I'm sure the suspense has been killing everyone, so here's my run-down of the senior circuit going into the final month of the season. There are seven teams left in the NL with a realistic shot at making the playoffs, so here they are, from worst to first:
7- Florida Marlins
If you believe in trends, the Marlins should win the World Series this year. After all, they do it every six years since the 1997 season. However, I'm going to go against fate and say the Marlins don't go all the way in 2009. Much like the Twins in the AL, the Marlins always seem to find a way to get it done with no money and few superstars, and the fact that they're even over .500 is impressive. They have a legit ace in Josh Johnson and the rest of their staff is solid. They also score a ton of runs, even if their only really great every day player is Hanley Ramirez. So yeah, good job Marlins but no playoffs this year.
6- Atlanta Braves
The Braves probably have the best starting pitching staff from top to bottom in the majors. They don't have one surefire dominant pitcher (maybe Tommy Hanson soon), but there's no easy game against this staff. However, the score about zero runs a game. If they can keep their rotation intact over the next few seasons and add a bat or two, they will be dangerous. However, they just don't have the lineup to make enough noise down the stretch this year.
5- San Francisco Giants
The Giants are very similar to the Braves in that they have great pitching and no hitting. However, I would be very very scared of the Giants in the postseason because they have two dominant starers in Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, and a guy that used to be dominant in Barry Zito. Oh by the way, they have another guy who threw a no-hitter this season in Jonathan Sanchez. So yeah, if these guy find their way into the playoffs, watch out. The problem is their lineup, or the fact that it's basically non-existant. When your best hitter is a guy whose nickname is Kung-Fu Panda, you have issues. Much like the Braves, if they add some bats, look out.
4- Colorado Rockies
Stop me if this seems familiar: The Rockies are absolutely terrible in the beginning of the season, then out of nowhere, make a turnaround, become the hottest team in the majors, and end up sweeping the Phillies in the playoffs and making the World Series. Yeah, that happened two years ago, and it looks like history may repeat itself. On paper, this team isn't as good as the NL champions of two years ago. No Matt Holliday, and although the pitching staff has been overachieving, you have to wonder how long they will last. However, there's no arguing how good they have been over the last few months, and you always go with the hot team in the baseball playoffs. They are scary, for sure.
3- Los Angeles Dodgers
They still have the best record in the NL, but this is not the same team that dominated in the first half of the season. I have two words for you: Vicente Padilla. Besides the fact that they had to sign Padilla, their bullpen isn't very good, with the exception of Jonathan Broxton, and they're just not hitting very well as a team right now. Yes, even everyone's favorite guy Manny isn't playing too well right now. The lineup is still potent, but they're going in the opposite direction of the Rockies right now, and I wouldn't be shocked if Colorado ended up catching them in the West.
2- St. Louis Cardinals
Their were two major acquistions at the trading deadline this season: Cliff Lee to the Phillies, and Matt Holliday to the Cardinals. Holliday has made the Cardinals incredibly better, and maybe even the team to beat in the NL. Chris Carpenter has quietly become the best pitcher in the NL this season, and Adam Wainwright ain't so shabby either. The Cardinals still have a few problems. Their starting rotation is very thin after Carpenter and Wainwright, and their bullpen isn't so special either. And besides Holliday and some guy named Pujols, the lineup isn't going to scare too many teams. However, Pujojs+Holliday+Carpenter+Wainwright could be enough to lead them to a World Series.
1- Philadelphia Phillies
Yes, I'm a homer, too bad. I really wish I had wrote this before the Phils lost 2 out of 3 to the Pirates, but oh well. We all know what's good about the Phils, so I'll focus on the negatives. The biggest problem right now is Brad Lidge, and if he's going to figure it out by playoff time. We keep waiting on him to run off 10 saves in a row to say he's back, but it just doesn't look like it's gonna happen. So what to do about Lidge? It's looking like a real possibility that he won't be the Phillies closer pretty soon. The other problimatic pitcher is Cole Hamels. Yes, he looked good in in last outing, but it would be great to see him put together 4 or 5 good starts to know he can be counted on in the postseason. He is the key to the team right now. If the Phils go into a series with Lee, Hamels back in form, Happ, and Blanton the way they are pitching right now, it's lights out. So yes, call me a homer, but the Phils are the favorite in the NL right now.
So, Rockies win the Wild Card, Phils beat them in the first round, Cardinals take out the Dodgers in the first round, Phils over the Cards to get back to the World Series.
That would set us up with a Phils/Yankees World Series, which I predicted at the beginning of the year. Needless to say, that series would be slightly more intriguing than Phils/Rays from last year. Here's hoping.
No comments:
Post a Comment