No other National League teams with a worse record than the Arizona Diamondbacks wanted to claim Adam Dunn.  It’s understandable that these clubs would not want to add the last two months of the $13 million Dunn will earn in 2008, but what hasn’t been mentioned is that Arizona received a quality addition to counter the surging Dodgers’ acquisition of Manny Ramirez.

Dunn strikes out a lot.  He plays sub-par defense.  But Dunn gets on base and hits for power.  At the time of the trade, he was in the top-30 of all Major League hitters in both on-base percentage (.373) and slugging percentage (.528).  Who cares that his batting average was .234 at the time of the trade?  He is getting out less this season than Ichiro Suzuki, who is hitting .308 but whose on-base percentage is .363.

In fact, Dunn is close to achieving an impressive feat.  For four consecutive seasons, he has hit over 40 homeruns and walked over 100 times.  With a month and a half to play in 2008, he has 32 homers and 83 walks.  In three of the last four years, Dunn has eclipsed 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored.

The Diamondbacks are second in the National League in strikeouts and have added a player who has struck out 124 times in 2008 in only 117 games.  Dunn led the National League in strikeouts from 2004-2006.  But Dunn isn’t like his new teammates.  Dunn immediately becomes the team leader in slugging percentage, second in on-base percentage (to Conor Jackson’s .388 mark), and leads the team in OPS.

  The Reds receive:  Dallas Buck and two players to be named later.

Dallas Buck is a 23-year-old right-handed starting pitcher who only 1-5 in starts between Class Low-A and Class High-A, but has a 3.55 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.

Oh, those elusive players to be named later.  They’re always the wild card of any player.  In these situations clubs give their counterparts options between a few players and those clubs will wait a few months longer to concluce the evaluation process on the minor league players.  Except this time, at least one of the two (and possibly both) players to be named later is reportedly not a minor leaguer.  Well, they may be in the minor leagues now, but they are part of the 40-man, Major League roster.  They must clear waivers like other Major Leaguers, meaning the trade may be completed after the conclusion of this season. 

So it seems as if the trade will be completed by one of the players on the 40-man roster, but not one of the 25-players currently on the actual Major League team.  This list includes Max Scherzer and Micah Owings.  It’s highly unlikely that the D-Backs part ways with Scherzer, but if the Reds can lure Owings away, it would be very beneficial for their franchise.  Owings struggled so badly in 2008 that Arizona had to send him back to Triple-A, but he’ll only be 26 next season and could still be a very useful piece to a Major League club. 

This trade, like most, is about money.  Adam Dunn is a free agent after the end of 2008 and should command a pretty hefty salary in the open market.  Cincinnati felt they had to get something in return other than a compensation pick in next June’s draft, so they made the deal.  They could end up receiving a Major League-experienced pitcher in Micah Owings, a piece they need badly.  Maybe the Diamondbacks can convince Dunn to stay in Phoenix beyond 2008.  If so, they win this trade easily because Dunn will hit 40 homeruns and draw 100 walks for several more years.  If not, they still have a guy with left-handed power and patience that could push them past the Los Angeles Dodgers and into the 2008 playoffs.

  Ten years from now, Justin Morneau will be the answer to a great trivia question.  He won the 2008 Homerun Derby, but it was Josh Hamilton who became the water cooler talk of the nation on Tuesday morning with his incredible first round performance.  Just over 24 hours later, Morneau would single to start the American League’s half of the 15th inning and later score the game-winning run of an epic All-Star Game.

The nearly five hour mid-summer classic had it all:  homers, strikeouts, diving catches, plays at the plate, and plenty of drama.

But the most impressive moment may have come before the game.  Major League Baseball has plenty of faults–most recently, taking 15 years before acknowledging there was a steroid problem–, but it sure knows how to celebrate itself.  MLB trotted out nearly every living Hall of Famer (Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, and Sandy Koufax were nowhere to be found) by position with the All-Star starter from each league joining the legends.  Never before has the world seen such an accumulation of baseball talent.  The diversity of the players–from Juan Marichal, Cal Ripken, Jr., Ferguson Jenkins, Willie McCovey, George Brett, Bruce Sutter, Bob Feller, and Yogi Berra–was incredible because of their common bond as Hall of Famers.  The four living members who are in the Hall of Fame as New York Yankees–Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, and recently-elected Goose Gossage–threw out the first pitch.  The baseballs they threw were delivered by long-time Yankees owner George Steinbrenner who wept in emotion in his first public appearance in months and called the moment one of the greatest of his life.  Love him or hate him, Steinbrenner deserves to be in the Hall of Fame himself for his impact on and success in the game.

  Each starting pitcher–Ben Sheets for the NL and Cliff Lee for the AL–threw two innings and struck out three.

  After pitching dominated the first four innings (4 IP, 4 K for the NL; 4 IP, 3 K for the AL) Matt Holliday hit an opposite field homerun off Ervin Santana to open the scoring in the 5th inning.  J.D. Drew tied the game at two in the bottom of the 7th inning with a bomb off Edinson Volquez.  

Earlier in the week Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon claimed he should get the save opportunity in the All-Star Game, not Mariano Rivera.  Like a politician, Papelbon changed his tune a day later saying his true intentions were that Rivera should close all along and that his previous comments were misconstrued.  When Papelbon entered the All-Star Game in the 8th inning, Yankees fans in attendance booed him loudly.  When he gave up the go-ahead run (unearned), the fans razzed him as if it would be just fine if the American League took the loss, just so long as Papelbon was the game’s losing pitcher.

The fans voted rookie Evan Longoria into the final roster spot for the AL All-Stars and he delivered in the 9th inning off Mets closer Billy Wagner to tie the game at three.

It seemed everyone had planned a storybook ending of Mariano Rivera being on the mound to close the game, but he found himself in a first-and-third jam with only one out before Dan Uggla grounded into a double play.  It was Uggla’s only at bat that he didn’t strike out.  He also had three errors to go along with the hat trick and the double play in an RBI situation.

Rockies starter Aaron Cook worked out of a bases-loaded-with-no-outs jam following two of Uggla’s errors.

Nate McLouth threw out Dioner Navarro at home plate to save the game for the National League.

Ryan Ludwick made a diving catch.

Miguel Tejada made an incredible do-or-die play with two outs and a runner on third to extend the game.

For the American League, George Sherrill entered with the bases loaded and two outs, but struck out Ludwick to end the NL rally.

Ryan Dempster struck out the side in his inning of work, while Brandon Webb struck out two in an inning just two days after throwing 108 pitches.

The National League gave a valiant effort and had plenty of opportunities, but the American League prevailed once again as Michael Young delivered the game-winning RBI in the All-Star Game for the second time in the last three years.  The AL hasn’t lost an All-Star Game 1996, including the infamous tie in Milwaukee in the 2002 version of the mid-summer classic. 

J.D. Drew was named the 2008 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, going 2-4 with a homer, 2 RBIs, a walk, and a run scored.  Scott Kazmir, who also threw over 100 pitches on Sunday, was the winning pitcher.  Brad Lidge was the losing pitcher.

This epic game ended just in time, as the pitchers of record were the last pitchers used by managers Terry Francona and Clint Hurdle.  If you stayed up to watch all 15 innings, you saw a classic. 

The 2008 All-Star break began with Josh Hamilton becoming a household name on the national level.  Then after a parade through the Bronx, nearly every living Hall of Famer took the field.  Major League Baseball’s pomp and circumstance was a sight to be seen, celebrating not only the All-Stars of 2008, but the game itself.  Yankee Stadium, in all its grandeur, was the perfect venue.  Then, the All-Stars delivered one of the most-memorable All-Star Games ever. 

CLICK HERE FOR WEEK 15 POWER RANKINGS

NL EAST

(52-44) The Phillies need to deal for some starting pitching help because Cole Hamels (9-6, 142.7 IP, 126 K/34 BB, 3.15 ERA, 1.023 WHIP) can only pitch every fifth game.

(51-44)  Earlier in the season, Mike Pelfrey lost six straight starts.  Now he has won six straight and on the year he is 8-6 with a 3.64 ERA.

(50-45) Ricky Nolasco is on fire.  The 25-year-old right-hander went 11-11 in 2006, was hurt last season, and has come back in the first half of 2008 to post a 10-4 with a 3.70 ERA, including winning five straight decisions.

(45-50)  The Braves sent down Jeff Francoeur to Doube-A, but have since recalled him.  He called it a slap in the face by the organization, but his numbers are not encouraging.  He’s hitting .234/.285/.375 on the year.  His lack of plate discipline will mean his 2006 will be his best MLB season.

(36-60)  Odalis Perez hasn’t won since May 28, but he’s having a solid year.  His record is only 2-7, but his ERA is 3.71.

NL CENTRAL

(57-38)  It was a great move by Cubs’ management to allow (or force, probably) Carlos Zambrano to miss two starts with a sore shoulder while the team remained in first place.  He’s won each of his two starts since returning from the DL and his start on Wednesday was the highest game score he has logged this season (81).

(53-43)  Remember the Cardinals traded Dan Haren to get Mark Mulder.  In his first start (third appearance) of 2008, he lasted just one third of an inning before leaving with a hurting shoulder.  He’s pitched 12.7 innings since the beginning of 2007.

(52-43) C.C. Sabathia is giving the Brewers instant results since being traded, winning both of his starts.  In yesterday’s win, Sabathia threw all nine innings and hit a homerun.

(46-50)  It just goes to show you never can tell.  Homer Bailey was recalled to start yesterday and didn’t throw badly (5.7 IP, 2 ER), but he was a can’t-miss prospect who now is 4-5 with a 6.11 ERA in his short MLB career.  There is still time for Bailey to figure out how to pitch, though, since he is only 22, but the early trial does not look great.

(44-50) Paul Maholm’s claim to fame may be that he struck out Billy Crystal in spring training this year, but the lefty is 4-0 in last 8 starts with a 2.67 ERA.

(44-51)  After a hot start in the National League, Miguel Tejada is hitting only .206/.268/.326 since June 1.

NL WEST

(47-48)  At the All-Star break, the Diamondbacks cling to the NL West lead even though they are under .500.  Their lineup is not very good and they have three players at the break who have more than 95 strikeouts:  Mark Reynolds (111), Chris Young (95), and Justin Upton (97).

(46-49)  Andruw Jones is off the disabled list, but his swing isn’t any healthier.  On Saturday, he went 0-5 with 5 strikeouts.

(40-55)  An organization might need more pop in its lineup when rookie John Bowker leads the team in homeruns (9) and slugging percentage (.449).

(39-57)  Clint Barmes has played at second base, shortstop, and third base this season for Colorado.  Injuries forced his versatility, but his bat has kept him in the lineup.  He’s hitting .295/.337/.477 on the year.

(37-58)  The end could be near for Padres closer Trevor Hoffman.  The all-time saves leader (541) is just 1-5 with a 5.08 ERA in 2008 with three blown saves.

CLICK HERE FOR WEEK 14 POWER RANKINGS

NL EAST

(48-41)  The Phillies called up 25-year-old left-hander J.A. Happ from Triple-A to take Brett Myers‘ spot in the rotation.  Happ threw 4.7 innings and allowed 2 runs in his 2008 debut.

(45-43)  Starting National League shortstop Hanley Ramirez has 21 homers and 21 stolen bases through 87 team games.  30/30 looks inevitable, but can he go 40/40? 

(44-44)  The Mets were worried that John Maine might have dead arm, but he appears to be ok.  His 8-6 record with a 3.91 ERA is solid, but it’s not the breakout year that many expected.

(42-47)  He’s no longer hitting over .400 and the guy can barely walk, but Chipper Jones can still rake.  He’s leading Major League Baseball with a 1.125 on-base plus slugging percentage.

(34-56)  Collin Balester, the number three prospect in the Nationals’ organization, made his MLB debut last week, losing one start and winning the other.

NL CENTRAL

(53-36)  In Ted Lilly’s  first four starts, he was 0-3 with a 9.16 ERA and barely throwing 85 mph with his fastball.  In 15 games since then, his velocity is back and so are the numbers Cubs fans expected:  he’s 9-2 with a 3.52 ERA.

(50-40)  It looks as if Rick Ankiel will someday win a Gold Glove award, but this middle-of-the-field defender may hit 30 homeruns this year as well.  He has 18 right now, and has hit 3 so far in July.

(49-39) J.J. Hardy is probably the hottest hitter on the planet.  Since the beginning of June, he’s hitting .385 with 22 extra-base hits.

(43-47)  The Reds were supposed to have one of the better starting rotations in the NL Central, but only newcomer Edinson Volquez (11-3) has a winning record.

(41-48)  Roy Oswalt will miss a few starts because of a hurting hip.  Maybe that’s why the pitcher who had more victories than anyone from 2001-2007 is only 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA in 2008.

(40-47)  Jason Bay is having a good year after a bit of a disappointing 2007.  He’s hitting .285/.389/.526 in 2008 with 17 homeruns.  Teams needing a right-handed power bat will be asking the Pirates about him soon.

NL WEST

(44-45)  Yesterday Randy Johnson dominated by throwing 6.1 innings, striking out 10 and walking no one.  The win break an ugly streak for Johnson.  He had lost six consecutive starts before yesterday.

(43-45)  Chan Ho Park’s contract with the Texas Rangers (5 years, $65 million) was a terrible one, but he has resurfaced where he began his MLB career and provided very good relief for the Dodgers, owning a 2.36 ERA in 61 innings.

(39-50)  Tim Lincecum (10-1, 115.7 IP, 122 strikeouts) should be the National League’s starting pitcher in this year’s All-Star Game.

(37-52)  Last year’s NL MVP Runner-up Matt Holliday hit .429 with 3 homers in the last week, while last year’s NL Rookie of the Year Runner-up Troy Tulowitzki went back on the disabled list.

(35-54)  Scott Hairston is showing some power in 2008.  He’s second on the Padres in homeruns (12) and slugging percentage (.470).

CLICK HERE FOR WEEK 13 POWER RANKINGS

NL EAST

(44-39)  Is Brett Myers (3-9, 5.84 ERA) in jeopardy of losing his spot in the Phillies’ rotation?

(42-39)  Dan Uggla is having a monster year (.289/.375/.620), but will miss at least one series with a sprained ankle.

(40-41)  Mike Pelfrey has a 3.06 ERA in 8 home starts, but is only 2-4;  he has a 6.38 ERA in 7 road starts, but he’s 3-2, another example of how a starting pitcher’s record can be misleading.

(40-43)  Mike Gonzalez is the Braves’ newest in a long line of attempted closers for the 2008 season.  He has two saves in two opportunities so far.

(33-50)  Cristian Guzman may be the Nationals’ lone All-Star representative.  He currently leads the National League with 110 hits.

NL CENTRAL

(49-33)  Alfonso Soriano’s 15 homeruns is tied with Derrek Lee for the team lead.  However, Soriano has played in 30 less games due to two stints on the disabled list.

(47-36)  Albert Pujols went 4-4 with a walk in his first game off the DL last Thursday.  He hit his first homer since returning yesterday.

(44-37)  Russell Branyan has always been known for his power surges.  He’s hit 11 homeruns for the Brewers in just 86 at bats in 2008.

(39-43)  Journeyman Brian Moehler has filled in nicely for the Astros, compiling a 3.38 ERA in 10 starts since joining the rotation.

(38-43)  Zach Duke has thrown well lately, going 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA in five June starts.

(38-45)  Bronson Arroyo is having an awful 2008 season.  His opponents are hitting .316/.374/.539 against him.

NL WEST

(41-41)  Dan Haren is having an excellent first season in Arizona, leading the National League in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.05-1) and WHIP (0.967).

(38-43)  Chad Billingsley is only 7-7, but the 23-year-old is much better than his record indicates.  He has a 3.38 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 96 innings for the 2008 season.

(36-46)  Omar Vizquel began the season injured and now he is struggling mightily, hitting just .156/.234/.180.  It may be time for the 41-year-old to call it a career.

(32-50)  Brad Hawpe had a monster month of June, hitting .319/.417/.681, including 7 homeruns.

(32-51)  Adrian Gonzalez already has 21 homeruns in 83 games this season, making it a near lock that he breaks his career high of 30 set in 2007.

CLICK HERE FOR WEEK 12 POWER RANKINGS

NL EAST

(42-35)  What’s wrong with Chase Utley?  He’s hitting just .229 with seven extra base hits in June.

(40-35)  Outfielder Cody Ross is hitting just .218, but he is slugging .491 because 20 of his 36 hits have been for extra bases.

(37-37)  Minor offseason acquisition Ryan Church is still the only hitter in this supposed powerful Mets lineup hitting over .300 and slugging over .500, but he hasn’t even played in two and a half weeks due to a concussion.

(38-39)  Chipper Jones is finally hitting below .400, but .393 is not too shabby.  His switch-hitting partner Mark Teixeira had his second career three homer game on Sunday.

(30-47)  Jesus Flores is only 22 and hitting .306/.370/.516 and will soon put Paul LoDuca out of a job.

NL CENTRAL

(48-28)  Aramis Ramirez hit four homers this weekend in a sweep of their crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox.  Ramirez is one of the most underrated hitters in the game having posted four consecutive seasons with an OPS over .900.  He is well on his way for a fifth, as he currently is at .934.

(44-33)  Troy Glaus has popped seven homers in June.  St. Louis will need him to drive in runs in Albert Pujols‘ absence.

(41-34)  Milwaukee is going to be in this thing for the long haul.  Well, as long as Ben Sheets can stay healthy.  He’s 8-1 with a 2.74 ERA in 2008 for the Brew Crew.

(36-40)  Opening day starter Tom Gorzelanny had a 3.88 ERA in 201.7 innings in 2007, but so far in 2008 he’s been nearly three runs worse with a 6.59 ERA.

(35-41)  The Astros have decided to move struggling Shawn Chacon (2-3, 5.04 ERA) to the bullpen.

(35-42)  Jay Bruce has struggled a bit since his amazing start, hitting only .176 in the last two weeks.

NL WEST

(39-37)  Since winning his first nine starts, Brandon Webb is just 2-4 with a 4.64 ERA in seven games.

(35-40)  The Los Angeles Dodgers could hang around and win the NL West, but they won’t do it without shortstop Rafael Furcal, who hasn’t played since May 5 because of an injured him.  Look for him to come back in the second half and for the Dodgers to accordingly make a push for the playoffs.

(32-44)  Effectively wild:  Tim Lincecum leads the National League in wild pitches (10) and is second in strikeouts (103).

(32-44)  After missing nearly two months, Troy Tulowitzki is back in the Rockies’ lineup.  He had three hits on the weekend and should quickly improve his dismal .162 batting average.

(32-45)  Jake Peavy was lights out in his first start back from the DL, throwing six shutout innings in a home start versus the Dodgers.  He wasn’t so good in his first career start in Yankee Stadium, giving up three earned runs in four innings and taking the loss.

CLICK HERE FOR WEEK 11 POWER RANKINGS

NL EAST

(41-30)  Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Pat Burrell have a combined 57 homers and 166 runs batted in in Philadelphia’s 71 games.

(37-32)  Jorge Cantu had to earn his roster spot in spring training, but he has played well for the Marlins, hitting .288/.336/.509 in 2008.

(34-36)  Brandon Jones (ranked as the Braves’ 4th-best prospect coming into 2008) is getting a shot in the Big Leagues and playing well in his first week, going 6 for 13 with a homer.

(33-35)  Billy Wagner’s save yesterday broke an awful streak of three blown saves in three consecutive appearances.

(29-42)  Elijah Dukes is only 24 and still has plenty of tools, but his character continues to be a major problem.  He’s had several opportunities and even a change of scenery, but he’s hitting just .235/.360/.353 in 2008 and went nose to nose with manager Manny Acta this week.

NL CENTRAL

(45-25)  Ryan Theriot is a tough out.  His on-base percentage is .388 and he’s walked more times (32) than he’s struck out (23).

  (42-29)  The next month is key for the St. Louis Cardinals:  can they stay afloat or will they faulter while Albert Pujols heals?

(36-33)  Journeyman reliever Solomon Torres is 4-1 and has eight saves for the Brewers as the team’s new closer.

(34-36)  Ryan Doumit (1.006), Jason Bay (.932), and Nate McLouth (.952) all have an OPS over .900.

(33-37)  Carlos Lee is a solid slugger and having a solid year, hitting .273/.318/.504, but he’s definitely not a 6-year, $100 million player the Astros made him before the 2007 season.

(33-38)  Jerry Hairston, Jr., a third-generation Major Leaguer is a having a nice season as a part-time outfielder, hitting .336/.382/.480 with 12 stolen bases.

NL WEST

(37-33)  After a career year in 2007, Eric Byrnes is hitting just .219/.285/.388 with only 4 steals (he had 50 in 2007).

(31-38)  Andy LaRoche was supposed to push Nomar Garciaparra for the third base job before his spring training injury.  Now that he’s back in the lineup, what will the Dodgers do with Blake Dewitt?

(31-40)  The Padres have finally called up top prospect Chase Headley.

(30-40)  Little-known Japanese import Keiichi Yabu is having a nice season as a reliever.  He has a 1.93 ERA in 37.3 innings pitched.

(28-41)  Matt Holliday returned to the lineup this week and went 6 for 22, but will the last place Rockies trade their star hitter?

CLICK HERE FOR WEEK 10 POWER RANKINGS

NL EAST

(39-26)  Ryan Howard continues to struggle, hitting .214/.317/.458 on the season, but his Phillies lead the NL East.  Maybe Howard’s performance on Sunday (3 doubles, 4 RBIs) will get him going.

(34-28)  Hanley Ramirez is starting to heat up.  He had two multi-homer games last week.

(32-32)  Rafael Soriano has returned from the disabled list and has already recorded two saves.  The Braves will need him in their bullpen, especially now that John Smoltz looks finished for 2008.

(30-32)  Pedro Martinez has returned for the Mets, but he just doesn’t have it anymore, giving up 17 hits in 11 innings so far.

(25-39)  Ryan Zimmerman is on the disabled list with an injured shoulder, but the Nationals’ franchise player is struggling mightily, hitting only .257/.291/.427 on the 2008 campaign.

NL CENTRAL

(40-24)  The Cubs have found a recipe for success (first NL team to 40 wins).  Their starters are averaging five and two-thirds innings per start, then give the ball to Michael Wuertz for an inning (2.89 ERA), then onto Carlos Marmol for four outs (2.25 ERA), and finally to Kerry Wood to close it (NL-leading 18 saves).

(38-27)  Yadier Molina came into the Big Leagues as a classic all defense/no offense catcher.  While he’s still more than likely the best defensive catcher on earth, he’s becoming a very tough out:  Molina is hitting .295 with only 9 strikeouts in 212 plate appearances in 2008.

(33-30)  Don’t count out the Brewers just yet.  They are back over .500 and rookie Manny Parra has won three decisions in a row.

(32-32)  Houston has struggled of late, but Lance Berkman is still in the running of a Triple Crown.  Though he leads none of the categories, he’s second in average (.372), third in RBIs (51), and second in homeruns (18).

(30-33)  The Pirates traded lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez and a shortstop prospect Brent Lillibridge for Adam LaRoche before the 2007 season in which he hit 32 homers and had an OPS of .915 for Atlanta.  He’s been a bust since and he’s hitting just .221/.299/.364 in 2008.

(30-34)  Aaron Harang impressively threw four innings in relief on May 25 on just two days’ rest and struck out nine.  However, he’s 0-3 and given up 30 hits in his last three starts.  Did his extra session in an extra inning game cost the Reds long term?

NL WEST

(34-29)  He had the best opening week in baseball, but Justin Upton has done nothing but struggle since.  He hit 3 homers that first week of the season, but has only hit 2 jacks in the last month and his average is just .129 over that month.

(30-33)  After a 5-2 start, Brad Penny is 0-6 in his last 7 starts with a 7.71 ERA.

(28-35)  Randy Winn is having a solid year, hitting .301/.350/.459 with 10 stolen bases.

(28-37)  Tony Clark is no longer a regular, but yesterday’s pinch hit, game-winning homer off Mets closer Billy Wagner shows the power that will keep him employed a few years longer as a viable bat off the bench.

(24-39)  Clint Barmes burst onto the scene with a hot start in 2005 before a broken collarbone sidelined him.  His career stagnated for two years, but he’s received another shot in the 2008 season, hitting .343/.376/.582 in 39 games.

CLICK HERE FOR WEEK 9 POWER RANKINGS

NL EAST

(33-25)  Chase Utley has propelled the Phils into first place.  He may get the Phillies their first NL Pennant since 1993 as well.

(31-24)  Ricky Nolasco has won three starts in a row, two of them over Brandon Webb and Cole Hamels.

(29-28)  Brian McCann is one of the better young hitters in baseball, regardless of position.  The fact that he’s a catcher only increases his value.  He’s hitting .318/.383/.583 on the year.

(28-27)  Blast from the past: Fernando Tatis is back in the Big Leagues. 

(24-34)  Cristian Guzman has always been a slick-fielding shortstop, but he’s having a career offensively in 2008 at age 30, hitting .300/.324/.454.

NL CENTRAL

(36-21) Jim Edmonds was an excellent no-risk, high-reward pickup by General Manager Jim Hendry. So was Reed Johnson. They are a solid platoon in centerfield since Felix Pie isn’t ready to hit MLB pitching.

(34-24)  Dave Duncan is a heck of a pitching coach.  His son, Chris, looked like he would be a solid Major Leaguer, but he hasn’t developed like the Cardinals thought he would after his breakout 2006 season.  He was demoted back to the minors this week.

(30-28)  The Astros’ lineup is impressive, but they will need another pitcher to earn a playoff berth.  Ace Roy Oswalt has disappointed so far in 2008 with a mark of 4-5 and a 5.45 ERA.

(29-28)  Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun can carry this team a long way, but the Brewers will need more performances like Ben Sheets‘ on Saturday (8.2 IP, 1 ER).

(28-29) Is Jay Bruce really this good? His childhood idol, Ken Griffey, Jr., is starting to heat up as well, earning a .979 OPS for the week and is one homer shy of 600.

(26-30)  Apparently Nate McLouth is not a flash in the pan.  He’s still hitting .309/.403/.599 on the year.

 NL WEST

(32-25)  Once thought of as a classic defensive middle infielder, Orlando Hudson has developed into a very good hitter as well.  He’s hitting .309/.379/.514 this season.

(27-29)  Russell Martin’s OPS is 1.009 over the last week, but will his 145 games caught in 2007 affect his power numbers in 2008?

(24-33)  Closer Brian Wilson is leading the National League in saves.  He’s saved 16 of the Giants’ 24 wins.

(23-35)  The one year, one million dollar contract to Mark Prior looked like a good gamble by San Diego.  Now Prior is done for the season due to another shoulder surgery.  Will he ever pitch in the Big Leagues again?

(20-37)  Aaron Cook has been an isolate bright spot for this terrible team.  The veteran right-hander is 7-3 with a 3.36 ERA in 2008.

CLICK HERE FOR WEEK 8 POWER RANKINGS

NL EAST

(29-20)  Andrew Miller’s last start (7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K) was a glimpse into the lefty’s talent and the reason the Marlins traded for him.

(28-24)  The Phillies’ offense is hot, but Brett Myers, Adam Eaton, and Kyle Kendrick all have ERAs over 5.00.

(27-23)  The Braves treaded water for the first quarter of the season, but they are now surging.  Chipper Jones is raking, and John Smoltz and Rafael Soriano will come off the disabled list this week.

(23-25)  The Mets have an identity crisis.  That identity looks more and more like their New York counterpart’s:  an aging lineup.  Carlos Delgado is slugging under .400 and Moises Alou has already returned to the disabled list.

(22-29)  The trade for Lastings Milledge was supposed to be a steal, but he’s hitting just .242/.306/.349.

NL CENTRAL

(29-21)  Carlos Zambrano may have it figured out (finally).  He’s 7-1 with a 2.47 ERA this year.  Oh, and he had four hits of his own on Friday.

(30-22)  It’s interesting that a hitter as dangerous as Albert Pujols has never drawn 100 walks in a season.  He will in 2008, though.  His OBP this year (.474) is currently 51 points higher than his career mark (.423).

(29-23)  Wandy Rodriguez should return to the rotation this week in a showdown against St. Louis.   He has a 2.31 ERA in four starts this season.

(24-26)  Remember when Freddy Sanchez won the batting title in 2006?  He’s hitting just .245 in 2008.

(23-27)  Is Prince Fielder having a let-down year or is it just the adjustments made to combat his monster 2007 season?  His OPS in 2008 is just .799 compared to 1.013 a year ago.

(23-28)  Baseball America’s highest rated prospect Jay Bruce will soon make his MLB debut.

NL WEST

(30-20)  This Diamondbacks team is talented, but the lineup swings and misses much too often.  Mark Reynolds, Chris Young, and Justin Upton each have over 50 strikeouts in just 50 team games.

(26-23)  Let the Clayton Kershaw Era begin.  The big left-hander went 6 innings and struck out 7 in his debut.  If Kershaw can command his 92-95 mph fastball to set up his hammer curveball, he could be one of the best lefties of the next ten years.

(20-30)  Add Matt Holliday and Brad Hawpe to the list of disabled Colorado Rockies.

(20-31)  Omar Vizquel set the MLB record for most games played at shortstop.  He is a one dimensional player, but top flight at his specialty of shortstop defense.  His offensive numbers are slightly better than Ozzie Smith’s, though in a better offensive era.  So, is Omar a Hall of Famer?

(19-33)  Jody Gerut hadn’t played in the Majors since 2005, but has resurfaced with San Diego this season.  He’s hitting only .215, but it sure beats the Indy Leagues.