The 2010 Major League Baseball regular season is underway and after three weeks of action some teams have already made a statement while some others are off to a much slower start than expected. Every National League team has a dream of making it all the way to this year’s World Series, but in reality there are only a handful of teams that actually have a chance. Here is a look at my top four teams in the NL after week three and their currents odds to win the Pennant and the World Series.
Philadelphia Phillies Odds to Win the NL Pennant 3-1 World Series 6-1
After a blistering 7-1 start the Phillies have cooled down, going just 4-6 in their last 10. They still lead the East with a record of 11-7, but inconsistency from anyone not named Halladay has plagued their pitching staff so far. With closer Brad Lidge still working his way back into the pen as their closer, the rest of the late relief pitchers have struggled. Last week they took two of three from Atlanta, but lost two of three to Arizona over the weekend. Offensively they are still as solid as ever leading the NL in runs with 104. While the batting order is littered with great hitters, Ryan Howard still has the biggest bat with 22 hits, 16 RBI’s and 11 runs scored.
St. Louis Cardinals Odds to Win the NL Pennant 15-4 World Series 8-1
Much like the Phillies, the Cardinals have struggled as of late, going 5-5 in their last 10. They lead the Central by 2 ½ games over Chicago with a record of 11-7 and have won five of their first six series. Last week they took two out of three from the Diamondbacks but lost two of three to San Francisco. So far their pitching as a staff has been solid as they lead the NL with a team ERA of 2.72. Their hitting has been less than perfect as they rank 11th with a team average of .246. They have generated 78 runs, ranking them 12th overall. Albert Pujols leads the team with 17 RBI’s and seven home runs.
San Diego Padres Odds to Win the NL Pennant 100-1 World Series 200-1
In an early season surprise, San Diego has moved to the top of the West with a record of 11-7 by winning eight straight before losing to Cincinnati 4-5 on Sunday. They won three straight against division opponents Arizona and San Francisco to open a one game lead over the Giants. Their pitching is currently ranked third in the NL with a team ERA of 2.87. Kevin Correia has led the way with a 3-1 start and an ERA of 3.13. Offensively they are 10th overall with a .246 team batting average and 83 runs scored. Adrian Gonzalez is off to a blistering start with 20 hits, six homeruns and 14 RBI’s.
New York Mets Odds to Win the NL Pennant 12-1 World Series 20-1
After winning four straight, including a three game sweep of Atlanta this past weekend and seven of their last 10, New York is back in the picture in the East after a shaky start. They are currently 10-9 and tied for second with Florida and Washington; 1 ½ games in back of the Phils. Their pitching has carried them so far as they are currently ranked fourth in the NL with a team ERA of 3.17. Mike Pelfry leads the rotation and is off to an incredible start going 4-0 with an ERA of just .69 in his first four starts. The Mets bats are starting to improve after being the primary reason for the slow start. They are currently ranked second to last in the NL with a .230 average and have only managed to score 75 runs.
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