Are we actually the favorite in the NL Central right now?

[RegulusBlue]

I've been talking to a bunch of people lately about baseball in anticipation of the new season, and (in Milwaukee) the idea is that the Cubs and Brewers are in a two team race to win the division, with the Cubs having a slight edge.

 

Do you guys think we're holding the advantage going into the season? If not, how far away are we?

[wekse]

i'll leave the cardinals as the fave since they are coming off of a ws victory.

[Electron Blue]

we are in my mind, at least. Though I'd also say we could easily finish 4th or 5th.

[AlwaysaCub]

Do we want to be favored? No. Then our season will end up like 2004. If we aren't, we can maybe pull off 2003.

[Drew Doughty]

No. St. Louis improved over last year (addition by subtraction at worst, significant improvement at best). They should still be the favorites.

[Outshined_One]

Until proven otherwise, St. Louis is the favorite to win the Central.

[RegulusBlue]

I still think the cards aren't that good. WS or no WS, they just don't have many good players on the field, and their pitching staff is kinda weak.

 

They played good ball for a postseason and won. Great.

 

For god's sake, the white sox WS team would handle them, IMO.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I think the Cardinals will finish ahead of the Cubs, so no.

[Rob]

Brewers look significantly better, and the it's hard to bet against the defending WS champs.

 

Astros look like they've fallen off the face of the earth though, which I'm loving.

[A New Era]

Well, they're MY favorites. That's for sure.

 

I hate how cardinals fans claim well since they've won in the past or won last year, they are still the favorites. I have to ask, how much did they improve from their mediocre win total last year? The Cubs have improved quite a bit more than the Cardinals have. And I don't beleive in looking at "last year's win totals". Look how many they won in 2005, how did THEY loose 20 or so games from 2005 to 2006? They didn't loose that many players. So I don't beleive we have to make up "30 games" either, which is what some people would have you beleive.

[nilodnayr]

Well, they're MY favorites. That's for sure.

 

I hate how cardinals fans claim well since they've won in the past or won last year, they are still the favorites. I have to ask, how much did they improve from their mediocre win total last year? The Cubs have improved quite a bit more than the Cardinals have. And I don't beleive in looking at "last year's win totals". Look how many they won in 2005, how did THEY loose 20 or so games from 2005 to 2006? They didn't loose that many players. So I don't beleive we have to make up "30 games" either, which is what some people would have you beleive.

 

Some one did some study showing the starts by Marquis and Ponson and how much of an adverse affect they had on the team. With a full year of Reyes and if Izzy is healthy with Wainwright is in the rotation, their back end should be much much improved.

 

I'd rank the division

 

Cards

Brewers

Cubs

Reds

Astros(assuming clemens leaves)

Bucs

[A New Era]

Well, they're MY favorites. That's for sure.

 

I hate how cardinals fans claim well since they've won in the past or won last year, they are still the favorites. I have to ask, how much did they improve from their mediocre win total last year? The Cubs have improved quite a bit more than the Cardinals have. And I don't beleive in looking at "last year's win totals". Look how many they won in 2005, how did THEY loose 20 or so games from 2005 to 2006? They didn't loose that many players. So I don't beleive we have to make up "30 games" either, which is what some people would have you beleive.

 

Some one did some study showing the starts by Marquis and Ponson and how much of an adverse affect they had on the team. With a full year of Reyes and if Izzy is healthy with Wainwright is in the rotation, their back end should be much much improved.

 

I'd rank the division

 

Cards

Brewers

Cubs

Reds

Astros(assuming clemens leaves)

Bucs

 

Yeah but Marquis and Izzy were all with the team in 05 too. They both just had bad years. And Reyes and Wainwright are just unproven yet promising rookies. We have a few of those ourselfs in Hill and Guzman. We had our own "Marquis and Izzy" in Dempster and in not having Lee. We've unloaded many of our "problems" aswell. The Cardinals did not make any "impact" improvements. All your talking about is "possible" improvements. We have alot more possible improvements if you ask me.

[XZero771679666304]

I think the Cardinals will finish ahead of the Cubs, so no.

 

The Cards will be fortunate to finish much above .500 this year. Then again, so will any of the Central teams. I don't think the Cards are any better than last year, the Cubs will be better, the Astros worse, the Brewers about the same, as well as the Bucs. The Reds will be worse.

 

Who's the favorite? Who knows. It's a crapshoot, with extra emphasis on the crap.

[10man]

the pirates will be first in the central for about a week or so. after that its a 5-team race with no one being the favorite.

[Brian]

We can claim that the Cardinals didn't improve or got a little better or worse depending on your viewpoint but they will be there at the end, they always are.

 

It's going to boil down to health, as always. If we can field a major league team for the majority of the season (meaning not throwing minor leaguers/crappy bench players into the fire for way to many games) we have a good shot at being competitive. While there is that chance we as always have a chance to be really horrible due to injuries or just crappy play.

 

There's a lot of downers here right now, but I'm getting kind of excited for the season. Fons, Dlee, Aram all healthy and producing together could be great, add Barrett and the Big Murt hopefully continuing to rise. Looking forward to Wuertz and Wood (hopefully) being filthy in the back end. The starting pitching is muddy but hopefully this is Z's Cy Young year (after a ST extension) the next four... who knows there's always the hope that Prior shows up, the old Prior...

 

Bring on Spring Training, though I'm fully prepared to be out of it by May.

[Backtobanks]

If things go right (Prior healthy, Hill continues to pitch well, overall health, and reasonably good seasons from Soriano, Lee, ARam, Barrett, and Murton), I think the Cubs have a chance to run away with the Central. That being said, I do think that the starting pitching is deep enough, the bullpen and bench are solid, and the offense is good enough that the Cubs ought to be considered favorites and they should be in contention all year.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I think people are discounting the Astros a little too much. They added a bat in Carlos Lee and they will be better off with Burke in CF than Taveras.

 

While they may not have Clemens, they didn't have him until late June last year. They replaced Pettitte with Jennings, which is a step down.

 

I think there's a logjam atop the Central. The Cubs, Cards, Brewers, and Astros all look about even. The question marks (health, surprise performances, midseason acquisitions) of each team will likely determine the race this year.

[Andy]

With the Cubs' and Cardinals' respective luck over the last four years, along with the fact that STL has the best player in the game and are the defending champs, it'd probably be foolish to assume we are the favorites.

 

We're certainly expected to compete, but I'd still keep STL at the favorites being that they're the 3-time division champs.

[CuseCubFan69]

The Pirates will sneak out a Central division title with a total of 78 wins.

[Mark Priors Calves]

To give you a literal answer to your question, here's what my sportbook has to say.

 

To win the Central:

 

1. Cardinals 7-5

2. Cubs 3-2

3. Brewers 5-1

4. Astros 8-1

5. Reds 10-1

6. Pirates 40-1

[Larry Horse]

The Cards are the favorites until proven otherwise.

[Illini Iceman]

To give you a literal answer to your question, here's what my sportbook has to say.

 

To win the Central:

 

1. Cardinals 7-5

2. Cubs 3-2

3. Brewers 5-1

4. Astros 8-1

5. Reds 10-1

6. Pirates 40-1

 

You can't really go by that. The Cubs odds are always inflated because so many fans bet on them that the sportbooks have to protect themselves against them actually winning.

[Mark Priors Calves]

To give you a literal answer to your question, here's what my sportbook has to say.

 

To win the Central:

 

1. Cardinals 7-5

2. Cubs 3-2

3. Brewers 5-1

4. Astros 8-1

5. Reds 10-1

6. Pirates 40-1

 

You can't really go by that. The Cubs odds are always inflated because so many fans bet on them that the sportbooks have to protect themselves against them actually winning.

 

Very true, I was posting the facts of it. Even with the Cubs getting lower odds, they still aren't the favorite to win.

[TB_11]

Even though the Cardinals won the division last year with 83 wins, it's safe to assume that 90 wins will be required to be in contention for the Central crown. Unless one assumes that Hill, Lilly, and Marquis will have career years, the Cubs can't be expected to contend for the crown. With the current roster, the offense's main upgrades will be a healthy Lee at first, and Soriano instead of Pierre in center. Izturis and DeRosa are marginal upgrades in production at SS and 2B. That's it.

 

The Cubs projected performance last year put them at a 70-92 record. Expecting a 20 win improvement out of this offseason's moves is way too much.

[Backtobanks]

Even though the Cardinals won the division last year with 83 wins, it's safe to assume that 90 wins will be required to be in contention for the Central crown. Unless one assumes that Hill, Lilly, and Marquis will have career years, the Cubs can't be expected to contend for the crown. With the current roster, the offense's main upgrades will be a healthy Lee at first, and Soriano instead of Pierre in center. Izturis and DeRosa are marginal upgrades in production at SS and 2B. That's it.

 

The Cubs projected performance last year put them at a 70-92 record. Expecting a 20 win improvement out of this offseason's moves is way too much.

 

I don't see any team in the NL Central that looks any closer to 90 wins than the Cubs. The Cards, Reds, and Pirates look no better than last year, the Astros look worse, and the Brewers look a little better after a very disappointing season. On paper and with our share of health (long overdue), I think the Cubs have as good a shot as winning it as anyone else. They certainly should be the most improved team over last year.