Mid-Season MLB Report Card: NL Central

The NL Central is a done deal as I write this post. The St. Louis Cardinals have dominated to this point and will continue to do so until the end of the season. There is no question in my mind that they are the frontrunners in contention for a World Series ring and can only improve upon their dismal performance in last year's Classic. The Cubs need Nomar Garciaparra to be anything better than average, and they don't even have him healthy. Their pitching health remains questionable and the only reason they have more wins than losses is because of Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. The Astros have surged back into familiar territory, doing the same thing they did last year: falling way below .500, then catching fire and speeding past the traffic in the bottom of the NL Central. The Milwaukee Brewers have pitched their way to a respectable record, just a few games below .500, but are not threatening anyone at this point. And the poor Reds and Pirates are feeding from the same tube, trying to fill up on wins, and avoid choking down losses and sitting in the basement.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Redbirds have one of the top three hitters in the league in Albert Pujols, the best 2-5 stretch of hitters in the league, and a good pitching rotation from 1 to 5. Right now, the only team capable of playing with them come October, in my opinion, would be the Red Sox. I can't say enough how dominant Pujols has been these past few years, and mixed in with Edmonds, Walker, Rolen, Reggie Sanders, and now a dynamic middle infield hitting duo of Grudzielanek and David Eckstein, the Cards just hit and hit and hit again. I see their offense keeping pace and hitting with the best of 'em. Don't expect this team to slow down as long as they are healthy.

The pitching staff carries five very good starters. Chris Carpenter's stats blow my mind, Matt Morris has been effective yet again, and Mulder, Suppan, and Marquis all hold down prominent roles at the end of the rotation. Julian Tavarez, Al Reyes, Ray King, and Jason Isringhausen make the Cards' bullpen great. They have quality pitching from start to finish, and will finish with Major League Baseball's best record as a result.
Final Season Record: 106-56; 1st place in the NL Central

Houston Astros: Winning regularly since the beginning of July, the Astros find themselves smack dab in the middle of a Wild Card race in which they are dangerous contenders. I say Wild Card because I think the division is decided already, barring any tragic slew of injuries that sends the Cardinals into a downward spiral only a Ronald Reagan-budget could compare to. Morgan Ensberg has put together an unexpected but solid run thus far, Willy Tavares has proven to be a great addition, and Lance Berkman has already impacted the team since his return. The Astros offense is fueled by those three, with Craig Biggio also featured prominently. This team should be tough to put out down the stretch, and the rest of their hitters will improve now that Berkman is back in the middle of the lineup.

Pitching is a strong point for the Astros. Soon-to-be 43-year-old Roger Clemens pitches so well for his team that it's hard to believe that he has any losses. With a WHIP of 0.96 and 123 strikeouts in 135 innings, the Rocket has neatly placed himself amongst the Goliaths of the game. Roy Oswalt continues to prove his excellence on the mound, hurling himself to a 1.08 WHIP, and limiting hitters to only 29 walks through 149 2/3 innings. Andy Pettitte has made a nice return to the rotation, pitching well and feeling good, and Brandon Backe has proven to be a very solid fourth starter. If only the 'Stros had a fifth starter... Anyway, the bullpen looks good only when Chad Qualls, Dan Wheeler, or Brad Lidge are on the mound, otherwise, they need a little help. The bullpen is not a big enough problem to hurt the Astros as the season progresses, however, and I see them continuing their winning ways.
Final Season Record: 90-72; 2nd place NL Central

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs just aren't good. They have great names, but none of them play. Greg Maddux and Carlos Zambrano have anchored the staff all year, and the recent return of Mark Prior will hopefully help them to improve. Kerry Wood decided not to show up for the 2005 season, never really being healthy, ever. Jerome Williams is a nice addition to the rotation, and Glendon Rusch and Ryan Dempster have been quality in spot starts and relief roles. Sergio Mitre isn't capable of handling the innings he's been throwing, Mike Wuertz has been mediocre at best, and the Cubs just don't have a closer. I don't think the closer position is really as important as "insiders" say they are, so the Cubs should be more focused on ratcheting up the roster positions held by relievers that come in with men on base in the middle to late innings.

Derrek Lee has been a great player all season. He is the man in Chicago. Aramis Ramirez is turning into the beast everyone thought he'd become, and only shows signs of improving. Todd Walker's return will only help the team, as I have always been a fan of Todd, and know he is capable of producing in the batter's box. Jeremy Burnitz has been a nice addition to the team as well. That being said, the Cubs really only feature four good hitters. I don't like the rest of the lineup, and they can't win with them. Poor Corey Patterson just hasn't had a season to remember, and without him producing the way he can, the Cubs definitely feel a void. I just don't think this team is healthy or good enough to win too many games.
Final Season Record: 84-78; 3rd place in NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers: You have to love Brady Clark, Geoff Jenkins, and Lyle Overbay, and their wonderful OBPs. Carlos Lee started off hot, but has really faltered lately. The Brew Crew seem to be maybe one or two bona fide bats away from being a solid hitting club. When you combine that with their pitching, they will be good in the future, I guarantee it. Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder are young, hot prospects that are going to produce and score for the Brewers for years to come, granted the Brewers front office can hold on to them. Lyle Overbay, if he stays, will continue to be a strong presence in the middle of the lineup. I like this lineup in 2006 and even better in 2007.

The Brewers have a great pitching staff, plain and simple. They have low WHIPs and a low amount of walks. These guys get it done, night in and night out. Ben Sheets will hopefully return to normal now that he has recovered from that awful inner ear infection. I love Doug Davis' stuff; mix in Victor Santos and Chris Capuano and this club has four very good starters. Matt Wise and Derek Turnbow are beasts out of the bullpen, delivering the goods every night. Julio Santana has proven to be a quality guy in the middle and late innings, so that's three good relievers that the Brewers can use. Hopefully they can mold some more of their young up-and-comers into crafty starters and relievers to fill out the staff. Again, this team is going to be good no later than 2008, I guarantee it.
Final Season Record: 77-85; 4th place in the NL Central

Cincinnati Reds: Dear Eric Milton, STOP THROWING MEATBALLS! The pitching of the Reds rotation boggles the mind of any fan, let alone a 19-year-old kid like myself. These guys just don't pitch well. With the exception of Aaron Harang's great season thus far, and a very mediocre Brandon Claussen, the Reds starting staff is just plain bad. Paul Wilson has murdered my friend Alex's fantasy team, bringing a slovenly 1.83 WHIP, while lasting only 84 to 85 pitches per game. At least Ramon Ortiz has been ordinary at best (pause for laughter). Eric Milton, as mentioned previously, has recently applied for a chef job at the Olive Garden, so he can earn his keep serving up meatballs in a more accepting environment. The bullpen, anchored by Kent Mercker, Dave Weathers, and Matt Belisle (pause for laughter, again), is really just not even mediocre. The Reds are not going to win any 3 to 2 games.

The Reds' lineup features several quality young hitters. I love Sean Casey, Felipe Lopez, Ryan Freel, and Adam Dunn. Why, you might ask? Because they get on base! It's a shame that Joe Randa has parted ways, because he is another strong OBP producer. Everyone always complains about Adam Dunn's strikeouts, but when you look elsewhere in his stat column, you see 71 walks in 317 at bats, you see 27 homers, and you see a thrilling 4.27 pitches seen per at bat. I like Adam Dunn because he studies pitchers, takes pitches, and doesn't huff and puff like Barry Bonds when he gets walked. If only the Reds could pitch as well as they get on base. Notice that I didn't say "as well as they hit," for all you youngsters out there.
Final Season Record: 64-98; an awful last place in the NL Central

Pittsburgh Pirates: As much as I love the Bucs, they are just not good this year, or mediocre for that matter. The Bucs have a lineup that features a very good young player by the name of Jason Bay. Jason Bay is blossoming into one of the finer young players around, and it will be interesting to see if the Pirates can hold onto him after his contract runs out, and his value rises. Matt Lawton's $7.75-million contract needs to leave, and the Pirates need to find a cheaper, better replacement for him, which won't be very hard. Rob Mackowiak has turned in some solid performances, along with Humberto Cota, Jose Castillo, Freddy Sanchez, and Bobby Hill. I think the talent is definitely there, if Jack Wilson shows everyone that this season is an aberration from the norm, and Jason Bay sticks around, the Pirates will be good again. The Pirates have some good, young talent, so it'll be interesting to watch them play and see how things turn out.

Oliver Perez has been very disappointing this season. A 1.64 WHIP and a poor strikeout count has left many in Pittsburgh wondering what happened to the once promising young Mexican. Zach Duke has torched the Majors since his promotion, and he looks like a major horse that the Bucs can count on. I think Josh Fogg and Dave Williams are good middle rotation guys that will be solid for a few years. The Pirates need to keep either Mark Redman or Kip Wells, because those two are the veterans that the younger starters need to learn from in order to succeed. If they can hold onto Rick White, Mike Gonzalez, Solomon Torres, and Brian Meadows, the Bucs will have a good bullpen to draw from. Jose Mesa has been nothing short of precisely what the doctor ordered in Pittsburgh, but he is rumored to be on the way out, so the Bucs will only be able to reap the benefits of his presence for a little while longer. This team can be good, they just need the right pieces, and to stop relying on Daryle Ward for power.
Final Season Record: 71-91; 5th place in the NL Central

The St. Louis Cardinals are the team to beat, not only this division, but in the National League. They are the cream of the crop, and will continue to deliver the goods come October. I am predicting that they will win the 2005 World Series, and it's only July, that's how good they are. The Astros might sneak up and win the Wild Card. I think they will stick around and get hot just like last year, and finish strong in second. The Cubs need a new trainer or something, because right now, they are dropping like flies, and it seems like an annual story. Maybe the curse is real. All I know is, the Cubs aren't going anywhere fast, and Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez are definitely not to blame for it. The Brew Crew and Pirates are going to be good in 2007 and probably after that as well. As long as these two smaller market teams can afford their young stars, they will find themselves in the thick of things for years to come. The Reds are the Reds, what else can I say? In order to give this post the proper finishing, I have to mention that Eric Milton is awful.