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2017 NL CENTRAL DISCUSSION

JohnU

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Because somebody needed to start it.
 

soxfan1468927

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SlinkyRedfoot

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somebody needed to start it.

Not really. The last one, started in April of 2015 and only has about 650 posts. At that pace, the thread should last another 120 years before it approaches the mighty 2016 AL Central Thread. Plenty of room over there.
 

JohnU

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Not really. The last one, started in April of 2015 and only has about 650 posts. At that pace, the thread should last another 120 years before it approaches the mighty 2016 AL Central Thread. Plenty of room over there.

I bet if I deleted all the pointless comments on that illustrious blog, it would be far more manageable.
Either way, it's hard to imagine that AL-C teams will be moving into the National League this year. But I'd guess that the best teams in the NL are in the Central.

But the way it looks as of now, at least one of us is a Reds fan and the other appears to be an Indians fan. Perhaps we can just go somewhere and start an Ohio baseball thread.

How about them Lake Erie Crushers?
 

soxfan1468927

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I bet if I deleted all the pointless comments on that illustrious blog, it would be far more manageable.
Either way, it's hard to imagine that AL-C teams will be moving into the National League this year. But I'd guess that the best teams in the NL are in the Central.

But the way it looks as of now, at least one of us is a Reds fan and the other appears to be an Indians fan. Perhaps we can just go somewhere and start an Ohio baseball thread.

How about them Lake Erie Crushers?
I wouldn't say that. The best team is in the central, but I'd say 4 of the top 5 are not. Dodgers, Nationals, Mets, and Giants.
 

SlinkyRedfoot

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But the way it looks as of now, at least one of us is a Reds fan and the other appears to be an Indians fan. Perhaps we can just go somewhere and start an Ohio baseball thread.

How about them Lake Erie Crushers?

Lake County Captains? Columbus Clippers?
 

JohnU

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I'd agree with the comment that the Cubs are the elite team in the NL and that the Cardinals are in the top 5. I am not yet sold on the Pirates and I think they could tumble to 4th this year.

Behind ... probably the Brewers. While the Reds are attempting a rebuild (or more accurately an overhaul) there is still no "there" there for the pitching behind Desclafani and Finnegan, and neither of them is an ace.

The bullpen will be better and the offense will be a little faster, maybe a touch better.

I still don't like the way Price is constructing the bullpen and a couple of good arms -- Lorenzen and Iglesias -- appeared doomed to repeat the Chapman miracle. (When you lose 90-some games, you don't need a closer.)

Now, somebody tell me I am wrong about the Pirates.
 

JohnU

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Chillicothe Paints, Hamilton Joes, Dayton Dragons
 

soxfan1468927

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I'd agree with the comment that the Cubs are the elite team in the NL and that the Cardinals are in the top 5. I am not yet sold on the Pirates and I think they could tumble to 4th this year.

Behind ... probably the Brewers. While the Reds are attempting a rebuild (or more accurately an overhaul) there is still no "there" there for the pitching behind Desclafani and Finnegan, and neither of them is an ace.

The bullpen will be better and the offense will be a little faster, maybe a touch better.

I still don't like the way Price is constructing the bullpen and a couple of good arms -- Lorenzen and Iglesias -- appeared doomed to repeat the Chapman miracle. (When you lose 90-some games, you don't need a closer.)

Now, somebody tell me I am wrong about the Pirates.
Don't like the Brewers to finish 3rd at all. Lost Carter, now Lucroy for a full season, Hill for the full season and really didn't replace them with anybody decent. I guess Davies and Guerra aren't awful, but I'm not sure what there is to like with this team.
 

JohnU

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Don't like the Brewers to finish 3rd at all. Lost Carter, now Lucroy for a full season, Hill for the full season and really didn't replace them with anybody decent. I guess Davies and Guerra aren't awful, but I'm not sure what there is to like with this team.

If it's third, it's not a strong third. We might be evaluating this on 2 levels. I don't play the predict-the-standings game so it's a hunch that the Pirates may be more in decline than the Brewers are in ascendancy. That being possible, 3 teams below .500 is not out of the question. Three years ago, the NL-C was considered the most competitive division. Now, it's mostly a place for the rest of the league to get well.
 

Clayton

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This is pretty close to unanimous though the Brewers and Reds could end up in different spots.

What sucks is Reyes missing the year takes the Cardinals from a fringe championship contender to a fringe playoff contender.

Luke Weaver is a projected #3 starter type somewhere down the line and thats not nearly the upside that Reyes brought but its possible that Weaver could get the mistake pitches under control and maybe string some decent stuff together. I personally am thinking that Weaver is a bigger longshot than Leake or Waino recovering to fill out the starting pitching. Not really high on Leake or Waino, either, though.

In 2017, The NL-Central is probably going to be the most boring division in baseball.
 

SlinkyRedfoot

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JohnU

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10 games below .500?? Yikes. I expect the position players to be much too good for that kind of regression.

It pays to notice that they also see the Royals losing 91 games. I suppose there are some metrics that support that but it's hard for me to see them falling below the Twins and the Sox.
 
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