Moving on to the AL Central, just a few weeks ago, I thought that this division would belong to the Twins without any question, the Joe Nathan injury has brought some doubt to the division, however. I'm interested to see what the new home park does for the Twins as well.
Speaking of injuries to closers, Kerry Wood could be out for a while as well which doesn't bode well for the Indians, and he was one of the few good players on Cleveland.
Kansas City is still Kansas City, so the big question there might be which of the two, KC and Cleveland, end up at the bottom of the division.
Detroit has the makings of a good team, but they haven't been able to do anything since their meltdown in the World Series a few seasons ago. With some questions in the Minnisota bullpen, however, Detroit should definitely be in the running for the division.
Chicago has a pretty decent team as well, and will have Peavy for a full season to top their rotation. They have some pretty good young bats and should also compete throughout the year for the division crown.
Detroit Tigers
87-75
Minnisota Twins
86-76
Chicago White Sox
86-76
Kansas City Royals
76-86
Cleveland Indians
72-90
Tomorrow we move into the National League, beginning with the West!
Showing posts with label MLB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLB. Show all posts
Friday, April 2, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
AL East Preview and Prediction Post
The AL East, much like the AL West should be an intriguing division, because, like the AL West, there are three teams that have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.
As has been the case for some time now, I think that two teams will make the playoffs from this division, so once again, a worthy team will be left out, the question is will it be the Rays, the Red Sox, or the Yankees.
I think the Rays are going to have another phenomenal season like the one that they had a couple of seasons ago which propelled them to the World Series.
The Red Sox could have the best rotation in the American League but their offense is fairly suspect.
The Yankees will have another very good offensive team and fairly good pitching.
Ultimately, I think the Yankees will be the team that gets left out, primarily because they won't be as hungry this year, and their pitching staff is an injury away from being terrible.
Tampa Bay Rays
95-67
Boston Red Sox
92-70
New York Yankees
90-72
Baltimore Orioles
80-82
Toronto Blue Jays
76-86
As has been the case for some time now, I think that two teams will make the playoffs from this division, so once again, a worthy team will be left out, the question is will it be the Rays, the Red Sox, or the Yankees.
I think the Rays are going to have another phenomenal season like the one that they had a couple of seasons ago which propelled them to the World Series.
The Red Sox could have the best rotation in the American League but their offense is fairly suspect.
The Yankees will have another very good offensive team and fairly good pitching.
Ultimately, I think the Yankees will be the team that gets left out, primarily because they won't be as hungry this year, and their pitching staff is an injury away from being terrible.
Tampa Bay Rays
95-67
Boston Red Sox
92-70
New York Yankees
90-72
Baltimore Orioles
80-82
Toronto Blue Jays
76-86
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
AL WEST Preview and Prediction Post
It is getting to be that time, Opening Day is on Sunday, also known by many as Easter, featuring the Yankees and the Red Sox, and the majority of the rest of baseball will get going on Monday!
I will be at The Ballpark in Arlington for the Texas Rangers against the Toronto Blue Jays, making it the second consecutive year that I will be seeing Blue Jays baseball in opening week, and it will feature a return to Rangers opening day baseball, a tradition that I have only missed twice since the new Ballpark opened (and one of those times was last year when the Cubbies were in Houston, so I was there instead).
So, with baseball literally upon us, let's begin our previews and predictions starting with the AL West, the divisional home of the Texas Rangers.
The Angels have won this division going away for a number of years now, but due to losing a number of their offensive players as well as John Lackey coupled with the vast improvement over the last couple of seasons of the Rangers and the offseason improvement of the Seattle Mariners, I think that this is the season when the Angels finally reliquish control of the West.
I also think that this division will be the most exciting to watch in all of baseball, with it being at least a three team race, and possibly a race involving all four teams, throughout the majority of the season.
The Rangers offense won't struggle as much as it did at times last year, however, it also won't be the potent force that it has been in years past, however, the pitching for the Rangers looks to be a strong suit as young pitchers began to make some names for themselves and propell the Rangers into their first division title since (party like its) 1999.
The Mariners will finish 3 games behind the Rangers followed very closely by the Angels and the A's will finish within 7 games.
Final Record Predicitions
Texas Rangers
90-72
Seattle Mariners
87-75
Los Angeles Angels
86-76
Oakland Athletics
83-79
Tomorrow I will be back with a look at the AL East.
I will be at The Ballpark in Arlington for the Texas Rangers against the Toronto Blue Jays, making it the second consecutive year that I will be seeing Blue Jays baseball in opening week, and it will feature a return to Rangers opening day baseball, a tradition that I have only missed twice since the new Ballpark opened (and one of those times was last year when the Cubbies were in Houston, so I was there instead).
So, with baseball literally upon us, let's begin our previews and predictions starting with the AL West, the divisional home of the Texas Rangers.
The Angels have won this division going away for a number of years now, but due to losing a number of their offensive players as well as John Lackey coupled with the vast improvement over the last couple of seasons of the Rangers and the offseason improvement of the Seattle Mariners, I think that this is the season when the Angels finally reliquish control of the West.
I also think that this division will be the most exciting to watch in all of baseball, with it being at least a three team race, and possibly a race involving all four teams, throughout the majority of the season.
The Rangers offense won't struggle as much as it did at times last year, however, it also won't be the potent force that it has been in years past, however, the pitching for the Rangers looks to be a strong suit as young pitchers began to make some names for themselves and propell the Rangers into their first division title since (party like its) 1999.
The Mariners will finish 3 games behind the Rangers followed very closely by the Angels and the A's will finish within 7 games.
Final Record Predicitions
Texas Rangers
90-72
Seattle Mariners
87-75
Los Angeles Angels
86-76
Oakland Athletics
83-79
Tomorrow I will be back with a look at the AL East.
Monday, April 6, 2009
NL CENTRAL, POSTSEASON, AND MLB AWARDS PREVIEW AND PREDICTIONS
Happy Opening Day!!!!!!!!
I will be at the Cubs game today at the Juice Box in Houston to watch Carlos Zambrano and Roy Oswalt going head to head. Talk about a great matchup. It should be a great game.
Here are the earlier prediction posts
AL WEST
AL CENTRAL
AL EAST
NL WEST
NL EAST
And now the NL CENTRAL
The Cubs have won the division each of the last two seasons, and this Cubs team is again favored by most everyone to do so again. The Cubs rotation is not only clearly the best in the Central but is arguably the best in the entire major leagues to go along with a great offense that is now even more balanced. The Brewers provided the most competition each of the last two seasons, but they no longer have CC Sabathia or Ben Sheets and their pitching is now a huge question mark. They still have a potent offense, but the pitching, both starting and relief will make them take a huge step back. St. Louis has somehow with spit and tape stayed competitive the last few seasons, but has been able to really compete at the end of the season. I don't expect much to change for them this year either. Houston seems to be two different teams each year. Among the leagues worst in the first half and a very competitive club in the second. If they hope to have any chance at anything this year, they need to come out of the gate much faster then they have in the last couple of years. Cincinnati looks to be a young and exciting team. They have great young pitching and very talented young position players. They could be this year's surprise contender. The Pirates are, as always, the Pirates.
FINAL PREDICTED STANDINGS
Chicago 94-68
Cincinnati 84-78
Houston 83-79
St. Louis 82-80
Milwaukee 70-92
Pittsburgh 60-102
PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
ALDS
Tampa Bay Rays over Los Angeles Angels
Cleveland Indians over Boston Red Sox
ALCS
Cleveland over Tampa Bay
NLDS
Chicago Cubs over Atlanta Braves
New York Mets over Arizona Diamondbacks
NLCS
Chicago over New York
WORLD SERIES
Chicago over Cleveland
AWARD PREDICTIONS
AL
MVP-Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
CY YOUNG-Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox
MANAGER-Eric Wedge, Cleveland Indians
ROY-Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers
NL
MVP-Milton Bradley, Chicago Cubs
CY YOUNG-Johann Santana, New York Mets
MANAGER-Bobby Cox, Atlanta Braves
ROY-Cameron Maybin, Florida Marlins
HAPPY OPENING DAY AND LET'S GO CUBBIES!!!!
I will be at the Cubs game today at the Juice Box in Houston to watch Carlos Zambrano and Roy Oswalt going head to head. Talk about a great matchup. It should be a great game.
Here are the earlier prediction posts
AL WEST
AL CENTRAL
AL EAST
NL WEST
NL EAST
And now the NL CENTRAL
The Cubs have won the division each of the last two seasons, and this Cubs team is again favored by most everyone to do so again. The Cubs rotation is not only clearly the best in the Central but is arguably the best in the entire major leagues to go along with a great offense that is now even more balanced. The Brewers provided the most competition each of the last two seasons, but they no longer have CC Sabathia or Ben Sheets and their pitching is now a huge question mark. They still have a potent offense, but the pitching, both starting and relief will make them take a huge step back. St. Louis has somehow with spit and tape stayed competitive the last few seasons, but has been able to really compete at the end of the season. I don't expect much to change for them this year either. Houston seems to be two different teams each year. Among the leagues worst in the first half and a very competitive club in the second. If they hope to have any chance at anything this year, they need to come out of the gate much faster then they have in the last couple of years. Cincinnati looks to be a young and exciting team. They have great young pitching and very talented young position players. They could be this year's surprise contender. The Pirates are, as always, the Pirates.
FINAL PREDICTED STANDINGS
Chicago 94-68
Cincinnati 84-78
Houston 83-79
St. Louis 82-80
Milwaukee 70-92
Pittsburgh 60-102
PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
ALDS
Tampa Bay Rays over Los Angeles Angels
Cleveland Indians over Boston Red Sox
ALCS
Cleveland over Tampa Bay
NLDS
Chicago Cubs over Atlanta Braves
New York Mets over Arizona Diamondbacks
NLCS
Chicago over New York
WORLD SERIES
Chicago over Cleveland
AWARD PREDICTIONS
AL
MVP-Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
CY YOUNG-Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox
MANAGER-Eric Wedge, Cleveland Indians
ROY-Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers
NL
MVP-Milton Bradley, Chicago Cubs
CY YOUNG-Johann Santana, New York Mets
MANAGER-Bobby Cox, Atlanta Braves
ROY-Cameron Maybin, Florida Marlins
HAPPY OPENING DAY AND LET'S GO CUBBIES!!!!
Friday, April 3, 2009
NL EAST PREVIEW AND PREDICTIONS
Monday we did AL West
Tuesday we did AL Central
Wednesday we did AL East
Thursday we did NL West
Today we move onto the NL East and we'll finish with our very own NL Central on Monday, aka Opening Day, along with our postseason predictions and our award predictions.
The last two seasons, the Mets have lost the division at the very end of the year. The Phillies have taken advantage of that situation each of the last two seasons. The Braves and Marlins have been hanging around for a majority of the season lately, while finding at the end of the season they don't quite have enough to keep up. And then there is the Nationals.
The Braves have probably done as much as anyone to make themselves better, adding the Dodgers Ace from last season, Derek Lowe, as well as one of the Angels best players from the last few seasons, Garrett Anderson.
The Nationals added Adam Dunn (who is one of the best and most patient hitters in the majors) at bargain prices, so while they probably won't contend they will be much better this year then they have been in the past.
The Phillies are coming off of winning the World Series and that means that they'll have a bit of a target on their back, plus I don't think that the Mets can screw up their amount of talent for a third consecutive season.
FINAL PREDICTED STANDINGS
New York 90-72
Atlanta 87-75
Philadelphia 86-76
Washington 79-83
Florida 76-86
Remember Monday is Opening Day (although there is a game Sunday night on ESPN between the Phillies and Braves) and it will also feature our final Preview and Prediction Post where we'll finally give our predictions for the NL Central as well as postseason picks and award predictions.
Tuesday we did AL Central
Wednesday we did AL East
Thursday we did NL West
Today we move onto the NL East and we'll finish with our very own NL Central on Monday, aka Opening Day, along with our postseason predictions and our award predictions.
The last two seasons, the Mets have lost the division at the very end of the year. The Phillies have taken advantage of that situation each of the last two seasons. The Braves and Marlins have been hanging around for a majority of the season lately, while finding at the end of the season they don't quite have enough to keep up. And then there is the Nationals.
The Braves have probably done as much as anyone to make themselves better, adding the Dodgers Ace from last season, Derek Lowe, as well as one of the Angels best players from the last few seasons, Garrett Anderson.
The Nationals added Adam Dunn (who is one of the best and most patient hitters in the majors) at bargain prices, so while they probably won't contend they will be much better this year then they have been in the past.
The Phillies are coming off of winning the World Series and that means that they'll have a bit of a target on their back, plus I don't think that the Mets can screw up their amount of talent for a third consecutive season.
FINAL PREDICTED STANDINGS
New York 90-72
Atlanta 87-75
Philadelphia 86-76
Washington 79-83
Florida 76-86
Remember Monday is Opening Day (although there is a game Sunday night on ESPN between the Phillies and Braves) and it will also feature our final Preview and Prediction Post where we'll finally give our predictions for the NL Central as well as postseason picks and award predictions.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
NL WEST PREVIEW AND PREDICTIONS
After the last three days have given us the AL, we move onto the NL.
Just as it has been in the last few seasons, I think that the NL West is going to be one of the lesser divisions in the majors. Any of the teams really have the potential to take this division, because it is totally up for grabs. The Rockies a couple of seasons ago made it to the World Series. The Padres were one of the worst teams in baseball last year, but when their rotation is healthy it is among the leagues best (and it doesn't hurt that they play in a primo pitching park called Petco), but their payroll has been decimated leaving them little for role players. And those are the two teams everyone expects to suck. Los Angeles won the division last year, but they've lost some of their pitching and other then Manny their line up doesn't scare me very much unless they're hot. Ultimately the Dodgers look to be a super streaky team, but that might be enough in this division. The Diamondbacks have a lot of young talent that took them far a couple of years ago, but disappeared down the stretch last season. I like them to contend all year again this season, but I'm still not sure how much they can be trusted when it counts. San Fransisco has been down for a number of years, but unquestionably they did the most to improve themselves this year.
FINAL PREDICTED STANDINGS
Arizona 86-76
Los Angeles 84-78
San Fransisco 80-82
San Diego 79-83
Colorado 71-91
Tomorrow we'll move onto the NL EAST
Just as it has been in the last few seasons, I think that the NL West is going to be one of the lesser divisions in the majors. Any of the teams really have the potential to take this division, because it is totally up for grabs. The Rockies a couple of seasons ago made it to the World Series. The Padres were one of the worst teams in baseball last year, but when their rotation is healthy it is among the leagues best (and it doesn't hurt that they play in a primo pitching park called Petco), but their payroll has been decimated leaving them little for role players. And those are the two teams everyone expects to suck. Los Angeles won the division last year, but they've lost some of their pitching and other then Manny their line up doesn't scare me very much unless they're hot. Ultimately the Dodgers look to be a super streaky team, but that might be enough in this division. The Diamondbacks have a lot of young talent that took them far a couple of years ago, but disappeared down the stretch last season. I like them to contend all year again this season, but I'm still not sure how much they can be trusted when it counts. San Fransisco has been down for a number of years, but unquestionably they did the most to improve themselves this year.
FINAL PREDICTED STANDINGS
Arizona 86-76
Los Angeles 84-78
San Fransisco 80-82
San Diego 79-83
Colorado 71-91
Tomorrow we'll move onto the NL EAST
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
AL EAST PREVIEW AND PREDICTIONS
Yesterday was the AL Central, Monday was the AL West, today we look at the sure to be hotly contested AL East.
Last years two AL Championship game teams were both from the East, and this year the East is poised to be even better. In what was essentially a two team race last year (although the two teams were also the best the AL had to offer) the Red Sox and the Rays came down to the wire both in the regular season and the exciting ALCS. While the Yankees were forced to watch the playoffs from home precipitating the huge offseason spending spree. Most of the majors went into a cost cutting mode in response to the worsening economy, but not the Yankees. The biggest name pitcher and arguably the best available hitter (although you could definitely make a case for Manny being Manny) both signed with the Yankess as well as a few other big name acquisitions. All in the hopes that the Yankees wouldn't end up on the outside looking in again.
Sadly, for them, however, I think that ultimately they will end up, once again, on the outside looking in, despite having the third best record in the AL.
FINAL PREDICTED STANDINGS
Tampa Bay 95-67
Boston 93-69
New York 90-72
Toronto 79-83
Baltimore 70-92
Tomorrow we move onto the NL West
Last years two AL Championship game teams were both from the East, and this year the East is poised to be even better. In what was essentially a two team race last year (although the two teams were also the best the AL had to offer) the Red Sox and the Rays came down to the wire both in the regular season and the exciting ALCS. While the Yankees were forced to watch the playoffs from home precipitating the huge offseason spending spree. Most of the majors went into a cost cutting mode in response to the worsening economy, but not the Yankees. The biggest name pitcher and arguably the best available hitter (although you could definitely make a case for Manny being Manny) both signed with the Yankess as well as a few other big name acquisitions. All in the hopes that the Yankees wouldn't end up on the outside looking in again.
Sadly, for them, however, I think that ultimately they will end up, once again, on the outside looking in, despite having the third best record in the AL.
FINAL PREDICTED STANDINGS
Tampa Bay 95-67
Boston 93-69
New York 90-72
Toronto 79-83
Baltimore 70-92
Tomorrow we move onto the NL West
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