Handicapping the NL Central Race

This is the first of a six part series covering each of the six Major League Baseball divisions. We are now roughly one hundred games into the 2007 Major League Baseball season. Right now, we are focusing on the National League Central. By most accounts, the NL Central is the weakest division in baseball today. I am not here to affirm or deny this. That is for you, the readers to decide.

The current standings (as of July 19,2007) look like this:

Milwaukee Brewers 53-41
Chicago Cubs 49-44 3 1/2 GB
St. Louis Cardinals 43-48 8 1/2 GB
Pittsburgh Pirates 40-54 13 GB
Cincinnati Reds 40-55 13 1/2 GB
Houston Astros 40-55 13 1/2 GB

This division is home to the past three National League champions (St. Louis in 2004 and 2006 and Houston in 2005). This season has been a difficult one for the division, however. Here is a team by team look.

Milwaukee - Far and away the best team in the Central all season. The offense is plain scary. Prince Fielder is a man-child who makes any ballpark look tiny. J.J. Hardy started this season on fire but has cooled off lately. Geoff Jenkins, while having a slow season, is still one of the more frightening hitters in the batters box for opposing pitchers however, he still has a major problem with striking out. On the pitching side, the ace of the staff, Ben Sheets has just gone down with a finger injury. The rest of the starters are serviceable at best. Francisco Cordero is one of the better closers in the National League. The problem is getting the game to him with the lead. Can they continue to lead the division and make their first playoff appearance since 1982? In this division, it is a possibility....my odds of them winning the division are 5 to 1.