The N.L. Midseason Report Card To End All N.L. Midseason Report Cards

Arizona Diamondbacks/Atlanta Braves
Chicago Cubs/Cincinnati Reds
Colorado Rockies/Florida Marlins
Houston Astros/Los Angeles Dodgers
Milwaukee Brewers/New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies/Pittsburgh Pirates
San Diego Padres/San Francisco Giants
St. Louis Cardinals/Washington Nationals

For direct access to a team, click the link of a team to take you straight there in this article.

This is my midseason report card on the National League. It includes complete break downs of each team, while assigning them overall grades, and grades for each component (defense, offense, starting pitching, bullpen, management).

I also show you how the teams have progressed through the power rankings and whether or not they're likely to make the playoffs.

Click here to go to the American League report card.

Just a couple of notes:
1. The text might be too long and sometimes it cuts of the St. Louis/Washington page. I'm trying to fix it.
2. This wasn't my original title. It was "Daniel's Huge National League Midseason Report Card," just like the American League one.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 38-51
Grade: D-

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: F
The biggest story of the year for the Diamondbacks has been the firing of former National League Manager of the Year Bob Mevlin. He was fired after starting off the season with a 12-17 record. His replacement, AJ Hinch, was heavily criticized when hired. Hinch hasn't fared much better, posting a 26-34 record.

Defense: F
The Diamondbacks have committed a collective 80 errors. Every infield starter, except Chad Tracy, has committed at least five errors. Justin Upton has also committed seven errors, while the rest of the outfield has been adequate. Miguel Montero also only catches 25 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: B
It wasn't a good start to the year when Brandon Webb went on the disabled list. He has opted against shoulder surgery and is targeting a return in September. For the rest of the pitching staff, Dan Haren (9-5, 2.01 ERA) has been phenomenal. Max Scherzer (5-6, 3.64 ERA) and Doug Davis (4-9, 3.41 ERA) have been consistent and decent, but the rest of the team has let them down. Jon Garland (5-8, 4.53 ERA) has been neither consistent nor good. The tail end of the rotation is in question but it looks like Yusmeiro Petit (0-3, 7.91 ERA) will be taking over the fifth spot in the rotation coming off the disabled list recently. The big question is whether or not Garland and/or Davis will be on the move before the trade deadline.

Bullpen: D-
The bullpen has not been stellar. The bullpen is the second worst in the National League, with a 4.92 ERA. They have also blown 13 saves. Clay Zavada (1.69 ERA) has been reliable. The closer, Chad Qualls, has blown four saves and has a less than impressive 3.62 ERA. The group of Jon Rauch (4.31 ERA), Scott Schoenweis (5.40 ERA), Juan Gutierrez (5.06 ERA), and Esmerling Vazquez (4.85 ERA) have not been reliable to maintain the lead. Blaine Boyer was recently acquired and Tony Pena was recently shipped off.

Offense: D
Arizona has one of the weaker offenses in the National League. The team struggles to hit (.247) and get on base (.323). They also have trouble batting with runners in scoring position (.228) and no team bats worse (.203) with runners in scoring position with two outs. But despite all of that, there are some starts in the Diamondbacks lineup. The biggest notable is All-Star Justin Upton, who is having a breakout year. There's also fringe All-Star Mark Reynolds, who can drive in runs. There's also a .300 batter in Felipe Lopez and good rookie numbers from Gerardo Parra. However, Stephen Drew, Chad Tracy, and Chris Young have played like trash. They also have a weak bench in Augie Ojeda and Tony Clark.

Team Thoughts

Arizona's most valuable player has been Dan Haren. No pitcher in baseball has hurled more quality starts (17) than Dan Haren. In all 17 of the 18 times Haren has pitched, he has kept his team in the game. Also, he has lasted into or past the seventh inning 14 times, preventing overwork of the bullpen. His WHIP is a tremendous 0.81 and he is a strikeout machine (12).

Arizona's least valuable player has been Chris Young. He is batting .196 with 25 RBI and a .289 on-base percentage. This is a guy that drove in 85 runs last year. Young has also been the least clutch person on the team, batting .100 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Arizona's best moment came on May 20. It was a sad day for the Diamondbacks organization as the wife of Scott Schoenweis was found dead. Arizona was playing the Marlins who took an early 4-0 lead. The Diamondbacks roared back and tied the game with the help of a Justin Upton homer. The lead was blown again, but a pair of Mark Reynolds homers put the Diamondbacks back on top. After the lead was blown for the third time, Justin Upton cranked out another homer in the thirteenth inning to put the game away.

Arizona's worst moment came on May 25. The Diamondbacks took an early 5-0 lead was were leading 7-1 at the end of the seventh. Then the bullpen and defense let the team down again and the Padres scored six runs in the eighth and ninth innings, tying the game. The Friars would win the game in the 10th inning on a Chase Headley home run.

Power Rankings

Arizona's highest ranking was 18.
Arizona's lowest ranking was 29.
Arizona's average ranking is 25.69.

Playoff Potential

The Diamondbacks will not make the playoffs. There has been surprise great play from the Rockies and Giants and the Dodgers are too far ahead to catch. They can be streaky, but not winning enough.

Atlanta Braves
Record: 43-45
Grade: C

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: C+
Honestly, Bobby Cox does not have much to work with. But the former National League Manager of the Year is making due. The Braves, despite being two games under .500, are only four games out of the division. His team knows that to be successful, they will have to win games within the division (16-12).

Defense: C
The defense has been just average. The team has committed a total of 57 errors. The left side of the infield is the main defensive problem—Chipper Jones has committed 13 of those errors while Yunel Escobar has committed 11 of them. Brian McCann has only caught 26 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: A-
The one consistent staple on this Atlanta team has been the starting pitching rotation. The starting rotation has compiled a 3.77 ERA and have hurled 49 quality starts. Jair Jurrjens (7-7, 2.91 ERA) has been underrated, following up his rookie season with another great year. Javier Vazquez (6-7, 2.95 ERA) has been a great addition to the staff, with a minuscule 1.07 WHIP. Derek Lowe (8-7, 4.39 ERA) started off the season hot, but has since cooled down. Kenshin Kawakami (5-6, 4.26 ERA) has been a consistent starter while rookie sensation Tommy Hanson (4-0, 2.85 ERA) has lived up to the hype. Imagine how great this staff would be had been if Tim Hudson had been healthy and starting.

Bullpen: C
Early bullpen problems caused there to be a split closer role with Mike Gonzalez (9 saves, 3.43 ERA) and Rafael Soriano (12 saves, 1.48 ERA) splitting the duties. Those two make up the team's 17 saves, but they also comprise of five of the team's 11 blown saves. Peter Moylan (4.62 ERA) and Kris Medlen (5.85 ERA) have been unreliable, while the Braves look for good things from Eric O'Flaherty and Boone Logan. With Buddy Carlyle and Jeff Bennett on the DL, Manny Acosta (3.32 ERA) has been good.

Offense: C-
The Braves have one of the weaker offenses in the National League. They do not score a lot of runs (373). However, they are collectively one of the more clutch teams, batting .287 with runners in scoring position with two outs. Brian McCann, an All-Star, has rebounded well from injury. Chipper Jones has continued his consistent offensive play, while Yunel Escobar has been hovering around .300 all year and Garrett Anderson is finally starting to hit. The Braves acquired Nate McLouth to bring a big bat to the team. Jeff Francouer was shipped of to New York while Martin Prado has been an excellent fill-in at second base for Kelly Johnson (will he take over full-time?)

Team Thoughts

Atlanta's most valuable player has been Chipper Jones. Larry Wayne is batting .290 with nine home runs, 40 RBI, and an .878 OPS. More impressive is that Chipper is batting .444 with a 1.489 OPS with runners in scoring position and there's two outs. If only he could stay healthy...

Atlanta's least valuable player has been Jeff Francouer, who has since been traded. The local boy was only batting .250 and he had an embarrassing .276 on-base percentage. His great defense doesn't outweigh his inconsistent, terrible offense. He's only batting .250 with runners in scoring position and he has four times as many strikeouts as walks.

Atlanta's best moment came on June 2. The Braves quickly fell behind to the Cubs 0-5, and Chicago maintained the lead through the end of seven innings. The Braves got three runs in the eighth, with the help of a Garrett Anderson home run, while Jeff Francouer hit a home run to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. There's also nothing better than a walk-off hit by Chipper Jones in the bottom of the twelfth.

Atlanta's worst moment came on April 18. The Braves were shut out by the Pirates the night before. This game would be worse, as they lost 10-0. Braves pitching gave up six RBI to Craig Monroe while the Braves offense only managed to get four hits. The loss dropped them below .500 after their scorching start.

Power Rankings

Atlanta's highest ranking was 3.
Atlanta's lowest ranking was 25.
Atlanta's average ranking is 16.85.

Playoff Potential

The only way the Braves will make the playoffs is if they win the NL East. This rating may seem low, but I have ranked all of the NL East teams low. None of them have been playing like they want to win, but it'll be a close race.

Chicago Cubs
Record: 43-43
Grade: C
-

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: D
After being the best offensive team in baseball, the Cubs are now one of the worst. Milton Bradley has been a bust while the Kosuke Fukudome experiment hasn't worked out. Many are questioning whether or not Lou Piniella has lost his fire. The Cubs continue to ride their roller coaster.

Defense: C
The Cubs defense is average, at best. The team has committed 56 errors. Alfonso Soriano looks embarrassing (seven errors) in left field, and Ryan Theriot has his share (nine) of errors. Derek Lee continues to play excellent defense at first and Kosuke Fukudome has showed brilliance in the outfield (only one error). Geovany Soto catches only 29 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: B+
The starting pitching has been a consistent part of the team, and they should have more wins (thank you Cubs offense). Carlos Zambrano (5-4, 3.53 ERA) has been good, but sometimes irritatingly inconsistent. All-Star Ted Lilly (9-6, 3.18 ERA) has had a great year. Randy Wells (4-4, 2.72 ERA) is making a strong case for Rookie of the Year. Rich Harden (5-6, 5.47 ERA) is battling injury problems and has been way too inconsistent. Ryan Dempster's (5-5, 4.09 ERA) on the disabled list while the tail end of the Cubs rotation is up in the air.

Bullpen: C+
The bullpen has been iffy at times, but otherwise consistent. The bullpen has a 3.89 ERA with 20 saves (and 13 blown saves). Kevin Gregg (16 saves, 3.32 ERA) has been hard to watch, as has Carlos Marmol (1.57 WHIP, 4 blown saves). The bullpen has gotten a boost with the return of Angel Guzman (2.60 ERA) and Sean Marshall (1.65 ERA) has been great in the bullpen. Aaron Heilman (4.32 ERA, 5 blown saves) has been inconsistent. The Cubs are hoping for good things from Jeff Samardzija, while Neal Cotts just had Tommy John surgery.

Offense: D
The Cubs offense has been wretched. They don't score (355 runs) and they don' hit (.247 batting average). Derek Lee (57 RBI) started off slow, but otherwise has been great. Ryan Theriot (.299 avg) has been consistent. The recent return of Aramis Ramirez should really help this offense. Kosuke Fukudome started off hot, but has stunk recently. Milton Bradley hasn't done anything productive offensively. Last year's All-Stars Geovany Soto (now on the DL) and Alfonso Soriano are only batting around .230 and there's absolutely no run production from second base. Jake Fox and Micah Hoffpauir have been good, but the rest of the bench (Mike Fontenot, Jeff Baker, Koyie Hill) is iffy. Reed Johnson also just returned off the disabled list.

Team Thoughts

Chicago's most valuable player has been Derek Lee. He started off the season slow, but has since been great. Without his bat, there's no telling how many more losses he Cubs would have. He's batting .280 with 17 home runs and 57 RBI. He's also batting .297 with runners in scoring position and plays great defense at first base.

Chicago's least valuable player has been Milton Bradley. Not only is he poison in the clubhouse, he's not producing on the field. He's batting .243 wih six home runs and 21 RBI (and .760 OPS) and batting .205 with a with runners in scoring position. Last year at this time, he was batting .316 with 19 home runs and 57 RBI and a 1.050 OPS.

Chicago's best moment came on June 18. The Cubs were playing their cross-town rivals, the White Sox. The Cubs were losing 5-1, going into the bottom of the eighth inning. Derek Lee and Geovany Soto then hit back-to-back home runs to tie the game and the Cubs won on a walk-off single from Alfonso Soriano in the bottom of the ninth.

Chicago's worst moment came on April 29. It was against the Diamondbacks and the pitching matchup was Ryan Dempster against Doug Davis. The Cubs got blown out 10-0 and only managed to squeak out two hits.

Power Rankings

Chicago's highest ranking was 5.
Chicago's lowest ranking was 20.
Chicago's average ranking is 13.92.

Playoff Potential

The Cubs are sitting at .500 and continue to play inconsistent ball. However, the NL Central isn't that strong and the Cubs are only 3.5 games out of the division lead. They'll need to win the division to get into the playoffs, it looks like.

Cincinnati Reds
Record: 42-45
Grade: C
-

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: C
Honestly, the Reds are performing a lot better than most people would have suspected. They're only five games out of the division, despite being at three games under .500. Dusty Baker has made some questionable decisions, but has also had to deal with some problems, mostly the loss of the Reds best player, Joey Votto, for a while.

Defense: D+
The Reds have committed 59 errors as a team. Brandon Phillips and Jerry Hairston have both committed seventeen of those errors, but they've both also saved lots of runs. Chris Dickerson has had a sweet glove and Jay Bruce has a rocket arm. Ramon Hernandez catches 34 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: C-
The starting rotation has compiled a 4.62 ERA. Aaron Harang (5-9, 4.18 ERA) has been consistent, yet iffy. Johnny Cueto (8-6, 3.62 ERA) has been All-Star caliber. Bronson Arroyo (9-8, 5.38 ERA) and Micah Owings (6-9, 4.94 ERA) have both been had their ups and downs, but more of the latter. Homer Bailey (1-0, 5.16 ERA) is starting to look better, but doesn't last long into games. Things didn't go so well when Edinson Volquez went on the disabled list.

Bullpen: A-
The bullpen has been a strong suit for the Reds. No team has blown fewer saves (five) and they have only compiled a 3.58 ERA. David Weathers (13 H, 3.26 ERA), Arthur Rhodes (15 H, 1.78 ERA), Danny Herrera (2.62 ERA), and Nick Masset (7 H, 2.29 ERA) have been reliable. Things also look promising with Carlos Fisher (3.09 ERA) and Josh Roenicke (2.61 ERA). The Reds also have an All-Star closer in Francisco Cordero (21 saves, 1.75 ERA).

Offense: C-
Cincinnati has a weak offense. They don't get a lot of hits (732) or score a lot of runs (356) or drive in lots of runs (338). For the time Joey Votto has played, he's been a fantastic .350+, 1.000+ OPS batter. Brandon Phillips (60 RBI) and Jay Bruce (41 RBI, DL) have shouldered the run production burden. Willy Taveras has been an awful lead-off hitter (.288 OBP). Will the recent return of Edwin Encarnacion help spark the lineup? There's lots of time split between with Laynce Nix, Jerry Hairston, and Chris Dickerson. Ryan Hanigan and Jonny Gomes have also been great.

Team Thoughts

Cincinnati's most valuable player has been Johnny Cueto. This would have gone to Joey Votto, had he not missed so much time. Cueto has a 3.62 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. Eleven of his starts have been quality and he preserves the great bullpen by lasting long into games.

Cincinnati's least valuable player has been Willy Taveras. A lead-off hitter with a .288 on-base percentage is not a good sign. He can't utilize his speed (17 stolen bases) because he doesn't get on base. He also is only batting .143 with runners in scoring position with two out.

Cincinnati's best moment came on July 2. The Reds were hosting the Diamondbacks and were down 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. Drew Sutton tied the game with an RBI. The bigger moment came in the bottom of the eleventh, when Joey Votto, who had just returned after dealing with the stress of his father's death, hit his first walk-off single.

Cincinnati's worst moment came on July 6. The Reds were facing the Phillies. The Phillies put a 10-spot on the board in the first inning against the Reds best pitcher, Johnny Cueto. The Reds only got five hits, and were blown out 22-1.

Power Rankings

Cincinnati's highest ranking was 8.
Cincinnati's lowest ranking was 21.
Cincinnati's average ranking is 13.38.

Playoff Potential

The Reds could make the playoffs, but they would have to win the division. I don't think they could jump the Cardinals, Brewers, and Cubs and stave off the surging Astros, but anything is possible with the NL Central.

Colorado Rockies
Record: 47-41
Grade: B

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: B+
This would be an A, had it not been for Clint Hurdle's god awful 18-28 start. Since then, Hurdle's replacement Jim Tracy has the Rockies playing 29-13 baseball. Tracy adapted to he struggles of Garrett Atkins and Troy Tulowtizki and has the Rockies in a serious playoff push for the Wild Card.

Defense: C+
The Rockies play average defense, having already committed 52 errors. Todd Helton is great at first, while the rest of the infielders have committed at least five errors apiece. The outfield has been great. Chris Iannetta hasn't been great, only catching 24 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: B
The starting rotation has been awfully impressive, with a 4.15 ERA, five complete games, and 52 quality starts. Aaron Cook (8-3, 3.98 ERA) and Ubaldo Jimenez (6-9, 3.81 ERA) have been reliable and consistent. NL wins leader Jason Marquis (11-6, 3.65) has started to dominate. Jorge De La Rosa (6-7, 5.21 ERA) has lost his first six decisions, but has won six of his last seven.

Bullpen: D
Colorado's bullpen has an awful 4.85 ERA, but has only blown eight saves, which speaks to how good their starting rotation has been. Joel Peralta (4.34 ERA) and Matt Daley (4.50 ERA) have all given up too many runs. The Rockies hope they have promising relievers in Franklin Morales (2.38 ERA) and Josh Fogg (1.96 ERA). Manny Corpas is on the disabled list, and Alan Embree's season is done. Huston Street (22 saves, 2.75) has been a great closer.

Offense: A-
The Rockies produce lots of runs (420 RBI) and hit lots of home runs (103). Todd Helton and Brad Hawpe are .315+, 55+ RBI batters. Clint Barmes (44 RBI) has also been consistently producing. Ian Stewart can drive in runs (44 RBI), but cannot consistently hit (.223 average). Same thing applies to Troy Tulowitzki (37 RBI/.254 average). There's not enough production from left field and Dexter Fowler needs to hit more for a lead-off hitter. Chris Iannetta also needs to bat better (.232 average). Colorado has an above average bench (Yorvit Torrealba, Garrett Atkins, Omar Quintanilla, Ryan Spilborghs, and Seth Smith).

Team Thoughts

Colorado's most valuable player has been Brad Hawpe. Hawpe is batting .320 with 14 homers, 59 RBI, and a .973  OPS. He's also batting an insane .349 with runners in scoring position and .313 with runners in scoring position with two outs.

Colorado's least valuable player has been Garrett Atkins. Atkins's playing time has been reduced because he's played so bad. He's only batting .230 with six home runs and 28 RBI. He's only batting .263 with runners in scoring position. Ian Stewart has taking over the primary role at third base.

Colorado's best moment came on June 20. Down 7-4 going into the bottom of the eighth, Chris Iannetta hit a three run home run to tie the game. In the bottom of the ninth, Todd Helton hit a walkoff two-run home run to give the Rockies their 16th win in their last 17 games.

Colorado's worst moment came on June 29. The Rockies were playing the Dodgers and wanted to prove that they were for real. Ryan Spilborghs gave the Rockies a 2-0 lead with a homer, but the opposing pitcher Randy Wolf tied the game with a two-run single. Andre Ethier would win the game on a walk-off homer in extra innings.

Power Rankings

Colorado's highest ranking was 11.
Colorado's lowest ranking was 29.
Colorado's average ranking is 13.38.

Playoff Potential

The Rockies could make the playoffs. The division might be too far out, but the Wild Card will be a great battle down to the wire with the Giants. Can the Rockies offense compete the Giants pitching? The Rockies are Buster Olney's sleeper pick in the National League.

Florida Marlins
Record: 46-44
Grade: B

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: B
The Marlins got off to that scorching 11-1 start. Then they would drop to six games under .500, and are now back over the hump and in the NL East crown race. They're only four games behind Philadelphia and four games out of the Wild Card. The Marlins are inconsistent, but successful.

Defense: C-
The Marlins have played awful defense. The team has committed a collective 61 errors. Every infielder has committed at least five errors, with Emilio Bonifacio having 13 errors, Hanley Ramirez having eight, and Dan Uggla having seven. The outfield has been good, but John Baker can't catch people stealing (only 20 percent caught stealing).

Starting Pitching: C-
The starting rotation has a 4.57 ERA. All-Star Josh Johnson (8-2, 2.74 ERA) has been phenomenal. Chris Volstad (6-8, 4.44 ERA) has been too inconsistent, as have Andrew Miller (3-4, 4.50 ERA) and Sean West (3-4, 4.91 ERA). Ricky Nolasco (6-7, 5.76) was atrocious before being demoted, but has bounced back extremely well. Anibal Sanchez was just moved to the 60-day DL.

Bullpen: C
Florida's bullpen has compiled a 3.93 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. They also have 20 saves (and 12 blown saves). Brian Sanches (1.25 ERA) and Renyel Pinto (2.81 ERA) have been good and Burke Badenhop (3.45 ERA) has been reliable. The Fish hope that Brendan Donnelly is effective and Kiko Calero (1.95 ERA) just came off the disabled list. Matt Lindstrom's injury has forced split duties for the closer role between Leo Nunez (3.79 ERA) and Dan Meyer (1.78 ERA).

Offense: C+
The Marlins have a pretty good offense. They have one of the best players in the game in Hanley Ramirez, the league-leader in batting average plus his 60 RBI. Cody Ross and Jorge Cantu are each consistent .275+, 50+ RBI batters. Emilio Bonifacio is a speed-demon, but doesn't get on-base (.304 OBP) enough. Dan Uggla can drive in runs (50 RBI), but cannot consistently hit (.227 average). Jeremy Hermida and Chris Coghlan also do not produce enough. The bench (Ronny Paulino, Ross Gload, Wes Helms, Brett Carroll) is average.

Team Thoughts

Florida's most valuable player has been Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez is batting .349 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI. He also has a .411 on-base percentage. The most impressive stat is that Ramirez is batting .459 with runners in scoring position and .448 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Florida's least valuable player has been Dan Uggla. Sure, he does have 49 RBI, but that's not the whole story. His .227 average is horrendous. He is also only batting .196 with runners in scoring position and .216 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Florida's best moment came on July 8. The Marlins shut out the Giants 7-0. Chris Volstad threw a five-hit shutout, while the offense was clicking on all cylinders (getting 11 hits off of a good pitcher in Sadowski).

Florida's worst moment came on April 27. The Marlins gave up six runs to the Mets in the first inning. The Marlins would proceed to lose 7-1. The offense only got two hits and the Marlins lost their seventh game in a row.

Power Rankings

Florida's highest ranking was 1.
Florida's lowest ranking was 26.
Florida's average ranking is 14.31.

Playoff Potential

The Marlins could make the playoffs. They play in a weak division, and we've seen them go far before. They're only two games over .500, but that's good for four out of first place and only four games out of the Wild Card.

Houston Astros
Record: 44-44
Grade: C+

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: C+
The Astros do what they usually do and started off slow. Cecil Cooper has made some very questionable decisions, but the Astros are still in the thick of the NL Central race. Even though they're at .500, they're only 3.5 games out. Houston has had to adapt to some problems, like Jose Valverde's injury.

Defense: B+
The Astros play decent defense, having only committed 44 errors. Miguel Tejada has committed a fourth of team's errors (12). Lance Berkman also hasn't been the best at first base (six errors). The outfield has been great, especially Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence has a great arm. Ivan Rodriguez caught 30 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: C
The starting rotation has a 4.32 ERA. Although he's been good as of late, Roy Oswalt (5-4, 3.85 ERA) has been inconsistent. Wandy Rodriguez (8-6, 2.96 ERA) has been spectacular, while Brian Moehler (6-5, 5.08 ERA) and Felipe Paulino (2-5, 7.04 ERA) have been unreliable. Mike Hampton (5-6, 4.52 ERA) and Russ Ortiz (2-3, 5.26 ERA) have had their good moments, but they've still been inconsistent.

Bullpen: C-
Houston's bullpen has been iffy sometimes, but otherwise consistent. The bullpen has a 4.05 ERA, but 17 blown saves. LaTroy Hawkins (2.39 ERA), Chris Sampson (14 H, 3.02 ERA), and Alberto Arias (1.57 ERA) have been reliable. Jeff Fulchino (3.79 ERA) and Tim Byrdak (3.45 ERA) have also been consistently good. Jose Valverde (8 saves, 3.43 ERA) is battling injury, so he's been iffy but better as of late.

Offense: B-
The Astros have a legitimate offense. There's Miguel Tejada, a .325+, 45+ RBI batter and Carlos Lee, a .300+, 45+ RBI batter. They also have All-Star Hunter Pence, a .300+, 35+ RBI batter. Lance Berkman started off slow, but has rebounded with a .400+ OBP and 55+ RBI. Michael Bourn (32 stolen bases) is also a good leadoff hitter. Ivan Rodriguez stinks on offense and Kazuo Matsui and Geoff Blum aren't really productive at all. The bench (Darin Erstad, Humberto Quintero, Matt Kata, and Jason Michaels) is also weak.

Team Thoughts

Houston's most valuable player has been Michael Bourn. He's a real spark at the top of the lineup, batting .286 with 32 stolen bases. Besides that, Bourn is batting .391 with runners in scoring position and .394 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Houston's least valuable player has been Kazuo Matsui. He has not been productive at all. He's only batting .252 with 21 RBI. He also only has a .313 on-base percentage. With runners in scoring position and two outs, Matsui is only batting .208.

Houston's best moment came on June 2. The Astros were hosting the Rockies, and were down 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. Miguel Tejada singled in the tying run to force extra innings. He then hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eleventh to win the game. Tejada had all three RBI in the game.

Houston's worst moment came on April 25. The Astros were playing the Brewers. They didn't blow the lead just once, or twice, but thrice. Prince Fielder hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and Ryan Braun hit an RBI single in extra innings to make the Astros lose.

Power Rankings

Houston's highest ranking was 19.
Houston's lowest ranking was 29.
Houston's average ranking is 23.62.

Playoff Potential

The Astros could make the playoffs, but I don't think they will. They have the offensive firepower, but the pitching is too weak. They're also only 17-24 within their division.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 56-32
Grade: A

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: A
The biggest story of the year for all of baseball was the Manny Ramirez steroids 50-game suspension. The baseball critics assumed that the Dodgers would be doomed without him, but they still thrived, and in-fact have been the best team in baseball all year. Joe Torre manages the team to avoid distractions and get the W.

Defense: A-
They have the third best defense in the National League, having only committed 40 errors. Casey Blake and Rafael Furcal have combined for 18 of those. Orlando Hudson's defense at second base has been great. The outfield's been good as Matt Kemp has a rocket arm (10 assists). Russell Martin also catches 33 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: A
The Dodgers have by far one of the best starting pitching staffs in baseball (3.74 ERA, .236 batting average against, 1.29 WHIP). All-Star Chad Billingsley (9-4, 3.38 ERA) has been lights out and a strikeout machine (119 Ks). Randy Wolf has been consistently good (4-3, 3.45 ERA) and Clayton Kershaw (7-5, 3.16 ERA) continues to amaze the baseball world every week. Hiroki Kuroda (3-5, 4.67 ERA) is still battling injury. They're functionally working with a four-man rotation right now with Eric Milton (2-1, 3.80 ERA) on the disabled list. Eric Stults came off the DL recently and is in the minors.

Bullpen: A
The Dodgers have the second best bullpen in the National League (3.31 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, .227 batting average against). Ramon Troncoso (8 H, 1.75 ERA), Jeff Weaver (3.48 ERA), and Guillermo Mota (3.51 ERA) have all been reliable and effective. A huge blow to the bullpen is the injury of Ronald Belisario (10 H, 2.42 ERA). The Dodgers hope that Claudio Vargas will be effective and that James McDonald (4.71 ERA) and Cory Wade (5.53 ERA, 6 blown saves) will fare better. All-Star Jonathan Broxton (20 saves, 3.10 ERA, 0.93 WHIP) has been stellar, but now injured.

Offense: A
The Dodgers are the best hitting (.275) team in the NL and no team gets on base more (.354). They're also top-three in almost every offensive category. Manny Ramirez's return will be a huge spark for this offense. They have Matt Kemp, a .320+, 50+ RBI hitter. Casey Blake (.285 avg/55 RBI) and Orlando Hudson (.283 avg/48 RBI) have also been extremely good. James Loney (54 RBI) has been an effective run producer. Andre Ethier can drive in runs (56 RBI), but can't bat consistently. More production is also needed from Rafael Furcal and Russell Martin. They also have a great bench in Juan Pierre, Mark Loretta, Brad Ausmus, and Juan Castro.

Team Thoughts

Los Angeles's most valuable player has been Juan Pierre. Yes, he is now on the bench due to Manny's return, but he more than filled in while he was gone. He is batting .328 with 25 RBI and 23 stolen bases. Not only that, he is batting .355 with runners in scoring position.

Los Angeles's least valuable player has been Rafael Furcal. Furcal is only batting .256 with 21 RBI. He also only bats .200 with runners in scoring position, and .154 with runners in scoring position and two outs. He has yet to perform since returning from injury.

Los Angeles's best moment came on June 6. The Dodgers were losing to the Phillies 2-1, going in to the bottom of the ninth inning. Rafael Furcal hit a home run to tie the game and force extra innings. Andre Ethier would then hit a walk-off home run in the eleventh.

Los Angeles's worst moment came on May 30. The Dodgers were absolutely embarrassed by the Cubs. The Dodgers were shutout 5-0, and only managed to squeak out five hits. The Dodgers had five opportunities with runners in scoring position, but failed each time.

Power Rankings

Los Angeles's highest ranking was 1.
Los Angeles's lowest ranking was 8.
Los Angeles's average ranking is 2.15.

Playoff Potential

The Dodgers will more than likely make the playoffs. Their pitching is too good, and Manny should inject some power into the offense, no word play intended. They have the biggest division lead (seven games) in the MLB.

Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 45-43
Grade: B

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: B
Ken Macha has the Brewers jockeying back and forth with the Cardinals for first place. The acquisition of Trevor Hoffman was a godsend for the Brew Crew's bullpen. Macha has had to deal with a depleted middle infield, and the Brewers are still two games over .500 despite losing Rickie Weeks.

Defense: B
The Brewers play pretty good defense, having committed 48 errors on the year. Prince Fielder has flashed some nice glove work at first base. The bulk of the errors come from Rickie Weeks (six errors), whose on the disabled list and JJ Hardy (five errors). Jason Kendall isn't very good, only catching 20 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: D-
Ryan Braun was calling for a change in pitching for a reason. The Brewers starting rotation has an awful 5.03 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. Opponents are also batting .268 against the rotation. Yovani Gallardo (8-7, 3.22 ERA) has been excellent and was an All-Star snub. Jeff Suppan (5-6, 4.70 ERA) hasn't been great or consistent. Same applies to Braden Looper (7-4, 4.94 ERA). The pitching depletions have forced the Brewers to use Mike Burns (6.55 ERA) ineffectively in starting pitching roles. Dave Bush (3-4, 5.67 ERA) should be returning soon, while Manny Parra (3-8, 6.78 ERA) has struggled all year, but is looking to rebound after a minors stint.

Bullpen: B
The bullpen has been great, compiling a 3.79 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Mark DiFelice (8 H, 1.83 ERA), Todd Coffey (13 H, 2.80 ERA), Mitch Stetter (14 H, 2.76 ERA), and Chris Smith (2.38 ERA) have all been reliable. Carlos Villanueva (5 blown saves, 6.41 ERA) has not been good. Trevor Hoffman (10 saves, 2.05 ERA) has been a great addition.

Offense: B+
The Brewers have one of the best duos in baseball in Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun. Both not only have .390+ OBP, but also .300+ averages and 55+ RBI. Mike Cameron and Corey Hart can both drive in runs, but don't bat consistently enough. Casey McGehee has been an excellent rookie while JJ Hardy, Bill Hall, and Jason Kendall continue to stink. The loss of Rickie Weeks was also a blow to this offense. The bench (Jody Gerut, Frank Catalanotto, Craig Counsell, Mike Rivera) is about average.

Team Thoughts

Milwaukee's most valuable player has been Prince Fielder. Not only does he have an insane .442on-base percentage, he's also batting .315 with 22 home runs, 78 RBI, and a 1.055 OPS. If it weren't for Albert Pujols, Fielder would be the front-runner for MVP. Fielder is batting .371 with runners in scoring position with two outs.

Milwaukee's least valuable player has been Bill Hall. His playing time has been reduced because of it. Hall is batting .199 with five home runs and 19 RBI. He also only has a .260 on-base percentage and is batting .196 with runners in scoring position.

Milwaukee's best moment came on June 27. The Brewers were down 4-0 early, and Prince Fielder and Casey McGehee hits home runs to tie the game. Going into the bottom of the ninth, the Brewers were down 6-4. Corey Hart and JJ Hardy hit RBI singles to tie the game, and then Prince Fielder hit a walk-off RBI double off of Brian Wilson to give the Brewers the victory.

Milwaukee's worst moment came on June 7. The Brewers blew the lead thrice. Chipper Jones hit two home runs and a triple and Yunel Escobar hit an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to give the Braves the victory off of the Brewers bullpen.

Power Rankings

Milwaukee's highest ranking was 3.
Milwaukee's lowest ranking was 27.
Milwaukee's average ranking is 11.38.

Playoff Potential

The Brewers could make the playoffs, but need to fix their rotation. They have a potent offense, and a great bullpen. Both of those components provide enough protection for at least a decent rotation.

New York Mets
Record: 42-45
Grade: C-

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: D
Jerry Manuel for mis-manager of the year? He is constantly misusing the bullpen (wrong pitching match-ups and overusing pitchers) and putting in weird lineups. When the Phillies were struggling and the division was within reach, the Mets decided to one-up them and struggle more. It's not all Jerry's fault, though, as there have been lots of injuries.

Defense: C
The defense has been average, and the Mets have committed a collective 56 errors. David Wright has the bulk (12) of the errors, while Luis Castillo hasn't been good (six errors), either. The outfield could really use Carlos Beltran's glove and arm. Brian Schneider hasn't been tested much behind the plate.

Starting Pitching: C-
The starting rotation has not been good (4.70 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, .271 batting average against). Johan Santana (10-7, 3.09) has done his usual thing. Mike Pelfrey (7-4, 4.47 ERA) and Livan Hernandez (5-5, 5.10 ERA). Fernando Nieve (3-3, 3.03 ERA) has been a great fill-in for the injured John Maine (5-4, 4.52 ERA). Will Oliver Perez (2-2, 8.78 ERA) be effective in his return from the disabled list?

Bullpen: B
The bullpen has been pretty reliable (3.66 ERA), and a lot better than last year. The loss of JJ Putz hurt a little. Pedro Feliciano (16 H, 2.52 ERA) has been fantastic, but maybe overused. Bobby Parnell (14 H, 4.37 ERA), Sean Green (9 H, 5.54 ERA), and Brian Stokes (3.93 ERA) are all nail-biting to watch. The Mets hope Elmer Dessens (2.70 ERA) can be effective. Francisco Rodriguez (23 saves, 1.90 ERA) continues to be one of the best closers in the game.

Offense: C+
The Mets can hit and get on-base, but they can produce runs. The injuries to Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, and Carlos Beltran are the major reason for this. David Wright can hit for average, but has lost the ability to hit for power. Gary Sheffield has been a great acquisition. Brian Schneider, Daniel Murphy, and Alex Cora don't consistently hit enough, but Jeremy Reed and Luis Castillo do. This bench (Omir Santos, Fernando Tatis, Nick Evans) is decent.

Team Thoughts

New York's most valuable player has been Francisco Rodriguez. The Mets had such an awful bullpen the last two years, that cost team trips to the playoffs. He brought stability to the bullpen, that was dealt a blow with the loss of JJ Putz. K-Rod has 23 saves in 26 opportunities and a 1.90 ERA.

New York's least valuable player has been Alex Cora. He hasn't been the ideal fill-in for Jose Reyes. Cora is only batting .246 with 12 RBI. He's also only batting .229 with runners in scoring position and doesn't have the speed (seven stolen bases) that Reyes does.

New York's best moment came on May 23. The Mets were playing in Boston and were down 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. Facing Jonathan Papelbon, Omir Santos launched a two-run home run over the Green Monster to give the Mets the victory.

New York's worst moment came on June 12. The Mets were up 8-7 going into the bottom of the ninth inning. There were two men on base with two outs. Alex Rodriguez hit a pop-up...and Luis Castillo dropped it. That allowed two runs to score and give the Yankees the victory.

Power Rankings

New York's highest ranking was 23.
New York's lowest ranking was 4.
New York's average ranking is 13.62.

Playoff Potential

The Mets are not playing like they want to win. Even David Wright says they stink. They're three games under .500 and fourth in their division. They don't know when Reyes and Beltran will return, and it might be too late when they do.

Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 48-38
Grade: B+

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: B+
Maybe the best acquisition of the year was Raul Ibanez, and Charlie Manuel has had to adapt with the loss of Ibanez to injury. The Phillies are still in first place despite having an awful pitching staff. The benching of Jimmy Rollins also seems to have gotten him going offensively.

Defense: A
The Phillies are the best defensive tam in the National League, having only committed 33 errors. Chase Utley has committed the most errors (six), but he has saved more runs. Ryan Howard has really improve his defensive game, and Jimmy Rollins and the outfield have been fantastic.

Starting Pitching: D-
The Phillies rotation has been awful (4.98 ERA, .283 batting average against). The Phillies have been depleted by the early loss of Brett Myers and recent loss of Antonio Bastardo to the disabled list. Cole Hamels (5-5, 4.87 ERA) has been surprisingly ineffective and inconsistent. Jamie Moyer (8-6, 5.99 ERA) and Joe Blaton (6-4, 4.44 ERA) haven't always kept their teams in the game. JA Happ (6-0, 2.90 ERA) has been a shining star in the rotation and Rodrigo Lopez (1-0, 3.18 ERA) is battling injury.

Bullpen: C-
The bullpen has been average (3.95 ERA, 13 blown saves). Ryan Madson (15 H, 3.02 ERA), and JC Romero (5 H, 3.14 ERA) have been reliable. Scott Eyre (10 H, 2.16 ERA) has been injured, but otherwise good. Tyler Walker (1.64) looks promising. Chad Durbin (4.47 ERA) has been iffy at times while Chan Ho Park (3.16 ERA) looks like a good middle reliever. Brad Lidge (7.03 ERA, 6 blown saves) has been awful.

Offense: A
The Phillies score and produce a lot of runs, and can get on base a lot. Raul Ibanez was putting up MVP numbers in all categories, before going down with injury. They also have Shane Victorino, a .300+ batter and Chase Utley, a .300+ and 60+ RBI batter. Pedro Feliz and Jayson Werth have also been producing runs. Ryan Howard can't hit consistently (.252), but does drive in lots of runs (67 RBI). Jimmy Rollins (.229 average) started off the season slow, but has been better as of late and Carlos Ruiz has been iffy. The bench (Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs, Eric Bruntlett, and John Mayberry) is decent, too.

Team Thoughts

Philadelphia's most valuable player has been Chase Utley. This would go to Raul Ibanez, if he didn't have reduced playing time. Utley is batting .313 with 20 home runs and 61 RBI. He is also batting .329 with runners in scoring position and plays excellent defense.

Philadelphia's least valuable player has been Jimmy Rollins. He hasn't been an effective lead-off hitter. In that spot, he's only batting .217 with a .275 on-base percentage and ten stolen bases. Also, he's only batting .250 with runners in scoring position.

Philadelphia's best moment came on July 6. The Phillies were facing the Reds. The Phillies put a 10-spot on the board in the first inning against the Reds best pitcher. Every Phillies starting player got a hit and scored a run in the 22-1 route. 

Philadelphia's worst moment came on April 18. The Phillies were up 5-4 going into the ninth inning. Brad Lidge gave up four runs, including a three-run home run, to blow his first save of the season and it snapped his 47 consecutive save streak.

Power Rankings

Philadelphia's highest ranking was 2.
Philadelphia's lowest ranking was 22.
Philadelphia's average ranking is 10.31.

Playoff Potential

The Phillies had a long stretch of struggling, but have been better as of late. They will likely make the playoffs, but it depends on their starting pitching. Their offense is great and the rest of the NL East is lagging.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 38-50
Grade: D-

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: D+
They started off the season well, and then things have gone downhill. The Pirates traded away their best player (Nate McLouth) and are looking to have a fire sale, to be constantly rebuilding. The streak of consecutive losing seasons won't be snapped as John Russell has this team 12 games under .500.

Defense: A
The Pirates are a good defensive team, having only committed a collective 38 errors. The bulk of the errors have come from Andy LaRoche (eight errors) and Jack Wilson (seven errors), although Wilson has made more spectacular plays than errors. Freddy Sanchez and the outfield have also been great.

Starting Pitching: C-
The Pirates have had an okay rotation (4.54 ERA). All-Star Zach Duke (8-8, 3.29 ERA) has been phenomenal. Paul Maholm (6-4, 4.60 ERA) and Ross Ohlendorf (7-7, 4.64 ERA) have showed both flashes of brilliance and awful pitching. The Pirates hope that Charlie Morton (1-2, 4.29 ERA) and Virgil Vazquez (1-3, 6.52 ERA) will be good in the future, with Ian Snell being demoted to the minors earlier in the year with eight losses.

Bullpen: C
The bullpen has been average (3.88 ERA), and has only blown eight saves. John Grabow (15 H, 3.32 ERA), Evan Meek (2.67 ERA), and Jesse Chavez (3.19 ERA) have all been reliable. Steven Jackson (3.44 ERA) and Jeff Karstens (2.70 ERA) have been good out of the bullpen, and the Pirates hope Donnie Veal (3.68 ERA) will be effective after returning off the disabled list. Recently acquired Joel Hanrahan hasn't looked that great in a Pirates uniform yet. Closer Matt Capps (6.21 ERA, 1.69 WHIP) has not looked effective at all.

Offense: C-
The Pirates have a weak offense. All-Star Freddy Sanchez has always been a consistent hitter (.316). The brothers LaRoche have produced runs, but have not been able to hit consistently. Andrew McCutchen has been a great rookie, especially when utilizing his speed. Delwyn Young has also improved his game massively, being a .300+ batter. Jack Wilson has a hard time getting on base (.302 OBP). Ryan Doumit just came back from injury, and should be able to help the team offensively. The Pirates are also hoping that Garrett Jones continues his great play. The Bucs have an average bench (Jason Jaramillo, Ramon Vazquez, Jeff Salazar, and Brandon Moss).

Team Thoughts

Pittsburgh's most valuable player has been Freddy Sanchez. He's the only player on the team batting over .300 at .316 and he has six home runs, 34 RBI, and an .834 OPS. More impressively, he's batting .333 with runners in scoring position and .357 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Pittsburgh's least valuable player has been Jack Wilson. Wilson's not having a terrible season, but he's the playing like the highest-paid player on a team. Wilson is only batting .270 and has a .302 on-base percentage. He's also batting .229 with runners in scoring position with two outs.

Pittsburgh's best moment came on June 25. The Pirates were facing the Indians. The Bucs were down 2-0 going into the bottom of the sixth, but tied the game going into the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, new call-up Andrew McCutchen hit a bloop single for his first career walk-off hit.

Pittsburgh's worst moment came on July 11. The Pirates were playing the Phillies and were up 7-3 going into the bottom of the ninth. Matt Capps came in and gave up five earned runs, including home runs to Matt Stairs and Ryan Howard, giving the Phillies the game.

Power Rankings

Pittsburgh's highest ranking was 7.
Pittsburgh's lowest ranking was 27.
Pittsburgh's average ranking is 19.92.

Playoff Potential

The Pirates started off the year hot, but have fallen off since. They're now the bottom-dwellers of the National League Central. They more than likely will miss the playoffs as the Cubs, Reds, Cardinals, Brewers, and Astros are all ahead of them.

San Diego Padres
Record: 36-52
Grade: D-

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: D
Bud Black has the Friars bottom-dwelling in the National League West again. The Padres are 20 games out of first place and 16 games under the .500 mark. Black has made some questionable decisions, but has also had to deal with a lot of injury related issues.

Defense: B
The Padres have committed a collective 48 errors. Adrian Gonzalez, David Eckstein, and Kevin Kouzmanoff have all been good in the infield, and no everyday starter has more than five errors. Tony Gwynn has also looked good with the rest of the outfield. The catchers have only caught 21 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: F
The Padres have the worst starting rotation in the National League (5.23 ERA, 1.37 WHIP). It wasn't a good sign early on when Jake Peavy and Chris Young went on the disabled list. Nobody on the current rotation has been consistently good: Kevin Correia (6-7, 4.50 ERA), Josh Geer (1-4, 5.38 ERA), Chad Gaudin (4-7, 5.15 ERA), and Josh Banks (1-1, 9.39 ERA). The Padres hope Tim Stauffer (2.57 ERA) can be effective.

Bullpen: C
The bullpen has been about average (3.86 ERA, 1.44 WHIP). Cla Meredith (4.29 ERA) started off the season great, but has struggled since. Mike Adams (1.38 ERA), Edward Mujica (11 H, 2.95 ERA), and Greg Burke (8 H, 3.70 ERA) have been reliable. Luke Gregerson does have five blown saves, but only a 3.35 ERA. The Padres hope that Mike Ekstrom will be an effective reliever. All-Star closer Heath Bell (23 saves), who leads the NL in saves, has been great (1.69 ERA, 1.07 WHIP).

Offense: F
San Diego has the worst offense in baseball. They're the worst team statistically in runs (334), hits (690), RBI (320), batting average (.233), and slugging (.370). The team leader in batting average is David Eckstein (.267), who is now on the disabled list. Adrian Gonzalez (52 RBI) and Kevin Kouzmanoff (47 RBI) have been effective run producers, but cannot hit consistently. Tony Gwynn looks like he has a lot of promise. Chase Headley, Will Venable, Everth Cabrera, and Edgar Gonzalez have not been great, even though the last three of those players have had limited playing time. Due to injuries, bench players are now everyday players and the bench (Jose Lobaton, Kyle Banks, Luis Rodriguez) has become weaker.

Team Thoughts

San Diego's most valuable player has been Heath Bell. With the departure of Trevor Hoffman, the Padres needed somebody to fill the void, which Bell has done. In 24 save opportunities, Bell has 23 saves with a 1.69 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.

San Diego's least valuable player has been Chase Headley. You can go with lots of players here, but I'll choose the worst. Headley is only batting .232 with a .308 on-base percentage and 78 strikeouts. He's also only batting .221 with runners in scoring position.

San Diego's best moment came on May 25. The Padres fell behind to a 5-0 deficit and were trailing 7-1 at the end of the seventh. The Padres scored six runs in the eighth and ninth innings, tying the game. The Friars would win the game in the 10th inning on a Chase Headley home run.

San Diego's worst moment came on June 26. The Padres were blown out by the Rangers. The Padres only managed to get four hits and two runs, while the pitching staff and defense gave the Rangers 12 runs.

Power Rankings

San Diego's highest ranking was 3.
San Diego's lowest ranking was 27.
San Diego's average ranking is 18.54.

Playoff Potential

The Padres will definitely not make the playoffs. They're bottom dwelling in a division that has turned competitive. The Dodgers are too far ahead and the Giants and Rockies will jockey for the Wild Card, as of now it looks like.

San Francisco Giants
Record: 49-39
Grade: A-

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: A
At this time last year, the Giants were 15 games under the .500 mark. The Giants are now ten games over .500, have a spectacular pitching staff, and would be in first place in any other National League division. Bruce Bochy deserves some serious props for his work.

Defense: B
The Giants have committed a collective 47 errors. Emmanuel Burriss, who is on the disabled list, and Edgar Renteria have combined for one-third of the team's errors. Pablo Sandoval has also played many positions, but has a total seven errors. Bengie Molina lets too many thefts occur, having only caught 18 percent of them.

Starting Pitching: A
The Giants have the best starting pitching rotation in all of baseball (3.62 ERA, .238 batting average against, 1.28 WHIP, 488 strikeouts, 8 complete games). Tim Lincecum (10-2, 2.33 ERA) is trying to repeat his Cy Young performance of last year. Matt Cain (10-2, 2.38 ERA) has also been phenomenal. Barry Zito (5-9, 5.01 ERA) continues to prove he signed an awful contract. Jonathan Sanchez (3-8, 4.94 ERA) threw a no-hitter, but otherwise has been inconsistent. Randy Johnson (8-6, 4.81 ERA) hasn't been great and Ryan Sadowski (2-1, 1.00 ERA), who is now back in the minors, looks like he'll have a bright future with the Giants.

Bullpen: A
The Giants also have the best bullpen in the National League (3.29 ERA, 1.32 WHIP). Bob Howry (7 H, 3.38 ERA), Jeremy Affeldt (19 H, 1.32 ERA), Brandon Medders (5 H, 2.72 ERA), Justin Miller (1.98 ERA), and Sergio Romo (8 H, 2.77 ERA) have all been effective. Merkin Valdez (4.97 ERA) hasn't been all that great. Brian Wilson has been good, with 23 saves and a 3.66 ERA, but sometimes nail-biting to watch.

Offense: C+
San Francisco can hit (.262), but cannot drive in runs (347 RBI). Pablo Sandoval has been a sensational .330+, 55+ RBI batter. There's also consistent bats in Juan Uribe, a .300+ batter, and Aaron Rowand, a .285+, 45+ RBI hitter. Nate Schierholtz has put up good numbers this year. Big Money Bengie Molina has been a consistent run producer (50 RBI), but struggles to get on base (.269 OBP). Randy Winn and Travis Ishikawa, both .270+ hitters, have good and bad spurts, but both need to produce more consistently. The same thing applies to Edgar Renteria. The Giants have an average bench (Eli Whiteside, Rich Aurilia, Fred Lewis, John Bowker, Andres Torres) at best.

Team Thoughts

San Francisco's most valuable player has been Pablo Sandoval. I could've chosen one of the two star-studded pitchers, but I'll go with the Kung Fu Panda. He's helped this offense, which would be very mediocre without him. Sandoval leads the Giants in all offensive categories, with a .333 average, 15 home runs, 55 RBI, and a .964 OPS.

San Francisco's least valuable player has been Barry Zito, if not for the sheer money he makes, but doesn't deserve. Zito has had good games, but has been more awful and inconsistent. Zito is 5-9 with a 5.01 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. Also, in eight of his 18 starts, he's been pulled before the sixth inning.

San Francisco's best moment came on July 10. Jonathan Sanchez, amid trade rumors and pitching in front of his father, was filling in for Randy Johnson. Against the Padres, he threw the only no-hitter of 2009. It was unexpected and Sanchez was dominant and nearly perfect.

San Francisco's worst moment came on June 27. The Giants were leading 6-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. Brian Wilson came in and gave up three earned runs. Corey Hart and JJ Hardy hit RBI singles to tie the game, and then Prince Fielder hit a walkoff RBI double off to give the Brewers the victory.

Power Rankings

San Francisco's highest ranking was 3.
San Francisco's lowest ranking was 27.
San Francisco's average ranking is 18.54.

Playoff Potential

The Giants have a high probability of making the playoffs. They are leading the Wild Card and having the best pitching staff in all of baseball. They might need a bat, but the emergence of Pablo Sandoval has helped this offense immensely.

St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 49-42
Grade: A-

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: A
Tony La Russa manages to win and he is still one of the best in the game. He usually puts in the right matchups and lineups. La Russa has fixed the bullpen problem that haunted the Cardinals last year and has had to deal with a lot of injuries and lack of protection for Albert Pujols.

Defense: C-
The Cardinals haven't been too good defensively, having committed 61 collective errors. The ro