NL East Question 6

2011 MLB Season Preview

Biggest Questions in the NL East:

6. Is it NL East title or bust in 2011?
In 2010 both the division winner Phillies and the wild card winning Braves made the post season. This question centers around whether or not the 2011 NL Wild Card will come from the NL East. 2011 was the first time since 2003 that the NL East had won the Wild Card.

To answer this question we must look around the National League. Starting in the Western Division with the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. The Giants would be a huge disappointment if they didn’t repeat as division champions in 2011. The Padres had an amazing season in 2010, but faltered late at an almost historic rate. The Dodgers are still in a state of flux while the owner goes through a nasty divorce. The Rockies were disappointing in 2010, but should be in contention in 2011.

In the NL Central, the defending champion Reds are being looked over by most. The Cardinals were not able to hang in the race down the stretch last season, and have the contract dispute with Albert Pulos to deal with all season. Factor in the loss of Adam Wainwright and it is hard to see how the Cardinals can contend without making a deal for a front-line starter. The Brewers made a big move in the offseason getting Zach Grenke from the Royals, but will that be enough to put them in contention? I guess it is worth considering that this could be the Cubs year as well… but probably not.

At the end of the day, I believe that two of the best three teams reside in the NL East. Both the Phillies and the Braves should make the playoffs for a second consecutive year, but both Colorado and Cincinnati will be in the hunt come September.

Question #5 coming this afternoon!