Change-UpSeptember 09, 2008
National League Check Up
By Patrick Sullivan

And now, the NL:

     RS   RA  DIF   OPS   OPSa  OPS+  ERA+
NYM 701  618   83  .756  .720   107   104 
PHI 696  599   97  .761  .741   101   115
CHC 769  593  176  .806  .715   112   117
MIL 676  608   68  .765  .726   104   113  
STL 685  633   52  .781  .768   111   102
HOU 643  665  -22  .744  .775   101    97 
LAD 603  581   22  .721  .694    92   118
ARI 645  637    8  .737  .721    93   111

The Cubs might be limping to the finish line here but they have shown themselves easily to be the best team in the NL this season.

Comments

Looks like the Red Sox and Cubs are the two strongest teams in MLB. Of course in a five and then two seven game series, that means close to diddly-squat.

The '06 Cardinals still piss me off.

Posted by: mattymatty at September 9, 2008 1:10 PM

I was wondering where you got this data, baseball-reference.com I assume?

Posted by: obsessivegiantscompulsive at September 9, 2008 3:36 PM

I got all except OPS+ and ERA+ from ESPN. Those two figures are from B-Ref.

Posted by: Sully at September 9, 2008 8:26 PM

And just to expand on that, for as much flak as the WWL catches around the baseball blogs, they seem to continue to make a concerted effort to present progressive statistics.

Posted by: Sully at September 9, 2008 8:28 PM

Based on the numbers, the Red Sox and Cubs should be the favorites. However, with the additions of Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez, the Angels and Dodgers are certainly better clubs today than what the season-long stats would suggest. Both teams have good pitching as well.

While anything can happen in the crapshoot known as baseball in October, I would lean in the direction of these four clubs as having the best chance of winning it all.

Posted by: Rich Lederer at September 10, 2008 8:49 AM