Random All Star Break Thoughts on the National League in the 2015 Baseball Season

Baseball’s All Star Break is a good time to look back at the first half of the season and look ahead to the post season races so here are a few thoughts and observations on the National League.

It’s not surprising that a Dodger will be the starting pitcher for the National League in the All Star Game, but it might be a surprise to casual fans that Zack Greinke will take to the mound in Cincinnati rather than 2014. Last year, Kershaw was the National League’s Most Valuable Player as well as the Cy Young Award winner, a rare feat. This year Kershaw (6-6) has struggled at times, but still leads the league in strikeouts with 160 and has a 2.85 ERA in 18 starts. He was named to the All-Star team as a replacement for Max Scherzer (10-7, 2.11 ERA) of the Nationals, who started on July 12th. Scherzer is having a Cy Young Award caliber year, but Greinke is making his own case for that award, with an 8-2 record and a sparkling 1.39 ERA, the best by far in the majors for starting pitchers. He’s currently working on a 35 2/3 innings long scoreless streak.

The St. Louis Cardinals have a couple of starting pitchers who are operating under the radar. Carlos Martinez (10-3, 2.52) and Michael Wacha (10-3, 2.93) have stepped up to fill in for the injured ace Adam Wainwright. The Cardinals could have a pair of 20 game winners, a rare feat these days. Still, the Pittsburgh Pirates are closing rapidly and are just 2 ½ games back, so Wainwright’s presence will still be missed. The Pirates have a couple of aces of their own this season with Gerrit Cole (13-3, 2.30) and A. J. Burnett (7-3, 2.11).

Staying in the N.L. Central, the Chicago Cubs are actually winning and have a legitimate shot at the post season. Starter Jake Arrieta is 10-5 with a 2.66 ERA and 123 strikeouts. Anthony Rizzo is turning out to be the player he’s supposed to be, with a 16 homers, 48 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, a .298 batting average and a .955 OPS. Rookie Kris Bryant has 12 homers and 51 RBIs and a .376 on base percentage despite 101 strikeouts. Whether or not the Cubs make it to the post season, they are finally moving in the right direction.

At this point, it’s probably a two man race for the National League MVP award, barring injury. Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks is hitting .340, with 21 homers, 70 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, an slugging percentage of .610, and an OPS of 1.064. Bryce Harper of the Nationals is at .339 with 21 homers, 61 RBIs, a .464 on base percentage, and an OPS of 1.168.

The San Diego Padres were extremely active in the off season, making trades and signing free agents for instant credibility. They traded for Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, and Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel , plus they signed Royals’ starting pitcher James Shields, among other moves. But the Padres are stuck in 5th place in the N.L. West with a 41-49 record. The Milwaukee Brewers started winning more as we approached the break, but are still a disappointing 38-52. Then there’s the Philadelphia Phillies, who are horrible at 29-62, by far the worst team in the majors. Both Milwaukee and Philly have already brought in new managers. Other disappointing teams include the Colorado Rockies (39-49) and the Cincinnati Reds (39-47). Expect these teams to start dealing players to contenders before the trading deadline on July 31st.