NL Central: 3 storylines to watch down the stretch
Blessed with three exceptionally talented teams, the National League Central emerged this summer as the most compelling division in baseball, prying the unofficial title away from the American League East.
The St. Louis Cardinals, a perennial juggernaut, sit atop the standings as September begins, but the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs are hungry to dethrone the reigning division champions, while eye-opening individual performances should guarantee a thrilling conclusion to the 2015 campaign.
Here are three storylines to watch in the NL Central in September:
Cardinals go for 3rd straight title
Despite dealing with a litany of injuries - a non-exhaustive list of the club's infirm includes Adam Wainwright, Matt Holliday, and Randal Grichuk - the Cardinals haven't slowed down for a second this season, posting a winning percentage of at least .621 in every month but July. Propelled by a historically exceptional pitching staff, St. Louis is the only team in baseball on pace for upwards of 100 victories, while the club's +140 run differential is the best of any NL team since the 2013 Cardinals (that club fell to the Boston Red Sox in seven games in the World Series).
Still, while the Cardinals enter Tuesday's game at Nationals Park boasting a five-game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates, the two division rivals will play each other six times over the next month. In 13 head-to-head matchups this season, the Pirates have actually outscored the Cardinals by a run, winning six of their last 10 games against St. Louis after being swept at Busch Stadium the first weekend in May. If the Cardinals can stave off the Pirates, however, they'll grab a third straight division title for the second time in just over a decade, as the club also captured the NL Central crown each season from 2004-06.
Bryant slugging for ROY
Even after the Cubs signed Jon Lester and acquired both Miguel Montero and Dexter Fowler this winter, ambivalence prevailed on the north side of Chicago, where Theo Epstein had constructed a team based around young, largely inexperienced players. With a month to go in the 2015 campaign, the club's young core has more than vindicated Epstein, as the Cubs are on the verge of a playoff spot for the first time since 2008 while receiving more value from their rookies this season than any other team in the majors.
Kris Bryant - the second overall pick in the 2013 draft - has distinguished himself among Chicago's glut of youngsters, positioning himself to take home the NL Rookie of the Year award. Through 121 games this season, the 23-year-old third baseman leads all rookies with 5.0 WAR, hitting .265/.367/.480 with 21 home runs and 12 stolen bases. Bryant, the Cubs' most frequent No. 3 hitter, also leads all qualified rookies with a 131 OPS+ thus far, the top mark by an NL rookie since Jason Heyward in 2010.
Cole pitches for Cy Young votes
Lauded as a potential ace when he was selected first overall in the 2011 draft, Gerrit Cole emerged this season - his third with the Pirates - as the club's undisputed top starter. In a rotation populated by decorated veterans like Francisco Liriano and A.J. Burnett (when healthy), Cole has distinguished himself as the leader and could even generate some Cy Young votes when the season is over.
Cole, whose fastball hovers around 96.5 mph, owns a career-best 2.44 ERA through 26 starts this season - the fifth-best mark among NL starters. Boasting a 24.3 percent strikeout rate, meanwhile, while allowing fewer home runs than all but three qualified NL hurlers, Cole's fielding independent pitching (2.69) trails only Zack Greinke, Jake Arrieta, and Clayton Kershaw for the best mark in the league. His numbers may not be as enthralling to voters as those aforementioned starters, but Cole still has an outside chance to become the youngest Cy Young award winner since a 23-year-old Kershaw took home the honor in 2011.