Midseason Report Card For Each National League Team
We are a little over halfway through the MLB season, the all-star break is upon us and the trade deadline is less than a month away. At this point during the season, we can tell how most teams will fare and how they will be, approaching the end of the season. While some teams have been impressive through the first half of the season, other teams have struggled up to this point. Today, I will be giving a midseason report card for each of the 15 teams in the National League. First, I will analyze how each team has played up to this point and then give each team a grade based on their play through the first half of the season. I hope you enjoy this article and without further ado, let us get started.
Note: All team records are through 7–5–21.
NL East
Atlanta Braves: 41–43
The Atlanta Braves have struggled to get it going so far this season and it does not help that they are in the toughest division in baseball. Marcell Ozuna and Travis d’Arnaud both had monster seasons in 2020 but are both on the IL at this moment. Ozuna was also arrested so he will be out for an extended period of time. The top of the lineup is one of the best in baseball but towards the end, it gets pretty weak. The pitching staff has been inconsistent up to this point and have had their fair share of injuries as well. Mike Soroka, Huascar Ynoa, and Tucker Davidson are all three on the IL which has put the Braves in a tight spot. Their bullpen also ranks in the bottom half of the league as they have blown thirteen saves and a 4.64 ERA. It is obvious that the Braves are better than what they have been playing but they are in one of the toughest divisions in baseball which is not going to help you out any. The Braves are in need of some pitching help which they will probably look for at the trade deadline.
Grade: B
New York Mets: 44–37
Arguably the New York Mets have had the most trouble with injuries but they have found ways to win and have remained atop the NL East. We have not seen a fully healthy Mets lineup that often but depth guys have stepped up to lead the way. The Mets have also dealt with a ton of injuries to their starting rotation. Currently Carlos Carrasco, Noah Syndergaard, David Peterson, Joey Luchessi, Dellin Betances, Corey Oswalt, Matthew Allan, Sean Reid-Foley, Robert Gsellman, Jordan Yamamoto, and Tommy Hunter are all on the injured list. But all of those injuries have not stopped the Mets from having one of the best rotations as they have the third best ERA in the league at 3.35. Jacob deGrom has been out of this world and Taijuan Walker has also been impressive. Edwin Diaz is also having an underrated season as he has tallied 18 saves and has a 2.94 ERA. If the New York Mets want to finish first in the NL East, they will have to keep up their great pitching with the Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals, and Philadelphia Phillies all within five games of them in the standings.
Grade: A-
Miami Marlins: 36–47
After a surprise playoff appearance in 2020, the Miami Marlins have not had the same amount of luck this season. They only sit 9.5 games back of the first place New York Mets but have struggled to hit the ball. They have one of the worst on-base percentages in the league and their batting average is not much better. Pitching wise the Marlins currently rank fourth in the league in ERA and ninth in WHIP. Trevor Rogers is having a breakout rookie season while Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez have rounded out the top of the rotation and are having solid seasons. They have also done all of this without their top prospect Sixto Sanchez who will miss the rest of the season while he has shoulder surgery. When you look at the Marlins farm system you will also notice that they have elite pitching prospects in Max Meyer and Edward Cabrera. The future is bright on the mound for the Marlins but the real question is going to be if they can develop any young offensive players or if they can bring anybody to Miami. Keeping Starling Marte would be a step in the right direction as they build for next season.
Grade: C
Philadelphia Phillies: 40–42
The Philadelphia Phillies have been nothing but average in recent memory and that seems no different so far this season. Their currently fourth place in the NL East but are only 5.0 games back of the first place New York Mets. The Phillies rank around the middle of the league in pitching and hitting which should not surprise you given their record. It seems like each year they have the right players but cannot put it all together to make the postseason. The front end of their rotation looks pretty good with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Zach Eflin leading the way. But it falls off pretty rapidly after that as many different players have been thrust into the final two spots in the rotation. Pretty much everybody has struggled that they have tried within their organization so it makes you wonder if they will go out and get some pitching depth at the deadline. For the Phillies, the lineup looks good but the rotation could use some work if they want to claim a Wild Card spot or compete for the division crown.
Grade: C+
Washington Nationals: 41–42
In my opinion, the Washington Nationals have been one of the more underrated teams in all of baseball this season. They have a top 10 offense and their pitching staff ranks just outside the top 10. Juan Soto and Trea Turner have each had monster seasons and Kyle Schwarber just had a monster month of June. Once reliable veteran pitchers such as Jon Lester, Patrick Corbin, and Stephen Strasburg have all struggled this season with Strasburg having been on the IL since the start of June. If these guys could return to their old selves then they would probably be the best team in the division. At the trade deadline the Nationals would most likely be looking to add pitching depth and bolster their bullpen or look for low end starters to fill their rotational needs. Their lineup has been solid this season so there is not any reason to change it. The Nationals find themselves within a tough division but they seem to get hot at the right time each year and make a deep playoff run.
Grade: B-
NL Central
Chicago Cubs: 42–43
The Chicago Cubs have had a very up and down season all the way to the all-star break. Just recently they lost eleven straight games and have been rumored to be sellers at the deadline now instead of the previous rumors that suggested that they would be buyers. The Cubs are currently third in the NL Central and 8.5 games back of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs' pitching staff has been a tale of two tapes as the bullpen has one of the lowest ERAs in the league while the starting rotation ranks in the bottom half. The offense has also struggled this season as they hold a team batting average of .227 and an on-base percentage of .306. The top of the order has been above average but the Cubs have not gotten what they expected out of Ian Happ this season. He is only batting .186 and he has been a key part of this lineup for the past couple of years. There is still a little bit of time between now and the trade deadline so time will tell how the Chicago Cubs will ultimately approach it.
Grade: C-
Cincinnati Reds: 44–40
After losing some big names in free agency like Trevor Bauer, Anthony DeSclafani, and Raisel Iglesias, many did not know how the Cincinnati Reds would respond. Well, their pitching has struggled but their offense has been one of the best in the league, as you would expect. Nicholas Castellanos and Jesse Winker are both having all-star seasons and Joey Votto has also looked like his old self when he has been healthy. The pitching staff has struggled with Luis Castillo having a career worst season and Sonny Gray has been on the IL multiple times throughout the season. Even with all of this adversity the Reds currently sit in second place in the NL Central and only 6.0 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers. At the deadline the Reds should be looking for some starting rotation help and some pieces to add to their bullpen. The Cincinnati Reds are a team that can win the NL Central if they can add some pitching.
Grade: B
Milwaukee Brewers: 51–35
Whenever the Milwaukee Brewers acquired Willy Adames, they knew that they had a need to fill and that is exactly what they did. Ever since acquired Adames the Brewers have been on an absolute tear which has led them to first place in the NL Central. The trio of Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, and Freddy Peralta makes one of the best rotations in all of baseball and they have a lockdown closer in Josh Hader. The Brewers have had their fare share of offensive struggles as they rank second to last in the league in batting average but their pitching has made up for the offensive struggles. Christian Yelich has had a bad year so far but if he can get hot the whole team might too. Milwaukee has also had some of their top hitters on the IL for the majority of the season. Kolten Wong and Lorenzo Cain are both currently on the IL but were having solid seasons before that. The Brewers could look to add a power bat such as Joey Gallo at the trade deadline but Milwaukee looks like a solid pick to win the NL Central.
Grade: A-
Pittsburgh Pirates: 31–53
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been one of the worst teams in the league but that has not stopped some of their players from putting up big numbers. Adam Frazier has one of the highest batting averages in the league while Bryan Reynolds has been the best all-around hitter for the Pirates. Ke’Bryan Hayes looks like an early pick for rookie of the year after a solid first half. The Pirates have struggled to find consistency within their starting rotation which would be expected from a team like Pittsburgh. JT Brubaker was having a good season but has fallen off recently as has Tyler Anderson. Mitch Keller was expected to be one of the Pirates' top pitchers this year but he had an ERA above 7.00 before being optioned to Triple-A. Adam Frazier has been one of the most talked-about names ahead of the trade deadline with multiple suitors being named. The Pirates might be better off keeping hold of some of their top players in hopes of being more competitive in the years to come.
Grade: D-
St. Louis Cardinals: 42–44
It has been a disappointing season for the St. Louis Cardinals so far with most of their starting rotation on the injured list and lineup inconsistency. The Cardinals have a whole starting rotation currently on the IL which has made the front office acquire veteran relief pitchers off of the waiver wire and call upon young players that should otherwise still be in Triple-A. The problems do not stop there though as the offense has been terrible. They have one of the worst batting averages and on-base percentages in the MLB. The lineup has been wildly inconsistent with some series it looks really good and then the next they struggle immensely. A change in the coaching staff might be an option but that probably will not happen with John Mozeliak in charge. The Cardinals also have a history of not being very active at the trade deadline and why should fans expect any different this season. Before the season everybody knew that the Cardinals might struggle with pitching but this team has been one of the worst Cardinals teams in recent memory.
Grade: D-
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks: 23–63
The Arizona Diamondbacks have been the worst team in the entire MLB which sort of came as a surprise. The Diamondbacks were projected to finish third in the NL West and win 79 games. That probably will not be the case as the D-Backs have struggled in just about every aspect of the game so far this season. The starting rotation has been faced with some injuries as Madison Bumgarner, Luke Weaver, and Zac Gallen are all currently on the injured list. Multiple position players such as Ketel Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and David Peralta have all been rumored to be on the trading block with the Diamondbacks going into rebuild mode and looking to sell at the trade deadline. The Diamondbacks have one of the worst pitching staffs in the MLB which is due in large part to the significant injuries they have been faced with. It will be interesting to see who all the Diamondbacks trade at the deadline in order to prepare for the future of their organization.
Grade: F
Colorado Rockies: 37–48
When you look at the Colorado Rockies record it might come as a surprise to you that they have one of the best home records in the MLB. After making a terrible trade to the St. Louis Cardinals many wondered how well the Rockies would perform this season. They have not been as bad as expected they have struggled on the mound which should come as little surprise since their home stadium is Coors Field. Trevor Story and German Marquez have both been rumored to be trade bait at the deadline. Marquez has been on fire recently but his trade value might be higher than what most fans expect. If Marquez can pitch well in Coors Field, it would be a pleasure to see him somewhere else in the league. The Rockies have plenty of young talent that have just now reached the big leagues and are producing for the team. They do not have much pitching talent which will be a cause for concern in their organization. Colorado will be selling at the deadline but they will probably hang onto Trevor Story and German Marquez.
Grade: C-
Los Angeles Dodgers: 53–32
The Los Angeles Dodgers were hit with some bad news this past week when the MLB announced that Trevor Bauer would be put on leave while the league investigates his sexual assault allegations. Clayton Kershaw was also recently placed on the IL as he will join Dustin May, Corey Knebel, Victor Gonzalez, and Jimmy Nelson. The Dodgers are currently in second place in the NL West but only 2.5 games back from the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers pitching staff currently has the lowest ERA in all of baseball which goes to show how much depth they have at that position. Los Angeles also ranks in the top 10 in the league in home runs and RBIs so their offense is no fluke either. Ahead of the trade deadline, there is not much that the Dodgers need to address. Even if they do not end up winning their division they look to be a lock to make a Wild Card spot. The Los Angeles Dodgers have the pitching to make a deep postseason run and by then they should have most of their players who are out right now back on their active roster.
Grade: A
San Diego Padres: 50–37
After a monster offseason for the San Diego Padres they currently find themselves right in the thick of things in a top heavy NL West division. The Padres are currently third in their division but should be able to join the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Wild Card game if they do not come back and win their division. San Diego still has one of the best pitching staffs in the league but they have had a few of their pitchers struggle early on. Blake Snell is the most notable as he had an ERA just below 5.00 before he was placed on the injured list. Dinelson Lamet, who looked really good last year, has also been inconsistent and was also recently placed on the injured list. Offensively the Padres have one of the best lineups in the league. Fernando Tatis Jr. leads the way but Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, Trent Grisham, and Tommy Pham are all some of the best hitters in the game. San Diego has been known to be aggressive whenever they want to get a player to improve their team and there is no reason to expect anything different this year.
Grade: A-
San Francisco Giants: 53–31
Who would have thought that in a division with two of the best teams in baseball that the San Francisco Giants would be first place in the division at the all-star break? I certainly did not see it coming but Gabe Kapler has flipped the script in San Francisco. The Giants have had one of the best rotations in the game as Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani, and Alex Wood have all had impressive seasons this late into their respective careers. The bullpen has also been solid with Jake McGee and Tyler Rogers being two surprise lockdown relievers. Veteran position players such as Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford have also shown that they still have some pop in their bats as they age on. Many say that the Giants will not end up winning the division but I think they have as good of a chance as anybody. Their rotation has been lights out and they have an offense that backs up their pitching staff and can put some runs on the board. At the very least I expect this San Francisco Giants club to be a Wild Card team but they are my pick for the NL West.
Grade: A+
