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The best MLB teams are already beginning to separate themselves from the rest. That gave MLB on FOX analyst Dontrelle Willis the opportunity to stack up the NL’s elite teams, ranking the top five teams in the NL.
Willis didn’t put the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers at the top of the list. So who did you have in first place?
San Diego Padres
“They’ve got a healthy Xander Bogaerts, that’s always exciting, and Fernando Tatis hasn’t really checked in. Just one game behind the Dodgers in the division. If they continue to bounce back and get going; keep (Randy) Vasquez and (Michael) King healthy at the top of the rotation as well, they’re definitely going to keep up.”
Cincinnati Reds
“Terry Francona has been absolutely outstanding in one-run games. Sal Stewart, rookie of the month. He’s going to provide protection to the lineup. Also, Elly De La Cruz, who leads them in basically every category. They’re going to be able to start scoring runs. You’ve got Burns as a starter, that young starter on the front line of that rotation. They’re going to be able to win some close games. But I think they’re going to outpace him.”
Chicago Cubs
“I love this team. Defensively, they’re extremely athletic. They have gold gloves all over the infield and in the outfield, and they can get on base. They lead baseball in on-base percentage and are fourth in home runs. So when that ball starts flying out of Wrigley, everyone up and down the lineup will be confident swinging the bat.”
Los Angeles Dodgers
“They’ve struggled the last few days, but they’ve got that bad guy, Shohei Ohtani, and he hasn’t gotten off to the starts he wants, offensively. But you still have Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts is coming back in the lineup, Max Muncy looks good. But that rotation is going to get deeper, it’s going to get stronger; and they have Blake Snell on the horizon.”
Atlanta Braves
“Offensively, they’re finally healthy. They’re very deep. Drake Bladwin, they better get his money quickly because he’s one of the best two-way catchers in all of baseball. You know what (Ozzie) Albies is going to do: finally healthy, so is (Matt) Olson. This is a very experienced lineup, and I think they’ve taken what happened to them last year personally, trying to overcome those injuries. And they’re getting Spencer Strider back. Watch out, man, It could be the Dodgers or the Braves in the World Series.”
