With no dominant team, NL appears wide open
You tell me: Who is going to win the National League?
At various points during the first quarter of the season, the Cardinals, Dodgers, Braves and Nationals all looked like the best team in the NL.
Except for the Braves, each of those clubs since has been compromised by injuries. And the Braves’ rotation, 12th in the NL in ERA despite the presence of the league leader, right-hander Brandon Beachy, isn’t exactly a sure thing.
A quick look at the 11 contenders, ranked according to winning percentage entering Monday night’s play:
• Dodgers: Far from perfect, but they're 5-2 without injured center fielder Matt Kemp after their weekend sweep of the Cardinals. Their needs include another starting pitcher, middle-of-the-order bat and left-handed reliever. Under new ownership, they will at least try to address their needs.
• Braves: The offense looks fabulous, but the players privately believe they need at least one more reliable starting pitcher, perhaps free agent Roy Oswalt. Lefty Mike Minor soon could join righty Jair Jurrjens in Triple-A.
• Nationals: Even with all their injuries, their pitching should be good enough to keep them in contention; one rival exec thinks they might even be the team to beat. Left fielder Michael Morse should return soon, but right fielder Jayson Werth is at least two months away and catcher Wilson Ramos is out for the season.
• Cardinals: True, they just lost outfielder Jon Jay, first baseman Lance Berkman, first baseman/outfielder Allen Craig and reliever Kyle McClellan within a six-day span. No one should be surprised; the biggest question with the Cardinals was always whether they could stay healthy.
• Marlins: Talented but not trustworthy. The good news: Right-hander Josh Johnson appears to be returning to form just as closer Heath Bell is settling down. The bad: The team ranks 13th in the league in runs scored and just demoted first baseman Gaby Sanchez to Triple-A.
• Mets: Don’t see them staying above .500: They’re 22-19 with a -31 run differential. The Mets are sixth in the league in runs thanks in large part to third baseman David Wright, but they’re 13th in the league in rotation ERA, last in bullpen ERA and next to last in pitching overall.
• Reds: It’s difficult to get overly excited about a club that ranks last in the NL in OPS from the leadoff spot and next to last from the cleanup spot. Still, the Reds are 17-11 since their 4-8 start, and they're talented enough to win the Central if the Cardinals continue to stumble.
• Giants: Right-hander Tim Lincecum couldn’t hold down the anemic Athletics on Sunday; his struggles would be even more alarming if lefty Barry Zito weren't such a surprise. The offense, as always, is an issue, though somewhat better in recent days with Gregor Blanco leading off and Brandon Belt playing first. Get well soon, Pablo Sandoval.
• Phillies: Cannot be fairly judged until injured first baseman Ryan Howard and second baseman Chase Utley return — and even then, there will be a question about how much either will contribute. The starting pitching is terrific but thin. The bullpen? Outside of Jonathan Papelbon, it’s a mess.
• Diamondbacks: Nine and a half games behind the Dodgers, but this a team with an actual chance once right-hander Daniel Hudson and shortstop Stephen Drew return. The D-backs have yet to really hit, and they eventually could summon Triple-A right-hander Trevor Bauer and/or Double-A left-hander Tyler Skaggs; their overall depth gives them an edge.
• Brewers: Don’t be shocked if they become sellers. The Brewers have the same number of quality starts as the Cardinals (23) but were ranked in the lower half in the NL in runs until erupting for 16 on Sunday against the Twins. Closer John Axford has had only seven save opportunities — the Orioles’ Jim Johnson leads the majors with 15.
THE BUCK STARTS HERE
• Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that the Orioles are playing so well in their second full season under manager Buck Showalter. Their surge is consistent with Showalter’s history.
Showalter averages 92 wins in his second season with a club. He had 88 with the 1993 Yankees, 100 with the ’99 Diamondbacks and 89 with the ’04 Rangers.
The rap on Showalter, of course, is that his teams eventually grow tired of him. But if Showalter can end the Orioles’ streak of 14 straight losing seasons, it will be one of his biggest achievements yet.
AROUND THE HORN
• Theories continue to abound on what’s wrong with Albert Pujols.
Some rival executives wonder whether he has some kind of leg issue. Scouts say Pujols isn’t even driving the ball in batting practice.
Pujols batted .313 with an .853 OPS during his eight-game hitting streak that ended on Sunday. However, he had only one multi-hit game during the streak, and only two of his 10 hits went for extra bases. Both were home runs.
• As Pujols continues to idle, it’s safe to say that his early-season slumping twin, Jose Bautista, has snapped out of it.
Through May 10, Bautista was batting .177 with a .655 OPS and five home runs. In his last 10 games, he’s batting .333 with a 1.176 OPS and six home runs.
• Right-hander Carlos Zambrano reworked his contract to include a $100,000 incentive for winning the Comeback Player of the Year award when he waived his no-trade clause for the Marlins.
Shrewd move: Zambrano is fourth in the NL with a 1.96 ERA, and his .199 opponents' batting average is the league’s eighth lowest. He, Zito, White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy and White Sox DH Adam Dunn are all early candidates for the comeback award.
• It’s not always possible, but the Dodgers are trying to arrange for right-hander Aaron Harang and lefty Chris Capuano to pitch in bigger parks when the opportunity arises.
Capuano made six of his first eight starts and Harang five of his first eight in either Dodger Stadium or Petco Park.
• What the heck happened to Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki, who averaged 14 homers and 68 RBIs from 2009-11?
Suzuki, 28, has zero homers and a .559 OPS in 136 plate appearances. He remains strong defensively but is no longer is coveted on the trade market.
Say this for Suzuki, though: He’s durable. The A’s frequently are a walking hospital, but Suzuki has averaged 140 games over the previous four seasons.
• The Padres are 13-14 since their 3-12 start, and that is with a major-league-leading 13 players on the disabled list.
That count does not even include the three top pitching prospects who are on the minor league DL — right-hander Casey Kelly, left-hander Robbie Erlin and righty Joe Ross.
• The Rangers were the only team in the majors without a player on the DL until losing right-hander Neftali Feliz to an elbow problem on Monday.
• And finally, it’s not a good thing for the Yankees when Raul Ibanez is the team leader in slugging percentage, right?