Major League Baseball Postseason Predictions: National League – Part 1
The National League has been dominated by the Philadelphia Phillies this season and the only team that poses competition to them is the Atlanta Braves who themselves are eight games behind. The Phillies, 74-40 for the season, are also leading the Major League
Baseball standings and as the season goes deep into the second half, it is becoming more evident that they will finish as leaders.
Having said this, however, standings for all divisions are becoming increasingly important as the postseason approaches. With the top team from each division accompanied by one Wild Card entry – the fourth best-performing team – eligible for the playoffs,
competition is getting intense.
From the NL East, the Phillies are certain of making it to the playoffs with their impeccable display of baseball this season. They have outclassed every team on the circuit and rightly deserve a spot for the World Series, if not winning it. Philadelphia
has lost just 18 games out of the total 59 played at home and have replicated this performance on the road with disappointment in just 22 out of the total 55 games played. Their winning percentage of .649 is superior to any other team’s record by a significant
margin.
Philadelphia’s success can largely be attributed to their All-Star pitching outfit which is undoubtedly rated as the best rotation in MLB. Their pitching outfit has produced 76 quality starts which are the most by a team in MLB this season. Phillies’ team
ERA of 3.06 is also ranked at the top of the table in the Majors.
The pitching trio of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee has silenced even the best of batting line-ups this season and with no injury scare hitherto, they are expected to guide the Phillies all the way to the Championship.
All three have had their share of success and no single pitcher has dominated the rotation. Their teamwork has helped them build a reputation and they are now genuinely feared when at the mound. Halladay has registered 14 wins in 23 starts thus far and has
lost just four games with five games yielding no result. His ERA has been phenomenal at 2.55 and he has bagged 159 strike-outs thus far. Halladay is well in line to go far beyond the 200 strike-outs mark this season.
Cole Hamels has been the most economical of the three with an ERA of 2.53. In 24 starts, Hamels has a win-loss record of 13-6 and he has produced the highest number of quality starts among his team-mates (20) in this campaign. This number is expected to
increase as the season progresses.
Lee has been the most aggressive pitcher in the rotation and his 167 strike-outs are a worthy evidence of his aggression. Lee has constantly pitched in the 90 mph range but has still managed to maintain his ERA below 3.00 (2.96). His win-loss record, although
not mesmerising, is decent at 11-7 and he will surely play an important part if the Phillies do make it to the World Series.
A good pitching rotation can never succeed until it is backed by quality relievers and the Phillies have shown this season what relieving is all about. Ryan Madson and Antonio Bastardo have been their highlights in this department and the Phillies would
want both of them to continue their epic display from the mound as the season intensifies.
Continued in Part 2
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