Dodgers NL MVP candidate Cody Bellinger leads baseball's top team into Philly

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Leading NL MVP candidate Cody Bellinger leads LA into Philly

The Philadelphia Phillies (48-45) welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers (62-33) to South Philly for a four game series this week at Citizens Bank Park.

For the visiting Dodgers, this will be a chance to continue to re-establish their dominance. After suffering through their first four-game losing streak since mid-April, the Dodgers exploded for 18 runs to capture their last two against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The Dodgers come to Philly with the third-highest runs per game average (5.25) in the National League. Also, their pitching staff has the lowest ERA and batting average against in the league.

Those numbers highlight the reasons that the Dodgers have romped to a 14.5 game lead in the NL West Division as they try to win a seventh consecutive division crown. In addition, the Dodgers have the best overall record in the National League, sitting four games clear of the Atlanta Braves in the loss column.

These two teams met at Dodger Stadium at the end of May while both were in first place. The Dodgers swept out the Phillies, outscoring them 18-6 to begin the Phillies slide in the standings. With this series at home, the Phillies will try to reverse both that previous outcome and their own season fortunes.

Phillies Nation Summer Giveaway

Dodgers walkoff Phillies on Will Smith home run

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Rookie catcher Will Smith beats Phillies with walkoff homer

The Los Angeles Dodgers (40-19) got a walk-off homer from rookie catcher Will Smith on a 3-2 pitch with one out in the bottom of the 9th inning to beat the Philadelphia Phillies (33-25) by a 4-3 score on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.

With the loss, the Phillies lead in the NL East Division standings shrinks to two games over the Atlanta Braves and 4.5 over the New York Mets, each of whom won earlier in the day.

Phillies skipper Gabe Kapler had few good traditional options as his starting pitcher for this one after Zach Eflin came up injured, so he chose to go with “The Opener”, using lefty reliever Jose Alvarez at the start. Alvarez would do the job, holding the Dodgers off the scoreboard over the first two innings.

Alvarez gave way to Juan Nicasio, who retired the lone batter he faced in the bottom of the 3rd inning before giving way himself to lefty Cole Irvin. Kapler hoped to get from between 3-4 innings out of the rookie.

The hosts got on the board first, this time scoring a run off Irvin, whom Kapler had brought in strategically with a couple of big left-handed bats due up. The rookie southpaw allowed a base hit to Max Muncy with one out, then walked Cody Bellinger with two outs to foil that lefty-on-lefty strategery. When Enrique Hernandez grounded a single up the middle, Muncy rolled home with the first run of the game.

The Phillies got back to even in the top of the 4th when Bryce Harper lined a one-out single, moved up to second base on a wild pitch by Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw, went to third when Muncy couldn’t handle a slow roller by Rhys Hoskins that went for an error, and then scored on a base hit by J.T. Realmuto.

David Freese led off the bottom of the 5th with a solo home run off Irvin, his 5th of the season, to put the Dodgers back out in front by a 2-1 score. Then in the home 7th, they scored what appeared to be a huge insurance run.

Kapler made a change from Irvin to Vince Velasquez. Irvin had surrendered two runs, but gave the Phillies 3.2 innings and kept them in the game. He struck out five Dodgers batters, including the last four that he faced.

Velasquez started out strong, striking out Smith as the leadoff man in the bottom of the 7th. Matt Beaty, hitting for Kershaw, then reached on a swinging-bunt single and moved to second on a walk to Joc Pederson. Beaty then went to third when Velasquez tried to pick him off and bounced one into the outfield, and then scored on a sac fly by Muncy.

Dodger Stadium the scene as top two teams in the NL do battle

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Phillies are at Dodger Stadium for the weekend

The Philadelphia Phillies (33-24) continue to lead the National League East Division standings by three full games despite dropping Friday night’s opener to the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers (39-19) by a 6-3 score.

The two teams will meet once again on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine, just four miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

For the Phillies it will be an attempt to get the series even, setting themselves up for an opportunity to win it on Sunday. The club has built their divisional lead on accomplishing just that – winning series. They have an 11-4-3 series record coming into this one

However, to accomplish that feat they will have to overcome the powerful Dodgers. Ranked as the top team in Major League Baseball at this stage of the season in our first MLB Power Rankings released this afternoon, the Dodgers have won the last two National League pennants and six consecutive NL West crowns. They currently lead their division by 8.5 games.

In that Friday night opener, the Dodgers spanked Phillies pitching with four home runs, one each from Max Muncy, Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, and Enrique ‘Kiki’ Hernandez. It was part of a 12-hit attack. The Phillies were held to just five hits, and are going to have to somehow find more offense on Saturday night against a future Hall of Famer if they want a better result.

Phillies and Dodgers clash this weekend as the NL's top two ball clubs

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Dodger Stadium hosts top two teams in the NL this weekend

The Los Angeles Dodgers (38-19) are the two-time defending National League champions and have captured six consecutive NL West Division crowns. They are once again riding high atop the division as we enter the month of June.

This weekend at Dodger Stadium, these two teams will meet for the first of two times this season. They will meet again in a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park just after the MLB All-Star Game in mid-July. The Phillies and Dodgers are the top two teams in the National League to this point in the season, but they have reached that status in very different manners.

The Phillies have been inconsistent in nearly every facet of the game statistically. They are out-performing those stats, fashioning their winning record and frustrating their fans by looking awful in one game and then like world-beaters in the other two games pf most every series.

Meanwhile out in LA-LA Land, the Dodgers have been truly dominating. Offensively, they lead the league in runs scored, OPS and walks, are third in home runs, and are second in stolen-base percentage.

On the mound, Dodgers pitchers have the lowest cumulative ERA in the NL. They lead the league in batting average against, Quality Starts, and OPS against while allowing the fewest walks in the league. The club is also among the more solid defensive units in the league.

The Phillies have gone 20-11 over the last month, and have won nine of their last 13 despite dropping the series finale to Saint Louis on Thursday. During what is arguably the toughest 23-game portion of their 2019 regular season schedule, the Phillies are now 10-7. That stretch comes to an end with this west coast trip to Los Angeles and San Diego over the next six days.

This will be a major test for the Phillies, a chance to measure themselves against the very best in the National League on the road. Even winning one of three games this weekend could be considered a victory. But the Phillies want more than that. They have taken and held first place by winning series, and that will be the goal once again.

There is a tremendous history between these two clubs. The Dodgers defeated the Phillies in the 1977 and 1978 National League Championship Series, the first of those including what has become known as “Black Friday” in Phillies lore, one of the toughest defeats in team history. The Phillies responded by dumping the Dodgers in the 2008 and 2009 NLCS.

Bryce Harper walks twice in first game action with Phillies

Harper walked twice in his first game action

Today is one that fans of the Philadelphia Phillies have been looking forward to for the last nine days. On February 28 the announcement spread like wildfire across the baseball landscape when free agent Bryce Harper agreed to a deal with the club. Since that time the fans have enjoyed a series of firsts.

One week ago today on top of the home dugout at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Florida they got to see their new hero don the red Phillies cap and pinstriped jersey for the first time. They got to listen as the 26-year-old superstar said all the right things in looking forward to spending the next 13 years trying to bring them championships.

The following day they got to see him stride out from the home locker room and enjoy a practice under that warm Florida sun with his new teammates for the first time. Stretching, running sprints, taking batting practice

As this past week rolled along the new right fielder began to face live pitching, first from minor leaguers and then from some of the big-league staff, including Jerad Eickhoff.

Harper has looked good thus far. He is obviously in great physical shape. But now it is time for him to truly begin getting into baseball shape. That will require him seeing pitches from opposing hurlers who are trying to get him out. That process began on Saturday afternoon.

Appearing in a Phillies uniform during an actual game for the first time, Harper was inserted by manager Gabe Kapler into the #3 spot in the starting lineup in front of the home fans for the Grapefruit League game at Clearwater on Saturday, March 9 against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.

Phillies favored by Vegas odds-makers to land free agent outfielder A.J. Pollock

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Pollock joins dozens of players as MLB free agents

This morning at 9:00am Eastern Daylight Time, dozens of Major League Baseball players officially became free agents. Those players are now free to negotiate and sign with any team they like.

In the coming days their ranks will swell as a few more players and teams decide whether or not to exercise contract options for 2019 and beyond. The biggest name making such a decision is Los Angeles Dodgers lefty ace Clayton Kershaw, who has until the clock strikes midnight on Halloween night to make his decision.

Much of the speculation regarding the Philadelphia Phillies has centered around two players, shortstop Manny Machado and outfielder Bryce Harper. The Phillies have been widely regarded for months, if not years now, to be among the leading contenders to land one or both of those in-their-prime superstars.

However, the odds that the Phillies will actually land both players would be long. Each is expected to command a massive contract. And judging by social media response, Machado has seriously damaged his reputation among Phillies fans with his comments and antics during this postseason.

If the Phillies decide that Machado is indeed not for them, they could turn their attention to upgrading the starting pitching rotation. I wrote previously here at Phillies Nation about 29-year-old left-hander Patrick Corbin, who seems like a perfect fit for their needs.

What happens if the Phillies are out on Machado, and then lose out in the bidding on Harper? Does that mean there is no way to upgrade the lineup for the 2019 season and beyond? Not necessarily.

Bovada released its odds this morning of certain big-name MLB free agents signing with a particular organization. The Phillies were indeed listed as the favorites to sign both Harper and Machado.

That doesn’t mean the odds-makers in Vegas feel that the Phillies are favorites to sign both players. It just means that, individually, the Phillies are favorites. If John Middleton and Matt Klentak were to actually get either player’s signature on a contract, the odds against the Phillies then signing the other free agent would likely rise substantially.

Bovada also listed the Phillies in regard to a few others. They are listed at the third-best odds to land closer Craig Kimbrel, tied for the fourth-best odds to land starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel, and tied for second on the odds to land third baseman Josh Donaldson. While they list odds on six teams for Corbin, the Phillies are not one of those.

Interestingly, Bovada has listed the Phillies as the co-favorites to land outfielder A.J. Pollock as well. Should the Phillies fail in their efforts to land Harper, the soon-to-be 31-year old Pollock could be a backup plan.

NLCS: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs preview and prediction

The Dodgers and Cubs meet in a repeat NLCS

For the second consecutive season the National League Championship Series will be contested by the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The two teams engaged in a spirited series last October, eventually won by the Cubs in six games. Chicago would then go on to defeat the Cleveland Indians, winning the franchise first World Series in more than a century.

A year ago, Chicago took the opener. But LA then received back-to-back pitching gems from Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill, shutting out the Cubs twice to take a 2-1 series lead.

After that, it was all Chicago. The Cubbies bats awoke with a vengeance to take the final three games by a combined 23-6 score.

This season, the Dodgers staggered out of the gate, going 10-12 over the first few weeks of April. But from April 27 through August 25 they accumulated an unreal 81-24 record.

That four month stretch of dominance allowed the Dodgers to run away with the National League West Division race. Even a month-long slump over which they lost 20 of 25 games would not allow either the Arizona Diamondbacks or Colorado Rockies, both eventual NL Wildcard teams, to make a dent in the division.

Los Angeles would recover to take eight of their final 10 games, finishing with 104 wins and an 11-game cushion over Arizona. The 104 victories gave them the best mark in all of Major League Baseball, and were the most by any Dodgers team in more than four decades.

NLDS Prediction: Arizona Diamondbacks over Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodger Stadium hosts the first two games of a 2017 NLDS

Through four games of the 2017 Major League Baseball postseason, home teams are 4-0. Those hosts have outscored the visiting squads by a 31-14 margin to this point.

For my prediction in this National League Division Series to come true, that is going to have to come to an end. I am picking the Arizona Diamondbacks to top the NL West Division rival Los Angeles Dodgers in what some might consider an upset.

I say "some", because knowledgeable baseball fans who have been following these teams know that, despite the Dodgers finishing with a better overall record, the Dbacks have actually been the better team for some time.

Guided by second-year skipper Dave Roberts, the Dodgers finished with an MLB-best record of 104-58. That was 11 games better than Torey Lovullo and his Diamondbacks, who had to settle for the top NL Wildcard position.

But as late as August 25, that Dodgers lead had ballooned up to 21.5 games. Over the next month, LA collapsed, losing 20 of their next 25 games. The Dodgers did ultimately recover their equilibrium at the end, winning 10 of their final dozen.

The Dbacks, meanwhile, were nearly polar opposites. They won 20 of 25 between August 21 and September 16 to take complete command of a Wildcard playoff berth.

In that NL Wildcard Game, held on Wednesday night, Arizona blitzed out to an early 6-0 lead over the division-rival Colorado Rockies. The Diamondbacks ultimately powered their way to an 11-8 victory in the slugfest that many had predicted.

The Dodgers offensive attack is led by two of the top young players in the game today in second-year shortstop Corey Seager and rookie first baseman Cody Bellinger.

Top Ten MLB active starting pitchers based on career WHIP

There are many ways to evaluate the top MLB players of recent years, as well as down through the history of the game.

The statistic of WHIP, or "Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched", has become one of the more popular tools to make such evaluations. It is one of my personal favorites.

WHIP is fairly simply to calculate. You simply add the number of hits and walks that a pitcher allows, then divide that total by the number of innings pitched by the hurler.

This afternoon out in Los Angeles, two of the best current starting pitchers in baseball will be facing off. Left-hander Clayton Kershaw takes the mound for the host Los Angeles Dodgers. For the visiting Washington Nationals, it will be right-hander Stephen Strasburg who toes the rubber.

This premier matchup got me to thinking, who exactly are the best starting pitchers of recent vintage? I have my opinion, but what do the stats show?

MLB Spotlight Series: Washington Nationals at Los Angeles Dodgers

The top two National League ball clubs in my current MLB Power Ranking are about to clash. The Washington Nationals visit Dodger Stadium this week to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This will be a rematch of last year’s NLDS, won by the Dodgers in the full five games. The Nats held a 2-1 lead in that series, but LA won a pair of taught thrillers to capture the series.

Skipper Dusty Baker‘s Washington squad sits on top of the NL East Division with a 35-20 record, best in the league. Manager Dave Roberts and the Dodgers are 35-23, a half-game behind the Colorado Rockies in the NL West Division standings.

The Nats have captured the NL East crown three times in the last five seasons. The Dodgers have won four consecutive NL West titles. Consequently, these have been two of the best teams in baseball for years now.

The pitching matchups for the series are as follows:

Monday – Gio Gonzalez (Was) vs Hyun-Jin Ryu (LA)

Tuesday – Max Scherzer (Was) vs Brandon McCarthy (LA)

Wednesday – Stephen Strasburg (Was) vs Clayton Kershaw (LA)

The Nationals jumped out to a 21-9 start, then lost eight of 12 games. But coming into this series, Washington has won 10 of 13 to open up a 10.5 game lead in the division.

The Dodgers were struggling to stay above the .500 mark for the first month of the season. But LA has taken 27 of 40 games since April 22, and has spent four days in first place over the last week.

MLB 2016 Prediction: National League Cy Young Award

Our staff has just released our predictions for the winners of each division, as well as our postseason predictions, including the 2016 World Series winner. 

I released my own predictions for the Phillies in the coming season. Now we begin the process of releasing our predictions for some of MLB’s major award winners.

The Cy Young Award is given annually to the top pitchers in Major League Baseball. Instituted for the 1956 season, the award was originally given to just one pitcher as the best in all of baseball from 1956 through the 1966 season.

Beginning in 1967, MLB began to award one pitcher in each league. Roger Clemens won the award a record seven times during his career. 

Newly elected Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson won the honors five times, including four in a row from 1999-2002. Greg Maddux also won four straight years, from 1992-95.

The only other 4x winner of the Cy Young Award was Phillies Hall of Famer Steve Carlton. Lefty took home the honors in the National League in 1972, 1977, 1980, and again in 1982.

2014 Best of MLB Awards

Trout, Kershaw are AL and NL POY respectively

It's that time of year again, awards season in Major League Baseball. And this site will be no exception.

This year for the first time, with the renewed emphasis on baseball, I am announcing the first-ever "Best of MLB" awards honorees.

In all, honorees are being named for both the National League and the American League in each of 9 categories, one for each inning in a ballgame: Player of the Year, Starting Pitcher, Relief Pitcher, Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Rookie, Comeback Player, Breakout Player, and Manager.

For the most part, these awards were not subjective. I went to FanGraphs, looked up overall regular season WAR values, and gave the awards to the highest players in their categories. In 2-3 other categories, I weighted those numbers heavily in deciding the honorees. Remember, the honors are based on the regular season.

If you follow baseball, you already know these players and are well aware of the excellence of each of their 2014 season performances. So not much extra commentary is needed. But I did want to make just a few comments on some of the honors.

First, my selection of Cincinnati Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton as the top National League Rookie over New York Mets pitcher Jake deGrom. These were clearly the two most impactful rookies in the league this season. I chose Hamilton, who had a higher WAR value, feeling that his everyday impact as a centerfielder was greater than deGrom's weekly impact as a starting pitcher.

For the American League Starting Pitcher honors, Cleveland's Corey Kluber beat out a strong field that included 'King' Felix Hernandez, David Price, Phil Hughes, and Jon Lester. Kluber was the #2 player in all of baseball in individual WAR, while the others rated 11-14 respectively. All tremendous, but one clearly above the rest.

Corey Kluber, AL's top starting pitcher

At the A.L. Reliever spot, what a horse race. The honor went to Yankees RP Dellin Betances in a very close race with the Royals excellent setup man Wade Davis. While Davis rightfully received a lot of publicity due to KC's postseason run, Betances was every bit as dominant in the regular season, and simply finished with a higher WAR value.

Also, I wanted to single out the Breakout Player winners. What a season for both Michael Brantley and Anthony Rendon, 5th and 6th in all of baseball in overall WAR numbers. The 27-year old Brantley has been one of those "good not great" contributing types, and elevated his game. The 24-year old Rendon stayed healthy in his first true full season and served notice that he should be one of the game's best into the future.

On defense, Boston's Jackie Bradley Jr was the best defensive outfielder in the game this season, and that includes Lorenzo Cain. Only two facts: his poor offense, and that his poor offense kept him from playing every day, all year long with the Red Sox, kept him from what should have been an easy Gold Glove win. If you don't know, watch him closely. He's the kind of player who, with the right offense around him, impacts a game enough defensively to overcome the offensive shortcomings. He should be starting somewhere every day.

Finally, the NL Manager of the Year. Keep in mind, this was a regular season honor, so Bruce Bochy's great postseason run to a 3rd World Series did not factor. But the job that 'Donny Baseball' did in winning the NL West in LA with a frequently dysfunctional core under tremendous pressure to win got him the nod.

Don Mattingly skippered Dodgers to NL West crown

Without further ado, here are the 2014 'Best of MLB' awards honorees:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
NL - Clayton Kershaw, SP, LA Dodgers
AL - Mike Trout, OF, LA Angels

OFFENSIVE PLAYER
NL - Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh
AL - Mike Trout, Los Angeles

STARTING PITCHER
NL - Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles
AL - Corey Kluber, Cleveland

RELIEF PITCHER
NL - Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati
AL - Dellin Betances, New York

DEFENSIVE PLAYER
NL - Andrelton Simmons, SS, Atlanta
AL - Jackie Bradley Jr, CF, Boston

COMEBACK PLAYER
NL - Johnny Cueto, SP, Cincinnati
AL - Chris Young, SP, Seattle

BREAKOUT PLAYER
NL - Anthony Rendon, 2B/3B, Washington
AL - Michael Brantley, OF, Cleveland

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
NL - Billy Hamilton, CF, Cincinnati
AL - Jose Abreu, 1B, Chicago

MANAGER
NL - Don Mattingly, Los Angeles
AL - Buck Showalter, Baltimore

National League Most Valuable Player

As the 2014 Major League Baseball season sprints into it's stretch run, each week separates post-season wheat from chaff. Time runs out on some clubs, and the words "Magic Number" once again emerge into the game's vocabulary for others.

As teams push for the pennant, they are often driven forward by one man, one lead character playing hero in that season. He may be a slugger. He may have a golden arm. He may come up with clutch hits at crucial moments of many of these dramatic, decisive games.

At the end of it all, teams win, and players are honored for their individual achievements. The voting for the 'Most Valuable Player' award in both the National and American League takes place before the post-season, so it is a reflection on the performance of the top players in the game over the course of the regular 162-game season that has unfolded over the previous full 6 months.

These centerpiece awards have been given out in MLB since 1931 by the Baseball Writer's Association of America. Two baseball writers from each city in each league vote annually for the recipient, and the winner is announced at the conclusion of the World Series.

The BBWAA has never given out a clear definition of "most valuable", and that has been a bone of contention among many voters, commentators, writers, fans, and even players themselves. What makes a player valuable to his team, and how is that measured? Can a starting pitcher, for instance, who only affects team performance once or twice a week, possibly be as valuable as a position player, who affects team outcomes every game?

Without definitive direction, I have always been guided by what I consider common sense. To me, especially since pitchers already have an award specifically dedicated for their excellence in the Cy Young Award, I cannot personally consider a starting pitcher to be more valuable than the most valuable of position players.

This is not to say that starting pitchers, such as Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, are not valuable. Clearly they are, and clearly the Dodgers, as one example, would not be the same team, and perhaps not even a contender, without Kershaw. So for me, a pitcher like Kershaw would absolutely receive acknowledgement on my ballot. But he would not be the top choice.

On each ballot, the writer's doing the voting select 10 players and rank them 1-10 in the order in which they feel these players have been "most valuable" to their particular team. A player then receives 14 'points' for every first place vote, 9 for a 2nd place vote, 8 for 3rd, 7 for 4th, on down to 1 point for a 10th place vote.

The following would be my personal 10-player National League Most Valuable Player ballot, were I to have one, and were the season to end today. I will present my 10-player American League MVP ballot tomorrow:

10) Francisco Rodriguez, RP, Milwaukee
You would be hard-pressed to make a case that any player has been more influential to his team's success as a complete surprise than has KRod proven for the Brew Crew. Once arguably the game's most dominant closer, he re-emerged in that role this season for the Brewers. He has registered 39 Saves with a 2.95 ERA and a magnificent 0.98 WHIP, and with a 69-14 K/BB ratio across 61 extremely valuable innings at the end of now-fading Milwaukee's closest games.

9)   Hunter Pence, OF, San Francisco
His raw numbers of 19 homers, 69 rbi, 101 runs scored, 13 steals while compiling a .295 batting average make Pence one of the best all-around offensive threats in the NL. Combine the numbers with his hustling defense and his passionate leadership, and factor in that he plays his home games in a pitcher's haven at AT&T Park in San Francisco, and you have a legit MVP candidate for a legit contender that wouldn't be so without him.

8)   Dee Gordon, 2B, Los Angeles
The only rival to KRod as a surprise MVP candidate, Gordon's emergence has arguably been even more unlikely. Not even a starter entering the spring, Gordon took the 2nd base job and ran with it, literally. Hitting .287, he has stolen 59 bases to lead all of baseball, has scored 80 runs, and generally been exactly what the first-place Dodgers needed: a catalyst at the top of the batting order on a consistent basis. His team is very likely once again struggling for runs and under-achieving if not for his sudden emergence as an impact player this year.

7)   Clayton Kershaw, SP, Los Angeles
The best starting pitcher on the planet. Period. On his return to the team after missing the first few weeks of the season, Kershaw took up right where he had left off during the team's showcase opening series in Australia in March, where he left off last season in a Cy Young campaign. He has dominated. With an 18-3 record, 22 of 24 Quality Starts, a 1.67 ERA and 0.82 WHIP, and with an unreal 210-27 K/BB ratio over 177.1 IP, Kershaw is the clear NL Cy Young Award winner once again.

6)   Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Miami
The most sensational individual performer in the National League this season on a daily basis, Stanton likely gets the honors as the Most Outstanding Player in the NL: 37 homers, 105 rbi, 88 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, a .291 batting average with a .396 on-base percentage. He is improved defensively, and has a cannon for a right arm. Stanton does it all, and has most importantly stayed healthy this year. The only thing keeping him from the top spot? His team is not, and won't be, in the post-season race. They could lose without him. They are losing with him. His performance keeps them fighting for .500, but for this writer, to win the honors you need to elevate your team to contention.

5)   Craig Kimbrel, RP, Atlanta
The most valuable Closer in the game today, he is the perfect weapon in the 9th inning. In that role, he impacts 3 times the number of actual game results than does a starting pitcher like Kershaw. He has registered 43 Saves, tied for the NL lead. He has a 1.61 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. He has an 80-18 K/BB ratio across 56 innings. The Braves are just 1 1/2 games out of a Wildcard berth that they wouldn't even be sniffing without him.

4)   Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee
The Brewers are just a game and a half out of the Wildcard, but they have been seriously fading, and with that fade Gomez' own shot at the NL MVP Award is also fading. But Milwaukee led the NL Central for much of the season, and they remain in the post-season hunt, largely thanks to Gomez' taking his game to another level. He has 21 homers, 67 rbi, 87 runs scored, and 29 steals while hitting at a .284 clip, and has taken the mantle away from Ryan Braun as the biggest threat in the Brew Crew everyday lineup. His teammate, Jonathan Lucroy, would also be a worthy nominee, and will finish high on some ballots, but it is Gomez who is the better all-around player.

3)   Anthony Rendon, Washington
Playing largely at 3rd base due to Ryan Zimmerman's season-long injury troubles, Rendon has been a whiz at the hot corner for the first place Nats. He also seemlessly slid over to play 2nd base for a month when Zimmerman was briefly able to get healthy. All the while, he has emerged as the most consistent offensive threat in their batting order. His 102 runs scored leads all of baseball. He has 18 homers, 77 rbi, and 15 steals as well. There is a sense is that he is only scratching the surface of his all-around game. Aleady one of baseball's best hitters, Rendon is the MVP of a team running away with a division crown. Hard to beat that as a league MVP endorsement. I was extremely tempted to list him in the top position.

2)   Andrew McCutchen, Pittsurgh
The Pirates have again emerged as a playoff contender for the 2nd straight season. Their run to the post-season a year ago was a prime factor in McCutchen taking home the 2013 NL MVP. Their return would be a major factor in his winning the honors in back-to-back fashion, something accomplished only by Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, and Miguel Cabrera in the last three decades. He has the raw numbers: 22 homers, 74 rbi, 76 runs, 17 steals, and a .311 batting average with a .402 on-base percentage. And he is getting hot and coming up with big hits lately in clutch situations. The Pirates have taken over a Wildcard spot, and if they hold it, he will be a top finisher when all the votes are counted.

1)   Buster Posey, San Francsico
The 2012 NL MVP, his raw numbers are good enough on their own: a .309 batting average, 20 homers, 79 rbi, 67 runs scored. That he produces this offense mostly from the catchers position makes him the game's top threat in that regard from the position. The Giants have wisely reduced his catching, shifting some of the load to more appearances at 1st base to keep his potent bat in the lineup, while also finding him more scattered rest opportunities. The result has been that Posey is fresh, the game's hottest hitter over the last month as the Giants halted a slide and re-emerged as contenders. They now lead the Wildcard race, and are still within range of running at the Dodgers for the division crown. They are at neither spot without him. At least for now with 3 weeks to go, on this man's ballot it is between Posey and McCutchen, the last two winners of the award, for NL MVP.

MLB 2014: National League West

The N.L. version of the "Wild West" has been ceded to the Los Angeles Dodgers and their deep-pocketed ownership group that appears willing to spend what it takes to keep the team on top.

But the Dodgers have enough problems when you put them under a microscope, and there is enough talent on a couple of their rivals, that a repeat as division champs is not the slam dunk that some appear willing to call it at this point.

LA has two potentially big problems that could derail any celebrations as the season moves along. First and foremost are injuries, which continue to plague a number of key players such as MVP-caliber outfielder Matt Kemp, speedy outfielder Carl Crawford, and starting pitchers Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley.

The second problem is defense: the Dodgers just are not very good at it, and if they cannot stay fully healthy and keep their high-priced talent on the field most of the season, the defensive lapses and holes will take their toll over a long regular season.

Not a problem for LA, at least right now, and the reason to pick them to win this division again? The top of the rotation and the multi-faceted, experienced bullpen. Strong pitching can cover a lot of woes, including some bad defense and some injury troubles, and the Dodgers have that pitching, at least going in, led by the current best pitcher on the planet, lefty starter Clayton Kershaw.

Here are my predictions for the National League West in 2014:

1) Los Angeles Dodgers
One of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball history, the Dodgers were founded in 1883 and joined the National League in 1890, winning the NL pennant that very first season. They have since added 20 more pennants and 6 World Series, the most recent back in 1988. The club has also won a dozen NL West crowns in the divisional era, four in the last ten years, including last season. Playing for over six decades in the New York borough of Brooklyn, the franchise moved west to Los Angeles for the 1958 season. If you were listening to Brooklyn Dodgers games on the radio in the 1950 season, a dozen seasons before I was even born, you heard the voice of Vin Scully calling their games. If you listen to the club today, you will still hear his distinctive voice, as the now 86-year old Scully is the dean of baseball broadcasters and a cherished icon to not only the Dodgers but the entire sport. A new ownership group took over the club in 2012, and with NBA legend Magic Johnson as it's public face, has injected new financial life into the franchise. On the field, the team's success begins with a trio of starting pitchers and back-end bullpen arms. Lefty Clayton Kershaw is simply the current best starting pitcher in baseball, winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2 of the last 3 seasons. Their 2-3 starters, righty Zack Greinke and lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, give LA a trio of Ace-quality pitchers at the front of the rotation. At the back of the bullpen, a pair of experienced closers in Chris Perez and Brian Wilson act as setup men for filthy closer Kenley Jansen. That pen also includes tough lefties in Paco Rodriguez and J.P. Howell, and another former closer in righty Brandon League. The starting rotation has depth with veterans Dan Haren, Josh Beckett, Chad Billingsley, and Paul Maholm when each is healthy. In the starting lineup, 1st baseman Adrian Gonzalez is one of the best hitters in baseball, and shortstop Hanley Ramirez gives the club rare MVP-caliber offensive production from the position. 3rd base is handled by veteran clutch hitter Juan Uribe, and the catching by the steady A.J. Elllis. 2nd base is a question mark, with speedy Dee Gordon the preferred option. He has never been able to win a full-time job, however, and will be supported by veteran Chone Figgins and utility man Justin Turner. The outfield can be one of the most talented, deepest in baseball. I say "can be", because centerfielder Matt Kemp and leftfielder Carl Crawford, two of baseball's best players, have been frequently injured over the last couple of seasons. Last year's rookie sensation, Cuban-import rightfielder Yasiel Puig, has breathtaking talent. He also makes enough mistakes in the field and on the bases, and has shown to be somewhat of a clubhouse and off-field problem, that it is reasonable to question whether he may ultimately prove more trouble than he is worth. Andre Ethier was believed to possibly be trade bait, but with the others troubles, he has become pivotal to their success. Scott Van Slyke and Mike Baxter provide depth. Their is every chance that off-field and injury problems could derail this club. But the overall talent, especially the pitching, is just too good to ignore and to not pick them to successfully defend their division crown. Their health entering the post-season should tell the story of how far they eventually go, which could be an early exit or a World Series title.

2) San Francisco Giants
The GMen won the World Series in 2010 and 2012, so here in 2014 they should be continuing that "every other year" contending status, right? Well something tells me to watch out for them again, so in what I think will be a dogfight for 2nd place with Arizona, I'll take the Giants by a nose, with both teams in the Wildcard mix. The main reason to like San Fran is the usual reason to like them when things are going well, their pitching. Veteran Tim Hudson was signed to add another quality arm to the trio of Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and Tim Lincecum. Toss in Ryan Vogelsong and Yusmeiro Petit for depth, and if all are healthy this rotation can compete with any in the league. The bullpen is solid as well, with Sergio Romo closing and arms such as Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, and Javier Lopez setting him up. When at their best, the Giants always seem to come up with an eclectic group of hitters to give them just enough offense, and that appears to again be the case. The biggest key is that catcher Buster Posey is healthy, giving them one of the 2-3 best all-around backstops in the game. 3rd baseman Pablo 'the Panda' Sandoval, 1st baseman Brandon Belt, and the outfield of Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan, and Michael Morse are all solid, professional hitters. The middle infield will be manned by the underrated pair of shortstop Brandon Crawford and 2nd baseman Marco Scutaro, with Joaquin Arias possibly spelling each when needed. Gregor Blanco and Tyler Colvin head a somewhat thin bench right now that may prove the team's biggest weakness. The Giants can win the division too, but I think they are more likely to fall short while fighting for a Wildcard.

3) Arizona Diamondbacks
I can envision a scenario in which the DBacks win this division. I can also see them finishing right here, in 3rd place. I don't see them slipping any further, at least not without some major injuries derailing them. At the plate, 1st baseman Paul Goldschmidt became an MVP contender a year ago. 2nd baseman Aaron Hill has developed into one of the more reliable producers at the position, as has catcher Miguel Montero at his. 3rd baseman Martin Prado and outfielder Gerardo Parra are underrated performers. Mark Trumbo's power bat was brought in to bolster the offense, and it would be nice if he can at least prove passable in leftfield. A.J. Pollock has to show that he is ready-for-prime-time in center for this team to really click on all cylinders. Eric Chavez, Cliff Pennington, and Tony Campana give the infield nice depth. A real key will be figuring out who starts at shortstop between homegrown Chris Owings and elite defender Didi Gregorius, who arrived in a trade last season. Both appear ready to play in MLB, and one or the other is likely to become trade bait. On the mound, Arizona has a number of decent options, but no real Aces among the group of Wade Miley, Trevor Cahill, Bronson Arroyo, Randall Delgado, and Josh Collmenter. The bullpen is strong and has plenty of options as well. New closer Addison Reed will be setup by J.J. Putz, David Hernandez, Will Harris, and Brad Ziegler. If the rotation overachieves, they can contend at the top. I think they are more likely to battle for 2nd in the division, and for a Wildcard playoff berth.

4) San Diego Padres
The Padres, one of only two MLB teams to actually originate in California (the Angels are the other) were formed in 1969. They are also one of the 8 clubs to never have won a World Series, though they have won 5 division crowns and a pair of National League pennants. They were in contention as recently as 2010 when they won 90 games and finished in 2nd place. But aside from that one season, 5 of the last 6 have been losing campaigns. The club has some talent, but it is anyone's guess as to how or if it will all come together. The infield of Yonder Alonso, Jedd Gyorko, Everth Cabrera, and Chase Headley may be one of the most underrated in the game. Sticking with that underrated theme in the outfield, Will Venable fits that description perfectly. The others getting time will be Carlos Quentin, Chris Denorfia, Seth Smith, and Kyle Blanks. Alexi Amarista provides infield depth, with the catching done by Nick Hundley and Yamani Grandal. On the mound, San Diego could surprise some people. Andrew Cashner has the stuff to become a front line starter, if he can stay healthy. Tyson Ross may be ready to emerge as a legitimate solid option, and Ian Kennedy should benefit greatly from his new home ballpark. Josh Johnson was signed to give them depth, has as much talent as any pitcher in baseball, but just cannot stay healthy. He has had injury issues again this spring. A group of kids that includes Robbie Erlin, Donn Roach, and Matt Wisler should battle Tim Stauffer for any opportunities there. Huston Street remains the closer for one more year, with Joaquin Benoit bought in to set him up. Dale Thayer and Alex Torres are good bullpen arms as well. If manager Bud Black pushes enough of the right buttons, he could surprise one of the top three, moving them into that position.

5) Colorado Rockies
I am extremely prejudiced against Coors Field, and it's hard for me to envision a scenario where any Colorado team ever gets enough elite pitching to truly become a World Series contender. Formed in 1993, they have been to the playoffs three times, and even advanced to the World Series once in 2007 before being swept by Boston. But 2/3 of their seasons have been losing ones, including the last three, and I can't envision 2014 improving that recent history. They have a pair of legitimate NL MVP candidates when shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez are healthy. Rightfielder Michael Cuddyer and catcher Wilin Rosario are outstanding players, and they also have former AL MVP Justin Morneau now at 1st base. Big keys to lengthening their offense will be new centerfielder Drew Stubbs and kid 3rd baseman Nolan Arenado. If both perform to their capabilities, and the Cargo/Tulo/Morneau trio stay largely healthy, the Rox will give every pitching staff fits. 2nd base should be manned by some combo of D.J. Lemaheiu and Josh Rutledge, and the bench will be Charles Blackmon, Corey Dickerson, and Jordan Pacheco. The starting rotation has some talent, but not enough to overcome the Mile High conditions at Coors. The starters will come from the grouping of Joge De La Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin, Brett Anderson, Tyler Chatwood, Juan Nicasio, Franklin Morales, and Jordan Lyles. Veteran LaTroy Hawkins is likely to close, setup by Rex Brothers, Boone Logan, Matt Belisle, and Wilton Lopez. The hope in Colorado is that they get all the right answers in health, production, and emergence from the offense, and that the starting pitching overachieves.

There appears to be not only too much talent in LA for the rest of the division to keep up, but also the resources and competitiveness from ownership to fill in any holes that may develop as the season unfolds. Both Arizona and San Francisco are solid teams and playoff contenders behind them. San Diego is still building, but getting better, while Colorado has talent, but still has to subject it's pitching staff to half their games at altitude. Anyone but the Dodgers winning this division would surprise me. Having no teams, one, or even two teams reach the Wildcard behind them? None of those scenarios would surprise me.