Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 29-26, 4th in NL Central

The Pittsburgh Pirates were in first place in the NL Central as recently as May 17. To that point, they seemed to be a classic case of a team that’s better than the sum of its parts.

Or maybe not, as they’ve since lost nine of their last 12.authentic cheap nfl jerseys

Their offense generally has more of a high floor than a high ceiling. It remains competitive by way of its ability to put the ball in play with an NL-low 19.4 strikeout percentage, but it doesn’t up the pressure on teams with either walks or home runs.

The Pirates also suffer from a lack of stability in their starting rotation. Things may change depending on how Joe Musgrove’s return pans out, but to this point it’s lacked a true stopper. A bullpen with a 4.18 ERA has picked up only so much slack.

Grade: C+

Record: 24-33, 5th in NL West

Given the excitement generated by Eric Hosmer, Christian Villanueva, Franchy Cordero and, most recently, Franmil Reyes, one might think the San Diego Padres at least have a competent lineup.

Not really.

Nobody strikes out more frequently than they do, and their .659 OPS is better than only the Marlins’. Throw in the team’s NL-worst defensive efficiency, and their lineup is actually their biggest flaw.

The team’s pitching hasn’t been much good either, but it did emerge as a silver lining in May. Led by Tyson Ross and Brad Hand, Padres pitchers managed a 3.95 ERA for the month. The latter is part of a bullpen that’s quietly been among the best with a 3.23 ERA.nfl jersey cheap china

On the off chance that San Diego’s lineup can live up to its potential, the NL West could be in for a surprise.nfl jerseys authentic cheap

Grade: D+

Record: 26-30, 4th in NL West

If nothing else, the San Francisco Giants are getting the extra offense they needed.cheap nfl jersey sell

They’ve gone from 3.9 runs per game in 2017 up to 4.1 runs per game. Brandon Belt is finally realizing his slugging potential, and Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen have provided solid support around him.

There’s also something to be said of the quality of the back end of San Francisco’s bullpen. Hunter Strickland, Sam Dyson, Tony Watson and Reyes Moronta have combined for a 2.27 ERA in 99 appearances.

What the Giants have been sorely lacking is good starting pitching. Take out Johnny Cueto and the 0.84 ERA he posted when healthy, and Giants starters have just a 5.36 ERA. That’s the pits.

Thus, time to state the obvious: Madison Bumgarner’s looming return can’t come soon enough.nfl team jerseys cheap

Grade: C