NL Mid-Season Report
Thirty years after their last pennant and after several years of underperforming, it looks like things are finally going the Giants' way. They certainly have the talent to dominate the National League. In fact, I've been waiting for a few years to see this happen. Half way through the season, the Giants are a comfortable 9.5 games ahead of Pittsburgh. Their offense is ranked 1st in the NL, which is surprising when you consider how much power the Cubs have in their lineup. The Giants pitching staff is ranked second in the league, which is huge for this team.
Dick Rudolph (12-4, 2.92 ERA) leads the rotation. Meanwhile, the bullpen has the best ERA of any pen in the NL.
The Pirates have a long way to go if they plan to make this a real race. Their pitching staff is ranked 3rd in the league, but their offense is ranked just 5th. Centerfielder
Max Carey (.337, 15 HR, 48 RBI, 30 SB) is doing his part and right fielder
Chief Wilson (.295, 19 HR, 62 RBI) is driving in runs. Now they need the rest of the lineup to produce.
The Phillies are a surprising 3rd place team thanks to the sheer dominance of their pitching staff. They lead the league with a 3.39 starters ERA and their bullpen is second to San Francisco. And it doesn't hurt that they have the best defense in the league right now. 28-year-old
George McQuillan (7-4, 2.38 ERA) leads the NL in ERA and sophomore
Eppa Rixey (6-4, 2.77 ERA) is right behind him. After posting a 1.97 ERA last season, closer
Ad Brennan (2-3, 16 Sv, 1.15 ERA) is having another superb season. Unfortunately, the Phillies offense is ranked 7th. Few players are producing, and only third baseman
Jimmy Walsh (.298, 23 HR, 59 RBI) is playing at a high level.
The 3-time defending NL champion Cubs have had a very disappointing start to the season. They are just 1 game above .500 and they are 12.5 games behind the Giants. Despite leading the league in home runs, the mighty Cubs offense is ranked just 3rd in the league due to the fact that they are just 5th in batting average and stolen bases and 4th in OBP. When Chicago's offense struggles, we all know their pitching staff is not strong enough to carry the team. This season has continued to highlight that fact.
The Braves are trying to prove me wrong. After saying they were a team on the rise, the Braves have sunk to 6th place at 7 games below .500. Their offense has sputtered thanks to a lousy .237 team batting average and .304 OBP. Their pitching staff is a respectable 4th in the league, but the team has a lot of work to do in the second half.
Standings
Batting Leaders
Pitching Leaders
