The National League has been intriguing all year and full of surprises. There are a plethora of teams with a chance at the postseason but they need to make a move quickly as time runs out on the season.
The NL East has been the punchline of the MLB this season. Much like the NFC East in the NFL last season, the NL East has a few teams middling around .500 and a couple awful teams in the Marlins and Nationals. However, the Atlanta Braves have caught fire in August and have gained control of a playoff spot and first place in the division for now. They are without superstar outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. but 2020 NL MVP Freddie Freeman and all-star second baseman Ozzie Albies have led the Braves to the division lead. The bullpen has been shaky but the Braves have the firepower in the lineup to hold the lead in the division.
The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets are chasing the Braves. The Phillies are two games behind the Braves and Bryce Harper is having an MVP season. He has a .301 batting average and an unbelievable .585 slugging percentage. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have also been wonderful on the starting pitching side of things. Like the Braves, the Phillies bullpen needs to be solid if the team wants to make the playoffs.
The New York Mets are just three and a half games behind the Braves in the division. They lost the best pitcher in baseball, Jacob DeGrom due to injury which really hampered their chances. They had the division lead for most of the season but after a bad August, they now find themselves in third place. Slugger Pete Alonso has hit 30 home runs this year but he will need some help from the rest of the order, especially stud shortstop Francisco Lindor and newly acquired Javier Baez. The Mets have the talent to make a run but the offense will need to heat up quickly if they want to have a chance.
The Milwaukee Brewers have run away with the NL Central in impressive fashion. They have done it with pitching, pitching, and more pitching. Starters Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, and Freddy Peralta were all selected to the all-star team and Burnes has a legitimate shot at the NL Cy Young award. The bullpen is loaded as well. Star closer Josh Hader has a 1.48 ERA to go along with 29 saves and 2020 NL Rookie of the Year Devin Williams is lights out in the eighth inning most nights. The Brewers are strong World Series contenders and will not be worried about missing the playoffs the rest of the way.
The NL West has been an absolute treat to watch. Everyone knew the loaded Dodgers would be in the mix and it was widely accepted that the San Diego Padres would be their biggest challenger. Instead it’s been the upstart San Francisco Giants who hold first place in the division for now and hold the best record in the MLB. The resurgences of catcher Buster Posey and shortstop Brandon Crawford have been remarkable. Trade deadline acquisition Kris Bryant has solidified third base. Outfielder Lamonte Wade Jr. has been a revelation for the squad. The pitching has been surprisingly brilliant as well. Kevin Gausman has been a bonafide ace and Johnny Cueto along with Anthony Desclafani have been solid rotational pieces. The Giants have a brilliant front office and game management tactics as they boast the MLB lead in pinch-hit home runs. Everything has gone right for them this year.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are close behind the Giants and have the best roster in the MLB. Their pitching staff is unparalleled and features all-stars Max Scherzer, Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw. Julio Urias has been fantastic on the mound as well posting a 16-3 record with a 3.11 ERA. The lineup is ridiculous as well. Acquiring shortstop turned second baseman Trea Turner from the Nationals took it to a new level. They have plenty of power in the middle in the form of Max Muncy, Justin Turner, and Will Smith. 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts and 2019 MVP Cody Bellinger patrol the outfield alongside all-star Chris Taylor. Yeah, this team is as good as it gets but anything can happen in October.
The NL Wild Card race is a ton of fun. Either the Giants or Dodgers will host the game but who will they play? If the season ended today it would be the Padres who are led by the face of baseball, Fernando Tatis Jr. The Padres have a difficult schedule left and their pitching has been shaky. They just fired pitching coach Larry Rothschild and are looking to string together some wins to keep chasing teams at bay. Tatis is right in the middle of the NL MVP race and will need to keep playing well in order for the Padres to make the playoffs.
The Cincinnati Reds are a game behind the Padres. They have a very potent offense led by Nicholas Castellanos and NL Rookie of the Year favorite Jonathon India. The Reds lost slugger Jesse Winker to injury and getting him back in the middle of the lineup will be key for the Reds. The Reds bullpen has been abysmal this year and blown multiple late-inning leads. The Cardinals, Phillies, and Mets all have outside shots at the second wild card spot as well but these teams will need to play flawless baseball the rest of the way to keep their dreams alive.