The Braves took the first game from the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, and have their rotation set up for Hanson, Hudson, and Lowe the weekend. In case you missed the All-Star Game, Brian McCann won MVP for his go-ahead double that put the National League ahead. Nate McLouth continues his rehab stint in AAA.

Philadelphia Phillies: (47-41; -5.5)

The Phillies lost 12-6 to the Cubs yesterday. Nothing much to report here, but Halladay goes in the Sunday game.

Florida Marlins: (42-46; -10.5)

The Marlins open up a three-game series with the Washington Nationals tonight. The pitching matchup is Ricky Nolasco vs. Strasburg with Josh Johnson against Livan tomorrow.

Washington Nationals: (39-50; -14)

The Nationals play the Marlins, and… well, look above. In case you missed the All-Star Game, Matt Capps picked up the win.

Seemingly Simple Stat School with Sach C. (Say that 5 times fast): Alright, so who has ever heard of a stat called “Isolated Power?” Basically, it’s a percentage that looks at the extra base hits generated by a batter over his at-bats. The formula is actually quite simple: Total Bases minus Hits divided by At-Bats, or to simplify it further; Slugging percentage minus Batting Average.

I personally do not like this stat. It cannot stand on its own and it can be skewed. It’s a stat that favors low-average boppers. For example, Josh Hamilton has a much better slugging percentage than Jose Bautista, and Hamilton’s batting average is over .130 points better. But, Bautista has a ISOP, because he gets more total bases in less hits.

It is also deceptive because speed factors into some extra base hits, which is why Shane Victorino has a better ISOP than Chase Utley. You need context when analyzing it.

Practical Uses on the Internet: If you’re ever losing an argument/flamewar and you need something to prove why Tyler Colvin is better than Albert Pujols, you would use this.

Seriously though, it actually is a good measure when you’re looking at the chance that someone can deliver an extra-base hit.

So here are the NL East leaders with their NL rank in parenthesis:

Adam Dunn (1): .300

Ryan Zimmerman (14): .232

Ryan Howard (15): .229

Jayson Werth (16): .228

Josh Willingham (21): .221

David Wright (23): .216

Jason Heyward (32) .201

Dan Uggla (34) .198

The Braves took two of three from the Washington Nationals and will open a three game series with the Marlins this weekend. J Hey was placed on the DL with a thumb injury, while he was 2^nd in the All-Star voting in the OF. If he is not ready by then, the replacement would be at the manager’s (Charlie Manuel) discretion. More on this in the next paragraph.

Philadelphia Phillies: (41-36; -4)

The Phillies dropped two of three to the Reds, and dropped the first game of a four game series to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Phillies send Jamie Moyer to the mound tonight chasing his 368^th win. FYI: Jamie Moyer (9-6) has a better record than Roy Halladay (9-7). Also, the Phillies sent Chase Utley and Placido Polanco to the DL. I guess that means either Kelly Johnson or Martin Prado would start the All_Star Game at 2B.

Continued from above. When a player is on the DL and misses the All-Star Game it would not necessarily go to the OF who is fourth in voting (Jayson Werth), it would be the manager’s choice (probably Jayson Werth anyway).

This is relevant in the case of 3B. Wright is second in the voting to Polanco, but with Polanco out, Charlie Manuel would decide between Wright and Zimmerman. He’s likely to go with Wright anyway, as the national media would get on him for snubbing the NL RBI leader.

Florida Marlins: (37-41; -8.5)

The Marlins wrapped up their San Juan series, and will head home to face the Braves.

Washington Nationals: (35-45; -11.5)

The Nationals dropped two of three to the Braves, and took the first game from the Mets. Tomorrow is Strasburg-Dickey, and I’m excited. Also, for what it’s worth, Zimmerman and Capps could be the Nats All-Star representatives.

Weekly Stat: June is now finished, so we’ll take a look at the monthly Pythagorean Win/Loss observations. To see April and May.

Final Note: While you’re feverishly refreshing multiple web-pages for the latest news on LeBron James, Ilya Kovalchuk, Cliff Lee, or who ever you’re following(I know I am), don’t forget that today is that start of MLB international signing period. If the draft is the official, formal, ceremony; then the ISP is the lawless frontier. Players are free to negotiate with any team, and there is much fraud with ages.

The Mets have been linked to some players, but there’s so little information that we don’t know who they’re interested in until they actually sign. Also, these players are younger than MLB draft picks, so don’t expect them in the majors until 2017.

The Braves took two of three from the Detroit Tigers, and will play the Nationals this week. The first game of that series will be carried on ESPN2, and will feature Tim Hudson vs. Stephen Strasburg. J-Hey will not be in the starting lineup due to a thumb injury, so we’ll be robbed of Stras-Hey Rd. 1.

Philadelphia Phillies: (40-33; -2.5)

The Phillies took two of three in the infamous Blue Jays home-series in Philadelphia. In it, Jamie Moyer threw his 4,000^th inning. Moyer stands at 267 wins, and I believe that he’ll be the next 300-game winner by age 50. A pressing issue after that becomes “what do you do after he gets 300?” I mean, 300 is a benchmark for the Hall of Fame, but does he deserve to be a Hall of Famer? But you can’t leave a 300-game winner out of the HoF, can you? Just food for thought. The Phillsters play a three game set against the Reds.

Sidebar: I was explaining the story of why the Blue Jays and Phillies were playing in Philadelphia instead of Toronto to my cousin, and he replied “Great, so they protect the Blue Jays from protesters, by sending them to Philadelphia.”

Florida Marlins: (35-40; -8.5)

The Marlins were swept by the San Diego Padres, and will head to San Juan for a set against the Mets. R.A. Dickey will be the starter tonight against Ricky Nolaso. The more interesting news surrounding the team is that Bobby Valentine is reportedly out of contention as Marlin manager.

Washington Nationals: (33-43; -11)

The Nationals were swept by the Orioles, and will play the Braves. This is Stras’s last start before the vaunted Strasburg-Dickey matchup on Saturday. Is it just me, or is this the second most anticipated pitching matchup of the year (second only to CC vs. Johan). Also, the Angels have interest in Adam Dunn, so it’s in the Nationals hands whether he gets traded, extended, or walks and leaves them picks.

Weekly Stat: So who did the best in interleague play, and who had the easiest/toughest schedule?

The Phillies had the hardest schedule (opponent’s winning % of .544 highlighted by NY, Bos for 6, and MIn) and the Nationals had the easiest (.410 highlighted by Bal for 6, KC, and Cle). The Braves and Marlins opponents both had combined .524 winning %; while Mets opponents had a .502%.

The Nationals clearly did the worst, going 5-13 including getting swept 3 times. The Mets did the exact opposite, going 13-5 and only losing one series, while getting two sweeps. The Phillies went 10-8, Braves 9-6, and Marlins 7-8.

The Braves were swept by the Chicago White Sox, and will now face the Detroit Tigers. The prime pitching matchup in this series comes on Sunday, with Tommy Hanson vs. Justin Verlander.

Philadelphia Phillies: (38-32; -2.5)

The Phillies swept the Cleveland Indians, and will stay in Philadelphia to play the Blue Jays, however the Blue Jays will be the home team. Good luck with that. Roy Halladay faces his old teammates for the first time tonight.

Florida Marlins: (35-37; -6.5)

The Marlins fired Fredi Gonzalez and will likely replace him with Bobby Valentine soon. Meanwhile the Marlins will be the only National League series against the San Diego Padres. Josh Johnson against Jon Garland on Saturday. Also the bullpen shuffle continues, as they have DFA’s James Hauser, called up Jose Veras, and signed Armando Benitez to a minor-league deal. Yes, that Armando.

Washington Nationals: (33-40; -9)

Strasburg suffered his first loss during the week to the Royals, 1-0. Ironically, that was the only game in the series that they lost. They play their prime-rival Baltimore Orioles.

BTW: If the rotation stays the way it is, Strasburg will face the New York Mets on July 3, not July 4^th as earlier speculated. His potential opponent would be R.A. Dickey.

The Braves took two out of three from the Tampa Bay Rays, and will play three against the Kansas City Royals. Kris Medlen vs. Zach Greinke is the matchup on Saturday.

Philadelphia Phillies: (34-30; -3.5)

The Phillies took two of three from the New York Yankees, and will face the Minnesota Twins. Come to think of it, I’ve always wanted to see how Mauer and Morneau hit at CPB.

Florida Marlins: (31-35; -7.5)

The Marlins were swept by the Texas Rangers, and will head back to Florida to play the Tampa Bay Rays. Check out the matchup on Sunday, Josh Johnson vs. David Price. Oh, and they DFA’s Reynel Pinto.

Washington Nationals: (31-36; -8)

The Nationals were swept by the Detroit Tigers, but they have Strasburg going tonight against Mark Buehrle and the White Sox.

No Weekly Stat this week. Instead, here’s an over/under on Stephen Srasburg’s K’s vs the Chicago White Sox tonight. The White Sox have struck out the fewest times of any American League team.

+/- 6.5 K’s for Strasburg

The Braves took two of three from the AL Central leading Minnesota Twins to keep their lead over the Mets at 1.5 games. The Braves will face the Tampa Bay Rays, with David Price, Wade Davis, and James Shields in line to face Kawakami, Hanson, and Hudson.

Philadelphia Phillies: (32-29; -3.5)

The Phillies lost two of three to the Boston Red Sox, getting outscored 25-9 in the process. Jamie Moyer was absolutely rocked in game 1 of the series. The Phillies will begin a World Series rematch series in New York against the Yankees. I know you hate both teams, but check out Tuesday’s pitching matchup: CC Sabathia vs. Roy Halladay.

Florida Marlins: (31-32; -5.5)

The Marlins took two of three from the Tampa Bay Rays, and will now face the AL West leading Texas Rangers. Ace Josh Johnson has only allowed 1 ER in his last 40 IP.

Washington Nationals: (31-33; -6)

Strasburg The Great took home NL Player Of The Week Honors, and had his first rough outing; 5.1 IP, 5 BB, 8K, 1ER. The Nationals will play the Detroit Tigers this week after taking two of three from Cleveland.

Weekly Stat: This is something that gdfther412 turned me onto on Sunday. Since getting caught with binoculars on May 12, the Phillies have gone 12-16 since; and have been outscored 95-122. Here’s a more telling stat: Avg/OBP/SLG.

Before (and including May 12) .273/.344/.452

After May 12: .239/.312/.353

That’s a 99 point drop in SLG, a 32 point drop in OBP, and a 34 point drop in batting average.

Let’s look at some individual numbers:

Jason Werth: Before May 12: .345/.423/.681

After May 12: .198/.284/.363 (Significant drop off)

Ryan Howard: Before May 12: .290/.333/.464

After May 12:  .280/.353/.458 (Not much of a difference)

Chase Utley: Before May 12: .314/.439/.574

After May 12: .181/.208/.309 (Bigger drop-off than Werth)

Shane Victorino: Before May 12: .241/.285/.475

After May 12: .274/.358/.443 (He actually got better)

The Braves had an interesting four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, winning the two highest scoring ones, and losing the two lowest scoring. In fact, Aaron Heilman got the win in relief for the D-Backs on Wednesday. The Braves will face the first-place Minnesota Twins, with tonight’s pitching matchup being Tim Hudson vs. Francisco Liriano.

Philadelphia Phillies (31-27; -2.5)

Philadelphia split their rain-shortened two-game series with the Marlins. In a rematch of the perfect game (the Halladay one), Josh Johnson won this pitchers duel. The Phillies will face the Boston Red Sox this weekend, and here’s the bigger treat, they get to face Tim Wakefield again.

Washington Nationals (30-31; -5)

Stephen Strasburg. Stephen Strasburg. Stephen Strasburg. Does anything else matter in Washington? They also drafted phenom Bryce Harper first overall in the draft. The Nationals swept the Pirates, and will face the Cleveland Indians. In fact, TBS bumped the coverage of the Phillies-Red Sox game this Sunday to show the Strasburg-Indians start.

Florida Marlins (29-31; -5.5)

In all the talk about top-prospects, the Marlins Mike Stanton picked up three hits in his first game, including one in his first at-bat. The Marlins split with the Phillies, and will face the cross-state Rays, and their pitching probables of James Shields, Matt Garza, and Jeff Niemann.

Weekly Stat: Even though it’s a tiny sample size, Stephen Strasburg got batters to swing at 40.4% of pitches outside the strike zone.

How does that stack up against other notable pitchers in the division?

Johan Santana has a 27.8% this year (27.0% career). Mike Pelfrey has 25.5% this year (23.0% career).

Roy Halladay has 29.8 this year (27.1% career). Cole Hamels 2010 27.5% (28.4%)

Tommy Hanson 2010 29.0% (26.8%). Tim Hudson 27.9% (23.6%).

Josh Johnson 2010 28.4% (24.1%). Ricky Nolasco 29.8% (27.3 %)

This page will be updated throughout the day with every new pick, as well as my comments and background info.

I would like to thank all of you who said nice things about my draft feature last week.

Pick 89 (Rd. 3): Norman Blake Forsythe, Catcher R/R; Jr. from Tennessee

You’re not going to see much under the name “Norman Forsythe” as he goes by the name “Blake.” I learned that the hard way in Google search.

Anyway, 2009 was his first full year starting for the Vols. He has a line of .347/.486/.663 with 51 Runs, 15 HR, and 46 RBI his junior year. Forsythe was drafted for his power. I like this pick.

Also, Keith Law of ESPN hates him: “he’s Adam Dunn at the plate — it takes an act of Congress to get the bat off his shoulder”

Ouch. But I’ll take Dunn’s power. Forsythe also has thrown out 35% of runners.

Pick 122: (Rd. 4) Cory Vaughn, Centerfielder R/R; Jr. from San Diego St.

Son of Greg Vaughn, nephew of Mo. 2010 line of .378/.454/.606; was drafted for bat. 21/55 BB/K ratio. 9 HR, 55 RBI. I like this pick.

Pick 152 (Rd. 5) Matthew Den Dekker, Centerfielder L/L; Sr. from Florida

Followed a good high school senior year with bad freshman year for the Gators. Good sophomore year followed by bad junior year. Good senior year. Selected to SEC All-Defense team twice. Fast in the outfield. Also check this out

Pick 182 (Rd. 6) Greg Peavey, RHP, R/R, Jr. from Oregon St.

2010 Stats: 6-3, 3.64 ERA; 29/72 BB/K ratio; BAA .260; gave up a lot of doubles. Two-time Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week in 2010. Curious why they didn’t take Jesse Hahn in this spot. Not a bad pick though.

Pick 212 (Rd. 7) Jeffrey Walters, RHP, R/R, Sr. from Georgia

2010 stats: 2-6 with a 7.90 ERA. 41/55 BB/K ratio. .338 BAA with 13 Wild Pitches? Those are Oliver Perez-like numbers. Head-scratching pick.

Pick 242 (Rd. 8 ) Kenneth McDowall, RHP So. from College of Southern Nevada.

Ranked 59th best Junior College prospect of 2010 by Perfect Game USA.

Pick 272 (Rd. 9) Jacob Degrom, RHP, Jr. from Stetson U.

2010 states: 16/56 BB/K ratio. 0.55 HR/9IP. Converted infielder. Not bad for a 9th rounder.

Pick 302 (Rd. 10) Akeel Morris, RHP, High School, US Virgin Islands

Throws a 94 MPH fastball. Committed to College, but I hope the Mets go above slot to steal him. Footage here and here. I like him more than Walters, McDowall, or Degrom.

Pick 332 (Rd. 11) Adam Kolarek, LHP, Jr. from Maryland

2010 stats: .246 BAA. K per inning. Must work on control in the minors, and I can easily see him as a lefty in the pen.

Pick 362 (Rd. 12) Brett Mitchell, RHP, Jr. from Minnesota State-Mankato

2010 stats: 33/108 BB/K ratio.10-4, 4.31 ERA, and 4 complete games. .258 BAA with 11 Wild Pitches. I like this pick, whether he stays a starter or reliever. I hope he stays as a starter.

Pick 392 (Rd. 13) Brian Harrison, 3B, R/R Jr. from Furman U.

.367/.462/.734; 14/11 BB/K ratio. 10 HR, 22 RBI in 36 games. I like.

World Cup Trivia: Clint Dempsey came from Furman.

Pick 422 (Rd. 14) James Brown, 2B, L/R, Jr. from U Pacific

.376/.407/.602; Will hit a lot of singles. 43 Runs in 53 games. I feel good.

Pick 452 (Rd. 15) Tillman Pugh, CF, R/R, Jr. from Sonoma St.

Pick 482 (Rd. 16) Ryan Fraser, RHP, Sr. from Memphis

Will strike people out, but must stop giving up hits, wild pitches, hit batters, and HR’s. I see a future reliever.

Pick 512 (Rd. 17) Chad Sheppard, RHP, Jr. from Northwestern State

Relief prospect.

Pick 542 (Rd. 18 ) Alexander “AJ” Pinera, RHP, Sr. from Tampa

Doesn’t walk that many people because he’s busy giving up hits. K per inning, but must cut down on hits.

Pick 572 (Rd. 19) Jonathan Kountis, RHP, Sr. from Embry Riddle

K per inning, .264 BAA. Worth a flyer.

Pick 602 (Rd. 20) Lucas Stewart, 1B, L/R, Sr. from Alabama-Birmingham

Did someone say big bat? .299/.399/.680 with 50 R, 21 HR, and 64 RBI in 53 games. I see a low-average bopper, who can take walks.

Pick 632 (Rd. 21) Dabias Johnson, 2B, R/R High School, Georgia

Don’t know much about him, but he has a 1045 SAT. If that counts for something.

Pick 662 (Rd. 22) Brandon Brown, SS, R/R, Sr. from U South Alabama

Pick 692 (Rd. 23) Drew Martinez, CF, L/L, So. from Memphis

2010 stats: .377/.429/.454 with 29 SB’s and 62 Runs in 58 games. Potential #2 or #8 hitter. I like.

Pick 722 (Rd. 24) Eric Goeddel, RHP, Jr. from UCLA

Relief prospect with K per IP potential

Pick 752 (Rd. 25) Peter Birdwell, RHP, Sr. from Vanguard U

Pick 782 (Rd. 26) James Butler, SS, Switch, Sr. from Mississippi St.

Pick 812 (Rd. 27) Michael Weldon, RHP, Sr. from Wayland Baptist U

Pick 842 (Rd. 28) Jeremy Gould, LHP, Sr. from Duke

Pick 872 (Rd. 29) Hamilton Bennett, LHP, Jr. from Tennessee Wesleyan

Pick 902 (Rd. 30) Josh Edgin, LHP, Sr. from Francis Marion U

Well that’s it for Day 2. I must say, this is not a bad draft. In Round 3, we addressed our Catcher of the future. Blake Forsythe will be a power hitter from behind the plate, even though he may not be pretty. He’s not Grandal, but he’s a legit bat who can throw runners out.

I also expect Cory Vaughn to make the team in four years. He’s too good not to.

Akeel Morris and Lucas Stewart are my two sleepers. I hope the Mets lure him away from college, because I think Morris will be a future closer. Lucas Stewart must work on his contact, but he has real power.

Greg Peavey and Brett Mitchell could be two decent future starters to keep your eye on in four years.

James Brown and Drew Martinez, I see as good contact-hitter prospects.

Matthew Den Dekker could continue on in CF. He’ll take a few years, but I’m not sure how he’ll turn out.

I also find that we drafted a lot of future relievers. Granted, we drafted pitchers that can strike people out, but a lot of future relievers.

All-in-all, a lot of the players in the majors today came in rounds 2-30. We’ll definitely see a bunch of them in Queens.

In 10 years: This draft will be remembered for Matt Harvey, Blake Forsythe, Cory Vaughn, Brett Mitchell, Akeel Morris, Drew Martinez, Matthew Den Dekker and Lucas Stewart.

BTW: I know you’ll ask this; so with the picks acquired by the Red Sox for Billy Wagner (20 and 39), Boston selected Kolbrin Vitek and Anthony Ranuado.

Notes: You’ll hear a lot of SEC players in the draft, because that’s where a lot of talent is.

Weird But True: Boston drafted a guy named Kendrick Perkins in the 5th Rd. I think he’s a little busy right now.

Also: Detroit Tigers drafted Jim Leyland’s son in the 8th Rd. The Giants drafted Bruce Bochy’s son in Rd. 20. The Rockies drafted Jim Tracy’s son in Rd. 22.

Adam Rubin reported yesterday that others players thought Ollie’s knee was “messed up.”

The move ends the firestorm, both public and private, over what the Mets should do with their $36 million man.

As discussed on this site, every single day, Perez has refused a minor league assignment for a week-and-a-half, which he is legally allowed to do under the CBA. A move which has garnered intense criticism from fans, sportwriters, and even two teammates.

The Mets waited until the last minute to get Oliver to accept demotion, but he did not.

The Mets found their cop-out through his knee for the second year in a row. According to Rubin, the Mets had Ollie take an MRI after the return from San Diego.

Perez in 0-3, with a 6.28 ERA, and 1.996 WHIP, however the most damaging stat is his 7.7 BB/9IP.

Perez is owed roughly $20 million from now until the end of the 2011 season.

Niese, who had been on the DL with a right hamstring strain. Niese re-injured the same leg from last year.

Niese (1-2, 4.79 ERA) will take the mound against the Florida Marlins today at 4:10 PM.

BTW: This is the same knee that forced Oliver into season-ending surgery last year.

Interesting Fact: This is now the second time in thirteen months that Perez has been sent to the DL for sucking (knee-problems, technically), in a transaction which has included Jon Niese being recalled.

For posterity’s sake, here is the article that I (with Joe D.’s assist) wrote on it last year. It is interesting to look back on it, and the comments, and see just how much has changed and how much has stayed the same.

The Braves have been surging, winning 9 in a row, and sweeping the Phillies. Troy Glaus and Martin Prado have been on fire lately. The Braves will head to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers for four.

BTW: I started writing the NL East Report last June, and this is the first time that the Braves have had the designation “Leader.”

Philadelphia Phillies: (28-24; -3)

Epic Phail. The Phillies were swept by the Braves, and looked terrible in the process. Chase Utley is 4 for his last 35 AB’s dating back to the start of the Mets series. The Phillies get to deal with San Diego this weekend, and they will have Roy Halladay making his first start since the perfect game against Matt Latos.

Florida Marlins: (28-27; -4.5)

The Marlins took three of four from the Milwaukee Brewers, including a Josh Johnson win yesterday which Leo Nunez tried to give away. Since Johnson started yesterday, he will miss the Mets series this weekend.

Washington Nationals: (26-29; -6.5)

The Nationals lost three of four to the Houston Astros, the only win coming in the game where Roy Oswalt was famously ejected. The Nats return home to play the Cincinnati Reds.

As usual for the Nats, the more interesting news is in AAA. Stephen Strasburg made his final AAA start against the Buffalo Bisons and looked sharp in doing so. Strasmas will be celebrated on June 8^th, 364 days after he was drafted.

Weekly Stat: How good have the Braves been?

Troy Glaus has a 9-game hit streak in which he has 10 Runs scored, 4 HRs, and 15 RBI.

Martin Prado is batting .387 in the past week with 9 Runs scored.

During their 9 game win streak, they have outscored teams 59-24.

Matthews Jr., or GMJ for short, came over from the Los Angeles Angels for Brian Stokes, shortly after Carlos Beltran hit the DL.

GMJ has an unremarkable .190/.266/.241 line in 65 plate appearances, following a good Spring Training.

Omir Santos has been horrific since moving to the minors after the signing of Rod Barajas forced him out.

Santos holds an .074/.167/.111 line in eight games since being demoted from AAA Buffalo.

BTW: I know you’re wondering how Brian Stokes is doing in Anaheim. Let’s say that the trade has no winners. Stokes has a 7.31 ERA and 2.50 WHIP in 16 IP.

Adam Rubin writes that the Mets chose Santos over Jesus Feliciano because backup Henry Blanco is banged up. He writes that Feliciano will be called up as soon as Henry Blanco is alright.

How do you handle a 7^th overall pick? Do you take the best player available, or the safe pick? Do you take the high-upside high school player, or the more advanced college player? Pitcher or hitter?

I’m actually kind of conflicted on this. I’ve looked at the draft for the last few days, thinking along each philosophy. But I won’t be calling in the pick on Monday, June 7. The New York Mets will.

Who should the Mets pick with the 7^th overall pick in the draft? Well, who are the nominees?

The first three picks will be Bryce Harper (Washington), Manny Machado (Pittsburgh), and Jameson Taillon (Baltimore). So of the top players that I featured, there will still be LHP Drew Pomeranz, LHP Chris Sale, OF Bryce Brentz, OF Michael Choice, C Yasmani Grandal, 3B/2B Zach Cox, OF Josh Sale, RHP Karsten Whitson, and RHP Deck McGuire.

If front of us are Kansas City (who could take Grandal or Pomeranz/Sale), Cleveland (Michael Choice, or one of the pitchers), and Arizona (Best available pitcher).

The next thing, and this is huge for the Mets, is that the Mets may not take the best player available, they may just take the most signable.

Grandal, who would have been my favorite pick, will not come to the Mets unless they are willing to give him the money he wants.

A franchise Catcher who can hit, can be a major asset to a team, and can deepen the lineup at a position where adequacy can pass as long as defense is prime. A good hitting, switch hitting, strong-armed, Catcher could have been huge.

The probable “best-pitcher-available” could be Chris Sale. Now, it’s possible that the Royals, Indians, and D-Backs all take pitchers, thereby removing Sale from the equation.

Sale, however, is a lefty who throws 4 plus pitches, with his fastball in the low-to-mid 90’s. Sale throws a lot of strikes and will record a lot of K’s. His secondary pitches have a sink, that would be perfect for Citi Field. Sale, in my eyes, could be a future front-of-the-rotation All-Star.

So what’s the problem? His delivery. Scouts fear that his delivery could lead to future injury. Do you risk it?

Deck McGuire is the safe, quick pick. He likely is a finished product with little development left, but he could make the team soon. At least by 2012, with a possible cup of coffee in September 2011. He will not be a top-end starter, but he will have a long career as a number 3.

So who else do I like at the spot? With the draft lacking a true Evan Longoria type hitter (one who you know will be good fast), who is the best hitter once Harper is off the board?

If you read my Outfield review, you know I like Michael Choice. I think he will be a .300, 30 HR hitter for years to come.

Michael Choice possesses the tools to be a quality defensive player at one of the corners. A CF in college, he will likely slide over to Left or Right. Choice also has the skills to swipe a few bases.

When you get a top-10 pick in a draft, you are not just looking for an everyday major league hitter, you’re looking for a featured player for years to come.

Choice will be a strong lineup presence. Projecting ahead, he should be ready by the time Bay is in decline. Choice could be rock of our outfield, regardless of who plays in the other two positions.

Choice would also jump F-Mart as out top OF prospect. Maybe as our top prospect overall. Choice will obviously take a few years in the minors. But when blooms, he will be bat behind Ike.

I’d want to see Yasmani Grandal or Deck McGuire as Mets. Same with Chris Sale, though I don’t think he’ll still be there at 7.

My heart says Grandal or McGuire.

My head says that Michael Choice is the best hitter available, and combined with his defense and speed, I don’t think I can pass that up.

Who do I think the Mets are really going to pick? No clue.

I’ve done my best to research the prominent players available over the past week and make the scout lingo and stats easy to understand. I’ve laid out the evidence, and made my cases.

I just have a weird feeling that they will choose someone I have not covered.

So tell me, who do you want to see at Citi Field in 5 years?

Update 10:12 PM: The Kansas City Royals have reportedly agreed to a pre-draft deal with Yasmani Grandal.

To read part one of the series, highlighting Right-Handed pitchers, go here. To read about the Left-Handed pitchers, go here. And yesterday’s column looked at the Outfielders.

Today, we’ll see the prominent infielders. And when I say infielders, I’m including catchers.

If you have been reading mock drafts, you’ve seen the names Zach Cox and Yasmani Grandal come up often. Infield is an interesting position grouping. The first two players off the board will be infielders.

Similarly, the Mets are set at three of the four basepath positions. Four if you plan for Tejada/Havens/Flores to someday take the position.

Anyway here are the top infielders.

Bryce Harper: Consensus number 1. Lord Boras doesn’t want him to be a catcher, but that’s where his bat is most valuable.

Manny Machado: Constantly compared to A-Rod. Will go second overall.

Zach Cox: Okay, this guy has been linked to the Mets often. If you Google a few mock drafts, you’ll see many of them have the Mets taking Cox. Cox plays 3B and 2B. Sooooo…what’s so special about him that the Mets would draft at a position we (may) have filled?

Make no mistake, when you draft Cox, it’s for his bat, not his glove. Cox is an average fielder, not good, not bad. Cox is a draft eligible Sophomore from Arkansas who has seen his batting average of .266 in 2009 rise to .428 this year. His OBP went from .342 to .514 in that span. He also cut his K’s significantly while increasing his BB rate. So did he just open the door to his potential, or is it a bit fluky.

He has power, but I don’t trust it. He’s hit very few HR’s at Arkansas to be considered a real power bat. His HR actually went down while his percentages increase. He doesn’t hit many doubles either, even when you compensate for a college season being shorter. Citi Field will not help him at all.

As for the average, the enormous jump spooks me a little. Was he playing below his talent in his first year? Was he playing out of his mind in the second?  The real Cox is somewhere in the middle, but I don’t see it as enough to justify him. I see him hitting for a good average, above .300, but not a game-changing player.

In Monday’s Righty preview, I liked Deck McGuire as being a safe, quick-to-the-majors, but low-ceiling pick. That is a comparison with Cox. He shouldn’t take too long to make it to the majors, and he will actually be a decent, stable player.  But pitchers and hitters are not the same.

This may be the only player that I have a significant difference with the other scouts and analysts, and what do I know, but I do not like this pick. I see his bat as good but not great. He rises from being in a weak draft class, but there are better players out there. He will not be the best player available, if you subscribe to that theory of drafting. I may be too harsh, but I see Daniel Murphy with better bat speed.

I will support him if the Mets do draft him, and who knows, I may be dead wrong in 5 years, but I don’t think he’s a good 7^th overall pick.

BTW: Even though I’ve been quite negative, he actually would become our best hitting 2B prospect if drafted.

Yasmani Grandal: Grandal has generated quite a bit of buzz on this site, and for good reason. Grandal is the best college catcher on the board (I don’t count Harper as college). Grandal led the ACC in batting average with .428, and 13 HR’s. Grandal, just like Cox above, had a breakout year, and significantly improved on his percentage stats. Grandal, a Junior at Miami, is a switch hitting catcher, who is better from the left side. When he makes it to the majors, his power will come from the left. It’s possible that he could abandon hitting right-handed, but I believe that whoever drafts him will train his right side to be a steady contact hitter. Look at Lance Berkman: Berkman is clearly much better in avg. and power from the left side, but he’s .265 as a right-handed hitter. Not that great, but good enough that pitchers must respect his ability to hit.

The trait that teams look for in a Catcher is defense. Grandal is good defensively. He has a strong arm, but he will need to work at throwing runners out. His defense behind the plate is good. He’s not going to get passed balls, and he can catch throws at home as long as they’re in the neighborhood of home. His defense will need to be honed in the minors, but he has the tools to make runners respect his arm.

Why is Grandal better than Cox, even though they both had statistical surges in their final college years? For one, Grandal has another year of college in his belt, so there has been more evidence of progression. Cox will hit for a better average, but I think Grandal will have more power. I also see Grandal’s defense being better in the long run.

He will not be .300 hitter in the majors, but he will have good power. He should have a better OBP that Rod Barajas. At best, he could be a poor man’s Matt Wieters. He won’t have close to the stats that Wieters will, and Wieters will always be better defensively, but Grandal will hold his own as a switch-hitter, and as a defensive presence.

At worst, he’s a switch hitter with the same HR numbers as Rod Barajas and better percentages. At worst, you may need a veteran defensive backup, like Henry Blanco to cover him in the early season.

As you can imagine, drafting Grandal would mean Josh Thole has just become expendable. Grandal, though he shouldn’t take long in the minors if all goes well, will be at least two plus years away. ETA: 2012-2013.

Those are really the two infielders you should know for the top 7. Let’s take a look at three more, though.

Yordy Cabrera: A SS out of High School. Cabrera hits for power, and will need to work on his average and making contact. He may not be good defensively at SS, but he should be able to handle himself. I love the name “Yordy.” In seriousness, I see a .280 player with 20+ HR’s.

Christian Colon: Has some power but that’s not the focus of his game. Has some speed, but not a focus. The Junior from Cal-State Fullerton makes the routine plays routinely at SS, and hits for contact with a good eye. Could have a long, good but unspectacular career. Safe pick.

Kolbrin Vitek: A very good pure hitting 2B. The Junior from Ball St. can swipe a few bases too, but he will be drafted for his batting average. Good, but not great defensively.

Today, we’ll look at the outfielders.

Bryce Brentz: Bryce is one of the best bats in this class. He will end up as a corner outfielder. He’s played some center, but he’ll likely be a permanent corner. But if you draft Brentz, you’re not looking at his defense. Brentz packs power. the junior from Middle Tennesse State has consistently kept up good averages, and he’s kept good OBP’s as well. Walks and strikeouts will be normal for a power hitter.

Worth noting that Brentz was drafted out of High School as a pitcher. He still pitched a little, but his future is as an outfielder.

Brentz will hit between 25-35 HR’s a year in the majors. 25-30 at Citi Field. I’m really not sure how to project batting average, as everyone hits well in College, but it’s not the same in the pros. He’s not going to kill us with average. He may be a plus player defensively in Right or Left Field. The past pitching has given him a plus arm in the field. Brentz will be a solid, safe pick, and a good producer for years. ETA: 2013

Michael Choice: I didn’t realize, until I was going over my notes, how similar the scouting reports are between Brentz and Choice. Choice is a current CF at a small school (Texas-Arlington) who will likely move to a corner. Choice has a lot of power and good hitting tools. Choice will be solid in the field. They’re both right-handed. So, what’s the difference between them?

Choice has the potential to hit for a higher average and more power. So, Choice may be the better bat than Brentz. Choice also steals bases. Not a lot, but a decent amount. So does choice jump ahead of Brentz? Yes. ETA: 2013.

There’s a bit of a drop from Brentz/Choice to the next tier, and it’s not likely that the following will be taken 7^th, but we’ll touch on a few more high-profile outfielders.

Josh Sale: High School left-handed bat. Will grow to be a low-average bopper. He hits for power, but his average, though unspectacular, won’t kill the team. A future 5 or 6 hitter. Will need at least 4 years in the minors. ETA: 2015

Delino DeShields Jr.: Son of the former MLB 2B. Can play OF and 2B. Deshields Jr.has speed and decent power. Will steal bases, like his father, but could hit more HR’s than his father. He’s the first person I’ve listed here, that I expect to play Centerfield. A High School talent who could have gone to a big football program. The Astros really like him, and to be honest, so do I. Late 1^st rounder. ETA: 2014.

This isn’t a bad field overall. I expect there to be a healthy amount of outfielders from this draft making the majors. If Choice is available, the Mets should give him some real consideration. I’m taking a stand that after Harper and Machado, Michael Choice is the next best hitter. I’m also taking the stand that Choice will jump F-Mart as the top OF prospect.  I’m not calling Brentz a poor man’s Choice, because he’s very good in his own right. One of them will certainly be available at 7. They both are so similar, and will have long careers as good hitters.

Tomorrow we’ll look at the infielders, including Catchers. Friday will be my pick.

Drew Pomeranz: Pomeranz has had a fair degree of buzz on this site, the only question is whether he possibly falls to 7^th. Pomeranz throws a low-to-mid 90’s fastball, a strong curve, and a low 80’s changeup. The junior from Ole Miss has a reputation for getting hitters to chase his fastball and curve, but they will need work before he can reach the majors. His change is average, but needs growth to be a strong pitch. An alarm may be how his walk total seemed to grow as the year went on.

Side note, In April, #19 Ole Miss hosted #2 LSU in a pitching matchup featuring Pomeranz against Anthony Ranuado. Oddly enough, they were both terrible.

Pomeranz will be a #2 when he does reach the majors. He will get strikeouts, but will give up a fair amount of walks. His command will get better, and when it does, he will eat innings and keep runs off the board. I’m no good at ETA’s but I’ll say late 2012 to 2013.

Chris Sale: Sale, a junior at small Florida Gulf Coast University, throws a low 90’s fastball, a curve that breaks sharply late, and a low 80’s change. The one thing that every scout notices, is that Sale throws strikes, a lot of strikes. He has a bit of a three-quarters side arm delivery. He gets all three of his pitches over for strikes. His command is one prime reason why he has risen up draft boards this college season.

Sale could conceivably go before Pomeranz. Sale could also go anywhere between 4 and 20. Barring any setback, he could make it to the majors before Pomeranz. Will still need requisite time in AA and AAA.

Well, Pomeranz and Sale are really the only lefties you should know. After that, there’s a bit of a drop between them and the other lefties.

But, with the notable names from yesterday’s Righty preview, and Pomeranz and Sale today, we can compare the entire batch of pitchers.

Taillon is the best of all the pitchers. Pomeranz will likely be the second pitcher off the board. Sale will be next. Deck McGuire or Karsten Whitson will be the fourth and fifth pitchers off the board. Brandon Workman and A. J. Cole will follow over the next ten picks. Stetson Allie, Anthony Ranuado, and Alex Wimmers will fall to the bottom of the round, to good teams that they can help soon or have time to spend in the minors.

Taillon may be the only ace in this year’s crop, but Pomeranz, Sale, and Whitson could be good #2’s.  Everyone else projects to be mid-rotation starters. The draft isn’t deep in top of the rotation players, but could be deep in 3’s and 4’s.

So who’s looking for what? The Pittsburgh Pirates are debating between Jameson Taillon and Manny Machado (SS), but it’s looking more like they’ll take the infielder. Baltimore will take whoever Pittsburgh doesn’t. The next four teams may all select pitchers.

The question that I leave you with, is if Chris Sale falls to the Mets, do you take him ahead of whoever else is available?

Tomorrow will be the Outfielders, Thursday the Infielders (including Catcher), and Friday will be my pick. Oh, and Monday is the Draft.

The Phillies managed to take two out of three from the Marlins. They were shutout on Sunday, but the story of the weekend was Roy Halladay’s perfect game. There’s nothing more that I can say about it that hasn’t already been said on this site. The Phillies will play the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta with first place on the line.

Atlanta Braves: (28-22; -.5)

The Braves have been hot as of late, going 15-4 in their last 19 games, including a 5 game winning streak. The Brave offense has suddenly exploded for runs, averaging upwards of 6 per game. I mean, it helps playing the Pirates, of course.

Now, no one is really overly concerned with battles for 1^st place in May/June, but we should hope that the Braves take the series from the Phillies. Don’t shoot the messenger, and my logic may be flawed, but as long as the Phillies are in a slump, we have to hope they lose as many games as they can now before their bats heat up and they go on their usual summer run.

I’m not rooting for the Braves, I’m just hoping that the Phillies get shut out a few more times and burn their bullpen.

Florida Marlins: (25-26; -4)

The Florida Marlins, as you may have heard, were taken to school by Roy Halladay, and dropped two of three to the Phillies. The pitching rubber was unearthed and presented to Halladay as a gift from the Marlins owner. Home plate from that game was also unearthed, and rather than sending it to Philadelphia or Cooperstown, the Marlins will proudly display it at their team HOF in their new park.

The Marlins play the Brewers this week.

Washington Nationals: (25-26; -4)

The Nationals dropped two of three in San Diego, and will head to Houston. The more interesting news, which is usually the case for the Nationals, is this week’s Strasburg update. Strasburg, after losing his start over the weekend to the Scranton/Wikes-Barre Yankees, will make his final AAA start this Thursday June 3^rd, against the Buffalo Bisons, live on SNY.

Around the Majors: This isn’t about the NL East, but today, Tim Lincecum will match up against Ubaldo Jimenez.

Weekly Stat: It’s the last NL East Report of the month, so we’ll take a look at the Pythagorean W/L, and the projections for each team.

Disclaimer: These are only what the current season numbers show when put into formula. I’m not saying that the season will turn out like this for any of the teams. The numbers will fluctuate wildly from month to month, and the formula generally prescribes a lot of wins.

By virtue of the tragedy that was 2009, the Mets will be picking 7^th. The Nationals, Pirates, Orioles, Royals, Indians, and Diamondbacks will be picking one through six.

So for the week leading up to the draft, we’ll be running a feature all this week looking at the top players in each category who could possibly be taken by the Mets.

Today will be the Right-Handed Starting Pitchers.

Jameson Taillon: I won’t go into too much detail on Taillon, as there is no way he falls to 7^th. He’s an high-school pitcher who is built like an NBA player (6’7’’, 230 lbs. and growing) who happens to be the best pitcher in a weak class. Taillon throws gas with movement, and quality breaking pitches and a changeup that he can get over for strikes. Taillon will almost certainly be a top 3 pick, and a top of the rotation starter.

Deck McGuire: McGuire does not have a high ceiling, and will likely top out as a #3 starter, but he’s arguably the safest pick, and the quickest to the majors. McGuire has done nothing but win during his three years at Georgia Tech, amassing a 27-6 record. He will give up hits, but he will also record a healthy amount of K’s. He throws a slider, a 90-93 MPH fastball, and a change, with strong command of all three. My judgment is that he could have a long career as a great 4, good 3.  His upside is not what you look for as a 7^th overall pick, but he’s the safest pick, and could make the team in 2012.

Karsten Whitson: Whitson is the next best High School righty. He throws a 93-96 MPH fastball, and a low-80’s slider and change. He will need time to work on his pitches and fill out his frame. Has average command of his pitches. His mechanics have drawn mixed reviews from scouts, with some believing that his delivery needs more work with the follow-through. Could develop anywhere between 2-4, though I think he’ll be a strong 3. He’s only 18, and he’ll spend at least a few years in the minors, so an ETA could be anywhere between 2013 or 2015.

Stetson Allie: Another High School righty. Allie throws a good two-seam fastball with lateral movement, a 98 MPH four-seamer, a high-80’s slider and a mid-80’s change. It’s worth mentioning that he can play the field, and has good power as a corner infielder. His future is as a pitcher, though. Allie will be drafted as a starter, he’ll be treated as a starter, he’ll make it as a reliever, and he’ll succeed as a closer. My judgment is that he is better set to be a closer than a starter due to the power of his pitches, and his inability to pitch deep into games. Do you want a hard throwing, 5 inning starter, or a hard-throwing closer? BTW: type “Stetson Allie” into Google, and look at what comes up first on the drop-down menu.

Brandon Workman: Workman is a junior out of Texas who has a good repertoire. Workman throws a two and four seamer (reaches mid-90’s), a 12-6 curve, a slider, cutter, and changeup. I won’t go too in depth, as he will certainly not be a top-7 pick, but he does have attributes to be between a 2-4 starter.

Anthony Ranuado: What a difference a year makes. The guy was top 5 last year after leading LSU to the College World Series Championship. In case you were wondering how a can’t miss prospect is barely mentioned now; after an arm injury over the winter, he fell off a cliff production-wise. Ranuado (also a Boras client) has had a strong SEC tournament, in which he pitched three innings in relief to beat Alabama for the SEC title yesterday. It will not be enough to put him back in the top-20.

Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at the prominent lefties in the draft. Wednesday will be the outfielders, and Thursday will be the infielders.

Well, the Phillies became the first league champion to get held scoreless during a sweep. They will head to Florida to try to get someone to cross the plate. They’ve been held scoreless in 46 of the last 47 innings. They are the only first-place team in MLB history to have been swept scorelessly (is that a word?) by the last-place team (at the beginning of the series the Mets were last). Something’s amiss with them and I like it. But there should be a disclaimer, every year they slump in May-early June.

Josh Johnson will face Roy Halladay on Saturday.

Atlanta Braves: (25-22; -1.5)

The Braves took two of three from the Florida Marlins and will head home to face the Pittsburgh Pirates. Have you noticed that Kenshin Kawakami is 0-7 and the Braves have lost 7 of his 9 starts.  It’s terrible luck for him that the only two starts that the Braves have won, they scored their runs after he left the game.

The Braves also signed a 30-year-old Cuban defector Yasser Gomez, a low-risk player (I’m not calling any 30-year-old a prospect) with international experience. The Braves will have to get him a visa to come to America, and then see if anything materializes from him. I see only a 6^th outfielder at AA.

Florida Marlins: (24-24; -3)

The Marlins lost two of three to the Braves and will face the Phillies this weekend. They’ve actually turned over a bit of their bullpen in the last few days. They demoted Burke Badenhop, DFA’d Dan Meyer, and placed Reynel Pinto on the DL. They called up Jorge Sosa, Taylor Tankersley, and Jay Buente. Also they demoted bench player Bryan Peterson in favor Mike Lamb.

Washington Nationals: (24-24; -3)

The Nationals lost two of three to the San Francisco Giants, and it’s ironic that the one game they won, they gave Tim Lincecum his first loss. But the more interesting news it the approximate date that Stephen Strasburg will come to the nation’s capital. Mark it down, June 8-10 against the Pirates. Strasburg will have one last minor-league start this Saturday against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

Weekly Stat: Runs Created over 27 outs (or RC27) is a stat used to measure what a lineup full of the same player would score in a game. The formula for it is too long for me to get into here, but it’s interesting that Josh Willingham leads the league in RC27 with 9.28

In fact, NL East players account for 6 of the top 10, including 1-4)

Jason Hayward is 2^nd with 8.56; Jason Werth is 8.50; and Chase Utley is 8.33.

Adam Dunn and Dan Uggla are 9^th and 10^th with 7.66 and 7.38 respectively.

The highest Met on the leaderboard is Jason Bay at 15^th with 7.03

The Philadelphia Phillies took…well, you know what happened. The Phillies are set to open a three game series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Tuesday’s pitching matchup will be Adam Wainwright vs. Cole Hamels. Also, Joe Blanton may come back of the DL this week.

Florida Marlins: (13-12; -1.5)

The Marlins took two of three from the Washington Nationals on the strength of Hanley Ramirez’s two HR’s in the rubber game on Sunday. The Marlins open a three game series against the San Francisco Giants. It’s not going to be easy, as the Giants have Lincecum, Zito, and Cain going in the series. In case you did not know, Barry Zito, after struggling his first four years since signing that massive contract, has turned it around and is 4-0 with a 1.53 ERA this season.

Washington Nationals: (13-12; -1.5)

The Nationals entered Friday in 3^rd place. They entered Saturday in 2^nd place. They enter Sunday again in 3^rd place. Now they enter Monday in 4^th. They lost two of three and will now play Atlanta. Livan Hernandez continues his hot start Monday against Kenshin Kawakami. Also, the magnificent Strasburg finally had a bad start in AA, going 4.2 IP with 6 hits, 3 BB’s, and 4 Runs (3 Earned). Again, he going to AAA soon anyway.

Atlanta Braves: (11-14; -3.5)

When you’ve got a nine game losing streak, who do you want to see? The Houston Astros. The Braves completed a sweep of the lowly Astros, to now start their three game winning streak. Too bad they have to run into Livan tonight. Also, in Sunday’s game there was a nifty play completed by the Astros defense. Braves pitcher Derek Lowe was up to bunt with no outs and runners on 2^nd and 3^rd. He pops the bunt up and Lance Berkman lets it drop. Bunts are not protected by the infield-fly rule, so you’re allowed to do that. The runners could not run, because they had to assume Berkman was going to catch it, so when Berkman caught it, he threw to 2^nd for one force-out, and caught the other runner between 2^nd and 3^rd in a rundown. Double play.

Weekly Stat: Which division strikes out the most? Obviously the answer for the 2009 season would be the NL Central, because they have more teams than anyone else. So we have to equalize that number by looking at the average of team K’s in each division.

The batters in the NL East in 2009 struck out a combined 5,581 times, or an average of 1,116 whiffs per team. The Mets had the fewest team K’s in the division with 928, while the Marlins led the way with 1,226. In fact, the Mets low K total was best in the entire league.

The NL Central batters struck out at an average of 1,120 K’s per team. The West led the way with an average of 1,197 K’s per team.

So what does this mean for this season?

The NL East has struck out the fewest times this season with 845 total K’s, and an average per team of 169. The Marlins lead the way again, of course, with 187 team K’s. The West has struck out the most times, with a per team average of 181.

The Braves, Mets, Nationals, and Phillies have 170, 168, 164, and 156 team K’s respectively. With each team having completed 15% of their schedule, we can extrapolate these rates to project how many K’s each team is on pace for in 2010.

Alright, If you’ve followed along this far, here’s the projected K totals for each NL East team, if the rates hold up.

Marlins – 1,262 team K’s

Braves – 1,148 K’s

Mets – 1,134 K’s

Nationals – 1,107 K’s

Phillies – 1,053 K’s

The Phillies lost two of three to the San Francisco Giants, and the game that they won is a case to why pitch counts should be taken with a grain of common sense, On Wednesday, the Giants were leading 4-1 in the 9^th with Tim Lincecum (who recorded 11 K’s) still going. Lincecum got the first out in the inning before giving up a walk to Shane Victorino. Lincy was then pulled at 106 pitches for closer Brian Wilson. The usually dependable Wilson loads the bases before OF Eugenio Velez missed a Jayson Werth double and allows everyone to score. The Phillies and Giants trade runs in extras before the Phillies pull out a 7-6 win in 11.

I won’t go too in-depth on the Mets-Phillies series, as that falls in the domain of the Series Preview columnist, but take a look at Saturday’s pitching matchup: Mike Pelfrey vs. Roy Halladay. Also, the Phillies have activated Brad Lidge from the DL.

BTW, this is the first NL East Report since last June in which the Phillies haven’t had the designation “Leader” in their parenthesis.

Washington Nationals: (12-10; -1)

The Nationals took two of three from the Chicago Cubs, and will open a weekend series in Florida against the Marlins. However the most interesting news with the team happened in the minors. Closer-of-the-future prospect and last year’s 10^th overall pick Drew Storen was promoted from AA to AAA, and could easily make the majors this summer if everything goes as planned.

Stephen Strasburg threw 5 no-hit innings in AA, and will likely be promoted to AAA. He could join the big team in a month or so with how much he has dominated in the minors.

Florida Marlins: (11-11; -2)

The Marlins lost two of three to the San Diego Padres, and will face Washington. Not much new.

Atlanta Braves: (8-14; -5)

The weather on this site is so great because of the winning streak, be glad we’re not Brave fans. Atlanta has dropped their last 9 games after being swept in four by St. Louis. The Braves will head to Houston.

Weekly Stat: This is a stat that I’ll be tracking in the last NL East Report of each month. Pythagorean Win/Loss is a stat that uses Runs Scores and Runs Allowed to determine how many games a team is expected to win or lose on paper. Now, as the games are not played on paper, there are variations in what is expected and what happens, this is called Luck.

Disclaimer: This is just for observation purposes as the season progresses. I know that stats will fluctuate wildly as the season goes on. I am by no means saying that the records will actually proceed as expected.