2009 National League Early Playoff Races
Memorial Day Brings Playoff Picture Into Focus for First Time in '09
May 26, 2009
It is a common belief in baseball that after Memorial Day, teams start to truly understand their identity. In 2008, out of the three National League divisions, only the NL Central winning Chicago Cubs led their division on Memorial Day. The Marlins, Diamondbacks, and Cardinals (Wild Card Leader) all failed to make the '08 playoffs, even though each would have qualified as of Memorial Day. In 2009, here is a look at how the teams have done at the unofficial first milestone.
NL East: A New Rivalry Transcending Seasons
Phillies and Mets - For the past two seasons, this new rivalry has provided baseball fans with thrilling division races and priceless bulletin board fodder, and it seems like 2009 will bring more of the same. With possibly the best lineup in Major League Baseball, the Phillies' pitching may be the only thing holding them back from a third straight division title. The Mets have already dealt with a plethora of injuries and underperformances, but even through all the adversity, they only trail the Phillies by one loss and seem to have nowhere to go but up.
Braves and Marlins - Only one quarter into the season, the Braves and Marlins have already been a roller coaster that appears to have parked somewhere in the middle. The Marlins 11-1 start was the best in baseball, but Florida has shockingly dropped to four games below .500 by Memorial Day. The Braves have struggled to find solid ground, and although they find themselves in the middle of the NL East race, they will be battled throughout the season by the rest of the increasingly tough NL East, most likely leaving Atlanta and Florida on the outside, looking in.
NL Central: Teams to Shuffle Position Throughout Season
Brewers and Cardinals - St. Louis has looked like the best team in this jam-packed division since opening day, but Milwaukee's resilience without C.C. Sabathia this year has proven that the Brewers will be in the playoff mix all season long. With too many teams legitimately in contention, the NL Central playoff picture will be hazy for a long time, and will most likely come down to three teams at the end: Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Chicago.
Reds - Four games over .500 at Memorial Day, Cincinnati has the young pieces in place to be competitors for years to come. However, in the now-brutal NL Central, it will be extremely difficult for the Reds to hold serve for the entire season. Any playoff consideration will have to be put on hold, as this team is too enigmatic and plays in too competitive of a division to distinctly pronounce them dead or a team to fear.
Cubs - Chicago's eight game losing streak seemingly came out of nowhere and has put them in a position of chasing three teams to possibly win the division. Arguably the most talented team in the division, Chicago has a lot of time to recover from this extended losing streak, and should be a competitor as the end of the season draws nearer.
NL West: Dodgers to Run Away and Hide
Dodgers - At Memorial Day, the Dodgers sit a league leading 7.5 games ahead of the Padres, a team expected to finish dead last in the NL West. Manny Ramirez is in the middle of a 50 game suspension, yet there is no other team in the NL West that would be able to come close enough to the Dodgers to even pose a threat. This division should officially be pronounced, "locked up" and Los Angeles can begin to prepare for the playoffs. No other team from the West will even get a sniff of the Wild Card.
NL Wild Card: Wild to the Very End
The NL East and Central should provide baseball fans with yet another thrilling Wild Card race as September nears, and with so many teams fighting for only three spots, the more teams that remain alive as the season nears its end, the more dramatic it will be. Expect any of the four aforementioned NL East teams to go head to head with the four NL Central teams, since when it comes to the Wild Card, any team with a pulse after the summer ends should be considered.
