On opening day I predicted the division winners in the American League. Today, it’s time for the National League.
National League East
- Atlanta
- Philadelphia
- New York
- Miami
- Washington
Atlanta should win the division for the seventh consecutive year. This should be their third consecutive 100-win season. Their offense is the best in baseball. Their bullpen should be the best it has been during this run of success. Chris Sale won’t pitch 200 innings, but he will make a big difference.
Philadelphia will win more than 90 games and take a wildcard spot. Their offense is very good. Their starting rotation is very good. On paper, their bullpen looks very good, but I don’t see it working out that way.
New York will finish in third place, but they may not finish at .500. They simply don’t have enough pitching to compete this year.
If their pitching was healthy, I would have picked Miami to finish third. But with all those injuries, I just don’t see it happening.
Washington is rebuilding. They will finish last and be well under .500.
National League West
- Los Angeles
- San Diego
- Arizona
- San Francisco
- Colorado
Los Angeles will win the NL West again. They will also win over 100 games again. But I don’t think they have the starting pitching to find the playoff success they hope to find.
Picking San Diego to finish second may seem strange. But they still have a good pitching staff. Moving Kim to short will greatly improve their defense. For some reason, I get a different feeling about the Padres than I had last year.
Arizona will finish third. They don’t have enough offense. I don’t think their bullpen is strong enough. Their rotation, if healthy, is better than last year’s. But Rodriguez is already hurt and Montgomery just signed. I don’t see the snakes finishing higher than third, but they could get a wildcard.
San Francisco is trying. It’s just not working. They will have a weak offense. Their bullpen won’t be that strong. I don’t think they will play good defense, but Chapman is a big improvement.
Colorado is going to finish in last place. They will be well under .500.
National League Central
- Chicago
- ST Louis
- Milwaukee
- Cincinnati
- Pittsburgh
The National League Central is the second worst division in baseball. The division could easily be won by a team that doesn’t win 90 games. I’m picking the Cubs to win, but any team in the division could win it.</[p>
St Louis should be better than the team that finished last a year ago. But the veteran starters they added, while good enough to make the team more competitive, aren’t good enough to help the team win anything.
Even though they traded their ace and lost their manager to the Cubs, I think Milwaukee will find a way to finish third. Their pitching should still be good. Their defense should be good. Their lineup could be better than last year’s lineup.
Cincinnati has lots of impressive talent in its lineup. They will score some runs and will be exciting to watch. Their pitching isn’t good enough. Their defense isn’t good enough.
Pittsburgh is improving. While I expect a last place finish, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did better than that. I’m predicting a last place finish, because I don’t think there is enough pitching for more. Also, the right move would be to trade veterans as the season winds down.
Wildcard Winners
- Philadelphia
- San Diego
- Arizona