Fantasy Baseball 1st Half Reactions: NL Central

Jul 10, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman

(16) greets center fielder Thomas Pham (60) after Pham scored on a two run home run by third baseman

(not pictured) against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

With regular season games taking a backseat to All-Star festivities until Friday, I think it is an interesting exercise to identify certain events or players that have caught your attention so far this season. Some guys may have disappointed or surprised you, but taking note of your reactions can be a benefit as the season progresses or for future seasons to come.

We will go division by division throughout the week, up until we get back to regular season action, and back to the grind of the regular season. This one is about the NL Central

Here are my reactions to the AL East, AL Central, AL West and NL East.

St. Louis Cardinals- The Cardinals are truly amazing as they seemingly can survive through whatever injuries or obstacles to not only stay competitive, but to be the best amongst the best teams in baseball. If you told Cardinals fans going into 2015, that they would be without Adam Wainwright, Matt Adams and Matt Holliday for a majority of the season, I would assume that they figured that they were in for a long season. But, that has not been the case as the Cardinals have once again shown that through savvy organizational moves and an incomparable farm system, that they can withstand and succeed.

They have had guys really step up production wise to fill the void that Adams and Holliday left, starting with the great start Jhonny Peralta has had. They also have gotten major contributions from Jason Heyward and Kolten Wong as well, as they both were highly needed for an infusion of their all-around talents. As good as a story as these have been, there is however a better reason for the Cards success so far.

The Cardinals 1-4 in the rotation has easily been the head of the class in baseball at the break. The combination of John Lackey, Lance Lynn, Michael Wacha, and Carlos Martinez, have all led the way for the Cards and their 56 wins. It is truly amazing to see four mainstays of a rotation all post sub 3.00 ERA’s at the break, yet none of them were highly sought after draft day commodities. Expect more of the same as the Cards are primed for another postseason run.

Honorable Mentions: Trevor Rosenthal’s dominance and Jason Heyward’s bounce back season

Pittsburgh Pirates- I give the Pirates a ton of credit as Neal Huntington has really turned the team around since he took over in 2007. There were bumps along the way, but what more can you say as the Pirates have been one of the better teams in baseball the last three years. They have a young and talented core that fantasy owners have become very familiar with, so owners are highly invested in how the Pirates have started and will finish the season.

To being the season, the Pirates offense kind of sputtered going into May, and it started to seem that expectations going into 2015 may been too high. A major reason for the slow start was Andrew McCutchen looking human, and not producing at the level the Pirates nor fantasy owners were accustomed too. But as soon May first came around, Cutch took off and so did the Pirates.

I would also like to give some credit to Starling Marte for being pretty consistent all year as the speed/power threat we hoped he would be. Even with two studs in the OF, my 1^st half reaction has to be dedicated to the success A.J. Burnett has had this season. There must be something in the air or water in Pittsburgh, because that has become Burnett’s home and he has excelled there, posting 7 wins, a 2.11 ERA and 100 K’s at the break. It is a shame that this will probably be his swan song season, because Burnett has really become dominant in Pittsburgh ever since he has donned the Pirates uniform.

Honorable Mentions: Gregory Polanco’s rough start and Francisco Liriano’s sensational start

Chicago Cubs- I can speak for all Cubs fans when I say that they have been long overdue for a legitimate contender in the NL. 2015 seems like the year where the Cubs are in prime position to make their first postseason appearance since 2008. The Cubs currently sit 8 games back in the division, but have a hold on the second Wildcard spot. They have the pieces to at least snag a wildcard spot, and it will interesting to see what moves Epstein makes at the deadline to possibly propel them even more.

Anthony Rizzo is one of the best players in baseball and nothing he does really surprises me so to speak, because he just has too much talent. His 12 SB’s so far have been a nice addition to his game, which has only increased his fantasy stock.

All the hype surrounding Kris Bryant going into the season made his stock rise so high that many were not willing to take the plunge at the premium cost it would take. He seems to be everything as advertised though and has even developed into an on base machine already, something that was a concern before his promotion.

As in the case of the Cardinals, the Cubs success has been anchored by their underrated rotation. You could even entertain that the combination of Jake Arrieta, and Jason Hammel cold go toe to toe with any 1-2 punch in baseball so far. Once again, these were not players that fantasy owners thought would headline their rotations, especially Hammel, so to get ace level stats out of them certainly elicits a reaction.

Honorable Mentions: Starlin Castro’s rough start and Jorge Soler’s mediocrity

Cincinnati Reds- From strictly a talent standpoint, it is hard to fathom how a team with Aroldis Chapman, Billy Hamilton, Brandon Phillips, Devin Mesoraco, Joey Votto, Johnny Cueto, Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier, can struggle so mightily. But, they have and 2015 seems to be a lost year as the Reds are currently eight games below .500 and 15.5 behind the Cardinals. The real root of the problem for the Reds is that while they have plenty of talent, the Reds do not have anyone that can get on base consistently other than Frazier and Votto.

While Cueto, Chapman and Votto have been their usual selves, the real gem to take away from the first half for the Reds is the breakout from Todd Frazier. Fresh off his HR derby win, the Toddfather has had an unbelievable start and if he can maintain his success he will be fully in the chase for NL MVP. Frazier’s .284/25 HR/57 RBI line ranks him in the top 10 of fantasy hitters, making his mid-round selection look like one of the best values of the entire 2015 draft.

Honorable Mentions: Homer Bailey’s injury and Billy Hamilton’s stolen bases quest

Milwaukee Brewers- Mirroring the same conundrum with the Reds, the Brewers have the talent that makes you wonder, how can they be this bad? The Brewers have shown times this season where they were the worst team in baseball, and after being atop the division for most of 2014, it has certainly been shocking for them to have reached rock bottom so soon.

There have not been many bright spots this season for the Brewers, but Ryan Braun showing that he still can produce must be a welcoming sight to see. The Brewers had the making of a great top of the lineup with Carlos Gomez, Johnathan Lucroy and Ryan Braun being the catalysts for the offense. Unfortunately, that has not been the case as fantasy owners have been widely disappointed by the production of players that were going to be integral parts of their fantasy teams.

I for one, invested my first round pick in Carlos Gomez, as he was a guy that I saw as a legitimate power/speed threat that would lead my team and offer balance. I realize that he has been pretty banged up so far and he still has time to turn it around, but for an owners first round pick, it can be a serious blow to your team if they do not produce nowhere close to the their draft day investment.

With Gomez garnering the most fantasy feedback at the break, it is also important to note that Lucroy has been a disappointment so far as well. Like Gomez, he has battled an injury and that really stunted his 2015 season, but he was clearly one of the top-three fantasy catchers going into 2015, and owners who made the early investment where left scrambling for a replacement in the ever weak catcher position.

Honorable Mentions: Francisco Rodriguez’s continued success and Jean Segura’s bounce back