National League Preview: 1-16

By Matt Smith

1. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies are clearly the class of the National League, point blank, period. They feature a starting rotation with three dominant starters in Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Roy Oswalt, and two reliable starters in Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton. The lineup is incredibly balanced; sluggers Ryan Howard and Chase Utley will surely have opportunities for plenty of RBI’s with Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, and Jimmy Rollins setting the table. The bullpen could be this team’s Achilles’ heel, but expect the Phillies to near the hundred win mark.

2. Atlanta Braves

The Phillies have received all of the attention this offseason, but the Braves will surely make noise in the NL East. The Braves have no shortage of pop in their lineup as Atlanta mainstays Chipper Jones and Brian McCann will provide veteran leadership for players such as sophomore sensation Jason Heyward. If their aging bullpen can perform at a high level, expect starting pitchers one through four and a potent lineup to carry the Braves to at least a playoff berth.

3. San Francisco Giants

The Giants are the best team in a division that has become surprisingly competitive over the past few years. Workhorses Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain head a strong rotation that carried them to the championship in 2010. Brian Wilson anchors a superb bullpen for San Fran, who will have to have another strong campaign to hold off the youthful teams in their division. Phenom Buster Posey heads an offensive attack that’ll be just strong enough to support the Giants into the postseason.

4. Colorado Rockies

The Rockies are a strong, young team that will take the National League by storm this year. Their frontline pitching and bullpen are exceptional, but their four and five starters will hinder them throughout the season. Traditionally, the Rockies have been strong offensively, and this year is no exception as they possess two legitimate MVP candidates in Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez.

5. Milwaukee Brewers

There has been a power shift in the National League as the Cardinals have relinquished their stranglehold on first place in the division. The Brewers can HIT, they had five players (Weeks, Fielder, Braun, McGehee, Hart) hit over twenty home runs last year and Prince Fielder is in the midst of a contract year. The emergence of closer John “The Axe Man” Axford along with the acquisition of starters Zack Greinke and Shawn Marcum should make the Brew Crew reliable on the bump as well, making them a force in the NL Central in 2011.

                                                       6. Cincinnati Reds

They are certainly no “Big Red Machine”, but the 2011 Reds are definitely playoff contenders. Cincinnati features three young, effective starters in Edison Volquez, Mike Leake, and Jonny Cueto, but lack a consistent bullpen. NL MVP Joey Votto will attempt to re-enact last season in which he hit .324 with 37 bombs and 113 RBI’s. He will not be alone however, as reliable hitters Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce will assist in the Offensive assault. Look for the athletic Drew Stubbs to be the X-factor for the Reds this year.

7. Los Angeles Dodgers

After the Reds, there is a significant drop off in the National League as the Dodgers simply lack the talent to make a significant playoff run. Clayton Kershaw is a developing superstar but he’ll have to carry an aging rotation and an ineffective bullpen for the Dodgers to keep runs at a minimum. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp have seemingly limitless talent but L.A. has a gaping hole at Catcher and lack overall power. They finished 27^th in homeruns last year and figure to finish similarly this year in the power standings. Look for a .500 season in a tough NL West for the Dodgers this year.

8. St. Louis Cardinals

This may be shocking to see the Cardinals this low in the standings but keep in mind this was written after Adam Wainwright’s injury. If the injury plagued Chris Carpenter goes down again, the Red Birds could spiral out of control. If not expect him and 2010 surprise Jaime Garcia to keep the Cards competitive with assistance from a strong bullpen. If Lance Berkman can find his old form they will have a potential murderer’s row in perennial MVP candidate Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, and of course Berkman.

9. Florida Marlins

Take note everyone, the Marlins are at it again. The historically frugal Marlins have stockpiled young talent once more and are poised for a playoff run. Offensively they have three superior talents in the 2009 Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan, the multi-talented shortstop Hanley Ramirez, and the highly touted Mike Stanton. The Marlins have improved their bullpen with the addition of Edward Mujica and Ryan Webb in the Cameron Maybin trade, and the starting rotation will be solid if young guns Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez continue improving.

10. San Diego Padres

Guess what everybody? This year, the Padres will not be able to hit at all but will pitch with the best of them. They’ve added Chad Qualls to the strongest bullpen in the big leagues and have a rotation that is strong at the front (Mat Latos, Clayton Richard) but weak towards the end (Stauffer, Leubke/LeBlanc). With the departure of Adrian Gonzalez they will need to play small ball in a field that is conducive to such a style. Expect a competitive team in the Padres, who will likely thrive at home, but struggle on the road.

11. Chicago Cubs

Oh dear, I admire the Chicago faithful, but there is little hope for the Cubbies to break the curse of the Billy Goat this year. The bullpen is horrendous (29^th in 2010), but the rotation could be a strength if import Matt Garza can make an impact and veterans Carlos Silva and Ryan Dempster mirror their ’10 seasons. The offense will likely struggle as the lineup is loaded with washed up talent (Carlos Pena, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome), but at least they’re well paid! Starlin Castro is an emerging star, but the Cubs will not factor into the 2011 race.

12. New York Mets

Make no mistake about it, this New York Mets ball club still has plenty of talent, and is more than capable of finishing with a winning record. Ike Davis is emerging as a middle of the order threat and David Wright is a steady third baseman, offensively and defensively. If by some miracle Carlos Beltran and speedster Jose Reyes can remain healthy, this could be a potentially explosive lineup with plenty of speed. The injury woes are not limited to the offense however, as the Mets will need Johan Santana and Chris Young to regain their pre-injury all star forms to make New York a formidable team in the NL East. The Metropolitans have talent in the rotation, in the pen, and in the dugout, but injuries and off the field mishaps may cost them a chance at the playoffs.

13. Washington Nationals

There is no grand mystery as to why the Nats continue to struggle. They simply lack top flight starters that can hand the game over to what is a highly underrated bullpen that features rising closer Drew Storen. The starting rotation is devoid of anything resembling an ace, but John Lannan, Livan Hernandez, Jason Marquis, Tom Gorzelanny, and Jordan Zimmerman, who is coming of Tommy John surgery, have the potential of being an average staff. The loss of Adam Dunn will no doubt hurt the Nationals, but adding Jayson Werth to a team already with star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman will make the Nationals strong at the plate. Expect Washington to be buried in a tough NL East, but this is a team heading in the right direction.

14. Houston Astros

Offensively, this team is horrid. Carlos Lee is still a source of big time power and Hunter Pence is a superb, overlooked outfielder, but the lineup as a whole is weak. The loss of Roy Oswalt last year leaves Houston without an ace, but the additions of Brett Myers and J.A. Happ will ease the pain of his absence. Expect the ‘Stros to lose many close games this year as their bullpen lacks depth and closer Brandon Lyons does not seem like a long term option finishing games. This team is simply undermanned and will not factor into the NL Central divisional race.

15. Pittsburgh Pirates

First things first, this team in all likelihood, will end up with another losing season. But all is not lost in the Steel City. Pedro Alvarez, Jose Tabata and Andrew McCutcheon are special talents and if the Pirates can retain them, should produce for years to come. Garrett Jones adds power to the mix and the additions of Lyle Overbay and Matt Diaz could help make Pittsburgh a decent offensive club. However, increased offensive production will only go so far as the Pirates, who finished with a team ERA of an astounding 5.00 last year, will not keep opposing teams off the board. The addition of Kevin Correia will help them somewhat, but expect the Pirates to get shelled regularly, and make a run at 100 losses.

16. Arizona Diamondbacks

Many may be surprised to see the D-backs as the absolute worst team in the National League, but they have a GLARING weakness. This team has one of the worst bullpens ever assembled (5.74 ERA in 2010) and their starting rotation was nothing to write home about either (4.39 ERA in 2010). Couple that with the loss of Adam LaRoche and Mark Reynolds and you have a team in a high state of disrepair. Justin Upton is a five tool stud, but Arizona has very little talent, and very little chance of climbing out of the National League West cellar.