The March to October Part 2

David Rainey • July 29, 2022

This is a subtitle for your new post

The March to October Part 2

A review of the first half of the MLB season (The NL)


            Once again, fall is coming, and the playoffs are just around the corner.  In my previous article we reviewed the American League standings and looked at some of the biggest surprises and disappointments.  I also gave my prediction for the Cy Young and MVP awards races.  So, just like we did in the previous article, let’s break down the National League in part two.


Current National League Playoff Standings


Reviewing the National League Playoff Standings


Unlike the American League, the playoff picture in the National League is a bit clearer.  The Dodgers, as everyone is aware, have the most loaded roster in the Majors.  Led by an arguably top three player in the MLB in Mookie Betts, Los Angeles will likely remain atop the National League standings.  The Padres will only get better with the return of Fernando Tatis, but I believe the West is still the Dodgers’ to lose. However, there are a couple of division races that are heading down an interesting path. 

            The most interesting division race in all of MLB is the National League East.  Specifically, the race between the Mets and Braves.  The Mets seemed to be the best team, not only in the National League, but in the entire league at the beginning of the season.  But, in true Met fashion they’ve started to blow that lead to the Braves.  The Mets do have the easier remaining schedule of the two, but I think the Braves are a better team.  At least as things stand today.  It sounds like the Mets want to be buyers at the trade deadline and could add someone like Willson Contreras.  Contreras would give them a nice offensive boost and a catching upgrade that I think would put them over the top.  However, if the Mets and Braves rosters remain the same, I’m picking the Braves to win the East.

            Overall, for the National League, I think these are the six teams that ultimately make the playoffs.  There may be some shuffling as far as seeding goes, but I think these teams will be the ones to grab a spot in the playoffs.  The team that is on the outside looking in right now that could make a run is the Phillies, but that is entirely dependent on when Bryce Harper comes back. 


Biggest National League Surprise: San Diego Padres

 

            This was a tough choice for me being that there haven’t really been any major surprises thus far in the NL.  Now, you could say the Mets I guess, because well, they are the Mets.  Did anyone really expect them to be this good and for this far into the season? Anyway, I’m going to go with the Padres here. Seems odd that a team expected to be good and currently sits in the second wild card spot could be the biggest surprise.  But keep in mind, they’ve done all this without their best player Fernando Tatis Jr. He has yet to play this season due to injury, but here the Padres sit in second place in one of the toughest divisions in baseball.  Tatis was taking batting practice the other day, so a return to actions seems to be near.  It seems unlikely that they could catch the Dodgers, but the loser of the NL East better keep their head on a swivel.


National League MVP Front Runner: Paul Goldschmidt


            The St. Louis Cardinals have arguably the top two players in the running for the National League MVP in Goldy and Nolan Arenado.  Goldy has been the better of the two, however.  Although, it has been a tight race.  He’s been the best hitter in the Majors this year, or at the very least, on par with Aaron Judge.  Goldy leads the league in batting average (.335) and on base percentage (.417).  He also leads the National league in slugging (.619) and OPS (1.036).  Add on 24 homers and 77 RBIs, and you have a recipe for one hell of a hitting display.  The only other player that I think could have a case in this race is Austin Riley.  He’s sitting right behind Goldschmidt with a .945 OPS and has four more home runs.  The Braves also have a better record than the Cardinals, but the Cardinals could be buyers at the trade deadline and could boost their record.  Regardless, unless Goldschmidt goes into a slump and allows Riley to catch him, I think he brings home the trophy. 


National League CY Young: Sandy Alcantara… obviously


            Listen, nothing needs to be said here.  No one has vouched for Sandy more than me this season.  If anyone else wins this award I think we should all boycott Major League Baseball.  Sandy is a unicorn, and I dove into his performance this season at length in this article.  So instead of regurgitating the same info, I’ll leave you with these series of tweets highlighting his greatness. 


A quick share helps us a lot!

HOF Homage To Drew Brees

By Kaden Arkeder • August 7, 2026
Drew Brees will always be my quarterback. He was the quarterback when I first made the Saints my favorite team as a child and the only quarterback to bring a Super Bowl to New Orleans. Drew Brees is the embodiment of an underdog. Drew never was the biggest or the strongest or the fastest on the football field. But what Drew did was maximize every god given talent he had and a deep desire to win. But not just for himself, win for those around him and those who believed in him. We all put our hopes and dreams into the Saints and their quarterback because we finally had someone worthy to carry those aspirations to the promise land. Drew showed all of us year after year he was meant to be in the Hall of Fame. Everything he did was with intention and a high level of detail so he can be the absolute best he could be so he can take the Saints where they needed to go. Take your pick of what statistics Drew had during his career which proved and showcased his talent. My favorite is the record for most seasons with a completion percentage of 70% or higher. Drew’s accuracy was second to none during his career. The amount of times we watched Drew carve up a defense with his precision was what made him so entertaining to watch every week. I don’t think you can think of Drew Brees and not think of all the times he threaded the needle on a touchdown throw in the red zone to guys like Marques Colston or Lance Moore. You just knew on any given Sunday Drew could do something special and lead the team to a victory. The fact he was able to lead a team with one of if not the worst defenses of all time to a 7-9 record of itself was amazing. Amazing is just one of the many adjectives you can use to describe Drew Brees but when you lump them all together you get greatness. Greatness of his level is something you don’t get to see too often but man is it special to watch and appreciate when you have it. I think we all knew that when we watched him play but now that we’re here on the verge of him being enshrined I can say this with absolute certainty. There will probably never be another quarterback to play for the Saints who means as much to the city of New Orleans and Saints fans as Drew Brees. He’s our greatest champion and a perfect example of a first ballot hall of fame quarterback. The legend of Drew Brees will live on forever in Canton, Ohio right where we all knew it would.

Thursday: Inside the NBA

By Chrissy Smith • August 6, 2026
The Biggest Western Conference Threats Heading Into the 2026-27 Season
Show More