Our 2010 MLB preview continues with a look at the National League Central, home of the best hitter in baseball, Albert Pujols.
Each of the NL Central’s teams have questions that will need to be answered.
Can the St. Louis Cardinals win another division title despite the issues with their starting pitching and bullpen? Will the Milwaukee Brewers be able to put enough pressure on the Cardinals to win the division?
Can the Chicago Cubs remain in the playoff picture by the end of the season? Will the young arms of the Cincinnati Reds be enough to help them earn a long awaited playoff appearance?
Are the Houston Astros going to be able to produce enough runs this season? Can the Pittsburgh Pirates have their first winning season since 1992?
St. Louis Cardinals
When you take a look at the 2010 Cardinals, it is hard to find a weak spot in their armor. Their offense is powered by the best hitter in the majors, Albert Pujols, and slugger, Matt Holliday, who will thrive in a full season in the cleanup spot. The one glaring omission from their offense is speed on the base paths. In 2009, Pujols led the team with 16 stolen bases.
The pitching staff is anchored by Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, who combined for 36 wins last season. Fans need to keep a close eye on their closer, Ryan Franklin, who had his best season last year. Despite the 38 saves, Franklin will turn 37 before the season is over.
The division title is the Cardinals to lose and the only way I see that happening is if one of the big name players sustain a major injury.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers will feature their own formidable offensive punch with Prince Field and Ryan Braun at the heart of the order. In 2009, the pair hit 78 home runs and had 255 RBIs. The Brewers will need Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart to live up to their potential if they are going to have consistent production.
A major reason for their collapse in 2009 was their starters’ ERA of 5.37 that ranked last in the majors. To help fix this, Milwaukee overpaid former Dodger Randy Wolf. The Brewers need to find a young arm to claim the number three spot in the rotation to help take the pressure off their up and coming ace Yovani Gallardo.
Milwaukee will finish the season with 80 plus wins for the fourth consecutive year. Despite the progress, the Brewers will not have enough to keep pace with the Cardinals for the entire season.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs took a step back last season after winning two consecutive NL Central titles. Last year they saw a drop in their run production and ended the season ranked 22nd in the majors. To address that problem Chicago decided to keep Alfonso Soriano batting sixth in the lineup behind free agent Marlon Byrd. The health of Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez will be important for the success of the offense.
The Cubs have several questions about their pitching staff, specifically can Carlos Zambrano remain focused for the entire season. Cubs’ fans have to be excited about his focus on losing weight during the off-season. The other concern besides Ted Lilly’s injury, Chicago will need to keep an eye on closer Carlos Marmol who struggled with his control last season, issuing 65 walks in 74 innings.
There are too many questions surrounding the Cubs. The only way this team will have a shot at the playoffs if the stars are all aligned and remains that way for 162 games.
Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati will rely on the strength of their pitching staff this season, led by Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto. If Homer Bailey is able to build upon his 2009 season, this group could cause some problems for the rest of the NL Central. If closer Francisco Cordero starts the season slow, the Reds would be wise to make a switch early.
Cincinnati’s offense has some pivotal players already in place. Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips can provide an offensive threat but need help. If the Reds are able to see consistent improvement from Jay Bruce, this team could develop into a potent offense.
Thanks to their pitching staff, the Reds will be in the playoff hunt for most of the season. But in the end, there will not be enough offense to help support them.
In 2009, the Astros failed to make their customary late season run and lost 44 of 74 games after the All-Star break. In order to buck this trend in 2010, the Astros will need to make use of playing in a hitter friendly park. Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman need to regain their power strokes if Houston’s offense is going to succeed.
The Astros’ pitching staff struggled last season, posting a 4.54 ERA. They brought in Brett Myers as the third starter to help Wandy Rodriquez and Roy Oswalt. Houston took a big hit losing their closer and setup man Jose Valverde and were only able to plug the open spot with Brandon Lyons.
The Astros are going to have a hard time competing in 2010 and may result in the team making trades when the deadline approaches.
The start of a new baseball season brings hope to every team, even the Pittsburgh Pirates who haven’t had a winning season in almost twenty years. The 2010 lineup will feature an overhaul that leaves one positional player from the 2008 opening day roster. Despite the turnover, the Pirates do have some players like Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones who should provide some fireworks this season.
Their pitching staff is solid and could post better numbers if their offense is able to maintain consistent run support. Paul Maholm and Zach Duke will lead this relatively unknown staff up against the NL Central. If Pittsburgh is out of contention by the trade deadline, Duke and Maholm could be traded to a contender.
Although the Pirates will not be able to make a run at the playoffs in 2010, this year should give them hope with the young talent on the field.
