National League Flyaround: Midseason Check-Ins

It’s time for a tour around the National League, where every division has its own storylines taking shape. Eno, Jed, and DVR begin in the NL West, where the Dodgers have opened up a sizable lead. They discuss whether the Padres can still make a push, what needs to happen for the Diamondbacks' offense to get going, and where the Giants and Rockies go from here. From there, they head to "America’s Division," the NL Central, where the Brewers and Cubs are battling for the top spot while the Cardinals and Pirates remain in the postseason mix. Finally, they wrap up in the NL East, where the Phillies are gaining ground on the Braves and tightening the division race.Rundown:0:45 Jed The Banana4:28 MLB Baseballs’ Manufacturing Error6:52 The 2026 Dodgers: The Machine is Working16:05 The Padres’ League-Worst Offense25:12 Can the D-backs’ Outhit Pitching Woes?30:46 Giants Falling to Sellers?31:46 Rockies Taking Steps Forward34:37 Should Brewers Go Big with Upgrades?39:10 Can the Cubs Find Enough Pitching?44:24 Cardinals Have 34.2% Chance of Reaching Playoffs48:37 Is Pirates’ Biggest Need a Top-End Reliever?51:05 Check In on Your Cincinnati Friends57:25 Philly Closes Gap on Atlanta to 2.5 Games1:00:28 Phillies Climbing: Where Will They Upgrade?1:06:02 The Marlins Need Bats: A Sneaky-Good Mid-Pack Team?1:11:55 The Nats Need Pitching: An Intriguing Deadline on Tap?1:13:47 Mets Owner Steve Cohen Says Stearns is SafeEno’s Article on MLB Baseballs: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7410468/Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.socialFollow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.sociale-mail: [email protected] our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFeSubscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrelsHosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno SarrisWith: Jed LowrieEditor: Jason Potere Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.