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Forecasting the second half for the National League
Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers are pacing the National League. Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports

Forecasting the second half for the National League

With the first half of the MLB season officially in the books, urgent season around the game is right ahead. The trade deadline is looming, award races are taking shape and those who have accomplished much already want to do what it takes to extend their summers into the fall.

While four teams — the Dodgers, Nationals, Diamondbacks and Rockies — have separated themselves from the pack thus far in the NL, it is still far too early to consider the ink dried in full on the National League season. With a Central Division full of teams facing tough crossroads in their seasons immediately ahead, as well as a handful of others stuck on how much, and what, to sell off over the next few weeks, the storylines around the NL still have plenty of drama to come.

Here's a look at where each team in the National League sits as the sun prepares to rise on the second half of the season.


Paul Goldschmidt is having an MVP-type season for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports

Arizona Diamondbacks (53-36, 2nd place NL West) 

The D’Backs open the second half with as large a lead in the Wild Card race as distance behind in the NL West, so to one extent or another, they should punch their card to the postseason in some capacity. Paul Goldschmidt is locked in on the MVP honors that have eluded him thus far, and the team's potent offense shows potential to keep up the pace down the stretch. The only question remaining is if the Diamondbacks can put any more pressure on the Dodgers to capture the division and avoid the stakes of the one-and-done Wild Card Game.

Atlanta Braves (42-45, 2nd place NL East) 

The Braves have been a slight surprise thus far and could continue along that path. After weathering the storm of a terrible start and subsequent loss of franchise cornerstone Freddie Freeman, they have rallied of late to pull just south of .500 on the year.

Ultimately, the Braves are having an encouraging season and should remain competitive all year, then look to make more upgrades in the offseason in hopes of taking the next step.

Chicago Cubs (43-45, 2nd place NL Central) 

It is long past time to put away the thoughts of this Cubs team being able to tap in to last year’s magic. Maybe they simply used too much voodoo at once to reverse the curse, or perhaps the hangover from the effort poured into winning it all is something they just have not been able to beat yet. Either way, this year’s club is failing to show the ability to fight from behind with the same intensity it ran away from the pack with a year ago.

There is no team in baseball that has more room to fulfill its potential, and the Cubs very well could inch their way into the postseason if the Brewers collapse down the stretch. But as for a huge surge coming from the Cubs themselves, based on how this year’s club has often appeared, those beliefs are tied to who last year's champs were as opposed to who they are now.

Cincinnati Reds (39-49, 5th place NL Central) 

After opening the year by throwing a few sucker punches at unsuspecting foes, the Reds have been thrust deeply back into their rebuilding phase. The rest of their year will be dedicated to continuing to break in their group of maturing young talents, as well as seeing if there are any final veteran parts of value that could help to hasten this movement.

Colorado Rockies (52-39, 3rd place NL West) 

The Rockies will look to get back to their oft-winning ways more frequently in the second half after sliding out of control toward the end of the first half. Still, they have a 7.5-game cushion to work with over their closest competition in the NL Wild Card, so there is some room for ebbs and flows without panic ensuing.

The biggest challenge the team could face down the stretch is if the young pitching it's relied on so heavily in the first half can avoid hitting the rookie wall and crashing Colorado’s hopes for the year with them.


The NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers have had fun in the first half of the season. Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports

Miami Marlins (41-46, 3rd place NL East) 

The highlight of the summer in Miami is hosting the All-Star festivities because as soon as they are completed, it could be a rapid deconstruction that takes place around the Marlins. The rumor mill is stirring around any and all assets they possess, and they could become the stimulus package for many a contender if they begin to ship out their various parts.

If nothing else, maybe they can find a way to at the very least finish the prolonged sale of the team, which has now grown to include the likes of Michael Jordan and Pitbull pursuing a piece of the action.

Los Angeles Dodgers (61-29, 1st place NL West) 

Over the last month, the Dodgers have gone 26-4 and pulled away from the pack as the best team not only in the National League, but perhaps in all of baseball. They have widened the gap between themselves and two other elite teams in the NL within their own divisoin and will open the second half with a 7.5-game lead.

With Clayton Kershaw firing on all cylinders and Cody Bellinger flying toward the NL Rookie of the Year, the rest of the season will be about holding course and potentially tying up any loose ends that could emerge, specifically adding a right-handed bat and another arm to fly with Kershaw.

Milwaukee Brewers (50-41, 1st place NL Central) 

For months, it seemed as if nobody wanted to win the NL Central, so the Brewers capitalized on it. Despite having a record that was not far over .500 for much of the first half, the Brewers paced the division most of the way. However, as the break drew near, they began to play much better and now look to be a legitimate postseason-caliber team.

Now the challenge will be not only to hold on to control, but also to find ways to fortify their unexpectedly competitive roster. They have said that they will not trade deeply from their revamped system, but if the Cardinals, Cubs or Pirates make a run, the temptation to keep their comfortable distance in the standings by adding a Jose Quintana or Sonny Gray-type front-line starter could be tough to resist.

New York Mets (39-47, 4th place NL East) 

It has been an uninspiring year for the Mets, who for the second consecutive year have had to survive through a rash of injuries that have kept the team from reaching its full potential. Although Yoenis Cespedes has returned to the lineup and Noah Syndergaard could be back by August, the club has already acknowledged that it will field offers on its short-term veterans headed toward the deadline.

The second half will likely consist of the Mets looking to move the likes of Jay Bruce, Neil Walker, Lucas Duda and Addison Reed, but not do anything too rash to where they will be unable to compete again next year. The window is not closed for this core, but it certainly is squeaky.

Philadelphia Phillies (29-58, 5th place NL East) 

Sell, sell, sell. The Phillies are well on their way toward gaining the top pick in the MLB Draft for the second time in three years, so any parts that could help them gain more pieces to continue to rebuild with should be available. Jeremy Hellickson, Pat Neshek and Maikel Franco could all be on the move as the hapless Phils look toward a more obvious a rebuild next year.


Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals are rolling through the regular season yet again. Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Pirates (42-47, 4th place NL Central) 

No team enters the second half in a tougher position than the Pirates. On one hand, they could be hitting their stride soon: Andrew McCutchen is playing his best in over a year, and Starling Marte is on the way back so the Bucs could easily rise quickly in the shallow waters of the NL Central standings.

On the other hand, they are still seven games back and have two weeks to decide if they want to roll the dice trying to get back into the race or strike it big by selling off McCutchen, Tony Watson and Gerrit Cole, among other high-value options.

San Diego Padres (38-50, 4th place NL West) 

Keep on growing and keep on pushing. The Padres' process goes well beyond what the box score is this season, and in many regard they should be encouraged from what their young roster has shown. Hunter Renfroe, Manuel Margot and Carlos Asuaje have shown promise as a young core around Wil Myers.

The fact that they are not in dead last place and headed toward baseball’s worst record is a success story of sorts, comparatively.

San Francisco Giants (34-56, 5th place NL West) 

The first half was a complete disaster, but perhaps the second half could at least offer some salvation in the fact it cannot possibly be as bad as its predecessor, right? I mean, mathematically it is hard to imagine the Giants could be any worse. Plus, Madison Bumgarner will rejoin the team on Saturday for the first time since his April dirt bike accident, giving San Franciso at least a chance every fifth day to slam the breaks on any further losing skids.

This is truly a case of looking at the glass as half full as possible.

St. Louis Cardinals (43-45, 3rd place NL Central) 

With a woefully underperforming lineup, health issues and a dreadful defense, it is a minor miracle that the Cardinals still have a crossroads to decide upon as the second half dawns. They could be a team that is both coming and going, all at once. With valuable trade chips in Lance Lynn and Trevor Rosenthal, the Cards could look to retool, while also testing the blockbuster waters of acquiring the desperately needed middle-of-the lineup bat.

One thing for sure is that if they hold pat and toe the line, they will continue to ride the wave of mediocrity.

Washington Nationals (52-36, 1st place NL East) 

The Nats open the second half with a 9.5-game lead and a pretty clear destiny awaiting in winning the NL East. Four Nationals — Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer, Daniel Murphy and Ryan Zimmerman — are All-Star starters for the National League, with Stephen Strasburg joining them on the club as well. Save for a few ill-timed injuries to Adam Eaton and Trea Turner, things have gone as well as could be hoped for thus far in D.C.

But to that extent, it is very clear that it is not about how the rest of the regular season goes; it is about finally breaking through in the postseason. Of all the legitimate World Series competitors, the Nationals have the most glaring need in the form of bullpen help. It is an issue they must address if they truly want to cash in on what looks to be their best chance to win the pennant to date. Otherwise, it could be another great first six months of the year that is torpedoed quickly in the seventh.

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