Baseball's Best Division
| 14
|
by Aharner
As the MLB season rolls on, the debate on which division is baseball's best heats up. In 2007, there are three divisions in the debate.
The American League Central, the National League East, and the National League West have provided fans with excitement all season. With three teams in striking distance, each division will certainly provide excitement as we push through August and into September.
The AL Central features two of the brightest young teams in baseball as well as two of the top three teams in the current ESPN power rankings. The Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers have been locked in a first-place battle for most of the season. The two teams use starting pitching and offense to win games, and even showcase some of the brightest stars in the game. Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, C.C. Sabathia, Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, Curtis Granderson, and Magglio Ordonez make any game with either of these teams fun to watch. But behind all of this attention is Johan Santana's and Justin Morneau's Minnesota Twins. Just 7 games out at the time of this post, the Twins have the firepower to come back and make it a close three team race come September.
The NL East may be a seeing another new division winner this season. After watching as the Atlanta Braves won the division for about 85 years, the New York Mets took the crown last season. But, as they struggle this season, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Cole Hamels have propelled the Philadelphia Phillies right back into the thick of things. Or, we could be reverting back to history as the young Atlanta Braves now just stand 1.5 games behind the Mets. The Mets are aging. Tom Glavine, Carlos Beltran, and Billy Wagner just can't stack up to the power of the Phillies or the desire of Bobby Cox and the Braves.
The NL West is a totally different division from the other two. This division freatures three teams powered by solid veteran players with the help of some impact youngsters. The San Diego Padres rely mostly on their young pitching duo of Jake Peavy and Chris Young. The Los Angeles Dodgers fall back on their ace Brad Penny and thier All-Star catcher Russell Martin. The Arizona Diamondbacks heavily rely on offensive threats Eric Brynes, Chad Tracy, and Chris Young. This makes the NL West the most dynamic of the three division, but not always the most fun to watch.
As for which division is the best, it's all in what type of baseball you like. Do you like a slugfest? How about a pitchers dual? Or maybe you just like a game where anything could happen. If you want a slugfest, go watch an NL East game and see Howard and Utley go yard. If you want to see a pitcher's dual, head out west and watch Peavy go against Penny. If you want to see an unpredictable game, watch the AL Central. One day, Verlander is throwing a no-hitter, the next Sizemore is hitting a grand slam in a seven run inning.
