MLB 2010 Season Thread

[FakeLaser]

Well, Opening day is like 10 days a way so I figured I'd get this started with my predictions as I used to do every year. Feel free to bitch about my obvious NYY bias or east coast bias in general below. Oh, and add yr. own predictions as well, of course.

MLB 2010 Predictions

AL EAST

1) New York Yankees
Yes, they're my favorite team, but they're also the best team in baseball, and they only got better this offseason. Curtis Granderson is a top flight center fielder and Javier Vazquez is coming off a Cy Young caliber season. People forget how excellent he was in the first half of his first go-around with the Yankees. Their offense simply cannot be touched by any other team in baseball. They have a top 5 pitching staff as well and defensively they have improved. Jeter has improved, A-Rod will be better fully recovered, Cano contineus to improve, Teixeira is a beast and the OF defense improves dramatically with Granderson and Winn/Gardner. Cheeburger Cheeburger Sabathia.

Offense: 10
Starting Pitching: 9.5
Bullpen: 9.5
Defense: 8
Overall: 9.25

2) Boston Red Sox*
The pitching depth is fucking scary as hell. They have 3 legitimate aces, followed by Matsuzaka and Bucholz who are both excellent as well. The bullpen is equally as scary. Really tough team to beat. They aren't the offensive powerhouse they once were but they can still hit. I wonder what version of David Ortiz shows up and they definitely downgraded from Bay with Mike Cameron though he greatly improves the OF defense allowing Ellsbury to slide over to left. Marco Scutaro was a nice pickup. Solid defense around the diamond with the exception of Victor Martinez. Second best team in MLB, nearly as good as the Yankees.
Offense: 8
Starting Pitching: 10
Bullpen: 9.5
Defense: 9
Overall: 9.125

3) Tampa Bay Rays
They would win pretty much any other division in baseball. An all around good team, young and exciting to watch. Kelly Shoppach will hopefully be an improvement over Dioner Navarro's disapointing season. Rafeal Soriano gives them the closer they always wanted and the rotation is deep, though lacking a true ace. They could use an OF bat. Johnny Damon would have made sense for them.
Offense: 8
Starting Pitching: 8
Bullpen: 8
Defense: 9
Overall: 8.25

4) Baltimore Orioles
Finally, out of the basement, but more thanks to the ineptness of Jp Riccardi than anything else. Alright, maybe not... but Riccardi definitely helped. They have 3 young allstars in Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters. I feel as if Garrett Atkins will bounce back and Ty Wiggington is an improvement over Mevlin Mora at this point. The rotation is shaky but full of potential. Millwood and Guthrie are solid but unspectacular. Matsuz and Tillman are both highly touted and could turn in strong years. There's a lot of good young talent on this team but they won't win more than 75 games or so next year.
Offense: 6
Starting Pitching: 6
Bullpen: 7
Defense: 7.5
Overall: 6.625

5) Toronto Blue Jays
It's gonna be a lonnnnnnnnnng couple of years for this franchise. The offense is punchless outside of Adam Lind and Aaron Hill. Vernon Wells makes this team so much worse in so many ways it's astonishing. The starting pitching is unproven but could surprise. Shawn Marcum was solid until he got hurt, Ricky Romero had a nice year last year, Branden Morrow was a nice pickup and Rzypenweionwefianwski was pretty good last year also. The bullpen isn't too shabby either.
Offense: 5
Starting Pitching: 6.5
Bullpen: 7
Defense: 6
Overall: 6.125

AL CENTRAL

1) Chicago White Sox
I was actually pretty surprised at how solid of a team this is. They've quietly made some great acquisitions who will pay off immediately in Jake Peavy and Juan Pierre and three others who could really help out if they pan out in JJ Putz, Andruw Jones and Alex Rios. Very underrated pitching staff frontlined by Peavy and Buehrle, followed very admirably by Gavin Floyd, John Danks and Freddy Garcia. The pen is solid as well especially if Putz is decent.
Offense: 7.5
Starting Pitching: 8.5
Bullpen: 8.5
Defense: 7
Overall: 7.875

2) Minnesota Twins
This is a very solid team. Nothing really "jumps out" at you outside of Joe Mauer but they're arguable the best team in the central, one of the weaker divisions in baseball. I like the additions of O-Dawg and JJ Hardy up the middle. Delmon Young needs to step it up or he's out of a job in left after putting up one of the worst seasons in MLB last year. The starting rotation is full of number 3 type pitchers backed by a solid pen. Jim Thome adds nice pop, this team needed a bat.
Offense: 8
Starting Pitching: 6.75
Bullpen: 8
Defense: 8.5
Overall: 7.8125

3) Detroit Tigers
This team needs to suck it up and just completely rebuild. Their starting pitching is young enough still to try and build a young core around. These guys could be sellers at the deadline with Valverde, Bonderman (if he rebounds), and especially Magglio Ordonez all candidates to go. The team is largely unproven from a position player standpoint. As a Yankee fan I can say Austin Jackson was an overrated prospect. Raburn turned in a nice year but he's old from the "breakout" standpoint. Adam Everrett is a nice defensive shortstop and nothing else. Other than that you have a rookie at second base, a declining Ordonez and Guillen and a meh bullpen. Very good young starting pitching. Verlander, Porcello and Scherzer are all scary good and Armando Gallaraga should figure things out. Bonderman is the real question mark.
Offense: 7
Starting Pitching: 8.5
Bullpen: 6.5
Defense: 7
Overall: 7.25

4) Kansas City Royals
I don't think this team is that bad. Oh wait. They are trying Kyle Farnsworth as a starter and they have the worst position player in all of baseball at short. THEY DO have one of the best pitchers and closers in all of baseball. Billy Butler and David Dejesus are nice players but not spectacular. Alex Gordan needs to figure shit out this year. Jason Kendall basically sucks now. The rotation is just not good after Greinke. Meche isn't a bad pitcher but once you get beyond him it is ugly. The pen isn't bad with Soria and Cruz but again, after that it's ugly. This team is really ugly defensively. Rick Ankiel was a decent pickup, I guess.
Offense: 4
Starting Pitching: 6 (pretty much all Greinke)
Bullpen: 5.5 (pretty much all Soria)
Defense: 4
Overall: 4.875

5) Cleveland Indians
These guys could finish ahead of the Royals but they're just too unproven to rank ahead of them. At least I have a pretty good idea what most guys on KC will do next year. This team is young, very young so they're going to stumble a lot. The pitching is pretty awful. Jake Westbrook frontlines a rotation featuring Fausto Carmona who sucks, and unproven arms like Justin Masterson, David Huff and Aaron Laffey, all of whom do have solid upside but are unproven. The bullpen is also unproven and Kerry Wood is the closer.
Offense: 4
Starting Pitching: 4
Bullpen: 4
Defense: 6
Overall: 4.5

AL WEST

1) Seattle Mariners
This will be one of the divisions to watch as all of these teams are pretty competitive and it's kind of anyone's game though I feel Seattle is a cut above the rest. This team is tailor made for the ballpark, pitching, defense and speed. They remind me a lot of the Angels in the earlier part of the decade minus the huge power bat (Vlad). They have two of the best pitchers in baseball heading up the rotation, but after that it gets kind of shaky, though the absolutely ridiculous defense behind them should help out a lot. Aardsma should prove solid in the closer role. They lack a big bat though Griffey and Milton Bradley can jack a few if they're right. It's not their game though.
Offense: 7
Starting Pitching: 8
Bullpen: 7
Defense: 10
Overall: 8

2) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
They're not too scary anymore without Lackey, Figgins or Vlad. I'd say they upgraded with Matsui but they'll definitely miss their ace and sparkplug and they will not make the playoffs despite being a decent team. Solid team offensively and with the glove but the pitching scares me a bit. They lack a legit ace now and have a bunch of guys who have failed to live up to their potential, and one guy who pitched way over his head last year thanks to Dave Duncan. The bullpen is shaky as hell too; Fuentes is a mid-tier closer, Scot Shields won't be ready for opening day and Fernando Rodney is very meh in my book.
Offense: 8
Starting Pitching: 7
Bullpen: 6
Defense: 8
Overall: 7.25

3) Oakland A's
I don't get the Coco Crisp signing. I originally had them in 4th but I like these guys better than Texas. The pitching is young and solid and the bullpen is really good. They can't hit for shit. Next year, watch out.
Offense: 5
Starting pitching: 7.5
Bullpen: 8.5
Defense: 7
Overall: 7

4) Texas Rangers
They basically need Josh Hamilton to show up again. The starting pitching is better than it's ever been but it's not saying much. We'll see what Rich Harden gives them. Scott Feldman is nice as is Tommy Hunter. I don't know what they'll do with Feliz. The pen kind of sucks. This is a pretty mediocre team all around. Ron Washington is a cokehead.
Offense: 6.5
Starting Pitching: 6.75
Bullpen: 6.5
Defense: 6
Overall : 6.4375

[FakeLaser]

NL EAST

1) Philadelphia Phillies
Slam dunk choice here, best team in the NL. They can slug with the AL giants and they have Roy Halladay. Placido Polanco was a nice pickup at 3rd. They could use a closer as who the fuck knows what to expect from Brad Lidge. The bullpen is the only weakness.
Offense: 9
Starting Pitching: 9
Bullpen: 7
Defense: 8
Overall: 8.25

2) Atlanta Braves
They needed a bat and they're taking a gamble with Troy Glaus who could pay dividends. They had too many pitchers so they traded Vazquez, their ace, and still have a very solid rotation. If they were able to keep Vazquez they might have the best pitching in baseball. Billy Wagner should excel as a closer again and the Braves get draft picks once he peaces too. I think Melk Man will continue to improve and should be a nice surprise for the Braves. They could use another bat as their big guns spend a lot of time on the DL.
Offense: 7
Starting Pitching: 8
Bullpen: 7
Defense: 8
Overall: 7.5

3) Florida Marlins
I forgot how good these guys were last year. They're only going to be better this year and I would not be surprised if they finished ahead of Atlanta. They don't excel at anything really but they're just solid all around. I like the starting rotation a lot. Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco are nasty and Anibal Sanchez may bounce back. He's already pitched a no-hitter. The bullpen was a real strength last year as well. They lack a true closer but Leo Nunez was solid last year and is a hard-thrower so he might pan out.
Offense: 7
Starting Pitching: 7
Bullpen: 8
Defense: 7
Overall: 7.25

4) The New York Mess
The easiest team in the world to shit on from the front office to the medical staff to it's boneheaded and lazy ass players. IN ALL HONESTY though, they have arguably the best starting pitcher, centerfielder, third baseman, short stop and closer in baseball on their team and they can't manage to build a halfway decent team around that. It's not like any of those are important positions. There's way too many "if's" to rank this team any higher than 4th. The pitching is just horrible. I don't know how the Mets didn't add anyone. Jason Bay is a nice hitter but a horrible defender and he's only going to get worse as the years go by, especially in spacious Citi Field. He should have signed with an AL team. I admire the Mets strategy of signing every backup catcher available, robbing other teams of valuable depth. God. The pitching. It's just so bad. Luis Castillo and Jeff Francour are both potentially black holes and I'm just not sold on Daniel Murphy. Beltran is going to miss time and who knows how motivated he'll be when he returns? David Wright should figure out Citi Field next year and hopefully Jose Reyes shows up. They could finish as high as second but I really doubt it with that rotation and bullpen. Gary Matthews Jr lollllllllll
Offense: 8
Starting Pitching: 4
Bullpen: 5
Defense: 7
Overall: 6

5) Washington Nationals
Ivan Rodriguez yeahhhhhhhh ok. Everyone knows these guys suck but they're not as bad as they used to be. At least Adam Dunn mashes while being the worst defensive player in all of baseball and Ryan Zimmerman has come around. Matt Capps and Brian Bruney should benefit from a change of scenery. The outfield has potential I guess.
Offense: 5
Starting Pitching: 5
Bullpen: 5
Defense: 5
Overall: 5

NL Central

1) St. Louis Cardinals
Phat Albert, Holliday Styles and the duo of Carpenter and Wainwright are pretty much the whole team. It's good enough to be probably the second best team in the NL. The rotation is paper-thin behind the aforementioned Cy candidates with Kyle Loeshe and Brad Penny filling out the back end, however Dave Duncan has been known to turn rags to riches. The bullpen is solid, we'll see if Ryan Franklin can repeat.
Offense: 8
Starting Pitching: 7
Bullpen: 8
Defense: 8
Overall: 7.75

2) Chicago Cubs
This used to be a really exciting team and now they're pretty meh all around. Down years from Soto, A-Ram, Soriano and the presence of Milton Bradley definitely hurt them, but these guys are an 85 win team tops. The pitching staff is really good. If everyone is on, this team could win the division, but I don't see them topping St. Louis. Too many question marks. This is the year Carlos Marmol breaks out.
Offense: 7
Starting Pitching: 8
Bullpen: 8
Defense: 6
Overall: 7.25

3) Cincinatti Reds
These guys are only going to get better and better. They nabbed one of the most exciting prospects in the past decade in Chapman, who might start the year in the rotation. Lots of youth on this team and lots of potential. Votto, Bruce and Brandon Phillips all should have big years. Johnny Gomes will bring nice pop in left. Orlando Cabrera and Scott Rolen are both old and Rolen will definitely spend time on the DL but they are solid defensively and not bad with the bat. Their starting pitching is full of questions marks. Harang, Arroyo and Cueto are all coming off bad years, Homer Bailey is running out of chances and the 5th spot may be Chapman's, and who the fuck knows what he's going to do? Francisco Cordero anchors an underrated bullpen that's a team strength. They'll be a threat in 2011 if the pitching pans out. A starting 5 of Harang, Chapman, Cueto, Volquez and Arroyo or Bailey is scary if they're all on.
Offense: 7
Starting Pitching: 6
Bullpen: 8
Defense: 7
Overall: 7

4) Milwaukee Brewers
My favorite NL team... a team on the decline. The Principal and Ryan Braun forms one of the most formidable one two punches in baseball. Beyond that it's pretty ugly. Corey Hart stumbled after emerging as a solid 20/20 bat. Carlos Gomez takes over in center with nice range, but no bat. Casey McGehee was a nice surprise last year but he's pretty old for a rook. Alcides Escobar might be something special and Rickie Weeks will probably get hurt. Yovanni Gallardo is one of the best pitchers in the NL but after Randy Wolf it's a bunch of fringe starters. The bullpen is old and tempermental and one has to wonder how much Trevor Hoffman has left.
Offense: 7
Starting Pitching: 6.5
Bullpen: 6
Defense: 7
Overall: 6.625

5) Houston Astros
Alright guys it's time to give it up. They refuse to become sellers but this team is falling apart. Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee aer a year older. Hunter Pence took a step back last year. JR Towles hasn't proven a damn thing yet. Michael Bourn can't hit for shit but swipes a lot of bags. The middle infield is horrible. Roy Oswalt is declining a bit each year. Wandy Rodriguez had a career year last year and I wouldn't expect a repeat. After that we have a wife-beater and more fringe starters. The bullpen is absolutely terrible.
Offense: 6
Starting Pitching: 6
Bullpen: 5
Defense: 6
Overall: 5.75

6) Pittsburgh Pirates
They're so bad they're the only 6th place team in baseball. Easily the worst franchise in the sport right now. The outfield is full of potential should Lastings Milledge figure things out and if Garrett Jones proves he's not a fluke. Andrew McCutchen is the only reason to watch these guys. Aki Iwamura is solid I guess. The rotation is fulled with underachieving number 3 types and Scranton-Wilkes Barre castoffs.
Offense: 3
Starting Pitching: 3
Bullpen: 3
Defense: 7
Overall: 4

NL West
1) Colorado Rockies
This will be my surprise pick, I guess. This is the toughest division to call. The Dodgers could easily take this division but I like the Rockies better. They're strong at every position and they're young and improving. I expect Chris Ianetta to bounce back. Todd Helton and Brad Hawpe are solid, if not unspectacular, Tulo could put up an MVP calibur season and they have some nice young speed guys in Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez. Ubaldo Jimenez could be a top 10 pitcher this year, Aaron cook should be solid, Jorge De La Rosa seems to have finally figured things out and the back end is solid with Hammel and Francis. Huston Street should repeat and the rest of the pen has hard throwers like Betancourt and Corpas. Solid all around.
Offense: 8
Starting Pitching: 7
Bullpen: 7
Defense: 8
Overall: 7.5

2) Los Angeles Dodgers*
The reason I prefer Colorado to these guys is Colorado's pitching. Not that the Rox have great pitching by any stretch of the imagination, it's just the Dodgers have too many question marks. Kershaw should be awesome. Billingsley had a great first half last year but then fell apart. Kuroda is mediocre and Padilla is hot garbage. They have one of the best closers in baseball and the pen isn't bad. Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and James Loney should all have great years. Manny might finally be slowing down. Ronnie Belliard was a nice scoop. I'm not sure what Furcal or Russell Martin will do this year. They could win it but I prefer Colorado.
Offense: 8.5
Starting Pitching: 6.5
Bullpen: 8
Defense: 7
Overall: 7.5

3) San Francisco Giants
One of the best pitching staffs, if not the best, in baseball. One of the worst offenses, if not the worst, in baseball. Pablo Sandoval is fun to watch but after that it's ugly. Aubrey Huff was garbage last year. Freddy Sanchez is probably the second best hitter on this team. Mark Derosa is overrated, Aaron Rowand continues to decline and Edgar Renteria should probably retire. Bullpen is decent.
Offense: 4
Starting Pitching: 9.5
Bullpen: 8
Defense: 7
Overall: 7.125

4) Arizona Diamondbacks
Justin Upton is god. Mark Reynolds and Justin Verlander's strikeout totals were pretty close last year. Chris Young has been disapointing. Connor Jackson should bounce back in left. The rest of the team is meh, actually, Miguel Montero is pretty good I guess. If Brandon Webb was healthy they'd have one of the best rotations in baseball. Edwin Jackson is good but he's a downgrade from Scherzer. Ian Kennedy should be good as he always pitches well in Triple A which is essentially what the National League is.
Offense: 6
Starting Pitching: 7
Bullpen: 6
Defense: 7
Overall: 6.5

5) San Diego Padres
The Fathers suck. I wonder how many homers Adrian Gonzalez would hit in a normal ballpark. Hopefully that ballpark isn't Fenway, mid-season. There's nothing good to say about this team beyond Gonzo. Oh, Heath Bell is awesome. Evereth Cabrera is a ncie prospect:
Offense: 2
Starting Pitching: 3
Bullpen: 5
Defense: 6
Overall: 4

Playoffs

ALDS
NYY def. CHA
BOS def. SEA

NLDS:
STL def. COL
PHI def. LAD

ALCS
NYY def. BOS

NLCS
PHI def. STL

WS
NYY def PHI

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez
AL ROY: Neftali Feliz

NL MVP: Albert Pujols
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
NL ROY: Jason Heyward

[Skippord]

I want to predict but mine won't be thorough and I'll look like a real asshole

[Loose Cannon]

definately lol Mets

[Droford]

4) Baltimore Orioles Finally, out of the basement, but more thanks to the ineptness of Jp Riccardi than anything else. Alright, maybe not... but Riccardi definitely helped. They have 3 young allstars in Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters. I feel as if Garrett Atkins will bounce back and Ty Wiggington is an improvement over Mevlin Mora at this point. The rotation is shaky but full of potential. Millwood and Guthrie are solid but unspectacular. Matsuz and Tillman are both highly touted and could turn in strong years. There's a lot of good young talent on this team but they won't win more than 75 games or so next year. Offense: 6 Starting Pitching: 6 Bullpen: 7 Defense: 7.5 Overall: 6.625

You mention Jones/Markakis/Wieters but neglect to mention Nolan Reimold, the 3rd cog in the best young OF trio in Baseball. Wigginton isn't playing 3B, that goes to Tejada for now (look out for Josh Bell!) and I would say that he is a moderate offensive improvement at 3B but negated by the expected defensive decline over Mora, who despite sucking at the plate last year, was a pretty decent defensive 3B. Atkins as it stands right now plays 1B and is an upgrade from the platoon they played at 1B late last season but a major downgrade from Aubrey Huff who they had to start last year. You nail the talking points on the pitching staff, but the key no one is talking about is that the bullpen has probably been improved a ton and that should help the overall pitching numbers out a lot.

The offense should be higher than a 6. They had a slightly above offense last year that shouldn't be much different this year.

[FakeLaser]

Originally Posted by Droford You mention Jones/Markakis/Wieters but neglect to mention Nolan Reimold, the 3rd cog in the best young OF trio in Baseball. Wigginton isn't playing 3B, that goes to Tejada for now (look out for Josh Bell!) and I would say that he is a moderate offensive improvement at 3B but negated by the expected defensive decline over Mora, who despite sucking at the plate last year, was a pretty decent defensive 3B. Atkins as it stands right now plays 1B and is an upgrade from the platoon they played at 1B late last season but a major downgrade from Aubrey Huff who they had to start last year. You nail the talking points on the pitching staff, but the key no one is talking about is that the bullpen has probably been improved a ton and that should help the overall pitching numbers out a lot. The offense should be higher than a 6. They had a slightly above offense last year that shouldn't be much different this year.

Forgot about Tejada. Wrote the AL East part before he signed I think

[The Franchise]

Looks like another shitty season for the Toronto Blue Jays of Canada

[Splaya]

PS Fake Razor

The problem with the Tigers is in fact Armando Galaragga. He is starting the season in AAA

[Evil Vito]

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.

[Triple Naitch]

Thing is with Tampa, if they stumble out of the gate they are going to go into fire-sale mode. Carlos Pena would surely be gone, B.J. Upton may be shopped if the price is right, and Carl Crawford is my pick for biggest name to be traded at the deadline. They could easily finish behind Baltimore if this happens.

[MVP]

Well written as always FRazor. I'll post my predictions in a few days.

[Evil Vito]

AL predictions. A bit more condensed because I’m strapped for time, plus I don’t know the AL teams as well.

AL East
1. Yankees
2. Red Sox (WC)
3. Rays
4. Orioles
5. Jays

I don’t really see how anybody could pick anybody other than the Yanks/Sox division loser to be the Wild Card. As much as I hate making this reference, it really would take 2009 Mets-esque injuries to keep either team out of the postseason. Just a shitload of talent on both sides. Went with the Yanks mainly because its hard to bet against the 100+ game WS winners. Rays are a good team but will probably be trading guys away at the deadline if its clear by that point that they won’t contend. Orioles are going to get better each year, and the Jays effectively take the Orioles’ place as cellar dwellers for a few years.


AL Central
1. Twins
2. White Sox
3. Tigers
4. Royals
5. Indians

Seems like a two team race here, went with the Twins because their lineup seems to be pretty stacked and I feel as though anybody they put in to pitch does well. The loss of Joe Nathan probably won’t be a huge deal. White Sox should finish over .500 and miss the division by just a couple of games. Tigers have some good players and are in pseudo-rebuild mode. Royals finish close behind the Tigers, Greinke takes a small step back from last year but still really pitches well. Indians suck and have pretty much nothing offensively outside of Sizemore and maybe Choo, and their pitching looks atrocious.


AL West
1. Rangers
2. Mariners
3. Angels
4. Athletics

I think the Rangers build on last year’s success and make the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. They have some really good offensive pieces, and their park is a great place for Vlad to have a power rejuvenation. Their pitching is decent enough to get by provided with the proper offensive support. Although the Mariners look good on paper I’m not entirely sold on them, something just seems to be missing. Good enough to be the wild card runner-up. Angels lost way too many quality players and I don’t see Matsui/Rodney being enough to cover that. Athletics could be good next year but I don’t see them amounting to much this year though. The first sign that Ben Sheets is going to amount to something, Beane will have him out the door.

--

NL MVP: Albert Pujols, Cardinals
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, Giants
NL Rookie of the Year: Jason Heyward, Braves
NL Manager of the Year: A.J. Hinch, Diamondbacks
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Jose Reyes, Mets

AL MVP: Mark Teixeira, Yankees
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez, Mariners
AL Rookie of the Year: Neftali Feliz, Rangers
AL Manager of the Year: Ron Washington, Rangers
AL Comeback Player of the Year: Shaun Marcum, Blue Jays*
* - If Ben Sheets pitches like his old self and gets dealt to another AL team he’ll probably win. If he gets traded to the NL though, I can’t see anyone other than Jose Reyes winning so long as he’s healthy and productive.

--

Division Series
-Yankees offense goes crazy, especially in the deciding third game. Yanks over Rangers in a 3 game sweep.
-Twins get a win in the first playoff game in cold-ass Target Field, Sox put away the next three. Sox 3, Twins 1
-Cardinals look good against the Rockies and wind up winning in 4.
-Webb and Haren take the Phillies to the limit, but Phillies win Game 5 late to advance to the NLCS for the third straight year.

Championship Series
-Yanks vs. Sox in the ALCS for the first time since 2004. Ridiculously close series that goes 7. Yanks wind up getting the nod.
-Halladay’s approaching 300 innings on the year at this point and it finally catches up to him, Cards knock him around and surprisingly deny the Phillies in 5.

World Series
Yankees win #28 in 5. Well pitched series overall but the Yanks get some clutch hits and score enough to get by. Cardinals offense is mostly held in check, except for…

World Series MVP: Albert Pujols, Cardinals
SWERVE! Pujols rakes throughout the World Series and with no clear-cut standouts during the series from the Yanks, Pujols becomes the second player in history to be named World Series MVP as a member of the losing team. Ironically happens 50 years after Yankee Bobby Richardson did it.

[Evil Vito]

Phil Hughes wins the Yankees 5th starter job. Joba will be given a "chance" to be the 8th inning guy...don't really see how it's not him though. I kinda wonder if Joba will be back in the rotation mix next year assuming Pettite and/or Vazquez leave, or if they've finally determined the course of action for Joba's career.

The "Joba Rules" stuff seems kinda stupid in retrospect if he's not gonna start.

[ClockShot]

Originally Posted by Big Vito 22 Phil Hughes wins the Yankees 5th starter job. Joba will be given a "chance" to be the 8th inning guy...don't really see how it's not him though. I kinda wonder if Joba will be back in the rotation mix next year assuming Pettite and/or Vazquez leave, or if they've finally determined the course of action for Joba's career. The "Joba Rules" stuff seems kinda stupid in retrospect if he's not gonna start.

Good for Hughes. I guess it looks like Granderson in Center and Sir Speedy in Left. With Winn as the back up on the bench.

[Dragon]

Originally Posted by Big Vito 22 Phil Hughes wins the Yankees 5th starter job. Joba will be given a "chance" to be the 8th inning guy...don't really see how it's not him though. I kinda wonder if Joba will be back in the rotation mix next year assuming Pettite and/or Vazquez leave, or if they've finally determined the course of action for Joba's career. The "Joba Rules" stuff seems kinda stupid in retrospect if he's not gonna start.

Makes no sense at all to have Hughes the 5th starter. Joba was finally ready to take the next step and actually pitch a full season without restrictions and limits and everything and they decide to stick him in the bullpen. Yankees have handled both of them so terrible its not even funny. Now they get to deal with an innings limit for Hughes this year.

If they made this decision after giving Joba a chance this year I could understand, but not when he is finally able to pitch 200 innings.

[Evil Vito]

http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/sala...leteId=5018022

[Big Fat Mike]

Originally Posted by Big Vito 22 http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/sala...leteId=5018022

Joe Mauer needs to get out of bed to make my salary.

I will have to work for 638 years to make Joe Mauer's annual salary.

[YOUR Hero]

Joba just doesn't win the spot. Plain and simple.

[Innovator]

It was Joba's to win, he sucked in spring training, that's that

[Boomer]

Jason Heyward is starting in right field for the Braves. I'm excited. Hoping for the best.

[Skippord]

God I hope the Rockies don't let Morales close games

[OssMan]

Don't know anything about baseball anymore. Will probably go to a bunch of Nationals games. That's about it

[Evil Vito]

Less than a week to go in camp. Any position battles still going on at this point?

Mets have all but named Jon Niese as the 5th starter, so that makes Fernando Nieve a lock for the bullpen as are Pedro Feliciano and obviously K-Rod. Hisanori Takahashi seems to have made the team as the second lefty. I assumed Ryota Igarashi was a lock because of his 2-year Major League deal, but he's looked horrible so far and I'm assuming he could be optioned if they wanted. Seems like a wide-open battle for 3 spots.

Also trying to figure out the last bench spot, it'll either be Mike Jacobs, Chris Carter, or Frank Catalanotto. I think Jacobs has the inside track even though the other two guys are more versatile.

[ClockShot]

Twins closer role can go to anybody since Nathan is done for the season. Other than that, I think the rest MLB is ready to go.

Chad Gaudin goes to Oakland.

[Evil Vito]

Was reading that Pat Venditte might get into the game today for the Yankees. Definitely hope that guy makes the bigs at some point, in a full season he'd probably break any team's record for games pitched since each arm could have its own pitch count.

[Big Fat Mike]

Originally Posted by Big Vito 22 Was reading that Pat Venditte might get into the game today for the Yankees. Definitely hope that guy makes the bigs at some point, in a full season he'd probably break any team's record for games pitched since each arm could have its own pitch count.

They probably told him to cut the circus act in the bigs.

[Evil Vito]

I think they made a rule for him - something like he has to commit to one side of the plate before an at-bat starts or something. Would be bullshit if MLB made a rule that he had to pick one arm to throw with throughout a game, if they did that they'd also have to force switch-hitters to pick a side.

[Big Fat Mike]

Originally Posted by Big Vito 22 I think they made a rule for him - something like he has to commit to one side of the plate before an at-bat starts or something. Would be bullshit if MLB made a rule that he had to pick one arm to throw with throughout a game, if they did that they'd also have to force switch-hitters to pick a side.

If there were no rules, at-bats between venditte and switch-hitters would never end.

[Loose Cannon]

so tomorrow I am going to the Charlotte Knights vs the Chicago White Sox Game here in town. Jake Peavy is going to start. should be fun

[Dragon]

Yeah, they definitely made a rule about that. He has to raise his glove or something to show which side he is pitching from.

I saw a video of him in the minor leagues (last season I think) where he was facing a switch hitter and both guys kept changing their side. The hitter went to one side and so he switched to the other hand, the batter stepped out and went to the other side and so did he. Think they made the rule after that game because it went on for a little while.

[Big Fat Mike]

I say Venditte gets a chance to be the 5th starter next year after Pettie retires/Cheeseburger Cheeseburger has a heart attack.

[Evil Vito]

Daniel Murphy sprained his knee during yesterday's game and is now day-to-day. There's a chance Ike Davis winds up getting added back onto the roster to be the Opening Day first baseman.

The name Wally Pipp comes to mind.

[MVP]

The Red Sox are close to a 4 year, $70 million deal with Beckett. It's a little more than what Drew makes and Beckett is way more productive so I'm fine with this deal.

[Dragon]

Good deal if they get him for only 4 years. Surprised he'd take a smaller contract than Lackey considering he's 1 or 2 years younger and has actually been healthier than him the past couple years.

[RP]

I dunno about the Cubs right now.

[SammyG]

Great breakdown, RZA.

[Skippord]

Denard Span hit his mom in the chest with a foul ball

that's either hilarious or horrible

[Supreme Olajuwon]

So now it appears the front runner for the Reds #5 spot in the rotation is Mike Leake, who was the Reds first rounder last year and who only pitched in the Arizona Fall League.

Didn't even think it was possible for pitchers to skip the minor leagues anymore, but I guess it might happen.

[Evil Vito]

Originally Posted by Supreme Olajuwon So now it appears the front runner for the Reds #5 spot in the rotation is Mike Leake, who was the Reds first rounder last year and who only pitched in the Arizona Fall League. Didn't even think it was possible for pitchers to skip the minor leagues anymore, but I guess it might happen.

Wow, that's pretty shocking if it happens. I can't remember the last guy to fully skip the minor leagues.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Originally Posted by Big Vito 22 Wow, that's pretty shocking if it happens. I can't remember the last guy to fully skip the minor leagues.

Since Major League Baseball began its free agent draft in 1965, a total of 20 selections have advanced directly to the Major Leagues without playing in the Minors:

Draft/Year Player School Team
June 2000 Xavier Nady, inf Cal-Berkeley San Diego
June 1995 Ariel Prieto, p Fajardo University (Cuba) Oakland
June 1993 Darren Dreifort, p Wichita State Los Angeles (NL)
June 1989 John Olerud, inf Washington St. Toronto
June 1988 Jim Abbott, p Michigan California
June 1985 (R) Pete Incaviglia, of Oklahoma St. Montreal
June 1978 (R) Tim Conroy, p Gateway H.S. (PA) Oakland
June 1978 (R) Bob Horner, inf Arizona St. Atlanta
June 1978 (R) Brian Milner, c Southwest H.S. (TX) Toronto
June 1978 (R) Mike Morgan, p Valley H.S. (NV) Oakland
June 1973 (R) David Clyde, p Westchester H.S. (TX) Texas
June 1973 (R) Dave Winfield, of Minnesota San Diego
June 1973 (R) Eddie Bane, p Arizona St. Minnesota
Jan. 1973 (S) Dick Ruthven, p Fresno St. Philadelphia
June 1972 (R) Dave Roberts, inf Oregon San Diego
June 1971 (S) Pete Broberg, p Dartmouth Washington
June 1971 (S) Rob Ellis, inf Michigan St. Milwaukee
June 1971 (S) Burt Hooton, p Texas Chicago (NL)
June 1969 (R) Steve Dunning, p Stanford Cleveland
June 1967 (S) Mike Adamson, p South Carolina Baltimore