MLB SEASON PREVIEW

Lindy’s 2014 National League Predictions

Lindyssports.com Staff

March 31, 2014 at 12:16 pm.

Michael Wacha is one of many power arms the Cardinals have on their team. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Washington Nationals: The Nationals took a surprising downturn last summer, but the pieces are in place for a prolonged run of excellence. The addition/theft of Doug Fister lengthens a star-studded rotation, and the offense, driven by burgeoning superstar Bryce Harper, 21, will be potent as long as Ryan Zimmerman stays healthy.

Atlanta Braves: The Braves ran away with the East in 2013, overcoming stiffs Dan Uggla and B.J. Upton to best the Nats by 10. Somehow, Atlanta keeps winning while getting younger: Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward are 24, Mike Minor and Justin Upton are 26, Julio Teheran is 22 and Alex Wood is 23. The Braves have been hit hard with injuries to their starting rotation (Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen are out for the year) but they will be there at the end. Aren’t they always?

Philadelphia Phillies: It’s a long way down from the top two in the division. The Phillies, burdened by hefty salaries being paid to declining players, were able to accomplish little during the offseason. The rotation is dreadful beyond Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and A.J. Burnett, and only the White Sox, Cubs and Marlins scored fewer runs in 2013.

Miami Marlins: The Marlins scored 513 runs last season, 85 fewer than any other team in baseball, so you can forget about any kind of quick turnaround in South Florida. Jose Fernandez, Christian Yelich and others offer hope for the future. In the meantime, the Marlins and their penny-pinching owner will take their lumps.

New York Mets: Matt Harvey’s elbow injury cast a pall over the coming season, and the Mets’ return to relevance may have to wait another year. To bridge the gap, Sandy Alderson brought in Bartolo Colon to eat up innings and Curtis Granderson to spark a moribund offense. An 80-win season would represent progress.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

St. Louis Cardinals: Much has changed in the two-plus years since St. Louis won the 2011 World Series, yet the essence of Cardinals baseball — world-class pitching backed by a cast of professional hitters — remains the same. Michael Wacha, Trevor Rosenthal, Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez — where do the Cards get all those arms?

Cincinnati Reds: Dusty Baker couldn’t get the Reds over the top, so they’ll try again with a new skipper, Bryan Price, and a new leadoff hitter, as speedster Billy Hamilton replaces Shin-Soo Choo in center field. The staff is loaded with talented arms, and Price, an esteemed pitching coach, was an inspired choice to lead them.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates shattered their glass ceiling in 2013, becoming winners again after two decades of futility. Now comes the REALLY hard part: keeping pace with the Cardinals and Reds in a top-heavy division. It’s hard to imagine the pitching staff repeating its 3.26 ERA from a year ago, third-best in the major leagues.

Milwaukee Brewers: Ryan Braun returns, having squandered his credibility and lots of goodwill, but apparently with his skills intact. Paired with rising stars Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura, he’ll help reinvigorate the offense, and the pitching staff is better than advertised. If Yovani Gallardo rebounds at 28, the Brewers could be a tough out.

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs boast assets in the pipeline, with middle infielder Javier Baez part of the first wave, but on balance, this is not a good baseball team. Jeff Samardzija, Chicago’s ace, would be a nice No. 3 on a contending club, and supposed building blocks Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo have gone backward.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

Los Angeles Dodgers: On paper at least, this is the best team in baseball, and if the Dodgers play inspired ball from the outset, they could have a stranglehold on the division by the time school lets out. Hanley Ramirez, Yasiel Puig, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Alex Guerrero — who said you can’t buy a World Series championship?

San Francisco Giants: The Giants’ run of excellence came to a crashing halt in 2013, and it will take a monumental effort to get back to the postseason. Even San Francisco’s vaunted pitching staff sprung leaks last year. Veteran Tim Hudson should help, and free agent acquisition Mike Morse will hit a few homers, but the Giants are getting stale in a hurry.

San Diego Padres: The Padres overcame a slow start to reach wild-card contention before fading last summer. If they can build off of that — a bounce-back from Chase Headley is essential — they could overtake the Giants. The Pads will go as far as youngsters Everth Cabrera, Jedd Gyorko and Yasmani Grandal can take them.

Arizona Diamondbacks: The chairs under GM Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson are red hot, and both could be gone if the Diamondbacks play mediocre baseball for a third successive season. Critics panned Towers’ offseason moves, all made with an eye toward the present but not the future. The starting pitching is nothing special.

Colorado Rockies: Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki are constants — when Tulo isn’t injured — and young bucks like Wilin Rosario can swing the bat. But the Rockies had the worst pitching in the National League last season. The front office made a bunch of winter moves, but alas, it looks like a last-place club yet again.

NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Matt Williams, Nationals

NL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Freddie Freeman, Braves

NL CY YOUNG AWARD WINNER

Stephen Strasburg, Nationals

NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Oscar Taveras, Cardinals

NL ROOKIE PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Archie Bradley, Diamondbacks

NL DIVISION WINNERS

EAST — Nationals

CENTRAL — Cardinals

WEST — Dodgers

NL WILD CARD TEAMS

Braves, Giants

NL CHAMPION

Dodgers

WORLD SERIES CHAMPION

Detroit

ALL  |  NFL  |  College Football  |  MLB  |  NBA