Spring Training, Part 2 - NL Central

Before I break down the NL Central, I'm just going to put in a little plug for MLB2K10 the video game. I've been watching the trailers for the game a lot today and it looks phenomenal. Last years version had far too many glitches and the graphics were a bit cartoonish. This year they improved the gameplay and graphics quite a bit. Check it out at http://2ksports.com/games/mlb2k10 and you can challenge me to a game online when it comes out on March 2nd.

On with it then...
Here's how the division played out last year:

NL Central Standings


St. Louis (91-71)
Chicago (83-78)
Milwaukee (80-82)
Cincinatti (78-84)
Houston (74-88)
Pittsburgh (62-99)

I'll start at the bottom with the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates who were one loss shy of one-hundred this season.The good news for the Pirates is that they consistently put out good young talent from their farm system. The bad news is that they don't have the power to keep that talent. Part of it is that they want to trade the talent for more young players to groom, and the rest is that with no production comes no money to spend. In the last few years the public has seen guys like Damaso Marte, Xavier Nady, Nyjer Morgan, Adam LaRoche, and Jason Bay among several others strewn into the market for young prospects. So far nothing has produced, but eventually it's going to catch up with them and they will have a breakout year. I do not see this as that year. This division was not very good last year compared to others in the National League, but with six teams it becomes quite competitive.

St. Louis won the division last year with slugger Albert Pujols ringing up 47 home-runs with an average of .327 and another MVP award. This guy is the best overall player in baseball at this time, and I have made that point before. After getting Matt Holliday at the trade deadline and then signing him to a huge long-term contract of seven years and $120 million dollars, they are going to be dangerous. This guy is another slugger that binds for one of the best (if not the best) three and four hitter combo's in the game. I'm predicting that a repeat win of the division is in order. A disappointing finish to the season last year after dropping out in the first round of the playoffs should have them hungering for more. Chris Carpenter coming back strong from surgery last year along with Adam Wainwright still pitching well makes for a good rotation up front. When you add Ryan Franklin who had a great season last year at closer you have some great pieces on your staff. 38 saves with a 1.92 ERA is not too shabby at all.

The Houston Astro's are at a difficult time just as much as some of the other teams in this division. They made a pretty nice push towards the wild-card last season, but never really got into the thick of things towards the end of the season. The Astro's got Brett Myers for $5.1 million which is good for one party at least. Myers gets to stay in the National league instead of facing the powerhouse lineups of the many quality squads in the American League. Not that the NL is something to laugh at, but with the pitcher batting instead of a designated hitter there's no doubt that the NL is a better fit for him. Pitching is certainly something that they needed, but I didn't see them giving away that much money for Myers. World series experience is worth a lot these days (see Pat Burrell). They also lost Miguel Tejada to the Orioles, and managed to have a great 2009 campaign. The Bagwell and Biggio days are over, this team needs some new life through the minors. They are not my pick for winning this division.

As baseball's only six team division, the National League Central is no laughing matter. Milwaukee came over from the American League in 1994 and in recent years has started to pick things up quite a bit Bringing up guys like Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder and locking them down with long-term contracts can do wonders for your teams confidence and playing ability. These two players are both all-star's and MVP candidates. At ages 28 and 27 years old (I believe), these guys are off to incredible starts. The Brewers lost Mike Cameron, Jason Kendall, and J.J. Hardy since last year but managed to get a few good arms in the offseason. Randy Wolff is a good starter who will eat innings and give you over ten wins. If he has a good season, he could give you much more than that. LaTroy Hawkins has a great arm and some good experience playing against big market teams from his days with the Yankees. He's a solid reliever who can have some pitching blips from time to time but should be a good fit with the team. Yovanni Gallardo is a young pitcher who is fast developing into an ace. He's had some injury problems, but last year he still managed to win thirteen games. He's looking for a great season this year, and is also only around 25 years old! Ricky Weeks disappointingly exited the season early with an injury, and he will be back to join the hit parade. The Brewers offense is going to be hot and if they can get some solid pitching they will be in good shape for a wild-card run or maybe even a chance at the division.

The Cincinnati Reds are another NL Central team that did not have a good 2009 season. They have not made any outstanding off-season moves to date. Their rotation is not looking settled at all and their lineup has been shaken up so much that I can't even tell you what their starting lineup will be. They certainly aren't spending a lot of money (or contributing to Ohio's current lack of championship ability), so it's possible that we could see some young talent developing at some point. Too bad they didn't get Stephen Strasburg (so close). Unfortunately this is a rebuilding year for the team, and I don't see them doing much as far as a post-season run is concerned.

The last team in the division is the Chicago Cubs. It's now been over one-hundred years since the Cubs won a world series. As one of baseball's first teams, the cubs are filled with history (and billy goat curses). The team failed to make the playoff's in 2009 after a disappointing finish. They got rid of big time bust Milton Bradley who ended up getting suspended for an extended part of the season for insulting Cubs fans in a national statement (essentially). Hopefully you weren't like me and called a breakout year for him on your fantasy team. Carlos Silva helps the team a lot, I think that it was a good trade for the team. It will be interesting to see how Bradley does in the American League with Seattle. Their pitching should be strong with Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly on the mound. Hopefully Ryan Dempster can keep his celebration dances to a point where he doesn't cause severe injury again, and where Kerry Wood can get some big saves.

It's going to be a close race between Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Chicago this year. I ultimately pick St. Louis to win the division, with the wild-card team coming from this division as well. Let's see how it all plays out. Remember, so much can change in the course of a week in basball. I can't wait...