The American League Appears to be shaping up, but the National League leaves us with many questions. Can Arizona hold on to a slim 3.5 game lead? Can the Mets or Phillies play with consistency? Are Milwaukee’s youngsters up to the task of leading the offense?
If you would have asked me five months ago who the winner of the AL East would be i would have told you the Red Sox or the Yankees. Of course the Yankees have never shown consistency and have too many over paid players. Here we are with just September left to play and the Devil Rays... err uh, the Rays are not only leading the division but also have the best record in the American League. They have a commanding lead over the Red Sox and barring a colossal collapse they should win the east and make it to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
The American League West is a snooze fest. The Angels are running away with that division. They are arguably the best team in baseball. They have talent all around and when they’re playing to full potential they are a dangerous club. I see them making it far in the post season.
Take your pick, White Sox or Twins. Both are decent teams but neither seems to be able to put teams away. The Twins nearly escaped a sweep effort in Seattle a couple nights ago and although the Sox just swept the Yankees they lack the killer instinct needed to make a deep playoff run. The Ken Griffey Jr. trade has yet to make a huge difference but he does add a quite type of leadership. Nobody loves to play the game more than Jr. and he will go out every day do what he has to do to ensure a victory. I look for the Sox to hold on to their 1.5 game lead over the twins.
The National League is typically horrendously painful to watch. Terrible hitters that can’t even hit the awful pitching. This year is different, except for the west. The west is boring. Randy Johnson is a symbol of the west. It was once interesting to watch but its lost its luster. The Dodgers made a move to get Manny but that seven game slide isn’t going to win them a division title. The Diamond Backs should hold on in the west but they shouldn’t go deep in the playoffs. Even the Seattle Mariners could knock off the D-Backs.
The National League Central looks to be controlled by Cubbies and the Brew Crew probably wont be able to over take them unless C.C. Sabathia pitches every game in the month of September. I see both of those two teams making the playoffs however. And wouldn’t that be exciting if they faced each other in the post season.
East Side! This is an exciting race. Probably the only could race in baseball right now. It seems like every night the Mets and Phillies flip flop positions in the standings. Currently the Metropolitans lead by one game but the Phillies keep finding ways to win. The Mets are certainly the better team. They have the pitching, offense, and it seems like David Wright is on Web Gems every other night. The only thing holding them back is their hideous barracks they call a stadium.
A good pennant race is the best part of baseball. We don’t appear to have one heading our way this year. Fortunately, for the first time in years the National League is presenting us with some excitement. Who will make the run for October? Stay tuned and we’ll find out.
