By Jalen Maki
The All-Star Break is here, meaning the 2024 MLB season is now just past the halfway point.
The Milwaukee Brewers currently sit atop the National League Central, with the rest of the division – the Chicago Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the St. Louis Cardinals – jockeying for position beneath them. As of late, it appears one of my personal fears is coming to pass: the Cardinals look like they might be pretty legit, unfortunately, and they could give the Crew a run for their money in the second half. Meanwhile, former Brewers manager Craig Counsell and his Cubs have spent a considerable amount of time marooned on Bad Vibes Island, hoping a ship in the form of consistent offense will soon appear on the horizon and rescue them.
With the first half of the 2024 season in the books, let’s take a look at where things stand in the NL Central, starting from the bottom.
Chicago Cubs
Record: 47-51. 5th place in the NL Central, 8.5 games off the division lead.
As I mentioned before, it’s been tough sledding for Chicago for a good part of the season. But there was a glimmer of hope on Sunday, when the Cubbies clobbered six (6) dingers against the Cardinals, including two from rookie centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and another pair from designated hitter Christopher Morel.
Chicago hasn’t had a lot to brag about on offense, but their pitching has been decent. If the Cubs can find some consistency with the bats and build off the 7-3 run they went on before the break, there’s reason to believe Counsell can lead them back into the postseason conversation.
Cincinnati Reds
Record: 47-50. 4th place in the NL Central, 8 games off the division lead.
Second-year man Elly De La Cruz currently leads the Reds with 17 home runs, and his 46 stolen bases are the most in the league (the Brewers’ Brice Turang is second with 30). The guy is just a delight to watch – the 6’5” shortstop is one of baseball’s most dynamic athletes in recent memory.
The Reds dropped their final game of the first half, losing to the Miami Marlins 3-2 to end the first half with a 5-5 stretch. Their three-game series at home against the Cubs at the end of the month could have a notable impact on the division standings.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 48-48. 3rd place in the NL Central, 6.5 games off the division lead.
When it comes to the Pirates, I have two words to say: Paul. Skenes.
Skenes is, inarguably, an Absolute Dawg. The dominant rookie carved up the Brewers like a Christmas ham in Milwaukee last Thursday, logging 11 strikeouts across seven no-hit innings in the Pirates’ 1-0 win. Skenes, who was named the National League starter for yesterday’s All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas, boasts a 6-0 record and an ERA of 1.90 with 89 Ks, just 48 hits, and a mere 13 walks. Skenes was the first rookie to get the nod in the Midsummer Classic since the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo in 1995.
The Pirates beat the White Sox in Chicago by a score of 9-4 on Sunday to clinch a three-game sweep, ending the first half at .500 – and in the mix for the postseason.
St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 50-46. 2nd place in the NL Central, 4.5 games off the division lead.
Folks, the Cardinals appear to be surging, which forces me to ask a question: Why is this happening to me, personally?
Well, I don’t think I can answer that question with any amount of certainty, but I can say this: the Cards looked Not Good at the beginning of the year. After opening with a 15-24 record, they pulled it together in mid-May and went on a 35-23 heater before the break – the third-best record in the league over that stretch. An apparent awakening of an offense with plenty of potential, combined with a pitching staff bearing similar high expectations now finding its footing, appear to have landed St. Louis right back in the hunt for the NL Central title. You don’t like to see it!
Milwaukee Brewers
And last, but certainly not least, we come to the Brew Crew.
Record: 55-42. 1st place in the NL Central, 4.5 games ahead of the Cardinals.
Before the season started, I didn’t blame anyone who said the Brewers were likely headed into a down year. Counsell hit the bricks, 2021 Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles, rockstar starter Brandon Woodruff announced he would miss the entire season while recovering from shoulder surgery, and Devin Williams, one of baseball’s premier closing pitchers, was sidelined with stress fractures in his back. On top of all this, former bench coach Pat Murphy was about to make his managerial debut with the Brewers. A combination of a projected loss of top-tier talent and inexperience at the helm looked like a recipe for potential decline. Yet, the Brewers have been one of the best teams in baseball in the first half. How?
Well, let’s start with Murphy. When Counsell left for Chicago, Murphy was given the reins. Although he has many years in the baseball world, Counsell’s former college coach, and bench coach on his staff in Milwaukee, had never been a Big League skipper prior to this season. What Murphy has done as the Brewers’ manager this year has been nothing short of masterful. Despite having the deal with a staggering number of injuries, especially among pitchers, Murphy has time and time again found ways to win. One could argue this run of success started at a philosophical level – a key word Murphy and the Brewers have leaned on this year is “undaunted.”
On offense, the Brewers’ All-Stars – catcher William Contreras and outfielder Christian Yelich – have each put together fantastic campaigns thus far. Contreras has been one of baseball’s best catchers at the plate, putting up a position-leading .286 average with an OPS of .792, good for fourth-best among catchers. Wild Bill’s also hit 11 homers and batted in 55 runs with a position-leading 108 hits. Yelich has concurrently looked like the Yeli of years past. His .326 batting average is the second-best in baseball, and he’s on pace to hit 22 home runs with 82 RBIs. Oh, and he’s stolen 21 bases.
There’s been plenty of offensive production to go around. Shortstop Willy Adames’s team-leading 15 home runs and 67 RBIs; second baseman Brice Turang’s 30 stolen bases and .277 average; and the 14 long balls from first baseman Rhys Hoskins, as well as contributions from Joey Ortiz (the rookie infielder acquired in the Burnes trade) and rookie right fielder Jackson Chourio, have helped give the Brewers one of the league’s most potent offenses.
Also, this team loves to hit grand slams; they simply can’t get enough of it. The Crew has seven on the year, and in one of the most fun stretches in recent team history, Murphy’s Mashers crushed six salamis in 13 games.
Now, onto pitching. Stated plainly, Milwaukee’s starting rotation has been obliterated by injuries. Along with Woodruff, Wade Miley (elbow) and breakout rookie Robert Gasser (elbow) are also done for the year, and Joe Ross and DL Hall are each working their way back from the 60-day injured list. Relievers Jared Koenig, Abner Uribe, Enoli Paredes, and JB Bukauskas have each also had various injured list stints.
General manager Matt Arnold has made a couple moves in an effort to shore up the rotation. 2015 AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel was acquired from the Seattle Mariners, but was ultimately designated for assignment after just four starts, and Aaron Civale was brought in earlier this month via a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.
As of the break, 16 pitchers have started a game for the Brewers this year – the most in league. Suboptimal!
Some good news: Williams, the two-time Reliever of the Year, is eyeing a return in the near future. Williams made a rehab appearance with High-A Wisconsin on Sunday and struck out all three batters he faced on 14 pitches. But, even though starters Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea, Tobias Myers, and Bryse Wilson have helped keep the Brewers in first place, if the starting rotation isn’t meaningfully bolstered, there could be trouble brewing in Milwaukee.
Despite the team’s current division lead, the Crew had a tough couple of weeks headed into the break. With their 9-3 win over the Nationals on Sunday, the Brewers were able to dodge their first four-game losing streak of the year, but they were 3-7 over their final 10 matchups, and they haven’t won a series yet this month. Meanwhile, as I mentioned before, the Cardinals have closed a considerable amount of ground recently. Suddenly, the NL Central feels like a real race.
Jalen’s columns, “The Free Play” and “Movies You Gotta See,” can be found online at www.medium.com/@jalenmaki.
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