The Phillies have had trouble getting to .500 this season. It's a mark they haven't reached since April 14th. The Phillies just got back to that mark today, behind the 18th HR by Domonic Brown and strong outing by Cole Hamels. So, now the Phils are back at .500, and before the Nationals play their 7:05 game tonight, they are tied for second in the National League East. They have won four straight games, averaging 6.75 runs per game, and allowing only 2.75 runs per game. They have played fantastic, and they are looking up. Can they catch the Braves? I think they can. It'll be hard to predict the NL East in the stretch run. The Phillies are playing great and could play even better with the return of Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz, and Roy Halladay. These guys have helped the Phillies have success in years past. The Phillies need to stay hot, and hopefully use Dom Brown to their advantage, as he could really help the rest of the lineup. The NL has some tough competition, and the Phillies could be right in it.
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The Marlins are the worst team in the league, with a 16-42 record. Truly, how bad are the Marlins? They have a .276 winning percentage, which is on pace to be the first time anyone has had a winning percentage under .300 since 2003 (Tigers, .265 winning percentage). The Marlins offense hasn't been the worst in the league, because they've batted .227. They only have two hitters that bat above .250. Besides those two hitters, their top hitter only hits .234! They also only average 2.98 runs per game! If you can't score three runs, it will be hard to win often. The Marlins pitching isn't terrible, but if you can't score three runs, it will still be hard to win consistency. With a 4.12 team ERA, the Marlins seem to keep themselves in games, but their offense can't come through. The pitching has had it's ups and downs, but isn't as bad as the offense. Overall, the Marlins need to score much more if they want to surpass the .300 winning percentage plateau. Lucky for them, their team's average age is 28.8, so they have time to improve themselves. With players like Marcell Ozuna and Donovan Solano, the Marlins will continue to improve as years pass. Baseball is a mental game, and if you start doing something right, it can take you a long way. Many players have done that so far this season, showing that they can play well and defy the odds. These five players I've chosen for numerous reasons, showing the world that they are really good. Some are rookies, and some are stars. But, they all have reasons to be watched for.
The Miguel Cabrera Triple Crown Watch: Miguel Cabrera won the Triple Crown last year, and now is looking to become the first to do it twice. With a .367 average (1st in AL), 17 HR (2nd in AL), and 65 RBI (1st in AL), Cabrera has a shot to do the unbelievable. And, he shows no signs of slowing down. You better be watching Cabrera for the remainder of this season. Domonic Brown's Powerful Swing: The Dom Bomb is the thing in Philly. And, why not be excited? After a promising spring, Brown took until May to show his "former top prospect material". But, we found out that it was good to wait. After 12 bombs in May, Brown is now atop the leaders in homers in the National League. His average went from .233 to .272 just in the month of May. He batted .303 with 12 HR and 25 RBI in the month, putting him as the power hitter in the Phils lineup. Shelby Miller's Fantastic Rookie Season: Miller has been the best rookie in the NL so far, showing that he may just be able to achieve the rookie of the year. With a 6-3 record, and a 1.82 ERA, Miller has been able to dominate hitters like he has been doing it for years. He also has 72 SO in 69.1 IP this season, allowing only 51 hits, while only walking 17. Miller has played a big part in the Cardinals success, and only looks up from here. From Janitor to Ballplayer: Evan Gattis Entering the season without their catcher Brian McCann, the Braves had Evan Gattis tryout to become their catcher. Formally a janitor, Gattis showed hitting potential, but wasn't the greatest behind the plate. The Braves took a chance, and boy did they get lucky, or maybe it was just good scouting. Or both. Gattis has 12 HR and is batting .269 and has a .995 fielding percentage. He's shown that he can play, and he's only 26 years old! Yu Darvish's Chance for 300 SO: Darvish has been very dominant this season, and now he's on pace for 300 SO! He's averaging 12.3 SO/9 and is almost always getting a Rangers win every five days. He could become the first pitcher with 300 SO since 2002. Darvish has been the favorite to start the All Star game and potentially win the AL Cy Young. The All Star game is a game where fans get to pick their favorite players and have them decide who will get home field advantage in the World Series of that year. And, every year, there's debate over whether the All Star game should hold the statistically best players in the current year, or the overall superstars, such as Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols. I think the All Star game is about tradition, and obviously the best players should be playing in it. But, who wants the over the hill superstars, such as Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, and Josh Hamilton in a game that should be fast paced and exciting? They had their time to be All Stars, and it's time to move on. Up and coming stars, such as Chris Davis, Domomic Brown, and Bryce Harper, should be the ones playing in the All Star game, because they are the game's current All Stars. If we really wanted an All Star game for the "former All Stars" we should create another game, and call it the "former All Star game". If we want baseball to stay exciting and enjoyable, keeping the All Star game to current stars is the best route to go. I (and many others) predicted the Washington Nationals to win the 2013 World Series. Now, on June 1st, the Nationals are barley a .500 team (28-27), but still sit second in the National League East. Now, everyone is kicking themselves for not letting Strasburg pitch last postseason. But, could the Nats even get back to the postseason this year? The Nationals currently have five players on the disabled list, while Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper will likely be added. Injuries have really hampered them all season, and now their top two stars will be on the DL as well. But, even when the Nats are healthy, they still have some serious troubles to work out. The team has an OBP of .291, which ranks 14th of the 15 NL teams. They have only scored 193 runs (3.5 Runs Per Game), which puts them at 12th in the NL. The Nats have no offensive category (besides triples) that ranks in the top five in the NL. The Nats pitching, on the other hand, has done very well. With a 3.58 ERA, they rank 6th in the NL. They have no category that is not in the top 10. Their pitching has been one of the best, and doesn't look to back down. Last year, the Nationals averaged 4.5 runs per game, an entire run more than this year. Their ERA was 3.33, .2 earned runs less than this year. Both their offense and pitching was better, leading them to the NL East title. The injuries don't help, but that's not the only reason the Nats are worse than last year. They can't hit, and even their pitching has been a tad worse than it was last year. It's hard to say, but I'm not sure that if the Nats keep this up, they'll make the playoffs. |