The 2011 All-Division Team, Part 4: NL Central

NL Central RF: Lance Berkman

Part 4 of 6: National League Central


Before turning to another awesome edition of the All-Division Team, I must make an announcement.  An apology, actually.  In my post comparing Prince Fielder and Yu Darvish, I incorrectly reported that the Blue Jays had won his bidding rights, which I believed to be true at the time of writing.  Although the Jays were the second-closest team to earning the rights, the Rangers actually won them.  I got some faulty information.  Won't happen again.  OK?  OK!

In the creation of the All-Division Team, however, selections are subjective.  Feel free to disagree and argue against any of the winners!

C Yadier Molina, STL 
'Yadi' has been a key contributor to both World Champion Cardinals teams from the past half-decade.  Since 2006, though, he has also developed into probably the best defensive catcher in the National League.  His knack for throwing to the bases after pitches to keep runners close proves very effective, and the team leader is still only 28.  At the plate Molina displays rare contact skills from a catcher, striking out under 50 times in 475 at-bats.  Batting .305 doesn't hurt either.  Competition: Geovany Soto (CHC), Michael McKenry (PIT), Humberto Quintero (HOU), Jonathan Lucroy (MIL), and Ramon Hernandez (CIN).

1B Prince Fielder, MIL
In his ever-pivotal walk year, the Prince put on a show.  Ever wonder how Ryan Braun really beat Matt Kemp in the MVP race, even though Kemp's stats were better?  Look no further.  Providing Braun with ultimate lineup protection, Fielder walked more than he struck out in 2011 (highly rare for a power hitter) and blasted 38 homers and 120 RBIs while slugging .566.  It's no wonder that a feared power hitter like Braun, who bats directly in front of Fielder, went the whole season being intentionally walked just twice.  If I were a pitcher, I wouldn't want to face the Prince either.  Competition: Albert Pujols (STL), Carlos Pena (CHC), Joey Votto (CIN), Lyle Overbay (PIT), and Brett Wallace (HOU).

2B Brandon Phillips, CIN
Who's the best shortstop in the NL Central?  Why of course, it's Dat Dude BP!  Brandon Phillips, who entertains fans on Twitter with the aforementioned handle, enjoyed one of his best seasons in a year that found him taking home his first Silver Slugger and his third Gold Glove after making his second All-Star appearance in July.  Besides continuing to be a 20-20 threat and a consistently clutch run producer, Phillips batted .300 for the first time in his career.  His positive leadership and attitude and vital traits to the Reds organization at the moment as its future is unclear.  Way to go, Brandon.  Competition: Skip Schumaker (STL), Neil Walker (PIT), Jose Altuve (HOU), Darwin Barney (CHC), and Rickie Weeks (MIL).

3B Aramis Ramirez, CHC
Ramirez had another slow start in the power department for the second year in a row.  This time, however, his swing was looking good and his mechanics were correct, he just wasn't clearing the wall for whatever reason.  The Chicago weather heated up around the same time his bat did, though, and he finished with 26 homers.  A rare breed of the low-strikeout slugger, Ramirez struck out only 69 times.  In his final season with the Cubs he cemented his place as one of the Cubs' great third basemen of all-time.  Competition: Scott Rolen (CIN), David Freese (STL), Casey McGehee (MIL), Pedro Alvarez (PIT), and Chris Johnson (HOU).

NL Central SS: Starlin Castro

SS Starlin Castro, CHC (2nd)
In one of the better breakout performances of 2011, this sophomore was the National League's hit king with 207 knocks.  Developing power began to show its potential as the season went on, and much improved baserunning skills showed the makings of a franchise player.  While defense is still an issue, it was better than it was a year before and strides of improvement can be expected for 2012.  With so much raw talent, there's no telling the ceiling on this guy's future.  If 2011 was just the beginning, it was pretty awesome.  Competition: Clint Barmes (HOU), Ryan Theriot (STL), Yuniesky Betancourt (MIL), Ronny Cedeno (PIT), and Paul Janish (CIN).

LF Ryan Braun, MIL
Steroids, anyone?  Even if Braun took performance-enhancing drugs during the 2011 season, it was exciting to watch while it lasted.  He took the middling Brewers to the NLCS and led the best team in the league for most of the season.  Braun put up above average numbers even for power hitters but perhaps more impressive was the .397 OBP, which meant runners on base for the batters behind him, most notably the Prince.  An outburst of speed at age 27 also had pitchers distracted.  Competition: Alfonso Soriano (CHC), Carlos Lee (HOU), Matt Holliday (STL), Ryan Ludwick (PIT), and Yonder Alonso (CIN).

NL Central CF: Andrew McCutchen

CF Andrew McCutchen, PIT (2nd)
McCutchen put it all together in his second full season.  The Pirates, who surprised the world with their contention into July, relied on McCutchen's 20-20 talent everyday.  His energy invigorated a dead Pittsburgh franchise and the winning ways will be back sometime soon as long as Andrew McCutchen is in center.  He revealed a newfound patience in 2011, a tool that eludes most young power-speed dual threat players.  Competition: Jason Bourgeois (HOU), Marlon Byrd (CHC), Nyjer Morgan (MIL), Drew Stubbs (CIN), and Jon Jay (STL).

RF Lance Berkman, STL
Say what?  I was thinking the Cardinals' signing of Berkman - to start in right field, no less - would be something along the lines of disastrous.  Apparently Berkman still has game though, and he proved it with an incredible .412 OBP and 31 homers, batting .301 overall.  His defense was okay in right field, but his offensive production far outweighed any criticism there.  Playing 145 games, he also walked 92 times, among the leaders in the NL.  This was simply one of the best offensive seasons in baseball, not just of right fielders or comeback veterans.

SP Matt Garza, CHC
The NL Central was a surprisingly weak division for starting pitchers.  Garza, though, was huge for his team.  In a Cubs rotation that essentially imploded with the loss of the #4 and #5 starters in the first week of the regular season, Garza provided stability and consistent outings all season long.  In return, he earned some of the worst run support in the NL.  Being a leader and ultimate team player, however, was not lost on this writer.  Competition: Yovani Gallardo (MIL), Chris Carpenter (STL), Kevin Correia (PIT), Bronson Arroyo (CIN), and Wandy Rodriguez (HOU).

CP John Axford, MIL
Any Cubs fan who watched the Cubs fail in Milwaukee last season got to see a load of this guy, but not for very long because the Cubs were little resistance to Axford's dominant ways.  He finished the season 46-for-48 in saves with a 1.95 ERA, striking out almost four for each batter he walked.  The Brewers can't ask for much more out of this 6-5 beast who seemingly came out of nowhere to become the shutdown closer on the NL's most complete team.  What a stud.  Competition: Carlos Marmol (CHC), Mark Melancon (HOU), Francisco Cordero (CIN), Jason Motte (STL), and Joel Hanrahan (PIT).


That does it for another installment of the MLB All-Division Team!  Next up is the AL West, followed by the NL West and finally a summary of the whole thing.  

Homestand Analysis: New York, Pittsburgh, Houston

Note: technical difficulties have prevented me from posting in the last week.  I apologize for this and guarantee more posts are coming, and soon.  Thank you for being patient.

Record: 3-6
Season Record: 23-31
Games Behind First: Irrelevant at the moment

Well so much for that.  This was supposed to be the point where the Cubs kicked it into gear, hosting three of the worst teams in the National League.  Not only was the homestand bad, it progressively got worse.  The Cubs routed the Mets in two of three in the first series, and their only loss was a wild one that showed plenty of effort from the Cubs.

In one of the weirdest things I have ever seen, Justin Berg came in in relief during that game with two men on and one out and promptly walked the next three batters, forcing in two runs.  Not only did he walk these hitters, he walked them on 12 pitches, meaning he didn't throw a single strike.  After the third walk he was taken out and sent to the minors immediately.

The Cubs were basically shut out in the first two games against the Pirates, not including a ninth inning two-run bomb by Alfonso Soriano that didn't hold much significance.  The Pirates, meanwhile, put up 14 runs between the two games, including a homer parade from former Cub shortstop Ronny Cedeno, first baseman Lyle Overbay, catcher Chris Snyder, and center fielder Andrew McCutchen.  The Cubs won the Sunday matinee 3-2 on a homer from Aramis Ramirez (about time, don'tcha think?) and a pair of sac flies.

The Astros, jealous of their fellow NL Central team the Pirates, decided to jump on the bandwagon and create a homer parade of their own at Wrigley Field, which is just this magical place for opposing power hitters.  I think the media is sticking with the story that the wind blows in during the spring despite the fact that visitors seem to have no trouble homering.  The Astros' homer parade consisted of second baseman Clint Barmes, right fielder Hunter Pence, catcher J.R. Towles (really?), and shorstop Jeff Keppinger.  They cruised to a 12-7 win.

As manager, Mike Quade can't just come to a press conference and blame the entire loss on one player because of the media frenzy and drama that would follow.  Luckily, I am not bound to such restrictions.  Tuesday's loss was almost entirely the fault of Carlos Marmol.  Almost entirely.  As usual, the Cubs left a million runners on base and could have scored plenty more, but Marmol comes in a 3-1 game in the ninth and gives up six.  And here's the one part I just don't understand.

Marmol comes in, blows the lead, and then puts two men on base with a 4-3 Astros lead.  He clearly didn't have good stuff out there that day, and had his morale blown after blowing the lead.  But Mike Quade leaves him out there to pitch to Hunter Pence, who homers off him.  A closer, especially one as emotionally pumped as Marmol, should never be left in a game after blowing a lead and letting the other team go ahead.  A pathetic waste of a game.

The Cubs would lose the next afternoon too, ending the homestand at 3-6.  Weren't they supposed to have their big winning swing on this homestand?  No one on the Cubs actually got the memo.  And not only that, the Cubs, as they have the last two years, looked completely disinterested.  There's no anger here besides that of Carlos Zambrano (stay tuned on that).

I say it all the time; if the Cubs aren't going to beat the bad teams, they'll have to beat the good ones.  Because you can't turn around the season without winning games.  And the Cubs don't seem to be too interested in doing that these days.  That is precisely the most frustrating thing about watching the Cubs.  The Cubs just got swept by the Cardinals, and now head to Cincinnati and Philly.  With all these injuries, underperformers, and losses, this is probably rock bottom for this team.  If it isn't, the Cubs will probably lose 100 games this season.

The 2010 National League All-Division Team

This is the Part Two of the two post series MLB's All-Division Team.  The first part was published on September 17th, and the reason for the delay of this post is the huge time commitment it takes and the postseason has been a busy one.  For this post I profiled 160 National League players, including even situational stats as you will read.  The National League was tougher to decide than the American League because there are more teams in the NL and there were also more competitive teams.  The team below won't disappoint, though, with a few surprises in there, too.  The same rules stand as the AL edition, where 'best' is defined as most important to his team.  There is also an extra incentive to being consistent for an entire season, and although not every player here was exactly a model of consistency in 2010, this is the reason Troy Tulowitzki, for example, didn't make the team.  Tulowitzki had "video game stats" for September going on an unbelievable tear but the fact is his power was missing for five out of six months of the baseball season, and Jose Reyes was more important to the Mets.  Again, this is not at all a popularity contest like the All-Star team is.  My goal in this series to get past that, and actually establish a foundation for the best players in baseball.



National League East

C Brian McCann, ATL
Too bad the Braves weren't able to take advantage of his biggest hit of the season, a go-ahead three-run double in the All-Star Game that gave the National League a win securing home field advantage in the World Series.  McCann, though, picked up plenty of other big hits for the NL Wild Card Champion Atlanta Braves.  One of the National League's best hitting catchers, he has hit 18 or more homers and 77 or more RBI each of the past five seasons.  He is a durable and able catcher, catching in 136 games and setting a career high at 30% baserunners caught stealing against him.  Opponents: Josh Thole (NYM), Carlos Ruiz (PHI), Ivan Rodriguez (WAS), and Ronny Paulino (FLA).


1B Adam Dunn, WAS
During a down year from Ryan Howard, Dunn walks away with the hardware this time.  Hitting a team-high 38 HR and 103 RBI, Dunn remained to be a glue piece to the Nationals' rebuilding efforts.  Washington slipped to 69-93 but were a winner early on and much of that had to do with Dunn.  All positive reviews from his two year stay on the Beltway, Dunn completed his initially surprising contract with a lasting effect on the young players who look up to him.  Opponents: Ike Davis (NYM), Ryan Howard (PHI), Gaby Sanchez (FLA), and Troy Glaus (ATL).

2B Dan Uggla, FLA
Okay, let's get the screaming negative out of the way.  He can't field for crap.  Glad to get that over with.  Okay, so now lets stare at his 33 homers, 105 RBI and 100 runs, which helps him get the win in a very tight race with Atlanta's Martin Prado.  Uggla is just another one of those guys to come out of the Marlins' system who owns.  He is their main power threat especially after Jorge Cantu got traded to Texas.  The offensive leader of this young team (sorry, Hanley Ramirez) deserves this spot.  Opponents: Adam Kennedy (WAS), Luis Castillo (NYM), Martin Prado (ATL), and Chase Utley (PHI)

3B David Wright, NYM
Wright quietly had a great year in the power department (29 homers) not having lost his speed quite yet (19 steals).  His strikeout rate badly increased for a season total of 161 and his batting average was a career worst .283 (which isn't saying much), but the fact is he is a franchise player and he needed a good year this season to prove his continued longevity as a Met, not just a product who had a few great years. The Mets faded at the end there, but their run in first for a while later than most expected wouldn't have been possible without Wright.  Opponents: Chipper Jones (ATL), Ryan Zimmerman (WAS), Placido Polanco (PHI), and Wes Helms (FLA).

SS Jose Reyes, NYM
Much said about Wright can also be said about Reyes, who needed to prove he could steal use the speed that gave him 258 steals between 2005 and 2008.  He needs some more work on regaining plate discipline, but Reyes took 30 bases in 40 tries in nearly a full season.  Also now the Mets won't have to play him conservatively and will let him run free.  Reyes gave the Mets that spark, the energy, that completely escaped them in the nightmare that was 2009 Mets baseball.  Opponents: Jimmy Rollins (PHI), Hanley Ramirez (FLA), Ian Desmond (WAS), and Alex Gonzalez (ATL).


LF Raul Ibanez, PHI
In a weak running in this division, Ibanez still wins despite being a shadow of his 2009 self.  It took him a long time to come around to hitting like he does and his Phillies were incapable of getting on a roll until he started contributing.  Sure enough, the Phillies started winning consistently and Ibanez was doing what he does best: driving in runs.  Opponents: Josh Willingham (WAS), Melky Cabrera (ATL), Jason Bay (NYM), and Chris Coghlan (FLA).


CF Angel Pagan, NYM
Hmm.  Imagine if he were still on the Cubs.  Lead off issues solved.  Pagan had his finest season yet thanks to the injury to Carlos Beltran.  Pagan stole 37 bases and batted .290, playing his first full season in the majors.  He also saw time at each outfield position, and durability is key in today's game.  Opponents: Nyjer Morgan (WAS), Cameron Maybin (FLA), Nate McLouth (ATL), and Shane Victorino (PHI)

RF Mike Stanton, FLA
Wake up.  You're drooling on your keyboard.  Stanton's huge power cranked 22 homers in a bit less than a full season after getting the call-up in early June.  He led National League rookies in homers and other offensive categories.  He only batted .259 but has time to improve.  Fans came out to see this guy because of his track record.  He is a gamer, future face of the franchise.  He had a terrific rookie campaign of 2010, but for now he is stuck staring at Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla before the team truly becomes his.  Opponents: Mike Morse (WAS), Jeff Francoeur (NYM), Jason Heyward (ATL), and Jayson Werth (PHI).


SP Josh Johnson, FLA
'JJ', as he's known to Marlins fans, cooled off slighly towards the end of the 2010 season.  He didn't start after September 4th after the Marlins shut him down which caused him to fall short of 200 innings at 183.2.  However, he averaged more than 6.1 IP per start and carried a ridiculous 1.72 ERA heading into August before having a rough month and finishing at 2.30.  He was in control all season, being yanked in the middle of an inning only three times out of 28 starts.  Oh, and he also struck out 186 and walked only 48.  Opponents: Johan Santana (NYM), Livan Hernandez (WAS), Tim Hudson (ATL), and Roy Halladay (PHI).


RP Billy Wagner, ATL
Wagner's career is now over after retiring at age 38, but it's a darn shame because he hasn't lost anything at all on his stuff and is still one of the most exciting closers to watch.  He finished with a 1.43 ERA and 37 saves in 71 games and 69.1 IP.  He struck out a ridiculous 104 batters while walking only 22!  His fastball consistently hit 98 like it has his entire career and his 2010 performance highlighted one of the best bullpens in baseball on the Atlanta Braves.  He retires 5th on the all-time saves list with 422, the Astros all-time saves leader, 4th on the Mets all-time saves list, tied for 9th on the Phillies all-time saves list, 6th on the Braves single season saves list, and struck out 1196 in 903 career innings.  Wow.  Opponents: Francisco Rodriguez (NYM), Brad Lidge (PHI), Leo Nunez (FLA), and Matt Capps (WAS).


National League Central

C Geovany Soto, CHC
'Geo' went under the radar in 2010 and had a great year although injuries still got to him.  Playing only 105 games still got him the hardware.  He really worked hard on losing weight and increasing mobility behind the plate, and it showed although he only threw out 22% of baserunners.  Soto was on pace to hit more than 23 homers, his output in his rookie year but finished with 17 and also 53 RBI, batting .280.  Soto showed a newfound patience especially early in the season when his walks outnumbered his strikeouts, a stat no one saw coming.  Opponents: Yadier Molina (STL), Ramon Hernandez (CIN), Ryan Doumit (PIT), Humberto Quintero (HOU), and Jonathan Lucroy (MIL).


1B Joey Votto, CIN
As Reds TV play-by-play announcer would tell you in a second, Votto was one of the best hitters in the National League and will get many MVP votes.  He tore up the league smashing 37 homers and 113 RBI, batting .324 with an OBP of .424 due to his 91 walks.  He could not be kept off the basepaths in 2010, and although Albert Pujols had a fine season of his own, Votto was a better all around player this season.  Votto threw in 16 steals too.  Opponents: Albert Pujols (STL), Derrek Lee (CHC), Garrett Jones (PIT), Lance Berkman (HOU), and Prince Fielder (MIL).


2B Jeff Keppinger, HOU
Before you tell yourself that the writer of this blog is crazy, consider this stat: 36 strikeouts in 575 at-bats.  Keppinger was statiscally the hardest batter to strike out in the National League.  He led all full season Astros players with a .288 batting average, and was a great veteran presence for a rebuilding team.  He was the guy that kept the offense moving in Houston and was reliable all season for a team that saw lots of young players come and go.  Opponents: Skip Schumaker (STL), Ryan Theriot (CHC), Neil Walker (PIT), Rickie Weeks (MIL), and Brandon Phillips (CIN).

3B Scott Rolen, CIN
One of the best comeback stories in baseball, Rolen suffered through two injury-filled seasons with the Blue Jays before being dealt to Cincinnati midseason 2009.  Rolen cooled off at the end but still hit 20 homers and 83 RBI in 133 games, batting a surprising .285.  As always, Rolen played just superb defense.  He was an influential veteran on this young Reds team.  Opponents: Aramis Ramirez (CHC), David Freese (STL), Casey McGehee (MIL), Pedro Alvarez (PIT), and Chris Johnson (HOU).


SS Starlin Castro, CHC
While his offensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement, a sabermetric stat) was only 1.6, he did so much for the Cubs offensively.  He loosened the pressure on the veterans, being the 20 year old high energy kid that he is.  Castro should improve in the future because of his ability to hit everything.  He goes to all fields and doesn't have a weakness in the strike zone, although he is least effective when jammed inside.  He had serious trouble defensively and contributed to the Cubs ranking first in baseball in errors, but he has plenty of time to fix it.  Without Castro, I don't see the Cubs winning more than 72 games in 2010.  Opponents: Tommy Manzella (HOU), Ronny Cedeno (PIT), Alcides Escobar (MIL), Orlando Cabrera (CIN), and Brendan Ryan (STL).


LF Matt Holliday, STL
This guy was the only hope for a Cardinals team that forever struggles with lineup protection for Pujols.  Holliday didn't disappoint, playing in 158 games hitting 28 homers, 103 RBI, and a great .312 batting average.  He got on base at a .390 clip, exactly what the Cardinals want from the guy behind #5.  Opponents: Alfonso Soriano (CHC), Jonny Gomes (CIN), Carlos Lee (HOU), Jose Tabata (PIT), and Ryan Braun (MIL).


CF Andrew McCutchen, PIT
'McClutchen' hit .286 but .315 with men on base, although only one of his 16 homers drove in more than himself.  This guy right here is marketing the Pirates to Pittsburgh, putting fans in the seats with his exciting play.  The fact that Pittsburgh still finished 15th in the NL in attendance tells you how bored the city is with this losing pandemic on the Pirates.  McCutchen stole 33 bases and was fifth in defensive range factor in center field.  Opponents: Marlon Byrd (CHC), Colby Rasmus (STL), Carlos Gomez (MIL), Drew Stubbs (CIN), and Michael Bourn (HOU).


RF Hunter Pence, HOU
The duck-footed kid had another fine year, consistent again for 25 homers, 91 RBI, and a .282 batting average.  He nearly hit the 20-20 club with 18 steals and is pretty much the face of the franchise with Carlos Lee having seen better days.  Pence was the heart of the offense and one of the formidable outfield trio in Houston with Lee, Bourn, and Pence.  Opponents: Tyler Colvin (CHC), Jay Bruce (CIN), Ryan Ludwick (STL), Lastings Milledge (PIT), and Corey Hart (MIL).


SP Brett Myers, HOU
Surprise, I know.  Shout out to Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, both did a great job but still don't get my award.  Myers wasn't expected of much by the baseball public when he signed with Houston, but has made such an incredible change on the pitching philosophy.  He was yanked from a start in the middle of an inning only four times in 33 starts, and had a streak of pitching at least six innings all the way until the last start of the season.  The results: 223.2 IP, 3.14 ERA, 180 K to 66 BB, 14-8 record.  And now he has the #3 starter, young J.A. Happ, to tutor.  Opponents: Ryan Dempster (CHC), Adam Wainwright (STL), Bronson Arroyo (CIN), Yovani Gallardo (MIL), and Paul Maholm (PIT).


RP Carlos Marmol, CHC
Breaking Eric Gagne's record of K/9 IP, Marmol's 138 K in 77.2 IP topped all NL relievers by a long shot.  He also came six short of Randy Wells' K total of 144, although Wells needed 116.2 IP more to do it.  Marmol saved 38 games with an ERA of 2.55 and although he did walk 52, he only allowed 40 hits.  Incredibly, he allowed one homer and even more incredibly, it was to Jeff Clement of the Pirates in May, an opposite field shot at Wrigley.  Marmol is, without Cubs bias, the most dominant and intimidating reliever in the National League.  Opponents: Francisco Cordero (CIN), Ryan Franklin (STL), John Axford (MIL), Brandon Lyon (HOU), and Octavio Dotel (PIT).



National League West

C Buster Posey, SF
In a very weak division for catchers, there may now be at least one star for a long time in the future.  Bengie Molina, the incumbent catcher playing in his fourth season for San Francisco, was traded to make room for Posey.  I didn't believe all the hype in Spring Training about this guy, but I'm a believer now.  Posey whacked 18 homers and 67 RBI in 105 games, and what's really remarkable is that he's generating the power from a small 6-1 frame.  Posey will be a fan favorite for the next decade.  Opponents: Yorvit Torrealba (SD), Miguel Olivo (COL), Russell Martin (LAD), and Miguel Montero (ARI).


1B Adrian Gonzalez, SD
'A-Gon' has been the face of this franchise for at least four years, as if there was any competition.  Gonzo's 31 homers led the Padres, ahead of the second place Will Venable by 18.  The hispanic star has been thrown around in trade rumors and needed a winning team this season to avoid getting dealt, probably to Boston.  It is good for the game of baseball, though, that his .298 batting average, 93 walks and 160 games played in 2010 stayed in San Diego.  If the Padres could ever get him some support, he could be an even better player with more baserunners to drive in.  Opponents: Aubrey Huff (SF), James Loney (LAD), Todd Helton (COL), Adam LaRoche (ARI).`


2B Kelly Johnson, ARI
Probably the biggest surprise on the offensively-exciting D-Backs, Johnson led the NL with 12 homers at one point.  He fell way behind in that race, but still he had a great year of 26 homers and 71 RBI, batting .284.  While Johnson set a career high with 13 steals, he needed this year to reinvigorate his career after really looking bad and getting kicked out of Atlanta.  Opponents: Freddy Sanchez (SF), Blake DeWitt (LAD), David Eckstein (SD), and Clint Barmes (COL).


3B Ian Stewart, COL
This is not the division to look in for a good third baseman.  That said, Stewart is at least consistent while Mark Reynolds, who hit 32 homers, batted .198.  He provided his regular low average yet abundant power in 2010 with 18 homers in only 386 at-bats.  He played only 121 games and the Rockies counted on him over the summer as Troy Tulowitzki wasn't getting the job done powerwise.  His 18 homers was third on the Rockies.  Opponents: Pablo Sandoval (SF), Chase Headley (SD), Mark Reynolds (ARI), Casey Blake (LAD).


SS Juan Uribe, SF
Who saw this coming?  Uribe, after wearing out his welcome with the White Sox, was picked up by the Giants before 2009 and has been great since.  Uribe set a new career high in homers with 24 and a new career high in RBI with 85, while being a huge part of a Giants team that relied on his pop.  For only $3.25 million, he has been a huge steal for San Francisco.  Opponents: Rafael Furcal (LAD), Troy Tulowitzki (COL), Everth Cabrera (SD), and Stephen Drew (ARI).


LF Carlos Gonzalez, COL
The Cubs certainly remember how good this guy is.  Gonzalez hit for the cycle against the Cubs in August, the biggest highlight of his monster season.  Gonzalez did it all batting .336 with 34 homers, 117 RBI, and 26 steals.  There is no doubt Gonzalez was the best player on the 2010 Rockies and one of the best in the National League.  He will get plenty of MVP votes.  Opponents: Manny Ramirez (LAD), Pat Burrell (SF), Gerardo Parra (ARI), and Scott Hairston (SD).


CF Chris Young, ARI
Young nearly made the 30-30 club for the second time in his career, but arguably had the best season of his career.  After disappointing many with such a low average in 2008 and 2009, it's good to see a guy with such great talent work his way back to where he needs to be.  Young hit 27 homers and stole 28 bases, batting .257, not great but acceptable.  The 26 year old also set a career high in walks for an Arizona team that struck out the most in baseball.  Opponents: Dexter Fowler (COL), Matt Kemp (LAD), Tony Gwynn Jr. (SD), and Aaron Rowand (SF).


RF Andre Ethier, LAD
It was a down year for the Dodgers and a less exciting one for Ethier, but he still got the job done.  Hitting .292 with 23 homers and 82 RBI, Ethier continued to become even more of a fan favorite.  With Matt Kemp playing alongside Ethier in center, the two make make one of the best outfielder duos in baseball, and Los Angeles has fallen in love with the play of the two stars.  Opponents: Justin Upton (ARI), Ryan Spilborghs (COL), Nate Schierholtz (SF), Will Venable (SD).


SP Mat Latos, SD
This 22 year old is a stud and a capable ace of the Padres.  Going 14-10 with a 2.92 ERA in his first full season, Latos struck out 189 in 184.2 IP.  He also walked only 2.4/9 IP, keeping his pitches under control especially his fastball which lights up the radar gun.  Latos was vital to the Padres team that came a game from getting to the playoffs as the biggest surprise in baseball.  Opponents: Tim Lincecum (SF), Ubaldo Jimenez (COL), Clayton Kershaw (LAD), and Ian Kennedy (ARI).


RP Heath Bell, SD
Bell's 47 saves were critical for a Padres team that needs to hold a lead when they get one, because it's unlikely the offense will get it back.  Bell was second in baseball in saves only behind Brian Wilson.  He was the old man of the bullpen at 32 and his 1.92 ERA was topped by a few guys in the best bullpen in baseball.  Bell may be a big man with limited mobility, but he is a great pitcher with a lively fastball and he struck out 11.1 batters per 9 innings, more than good enough for a closer.  Opponents: Brian Wilson (SF), Jonathan Broxton (LAD), Huston Street (COL), and Juan Gutierrez (ARI).



The amount of representatives is somewhat conducive to success of the team:

3 players: FLA, NYM, CHC, HOU, SD
2 players: ATL, CIN, SF, ARI, COL
1 player: WAS, PHI, STL, PIT, LAD
0 players: MIL

Interestingly, no National League team finished with more than three representatives; as opposed to the American League, where the Rangers topped it with six.  This team is obviously in my opinion so it is a cumulative mix of stats and sabermetrics with opinion.  I thank you for reading this post, I hope you enjoyed it.

NOTE: I'm currently working on a project to improve the blog.  Coming soon is the ability to search a player by last name and get all the posts with that player in it, as I am tagging the posts.  I will write when the project is completed.

First Basemen Front and Central

The first basemen of the central divisions of baseball may be as stacked as they ever have been in the history of baseball.  Ferocious power hitters and tenacious defenders, these guys have their names all over the offensive leaderboards.  All eleven of the eleven central teams have a great first baseman.

National League
The first basemen of the NL Central have combined for 69 homers this season, including 15 by Albert Pujols and Joey Votto each, 10 by Garrett Jones and Derrek Lee each, 6 by Lance Berkman and 13 by Prince Fielder.  St. Louis' Pujols, a three-time MVP of the NL, can be counted on for consistent power production like this for years to come.  Votto is one of the NL's top young stars, leading the Reds in their push for first at age 26.  Fielder, also only 26, has had great power for years now and became one of few Milwaukee Brewers to hit 50 home runs in a season back in 2007.  Derrek Lee, who mashed 46 HR in 2005 and 35 HR in 2009 on the Cubs, really hasn't hit as well as anyone would've liked him to in 2010 but he got hot this last weekend and looks to keep his roll going.  Lance Berkman is on the downside of his career at 34 but still is the main run producer for a failing Houston Astros offense.  Jones took Pittsburgh by storm in 2009 after his summer call-up, a thrilling young talent who, with Andrew McCutchen, has given something for Pirates fans to root for.

American League
The first basemen of the AL have combined for 65 home runs, including 7 by Billy Butler, 17 by Paul Konerko, 8 by Travis Hafner, 19 by Miguel Cabrera, and 14 by Justin Morneau.  Butler is the offensive face of the Kansas City franchise, a young slugger with dominant power still in developing stages.  Paul Konerko is having a big comeback year, flashing back to his 40 HR days of old.  Morneau is leading the AL in walks and has become a perennial fixture for the Twins.  Hafner's career has been damaged much by injury, and he hasn't played a full season since 2007 but could be getting back to his old productive self.  Cabrera has been the best offensive player in the American League in 2010.  If the Tigers make the playoffs, he is my surefire MVP.  His 19 HR and 60 RBI lead the AL, and the .328 AVG ain't too bad either.

Significance?  69 HR by NL 1B, 65 HR by AL 1B.  What's the big deal?
Well, many scouts and baseball personnel like Ryne Sandberg agree, power at the corners is crucial.  Ryno's theory is simple: power in the corners (1B, 3B, RF, LF) and speed and defense up the middle (C, 2B, SS, CF).  There is more power in the Central than any other division in both leagues, where there are 59 HR from the NL East (Ryan Howard, Ike Davis, Adam Dunn, Gaby Sanchez, and Troy Glaus) and 44 HR from the NL West (James Loney, Aubrey Huff, Todd Helton, Adam LaRoche, Adrian Gonzalez).  In the AL, there are 49 HR from the AL East (Kevin Youkilis, Mark Teixeira, Carlos Pena, Lyle Overbay, and Garrett Atkins) and 26 HR from the AL West (Daric Barton, Mike Napoli filling in for Kendry Morales, Justin Smoak, and Casey Kotchman).  While steals are on the rise in today's game, the home run ball is becoming underrated as the home run in critical in the winning formula.  With no power, there are no wins.  With no power, you get the 2010 Seattle Mariners who are last in the league in home runs and their home run leaders are Milton Bradley and Mike Sweeney with a whopping six.

The Final Home Run Stats
AL East: 49
AL Central: 65
AL West: 26

NL East: 59
NL Central: 69
NL West: 44

Want more on home runs?
Check out hittrackeronline.com and tatertrottracker.com for all the stats you want.

Cubs Walk the Plank

It's been a fail against the Pirates this season.  The Cubs fell to 1-7 against the always futile Pittsburgh team Tuesday with a hard fought but disappointing effort.  Xavier Nady was the only offense, with a two-run homer the only tick for the Cubs in the 3-2 final score.  Does anyone know who Neil Walker (pictured, left) is?  Ted Lilly does, after giving up a huge go-ahead homer in the bottom of the 8th to him.  My point is just that these nobodies that the Pirates put out on the field (Delwyn Young, Steven Pierce, Chris Jakubauskas) should definitely not be the ones beating us.  I'd rather be beaten by Andrew McCutchen than some guy's first career MLB homer.  This game showed the Cubs' 2010 motto once again: When the going gets tough, so do the Cubs.  They can't beat the bad teams, but do alright against the good ones.  That isn't a very good indication heading into this weekend's series in Houston, a bad team that is now hot, but it is the right place to get the offense going.  There is a ton of time left in this division to make a move with only St. Louis and Cincinnati contending, but it would just be easier to take off the tension and start winning now.  Houston is bad in general, and Milwaukee can't win at home which is good for when the Cubs head there next week to make their second visit this season.  The Cubs haven't played in Houston yet this season, but are 3-0 at Miller Park and 5-1 against the Brewers overall in 2010.  Houston won 2 of 3 in April at Wrigley Field.