National League East Mid-Season Review
World Champion Phillies Lead The Pack in the East
Jul 12, 2009
The All-Star break is a good time to take a look at where teams stand in Major League Baseball. Up first is the National League East.
Philadelphia Phillies - First Place
The defending Champions head into the break a season high ten games over .500 with a four game cushion in the standings. Their offense is the strongest in the league. They have gotten great years out of all-stars Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Jason Werth, and Raul Ibanez. On the other hand, their pitching, including ace Cole Hammels, hasn't been very good. If they don't start pitching better, it will put a lot of pressure on the offense in the second half. This team, however, is tough, gritty, and clutch, and they have to be considered strong favorites to take this division.
Florida Marlins - 4 Games Back
The Marlins have been very inconsistent this season. They got off to a great start, then struggled for a while, and now have played better of late. One guy who has been consistent is shortstop Hanley Ramirez. He is the league's leading hitter and one of the best players in the game. They have also gotten a great year out of their ace Josh Johnson. The rest of the pitching staff, though, has struggled. They will need to pick it up if the Marlins are to challenge for the division title.
Atlanta Braves - 6 Games Back
The Braves have had a mediocre year thus far and appear to be a team in transition. Their offense has struggled to score runs and their pitching has been inconsistent. They have, however, gotten a big boost from young phenom Tommy Hanson, who was put into the rotation after the team released Tom Glavine. Another positive is that the often injured Chipper Jones has been relatively healthy and had a solid season. The team recently traded the disappointing Jeff Francoeur to the Mets for Ryan Church. They hope this will give them a boost. If they hope to stay in the race they must keep Jones healthy and play more consistently both offensively and defensively.
New York Mets - 6.5 Games Back
Thus far, the Mets have had a disappointing, injury-plagued season. Three star position players (Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado) have all missed significant time due to injury and none is expected back until late July/early August at the soonest. They've also been without key pitchers Oliver Perez (he returned last Wednesday), John Maine, J.J. Putz, and Billy Wagner, who has missed the whole season. Not surprisingly, the Mets have struggled to compensate for these losses. The last month and a half, the offense has been anemic and the pitching, which was good early on, has also struggled. The trade for Francouer has given the team an initial boost and they hope to catch lightning in a bottle with him. The Mets, despite all their problems, are still within striking distance. If and when they get everyone healthy, they will have the talent to make a strong push late in the season. The question is will it be too little too late?
Washington Nationals - 22.5 Games Back
The Nationals are quite simply, the worst team in baseball. Their pitching has been terrible, giving up the most runs in the league. Their offense has been decent, led by slugger Adam Dunn, but not nearly good enough to overcome the poor pitching. The only thing this team has to look forward to this season is the opportunity to play spoiler.
