Now that most teams have played around forty games, let's look at the races for division:
NL East
The href = "http://www.wagerweb.com/sportsbook/"> Mets, Phillies and Braves have gone through hot strip (apparently coinciding with the time when there were games against weak sisters of the division, the Marlins and Nationals).
The Mets had a hot start, but fell by bit like the injury bug has hit the back of their rotation. Watch to make a trade or Mike Pelfrey Rush phenomenon because they have finally given up Jose Lima, Jeremi Gonzalez before continuing. If the Mets can set the back of the rotation behind Pedro MartÃnez and Tom Glavine, who will be the team to beat in their trio of relievers Aaron Heilman, Duaner Sanchez and Billy Wagner has been sensational, and his balanced lineup led by Carlos Delgado, David Wright and Carlos Beltran is solid.
The Braves had a difficult start, because Tim Hudson and Jeff Francoeur struggled early, but two things have become. The Braves always seem to get to bullpen find (check out Kenny Ray statistics so far this year) but still need to find a more solid at some point in order to win this division. The lineup has been strong, as the Jones boys maintain the placement of large numbers, Edgar Renteria is playing as one of the best shortstops League again, and Brian McCann has been a revelation in the offensive. The Braves should hang around and put pressure on the Mets for the division title or at least compete for a wildcard position.
The Phillies have recently had a nine-game winning streak and ended play Saturday's game with four straight losses, so this is a scratch team. Its launch was killed soon as Jon Lieber, Cory Lidle, Gavin Floyd and Ryan Madsen all fought. Lieber has pitched better in the afternoon, and the Phillies hope the recent calls to Cole Hamels can join Lieber and Brett Myers as a strong three in the rotation. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Bobby Abreu at the core of a major training. The bullpen could use some reinforcements, despite the astonishing success Tom Gordon's early season. The Phillies should stay in the both division and wild card race, but ultimately, it may fall short due to its release.
The Marlins and the Nationals? The season already is over for them.
The Marlins can take some solace in the fact that they are developing a good talent like Hanley Ramirez and Josh Willingham. They face a great decision if they want to piggyback their remaining superstars, Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera. If Willis is negotiated, the balance of power in the Baseball may change.
The Nationals are looking to acquire some of their own prospects for the likes of Jose Vidro, Livan Hernandez and Alfonso Soriano. After a solid season last year, injuries to John Patterson and Luis Ayala have killed the national launch of a staff with little depth.
One thing we learned is that there is a difference between the top three teams and the bottom two. Knowing the division may come down to how well the party of the top teams weak, consider betting on the Mets, Braves and Phillies, when faced weaker rivals.
About the Author:
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Quarterly Report on Major League Divisional Races (NL EAST)
