G vs Sami Vol 4

The Pathetic Pads

VS

Halfway through the season, the 2008 campaign in Major League Baseball has proven to be very unpredictable. There have been young surprise teams like the Rays and A's and a few disappointing teams like the Tigers, Mets and Rockies. The Cubs and Red Sox have proven so far to be the best teams in their respective leagues with big sluggers and dominant play at home. Just as those teams have played great baseball, there are two teams on the very opposite ends of the spectrum: The Seattle Mariners and the San Diego Padres.

Looking at these two teams there is not much talent to speak about, however it is clear that the team from the NL JV is the worst in the game (and yes I know my power rankings say otherwise, but that is going to change).

When comparing the Ms and Pads the first thing to look at is the lineup, and the top of both team's lineups set the tone. Ichirio leads off for the Ms, and is the best hitter in the game. After a slow start, he has his batting average back at .300, and is atop the AL leader board in Stolen Bases and Runs Scored. Meanwhile the Padres lead off with a washed up power hitter in Brian Giles, who can get on base but not move around them.

Moving down in the order, the best run producer on either team is the Pad's Adrian Gonzalez, but after that there is not much to brag about. While Adrian Beltre has been a shell of himself since signing in Seattle, he is still a legitimate power threat on pace to hit 30 Home Runs in the cleanup spot this year. Conversely the Padres run out young third basemen Kevin KOUZZZZZZZZZZZZZmanoff to hit in their 4 hole. Kevin had a nice rookie campaign in 07, but is on pace for just 66 RBIs as a cleanup hitter in 08. Looking closer, Kouzmanoff's 36 RBIs so far are less than the total of Ryan Church and Carlos Pena; players who have spent time on the DL, and less than table setters like Dustin Pedrioa and Johnny Damon.

Looking at the rest of their lineups, role players like Jose Lopez and Yuniesky Betancourt are nice players with solid batting averages while the Pads have very little production out of any other spots.

Examining the other side of the game, the Pads have been destroyed by injuries this year. Jake Peavy is one of the better pitches in the game, but has spent time on the DL, and Chris Young is still recovering from an Albert Pujols line drive to the face. Maddux and Wolf have been solid as the 2 and 3 starters, and after that there are a bunch of no names just trying to fill innings until this dreadful season comes to an end. The Mariners don't do much better in the pitching department, but are very top heavy. It can be argued that King Felix and Erik Bedard are the best 1-2 punch in Baseball, and they give the Mariners a better shot to win than Peavy and whatever over-the-hill sidekick is with him do for the Padres.

Both teams have great closers and a solid bullpen, but they are not worth talking about because these teams rarely need them to lock down a win.

The Padres are 29th in runs scored at a pathetic 3.6 per game and play in the worst division in Baseball. The Pads are headed even further toward the basement having lost 8 in a row (including a 3 game sweep at the hands of the Mariners) and 13 of their last 15.

Although the Mariners are a huge bust, they clearly have more talent and will finish the season with a better record than the Padres. If San Diego wants to compete again, they should think about signing free agents who can hit above .250 and drive in more than 70 runs. This team's offense is embarrassing to Baseball and needs to change quick.

My final prediction is the Mariners will finish up with 70-73 wins while the Padres will not crack 65 and will be in danger of losing 100, leaving them the worst team in Major League Baseball in 2008.