With almost a month of the young season finished, we continue to preview the MLB with a look at the National League Central.
Last year's NL Central champs, the Chicago Cubs, have the most talent in their division. The Cubs have a strong lineup, which includes Alfonso Soriano, Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. Behind the plate they have Rookie of the Year winner Geovanny Soto.
Carlos Zambrano continues to front the Cubs pitching staff. Following Zambrano will be Rich Harden, Ted Lilly and Ryan Dempster. The Cubs' bullpen has some flamethrowers with Carlos Marmol and former Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija. The Cubs clearly have the most talent in the Central and are likely candidates to continue their success.
The Milwaukee Brewers were able to fight their way into the playoffs last year thanks mostly to CC Sabathia's stellar pitching. Sabathia has left for the Yankees and left the Brewers without an ace. The Brewers also lost pitcher Ben Sheets who became a free agent. The Brew-Crew should be worried about having Jeff Suppan towards the top of their rotation.
Even though the Brewers lost their best arms, they still have some heavy hitters in the lineup. Prince Fielder returns to cover first base and brings his powerful bat to the Milwaukee lineup. Outfielder Ryan Braun has developed into one of the most feared hitters in the National League. Last season Braun hit 37 home runs and drove in 106 RBI. The Brewers left fielder should have the same type of year this season. Even with the power, the lineup may not be enough to get the Brewers back into playoffs this season.
The Houston Astros have also lost their top arms. There is only one real starter on the rubber and that is Roy Oswalt. The often-injured Mike Hampton has rejoined the Houston pitching staff, but history has shown he has difficulty sticking around. Houston fans should also be a bit worried about pitcher Wandy Rodriguez, who has a losing record from the rubber.
Like the Brewers, the Astros have a lineup with some power. Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee provide most of the teams extra base hitting. The Astros also have young center fielder, Hunter Pence who has the ability to hit for some power and steal a few bases as well. Miguel Tejada, the Astros' shortstop, does not have the power he used to, but he can still hit about 15 homers this season.
No team depends on one player more than the St. Louis Cardinals rely on Albert Pujols. The Cardinals' first baseman has established himself as the best hitter in the game today. Pujols is guaranteed to hit 35 home runs and 100 RBIs every year. Besides Pujols, the Cardinals have a pretty solid offense, which includes a fairly powerful outfield that includes Rick Ankiel, Chris Duncan and All-Star Ryan Ludwick.
The pitching staff may be the one thing that keeps the Cards from passing the Cubs in the Central. Adam Wainwright, who appears to be a great talent, leads the staff. After him, there are some questionable starters. Joel Pineiro has been a mediocre starter for most of his career, as has righty Kyle Lohse. If those two starters can put it some good numbers, the Cubs may be dethroned.
The Cincinnati Reds may be the one team that can have a Tampa Bay Rays-esque year. They are a young and talented team, but they don't have the athleticism the Rays displayed. The Reds pitching staff is packed with talent. The staff ace is Aaron Harang, who has great stuff even though he lost 17 games last year. Behind Harang are a couple of future stars in Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto. They both have the stuff to eventually be at the top of the rotation.
The Reds also have several young and talented position players. Jay Bruce, Joe Votto, Brandon Phillips and Edwin Encarnacion are all future All Stars. If the Reds are able to realize their talent, they can give the veterans over in Chicago and St. Louis a run for their money. They may be a year away from challenging Chicago, but that's what many people thought of the Rays last year.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are the only team left in the central and they won't be winning anytime soon. They have some young players who will lead them to the playoffs a few years down the road. Outfielder Nate McClouth is their offensive leader, even though he is just 27-years-old. They also have pitcher Zach Duke who has displayed some talent. Some of their best players may still not be Major League ready though. On the bright side, they have talented outfielder Jose Tabata in the minors and pitcher Ross Ohlendorf, who has made the team but still has to prove he belongs. It may be a few more years until the Pirates can think about October baseball.
From the top of the Central to the bottom, each team has its strengths and weaknesses. The Cubs will continue to be the front-runners, but they still have problems winning in the postseason. If the Central continues to trend upwards they could soon be a division to be reckoned with.
NL Central Champions: Chicago Cubs
You can reach this staff writer at slindauer@theeagleonline.com.
