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The Braves are running away with the NL East crown, the Dodgers have come on like gangbusters and are stomping the competition in the NL West.
In the NL Central it is still a three way race among the Pirates, Cardinals and Reds, but whichever of those three wins the division, the other two are going to be the wild card teams. The Diamondbacks are the next closest to contending for a wild card spot and they are 5.5 games back and just two games over .500.
Barring some epic collapses or an extraordinary run by one of the teams which has been mediocre so far, the identity of the NL post season teams is already set.
I agree the races aren't all that exciting, but there have been some interesting things to follow
The Pirates are not only in a race, they are 12 wins away from their first winning season in a long time .... they would have to go a disasterous 11-34 from here on out to miss it ..... not to mention the individual story lines within that team
A lot of good young pitching - Harvey, Wheeler, Miller, Fernandez, Corbin, Strasburg, etc
The soap opera that is the dodgers - kershaws dominance, from the brink of firing mattingly to playing hot, puig, re-emergence of hanley ramirez
The Nats being out of real contention a season after it was pretty much assumed that they were a yearly playoff lock and they shut down Strasburg
The Giants falling off a cliff and the struggles of Matt Cain
The Marlins fighting for 69 wins while calling up pretty much every young prospect they can in the system with seemingly little consideration for development or future contractual status
I agree the races aren't all that exciting, but there have been some interesting things to follow
The Giants falling off a cliff and the struggles of Matt Cain
Yeah, that is interesting, unless of course like me, you are a Giants fan. A joltless offense accompanied by poor pitching doesn't make for an electric season.
Yes the races aren't that exciting but the playoffs should make up for it.
I see no clear cut World Series favorite when I look at the Braves... Dodgers... Pirates... Cardinals... and Reds.
I feel confident that the Braves will make some noise in October. They have a winning record against every NL contender and have swept all at some point this season other than the Reds.
I've been confident in the Braves before though... At least this season they will avoid the 1 game do or die wild card... which is good for TV ratings but otherwise sucks.
The Braves are running away with the NL East crown, the Dodgers have come on like gangbusters and are stomping the competition in the NL West.
In the NL Central it is still a three way race among the Pirates, Cardinals and Reds, but whichever of those three wins the division, the other two are going to be the wild card teams. The Diamondbacks are the next closest to contending for a wild card spot and they are 5.5 games back and just two games over .500.
Barring some epic collapses or an extraordinary run by one of the teams which has been mediocre so far, the identity of the NL post season teams is already set.
Except for the Braves, how can anyone think this year is a snoozer, if for no other reason but the surprising Pirates and Dodgers. They have to be exciting people. The Pirates, who haven't had a team that could beat some high schools for years are now looking like they might be for real: the Dodgers who were 9.5 games out of first place less than 2 months ago, now have a 7 game lead and the push for a wildcard spot, like you mention. I think it is an exciting year.
Except for the Braves, how can anyone think this year is a snoozer, .
All that is required is a different attitude from yours towards the Pirates and Dodgers.
I'm happy for the fans in Pittsburgh who are at last going to have meaningful games in September after 21 years of frustration.
As for the Dodgers, well, what is so welcome about the first signs that their remaking themselves into the Yankees of the west utilizing their economic advantages, is working?
If they achieve their goal of annual division domination via outspending everyone else, why would that please anyone other than Dodger fans? Would the Dodgers winning 14 of the next 15 NL West crowns be good for baseball? I suppose the TV people would like it if every year it was NY vs LA in the World Series, but for whatever reasons I am unenthusiastic about forfeiting competitive baseball so that some television executives will have lots and lots of money when they die.
21 years since the... "Bream rounds third! Braves win! Braves win! Braves win!"
I was trying to remember the name of that Pirate leftfielder whose throw was too late to get the slow trucking Bream at the plate....Jerry Monds or Larry Bends or something like that....
It didn't have to be boring, although I'm not a Pirates fan I am happy for them.
I was ripped last year for saying Strasburg should pitch and was told that the Nationals would be back year after year, lol. You only get so many opportunities and the Nationals failed to capitalize on theirs.
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At least this season they will avoid the 1 game do or die wild card... which is good for TV ratings but otherwise sucks.
