


by Tom Weppel
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
With about thirty games left in the Major League Baseball season, it is blatantly clear the Philadelphia Phillies are the class of the National League…and certainly the favorites to win the NL pennant and even the World Series.
The Philadelphia baseball fans are in heaven!
The numbers the Phils have produced have them ranked strongly in a number of categories. Their main asset, above and beyond all others, is their pitching staff, without question. They hold the lowest team ERA in MLB, and we all know that pitching is so vitally important to winning in this game. The Phillies have a fabulous rotation, led by Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and the rookie Vance Worley. Even Roy Oswalt will be an important cog to this group. Their starters lead the League in most complete games (15) and shutouts (16) going into this week! They also are tops in least number of wild pitches (16).
Meanwhile, their lineup has produced needed runs. They have six starters with double-digit home run totals. And while they’re only in the middle of the pack in NL batting average, they have guys like Ryan Howard and now Hunter Pence, who they just got from the Astros, to provide the power.
And their defense is the best in the National League, as they have the fewest errors (54) in the League.
They are a fun team to watch…certainly entertaining…and so you can certainly consider the Phillies the clear favorite in the National League.
Right behind them, though are the Atlanta Braves. The reason why I even mention them is because the Braves are themselves having a pretty decent season and will certainly snag the wildcard slot in the NL when the playoffs begin.
If they were in the NL West right now, they would be on top and rolling, easily. Their record matches up right with the Milwaukee Brewers, whom are receiving all kinds of accolades for their play as late. The Braves themselves have a solid starting pitching rotation that have given some good performances. Their hitting has also been strong, especially the last month or so, thanks to 2B Dan Uggla, who had a 30+ game hitting streak, and now has hit 30+ home runs!
And so we shall see what these two clubs do, especially in the next month, heading into the playoffs. Look for the Braves and Phillies to be your two faves in the NL…
In the American League, the Tigers are looking good in the Central, and the Rangers are battling the Angels out West. But any talk about who the favorites are always tends to go to the East, where the Yankees and Red Sox roost! Both clubs have built powerhouse lineups that consistently produce runs. Boston leads the AL in batting average and total bases, led by Adrian Gonzales (.343), while New York is on top in home runs and RBI! Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira both have 30+ homers. They both have done a solid hitting to fuel good seasons, as witnessed.
Both clubs have done a decent job with their pitching as well, although there are some chinks in the armor of their respective rotations.
With New York, all the chatter revolves around A.J. Burnett, who continues to struggle in his outings. Burnett holds an ERA just under 5.00, which is not good at all. We shall see what he does in his last few starts. It might mean he ends up in a relief role for the Yanks, which I’m sure he won’t be interested in.
With Boston, you can look at Jon Lackey, who has an ERA over 6.00! That is not good at all! Tim Wakefield has also struggled recently. Boston will need three and maybe even four quality starters to fuel their rotation as they get closer to their playoff preparation. They need a third, after Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.
Nonetheless, you can consider both the Yankees and Sox formidable players, and playoff-ready come October. One will win the East, while the other will be the AL wild card. Should be fun watching the battle down the stretch!
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