30 Burning Questions On Frank Lloyd Wright Day

As we all wrap up our cookouts and parties honoring Frank Lloyd Wright, let's take a look around baseball and one question each team has to answer going forward.

Phillies 38-26: Is the starting pitching good enough?

Cole Hamels is obviously an ace, but things get pretty murky after that. Brett Myers has not met expectations this season, and Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick and Adam Eaton are all 4-5 types. Their SP ERA is 4.46, which is only good for 10th in the NL. Although they lead the NL in innings, it's an area that needs to be addressed for a team with championship aspirations.

Marlins 33-28: How are our injured arms doing?

The Marlins were one of baseball's biggest surprises in the first two months of the season. However, despite claiming the Tax and Mothers' Day championships, they are starting to fade. The blame for this falls squarely on the starters, who are pitching to the tune of a 5.24 ERA. They have two injured starters, Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez, that pitched pretty well before going down with serious injuries. If they can make it back, the rotation could improve.

Braves 32-31: What are we going to do without John Smoltz?

After acquiring Mark Teixeira at last year's trading deadline, the Braves appeared ready to reclaim the NL East. Like the first two teams I reviewed, starting pitching has been and will be their undoing. They seeked to upgrade the staff in the offseason, and added Tom Glavine and Jair Jurrjens behind their aces Tim Hudson and Smoltz. They've all gotten banged up, and the Braves are wondering what happened to their offseason of work.

Mets 30-31: Is Willie Randolph the guy?

Let's face it; this team is underacheiving. It started in the second half of 2007, and the Mets have come out flat again in 2008. They have talent; Wright, Reyes and Beltran lead what should be at least a decent offense, and Santana headlines what should've been a pretty good pitching staff. This team doesn't seem to have a good attitude, and it starts at the top. Omar Minaya didn't deal him the best hand, but I still have to believe they're better than the way they're playing.

Nationals 25-38: How do you build a team?

For the third straight year, it looks like this team is going to finish below .500. Since 1997, this franchise has finished above 4th one time. They just don't get it. Their pitching isn't good, and their lineup is proving that it wasn't RFK that prevented them from scoring runs. Their OF has been one of the worst in the majors, and it looks like that instead of going for toolsy guys that just need to put it altogether, they need to find some less athletic sluggers to score some runs for once.

Cubs 39-24: Is Ryan Dempster as good as he's been pitching?

It's tough to pick a bone with a team that's playing so well, but here's one guy who's really overacheiving. As a whole, the Cubs' rotation has a very good ERA, despite poor performances from guys like Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis. Dempster currently has a 2.90 ERA, and this is pretty unexpected coming from a guy with a career mark almost two runs higher. If he starts pitching the way he has in the past, their rotation could be hurting for depth behind Carlos Zambrano.

Cardinals 37-27: How long can this rotation hold up?

If you read anything about the Cardinals this offseason, things didn't sound good. They didn't make the playoffs last season, and it seemed like they were sliding downhill. Albert Pujols has been himself this season, and even though Ryan Ludwick is hitting out of his mind, I have to question the starters. This is a rotation that's missing Chris Carpenter, and Mark Mulder if you really care about him. They signed Kyle Lohse just before the season started, and along with Todd Wellemeyer, their rotation is overacheiving and keeping them in a surprising postseason hunt.

Brewers 32-30: How can we recapture the magic of the first half of 2007?

The Brewers were the darlings of the league, when young players such as Prince Fielder, JJ Hardy, Yovani Gallardo and Ryan Braun were leading them to win after win. The magic has worn off, and the Brew Crew is now a mediocre group. Their lineup isn't particularly potent, and their pitching staff isn't much better. It's always questionable whether or not Ben Sheets will stay healthy, and Eric Gagne has been a huge bust. Ned Yost could lose his job if he doesn't figure out how to rightsize his ship.

Astros 32-31: How is our offense only 9th in the NL in runs?

This is probably the least objectionable thing about them, but I found it funny that they're in the middle of the pack in terms of NL offense despite Berkman's ridiculous season. Michael Bourn, Carlos Lee and Kaz Matsui are guys that Houston was counting on to help, and they haven't turned in their best performances. Their pitching is awful, and it's only a matter of time before this team cools off and falls below .500 for good.

Reds 30-33: How can we make starters appear out of thin air?

The Reds have and will continue to have the sluggers to score enough runs to win. Brandon Phillips, Adam Dunn and Jay Bruce, plus some complementary players, add up to one of the better offenses in the league. However, despite their solid bullpen performance to start the year, the starters are holding them back. Brandon Arroyo has been bad again, and besides Edinson Volquez and Aaron Harang, the starters have been underwhelming and are preventing the Reds from contending.

Pirates 29-33: Can we produce a successful first round draft pick?

The fact is, if you have top pick after top pick, you have to get a good player to the majors once in a while. However, the Pirates have had awful luck with their top draft choices, and it's created a talent gap that's preventing them from winning. They've made trades and developed later round picks like Jason Bay, Ian Snell and Nate McLouth, but the elite talent gained from top 10 draft picks hasn't been there like they need. If Van Benschoten or Sean Burnett or someone can somehow step up, they'll get a little better.

Diamondbacks 34-28: Can we continue to score enough runs to support the pitching?

The staff is there. They have the second best ERA in the NL, and their starters and relievers alike have carried their share of the load. However, they've struggled a bit lately, and I'm inclined to believe it's because of their bats. Last year, they allowed more runs than they scored, and it was due to a young lineup that didn't score many runs. This season, they returned mostly the same crew, and they're just letting them develop and grow into their roles. It's not bad, but they might go cold at times and cost them games.

Dodgers 30-32: Can the young guys hit?

Once again, whether it's due to their big stadium or talented pitchers, the Dodgers have a very good team ERA. Once again, whether it's due to their big stadium or untalented hitters, the Dodgers aren't scoring enough runs. This team has previously relied on players like Nomar Garciaparra, Jeff Kent and Juan Pierre, but now it's time for young guys such as Andy LaRoche, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier to play every day. They are the future, and like Arizona, these young guys need to play every day in the majors to gain experience. They can learn on the job.

Giants 27-35: Where is the offense coming from?

Make no mistake about it. This lineup still isn't good, but they're not as frightfully bad as a lot of people thought they would be. Aaron Rowand and Bengie Molina are turning in good seasons that are helping this team out immensely. Freddy Lewis and Randy Winn make for a good OF, and this team is a few offensive upgrades from getting back into contention.

Padres 27-37: Why is a lackluster lineup finally catching up to us now?

The truth is, San Diego hasn't hit the ball for a while. They play in a great pitchers' park, but even then, their lineup doesn't score enough runs. People say pitching wins championships, but that formula hasn't done anything for the Padres for quite some time. Their pitchers are a bit banged up, but until they get out of the basement in the NL in runs, it won't matter.

Rockies 24-38: Even when healthy, is this team as good as last year?

After getting swept and embarrassed in Philadelphia, Phillies fans were left wondering about the team that easily handled them in the 2007 playoffs. They were missing players such as Matt Holliday, Brad Hawpe, Garrett Atkins and Troy Tulowitski. The Rockies weren't as explosive as they were in October, and their pitching hasn't been as good either. That's their true problem; the starters aren't overachieving like they did during the stretch run last season. They can get all of their hitters back, but unless they pitch like they did last year, they'll be playing golf come October.

Red Sox 39-26: Can we win on the road?

Boston has to overcome several injuries to stay afloat, but that might not be their biggest challenge. This is a team that is just 14-20 on the road, one of many teams around the league that can't win away from home this season. Both their offense and pitching have significant home/away splits, and if this holds up, they're going to have to continue to be phenominal at home to repeat as champions. You have to be able to win on the road to be a World Series team.

Rays 37-25: Is the back end of the rotation good enough?

Everyone knows about Scott Kazmir and James Shields. Kazmir has been dynamite since starting the season on the DL, and Shields is one of the best #2 starters in the league. However, except for maybe Matt Garza, the back of the rotation has been not only bad at times, but destructive. Edwin Jackson has a good ERA, but his rates, which are actually better than usual, indicate he may not be as good as he might seem. Andy Sonnanstine has about the same WHIP, but his ERA is very high. They're both very inconsistent, and if the Rays can upgrade the 4 and 5 spots, they should try.

Orioles 31-30: Can the rotation continue to get by in a Bedard-less world?

It's funny that I'm saying their rotation is okay after criticizing Tampa's far superior one, but these guys were supposed to suck and they're not. Guthrie, Cabrera and Olson have all pitched well, and if they can find one or two guys to man the other spots in the rotation, they'll be looking even better. Their offense has struggled a bit, and it's these guys that have kept them around a surprising .500 record.

Yankees 31-31: Where is my calzone?

I've tried to remain serious so far, but I can't help myself. Their offense has pounded opposing pitchers when healthy again, and the pitching has been their downfall. Phil Hughes, when healthy, and Ian Kennedy, when not at AAA, did not meet expectations, and those were two guys the Yankees were leaning on this season. The rotation has no depth, and the bullpen can't figure out how to get to Rivera. The Steinbrenners cannot be happy, about both their lack of an italian lunch and ballclub.

Blue Jays 32-32: Can we find enough runs for this awesome pitching?

Despite adding Scott Rolen in the offseason and him rejuvinating his career, the BJ's lineup hasn't scored enough runs to support their strong pitching staff. Frank Thomas struggled and was released, and players such as Alex Rios and Vernon Wells are either struggling or hurt. It's a shame, because their starters have been great, and their bullpen shuts down about everyone. If they can find one or two bats anywhere, they could quickly rise through the standings.

White Sox 35-26: Can we continue to get by with struggling bats?

The White Sox finished poorly last season, to the surprise of no one that understands the results of players overachieiving. This year, they have several important players underacheiving, but they're playing through it. Nick Swisher, Paul Konerko and Jim Thome are all struggling, but guys like Carlos Quentin and Joe Crede are carrying the offensive load. If those three players continue to have down years, will they score enough runs to remain a playoff team?

Twins 31-31: How long can we get by with this lineup devoid of talent?

That's a little unfair, because players such as Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau have obviously been good in the past. However, the rest of the lineup has been brutal this year, and they're still hovering around .500. Adam Everett was never going to hit, so that's not a surprise, but the Twins were expecting Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer to provide some runs and power. They're not.

Indians 28-34: Why can't any team in this division score?

I'm getting bored talking about the hitting, but the Indians are having trouble scoring runs too. Their pitching isn't bad; Carmona's been good, and Cliff Lee has been outstanding. C.C. Sabathia hasn't had his best outings yet too. However, to get back to the ALCS and beyond, Cleveland has to score more. Victor Martinez and Ryan Garko have been a bit disappointing, and they've had a revolving door in the OF trying to find guys that work. Maybe their bullpen hasn't been there either, but this is a lineup that should be scoring more runs to support the starters.

Tigers 25-36: Weren't we supposed to be awesome?

The Tigers might be the biggest disappointment of 2008. They were supposed to score 1000 runs on their way to a WS appearance, but they're 10 games back and are going to have to fight to get back in it. Their offense has been good, and although it won't be quite 1000 runs good, their pitching has cost them a lot of games. Jeremy Bonderman is now out for the year, and they've had to lean on Armando Galarraga to lead the staff. Kenny Rogers and Justin Verlander have been terrible, and their bullpen hasn't set the world on fire either.

Royals 24-38: Why is Miguel Olivo our best hitter?

No offense to Olivo, who's reviving his career in 2008. However, he typically isn't a very good player, and he's been the best Royal this season. Everyone else is average at best. Alex Gordon and Billy Butler are still learning on the job, and if they find their strokes, things will be looking up. Jose Guillen has been a bit of a disappointment, and this is a team that leaves rookie manager Trey Hillman searching for runs.

Angels 39-24: Can Vladimir Guerrero turn it around?

The Angels have been great so far in 2008. Their bullpen has been good, and their starters help get them by. However, for the umpteenth straight year, Anaheim would like to score more runs. It's tough to put this on one player, but Vlad has not been the Vlad of years' past. They've brought in guys like Sarge Jr. and Hunter to help, but Vlad is still the man in this lineup. If he gets going, the Angels could get very dangerous.

Athletics 33-29: Can the rotation keep it up?

Rich Harden has defied all odds and managed to make 7 great starts so far this season. Justin Duchscherer has made a seamless transition to the rotation, and Dana Eveland and Greg Smith have turned in strong starts to make up for Blanton's down year. Will this last? The A's don't have the offense to make up for a decline in pitching success, so if Oakland is going to continue this surprising start, they'll need to continue to impress.

Rangers 31-33: Will we ever stop allowing so many runs?

I know they got Josh Hamilton and he's been huge for the offense so far, but how nice would Edinson Volquez look in this rotation? Their team ERA is over 5, and the pitching will again be the Rangers' undoing. They don't have one starter you can hang your hat on, and their bullpen is mediocre at best. The Rangers have to find some way to bolster their staff before they're going to be contenders.

Mariners 22-40: Did we overachieve that badly last season?

Last year's surprisingly solid finish and the offseason acquisition of Erik Bedard left many excited for Seattle's future. Unfortunately, they are not living up to even half of people's expectations. They hardly score runs, and they allow too many. This spells trouble. Carlos Silva has been a huge bust, and the offense can't support Felix Hernandez' great season. They need to figure things out fast, or there could be jobs on the line in the Seattle organization.

There. A look around Major League Baseball, in honor of Frank Lloyd Wright.