NL Playoff Teams

I know we are only in the beginning of August, but there are a lot of teams in the hunt to make the playoffs. I think that its a good time to discuss potential NL playoff teams that can possibly create some havoc for the 2 frontrunners in the Phils and Dodgers. There is a lot of good pitching in the NL this year, and everyone knows that you need the pitching to make a run at the World Series. There are a lot of really good one - two punches at the top of rotations this year

San Francisco

Nobody thought that they would even be in discussion to make the playoffs, but here they are with two of the best pitchers in baseball at the top of their rotation, and the best home record in the majors. Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are almost unhittable this year. With the two of them at the top of the rotation in a 5 game divisional series could make this team dangerous. There downside is that they have one of the worst offenses in baseball. San Fran misses out on the wild card due to the lack of offense.

St. Louis

Another team that had a lot of question marks coming into the season. No one knew how Carpenter would turn out this year. There was talk of putting him in the bull pen to try and save his arm. Well he has proved everyone that he is still capable of pitching in the bigs. Carpenter and Wainwright have been lights out at the top of that rotation. The Cardinals unlike the Giants have made some big moves at the deadline acquiring DeRosa and Holliday to protect Albert. The Cards win the wild card and go on to beat the Dodgers in the NLDS.

Colorado

Where did this team come from? What happened to Jason Marquis? This team reminds me a lot of the team that beat the Phils two years ago. They can hit and they have a pretty solid top of the rotation in Marquis and Jimenez. There offense is headlined by Hawpe and Helton. They are a good young team for the most part, but I think that their youth will show down the stretch, and they will lose out on the Wild Card.

Chicago

I know that this is a stretch, but I can see the Cubs winning the NL Central. Lilly and Dempster are getting healthy again, and Harden is getting better with each outing. They will hold off the Cardinals in the end, and then get swept for the second straight year by the Phils. There offense cannot find it and Milton Bradley is not the player that Lou thought he was last year.

Florida

Florida will do what they do every year. They will make a run and then fall out if it come September. They have a pretty good staff with Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco at the top, but their inability to play defense will haunt them. There bull pen is suspect with Lindstrom coming back, and Nunez has proved that he is just an ok reliever. Nick Johnson was a nice pick up for them, but he lacks the power that they are looking for to hit in the middle of that lineup.

Phils vs. Cards in the NLCS