MLB Second Half Outlook and Midseason Review

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Texas seems like a prime candidate for a second half collapse.

Florida Marlins

The second youngest team in baseball has refused to show its age this season, somehow forcing their way into contention (one back of the NL East, two back of the Wild Card).

They have done so through strong starting pitching and with help from one of the best players in baseball in Hanley Ramirez.

Second Half Evaluation: (Staying Put) They will hang around longer than people expect them to because of their rotation.

Ultimately, they will break down due to a very thin bullpen and a lineup that features only one player batting over .290 (Hanley Ramirez).

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have been baseball’s most entertaining soap opera this season. Meltdowns by Milton Bradley, Carlos Zambrano, and Lou Pinella have exposed cracks in a team that cannot hit (15th in the NL in runs scored) and a shaky bullpen (10th in ERA).

Second Half Evaluation: (Falling) People keep waiting for this team to right the ship, but the problem is that the ship that they are on isn’t very good.

Even the return of Aramis Ramirez cannot relieve any of the pressure on the lineup, and, with half of their remaining games on the road (16-25 road record), the future does not look promising for the Cubs.

Milwaukee Brewers

With the exodus of C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets, the Brewers were supposed to return to mediocrity this year.

Someone forgot to tell the Brewers as they sit 1.5 games out of the Wild Card and a game out of the division.

Yovani Gallardo has stepped up and led a surprisingly solid pitching staff while Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder have supplied the runs.

Second Half Evaluation: (Staying Put) The Brewers have a plus seven run differential, are .500 on the road, and four games over .500 at home. 

This all suggests that they are a decent team with little downside, but also very little upside.

The bullpen in front of the ageless Trevor Hoffman is of extreme concern and should be the reason they ultimately fall out of the playoff race.

Afterthoughts

Cincinnati

Too young and not enough hitting to compete for the NL Central.

New York Mets

Other than David Wright, Johan Santana, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and Francisco Rodriguez, is there any player on this team that is any good?

Atlanta

The lineup is too weak to catch the Phillies.

Houston

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