Sizing up the NL Central
No team has a bigger lead in its Major League Baseball division than the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals, who are the best team in the sport with a 50-24 mark, are eight games better than the Pittsburgh Pirates. It has been a tremendous run by St. Louis, which seemed dead in the water when ace Adam Wainwright tore his Achilles tendon at Milwaukee in April.
The Cardinals are a juggernaut at the moment, both on the mound and in the box. St. Louis is sporting a +95 run differential, easily tops in baseball. The Cardinals are led by the contributions of veteran shortstop Jhonny Peralta and third baseman Matt Carpenter. The left side of the infield has been superb, with Peralta leading St. Louis at a .300 average with 11 home runs and 40 RBI. Carpenter has a .378 on-base percentage and eight homers, along with 39 walks against 59 strikeouts.
Typically, the rotation has been sublime with Michael Wacha showing he can be the next great pitcher in a long line under the Arch. Wacha has 10 wins already and a 2.77 ERA, perhaps on the way to a Cy Young season. Wacha has taken the controls after Wainwright went down, showcasing his brilliant array of pitches.
So, is this race over in the NL Central?
Well, the Pirates are the second-best team in the league, so there is no way to count them out. Pittsburgh is sitting 10 games over .500 at 42-32 and arere led by the reigning National League Most Valuable Player in Andrew McCutchen. This year, McCutchen has been excellent once again with a 2.93 average, nine homers and 41 RBI. However, McCutchen is being eclipsed in his own outfield by Starling Marte, who has clocked a team-high 12 home runs with 46 RBI.
Third baseman Pedro Alvarez can be a liability in the field and continues to hit for a low average, but the power remains. Alvarez has 10 bombs and 95 total bases, providing extra pop in the Pittsburgh order.
Outside of Pittsburgh and St. Louis, it seems the Chicago Cubs are the only team worth talking about. The Milwaukee Brewers have been dismal since Opening Day while the Cincinnati Reds are the epitome of mediocrity. At 34-38, the Reds seem poised for a 75-win season.
At 39-34, the Cubs have a chance to make noise for the first time in years under first-year skipper, Joe Maddon. Chicago is playing good baseball in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, currently only a half-game out of the second Wild Card spot behind the San Francisco Giants.
If Jon Lester can pick his game up, and the youngsters such as Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell continue to develop, the Cubs could be very scary down the stretch. Without question, they are already one of the most talented clubs in the senior circuit.
