Compared to the American League, the National League has been absolutely wild so far this season. So far, the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs are the three division leaders. BetDSI has updated their odds to win the National League Pennant as we enter the month of May.
The Chicago Cubs are the favorites at +350 as they sit with a 16-10 record heading into Tuesday’s games. The hitting is starting to come around for the Cubs. While their pitching isn’t great, they’re still fourth in the majors in ERA. The Cubs still have another gear to get to as they showed after their slow start in 2017. However, they had better pick it up quickly with a surprising Pittsburgh team (they’re rated at +4000), Milwaukee (+1200) and St. Louis (+1000) on their heels. After the Cubs, you have the Arizona Diamondbacks at +500 with a record of 20-8, and they have a top-five pitching staff. The Diamondbacks are the only team in baseball not to have blown a save yet.
Surprise Teams
Then it gets crazy, so let’s start with the surprises. The New York Mets are rated at +800 with a record of 17-9. After that, the Philadelphia Phillies are rated at +1500 with a record of 16-12. The Mets’ rankings aren’t impressive, but they’re finding ways to win. They might not be able to sustain this pace, but if they can stay healthy, the playoffs won’t be out of their reach. The Phillies are in the same boat as their numbers aren’t great, but they’re outperforming their expectations. The Phillies have a young team that might be still a year away, but this is a great experience for them.
Disappointments
Next are the disappointments and you don’t have to look any further than the Los Angeles Dodgers at +425 and a record of 12-16. The Dodgers have a lot of questions to answer heading into May as Corey Seager is out for the season after Tommy John surgery. Clayton Kershaw has been fine, but when you’re used to getting Cy Young-type performances all the time, “fine” is a bit worrying. They also have a lot of injuries in their lineup. On top of that, Cody Bellinger was just benched because of a lack of hustle. The Dodgers should be alright, but they can’t afford to fall too far back in the National League West.
The Washington Nationals have odds of +500 with a record of 13-16. Outside of Bryce Harper and Howie Kendrick, they’re struggling to hit. Also, Harper’s contract situation (he is a free agent after this season) has to be hanging over the team and that is something they must sort out. Max Scherzer has been great, but the rest of the rotation has been inconsistent. That is a problem when your bullpen has been as bad as the Nationals’ has been. Like the Dodgers, the Nationals have the talent to turn things around. But you don’t want to get into too big of a hole. The Nationals need a better month in May than they had in April.
