The American League has been forecasted, but who do the experts think will head to the playoffs from the National League? Their answers will surprise you!
Peter
NL East
Projected Standings:
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Montreal Expos
3. Atlanta Braves
4. Miami Marlins
5. New York Mets
The Phillies are poised to dominant the competition in the National League and obtain the #1 seed in the post-season. However, the NL East will put up a fierce fight and they might not run away with it like many think. The Expos are set to take second and will be the best challenger to Philadelphia's supremacy. Behind good pitching and an explosive offense, the Expos will hang around into the final series of the year, inevitably falling short. The Braves won't be far behind them, but in a division stacked with great pitchers, their staff just won't hack it. I'm really tempted to call the Marlins finishing higher, as I love their line-up flexibility and mixture of power with speed. However, the back end of the rotation and bullpen are just too weak to keep them in contention, but they could begin the year hot. The Mets are my surprise last place team, despite a talented roster. Simply put, they're a team that depends on small ball, difficult in a division filled with ace pitchers that make stringing together a few hits in a row nearly impossible and strong armed catchers that'll limit stealing.
NL Central
Projected Standings:
1. Cincinnati Reds
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Chicago Cubs
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
A really difficult decision to predict, the Reds emerge as my favorite behind a balanced lineup led by Joey Votto, Barry Larkin, and Ken Griffey Jr. I love Vaughn and Bruce in the 6th and 7th slots, but more importantly believe that Denny Neagle will prove a valuable asset as the 4th starter. The Cards and Brewers will be close behind, both hanging in until the final few series and contending for the wild card until the bitter end. While I think they both miss out, expect them to finish over .500. As for the Cubs and Pirates, I see losing seasons, despite bright spots on both teams. However, their opposition is just too talented, forcing them into the cellar for at least one more season.
NL West
Projected Standings:
1. Arizona Diamondbacks
2. Los Angeles Dodgers*
3. San Francisco Giants
4. San Diego Padres
5. Colorado Rockies
The NL West will have the tightest three team race and I see the winner of the division emerging only in the final series of the season. The D-Backs are my favorite, with the deepest lineup in baseball (an OB10 as the 9th hitter!) and three tier 2 starters, followed closely by the big spending Dodgers and pitching power Giants. The Dodgers are the weakest of the three right now, but since they're already over the cap, I see them shelling out for a marque free agent like Bernie Williams, Bobby Abreau, or Erubiel Durazo to push them into the playoffs. Whoever ends in second place will get the wild card, as all three teams should gang up on the Padres and Rockies. They're the two weakest teams in NL in my opinion, although a few additions to the pitching staff could make Colorado passable. However, they currently stand as horrendous due to the worst assembly of pitchers in MLB Showdown history, dooming them to a last place finish.
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