Midseason Predictions: National League

Preseason predictions are fun to do, and it is also fun to see where your predictions are at the halfway mark of the season. Below are my preseason NL predictions along with my predictions for the rest of the way!

Preseason NL East pick: Philadelphia Phillies.

Midseason NL East pick: Washington Nationals. The Nats have surprised the baseball world, and they will ride their unbelievable pitching staff all the way to a division title. By the way, there is NO WAY the Nats shut Strasburg down if they are in the hunt.

Preseason NL Central pick: St. Louis Cardinals.

Midseason NL Central pick: St. Louis Cardinals. Even after all of the terrible injuries and bad luck that this team has suffered, I still think they make a move at the deadline and push for another Central title. They’re right there! Don’t sleep on my boys!

Preseason NL West pick: Arizona Diamondbacks.

Midseason NL West pick: San Francisco Giants. Their pitching will be enough to carry them through that division. Their offense is still a weak point, but in their home ballpark, it’s all about effective pitching.

Preseason NL Wild Card #1 pick: Cincinnati Reds.

Midseason NL Wild Card #1 pick: Cincinnati Reds. Getting to play in their home ballpark will keep their bats hot, and their bullpen is one of the best in baseball.

Preseason NL Wild Card #2 pick: Atlanta Braves.

Midseason NL Wild Card #2 pick: Arizona Diamondbacks. This may seem like a crazy pick, but this team is poised to make a huge run in the second half. Their pitching is good enough to allow them to sneak in the playoffs. Their offense is the only question.

Preseason NL Pennant pick: St. Louis Cardinals.

Midseason NL Pennant pick: St. Louis Cardinals. In a short series, I like the Cardinals with Wainwright, Lohse, and whichever starting pitcher they add at the deadline. There is a lot of championship experience on this team, and I’m ready for them to get #12 in 12’!

Preseason NL MVP pick: Justin Upton.

Midseason NL MVP pick: Carlos Beltran. Upton has been my most disappointing pick so far, but I think that Beltran has a great chance to grab his first MVP title. His triple crown numbers, especially HRs and RBIs, should be there at the end. If the Cardinals make the playoffs, I think he wins the award!

Preseason NL Cy Young pick: Cliff Lee.

Midseason NL Cy Young pick: R.A. Dickey. He didn’t get the starting nod in the All-Star Game, but I think it is clear that he is the best pitcher in the NL this season. I don’t think anyone will figure out his knuckleball before the season is up.

Preseason NL Rookie of the Year pick: Yonder Alonso.

Midseason NL Rookie of the Year pick: Bryce Harper. Harper is as close a thing that we have to a real Roy Hobbs, and he’s still only 19 years old! In a season where I wasn’t even sure that he would be called up, I think he will run away with the Rookie of the Year.

Regardless of whether or not my predictions turn out, it will be a great second half of the season! Be sure to follow @MLBFanCave and @KyleOKC on Twitter, and keep checking back here for more great content.