Who's Winning Your Team's Division? NL Edition

Now we all watched last year a very surprising season. Cinderella Story Tampa Bay Rays win the AL East and the American League, Yankees miss playoffs, Phillies win World Series but will we see that again this year? Will the Kansas City royals win the AL Central? No, but anything is possible. Here's a look at the National League.

NL East

Philadelphia Phillies: NL East winner

Last years World Series champions are coming back this year and looking a lot the same. But then again, why change it if it isn't broken? They are coming back with Howard, Utley, Rollins and Cole Hamels, who pitched amazingly in the playoffs.

But in this long baseball season many things could happen and we could see some injuries bring this team down. It should be an interesting race between the Phillies and Mets but I see the defending champs winning the NL East again.

New York Mets: 2nd place, 1st wild card

In 2008 the Mets came close to winning the division again but another late season collapse found them out of them playoffs like the year before.

So what they did was improve the weakest part of their team, which was the bullpen, and added the closer of the year and record holder for most saves in a season, Francisco Rodriguez, or K-Rod. K-Rod will help the Mets a lot and I mean it when I say the Mets and Phillies will be tight this year.

K-Rod will be there to close games out and help get wins to the pitchers which didn't happen last year. They also improved their bullpen with relief pitcher JJ Putz from the Seattle Mariners, which was another solid pickup.

Florida Marlins: 3rd place

The Marlins have been on the outside looking in ever since their World Series win against the Yankees. (Which unfortunately occurred on my birthday, but let's not get off track.)

They have finished in third behind the Phillies and Mets for many years but the future looks bright with young stars Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez. Both of these two are all stars and great players who the Marlins need to hold onto.

The problem with the Marlins is pitching staff, though. When you look at the pitching staff they are young guys for the most part but they are missing a big, leading pitcher, which is what a good team needs. In the next couple of years though the Marlins could pass the Mets and or the Phillies in the NL East.

Atlanta Braves: 4th place

The Braves have been sitting in fourth place for the past couple of years as the Marlins and Phillies have both won World Series' and the Mets have had late-season collapses.

It was a hard decision for me whether to put the Nats or Braves at the bottom but the Braves did make an off-season splash signing Derek Lowe, which I think will help them more than the Nationals' signing of Adam Dunn. The Braves are a team that are living in the past, though. They still have Chipper Jones and signed Tom Glavine perhaps, trying to bring back the old teams that where among the elite in the league.

But in the next couple of years if the Braves don't get younger they will end up at the end of the NL East.

Washington Nationals: 5th place

This is a surprise, right? The Nationals in last place? Well, I like the look of the Nationals right now and they are close to surpassing the Braves to get out of the bottom of the NL East. They made a big splash, signing Adam Dunn and almost Mark Teixeira. They are trying to make this team into a contender and could be very close.

They don't have a big-time pitcher and again this is one of the reasons I believe they will struggle. They have some solid players at the infield positions and I wouldn't be surprised to see this team get better in the next 10 years.

NL Central

Chicago Cubs: 1st place, division winners

Yep. Is this finally their World Series year, though? A hundred years of pain coming to an end? No, probably not, but they will win the division again. They have a pretty strong team again with Soriano, Fukudome, Derek Lee, and young all-star catcher Geovany Soto.

The rest of the NL Central isn't a real strong division so this is another reason the Cubs should win this division. Fukudome struggled at the end of last season but now that he has a full season in the MLB under him he should probably be more productive. Derek Lee is still a great player and the leader of this team.

St Louis Cardinals: 2nd place, 2nd wild card

Yep, going from fourth place last year to winners of the division this year. The Cardinals if healthy last year could have came in second. This year they will be better than the Brewers with Sabathia gone. They will be better than Houston, too. The Cardinals are a good team and this year with Carpenter back and still with Rick Ankiel and Pujols leading the team they will be a surprise team this year.

Cincinnati Reds: 3rd place

This is a big shakeup from last year. The Reds are going from the bottom last year to third this year. They are a good team, even though they lost Adam Dunn in free agency. They still have Edinson Volquez and Bronson Arroyo in their pitching and Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. They are a young, strong team and could really become a real playoff contender the next couple of years.

Milwaukee Brewers: 4th place

The Brewers have a big hole in the pitching rotation now with CC Sabathia gone to the Yankees. He basically pitched them to the playoffs last year and without him, I don't know how they can get higher than fourth this year. With Prince Fielder, JJ Hardy, and Ryan Braun, they will be strong in their batting lineup but not in pitching and we saw last year with the Yankees what that can do to a team.

Houston Astros: 5th place

The Astros have already suffered a big loss with Miguel Tejada most likely going to jail and they weren't that great of a team already. Lance Berkman is still a good player as he started last year hot but cooled down at the end. Hunter Pence is getting better with experience and Carlos Lee should be a reliable hitter. The Astros are not getting any better as a team, though, while the rest of the division is.

Pittsburgh Pirates: 6th place

In a town with a phenomenal football team and great hockey history it would be fitting that the baseball team could get somewhere too. But this team really doesn't look too good on paper and while I know that isn't everything, it does count for something. It would really surprise me to see the Pirates anywhere above sixth place.

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers:1st place, Division champs

Making this, I am assuming that the Dodgers will bring back Manny because no one else will give him a an offer like the Dodgers. So with Manny coming back the Dodgers will win the West and in my opinion a strong run in the playoffs. Add in the fact that last year and possibly this year this was the weakest division in baseball.

San Francisco Giants: 2nd place

The Giants have a good looking pitching rotation. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Randy Johnson should be a dangerous three. Lincecum is coming off his Cy Young year last year, Matt Cain has progressively gotten better, and while he still isn't an all-star he can get them 15-17 wins this season. Randy Johnson, if healthy, we know how dangerous he can be. He will be tired as the year goes along and will most likely be missing many games but he will be good for 13-15 wins.

Arizona Diamondbacks: 3rd place

The Arizona Diamondbacks still have a solid pitching rotation with former Cy Young Brandon Webb, who is a frontrunner for this title every year. Strong pitching, along with Dan Haren, should make a good team. They aren't a bad team batting either.

Colorado Rockies: 4th place

We all remember that amazing run the Rockies pulled off in 2007 but this year will be far from it. It could be a toss up between the D-Backs and Rockies but I give the D-Backs the slight edge. The Rockies do have a decent team though with Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton fielding the infield.

San Diego Padres: 5th place

The Padres made the playoffs just a little while ago but in the MLB just a couple of years without doing much to improve can affect your team. The Padres don't really have anyone in their lineup that jumps off the page or even impresses you. They might change this with rumors of Jake Peavy being traded but most likely this will be too late in the season to change anything.

Well as you can see this is my predicted outcome for the National League standings and coming soon will be my take on the American League too. Thanks for reading and I can't wait to hear your comments.