With the 1st half of the season in the books, it's time to check out the standings, and really predict who is a contender, and who is a pretender. The division that sticks out to me as being the 'toughest'(and this may be biased, but) is the NL West. It is the only division that has 3 teams well over .500.
Leading the division at the moment, are the Milwaukee Brewers. The heavily favored team to win the division, and one of the top teams with out a doubt in the whole league. Owner/Manger Aaron Abel has led them to a 9-4-1 record(stupid ties) to this point in the season. When you consider the team stumbled out of the gates, and was 0-2 after the first two weeks, 9-4-1 is a great record. Predicted to be a top 2 team, and projected by many to win this division with ease, the Brewers haven't disappointed. The team averages 585.5 points a week. Which is good for 3rd best in the league, and the best in the division. I still think the Brewers will win this division, maybe not with ease, but they certainly will win it.
In second place, and only 1 game off the pace, are the Arizona Diamondbacks. Led by Rich Johnson, the soon to be(or already is, I'm not sure) lawyer. He has convinced his team to put up some good points all year(except week 1). The team has averaged 538 points over the first 14 weeks of the season. That is good enough for a record of 8-5-1, and you guessed it, the tie was at the hands of the Brew Crew. Lead by studs like Dan Haren, Roy Oswalt, and Johnny Cueto I feel this snake will keep on slithering to a Wild Card spot, and find its self in the playoffs.
Third in the division, and 1.5 games of the pace are the Pesky Marlins, led by the kid, Phil Urban. After only 3 victories a season ago Phil has led the team to an 8-6 record. Good enough for 3rd in a tough division. Helped by low point totals posted against them in the beginning of the season, they were off to a hot 4-0 start. However, since then they are 4-6. No help at all to their recent hot stretch of 2000 plus points over the last 3 weeks, that has got them a 1-2 record. Maybe it's better to just keep the point total low, seems they win more that way.
I feel this Marlin team will find a way into the playoffs via a wild card spot. It will be a nice battle to get it though.
Down in the cellar, and certainly not to be ashamed, are the surprising Rockies. The many previous owners of the Rockies weren't sure what to do; build for the future, or go for the championship. Which ever they decided to do didn't turn out to well, as the team was well, a mess. However, that mess was cleaned up by Thomas Gaudette, after early season predictions had the Rox not doing too much in the W column, they have registered 5 wins. It seems as if they were inches, no centimeters from 8 or 9 wins. As they have had many match-ups decided by single digit points. Heart breaking losses. I feel this Rockie team continues to surprise, and in reality is a hot streak or two away from bumping off the Marlins or DBacks, but I don't think they do surpass them in the standings. But, hey, you never know.
To wrap up the NL West, I feel as if 3 teams will get into the play-offs from this division. Ultimately I feel the Brewers hold onto the division lead, and they take that title, but the Dbacks, and Fish slide in via the 2 wild card spots. Whether or not I am right, well, time will tell.
5 Comments
Brandon
7/15/2009 11:22:47 pm
Nice work phil. It's not just you. The NL West was by far the best division of the first half. Rockies would have a winning record if they were in any other division.
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Jeremy
7/16/2009 04:44:34 am
Agreed with Brandon, I didn't see it coming, but it is definitely the best division. Good work.
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Justin
7/16/2009 07:09:13 am
The Brewers are doing (very) well but Aaron has more players than anyone who played below their projections the first half of the season: Liriano, Hammels, Rollins, Holliday, Kinsler (homers up, average way down), etc. Not to mention, Price and Wieters could very well close the season in a flourish.
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Brandon
7/16/2009 01:50:10 pm
when you put it that way it kinda makes you be glad to be in the AL huh justin
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Aaron
7/16/2009 02:08:22 pm
Yeah, Justin told me that my team was his pre-season favorite to win it all. I try not to think about it since I know this is by far the hardest league to win it all in, but I hope he is right to some extent and I hope my guys come around so I can make a run, but only time will tell if it actually happens. Thanks again for the vote of confidence though, Justin, that I'm doing something right. ;)
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AuthorYou all know me, Phil Urban, owner of the Marlins in the MLB league. As well as the Eagles in both NFL leagues. I'm the youngest of the group, and perhaps the only one unable to go buy a beer at the bar. But, that doesn't stop me from whoopin' you all in fantasy ;). Archives
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