*Photo from Bleacher Nation*
The All star break is the unofficial midway point of the baseball season, but teams are nearing game 81, which is the actual halfway mark of the season, as teams play 162 games per year. With that in mind, let's take a quick look at how each team in the National League has done in the first half.
NL East:
Atlanta Braves(45-32, first in division)
*Photo from Talking Chop*
The defending NL East champions have surged back into the division lead thanks to contributions from young guns such as Ronald Acuna Jr, Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, Austin Riley, and older guys like Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis, and Josh Donaldson. They also just signed an upper tier starter in Dallas Keuchel. Mike Soroka has been otherworldy good as well.
Philadelphia Phillies(39-37, second in division)
*Photo from USA Today*
Bryce Harper has struggled out of the gates, hitting only .243 with 12 homers. They lost Andrew McCutchen to a season ending injury, and Aaron Nola isn't the same as he was last year. Jay Bruce, since being acquired, has been a godsend for Philly, raking at the plate. JT Realmuto has been amazing as well, Rhys Hoskins is maintaining form, and Scott Kingery is having a solid season. Zach Eflin has been a good pitcher as well.
Washington Nationals(37-39, 3rd in division)
*Photo from ABC30 Fresno*
Max Scherzer, Anthony Rendon, and Stephen Strasburg have been good as usual, and Howie Kendrick is having a resurgence at the dish, but by god their bullpen is terrible. They have a combined ERA of 6.20, and that includes Sean Doolittle's god-like season. The Nats are headed in the right direction, but maybe just trade for a brand new bullpen in July.
New York Mets(37-40, 4th in division)
*Photo from CBS Sports*
Rookie Pete Alonso has crushed everything in sight, which is helping to right this unsteady ship. Jacob Degrom has been good, but not great, Noah Syndergaard is injured again, and Edwin Diaz hasn't lived up to expectations. At least Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil have been all right when healthy.
Miami Marlins(29-46, last in division)
*Photo from Honolulu Star-Advertiser*
Ouch. This team is bad. Some of the young pitchers, like Pablo Lopez, Sandy Alcantara, Trevor Richards, and Caleb Smith have been alright, the bats have fallen ice cold. Former top prospect Lewis Brinson in particular has been awful(.190 batting average). At least Jordan Yamamoto has been great in the small time he has had in the majors.
NL Central:
Chicago Cubs(41-35, first in division)
*Photo from ESPN*
The Cubs slumped out of the gate, but have since heated up, heated up to the tune of the NL central lead. Kris Bryant is back to MVP form, and Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo have been steady bats in the middle of the order. Craig Kimbrel should patch up an uneven bullpen, and the rotation has been ok. Yu Darvish has at least started to look somewhat better.
Milwaukee Brewers(41-36, second in division)
*Photo from ESPN*
You know, if this team had some upper-echelon starters, the Brewers would be unstoppable. Christian Yelich looks to be a repeat MVP this year, hitting .345 with 27 homers. Jesus Aguilar has been quiet, as has Lorenzo Cain. The bullpen has been humming along as usual, but a couple good starters could put Milwaukee over the top.
St.Louis Cardinals(40-36, 3rd in division)
*Photo from the New York Post*
The Cardinals have been mediocre to start. Paul Goldschmidt hasn't given them much, Matt Carpenter has struggled, and John Gant is the only pitcher who has found a groove. If Paul DeJong and Marcell Ozuna weren't here, they wouldn't be clinging to a winning record. At least the Blues won the stanley cup?
Cincinnati Reds(36-39, 4th in division)
*Photo from the Cincinnati Enquirer*
They have a plus 40 run differential, but they somehow have a losing record. They play in a hitters' haven, but Sonny Gray, Tanner Roark, and Luis Castillo have all been good this season, and the rotation as a whole has a 3.53 ERA. Joey Votto seems to be declining, but Derek Dietrich has had a good season and Nick Senzel is a nice glimpse of the future.
Pittsburgh Pirates(35-40, last in division)
*Photo from Bucs Dugout*
Josh Bell and rookie Bryan Reynolds have been the only bright spots here. Bell is an all star favorite after having an amazing May, but nothing else is good. Jameson Taillon is still hurt, the Chris Archer deal is looking like more of a bust everyday(especially since they gave up two top prospects to get him), and Gregory Polanco continues to underperform. At least you'll get top draft picks in the years to come?
NL West:
Los Angeles Dodgers(53-25, first in division)
*Photo from the Los Angeles Times*
The Dodgers have barely broken a sweat this season, considering they are ahead by over 10 games in the NL West. Cody Bellinger is an MVP candidate, and Hyun-Jin Ryu, Clayton Kershaw, and Walker Buehler are leading the rotation. Cory Seager was looking good until he got hurt again, and Matt Beaty seems to like hitting walkoff bombs.
Colorado Rockies(40-36, second in division)
*Photo from NBC Sports*
The Rockies are red hot right now. Nolan Arenado has hit better away from the hitter heaven known as Coors Field, Charlie Blackmon is on a tear, and Trevor Story and David Dahl have been solid as well. Pitching will always be a problem, considering where the Rockies play, but the rotation has been up to the task this season, led by German Marquez. The bullpen also hasn't been awful. I think they can make a playoff run if they add a few more pieces at the deadline.
San Diego Padres(38-39, 3rd in division)
*Photo from Daily Republic*
Fernando Tatis Jr and Chris Paddack have been dominant from the minors this year, and Manny Machado has been solid at third base. Franmil Reyes and Hunter Renfroe have also been good for the Padres, and we can't forget Eric Hosmer. They may miss the playoffs this year, but this could be the calm before the storm. 2020 could bring something special.
Arizona Diamondbacks(38-40, 4th in division)
*Photo from Venom Strikes*
Zack Greinke has been amazing this season, and could be quite the trade chip. Ketel Marte has blossomed into an all star, and Eduardo Escobar has combined with Marte to hit 37 homers and 108 RBI. They need more prospects and some depth if they are to succeed now and later.
San Francisco Giants(33-42, last in division)
*Photo from SFGate*
The only thing that currently matters out in San Fran is where Madison Bumgarner will be playing at the end of July. He is one of the few valuable trade chips they have, and they really need to get younger. Brandon Crawford has been disappointing, and there's nothing to look forward to here. At least it can't get much worse.
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