MLB's NL Central: Sounding Off on the Second Half

{Writer's Note: This is the first installment of a six part series previewing the second half of the MLB season.}

The best division in the NL—and possibly in all of baseball—is stacked, and the stretch run should be a lot of fun. There are three teams that are all deserving of a playoff birth but only two will make baseball's second season—most likely the second-place team will take home the wild card spot.

Chicago and Milwaukee look like the early favorites to win the division, but don't write off the Cardinals so quickly. All three teams are entering the second half with reinforcements and it should be a true slugfest down to the last game.

Here is how I see the teams finishing the season:

1) Chicago Cubs

Tied for the best record in baseball at the ceremonial halfway point of the season, the Cubs are in great shape to make a run at getting the 100-year-old monkey off their backs.

After acquiring Rich Harden just before the break, Chicago has an incredibly powerful rotation led by the one-two punch of Carlos Zambrano and Harden, which is arguably the best in the majors.

But the Cubs are not just about pitching, their offense is ranked first in the National League. With Alfonso Soriano expected back from his broken hand next week, the lineup will get that much more dangerous.

But with 10 games remaining against the Brewers, and nine against St. Louis, the road will not be easy.

Player to Watch: Sean Marshall—A surprising pick for some, but Marshall could be a huge piece for the Cubs as they head down the stretch. As the Cubs' sixth starter/long reliever, Marshall already showed his worth, pitching two scoreless relief innings against the Giants on Saturday.

Sure, the Cubs have other pitchers that can pitch scoreless innings of relief, they do not have another pitcher who can step in should in the injury prone Harden fall victim to the injury bug once again.

Marshall will be someone to watch in the second half.

2) Milwaukee Brewers

The Brew Crew made it clear that they are determined to make the playoffs, for the first time since 1982, when they went out and traded their top prospect for CC Sabathia.

The powerful strikeout pitcher has been stellar for Milwaukee, winning both of his starts while hitting a home run and posting a 2.40 ERA. Paired with power pitcher Ben Sheets, the Brewers have a one-two punch of their own. But just like with the Cubs, health will play a major role.

Player to Watch: Prince Fielder—The Brewers have a powerful offence, but they will need Fielder to continue his impressive hitting if they have a chance at a playoff birth.

After shocking everyone with 50 home runs last season, Fielder has hit just 18 thus far this season. Home runs are not the only numbers that are down from last season—Fielder also has only 52 RBI and is batting just .270.

But it is not too late for Fielder to make his mark on the season. With 67 games remaining in the season, the Brewers will need his power to drive them to the playoffs.

3) St. Louis Cardinals

The team that everyone seems to be overlooking in this race is the Cardinals. Haven't people learned not to write off a team managed by Tony La Russa?

With players like Albert Pujols, Rick Ankiel, and Ryan Ludwick, this team is going to be dangerous down the stretch.

The real question is going to be their pitching staff. Both Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter have spent a good amount of the season on the DL, and when these players rejoin their team, it will be as good as if the Cardinals went out and acquired two top starters.

How these two, and fellow pitcher Mark Mulder, pitch after coming off the DL, will decide the fate of the Cardinals.

Player to Watch: Jason Isringhausen—The closer who once was unhittable with the Cardinals has fallen into disfavor this season. He currently sports a 5.97 ERA and a record of 1-5.

After a season in which he saved 32 games and finished with an ERA of just 2.48, Isringhausen has been replaced by Ryan Franklin in the closer's role. And while Franklin has done an admirable job, the Cardinals will need Isringhausen and his late-game experience if they hope to make the playoffs.

4) Cincinnati Reds 

The Reds have a powerful offense led by the likes of Brandon Phillips, Adam Dunn, and Ken Griffey Jr., but they have struggled to put together a winning formula.

Like every year, the Reds will cause some fireworks for fans and headaches for opposing pitchers, but those games are much too few and far between to get the Reds back into contention.

Player to Watch: Edinson Volquez—The one bright spot for the Reds this season has been Volquez. The young righty is 12-3 with an anemic 2.29 ERA and 126 strikeouts.

Once traded for Josh Hamilton, Volquez has a chance to do something special this year, and he will single-handedly keep the Reds out of the cellar in the central.

5) Houston Astros

This season has surely not turned out how Astro fans had envisioned. They currently sit in the basement of the NL Central—13 games behind the first-place Cubs.

But not everything has been bad for the Astros this season. Their star, Lance Berkman was just a starter in the All-Star game and sports a .347 BA—good enough for third in the majors. He also has 22 home runs and 73 RBI.

But this is a team game, and the rest of the Astros have not shown up this season.

Player to Watch: Miguel Tejada—Many thought the 34-year-old's career was on the way out, that was until his impressive performance in the All-Star Game that put a spotlight on the Dominican shortstop.

He has a .275 BA, 10 home runs, and 44 RBI this season, but impressed during the Midsummer Classic with his two hits and a walk in three at-bats. He also proved he is still a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop when he made a driving throw to get Justin Morneau at first with the bases loaded and two outs.

If Tejada can bring this same energy and effectiveness to the Astros for the rest of the season, he will add a very powerful weapon to set the table for Berkman and Carlos Lee in the heart of the order.

6) Pittsburgh Pirates

The outfield has been the strong suit for the Pirates this season—every player stationed on the grass has at least a .280 average and double-digit home runs.

The rest of the Pirates have been unspectacular to say the least. As Andrew rightfully pointed out, the Pirates rank ninth in overall batting—mostly because of the outfield of LF Jason Bay, CF Nate McLouth, and RF Xavier Nady—but a question often asked about the pitching staff is: Which is worse, the Pirates starters or relievers?

With a pitching staff ranked 30th in the league, this is not the Pirates' season, and it is time to move on to preparations for next season.

Player to Watch: Nady—Always considered a competent outfielder, Nady has exploded at the plate this season, sporting the fifth-best average in the National League at .321 and has added 12 home runs.

He has continued with his impressive fielding and leads the majors in outfield assists with 10.

What was thought of as a possible apparition at the beginning of the season has continued, and Nady could be a target for teams looking to add an extra bat to their lineups for the stretch run.

Stayed tuned for a preview of the National League West.