The National League is a very different story from the American League in the early going. While the American League has one team that seems to be far and away better than all the others, in the National League several teams are keeping pace at or near the top of the standings.
There are three teams that are leading the way in the National League with almost the same records to start the season. The Washington Nationals are 11-4, the St. Louis Cardinals are 10-4 and the red hot Dodgers are 11-3. These teams are a combined 25-7 over their last 10 games. They are all well over .500 to start the season. The wealth of winning is spread over all three NL divisions as well.
Keeping pace with these three teams are the Braves at 9-5. After an abysmal start, the Braves have been nothing short of sizzling hot going 9-1 over their last 10 games.
The teams in the middle or those at or above .500 range include the Mets, Marlins, Phillies, Rockies, Giants and D-Backs. All of these teams are hanging around the middle ranges at 3.5 to 4 games back of the first place teams in their divisions.
The NL Central continues to be a truly weak division with only the Cardinals above .500. The rest of the division including the Reds, Brewers, Pirates, Astros and the bottom dwelling Cubs are below .500. In fact, the second place NL Central Reds are 4 games back of the Cardinals. The Cubs bringing up the rear are a full 7 games out to start the season.
Speaking of bottom dwellers, the Cubs of course at 3-11, the Astros at 5-9, and the Padres at 3-12. These teams are having a terrible start to 2012. They are a combined 6-24 over their last 10 games. The Padres find themselves in the biggest hole so far sitting at 8.5 games back of the Dodgers at this point already in the season.
The National League is not as one-sided as the American League appears to be to start the season. Keeping pace seems to be the name of the game for many of the teams so far.
