With just days until the All-Star, it’s remarkable how consistent the NL East has remained during the first half of 2021.
Mediocre? Yes. But, consistently so.
The Mets are pretty good. They just took two-of-three from both the Yankees and Brewers. They’re the only team in the division with a winning record and have sat in first by themselves for over two months.
Them at the top and Marlins at the bottom are the only constants heading into the second half of the season. The middle of the division is muddled with the Nationals, Braves and Phillies – all teams hovering around .500 that haven’t been able to get over that hump.
At the start of their game in San Diego at around 10 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, the Nationals were in fourth place. By the end of their 15-5 drubbing of the Padres, they were in second.
1. New York Mets (45-38)
Last 10: 5-5
Who’s Hot: Brandon Nimmo
It cannot be stressed enough how important Nimmo is to the Met lineup. He’s the only true leadoff hitter on the roster and his career .392 OBP is crucial to a team that’s struggles to score runs all year. Since his return last week, Nimmo is 8-for-22 with two doubles and three RBI.
Who’s Not: A Fifth Starter
Injuries have decimated the back end of the Mets rotation through June. Tylor Megill has done a good job through three starts as the fourth option, but the last two turns the Mets have had to use Corey Oswalt (who is now injured himself) and waiver-claim Robert Stock in their last two series finales. Neither pitched bad per say, but the Mets will surely be in the market for another starter come the deadline.
Injury Report
Relievers Sean Reid-Foley (elbow) and Oswalt (knee) both hit the IL this week.
J.D. Davis is on rehab in Syracuse, but reportedly could be activated ahead of the All-Star break.
Carlos Carrasco has been throwing bullpen sessions and reached the mid-90s during live batting practice this week. If all goes well, he could be back in late July.
Outlook
As Anthony DiComo pointed out on Twitter, the Mets have gone 10-13 over their last 23 games, and only lost a half-game in the standings. The Nats did put a scare into them recently, a stark reminder that even a brief hot streak can quickly erase the Mets’ lead.
New York has a prime opportunity to widen that gap in the upcoming days though. Its last four before the break and first three afterwards all come against the Pirates.
2. Washington Nationals (42-43, 4 GB)
Last 10: 5-5
Who’s Hot: Trea Turner
The shortstop just quietly continues to be one of the best in the game. His season stats at the midway point are prolific – he’s hitting .317 with 15 homers, 39 RBI and 18 stolen bases – he plays excellent defense and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. His slash line in his last seven games is .387/.406/.903 with four homers and five RBI.
Who’s Not: Gerardo Parra
The fan-favorite returned to Washington this season after playing in Japan last season, and while it’s a nice story and the fans love dancing along to “Baby Shark” when he comes to bat, the veteran doesn’t seem to have much left in the tank at the plate.
Parra singled in his first at bat of the year on June 20, but has just four hits since then in a mostly reserve role. In July, Parra is just 1-for-11.
Injury Report
The Nationals got relivers Kyle Finnegan and Daniel Hudson back this week, as well as starter Erick Fedde.
The most impactful development though is the loss of Kyle Schwarber, who hit the shelf with a “significant strain” in his hamstring. Schwarber was arguably the hottest hitter on the planet when he suffered the injury.
Outlook
The Nats were by far the hottest team in the division – and maybe baseball – heading into July, but Schwarber’s injury and a four-game sweep to the Dodgers cooled them off in a hurry. They’ve taken two-of-three in San Diego leading to Thursday’s series finale before heading up the coast for three with the Giants – who are tied for the most wins in baseball.
3. Atlanta Braves (42-44, 4.5 GB)
Last 10: 6-4
Who’s Hot: Ozzie Albies
The second baseman has enjoyed an under-the-radar first half behind Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna Jr. Albies has 15 homers, 59 RBI and has stolen 13 bases. Over his last 30 games he’s slashing .305/.344/.559.
Who’s Not: William Contreras
The rookie catcher was sent to Triple-A this week after hitting just .182 in his last 30 games. To be fair to Contreras, much more was put on his plate than expected with the injury to Travis d’Arnaud. He’s obviously still talented, but will need some time in the minors to get sorted out.
Injury Report
Albies was pulled from Wednesday’s game with neck tightness, but is expected to be fine and should suit up Friday.
Outlook
The good news for the Braves is that the first half of the season is almost over. You’d be hard-pressed to find a team that has underperformed more than Atlanta has to this point. They’ve somehow never eclipsed the .500 mark on the season.
The Braves finish up their pre-break stretch with three games at home against Miami. After the break, they’ll jump right into the fire with three games each against Tampa Bay and San Diego.
4. Philadelphia Phillies (41-43, 4.5 GB)
Last 10: 6-4
Who’s Hot: Bryce Harper
The right fielder just keeps raking for the Phils. He finally hit a three-run homer Tuesday after somehow starting his season with 14-straight solo shots. In his last seven games, Harper has a five-hit performance, a .379 average and an OPS of 1.268.
Who’s Not: J.T. Realmuto
After signing his record-setting $115 million contract this offseason, Realmuto hasn’t played like the consensus best catcher in the game. In his last 15 games, Realmuto is slashing .207/.281/.379. His power numbers on the year are basically equal to James McCann of the Mets, who is making roughly a third of the money and got off to a terrible start.
Injury Report
Didi Gregorius returned from the IL over the weekend. He hadn’t played since May 12.
Outlook
At two games under with four to play before the break how poetic would it be for the Phillies to go 3-1 and finish at exactly .500? They’d need to take their weekend series in Boston, which is certainly a tall ask, but still, it would be perfect for a team that has been so consistently average this season. With the current state of the division, that would probably also be good enough for second place at the midway mark.
Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
5. Miami Marlins (38-47, 8 GB)
Last 10: 6-4
Who’s Hot: Jesus Aguilar
The big first baseman is slashing .381/.435/.714 so far in July. His walk-off three-run homer on Wednesday was his 14th of the year, though just his first at home.
Who’s Not: Starling Marte
Questions about his future may be on the mind of the dynamic center fielder, whose contract is expiring and will surely be a trade target in the coming weeks. He’s hitting just .189 and slugging .245 over his last 15 games.
Injury Report
Sixto Sanchez’s season is over before it had a chance to start. The young starter will undergo surgery to repair a small tear in his shoulder. The hope is he’s ready for Spring Training next year.
Third baseman Brian Anderson is ramping up baseball activity and could return before the end of the month.
Outlook
Strangely enough, the Marlins have the best run differential in the division at plus-25. They’re also the hottest team in the last week, having won their last three against the Dodgers. Still, the focus for Miami shouldn’t be whether they can catch up to the pack in front of them, but what moves GM Kim Ng will make around the trade deadline. She certainly has some pieces that will garner interest around the league.
