MLB 2008 Season Thread
 

Not gonna do my crazy ass predictions like I did last year, but here goes:

AL East
1) New York Yankees
2) Boston Red Sox *
3) Tampa Bay Devil Rays
4) Toronto Blue Jays
5) Baltimore Orioles

Call me a homer but I think the Yankees have a good shot this year. A lot of projections agree with me, as well. Sox will take the Wild Card, and it's going to be really close between the Yankees and Sox again. D-Rays in 3rd is my bold prediction, I guess. They have a solid 1-2-3 in the rotation and the makings of a bullpen, and we all know they can hit. Their defense is also much improved with Upton moving to CF, Iwamura to 3rd and Longoria at 3rd. The Jays aren't bad but not much improved at all, and their players are fragile and inconsistent. They have potentially one of the best starting rotations, however, though I don't think they can compete this year. Baltimore might be the worst team in baseball.

AL Central
1) Detroit Tigers
2) Cleveland Indians
3) Minnesota Twins
4) Chicago White Sox
5) Kansas City Royals

Pretty much the same as last year, except Detroit and Cleveland flip flop. Detroit might have the best record in MLB this year with all of their offseason additions, though I'm a little nervous about their bullpen. Cleveland will win 90 but miss the playoffs. After that, the rest of this division is incredibly mediocre to bad.

AL West
1) Los Angeles Angels
2) Seattle Mariners
3) Texas Rangers
4) Oakland Athletics

There's just no touching the Angels in the west. Seattle adds Bedard but they played over their heads last year, so I'm expecting a similar 85-88 win season out of them. The Rangers and A's are both terrible. I pick Oakland to finish last because they're doing a complete rebuild.

NL East
1) New York Mets
2) Philadelphia Phillies *
3) Atlanta Braves
4) Washington Nationals
5) Florida Marlins

Mets won't fade this year, and adding Santana instantly makes them the favorites in the NL East and the NL. The Phillies are right behind them and will win the WC. They have possibly the best IF in baseball. Atlanta will have another solid season as they move on from the Andruw Jones era. The Nats aren't good but they're better than the Marlins who will probably be decent in like 3 or 4 years again.

NL Central
1) Chicago Cubs
2) Milwaukee Brewers
3) Cincinnati Reds
4) Houston Astros
5) St. Louis Cardinals
6) Pittsburgh Pirates

Cubs will win it with or without Brian Roberts. I love the Brewers and wouldn't be shocked if they took it this year... I don't think they'll top the Cubs though. I picked them to win the division last year and looked like a genius at midseason. The Reds have some young guys coming up that will fire them up and their pitching will be better this year. Houston is a team on the decline full of drama. St. Louis hasn't done dick since they won the World Series and will continue to fall. Pittsburgh... yeah.

NL West
1) Los Angeles Dodgers
2) Colorado Rockies
3) Arizona Diamondbacks
4) San Diego Padres
5) San Francisco Giants

Once again, all of these teams (except the Giants) will be competitive, 80+ win teams. I like the Dodgers this year with Torre, Andruw Jones, Kurodka and the young guys to take the division. Rockies pitching staff isn't as good as the Dodgers staff which is what is holding them back. D-Backs are good but don't score enough runs, 90 wins last year was a fluke, though they could win 85. The Padres are solid but unspectacular. The Giants rival Baltimore as the worst team in MLB.

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
AL ROY: Jacoby Ellsbury
AL MOY: Joe Maddon
AL Comeback Player: Manny Ramirez

A-Rod is unstoppable. Tigers will have the best record and Verlander will win 20 and strike out close to or over 200. Ellsbury will solidify himself as the Sox leadoff man and win ROY though he'll have stiff competition. Maddon wins MOY for bringing the D-Rays to respectability. Manny I guess for comeback if he qualifies... couldn't think of anyone else.

NL MVP: David Wright
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana
NL ROY: Joey Votto
NL MOY: Willie Randolph
NL Comeback Player: Andruw Jones

The Mets will sweep the NL by winning it... David Wright will go 30/30 and could go 40/40 and hit .310 for the NL Champs. Johan will annihilate the NL, and Willie will win MOY. Andruw Jones, Met killer, will be the comeback player of the year with a 30 HR, .260 type season and a GG in LA.

ALDS:
NYY def. LAA (finally)
DET def. BOS

NLDS:
NYM def. LAD
PHI def. CHC

ALCS:
DET def. NYY

NLCS:
NYM def. PHI

WS:
DET def. NYM

Kuroda**

;)

Whatev

Also, superstick this OH!

Gotta say I love it, just switch the victor in the WS and I'm 150% behind these predictions.:cool:

Jays will be the surprise team in the AL east, yet still miss the playoffs.

Red Sox win the Al East, Yankees finish in 3rd. Cleveland gets the wildcard. Tigers and Angels win their divisions.

Mets, Cubs, Dodgers all win the divisions and the Wildcard goes to Philly.

Red Sox for the World Series win

Ellsbury with the ROY..when is the last time a team had back to back Rookie of the Year winners?

Yankees will win 109 reg season games

Only if Pettite is on that HGH son

The Dodgers will choke

the Rockies will make the playoffs

SuperJones that OH

Rockies can definitely win the NL West, but I think LA and Arizona will give them a run for their money.

Danny Haren will win the NL Cy Young

I'm not drinking the Blue Jays Kool-Aid...I don't think they are gonna be that good

Billy Crystal just struck out

What, I thought the game was at 7

nope, they said he'd be up twice but Damon replaced him.

He made contact, fouled off one pitch, more than I could probably do

<font color=goldenrod>Crystal was the DH? I coulda swore they said he'd be playing the field for like an inning.</font>

Would have been great if they beaned him

why is he playing? what was the pitch he fouled off?

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008...rystal_600.jpg
Gotta give him some credit for the Jordan gloves anyway

What's next, Matt Damon gearing up for the next Sox game? How about Stephen King?

Thats not him.


...is it?

<font color=goldenrod>Melky Cabrera, Shelley Duncan suspended 3 games. Jonny Gomes suspended 2 games. Joe Girardi, Kevin Long, and Bobby Meachem fined.</font>

Apparently they caught Melky punching Evan Longoria or something. LOL, I dunno but I find it hilarious that Melky was fighting. Nobody got hurt so its not a big deal or anything its just crazy because Melky is the last one I'd suspect of doing it. Kinda surprised Gomes only got 2 games. I mean he did run in from right field and try to plow into a guy from behind.

I guess the Yankees will be sporting Damon in CF and Matsui in LF for the first couple games of the season.

Three games or three spring training games

Pretty sure the suspensions automatically go to the regular season.

regular season games

any idea if Bonds has been snatched up for the season yet

cant seem to find jack all anywhere

no he's still unsigned. Clemens to believe it or not!

I'm gunna say Cubs vs Tigers in the World Series and i'm taking the Cubbies.

Bold Predictions

Either the Yankees or the Red Sox will miss the playoffs this year.

I got the White Sox in the wild-card.

A-Rod will be BETTER then last year

But still suck nutsacks in the playoffs.

Bonds will get picked up by the Rockies.

Ken Griffey Jr. has an injury free season

Ichiro will bat .400 this year

Brandon Moss ties it up in the 9th!!!!!!

well, it wasn't smooth but a win is a win.

Fuck I missed Opening Day

See why I don't trust Huston Street Vito? :roll:

<font color=goldenrod>Fuck I'm already 0-for-1 in this MLB.com "Beat the Streak" fantasy game. Basically you pick a player each day to get a base hit (you can re-use players and the game lasts all season even if you have an 0-for) with the idea being to pick someone to get a base hit that day for 57 straight gamedays. Was debating between Papi and Manny for today and went with Papi.</font> :mad:

rofl Manny thought he hit a homer and just stood there, but it was really a long ass double off the wall

Whatever though, drove in the winning runs