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**Evil Vito** · 03-24-2010, 09:57 PM

Can’t remember the last time I did proper predictions. Baseball figures to be pretty exciting this year…this year it seems like every division has at least two teams that I could see winning it.

NL East
1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Mets
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

Phillies are the obvious favorites here, and the best-built team. Still, I don’t think Ibanez and Werth will have repeat performances from last year, and I’m not really sure what to make of their pitching past Halladay. I think any of the 2nd-4th place teams can give them a run for their money if it breaks right. So while picking the Phillies is the safe move, I definitely wouldn’t call them a lock.

I picture the Braves, Mets, and Marlins all finishing close together at around .500, they all have some notable weaknesses. I put the Braves 2nd because their pitching is great and I think they’ll have enough offense if Chipper Jones bounces back (which I’d have to say is likely). He’ll complement McCann and McLouth nicely.

Despite a very suspect rotation, the Mets have pretty much the exact same team that kept them within a game of the playoffs in 2008 (subbing Bay for Delgado) and the same team that many projected to win the division last year. Given that most people seem to be projecting them at like 75 wins I think they’ll do much better than most expect, barring injuries of course. Of their 2-4 starters, I’m willing to bet at least two put up respectable years. Also look for Ike Davis by Memorial Day if Murphy gets off to a bad start.

There’s just something about the Marlins I’m not sold on. They’ve obviously got some young stud players but no facet of their game seems particularly dominating. Them finished 4th is just a hunch and not really shitting on them because I think they’ll be right there with the other teams in the division. Hanley is going to beast again to the extent that he becomes the consensus #1 fantasy draft pick in 2011 due to overall shortstop position scarcity.

And yeah, Nats in the cellar again. To their credit they’ve improved and definitely won’t lose 100 games this time around. Probably will get around 70 wins and I’m expecting a Strasburg sighting by August at the latest.

NL Central
1. Cardinals
2. Reds
3. Cubs
4. Brewers
5. Astros
6. Pirates

Sorta like with the Phillies, the Cards are definitely the best put-together team in their division and for that reason alone it’s tough to bet against them although I doubt they will totally walk away with it. Their lineup is stacked and if my thinking of Ibanez/Werth regressing is true, they might wind up with the best offense in the NL. However I think their 1 and 2 starters will regress a bit while still being damn good.

I have a feeling that the Reds are going to be really solid and post an over .500 campaign. Their young guys will play well and set the stage for a serious battle with the Cards in 2011. Harang and Arroyo are two guys that have been rumored in trade talks all winter, I see them both rewarding the team with good years and both guys get their 2011 options picked up. Definitely also see Aroldis Chapman seeing some innings during the year, even if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster.

I really don’t know wtf to say about the rest of the division because the other teams just seem so meh to me. The Cubs and Brewers seem pretty comparable to me with the Cubs being slightly more complete, the Astros suck and only don’t finish last because the Pirates are just brutal. I’d like to say that the Pirates have some young talent bound to make them good in a few years, but they’ll probably get traded once they begin to realize their potential.

NL West
1. Rockies
2. Diamondbacks (WC)
3. Dodgers
4. Giants
5. Padres

The West is tough to call, but I like the Rockies. They have a mostly young but productive offense anchored by Troy Tulowitzki and I have a feeling that Carlos Gonzalez will have a breakout season. Their pitching can be dominant some nights and not so much others, not a stellar staff or anything but enough to win the division. I think the Diamondbacks will be their top competition this year, and I can see that race coming right down to the wire.

Speaking of them, my “surprise of the season” is the Diamondbacks winning the Wild Card. If Webb returns early in the year and is back to his own self that might be the top 1-2 punch in baseball. Upton, Reynolds, Jackson, and LaRoche feels like the makings of a productive offense, and don’t rule out Chris Young bouncing back as well. Not sold on Edwin Jackson as the #3 starter, but at least he can eat innings plus I like the look of the D-Backs’ pen.

Dodgers get third because I’m just really not sold on their pitching staff overall. Kershaw and Billingsley should be solid but the rest of the rotation just looks extremely iffy to me. Broxton throws crazy heat but for some reason I’m not sure I totally trust him. Offense should be good and Manny will do better than last season but I just don’t see a third straight playoff appearance for the Dodgers this year.

Pitching wins championships but unfortunately for the Giants that saying is only applicable once you reach the playoffs. Their pitching is nasty but that offense is brutal. If you kept their pitching and gave them nearly any other offense in the NL, they’d probably be stamping their ticket for the playoffs. Kinda think Lincecum will three-peat though. And at least they won’t finish last, that honor goes to the Padres who are clearly rebuilding and will probably use Adrian Gonzalez to get fans into the park until the 2011 trading deadline.

AL predictions later.

03-24-2010, 09:57 PM	#9
Evil Vito President of Freedonia Posts: 58,379	Can’t remember the last time I did proper predictions. Baseball figures to be pretty exciting this year…this year it seems like every division has at least two teams that I could see winning it. NL East 1. Phillies 2. Braves 3. Mets 4. Marlins 5. Nationals Phillies are the obvious favorites here, and the best-built team. Still, I don’t think Ibanez and Werth will have repeat performances from last year, and I’m not really sure what to make of their pitching past Halladay. I think any of the 2nd-4th place teams can give them a run for their money if it breaks right. So while picking the Phillies is the safe move, I definitely wouldn’t call them a lock. I picture the Braves, Mets, and Marlins all finishing close together at around .500, they all have some notable weaknesses. I put the Braves 2nd because their pitching is great and I think they’ll have enough offense if Chipper Jones bounces back (which I’d have to say is likely). He’ll complement McCann and McLouth nicely. Despite a very suspect rotation, the Mets have pretty much the exact same team that kept them within a game of the playoffs in 2008 (subbing Bay for Delgado) and the same team that many projected to win the division last year. Given that most people seem to be projecting them at like 75 wins I think they’ll do much better than most expect, barring injuries of course. Of their 2-4 starters, I’m willing to bet at least two put up respectable years. Also look for Ike Davis by Memorial Day if Murphy gets off to a bad start. There’s just something about the Marlins I’m not sold on. They’ve obviously got some young stud players but no facet of their game seems particularly dominating. Them finished 4th is just a hunch and not really shitting on them because I think they’ll be right there with the other teams in the division. Hanley is going to beast again to the extent that he becomes the consensus #1 fantasy draft pick in 2011 due to overall shortstop position scarcity. And yeah, Nats in the cellar again. To their credit they’ve improved and definitely won’t lose 100 games this time around. Probably will get around 70 wins and I’m expecting a Strasburg sighting by August at the latest. NL Central 1. Cardinals 2. Reds 3. Cubs 4. Brewers 5. Astros 6. Pirates Sorta like with the Phillies, the Cards are definitely the best put-together team in their division and for that reason alone it’s tough to bet against them although I doubt they will totally walk away with it. Their lineup is stacked and if my thinking of Ibanez/Werth regressing is true, they might wind up with the best offense in the NL. However I think their 1 and 2 starters will regress a bit while still being damn good. I have a feeling that the Reds are going to be really solid and post an over .500 campaign. Their young guys will play well and set the stage for a serious battle with the Cards in 2011. Harang and Arroyo are two guys that have been rumored in trade talks all winter, I see them both rewarding the team with good years and both guys get their 2011 options picked up. Definitely also see Aroldis Chapman seeing some innings during the year, even if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster. I really don’t know wtf to say about the rest of the division because the other teams just seem so meh to me. The Cubs and Brewers seem pretty comparable to me with the Cubs being slightly more complete, the Astros suck and only don’t finish last because the Pirates are just brutal. I’d like to say that the Pirates have some young talent bound to make them good in a few years, but they’ll probably get traded once they begin to realize their potential. NL West 1. Rockies 2. Diamondbacks (WC) 3. Dodgers 4. Giants 5. Padres The West is tough to call, but I like the Rockies. They have a mostly young but productive offense anchored by Troy Tulowitzki and I have a feeling that Carlos Gonzalez will have a breakout season. Their pitching can be dominant some nights and not so much others, not a stellar staff or anything but enough to win the division. I think the Diamondbacks will be their top competition this year, and I can see that race coming right down to the wire. Speaking of them, my “surprise of the season” is the Diamondbacks winning the Wild Card. If Webb returns early in the year and is back to his own self that might be the top 1-2 punch in baseball. Upton, Reynolds, Jackson, and LaRoche feels like the makings of a productive offense, and don’t rule out Chris Young bouncing back as well. Not sold on Edwin Jackson as the #3 starter, but at least he can eat innings plus I like the look of the D-Backs’ pen. Dodgers get third because I’m just really not sold on their pitching staff overall. Kershaw and Billingsley should be solid but the rest of the rotation just looks extremely iffy to me. Broxton throws crazy heat but for some reason I’m not sure I totally trust him. Offense should be good and Manny will do better than last season but I just don’t see a third straight playoff appearance for the Dodgers this year. Pitching wins championships but unfortunately for the Giants that saying is only applicable once you reach the playoffs. Their pitching is nasty but that offense is brutal. If you kept their pitching and gave them nearly any other offense in the NL, they’d probably be stamping their ticket for the playoffs. Kinda think Lincecum will three-peat though. And at least they won’t finish last, that honor goes to the Padres who are clearly rebuilding and will probably use Adrian Gonzalez to get fans into the park until the 2011 trading deadline. AL predictions later.