I guess technically this isn't a preview any more since the Major League Baseball season has started, but that doesn't change the fact that most teams still have at least 160 games to go. There's a lot of baseball to be played yet, the weather hasn't even broken in most of the north. So anyway, this is the NL version of my MLB preview. We'll get right to it now, this is the same format as the AL preview, starting with the NL West...
NL West
1. San Fransisco Giants
Projected Record: 92-70
Synopsis: The Giants had the best pitching the baseball both on paper and on the field last season, and the establishment of Madison Bumgarner into the rotation from day 1 this season makes them all that more formidable of a rotation. Offensively, the Giants weren't that substantial last year, but they hit enough and had a knack for the timely hit. A lot of their success this year may fall on those timely hits again. The lineup should get stronger with C Buster Posey now having major league experience. It should be interesting to see if rookie 1B Brandon Belt can add a spark to the lineup and if not if OF Cody Ross can keep last year's postseason mojo flowing into the new season when he comes off the DL. This is an all-around good pitching team, including the bullpen, and the offense is improving, and adequate. Giants dominance could be becoming a trend in the NL West with that staff.
2. Colorado Rockies
Projected Record: 90-72
Synopsis: The Rockies are a young, and very talented team that just missed the playoffs last season after an uninspired first half. They grew a lot and I think are really poised to make some noise this season. SS Troy Tulowitzki and LF Carlos Gonzalez are potential MVP candidates not just this season but for years to come. They comprise the core of the team with SP Ubaldo Jimenez. The question is, do the Rockies have enough talent around these stars to really sustain themselves. I think they do. CF Dexter Fowler has a bright future and SP Jorge de la Rosa has quietly become a very solid pitcher. Closer Huston Street seems to be back. He threw well this spring. This team is a definite wildcard in more ways than one.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
Projected Record: 77-85
Synopsis: I think this team is a lot closer to success than most people do. The Diamondbacks have some serious talent. The bullpen is strong with JJ Putz as the anchor and they have a lot of young, live arms in their rotation ready to grow, with Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson leading the way. RF Justin Upton is an incredible talent and sky's the limit for him as a 5 tool player. The corner infield positions are definitely an achilles' heal for this team, with Melvin Mora at 3B and Juan Miranda at 1B. I expect a lot of growth from this D-Backs team this season, and expect them to fair decently.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
Projected Record: 74-88
Synopsis: I'm afraid the Dodgers are a team headed the wrong direction, and it starts at the top with their management that's in a petty family feud that I won't get further into. For being a big market with big money, the Dodgers don't have much to show for it. They're starting journeyman players at 3 positions, and currently only have a 4 man rotation due to early injuries. Those 4 are really solid though. What could keep the Dodgers competing is if they can keep their core pitching healthy (especially Hiroki Kuroda who's been banged up). This year is a big one for Clayton Kershaw, can he truly establish himself as an ace? Jonathon Broxton, Hong-Chi Kuo, and Matt Guerrier make for a good back end of a bullpen. I'm just afraid outside of RF Andre Ethier, the Dodgers just don't have the bats or depth to compete.
5. San Diego Padres
Projected Record: 65-97
Synopsis: What a difference a winter makes. The Padres have gone from leading the NL West, to losing it by 1 game, to trading their star 1B, too looking like a cellar dweller. There's simply not enough talent on this team to compete. 2B Orlando Hudson was the big signing of the offseason, hardly enough to replace 1B Adrian Gonzalez. If nothing else, the bullpen is still Class A+ with Heath Bell at the back. I just don't think the other pieces are in place for them to win games. Maybe if 1B Brad Hawpe can revive his career, or CF Cameron Maybin can finally find his stride at the major league level the Padres will have something to feel good about. Now though, I'm afraid they don't.
NL Central
1. Milwaukee Brewers
Projected Record: 90-72
Synopsis: The talented Brewers could be the beneficiaries of a division prime for the taking. If 2B Rickie Weeks is on, and RF Corey Hart is healthy, the Brewers may have the toughest 1-5 lineup in the game. They're also a deep team with a lot of talented role players and guys who know how to win. Add to that the fact they added SP Zack Greinke in the offseason to go with former ace Yovani Gallardo and they have a really well rounded team once Greinke gets off the DL. A major question is if John Axford can lock things down in the 9th for the Brewers, if not, Takashi Saito could probably take the reigns as closer and be successful. I think the Brewers have all the bases covered, health permitting, this is a very capable team.
2. Cincinnati Reds
Projected Record: 88-74
Synopsis: The Reds were last year's surprise NL Central winners, I think they fall just short this season. They do have a lot of young talent. CF Drew Stubbs is a potential 25-25 guy for a long time and they have the reigning NL MVP in 1B Joey Votto, who at 27, still has his prime ahead. The Reds just aren't entirely the complete team the Brewers are, they are depending a little too much on the fickle quality of youthful exuberance. Case and point is the starting rotation. There's no doubt they have a lot of talent on that rotation, but its young, inconsistent, and unproven. They need quality, healthy seasons from Edison Volquez and Johnny Cueto, and those have yet to really come. The Reds will be in a pennant race, but I think they fall short.
3. St. Louis Cardinals
Projected Record: 82-80
Synopsis: The Cardinals have fallen fast. They lost the division last season and took a major step back when they lost perennial Cy Young candidate, Adam Wainwright for the season. SP Chris Carpenter has been banged up too. How long can Jake Westbrook hold up? Was Jaime Garcia fools gold last season? The rotations got questions. Outside of the best player in the game in 1B Albert Pujols, LF Matt Holliday, and a budding talent in CF Colby Rasmus, the Cards don't have much of a lineup either. 3B Dave Freese could be an interesting player, but depending on Lance Berkman in RF is probably asking too much. The Cardinals are a good team, but not good enough.
4. Chicago Cubs
Projected Record: 75-87
Synopsis: The Cubs are another disappointing big market NL team. They've burned lots of money in bad places. SP Carlos Zambrano has been a major disappointment. Carlos Silva was an $11 million a year mistake that they've cut. They gave a lot of money this offseason to 1B Carlos Pena, who didn't even hit .200 last season. LF Alfonso Soriano was another mistake as he's come off as uninspired and unmotivated in Chicago. SP Matt Garza was a nice add, and I think Carlos Marmol, Kerry Wood, and Sean Marshall can sure up the bullpen. SS Starlin Castro is a raw talent who I don't think is ready. The Cubs only have pieces, and not enough of them to really be a factor.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
Projected Record: 72-90
Synopsis: The Pirates aren't ready yet, but they do have some very good young talent that could make them a problem for teams in the future. CF Andrew McCuthen is already a star. LF Jose Tabata, 3B Pedro Alvarez and 2B Neil Walker fill out the core. Those guys have a lot of talent, with more coming in the farm system. I don't think they have the pitching though. SP Kevin Correia was a good add this offseason, but not near enough to contend. If SP Charlie Morton can sort himself out, and Joel Hanrahan can step in as the closer, those components would be very encouraging. Pieces are in place, but the Pirates need a lot more pitching, and time to mature. If they get those elements, look out!
6. Houston Astros
Projected Record: 69-93
Synopsis: Some people feel decently about the Astros, I'm not one of them. Outside of the starting rotation, and RF Hunter Pence, I don't see much to get excited about. There's hardly any punch in the lineup outside of Pence. With LF Carlos Lee having major struggles last season, he could be on his last leg. They do have some interesting talents at SS and 1B in Angel Sanchez and Brett Wallace respectively, but they aren't near ready. Their hitting is more than likely an exercise in futility. The rotation can only keep them in so many games (I do want to see JA Happ for a full season though). Not much here to be excited for.
NL East
1. Philadelphia Phillies
Projected Record: 101-61
Synopsis: Here they are, the darlings of MLB prognosticators, and yes, I'm drinking the Kool-Aid on the Phillies. Point blank, Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, Hamels, and Blanton are a obscenely dominant starting 5. Yes, Chase Utley is hurt, and Jayson Werth is gone, but with that pitching, and stalwarts in 1B Ryan Howard, CF Shane Victorino, and a fresh SS Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies will still score runs. It'll be interesting to see which Raul Ibanez shows up this year. 3B Placido Polanco and C Carlos Ruiz are 2 very underrated players too that could help pick up the offensive slack this season. The bullpen is deep and solid too, even with Brad Lidge hurt, they're seasoned at coping without him by now anyway. I love the Phillies, they easily have a chance to win every night, and that's hard to accomplish.
2. Atlanta Braves
Projected Record: 87-75
Synopsis: The Braves are interesting. They got a mix of young talent and veterans. This could be a swing team in the sense that their question marks will dictate their season. A healthy and effective Chipper Jones would be a major step, an effective season out of LF Martin Prado, a bounce back season from CF Nate McLouth and a solid rookie campaign from 1B Freddie Freeman could put them in serious contention, I don't see all the parts working out though. The definite is that the Braves will pitch well, at least in the rotation. The bullpen still needs to sort itself out between Craig Kimbell and Jonny Venters. I will say this, I really like this team more if the Phillies don't exist, but since they do and the Braves play them 19 times, the Braves will feel the adverse effects.
3. Florida Marlins
Projected Record: 81-81
Synopsis: There's A LOT of young talent on this Marlins team, I don't even know where to begin. Simply put, every postion essentially has a young talented guy that could really step in and shine, I doubt they all will though, and really, they still have lumps to take as individuals and as a team. With that said, I do believe the the Marlins take major strides this season and could really be poised to compete in a year or 2. To put names to the youth movement, look no further than the outfield, with Logan Morrison, Chris Coghlan, and Mike Stanton from left to right. Maybe the Marlins have one of those unexpected Marlins championship runs one of these seasons? It could be on the horizon.
4. Washington Nationals
Projected Record: 71-91
Synopsis: This is the season the Nationals get out of the cellar. They have a solid heart of the order with 3B Ryan Zimmerman (a really well kept secret of a player), RF Jayson Werth, and 1B Adam LaRoche. They could really score runs if LaRoche is right. The problem is they need guys to get on at the top of the order too, and without Nyger Morgan, who is going to lead off? I do like SS Ian Desmond but he needs work as a young player. What will hold the Nationals really back is their pitching. They don't have much of it. One of these days, Livan Hernandez is just going to stop being effective, and you never know what you'll get from John Lannan. Everyone else is young and unproven. I do like the Nationals pen though. I just fear that lack of starting pitching and only being able to get solo homers will be the Nationals undoing.
5. New York Mets
Projected Record: 64-98
Synopsis: I feel nothing but struggles this season for the Mets. I've already mentioned their Johan Santana woes in another blog post. The Mets are just counting on too many undependable players. RF Carlos Beltran is hardly healthy, Jason Bay is already hurt with Santana. How long until SS Jose Reyes goes down? Brad Emaus is at 2B? I do hope for good things from young 1B Ike Davis. SP Mike Pelfrey could be a nice starter. I don't see much in the bullpen behind K-Rod, who could be unstable anyway. I just don't see it for the Mets, there's just way too much that could go wrong, and a lot of it already has. I'm afraid the Mets have to start with just damage control as it is.
What's the baseline?
NL West Champs: San Fransisco Giants
NL Central Champs: Milwaukee Brewers
NL East Champs: Philadelphia Phillies
NL Wildcard: Colorado Rockies
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