As the month of April wraps up so to does the first month of the season and there are some early surprises and disappointments. The Oakland Athletics and Colorado Rockies are off to great starts. While the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers with all their hype, have been struggling.
Top 5 Storylines:
1) Colorado Rockies surge
2) Angels sweep Tigers
3) Kansas City Royals
4) J.P. Arencebia and John Buck
5) Reigning AL MVP at it again
5) Miguel Cabrera is off to another terrific start to his season .375 BA and 26 RBI’s . He has hit 30+ home runs in 11 of his 12 seasons with the only blemish coming in his rookie year. He won a World Series with the (then) Florida Marlins back in 2003 and then signed an eight year 154 million dollar deal with the Tigers in 2008. He and the Tigers appeared in the championship last year but fell to the San Francisco Giants in four games. Despite being swept in the WS, the Tigers are showing resilience and a will to return to the dance and make another run. I chose Prince Fielder to win MVP but it is the triple-crown winner Cabrera leading the Tigers to a (14-10) record and in first place in their division.
4) Both J.P. Arencebia and John Buck were members of the Toronto Blue Jays at some point during the off-season, that was until Alex Anthopoulos sent Buck as part of a deal to acquire starting pitcher R.A. Dickey. Buck has been tremendous so far for the New York Mets. He leads all catchers with nine home runs. While he is hitting just .250 he has driven in 25. Buck has never hit more then 20 home runs in a season, with his largest output coming in 2010 as a member of the Blue Jays. J.P. Arencebia is struggling as well with a low batting average at (.245) but his eight home runs is one off the AL Lead.
3) The Kansas City Royals were a team that I believed would be a year away from contending, but in a weak AL Central that includes the Twins, White Sox and the Indians the Royals are legitimately the second best team in their division behind Detroit. At (13-10) they sit 0.5 GB from the division leading Tigers at the end of April. There are still five months left in the season so it will be interesting to see the development of this team going forward. But as of now with guys like Alex Gordon who is batting .337 and the strong pitching from both off-season acquisitions Ervin Santana and James Shields, this team has remained in close games. Personally, I think it’s still early to call the Royals as a playoff caliber team, but they are showing a glimpse of what will come in the future.
2) Last week one of the big series I featured was the Detroit Tigers against the vulnerable Los Angeles Angels. While the Angels did not face Justin Verlander they beat Jim Leyland’s squad handedly. I truly believe this could be the ALCS when it is all said and done, but both teams have major holes that need to be fixed down the stretch. For the Tigers they must decide who will close out games while the Angels power lineup still lacks consistency.
1) The Colorado Rockies are THE story so far in the early 2013 MLB Season. With a (15-10) record they sit tied atop the NL West division with the Arizona Diamondbacks. I remember the Rockies team of 2007 that snuck into the playoffs with one of the most miraculous runs in September ]. They would sweep the first two series between (Philadelphia and Arizona) before losing to Boston in the World Series in four. The 2013 version of the Rockies remind me of this team a lot, and playing in the high altitude of the Rockies is definitely a home field advantage. A big part of their early success is the emergence of Dexter Fowler. The speedy outfielder not known for his power is hitting the ball well. He is hitting .295 and has seven home runs to boot. The young core of players around Fowler include infielders: Josh Rutledge, Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. They have a no-name pitching staff with guys like Jorge De La Rosa, Juan Nicasio, Canadian Jeff Francis and their number one, who's on the disabled list Jhoulys Chacin.
Games To Watch:
1) Los Angles Dodgers (12-12) @ San Francisco Giants (14-12)
- Friday to Sunday
- Always bad blood between these two teams
- Division Matchup
- Game of the week (ESPN)
2) Boston Red Sox (18-7) @ Toronto Blue Jays (9-17)
- Tuesday to Thursday
- Division Matchup
- Blue Jays are struggling while John Farrell’s Red Sox are soaring
- Blue Jays need to improve in all areas, their (5-8) home record is a good place to start
3) NY Mets (10-14) @ Atlanta Braves (16-9)
- Friday to Sunday
- Division Matchup
- Matt Harvey (NYM) vs. Justin Upton (ATL)
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Around The Bases #3
The second full week of the season was overshadowed by the brawl between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres from Petco Park earlier in the week. Pitcher Zack Greinke threw inside and hit Carlos Quentin of the Padres and immediately words were said and the hitter went right after the pitcher. It resulted in Greinke breaking his collarbone and Quentin was suspended 8 games.
Top 5 Storylines:
1) Dodgers/Padres brawl
2) Oakland Athletics leading the charge in AL West
3) Boston sweeps Tampa Bay
4) The Incredible Matt Harvey
5) Chris Davis continues his hot start to the season
5) Chris Davis was selected in the 5th round of the 2006 draft by the Texas Rangers. In 2011 he was traded from the Rangers to the Baltimore Orioles as part of a package deal and had his breakout season last year, with 33 home runs and 85 RBI’S. His 33 long bombs last year were more then he had in the last three years combined. This season he’s continued his hot streak and is off to the best start in his career. In 13 games Davis has 6 home runs 19 RBI’S and currently owns a .350 batting average (BA). His strong play has gotten the Orioles to a (7-6) record.
4) Once R.A. Dickey was dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays this past off-season it instantly focused all the attention for the N.Y. Mets towards their top pitching prospect Matt Harvey. The 2007 draft pick of the Los Angeles Angels made the jump to the bigs last season and finished with a (3-5) record over 10 games. This season he’s off to a tremendous start and is a big reason to why the NY Mets are playing well early into the season. Harvey has won his first three starts against (San Diego, Philadelphia and Minnesota), and is averaging 8 strikeouts per nine with a miniscule ERA of 0.85. At this rate Harvey looks as a CY Young candidate.
3) The John Farrell experience in Boston, is going a lot better early on then it ever did as the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. It is hard to say that the 2013 Boston Red Sox are better then the 2011 and 2012 versions of the Blue Jays but it looks like Farrell is more instinctive with his new team, his "dream job". After opening the season with series wins against division rivals the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays (both on the road) they returned back home last week for their home opener. After dropping the series with the Baltimore Orioles, the Red Sox finished their first cycle in the AL East with a series sweep over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox have used solid starting pitching to vault them to an (8-4) record, something they lacked the last two years.
2) In a division that has the dynamic duo of Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols in LA and the formidable Yu Darvish in Texas it’s Billy Beane’s Oakland Athletics in first place in the AL West after 2 weeks of the season at (11-4) . After dropping the first two game of the season the A’s went on a 9-game winning streak the featured series sweeps of Houston and Los Angeles (both on the road). The Athletics are showing that making the playoffs last year was no fluke. Coco Crisp is the catalyst at the top of the lineup with the young pitchers maturing over another full season.
1) The LA Dodgers prized free-agent Zack Greinke will be out for the foreseeable future with a broken collarbone after this mayhem occurred at Petco Park in San Diego…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/12/dodgers-padres-brawl-greinke-quentin-video_n_3066278.html
Carlos Quentin got really heated with Greinke after being hit, and charged the mound resulting in the injury. Baseball is not known for it’s brawls but every once in a while, the benches will clear, punches will be thrown and players will get fired up. Look at the Canada/Italy World Classic brawl a month ago that resulted in both teams landing some nasty punches. Greinke is the lone player to suffer anything severe from that play and Quentin has been suspended 8 games.
Games To Watch:
1) Kansas City Royals (7-6) @ Boston Red Sox (9-4)
- Friday to Sunday
- Hearts are heavy as people around the world are still reeling from the tragic events from the Boston Marathon.
- Should be a very emotional series at Fenway
2) Detroit Tigers (8-5) @ Los Angeles Angels (4-10)
- Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera come to town as the struggling Angels search for 1st series win
- Pujols and Hamilton need to step up in a big way for this team after all the money was dished out for them.
3) San Diego Padres (4-10) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (7-7) (04/17/13)
- Kershaw hits the mound in search for his 3rd win
- Teams meet again with the brawl fresh in their mind
Top 5 Storylines:
1) Dodgers/Padres brawl
2) Oakland Athletics leading the charge in AL West
3) Boston sweeps Tampa Bay
4) The Incredible Matt Harvey
5) Chris Davis continues his hot start to the season
5) Chris Davis was selected in the 5th round of the 2006 draft by the Texas Rangers. In 2011 he was traded from the Rangers to the Baltimore Orioles as part of a package deal and had his breakout season last year, with 33 home runs and 85 RBI’S. His 33 long bombs last year were more then he had in the last three years combined. This season he’s continued his hot streak and is off to the best start in his career. In 13 games Davis has 6 home runs 19 RBI’S and currently owns a .350 batting average (BA). His strong play has gotten the Orioles to a (7-6) record.
4) Once R.A. Dickey was dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays this past off-season it instantly focused all the attention for the N.Y. Mets towards their top pitching prospect Matt Harvey. The 2007 draft pick of the Los Angeles Angels made the jump to the bigs last season and finished with a (3-5) record over 10 games. This season he’s off to a tremendous start and is a big reason to why the NY Mets are playing well early into the season. Harvey has won his first three starts against (San Diego, Philadelphia and Minnesota), and is averaging 8 strikeouts per nine with a miniscule ERA of 0.85. At this rate Harvey looks as a CY Young candidate.
3) The John Farrell experience in Boston, is going a lot better early on then it ever did as the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. It is hard to say that the 2013 Boston Red Sox are better then the 2011 and 2012 versions of the Blue Jays but it looks like Farrell is more instinctive with his new team, his "dream job". After opening the season with series wins against division rivals the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays (both on the road) they returned back home last week for their home opener. After dropping the series with the Baltimore Orioles, the Red Sox finished their first cycle in the AL East with a series sweep over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox have used solid starting pitching to vault them to an (8-4) record, something they lacked the last two years.
2) In a division that has the dynamic duo of Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols in LA and the formidable Yu Darvish in Texas it’s Billy Beane’s Oakland Athletics in first place in the AL West after 2 weeks of the season at (11-4) . After dropping the first two game of the season the A’s went on a 9-game winning streak the featured series sweeps of Houston and Los Angeles (both on the road). The Athletics are showing that making the playoffs last year was no fluke. Coco Crisp is the catalyst at the top of the lineup with the young pitchers maturing over another full season.
1) The LA Dodgers prized free-agent Zack Greinke will be out for the foreseeable future with a broken collarbone after this mayhem occurred at Petco Park in San Diego…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/12/dodgers-padres-brawl-greinke-quentin-video_n_3066278.html
Carlos Quentin got really heated with Greinke after being hit, and charged the mound resulting in the injury. Baseball is not known for it’s brawls but every once in a while, the benches will clear, punches will be thrown and players will get fired up. Look at the Canada/Italy World Classic brawl a month ago that resulted in both teams landing some nasty punches. Greinke is the lone player to suffer anything severe from that play and Quentin has been suspended 8 games.
Games To Watch:
1) Kansas City Royals (7-6) @ Boston Red Sox (9-4)
- Friday to Sunday
- Hearts are heavy as people around the world are still reeling from the tragic events from the Boston Marathon.
- Should be a very emotional series at Fenway
2) Detroit Tigers (8-5) @ Los Angeles Angels (4-10)
- Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera come to town as the struggling Angels search for 1st series win
- Pujols and Hamilton need to step up in a big way for this team after all the money was dished out for them.
3) San Diego Padres (4-10) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (7-7) (04/17/13)
- Kershaw hits the mound in search for his 3rd win
- Teams meet again with the brawl fresh in their mind
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Around The Bases #2
In a season which spans over 162 games it is too early to call teams serious contenders or pretenders after just six.
But this is what we do know after Opening Week:
Top 5 Storylines:
1) The Upton Brothers connect in Atlanta
2) 20-year old Bryce Harper is batting 3rd in the Nationals Lineup
3) Yu Darvish comes as close to perfection as you can
4) R.A. Dickey struggles inside the Rogers Centre
5) Josh Hamilton is really hated in Texas
5) Plain and Simple, Josh Hamilton followed the money this past fall. The former Texas Rangers outfielder signed a 5-year 125 million dollar contract with division rival Los Angeles Angels. Hamilton said he wanted to play with the likes of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols and help the Angels win a World Series. That was after making it to the WS in two of the past three seasons with the Rangers. Hamilton struggled in the opening series against the Cincinnati Reds but what was even worse was his return to Texas later in the week. Not only was he booed (which he must have expected) but it got so bad that his wife had to call for security.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2013/04/06/josh-hamilton-wife-rangers-security-ballpark-in-arlington/2058899/
I know fans are passionate about their teams but sometimes fans will cross the line, and this case was evident of that. After the first week of the season the Angels have matched their record from last year after six games at (2-4).
4) R.A. Dickey is telling the fans not to worry because he is not worried. Baseball is a long season with ups and down, but no one could have for seen Dickey starting from the bottom and having to work his way up. After last year’s magical season that resulted in an NL CY Young with the NY Mets, Dickey was given the tag “Opening Day” starter for the Blue Jays. The first game was against the Cleveland Indians, a team that struggles to put up runs. On opening night the Tribe hit Dickey up for 4 runs over six innings. The Jays bats were silenced as they fell 4-1 and Dickey picked up the loss. Then for his second start last Sunday, this time against Jon Lester and the Boston Red Sox, he was tagged for five runs in the first inning. His final stat line was 8 earned runs, 10 hits over four and two-thirds. The knuckleball looked flat but the 38-year old remains confident.
“I think you try to draw from some of the past experiences and know that a day like today is the anomaly, not the norm," Dickey said. "I've traditionally gotten off to pretty slow starts in the past. I'm not sure why, that's just the way it has been.”
3) The Houston Astros and their minor league lineup moved from the National League to the hard-hitting American League this season. A lot of experts predicted that a no-hitter or a perfect game will be thrown against the lowly Astros but no one said it would come during opening week. Well, Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers came within an out away of a perfect game, on just the second day of the season. He held the Astros bats at bay and struck out a career high 14 batters. Darvish was way over the 100 pitch mark by the ninth inning (usually spelling the end for a starting pitcher) but his manager Ron Washington could not pull him. That was until a man by the name of Marwin Gonzalez (the 9th batter in the Astros lineup) hit a single up the middle. After the hit, Darvish was shown smiling and laughing, before he got pulled from the game, probably because he realized how close he had come to perfection. After the game he remained optimistic, and with this guys talent, he will probably have more of these chances in the future.
"I think my teammates were more disappointed than I was, he said through a translator.”
2) My birthday is December. 13, 1992. Bryce Harper’s birthday is October.16,1992. We are both turning 21 years old and there is no question this guy is a phenom. Just take a look at his opening day performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd8PMRewLq0
Harper became the first 20-year old to hit a pair of home runs on opening day all while batting 3rd in the Washington Nationals line-up. The Las Vegas native is off to a great start in his first full season in the bigs. Through the first week he has 3 home runs, 5 RBI’s and is batting .360. If Harper stays healthy, he should be a candidate for the NL MVP. Right now he is on pace for an absurd 80 home runs. It is highly unlikely that will happen, but at this rate he should finish with over 30 home runs though. Not too shabby.
1) When Justin Upton joined his older brother B.J. in Atlanta, it instantaneously made the Braves a World Series contender. Upton has been a force with the Arizona Diamondbacks for years and brought the power the Braves have lacked. If the opening week is and indication of how the brothers season will pan out, then it should be exciting. Justin has 5 homeruns and 7 RBI’s while B.J. has just one of each but has stolen 3 bases. They also did this on April 6th…
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=26078615&topic_id=11493214&c_id=mlb
Games to Watch:
The second week of the season has some intriguing games.
1) Oakland Athletics (5-2) @ Los Angels Angels (2-4)
- Tuesday to Thursday
- Last year’s AL West champs face Josh Hamilton and the Angels.
2) Atlanta Braves (6-1) @ Washington Nationals (4-2)
- Friday to Sunday
- These two teams should be battling all season for the NL East
3) Baltimore Orioles (3-4) @ New York Yankees (3-4)
- Friday to Sunday
- A rematch of last year’s AL Divisional Series
- O’s 1st baseman Chris Davis is off to an impressive start (4HR, 17RBI)
But this is what we do know after Opening Week:
Top 5 Storylines:
1) The Upton Brothers connect in Atlanta
2) 20-year old Bryce Harper is batting 3rd in the Nationals Lineup
3) Yu Darvish comes as close to perfection as you can
4) R.A. Dickey struggles inside the Rogers Centre
5) Josh Hamilton is really hated in Texas
5) Plain and Simple, Josh Hamilton followed the money this past fall. The former Texas Rangers outfielder signed a 5-year 125 million dollar contract with division rival Los Angeles Angels. Hamilton said he wanted to play with the likes of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols and help the Angels win a World Series. That was after making it to the WS in two of the past three seasons with the Rangers. Hamilton struggled in the opening series against the Cincinnati Reds but what was even worse was his return to Texas later in the week. Not only was he booed (which he must have expected) but it got so bad that his wife had to call for security.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2013/04/06/josh-hamilton-wife-rangers-security-ballpark-in-arlington/2058899/
I know fans are passionate about their teams but sometimes fans will cross the line, and this case was evident of that. After the first week of the season the Angels have matched their record from last year after six games at (2-4).
4) R.A. Dickey is telling the fans not to worry because he is not worried. Baseball is a long season with ups and down, but no one could have for seen Dickey starting from the bottom and having to work his way up. After last year’s magical season that resulted in an NL CY Young with the NY Mets, Dickey was given the tag “Opening Day” starter for the Blue Jays. The first game was against the Cleveland Indians, a team that struggles to put up runs. On opening night the Tribe hit Dickey up for 4 runs over six innings. The Jays bats were silenced as they fell 4-1 and Dickey picked up the loss. Then for his second start last Sunday, this time against Jon Lester and the Boston Red Sox, he was tagged for five runs in the first inning. His final stat line was 8 earned runs, 10 hits over four and two-thirds. The knuckleball looked flat but the 38-year old remains confident.
“I think you try to draw from some of the past experiences and know that a day like today is the anomaly, not the norm," Dickey said. "I've traditionally gotten off to pretty slow starts in the past. I'm not sure why, that's just the way it has been.”
3) The Houston Astros and their minor league lineup moved from the National League to the hard-hitting American League this season. A lot of experts predicted that a no-hitter or a perfect game will be thrown against the lowly Astros but no one said it would come during opening week. Well, Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers came within an out away of a perfect game, on just the second day of the season. He held the Astros bats at bay and struck out a career high 14 batters. Darvish was way over the 100 pitch mark by the ninth inning (usually spelling the end for a starting pitcher) but his manager Ron Washington could not pull him. That was until a man by the name of Marwin Gonzalez (the 9th batter in the Astros lineup) hit a single up the middle. After the hit, Darvish was shown smiling and laughing, before he got pulled from the game, probably because he realized how close he had come to perfection. After the game he remained optimistic, and with this guys talent, he will probably have more of these chances in the future.
"I think my teammates were more disappointed than I was, he said through a translator.”
2) My birthday is December. 13, 1992. Bryce Harper’s birthday is October.16,1992. We are both turning 21 years old and there is no question this guy is a phenom. Just take a look at his opening day performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd8PMRewLq0
Harper became the first 20-year old to hit a pair of home runs on opening day all while batting 3rd in the Washington Nationals line-up. The Las Vegas native is off to a great start in his first full season in the bigs. Through the first week he has 3 home runs, 5 RBI’s and is batting .360. If Harper stays healthy, he should be a candidate for the NL MVP. Right now he is on pace for an absurd 80 home runs. It is highly unlikely that will happen, but at this rate he should finish with over 30 home runs though. Not too shabby.
1) When Justin Upton joined his older brother B.J. in Atlanta, it instantaneously made the Braves a World Series contender. Upton has been a force with the Arizona Diamondbacks for years and brought the power the Braves have lacked. If the opening week is and indication of how the brothers season will pan out, then it should be exciting. Justin has 5 homeruns and 7 RBI’s while B.J. has just one of each but has stolen 3 bases. They also did this on April 6th…
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=26078615&topic_id=11493214&c_id=mlb
Games to Watch:
The second week of the season has some intriguing games.
1) Oakland Athletics (5-2) @ Los Angels Angels (2-4)
- Tuesday to Thursday
- Last year’s AL West champs face Josh Hamilton and the Angels.
2) Atlanta Braves (6-1) @ Washington Nationals (4-2)
- Friday to Sunday
- These two teams should be battling all season for the NL East
3) Baltimore Orioles (3-4) @ New York Yankees (3-4)
- Friday to Sunday
- A rematch of last year’s AL Divisional Series
- O’s 1st baseman Chris Davis is off to an impressive start (4HR, 17RBI)
Monday, April 1, 2013
Around The Bases #1
Spring is upon us. The weather is getting warmer, the trees are in bloom and the MLB is back for another exciting season. Their were some major headlines over the break, so in case you missed it, this is what happened.
In the American League the Toronto Blue Jays blew up the trade front and acquired a team that closely resembles the team that won it in ’92, ironically it was the last year the Blue Jays made the post-season. The Red Sox got a new manager in John Farrell who came over in a very rare “manager-trade” from the aforementioned Jays. Josh Hamilton left the Texas Rangers and joined Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in Los Angeles. The Houston Astros moved from the National League to the American League. Justin Verlander signed a 7 year 180 million dollar deal making him the highest paid pitcher ever and those were just the major headlines from the American League.
In the National League Justin Upton joined his brother B.J. Upton after a trade brought him to Atlanta. Steven Stratsburg is back at 100 percent after being forced to sit out the playoffs. Reigning NL MVP Buster Posey signed a nine year 167 million dollar contract with the San Francisco Giants. The “other” LA team the Dodgers will have a full season with their new lineup showcasing Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.
For now here are my predictions for the 2013 campaign.
American League:
East:
(D) Toronto Blue Jays (95-67) – What Alex Anthopoulos did in the off-season really showed that this is the year for the Blue Jays to erupt on the scene and make the playoffs. Anything less then that would be considered a bust, especially when you consider the cast of players they brought in: Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, R.A. Dickey, Melky Cabrera, Emilio Bonafacio. Add in the fact that Jose Bautista looks fully recovered from the wrist injury that saw him miss most of the second half of the season.
(WC) Tampa Bay Rays (92-70) – Despite this team losing 2011 All-Star James Shields in a trade with the Kansas City Royals and B.J. Upton to the Braves they are filled with young players coming up including pitching prospects Alex Cobb and Matt Moore. Joe Maddon is one of the most undervalued Managers in the game, and year in and year out finds ways for his team to win a large amount of games.
New York Yankees (88-74) – The 2013 New York Yankees are not the same run of the mill Yankees that were World Series favourite every year for the last two decades. Injures have decimated a team that is already up on age. The greatest closer to ever play the game Mariano Rivera already announced his retirement at the end of the season. They picked up Vernon Wells in what looked like a desperate move by GM Brian Cashman. C.C Sabathia is still good for 19-20 wins.
Baltimore Orioles (85-78) - The Orioles used a magical run last season in which they won more 1-run and extra innings than anyone else in the league to make the playoffs. Adam Jones and Matt Wieters are a fearsome duo in the middle of the lineup but their lack of pitching should cost them dearly.
Boston Red Sox (81-81) – John Farrell may have moved to his dream job as the manager for the Red Sox but the team he came into is not that strong. In fact outside Dustin Pedroia they are lacking stars. Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury will need to rebound, and newly acquired Shane Victorino and Ryan Dempster should not factor in to a team that will finish last in their division.
Player to watch: R.A. Dickey. Dickey’s knuckleball has seemed untouchable the last three years, we shall see what moving from the NL to the AL will mean for Dickey and if he can keep up his outstanding play.
Central:
(D) Detroit Tigers (92-70) – Justin Verlander, Prince Fielder and reigning AL MVP and triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera. Enough said.
Cleveland Indians (84-78) – New manager Terry Francona will have his fingers all over the team and the acquisitions of Drew Stubbs and Michael Bourn make them deadly on the base paths. Pitching is still an issue with Ubaldo Jimanez needing a bounce back year.
Chicago White Sox (79-83) – Chris Sale is now the star pitcher on this team after one superb season. Paul Konerko remains a dominant force at 37.
Kansas City Royals (78-84) – Additions of James Shields and Ervin Santana make this a better rotation than in previous years. Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez are still a year away, but this team is on the rise.
Minnesota Twins (71-91) – Outside Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau (if he comes back and plays like he can) this team is the weakest in the entire American League.
Player to watch: Prince Fielder. It is going to be interesting to see how Prince Fielder reacts after his buddy Miguel Cabrera won MVP last year. In some people's minds Fielder had a “down-year” and still finished with 30 homeruns 108 RBI’s and batted over .300 for the first time in his career. Can the Tigers win 3 MVP’s in a row??
West:
(D) Los Angeles Angels (102-60) - The Angels have the most potent lineup in league with Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and newly acquired Josh Hamilton. The rotation really needs to step up.
(WC) Oakland Athletics (88-74) – The magic of money ball continues. Billy Beane yet again finds a way to build a winner on a low payroll. Young pitching is their key and their future.
Texas Rangers (86-76) – Losing Josh Hamilton will leave a gapping hole in the lineup. Yu Darvish has his 2nd year in the bigs. Will hitters start to figure him out like they did with Daisuke Matsuzaka?
Seattle Mariners (79-83) – Outside of Felix Hernandez and Jesus Montero this team has a whirlwind of problems.
Houston Astros (76-86) – Astros transition to the AL with DH should benefit to a better finish than in recent years.
Player to Watch: Is there any question that the player to watch is Mike Trout. Arguably the most excting player in the game!
National League:
East:
(D) Atlanta Braves (96-66)- The Braves had all the pitching in the world last year but when it came down to timely hitting they came up short. They have now added the Upton brothers for some power to join Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward. Their bullpen and rotation remain the strengths of this team.
(WC) Washington Nationals (93-69)- Steven Stratsburg and Bryce Harper have come up with a lot of expectations and so far they have exceeded everyones imagination. The addition of Rafael Soriano will help close games.
Philadelphia Phillies (82-80) - Roy Halladay looks to have missed the boat on a World Series with the Phillies. Cliff Lee and the Doc are getting up in age and with a lot of question marks regarding Ryan Howard, Michael Young and Chase Utley they will wind up watching the playoffs from their couches.
New York Mets (71-91) - Losing Dickey was a big subtraction for the team but they will continue to build around All-Star David Wright.
Miami Marlins (68-94) - The Marlins traded their best players to the Jays. All that remains is the hard hitting Giancarlo Stanton. Who is unhappy to be part of the team.
Player to watch: Steven Stratsurg. A lot of people are talking about CY Young for the hard throwing righty.
Central:
(D) Cincannati Reds (88-74) - Joey Votto and Aroldis Chapman are the keys to this team that is filled with depth up and down their roster.
St. Louis Cardinals (85-77) - The Cardinals always find ways to win, with guys like David Freese and Alan Craig stepping up in leadership positions. The loss of Chris Carpenter and Kyle Loshe are huge.
Pittsburgh Pirates (83-79) - Andrew McCutchen is becoming a bright star in the game but his team struggles rely mostly on the mound. Should finish over .500 for first time in over two decades.
Milwaukee Brewers (77-85) - Ryan Braun is the only bright side to this team.
Chicago Cubs (70-92) - Rebuild. Rebuild. Rebuild.
Player to watch: Andrew McCutchen. The ceiling for this player is huge and keeps expanding each year.
West:
(D) San Francisco Giants (95-67) - Pitching is the key for this team that does not score a ton of runs but they do score a lot of timely runs.
(WC) Los Angeles Dodgers (89-73) - Magic Johnson has build a contender with Grienke, Kershaw, Kemp leading the charge.
Colarado Rockies (80-82) - Josh Rutledge is an up and coming star for this team that is still a few years away from competing.
Arizona Diamondbacks (78-85) - Just doesn't match up to the Dodgers and Giants, will have a down year with the loss of Upton hurting them big.
San Diego Padres (75-87) - Another team on the rise, just a few years away.
Player to watch: Matt Kemp. Kemp has shown his abilities of a 30/30 campaign and possibly reaching 40 in both. Health will be the key for him.
AL MVP: Mike Trout (LAA)
NL MVP: Justin Upton (ATL)
AL CY YOUNG: R.A. Dickey (TOR)
NL CY YOUNG: Steven Stratsburg (WSH)
WORLD SERIES: Los Angeles Angels over Washington Nationals
In the American League the Toronto Blue Jays blew up the trade front and acquired a team that closely resembles the team that won it in ’92, ironically it was the last year the Blue Jays made the post-season. The Red Sox got a new manager in John Farrell who came over in a very rare “manager-trade” from the aforementioned Jays. Josh Hamilton left the Texas Rangers and joined Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in Los Angeles. The Houston Astros moved from the National League to the American League. Justin Verlander signed a 7 year 180 million dollar deal making him the highest paid pitcher ever and those were just the major headlines from the American League.
In the National League Justin Upton joined his brother B.J. Upton after a trade brought him to Atlanta. Steven Stratsburg is back at 100 percent after being forced to sit out the playoffs. Reigning NL MVP Buster Posey signed a nine year 167 million dollar contract with the San Francisco Giants. The “other” LA team the Dodgers will have a full season with their new lineup showcasing Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.
For now here are my predictions for the 2013 campaign.
American League:
East:
(D) Toronto Blue Jays (95-67) – What Alex Anthopoulos did in the off-season really showed that this is the year for the Blue Jays to erupt on the scene and make the playoffs. Anything less then that would be considered a bust, especially when you consider the cast of players they brought in: Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, R.A. Dickey, Melky Cabrera, Emilio Bonafacio. Add in the fact that Jose Bautista looks fully recovered from the wrist injury that saw him miss most of the second half of the season.
(WC) Tampa Bay Rays (92-70) – Despite this team losing 2011 All-Star James Shields in a trade with the Kansas City Royals and B.J. Upton to the Braves they are filled with young players coming up including pitching prospects Alex Cobb and Matt Moore. Joe Maddon is one of the most undervalued Managers in the game, and year in and year out finds ways for his team to win a large amount of games.
New York Yankees (88-74) – The 2013 New York Yankees are not the same run of the mill Yankees that were World Series favourite every year for the last two decades. Injures have decimated a team that is already up on age. The greatest closer to ever play the game Mariano Rivera already announced his retirement at the end of the season. They picked up Vernon Wells in what looked like a desperate move by GM Brian Cashman. C.C Sabathia is still good for 19-20 wins.
Baltimore Orioles (85-78) - The Orioles used a magical run last season in which they won more 1-run and extra innings than anyone else in the league to make the playoffs. Adam Jones and Matt Wieters are a fearsome duo in the middle of the lineup but their lack of pitching should cost them dearly.
Boston Red Sox (81-81) – John Farrell may have moved to his dream job as the manager for the Red Sox but the team he came into is not that strong. In fact outside Dustin Pedroia they are lacking stars. Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury will need to rebound, and newly acquired Shane Victorino and Ryan Dempster should not factor in to a team that will finish last in their division.
Player to watch: R.A. Dickey. Dickey’s knuckleball has seemed untouchable the last three years, we shall see what moving from the NL to the AL will mean for Dickey and if he can keep up his outstanding play.
Central:
(D) Detroit Tigers (92-70) – Justin Verlander, Prince Fielder and reigning AL MVP and triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera. Enough said.
Cleveland Indians (84-78) – New manager Terry Francona will have his fingers all over the team and the acquisitions of Drew Stubbs and Michael Bourn make them deadly on the base paths. Pitching is still an issue with Ubaldo Jimanez needing a bounce back year.
Chicago White Sox (79-83) – Chris Sale is now the star pitcher on this team after one superb season. Paul Konerko remains a dominant force at 37.
Kansas City Royals (78-84) – Additions of James Shields and Ervin Santana make this a better rotation than in previous years. Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez are still a year away, but this team is on the rise.
Minnesota Twins (71-91) – Outside Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau (if he comes back and plays like he can) this team is the weakest in the entire American League.
Player to watch: Prince Fielder. It is going to be interesting to see how Prince Fielder reacts after his buddy Miguel Cabrera won MVP last year. In some people's minds Fielder had a “down-year” and still finished with 30 homeruns 108 RBI’s and batted over .300 for the first time in his career. Can the Tigers win 3 MVP’s in a row??
West:
(D) Los Angeles Angels (102-60) - The Angels have the most potent lineup in league with Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and newly acquired Josh Hamilton. The rotation really needs to step up.
(WC) Oakland Athletics (88-74) – The magic of money ball continues. Billy Beane yet again finds a way to build a winner on a low payroll. Young pitching is their key and their future.
Texas Rangers (86-76) – Losing Josh Hamilton will leave a gapping hole in the lineup. Yu Darvish has his 2nd year in the bigs. Will hitters start to figure him out like they did with Daisuke Matsuzaka?
Seattle Mariners (79-83) – Outside of Felix Hernandez and Jesus Montero this team has a whirlwind of problems.
Houston Astros (76-86) – Astros transition to the AL with DH should benefit to a better finish than in recent years.
Player to Watch: Is there any question that the player to watch is Mike Trout. Arguably the most excting player in the game!
National League:
East:
(D) Atlanta Braves (96-66)- The Braves had all the pitching in the world last year but when it came down to timely hitting they came up short. They have now added the Upton brothers for some power to join Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward. Their bullpen and rotation remain the strengths of this team.
(WC) Washington Nationals (93-69)- Steven Stratsburg and Bryce Harper have come up with a lot of expectations and so far they have exceeded everyones imagination. The addition of Rafael Soriano will help close games.
Philadelphia Phillies (82-80) - Roy Halladay looks to have missed the boat on a World Series with the Phillies. Cliff Lee and the Doc are getting up in age and with a lot of question marks regarding Ryan Howard, Michael Young and Chase Utley they will wind up watching the playoffs from their couches.
New York Mets (71-91) - Losing Dickey was a big subtraction for the team but they will continue to build around All-Star David Wright.
Miami Marlins (68-94) - The Marlins traded their best players to the Jays. All that remains is the hard hitting Giancarlo Stanton. Who is unhappy to be part of the team.
Player to watch: Steven Stratsurg. A lot of people are talking about CY Young for the hard throwing righty.
Central:
(D) Cincannati Reds (88-74) - Joey Votto and Aroldis Chapman are the keys to this team that is filled with depth up and down their roster.
St. Louis Cardinals (85-77) - The Cardinals always find ways to win, with guys like David Freese and Alan Craig stepping up in leadership positions. The loss of Chris Carpenter and Kyle Loshe are huge.
Pittsburgh Pirates (83-79) - Andrew McCutchen is becoming a bright star in the game but his team struggles rely mostly on the mound. Should finish over .500 for first time in over two decades.
Milwaukee Brewers (77-85) - Ryan Braun is the only bright side to this team.
Chicago Cubs (70-92) - Rebuild. Rebuild. Rebuild.
Player to watch: Andrew McCutchen. The ceiling for this player is huge and keeps expanding each year.
West:
(D) San Francisco Giants (95-67) - Pitching is the key for this team that does not score a ton of runs but they do score a lot of timely runs.
(WC) Los Angeles Dodgers (89-73) - Magic Johnson has build a contender with Grienke, Kershaw, Kemp leading the charge.
Colarado Rockies (80-82) - Josh Rutledge is an up and coming star for this team that is still a few years away from competing.
Arizona Diamondbacks (78-85) - Just doesn't match up to the Dodgers and Giants, will have a down year with the loss of Upton hurting them big.
San Diego Padres (75-87) - Another team on the rise, just a few years away.
Player to watch: Matt Kemp. Kemp has shown his abilities of a 30/30 campaign and possibly reaching 40 in both. Health will be the key for him.
AL MVP: Mike Trout (LAA)
NL MVP: Justin Upton (ATL)
AL CY YOUNG: R.A. Dickey (TOR)
NL CY YOUNG: Steven Stratsburg (WSH)
WORLD SERIES: Los Angeles Angels over Washington Nationals
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