Now that the excitement of the off-season has worn off and the Cubs and Astros fans have had time to get over the hype of their new outfield additions, we as baseball fans can now make legitimate predictions as to what will happen for the rest of the season in the National League's central division.

Milwaukee has established itself as one of the premier teams in not only the division but in the entire National League. Four All-Star picks from all parts of the team reinforce this statement, with young stud Prince Fielder making the first of what is sure to be many All-Star starts and potentially batting fourth for Tony LaRussa in San Francisco. Ben Sheets has truly been the ace of the staff, compiling a 10-4 record through July 6. These aren't the only two players with which the remainder of the Brewer season lies, however. The entire Brewer infield is young with Ryan Braun playing a good third base, both at the plate and in the field. JJ Hardy is having a good power season for a shortstop, and Rickie Weeks is slowly coming back from a wrist injury at second base. Perhaps most impressive has been the play of outfielder Corey Hart in the lead-off spot. He may be 6'6", but he has shown that he can hit for contact, hit for power, and steal bases after he gets on, all necessary for a successful lead-off man. Bill Hall recently went down with a sprained ankle for an indefinite amount of time, which will hamper the progress he has made in center field this year, but it may also give the Brewers a chance to see what Tony Gwynn Jr. can do with an opportunity to play every day. The only problem the Brewers could have with locking up the division is the inexperience of their team, but three veterans with post-season experience (Craig Counsell, Damian Miller, Jeff Suppan) will help lead this team into the playoffs as a division champion.

Only one team will challenge the Brewers in the second half, and that team is the Chicago Cubs. The threat will not be legitimate, though; it will only serve to stir up the young Brewer squad into a strong finish heading into the playoffs. This team, of course, will be the Chicago Cubs. The pitching has come around as of late with Jason Marquis and Ted Lilly finally living up to their end of the contracts they signed this winter. After hitting zero home runs in April, Alfonso Soriano's bat has finally woken up, and this will help push the Cubs closer to Milwaukee, but not past them.

What the rest of the teams do through 2007 is insignificant. Outside of Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman, Houston doesn't have enough firepower to sustain long winning streaks. Cincinnati's poor pitching will continue and the Reds will be confined to the division's cellar. Pittsburgh is still without offensive threats, but the next few years look bright for their starting pitching staff of Zach Duke, Ian Snell, and Tom Gorzelanny. Finally, the Cardinals will not be able to climb back into contention this year. The championship core of last season is a year older, and this especially affects the ability of Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen. Additionally, the pitching just isn't there for the Cardinals to make a strong run toward the top of the division. The final standings are as follows:

1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Chicago Cubs
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Houston Astros
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Cincinnati Reds

Learn more about this author, Tim Seeman.
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