MLB National League Power Rankings – August 23
The 2010 Major League Baseball’s regular season is headed for the home stretch and with around 60 games left to play, some teams are making a statement they hope to carry right into the postseason while quite a few other teams are already making plans for next year.
Each of the National League’s 16 teams started the season dreaming of making it all the way to this year’s World Series, but in reality there are only a handful of teams that actually still have a chance. Here is a look at my top four teams in the NL after the third week of August with their updated odds to win the Pennant as well as the World Series.
Atlanta Braves Odds to Win the NL Pennant 3/1 World Series 13/2
Atlanta continues to roll as it has now won every series it has played in the month of August. The Braves are currently 73-51 and have a 2 ½ lead over Philadelphia in the NL East. At 44-17 they have the best home record in the Major Leagues. Atlanta’s pitching continue to be the strength of this team as its 3.43 team ERA is third best in the NL. The Braves .258 team batting average ranks them eighth in the league and their 579 runs scored rank them third.
San Diego Padres Odds to Win the NL Pennant 8/1 World Series 20/1
San Diego has won seven of its last 10 games and at 74-49 has the best record in the NL. The Padres have opened up a six game lead over San Francisco in the NL West after the Giants lost six out of their last 10. San Diego’s pitching has been outstanding this season as the Padres continue to lead the NL with a team ERA of just 3.26. Their team hitting has not kept pace as they are ranked 12th in the NL with a team batting average of .251. They are ranked ninth in runs scored with 546.
Cincinnati Reds Odds to Win the NL Pennant 8/1 World Series 20/1
With an 8-2 record in its last 10 games, Cincinnati now has a 3 ½ game lead over St. Louis in the NL Central. The Reds have an overall record of 72-52 and have an identical home and away record of 36-26. The Reds pitching this season has been adequate with their bats primarily driving their success. While its team ERA of 3.94 ranks Cincinnati eighth in the NL. its .272 team batting average and 615 runs scored are tops in the league.
Philadelphia Phillies Odds to Win the NL Pennant 7/2 World Series 15/2
Philadelphia has been able to match Atlanta win for win over the past few weeks to keep the Braves within striking distance. At 70-53, they are 2 ½ games back in the East division race, but lead the Giants and Cardinals by two games in the wildcard race. The Phillies have a 3.88 team ERA which ranks them sixth in the NL and a team batting average of .259 which ties them for sixth. Their 579 runs scored tie them with Atlanta for third best in the league.
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