Philadelphia is the class of the league thanks to a ridiculous pitching rotation. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels easily form the best unit in the majors, though an injury to closer Brad Lidge leaves the bullpen a little up in the air. If Philadelphia can get second baseman Chase Utley healthy they could be unstoppable.

With 6/1 NL pennant odds, the Giants are their closest competition. San Francisco is almost completely unchanged from a year ago. Their stalwart pitching rotation is intact (Tim Lincecum, Jon Sanchez, Matt Cain) but San Fran could also open the season without its closer. Throw in an underwhelming lineup—at best—and it looks doubtful the Giants could catch lighting in a bottle again.

That’s where this year’s chic NL pennant pick comes in. The Milwaukee Brewers have 9/1 odds to claim the National League title, and with good reason. The Brew Crew boasts an impressive lineup (including Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and Corey Hart), and now they might have the pitching to match after adding Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum to a rotation that already included Yovani Gallardo. The injury bug has bitten hard already—including Greinke, Marcum and Hart—but it’s a long season, and Milwaukee has plenty of time to heal up.

The next tier of contenders are clumped together, with the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies each getting 11/1 odds to win the NL. All three are intriguing but not without flaws.

The Braves have looked sharp in Spring play and might have the most balanced team of the three. Cincinnati hardly changed its young, promising squad from last season; the Reds can certainly mash, but they don’t appear to have the starting pitching. The Rockies struggled to hit on the road last season and always seem to start too slowly.

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