NL Mid-Season Report
Until the last week of June, the Braves had held first place for about two months. They are driven by a starting rotation that ranks 2nd in the league.
Lefty Tyler (7-3, 2.27 ERA) and
Jesse Barnes (5-6, 2.75 ERA) lead the team in ERA while 5th starter
Bill James (11-4, 3.01 ERA) is tied for the MLHR lead in wins. However, the team's bullpen is ranked 8th and is a big concern. The offense is below league average after a recent slump, so there are serious doubts about whether or not the team can maintain their success as they strive for their very first pennant.
The Cubs are currently on a 6-game winning streak and have surged ahead of the Braves for first place. Their offense has hit the most home runs and scored the most runs in the league despite the fact that their #3 and #4 hitters,
Cy Williams (.181, 24 HR, 50 RBI) and
Fred Luderus (.205, 21 HR, 57 RBI), are performing below their typical levels. While the team's overall pitching staff is ranked just 5th in the league, ace
Fred Toney (8-3, 2.01 ERA) is among the top ERA's in the league,
George Pierce (11-3, 3.23 ERA) is tied for the most wins in MLHR and closer
Zip Zabel (3-4, 21 Sv, 1.91 ERA) is having his finest season.
The Cardinals have the #2 offense in the NL thanks in large part to
Rogers Hornsby (.333, 26 HR, 51 RBI), who leads the league in just about everything! Meanwhile, the team is playing great defense and their bullpen is ranked 3rd overall, led by closer
Slim Sallee (2-1, 23 Sv, 1.73 ERA).
While seven of the NL's eight teams are honestly in the pennant race, the biggest surprise has been the sluggish play of the 4-time NL champion Giants. Their offense has done well as 27-year-old left fielder
Dave Robertson (.296, 23 HR, 54 RBI) continues to improve every season. However, the team's pitching has really struggled and must show improvement if they hope to return to the World Series for the 5th straight year. Fortunately, they are only six games off the pace, which must make the other NL teams quite nervous.
Speaking of underperforming, the Reds have the top pitching staff and defense in the NL but they are just 2 games above .500. You can place blame for that record on the offense's shoulders since they rank just 7th in the league. Like the Giants, if Cincinnati gets rolling, they will provide some major competition for the teams currently atop the league.
It is also worth mentioning that the 1917 Phillies are currently on pace to break the dubious record for most losses in NL history. To make things worse, that record (43-119, .265) was set by the Phillies own franchise back in 1880.
Standings
Batting Leaders
Pitching Leaders
