It's kind of weird to think that we're four years away, but the 2018 World Series is already locked up.
Yesterday on my lunch break I caught a glimpse of MLB Network's Top 50 Prospects and there was name that kept coming up: Cubs.
Under new management of Rick Renteria, the Cubs are having a less-than-stellar year, sitting in last place of the NL Central at 48-64. Don't get it twisted, though: just because the Cubs are in last place does not mean they are a bad team at all. The NL Central is easily the toughest division in baseball; they sent three teams to the playoffs last year and the top 4 are separated by 4.5 games. Realistically, it is anyone's division; with Yadier Molina out, it has been tough for the Cardinals to make up ground. Same goes for the Steel City - with 2013 MVP Andrew McCutchen sidelined with a broken rib (ouch) for a few weeks, things might plateau for a bit in the midwest.
I'm obviously joking when I say that the 2018 World Series belongs to the Cubs, but if the future ends being as bright as it is supposed to be, then they will be heavy favorites.
Regardless of the current standings, General Manager extraordinaire Theo Epstein has made some moves this year to bolster the younger Cubs. According to ESPN, the Cubs are the 6th-youngest team in the MLB this year with an average age 26.6 years young (they are also the 3rd lightest at 203 avg. lbs, fun fact), and in the next few years that will probably drop. Before I get an existential crisis about being older than some of their stars, let's see if I can pound out what the Cubs have to look forward to.
Of the MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects, the Cubs have boast 8 prospects. 8 out of 100 isn't bad, but they have 3 in the top 10 (Kris Bryant, 3B; Javy Baez, 2B/SS; Addison Russell, SS). My Tigers don't have a single player in the top 100, just to give you a reference. The Cubs are no stranger to having highly touted prospects, either. Starlin Castro, the slugging shortstop was ranked the 16th best prospect by Baseball America before 2010, his rookie year (oh, he also skipped AAA). On the other side of the diamond, Anthony Rizzo was the #47 prospect by Baseball America and #37 by MLB.com (the source I used above). Both were All-Stars this year and are having solid years; Rizzo is 2nd in the NL in homers and Castro is in the top 20 in the MLB in hits. No impressed yet? Castro is 24 and Rizzo turns 25 tomorrow.
Some of the future has already started to come in to play, now its just waiting for the rest to catch up. With Emilio Bonifacio sent to the Braves, the every day second base position has been something of a revolving door, so both Arismendy Alcantara (#36) and Javier Baez (#5) have made their Major League debuts this summer at that position. Alcantara is essentially a recreated Jose Reyes, a short quick bat and blazing speed down the line. Alcantara won't hit for much power but he puts the ball in play and will make it an average ground ball a panicky play for any infielder. Baez made his debut on Tuesday in Colorado, hitting the game winning home run for his first big league hit in the 12th inning. He also went 3-4 with 2 more dingers today. Yikes.
So a few have been playing for a few years, a few have debuted this year, and a few more will come in the coming years. I suspect that we'll see a few of these studs, namely Bryant and outfielder Alberto Almora, as the year begins to dwindle into October. But here's what the Cubs have to look forward to in a few years when all their prospects are no longer prospects but bonafide every day big league mashers:
1st base: Rizzo
2nd base: Baez (who had more RBI's today by himself than the Tigers did the last two games)
Shortstop: Castro, or Addison Russell if Castro is traded. Russell was acquired from the A's before the All-Star break for Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija, and is still a top 10 prospect by nearly every major prospect source.
3rd base: Bryant (he is who I am most excited to see)
Outfield: Jorge Soler (#53 prospect), Alberto Almora (#40), and Alcantara (he has been playing some centerfield already given the log jam of greatness at the middle infield)
Catcher: Kyle Schwarber (#78 prospect, 4th overall pick in the 2014 draft)
But wait, where's the pitching? Oh, sorry. I forgot CJ Edwards, the flamethrowing righty who has a career 2.43 ERA in the minors so far. Drafted in the 48th round in 2011, this guy must have some serious talent to jump all the way to the top 100 prospects (#59 to be exact) in 3 years.
Now. Don't think of me as Debbie Downer here, more like Realistic Rick: some prospects won't pan out - ever seen Moneyball? Billy Beane, now hailed as a genius of a GM and creator of a dynasty out in Oakland, was a 1st round pick and hit a career .219 in 6 seasons in the bigs. Sure, they have all been killing minor league pitching, but for that exact reason: it's minor league pitching. Kris Bryant can hit 30 home runs a year anywhere, but it might be a little different when he has to face Adam Wainwright and Johnny Cueto every other week. But, given the depth and strength of the Cubs farm system, if one doesn't pan out, there is another prospect eagerly awaiting for his own shot.
All of the guys I listed above are projected to debut by 2016 (Schwarber being the latest). One may win Rookie of the Year, but I think it will take a few years for them to mesh and to adjust to Major League pitching before they are really a dominant offensive force. I'll be honest, I haven't really done a lot of research on team prospects before I began working at a minor league stadium, but regardless of my own research, the fact that Cubs can almost field an entire team with Top 100 prospects is impressive and I don't think that happens very often. Old McDonald has quite the farm.
The 2018 World Series is not a lock. But for the Cubs who have waited so patiently for their next World Series title, I think it could be the year. They certainly will be young, free swingers, but after they all have a few years under their respective belts, I think they could really turn some heads and bring some glory back to the Friendly Confines.
Showing posts with label NL Central. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NL Central. Show all posts
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Monday, June 30, 2014
Grading My Predictions, Pt. II
Now that we all know that I am completely incapable of seeing six months into the future (at least for baseball - six months from now, I predict it will be December), it is time for even further self-deprecation and to look at my NL grades. Here we go. Ugh.
NL East:
My prediction:
1) Atlanta 94-68
2) Washington 90-72
3) Philadelphia 75-87
4) Miami 68-94
5) New York 60-102
Current standings:
1) Atlanta 44-38
2) Washington 43-38
3) Miami 39-43
4) New York 37-45
5) Philadelphia 36-46
Grade: B
So far, not bad. This division is much closer than most anyone expected, and other than the Phillies being in the bottom, I was just about there. With the losses of Gavin Floyd, Brandon Beachy, and Kris Medlen to injury and the ageless wonder Tim Hudson to the Giants, Atlanta's pitching was in question and Aaron Harang and Julio Teheran have stepped up to fill the gaps, enough to get the ball to Kimbrel so he can be Kimbrel (see my post: Release the Kimbrel). Offensively, no one is having a career year though everyone is producing just about at where they were expected to (Gattis, Freeman, and J. Upton all hitting well). The Nationals, even without Bryce Harper, have continued to compete behind big years from Adam "Back from the Dead" Laroche (.308, 11 HR) and Anthony Rendon (.282, 12 HR). Doug Fister (6-2, 2.83) has proved to be a great acquisition; the team ERA is first in the NL though they just can't hit enough for wins. How about the Marlins? Minus last year's ROY Jose Fernandez, Henderson Alvarez and Nate Eovaldi have stepped up to fill that gap as well as superb team defense from Hechavarria and Ozuna. Stanton (.316, 21 HR, 60 RBI) has been hitting moonshot after moonshot, which is why the Marlins are 3rd in the NL in runs. The Mets have been led by Bartolo Colon's strong pitching with Matt Harvey absent and Zack Wheeler still growing into his role as a starter. The offense is quiet night after night; their .238 team average is 13th in the NL. Curtis Granderson is having another low-average, high strikeout season (as I predicted given the capacity of Citi Field; surprisingly, Daniel Murphy is the Mets' leading hitter. I guessed that the Phillies age was going to be a liability, but not to this extent; their .240 average is 12th in the NL and are 11th in runs with 313. Mike Buchanan is their only starting pitcher who has a record above .500, and he's only 4-3. Cliff Lee is 4-4, Cole Hamels 2-4, and AJ Burnett 5-7. Ben Franklin could come back and pitch, that's always an option.
NL Central
My prediction:
1) St. Louis 102-60
2) Cincinnati 94-68
3) Pittsburgh 93-69
4) Chicago 69-93
5) Milwaukee 65-97
Current standings:
1) Milwaukee 51-33
2) Cincinnati 43-38
3) St. Louis 44-39
4) Pittsburgh 42-40
5) Chicago 34-46
Grade: Something lower than failing
Well, I am a moron. I predicted MIlwaukee to have 65 wins this whole season and they'll get it before the end of July. The Brewers offense is hard to stop; they are 2nd in the NL in runs, hits, average, and home runs; 5 starters have 10+ home runs (Reynolds, Ramirez, Davis, Gomez, Braun) and 3 are batting .300+ (Lucroy, Gennett, Gomez; Ramirez and Braun are just shy). K-Rod is revitalized, leading the league with 27 saves and Kyle Lohse is quietly going 9-2 with a 3.08 ERA. Sorry Brewers. The Reds are right on track, with incredibly impressive first halves from Alfredo Simon (10-3, 2.81) and Johnny Cueto (8-5, 1.88). Newly acquired Devin Mesoraco is hitting .307 and 14 home runs; Joey Votto has the third lowest average on the team and they are still performing well - that's the sign of a playoff team. The Cardinals have been offensively underperforming (team average is 7th in NL, 12th in runs) but a .325 season from Matt Adams and .280 from catcher Yadi Molina put them above .500. Defensively, the Cardinals are second to none (actually they are 4th in team ERA), but Adam Wainwright is having an incredible season, going 10-4 with a 2.01 ERA thus far. The Pirates are also underperforming, perhaps still working off the hangover from their first playoff appearance in 20+ years. Offensively, McCutchen is back hard at work, hitting .314 and Gregory Polanco has been a pleasant surprise, hitting safely in his first 10 games as a rookie when he came up earlier this month. The problem has been the pitching; their 3.79 ERA is 11th in the NL and Francisco Liriano, the one whom many considered to be the Pirates x-factor, has not shown his A-game, going 1-6 with a 4+ ERA so far. The Cubs are the typical heartbreaking Cubs, losing games in miraculous fashion; new acquisition Jose Veras got the yips and was later cut and though ace Jeff Samardzija has a 2.83 ERA, he is only 2-7, because the bats have just been quiet all year. Except for Anthony Rizzo (.282, 17 home runs) and Starlin Castro, only one player is batting above .270. No pitching and no hitting is a bad combination, which is why the Cubs are begrudging owners of the worst NL record - with how impatient Epstein has been with his managers, you begin to wonder how long Rick Renteria will last as skipper.
NL West
My predictions:
1) LA 98-64
2) Arizona 83-79
3) San Francisco 81-81
4) Colorado 72-90
5) 70-92
Current standings:
1) San Francisco 46-36
1) LA 47-37
3) Colorado 36-46
4) San Diego 35-47
5) Arizona 35-49
My grade: C/C+
The NL West is a weak division. I said in my predictions that the Dodgers could spend the entire season in first place - that was wrong; they've only spent a handful in first place and as of today have caught up with the Giants for a tie for first. Who knows where it will go from here, but it will be hard for the Dodgers to replicate what they did in last year's second half, though Kershaw and Beckett have shown they can shut down any lineup. The Giants don't necessarily lead the league in a lot of offensive categories, but they are up there in all the power numbers (4th in slugging, 1st in triples, 3rd in home runs); it may seem that Bochy is adopting the Earl Weaver style of managing: pitching, defense, and the three-run home run. Colorado is playing just about to my guess - amazing offense, but no pitching. Blackmon, Tulo, Stubbs, and Arenado are all batting .295 or above, and the Rockies lead the MLB in team average at .285 (2nd is Detroit at .276 and then Baltimore at .265 - they're on fire). On the flip side, they rank dead last in team ERA at 4.95, and are in the bottom 5 in nearly every pitching category - I got them right at least.The Padres and Diamondbacks have just played bad baseball; the Padres are the league's worst offense (last in NL in average, on base, slugging, hits, and runs), but have kept the ship upright from good starting pitching from Cashner (2-6, 2.53 ERA, has Samrdzija Syndrome) and Tyson Ross (6-8, 3.18). The Diamondbacks are capable of so much more - I think we'll see a second half surge from them to finish a few games below .500. Aaron Hill, who is on pace to produce the same number of home runs and even more RBI, just isn't getting on base as much for Goldy and Parra to drive in. Like I said, I think they'll turn it around.
Well, I got a few teams right. I hope my lack of vision won't turn you away from reading more!
Thanks for stopping by!
NL East:
My prediction:
1) Atlanta 94-68
2) Washington 90-72
3) Philadelphia 75-87
4) Miami 68-94
5) New York 60-102
Current standings:
1) Atlanta 44-38
2) Washington 43-38
3) Miami 39-43
4) New York 37-45
5) Philadelphia 36-46
Grade: B
So far, not bad. This division is much closer than most anyone expected, and other than the Phillies being in the bottom, I was just about there. With the losses of Gavin Floyd, Brandon Beachy, and Kris Medlen to injury and the ageless wonder Tim Hudson to the Giants, Atlanta's pitching was in question and Aaron Harang and Julio Teheran have stepped up to fill the gaps, enough to get the ball to Kimbrel so he can be Kimbrel (see my post: Release the Kimbrel). Offensively, no one is having a career year though everyone is producing just about at where they were expected to (Gattis, Freeman, and J. Upton all hitting well). The Nationals, even without Bryce Harper, have continued to compete behind big years from Adam "Back from the Dead" Laroche (.308, 11 HR) and Anthony Rendon (.282, 12 HR). Doug Fister (6-2, 2.83) has proved to be a great acquisition; the team ERA is first in the NL though they just can't hit enough for wins. How about the Marlins? Minus last year's ROY Jose Fernandez, Henderson Alvarez and Nate Eovaldi have stepped up to fill that gap as well as superb team defense from Hechavarria and Ozuna. Stanton (.316, 21 HR, 60 RBI) has been hitting moonshot after moonshot, which is why the Marlins are 3rd in the NL in runs. The Mets have been led by Bartolo Colon's strong pitching with Matt Harvey absent and Zack Wheeler still growing into his role as a starter. The offense is quiet night after night; their .238 team average is 13th in the NL. Curtis Granderson is having another low-average, high strikeout season (as I predicted given the capacity of Citi Field; surprisingly, Daniel Murphy is the Mets' leading hitter. I guessed that the Phillies age was going to be a liability, but not to this extent; their .240 average is 12th in the NL and are 11th in runs with 313. Mike Buchanan is their only starting pitcher who has a record above .500, and he's only 4-3. Cliff Lee is 4-4, Cole Hamels 2-4, and AJ Burnett 5-7. Ben Franklin could come back and pitch, that's always an option.
NL Central
My prediction:
1) St. Louis 102-60
2) Cincinnati 94-68
3) Pittsburgh 93-69
4) Chicago 69-93
5) Milwaukee 65-97
Current standings:
1) Milwaukee 51-33
2) Cincinnati 43-38
3) St. Louis 44-39
4) Pittsburgh 42-40
5) Chicago 34-46
Grade: Something lower than failing
Well, I am a moron. I predicted MIlwaukee to have 65 wins this whole season and they'll get it before the end of July. The Brewers offense is hard to stop; they are 2nd in the NL in runs, hits, average, and home runs; 5 starters have 10+ home runs (Reynolds, Ramirez, Davis, Gomez, Braun) and 3 are batting .300+ (Lucroy, Gennett, Gomez; Ramirez and Braun are just shy). K-Rod is revitalized, leading the league with 27 saves and Kyle Lohse is quietly going 9-2 with a 3.08 ERA. Sorry Brewers. The Reds are right on track, with incredibly impressive first halves from Alfredo Simon (10-3, 2.81) and Johnny Cueto (8-5, 1.88). Newly acquired Devin Mesoraco is hitting .307 and 14 home runs; Joey Votto has the third lowest average on the team and they are still performing well - that's the sign of a playoff team. The Cardinals have been offensively underperforming (team average is 7th in NL, 12th in runs) but a .325 season from Matt Adams and .280 from catcher Yadi Molina put them above .500. Defensively, the Cardinals are second to none (actually they are 4th in team ERA), but Adam Wainwright is having an incredible season, going 10-4 with a 2.01 ERA thus far. The Pirates are also underperforming, perhaps still working off the hangover from their first playoff appearance in 20+ years. Offensively, McCutchen is back hard at work, hitting .314 and Gregory Polanco has been a pleasant surprise, hitting safely in his first 10 games as a rookie when he came up earlier this month. The problem has been the pitching; their 3.79 ERA is 11th in the NL and Francisco Liriano, the one whom many considered to be the Pirates x-factor, has not shown his A-game, going 1-6 with a 4+ ERA so far. The Cubs are the typical heartbreaking Cubs, losing games in miraculous fashion; new acquisition Jose Veras got the yips and was later cut and though ace Jeff Samardzija has a 2.83 ERA, he is only 2-7, because the bats have just been quiet all year. Except for Anthony Rizzo (.282, 17 home runs) and Starlin Castro, only one player is batting above .270. No pitching and no hitting is a bad combination, which is why the Cubs are begrudging owners of the worst NL record - with how impatient Epstein has been with his managers, you begin to wonder how long Rick Renteria will last as skipper.
NL West
My predictions:
1) LA 98-64
2) Arizona 83-79
3) San Francisco 81-81
4) Colorado 72-90
5) 70-92
Current standings:
1) San Francisco 46-36
1) LA 47-37
3) Colorado 36-46
4) San Diego 35-47
5) Arizona 35-49
My grade: C/C+
The NL West is a weak division. I said in my predictions that the Dodgers could spend the entire season in first place - that was wrong; they've only spent a handful in first place and as of today have caught up with the Giants for a tie for first. Who knows where it will go from here, but it will be hard for the Dodgers to replicate what they did in last year's second half, though Kershaw and Beckett have shown they can shut down any lineup. The Giants don't necessarily lead the league in a lot of offensive categories, but they are up there in all the power numbers (4th in slugging, 1st in triples, 3rd in home runs); it may seem that Bochy is adopting the Earl Weaver style of managing: pitching, defense, and the three-run home run. Colorado is playing just about to my guess - amazing offense, but no pitching. Blackmon, Tulo, Stubbs, and Arenado are all batting .295 or above, and the Rockies lead the MLB in team average at .285 (2nd is Detroit at .276 and then Baltimore at .265 - they're on fire). On the flip side, they rank dead last in team ERA at 4.95, and are in the bottom 5 in nearly every pitching category - I got them right at least.The Padres and Diamondbacks have just played bad baseball; the Padres are the league's worst offense (last in NL in average, on base, slugging, hits, and runs), but have kept the ship upright from good starting pitching from Cashner (2-6, 2.53 ERA, has Samrdzija Syndrome) and Tyson Ross (6-8, 3.18). The Diamondbacks are capable of so much more - I think we'll see a second half surge from them to finish a few games below .500. Aaron Hill, who is on pace to produce the same number of home runs and even more RBI, just isn't getting on base as much for Goldy and Parra to drive in. Like I said, I think they'll turn it around.
Well, I got a few teams right. I hope my lack of vision won't turn you away from reading more!
Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
2014 Predictions: NL Central
Holy cow, what a stacked division. I had a tough time figuring this one out. It seems that a lot of divisions are really top heavy, with two or three great teams, and then two or three...other teams, and the NL Central is no exception. Expect the Cardinals to be playing late into the season again.
NL Central
NL Central
1. St. Louis 102-60
I have no problem labeling the Cardinals as the only team to win 100 games this year. I think they have the top-to-bottom lineup, a young rotation, a smattering of veteran leadership, and an tactical wizard of a manager in Mike Matheny. The Cardinals didn't make a lot of offseason moves, but they made highly efficient ones. Some of you might be thinking "how is a move efficient, Bill?" Well let me tell you. With the trade of David Freese and Fernando Salas to the Angels for Peter Bourjos, they freed up a spot for rising star Matt Carpenter (.318/.392/.481) at third, allowing newcomer Kolten Wong to start at second. Despite his faux pas in the World Series, the Cardinals have put a lot of stock into him and see a bright future. If he doesn't work out, then Mark Ellis (free agent from the Dodgers) will do a good job filling in. On the other side of second base, shortstop Jhonny Peralta will make his NL debut. To many, Peralta is a delinquent and his 4 year, $52 million contract is a negative incentive for PEDs. I agree to a certain extent with that, but he's paid his dues and I think he knows not to do it again. Also, despite his increased power numbers, Peralta also went through a swing change in the 2013 offseason, creating more of a line drive swing, allowing him to hit .303 before his suspension. His range at shortstop isn't good but the balls he gets to are fielded perfectly; that's why it's smart to have a quick third and second basemen - maybe they can reach some things he won't. Back to the outfield: though seeing perennial all-star Carlos Beltran go to New York was hard, Cardinals fans and administrators have a secret weapon in Oscar Taveras, who is likely to start in right this year. If he doesn't, then Jon Jay will. Either one is a good bet; Jay is a career .293 hitter and has good speed on the base paths. Taveras is an overwhelmingly popular pick for NL ROY. So pick your poison Cardinals. As always, Yadier Molina will be the best catcher in the NL (arguably the whole league now that Joe Mauer is no longer a catcher) again, and lead the team deep into the postseason. The Boston Globe called him a player to build around, and I could not agree more; he's a tactician, a great hitter, and stays out of trouble.
I'll leave you to chew on this: the Cardinals had a run differential last year of +187. Second to whom? The World Champion Red Sox. Don't be surprised if they hit +200 this year.
I have no problem labeling the Cardinals as the only team to win 100 games this year. I think they have the top-to-bottom lineup, a young rotation, a smattering of veteran leadership, and an tactical wizard of a manager in Mike Matheny. The Cardinals didn't make a lot of offseason moves, but they made highly efficient ones. Some of you might be thinking "how is a move efficient, Bill?" Well let me tell you. With the trade of David Freese and Fernando Salas to the Angels for Peter Bourjos, they freed up a spot for rising star Matt Carpenter (.318/.392/.481) at third, allowing newcomer Kolten Wong to start at second. Despite his faux pas in the World Series, the Cardinals have put a lot of stock into him and see a bright future. If he doesn't work out, then Mark Ellis (free agent from the Dodgers) will do a good job filling in. On the other side of second base, shortstop Jhonny Peralta will make his NL debut. To many, Peralta is a delinquent and his 4 year, $52 million contract is a negative incentive for PEDs. I agree to a certain extent with that, but he's paid his dues and I think he knows not to do it again. Also, despite his increased power numbers, Peralta also went through a swing change in the 2013 offseason, creating more of a line drive swing, allowing him to hit .303 before his suspension. His range at shortstop isn't good but the balls he gets to are fielded perfectly; that's why it's smart to have a quick third and second basemen - maybe they can reach some things he won't. Back to the outfield: though seeing perennial all-star Carlos Beltran go to New York was hard, Cardinals fans and administrators have a secret weapon in Oscar Taveras, who is likely to start in right this year. If he doesn't, then Jon Jay will. Either one is a good bet; Jay is a career .293 hitter and has good speed on the base paths. Taveras is an overwhelmingly popular pick for NL ROY. So pick your poison Cardinals. As always, Yadier Molina will be the best catcher in the NL (arguably the whole league now that Joe Mauer is no longer a catcher) again, and lead the team deep into the postseason. The Boston Globe called him a player to build around, and I could not agree more; he's a tactician, a great hitter, and stays out of trouble.
2. Cincinnati 94-68
I promise you, even though I didn't pick the people's choice Pittsburgh Pirates to be near the top again, I still have a heart and soul. I think the Reds made better moves to compete. First and foremost, they fired bunt happy manager Dusty Baker and hired pitching coach Bryan Price. Here's why I like this move: A) it's hiring from within so Price knows the system and the players. Chemistry won't be an issue. B) It's not Dusty Baker. Baker is a fine manager, but only in the regular season. He's been graced with some incredibly talented teams (2002 Giants, 2003 Cubs, 2012 Reds) and could only take one pennant in 20 years managing. Now even though they lost Shin Soo Choo, speedster Billy Hamilton is taking his place, and if his average stays healthy, he could make a run at ROY. Rounding out the outfield with Jay Bruce and Chris Heisey, they will be in good shape on both sides of the ball. The infield is defensively sound, but sometimes lacking offensively. 2010 MVP Joey Votto is exempt from that statement with his .314 average and consistently league-leading OBP. Brandon Phillips (Dat Dude)
is a supplier of power, but not a lot of consistency. Despite his trade rumors he will be back in Cincy this year. Cozart and Frazier, hitting .254 and .234 respectively last year, will be the everyday starters on the left side. Cozart went through swing reconstruction this offseason, and I am eager if he can reach his full gap-to-gap potential. Having just signed Homer Bailey to 6 years and $105 million, the Reds are looking into the future, eyeing a title not this year, but definitely before 2020. Surrounding him with Mat Latos, Mike Leake (fantasy steal), and Johnny Cueto makes for a dangerous rotation (good dangerous).
3. Pittsburgh 93-69
I don't even know if its statistically possible to have three teams win 90 games in a season in the same division, but it's happening. Mainly because these three will beat up on the other two remaining teams, but nonetheless, the Pirates are still a great team. Neil Walker is an under-the-radar stud (probably just because he's Don Kelly's brother-in-law), Clint Barmes is a good defender, and Pedro Alvarez broke out last year to lead the NL in home runs. He only hit .233 but that's not what he's paid to do, am I right? Of course I am, that's why you've read this far. Naturally, we will see Cutch produce out of his mind, and young Starling Marte will follow suit and learn a lot. Losing AJ Burnett will hurt, but the signing of Edinson Volquez will bolster that somewhat; last year Burnett went 10-11, Volquez 9-12. He will likely be the 3rd or 4th starter, behind Francisco Liriano (who emerged late in the season as a pitcher who means business), Jeff Locke, and 22-year old Gerrit Cole. Clint Hurdle is an excellent manager, taking a team that batted .245 and sending them to their first playoff seed in over 20 years. They'll be back on the cornrows of MLB '13 The Show coverboy Andrew McCutchen.
I promise you, even though I didn't pick the people's choice Pittsburgh Pirates to be near the top again, I still have a heart and soul. I think the Reds made better moves to compete. First and foremost, they fired bunt happy manager Dusty Baker and hired pitching coach Bryan Price. Here's why I like this move: A) it's hiring from within so Price knows the system and the players. Chemistry won't be an issue. B) It's not Dusty Baker. Baker is a fine manager, but only in the regular season. He's been graced with some incredibly talented teams (2002 Giants, 2003 Cubs, 2012 Reds) and could only take one pennant in 20 years managing. Now even though they lost Shin Soo Choo, speedster Billy Hamilton is taking his place, and if his average stays healthy, he could make a run at ROY. Rounding out the outfield with Jay Bruce and Chris Heisey, they will be in good shape on both sides of the ball. The infield is defensively sound, but sometimes lacking offensively. 2010 MVP Joey Votto is exempt from that statement with his .314 average and consistently league-leading OBP. Brandon Phillips (Dat Dude)
3. Pittsburgh 93-69
I don't even know if its statistically possible to have three teams win 90 games in a season in the same division, but it's happening. Mainly because these three will beat up on the other two remaining teams, but nonetheless, the Pirates are still a great team. Neil Walker is an under-the-radar stud (probably just because he's Don Kelly's brother-in-law), Clint Barmes is a good defender, and Pedro Alvarez broke out last year to lead the NL in home runs. He only hit .233 but that's not what he's paid to do, am I right? Of course I am, that's why you've read this far. Naturally, we will see Cutch produce out of his mind, and young Starling Marte will follow suit and learn a lot. Losing AJ Burnett will hurt, but the signing of Edinson Volquez will bolster that somewhat; last year Burnett went 10-11, Volquez 9-12. He will likely be the 3rd or 4th starter, behind Francisco Liriano (who emerged late in the season as a pitcher who means business), Jeff Locke, and 22-year old Gerrit Cole. Clint Hurdle is an excellent manager, taking a team that batted .245 and sending them to their first playoff seed in over 20 years. They'll be back on the cornrows of MLB '13 The Show coverboy Andrew McCutchen.
4. Chicago 69-93
The outfield in Wrigleyville will look different at the beginning of next season. Not the physical grass, but who's playing there. Last year, it was Soriano, DeJesus, and Schierholtz. This year it will likely be Ryan Sweeney, Junior Lake (who unfortunately sacrificed rookie status last year, otherwise he could have made a run at ROY), and Schierholtz. Chris Coghlan will be roving as a 4th outfielder. Lake is a young injection of energy. Good fielder (came up as a shortstop) and base stealer, but he strikes out far too often to be effective long term. In 64 games in 2013, he struck out 68 times, but he also hit .284. We'll see what hitting coach Bill Mueller has in store for him this year in Arizona. The infield will be the same: Valbuena, Castro, Barney, Rizzo: all defense, little offense. The four of them hit a combined .226, with only Rizzo showing decent power. Having "Bad Scrabble Board" Jeff Samardzija
back as the ace will help matters, otherwise 9-12 Travis Wood is the ace. Jake Arrieta will return from injury, Jason Hammel is a good four starter, with the heavy loser (8-18 in 2013) Edwin Jackson bringing up the rear. Jose Veras (3.02 ERA in 2013) is a great pick up; Cubs fans will enjoy not have Marmol come in to close games, and young Pedro Strop will do swell in the setup role. New manager Rick Renteria will most likely be on a pretty short leash; 4 managers in 8 years, 13 in the last 23 years.
The outfield in Wrigleyville will look different at the beginning of next season. Not the physical grass, but who's playing there. Last year, it was Soriano, DeJesus, and Schierholtz. This year it will likely be Ryan Sweeney, Junior Lake (who unfortunately sacrificed rookie status last year, otherwise he could have made a run at ROY), and Schierholtz. Chris Coghlan will be roving as a 4th outfielder. Lake is a young injection of energy. Good fielder (came up as a shortstop) and base stealer, but he strikes out far too often to be effective long term. In 64 games in 2013, he struck out 68 times, but he also hit .284. We'll see what hitting coach Bill Mueller has in store for him this year in Arizona. The infield will be the same: Valbuena, Castro, Barney, Rizzo: all defense, little offense. The four of them hit a combined .226, with only Rizzo showing decent power. Having "Bad Scrabble Board" Jeff Samardzija
5. Milwaukee 65-97
Last year, the Brewers went 74-88, which wasn't bad considering they lost their best player, Ryan Braun, for a hefty suspension. I do not foresee that being their fortune this year. 'But Carlos Gomez had a career year!' Exactly: a career year. Not a year to change his career. He's a career .255 hitter. Aramis Ramirez, if he stays healthy, will have a little bit of relief since Braun is returning to the clean-up slot. 23-year old shortstop Jean Segura is an incredibly bright spot, batting .294 last season (highest of the non-dopers). Scooter Gennett is another solid young middle infielder, and he'll likely take over for .209 Rickie Weeks, but how much will he be able to hold up throughout the entire season? The pitching staff did add Matt Garza, a much needed ace, but he'll be pitching most of his games against the aforementioned Cardinals, Reds, and Pirates, so his offense will have to show up (not likely). Lyle Overbay will take over at first, and as much as I'd like to say he'll repeat what he did in New York last year (which was still only .240), I don't think they'll get much production out of him. They aren't a terrible team, but they also lost Corey Hart and play in a wicked division. Unfortunately, I don't think Bernie Brewer will be sliding too much this year.
Thanks for reading! Almost done with the divisions!
Last year, the Brewers went 74-88, which wasn't bad considering they lost their best player, Ryan Braun, for a hefty suspension. I do not foresee that being their fortune this year. 'But Carlos Gomez had a career year!' Exactly: a career year. Not a year to change his career. He's a career .255 hitter. Aramis Ramirez, if he stays healthy, will have a little bit of relief since Braun is returning to the clean-up slot. 23-year old shortstop Jean Segura is an incredibly bright spot, batting .294 last season (highest of the non-dopers). Scooter Gennett is another solid young middle infielder, and he'll likely take over for .209 Rickie Weeks, but how much will he be able to hold up throughout the entire season? The pitching staff did add Matt Garza, a much needed ace, but he'll be pitching most of his games against the aforementioned Cardinals, Reds, and Pirates, so his offense will have to show up (not likely). Lyle Overbay will take over at first, and as much as I'd like to say he'll repeat what he did in New York last year (which was still only .240), I don't think they'll get much production out of him. They aren't a terrible team, but they also lost Corey Hart and play in a wicked division. Unfortunately, I don't think Bernie Brewer will be sliding too much this year.
Thanks for reading! Almost done with the divisions!
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