in or out (playoffs)

[clancyphile]

In - all the way to winning the World Series!!!!

[brooks_quichenick]

I am in. Pitching turns it around in the 2nd half, Hiura/Aguilar get hot from the right side and Shaw eventually comes back with major impact. Division champs

[Pugger]

IN as a wild card.

 

I say in - unless we totally implode in the second half.

 

Who do you think will be the NLC champ? I truly believe this race will go down to the wire like it did last year.

[pacopete4]

Out by a few games. Sadly, I just don’t think the pitching will hold up well enough to do what they did a season ago. When you look back at that end of the year run, it came down to our pitching staff pitching out of their minds. Hope I’m wrong.

[Thurston Fluff]

Also, yes, we hope to make some moves to change our direction, but don't think the Cubs aren't thinking the same exact thing. They won't stand pat, no way, no how. They are going to make a move or two as well.

 

The Cubs have an even worse farm system than we do. I don't think any team in the division is going to do much in the way of trades. The teams in the division are pretty close to what they are going to be IMHO. Which is why I think we are in.

[Brew crew 92]

This team has been a second half team the last 2 years, I think it continues so:

 

IN

 

I believe the pitching, especially after the deadline, will be among the best in baseball, a stronger rotation than what we had last year is in the offing, and with Stearns apparently keeping Burnes in the pen, this bullpen with Burnes and a deadline addition, Jeffress Albers a rested Guerra, an optioned Claudio TIL September, D Williams, Rasmussen? Hader Peralta will shut down teams in August and be even stronger in September. This team will win 12-15 games in a row at some point in September to win the central.

[thebruce44]

In.

 

To put it simply, more things went bad in the first half than went good. If everything regresses to the mean, this team improves.

 

We are .5 games back and our opening day rotation was Chacin (bad), Peralta (bad), Woodruff (good), Burnes (bad), and Davies (good). Nelson, Kenebel, Jeffress, Gurra, and Gonzalez all either under performed and/or were injured. What team weathers 75% of their top pitching staff under performing?

 

On offense, Cain, Arcia, and Shaw have under performed. You could argue that Grandal and Moustakas will come back down to earth, but they are on prove it years so who knows. Has Yelich exceeded expectations? I think this is just his baseline now through the next 2 seasons.