MLB 2007 Season Thread

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With the season a week and a half away, I thought I'd start the thread. Also, here are my revised predictions, now that I've had a look at some teams in spring training.

AL East
1) New York Yankees
They have the best lineup in baseball. Defense has been upgraded with Mientkiewicz, and there's no way A-Rod can be that bad again. Matsui is back for a full season. They have one of the best bullpens in baseball, if not the best. The top 3 starters are solid (Wang will be a true ace with an improved defense behind him) and if Igawa or Pavano falter, Sanchez and Hughes are 2 of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball. Jeff Karstans has also shown that he is capable of being a more than adequate starter, and may become the 5th starter sooner rather than later.
Offense: 10
Defense: 8
Starting Pitching: 8
Bullpen: 9
Overall: 8.75

2) Boston Red Sox *
They are scary this year. Their lineup nearly equals the Yankees. Nobody wants to face Ortiz/Ramirez/Drew. A big question will be if Drew can remain healthy, however. Manny’s dedication is in question, of course. Varitek’s skills are declining but he’s still a good leader. Julio Lugo gives the team some speed, something they lacked last year. Dustin Pedoria gives the team a young star. The starting rotation will either be a real strength (one of the best in baseball) or an albatross. It all depends on if Schilling can stay healthy, Papelbon can transition to the rotation, and if Beckett and Matsuzaka live up to their potential. Oh yeah, and JD Drew needs to do decently. The thing holding them back from overtaking the Yankees is their bullpen which is loaded with question marks, and no true closer.
Offense: 9
Defense: 9
Starting Pitching: 9
Bullpen: 6
Overall: 8.25

3) Toronto Blue Jays
The team that can never catch a break. They’re solid all around, but not good enough to compete with the Sox or the Yanks. The Frank Thomas deal was pretty retarded but if he performs like he did last year he will help the team short-term. The Jays should really be thinking about long-term, however. Right now, they don’t have the core to beat the Yankees or the Red Sox, so signing someone like Thomas doesn’t make much sense. They made some awesome moves signing John Thomson and Tomo Okha which rounds out their rotation nicely. Halladay and Burnett are among the best 1-2 punches in baseball, but they both have problems staying healthy. The pen is solid and they have one of the best closers in baseball. They just don’t have enough to win it in the AL East though.
Offense: 8
Defense: 8
Starting Pitching: 8
Bullpen: 8
Overall: 8

4) Baltimore Orioles
This is a team loaded with potential. They can never seem to put it all together though. They can hit; Tejada, Mora and Brian Roberts need no introduction. Nick Markakis may become the face of the franchise when all is said and done. Aubrey Huff was a nice addition. Pitching seems to be their problem, though their staff is loaded with potential. Erik Bedard is probably the most underrated pitcher in all of baseball. If Daniel Cabrera can learn to spot his pitches then he can be dominant. It’s all downhill from there, however. Jaret Wright and Kris Benson are no better than 5th starters. Steve Traschel probably shouldn't be on a major league roster. They have a solid young closer in Chris Ray, and picked up some solid arms: Danys Baez, Chad Bradford and Jamie Walker. The pen is a strength. There’s no way they can compete in the AL with that rotation, however.
Offense: 8
Defense: 7
Starting Pitching: 6
Bullpen: 7
Overall: 7

5) Tampa Bay Devil Rays
The biggest problem facing the Rays is the front office. They overflow with young talent, but they never have any pitching. They should trade a couple guys to make room for Delmon Young and BJ Upton. If I were them I’d move Baldelli and Iwamura (provided he’s any good) at the end of the season for pitching. Scott Kazmir is amazing, but beyond that, their best pitcher is Jae Seo. The bullpen is also terrible.
Offense: 8
Defense: 7
Starting Pitching: 4
Bullpen: 1
Overall: 5

AL Central
1) Detroit Tigers
Possibly the best team in baseball plugged its one hole by adding a front-line slugger, Gary Sheffield. That’s the one move they had to make this off season and they made it. I like that they kept Sean Casey as well. They have an amazing young pitching staff, coupled with one of the top bullpens in baseball. Joel Zumaya could be the top closer in all of baseball before the season ends. They could be unstoppable.
Offense: 8.75
Defense: 9
Starting Pitching: 10
Bullpen: 10
Overall: 9.4

2) Cleveland Indians
The only thing holding them back is their terrible bullpen. I really don’t think Borowski will cut it as a closer in the AL Central. Someone else needs to step up (Betancourt). They have one of the best lineups in baseball. Victor Martinez might be the worst catcher in all of baseball though, defensively. He needs to get better fast or become a first baseman. The rotation is solid but not spectacular. Sabathia is a solid ace, but after that there’s nobody too exciting, though Jeremy Sowers could prove to be a beast. This team should have won more games last year. According to the pythagorean win loss total which determines a team's record based on runs scored and allowed, the Indians should have won 92 games. The bullpen is what screwed them. This year they should be better.
Offense: 9
Defense: 7
Starting Pitching: 7
Bullpen: 5
Overall: 7

3) Chicago White Sox
I originally had this team ranked 4th, but I have reconsidered my stance on them. They are solid offensively. Their starting rotation is not good though. They traded away their young star (McCarthy) and Garcia who was a solid arm. Buehrle should continue to regress. I think Vazquez bounces back slightly and Contreras should be good, however. They are a solid, but unspectacular team, though they are clearly on the decline.
Offense: 8
Defense: 8
Starting Pitching: 6.5
Bullpen: 7
Overall: 7.3

4) Minnesota Twins
I originally had the Twins ranked third because of their young core and bullpen, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that their rotation is flat out garbage beyond Santana. Bonser should be ok but he's not the impact #2 they need YET, and Garza is not ready. Beyond that it is UGLY. Their pitching staff is somewhat comperable to the White Sox, overall, but they don't have the offense that the Sox do. No Radke either. They won't be a terrible team, but in this division they'll have to be a lot better than mediocre to compete. Say goodbye to Santana and Torii Hunter.
Offense: 7
Defense: 8.5
Starting Rotation: 5
Bullpen: 9
Overall: 7.3

5) Kansas City Royals
The worst team in the AL. They did improve this offseason, however. Alex Gordon is my pick for Rookie of the Year. Gil Meche makes the rotation better, though he was not a good investment. Brian Bannister was a better one. Mark Teahen is solid. Imagine being Reggie Sanders; starting for the Cardinals 2 seasons ago, now a backup on the Royals. Kinda reminds me of Chuck Knoblauch, starting second baseman for the Yankees, to leftfielder for the Royals. The only team worse than them is the Nationals.
Offense: 5
Defense: 5
Starting Pitching: 5
Bullpen: 4
Overall: 4.75

AL West
1) Los Angeles Angels
They are the definition of a pesky team. They always find a way to win games. The probably have the best bullpen in baseball and their rotation is solid, though much of the success rests on how well Colon bounces back. I think he'll be adequate. Think 2004 numbers, which is not good, but ok for a back of the rotation guy.
Offense: 7.5
Defense: 8
Starting Pitching: 9
Bullpen: 10
Overall: 8.8

2) Oakland A's
Their success rests on Mike Piazza’s shoulders. They can’t hit. They couldn’t hit last year, but Frank Thomas carried them. Now he’s gone, and Piazza has got to fill the void. Dan Johnson could step up now that he’s cleared up his vision problems. Bobby Crosby needs to have a great season as well. Rich Harden needs to stay healthy, which isn’t likely. There are just too many if’s holding this team back from beating the Angels this year.
Offense: 7
Defense: 7
Starting Pitching: 7.75
Bullpen: 7
Overall: 7.2

3) Texas Rangers
More of the same this year for the Rangers… all offense, no pitching. They’re like the Mariners of the mid-90s, minus Randy Johnson. They won’t miss Matthews Jr; Lofton should be adequate enough and costs a fraction of what Matthews Jr. cost. Catalonatto was one of the best pickups of the offseason by any team. Brandon McCarthy was another solid move. They made all the right moves, I guess, but they missed out on acquiring an ace. If they landed Zito, they’d give the Angels a run for the money.
Offense: 8.5
Defense: 7.5
Starting Pitching: 6
Bullpen: 6.5
Overall: 7.1

4) Seattle Mariners
They made the worst move of the offseason possibly in acquiring Jose Vidro. They also fucked up their biggest strength by letting Rafael Soriano go. Putz and Soriano made every game 2 innings shorter. The pitching is pretty awful beyond Hernandez. Washburn is alright, but he’s not a number 2. Miguel Batista is not going to be good, same goes for Jeff Weaver. This team is going to get worse and worse. Ichiro is gone after this season. The one bright spot is Felix Hernandez. The M’s should concentrate on building a winner before he bolts too.
Offense: 7
Defense: 6
Starting Pitching: 5.5
Bullpen: 6
Overall: 6.1