The Cubs finally hope to shake the curse of the Billy Goat, while the Brewers will once again become a baseball afterthought.
1) Chicago Cubs - Clearly the class of the division. The Cubs should have this division wrapped up by early September. The pitching is superior. Zambrano, Dempster, Harden (if healthy), and Lilly give them a dominant pitching staff. Gregg, Marmol, and the flamethrowing Golden Domer Jeff Samardzija give the Cubs very good late relief.
The offense is very good too. Aramis Ramirez, Derek Lee, and Alfonso Soriano are all consistent performers. Soto proved last year that he can be an elite catcher, and Milton Bradley should chip in with 15-20 homers too. The big hole in the lineup is centerfield. Kosuke Fukudome needs to start playing to his hefty contract. His spring last year was pretty good too, so hopefully for Cubs fans he can carrry that play through the entire season.
2) St. Louis Cardinals - I was tempted to put the Reds in this spot, but they're a young team that could have some setbacks. The Cardinals, have question marks too, but have Pujols carrying the load on offense. Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel provide additional pop in the lineup. A key will be Skip Schumaker being able to transition to second base. His .359 OBP will need to be in the lineup every, since no other leadoff options are on the team. Him being able to play second will let Duncan play everyday in left, giving the lineup a bit more pop.
The pitching is ok. Dave Duncan does wonders with the Todd Wellenmeyer's of the world. However, making medicore talents average won't get into the playoffs. The team will need a healthy Chris Carpenter to join Adam Wainwright at the top of the rotation. If those two can combine for 375 innings this year, the Cards will be in the race come September.
3) Cincinnati Reds - They have great young talent. No clear cut cleanup hitter, but plenty of guys who can potentially produce (Votto, Bruce, Encarnacion, Phillips). Homeruns shouldn't be a problem, even if there isn't a guy they can lean on. The big concern, in my opinion, comes at the top of the order. Willy Taveras needs to duplicate his .367 OBP of 2007 to be an effective leadoff hitter. 68 steals is great, but not when you only get on base 31% of the time and strikeout a lot.
The pitching could be incredible. Edinson Volquez, Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, and Johnny Cueto give them a very good rotation, which could get better if Homer Bailey finally pans out. If the young pitchers produce, this could be the best rotation in the NL. Plus, Francisco Cordero gives them a serviceable closer.
4) Milwaukee Brewers - Yovani Gallardo has ace potential, but him and Manny Parra will not make Brewers fans forget about Sabathia and Sheets. The rotation after them is less than inspiring too. Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush, and Braden Looper are all candidates to get shelled when they take the mound. The relief situation doesn't look any better. As of this writing, it looks like Trevor Hoffman will start the year on the DL.
The offense needs Prince Fielder to return to his 50 homerun self. J.J. Hardy, Ryan Braun, and Corey Hart give this team some serious pop. Don't wait on Rickie Weeks to join the offensive assault. It might be premature, but at this point, I'm willing to call him a bust. He strikes out way too much, and doesn't walk or hit for enough power to make up for that.
5) Houston Astros - Berkman, Lee, and Pence will rake. After that, I don't know where the offense will come from. Tejada is on his last legs, Pudge can't bring it anymore, and Bourn looked lost last year. Oswalt is still a stud, and the bullpen looks solid. I just don't see much depth here, and it will be a rough season in Houston.
6) Pittsburgh Pirates - Nate McLouth and Ryan Doumit give them two solid bats to build around. Now the team just needs to find parts of the other positions. The middle infielders are serviceable, but are both older guys that might be traded in July. LaRoche has potential, but has failed horribly in his big league stints. The pitching looked good a few years ago, but Snell, Gorzelanny, Duke, and Maholm failed to give this team the rotation it needs. Snell, Duke, and Maholm are still serviceable starters, but hardly gamechangers. It will be a rough year in Pittsburgh.
Recent Comments