.99, but only 4 wins to show for it. Matt Garza, Paul Maholm, and Jeff Samardzija have all been mediocre at best. Carlos Marmol continues to be a train wreck as the closer, and if the Cubs had anyone else capable in their bullpen, Marmol would not be the closer. James Russell has shown promise as the set-up man, and in my opinion, he might as well get a chance to show what he can do in the 9th inning since the Cubs already pretty much have no chance to make the playoffs. This team has little in the way of established pitching that can be good for years to come. The offense at least has a few promising youngsters, but I still think it will be a while before this team can compete for a playoff spot.
Astros (33-53, 13.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot, and owners of the worst record in baseball) - I could just stop right there, and you would get a sense of how things have gone for Houston, but then this wouldn't be a true look at all 30 teams, would it? The Astros got my attention last season in the second half when they came to Arizona and had a lineup full of guys I had never heard of, yet they were still able to take two of three from the DBacks, and score a ton of runs in doing so. The two guys that really stood out during that series were Jose Altuve and J.D. Martinez, and they have both been very good compared to most of the rest of their team so far this year. Altuve has been one of the best second basemen in the National League, and was a deserving All-Star selection. Martinez has supplied some power, leading the team in RBI. Jed Lowrie has also had a nice year, and Chris Johnson has provided some support as well. As far as the pitching staff goes, Wandy Rodriguez is solid, but just doesn't get enough support to get any recognition. Brett Myers has also had a good year at the back end of the bullpen, but I would be shocked to see both of those guys make it past the Trade Deadline in an Astros uniform. The rest of their rotation has been below-average. This team just simply does not have the firepower in terms of hitting or pitching to do anything but fight the Cubs to stay out of last place.
NL West
Dodgers (47-40, 1/2 game up in the division race) - The Dodgers got off to a blazing hot start, but have since come back down to Earth somewhat, thanks in large part to injuries to their two best offensive players, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Kemp has all the tools to be one of the best players in the game for the next decade, and Ethier can be an above-average second option. The problem is, I am still not convinced about anyone else in their lineup. The most promising player other than the top two is Dee Gordon, but I still question whether he can be a consistently durable player when he is about the size of a broomstick. A.J. Ellis seems like he has some potential to be a good catcher, but I don't know if he will ever be anything special. James Loney is a proven mediocrity at first base, and the rest of the lineup is uninspiring. On the mound, the Dodgers have one of the best pitchers in baseball in Clayton Kershaw, but not much else in the rest of the rotation, as Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano, and Aaron Harang have gone a combined 19-18; the definition of mediocre. The bullpen has a few somewhat promising young arms, but nothing that jumps off the page. This team played above its head during the first half, and despite the presence of one of the best position players in the game, and one of the best pitchers in the game, I just don't think that they can keep this pace up, especially if Kemp and Ethier cannot stay healthy. At the very least, they have gotten out from underneath the mess that the McCourt family built and attendance is up, but I don't think this team can stay in first place for much longer.
Giants (46-40, 1/2 game behind the Dodgers for first place in the division) - I haven't done this for most teams, but since it's the San Francisco Giants, it all starts with the pitching here. Madison Bumgarner leads the team in wins, Ryan Vogelsong leads the team in ERA, Matt Cain leads the team in strikeouts, Sergio Romo leads the team in holds, and Santiago Casilla leads the team in saves. Five different categories, five different leaders. Did I mention that this team also has Tim Lincecum, a man that has won multiple Cy Young awards? What this all means is that the pitching on this team is incredibly good. Lincecum has been a huge disappointment, and if I were the Giants, I would honestly be worried at this point that something might be seriously wrong with him because he is nowhere close to how good he has been throughout his career. However, Matt Cain (who I have always liked more than Lincecum by the way) has been an absolute stud, and has already thrown a perfect game. Ryan Vogelsong (who, on the contrary, I thought was a complete flash-in-the-pan last year) has proven that he is a legitimate starter, and Madison Bumgarner is going to be good for many years to come. Even without Brian Wilson (most famously known for his beard, but who also is a heck of a closer), this team has been able to pitch very well. The "problem" with this team when the won the World Series two years ago was their offense, and the offense is still the weaker part of the team, although with a pitching staff like they have, any offense would be the weakest part of this team. Melky Cabrera has been magnificent, and is hitting .353 with 44 RBI. Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey have also been very good, giving this team three well above-average bats. Other guys like Angel Pagan, Gregor Blanco, Brandon Belt, and Brandon Crawford may not be household names, but they all bring a little something different to the team and have contributed to make this a very good ball club. Overall, if the Giants can keep playing the way that they have been, and get something, ANYTHING from Lincecum, this is a team that can be a threat in the National League.
Diamondbacks (42-43, 4 games out in the division and the race for the second Wild Card spot) - Ok, I will try to be somewhat brief here, but I doubt that I'll be able to. This team has not come close to meeting my expecations. Ian Kennedy has already lost almost double the amount of games he lost all of last season, Justin Upton has been nowhere close to the MVP level he played at last year, J.J. Putz seems like he is past his prime and may not be able to close for much longer, Daniel Hudson is out for the rest of the season, Josh Collmenter has flubbed now that everyone is used to his odd delivery, and Trevor Cahill has been only mediocre while the man he was traded for (Jarrod Parker) has been excellent. Yet, somehow, we are only four games out of a playoff spot. Signing Jason Kubel in the offseason seemed to make little sense to me, since he would be replacing a man in Gerardo Parra that was coming off a Gold Glove season. Kubel has proven his worth though with 15 home runs and 60 RBI. Paul Goldschmidt has proven that he will be our first baseman of the future, with a batting average of .302, 12 home runs, and 42 RBI. Miguel Montero has been a bit below average offensively compared to last season, but his growth behind the plate in terms of both his play and his handling of the pitching staff has been tremendous. Ryan Roberts has not been having the dream season that he had last year, but he has proven that he can deliver in the clutch. Then there is Aaron Hill. Two cycles in a week and a half speaks for itself. Chase Field has become his favorite place to hit a baseball, and he has been continuing to come up with big time hits. If Chris Young can improve a bit, Stephen Drew can get back into form following his broken ankle and year-long recovery, and Justin Upton can PLEASE get back to somewhere near his level of last year, we will be able to hit enough to make up that four game difference. As far as the pitching goes, it was unrealistic to expect Kennedy to go 21-4 again, but he still hasn't been consistent enough. Hudson, as I said, is out for the season, which is really unfortunate. Cahill has been mediocre, and Collmenter has been below-average (although I must say, I expected that). Joe Saunders got off to a very good start, but has been injured, and hopefully he can come back and win some games for us during the second half. The true star of the staff though, has been Wade Miley. Miley was considered a contender for long relief at best at the beginning of the season, but made the All-Star team. He has come back down to Earth a bit in his last few starts, but that is where the depth of our minor league pitching staff sure comes in handy. Trevor Bauer was drafted and quickly became one of the most highly-touted prospects in the history of the Diamondbacks, and he now has his chance to prove his worth. Two below-average starts were followed by six shutout innings in his final start before the All-Star break, and I am looking forward to him hopefully getting a full shot to start for the rest of the year because I think he will end up being very good. Patrick Corbin is also a wild card here. He has gotten five starts and been pretty good, and he has also been above-average as the long relief man out of the bullpen. The back end of our bullpen has been very good with Craig Breslow, David Hernandez, Brad Ziegler, and Bryan Shaw. The only problem that I see is J.J. Putz, and that could turn into a big problem as we get farther into the season. He has not been dominant at the end of games, and I just feel like he may not be able to consistently lock down games. I hope that I'm wrong, but I fear that I'm right. Optimistically, I think this team still can win the division. Realistically, I think they can at least compete for a Wild Card spot. Hopefully, in this case, my optimism pays off. Now that wasn't too long, was it? I did my best to keep it as short as possible.
Padres (34-53, 13 games out of the division and the final Wild Card spot) - Much like the clubs at the bottom of the NL Central, the Padres are simply a team that isn't good enough to compete. Chase Headley leads the team in almost all major offensive statistical categories, and he will likely be traded by the time the deadline rolls around. The Padres do have a few young players that have shown some promise. Yasmani Grandal and Yonder Alonso are very young but could potentially be good. Cameron Maybin and Will Venable are also pretty good, but since they are a bit older, they may have reached their ceilings. As far as the pitching staff goes, Edinson Volquez and Clayton Richard have been solid in the rotation, and while neither of them has the potential to be a staff ace, they are both more than respectable. Huston Street and Luke Gregerson are also nice options out of the bullpen. One wild card here is Andrew Cashner. He came over from the Cubs with a blazing fastball, but the problem is that no one knows if he will be able to start or if he will have to be used out of the bullpen. He is injured right now, but he will probably be the most interesting piece to watch during the second half for the Padres. A rotation with Volquez, Richard, and Cashner at the top would have the potential to be pretty good, but the Padres just do not have enough offense to hang at this point.
Rockies (33-52, 1/2 game ahead of Houston for the race to not be the worst team in baseball) - This is a team that I have been disappointed with. The Rockies have two of the best players in the game that no one knows about in Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki, but Tulowitzki has been hurt for much of the year, and it has obviously had a huge impact on the team. Gonzalez has continued to mash, but without the other main cog in their lineup, the Rockies just simply have not been good enough. Gonzalez has been the star, and the Rockies are actually getting pretty good seasons from other guys like Tyler Colvin, Dexter Fowler, and Michael Cuddyer, but they just haven't been able to hit enough. It is sad to see, but Todd Helton, the best player in the history of the Rockies franchise, has been struggling, and with the terrible pitching staff that Colorado has, the offense simply needs to be spectacular, and it hasn't been. Only one pitcher that has started more than seven games has an ERA under 5.10. They have experimented with a four-man rotation, called up multiple arms from the minor leagues, and used 49 year old Jamie Moyer with the hope of trying to piece together some kind of pitching staff, and the results have just not been good. Juan Nicasio, Christian Friedrich, Jeremy Guthrie, Alex White, and many more have tried but failed to become any type of consistent force in the Rockies rotation. The only bright spot of the staff has been highly-touted prospect Drew Pomeranz, who came over from the Cleveland Indians in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade. Jimenez has struggled since heading to Cleveland, so within a year or two, Pomeranz has the potential to become a good pitcher and make the Rockies a winner in that deal. With Tulowitzki out for possibly another two months, this team simply will not be able to hang around much longer. If Pomeranz pans out and becomes at least a solid #2 starter, this team has two offensive stars in Tulowitzki and Gonzalez. The pitching staff is in desperate need of help though, and I can't see this team getting anywhere close to contention this season.
So there it is. My insanely long and boring take on the first half of the baseball season. If anyone out there read these last two posts in their entirety, I commend you. Like I said before, if nothing else, I myself learned a lot about the first half of the season by doing this. The posts from now on will be much shorter, and therefore more likely to be readable. Until then though, we are only two days away from the start of the second half of the season, and within the next month we will begin to find out which teams are contenders, and which teams are pretenders.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: As if you all didn't hear enough about the Diamondbacks already, now you know that we will be the first team to kick off the second half as we go to Wrigley Field for a day game on Friday. Taking three of four from the Dodgers going into the break was huge, and 9 of our next 13 games will be against the three teams at the bottom of the National League standings (Houston, Chicago, and Colorado). The schedule gets a heck of a lot tougher after that, so if a strong finish to the first half was important, then a strong start to the second half is imperative. Ian Kennedy goes on Friday, and there are no more excuses. It's time to start winning.
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