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Well, holy moly, this off-season has taken forever, especially for probably M4tt and I, because our teams enjoyed new-found success last year and we want to continue it so dang badly.
Well, post anything. Previews, predictions, comments, whatever. The baseball season is upon us. Enjoy in the magic of it.
You asked for it!
AL East
1. Boston
2. New York*
3. Baltimore
4. Tampa Bay
5. Toronto
The Red Sox have gotten all the revenge they could have wanted against the Yankees, except beating them in the regular season. They'll get that now. Yanks will still make the playoffs, as usual. The other teams suck, but Tampa might make third.
AL Central
1. Cleveland
2. Minnesota
3. Detroit
4. Chicago
5. Kansas City
Detroit is improved but not good enough. Cleveland is the up and coming team that will be able to take this weak division since Minnesota seems like it's on the way down. The White Sox are an average team. KC has no money so won't show anything.
AL West
1. Los Angeles
2. Oakland
3. Seattle
4. Texas
My favorite division. Any of these teams could win the AL Central, but only one will make the playoffs. The Angels are better than last year and last year they still won despite the injuries, so they should do it again. Everyone has the A's pegged for 3rd or 4th but they have a good young group and will stay in contention for most of the year. Seattle will probably be good again with that improved offense. Texas's year was last year, I just have a feeling that they'll disappoint somehow (though Teixeira is awesome and he will win the home run crown).
NL East
1. Atlanta
2. Florida
3. New York
4. Philadelphia
5. Washington
The East divisions are too easy to call. Until Atlanta loses a division race, only an idiot would bet against them. Hell, they even got better than last year. 2-4 is tough to call because any of those can get second, Florida still retains pieces from the championship season, the Mets threw some money around like a good little NY franchise, and the Phillies as usual have talent but no direction. Good ol' Washington brings up the rear. It will be interesting to see if the change does anything to this scrappy franchise.
NL Central
1. St. Louis
2. Chicago
3. Houston
4. Cincinnati
5. Pittsburgh
6. Milwaukee
Hard one to call. I'd say every good team in this one got worse, except maybe Chicago. Injury free, the Cubs can win this one, but since St. Louis did it so convincingly las year I have to give it to them again. I can't see Houston being a top team anymore, and the other three are mediocre at best.
NL West
1. San Diego
2. San Francisco*
3. Los Angeles
4. Arizona
5. Colorado
I originally had San Diego to win this one, but it was harder to choose. With Bonds sidelined, it becomes easier. The big man will be back, and the Giants will ride him one last time to take advantage of one of the weaker divisions and earn a wild car spot. The Dodgers don't have any players left, Arizona is still rebuilding, and the Rockies are terrible.
Awards
AL MVP: Eric Chavez (why the hell not?)
NL MVP: Albert Pujols
AL Cy Young: Curt Schilling
NL Cy Young: Tim Hudson
Playoffs
LDS
Boston over Cleveland
New York over Los Angeles
San Francisco over Atlanta
St. Louis over San Diego
LCS
Boston over New York (yawn)
San Francisco over St. Louis
WS
San Francisco over Boston
MVP: Barry Bonds
Bonds retires after passing Ruth and winning the world series.
My Braves will FINALLY win another championship... I hope.
I also think Andruw Jones will hit 50+ HR's this year. Yes, 50+.
Andruw is primed for a big year, which is why he is on all my fantasy teams. The Braves are on a mission and they finally have the makeup to get it done. Nothing else matters, except I like Cleveland to do well in the AL. Surprise team will be the Pittsburgh Pirates, but they won't make the playoffs. A winning record is enough for them this year.
:(
Anyway, here are mine!
AL East
1. New York
I hate it, but they're just too good.
2. Boston*
Yep. They improved in the offseason, especially with the over-looked pickup of Wade Miller.
3. Tampa Bay
Watch out, world. They're here, and still not quite (Delmon Young, for example).
4. Baltimore
As usual. All offense, no pitching at all. Sidney Ponson is fat.
5. Toronto
Massive rebuilding stage, methinks.
AL Central
1. Cleveland
Like Del said, I am really digging Cleveland this year. That is, if the bullpen can hold up.
2. Minnesota
The same kind of team, but Cleveland will just surprise everyone. Probably an 85+-win team.
3. Detroit
Not quite there yet.
4. Chicago
Will certainly struggle this year. Jose Contreras has a big nose.
5. Kansas City
Yeah...they suck.
AL West (with new actual previews instead of one-line blurbs)
1. Los Angeles...of Anaheim
They won the division last year, and they only improved in the off-season. The only question will be the rotation, and if Bartolo Colon can build on the success of the end of '04, the only bright spot of his season. It's doubtful that fans will see Cuban star Kendry Morales yet, however, in the case of an injury to Darin Erstad, he could show up. Frankie Rodriguez will have a monster, monster year. Watch out. They could end up with the best record in the AL.
2. Texas :D
<3 Not that I'm biased, or anything. Teixeira, for all of his awesomeness last year, missed a month and struggled mightily at the beginning of the year. If the Rangers manage to pull off a miracle and win the division, he could get MVP. Ryan Drese hopes to build on his success, and he's looked stellar in the spring. New DH Adrian Gonzalez could have a phenomenal rookie season, and watch out for prospect 2B Ian Kinsler if he gets a call-up. A great core nucleus of hitters, a dynamite bullpen, and, hopefully, good seasons from Rogers, Drese, and Chris Young.
3. Oakland
Everybody harped on them losing two of the Big Three, but their rotation as of now is still ridiculously talented. It's a bit scary for the rest of the division. Rich Harden is a #1 starter in the making, and you've got the other three non-Zito spots taken up by Joe Blanton, Dan Meyer, and Danny Haren. The offense is still solid, not with power to write home about, but they know what they're doing at the plate. Their biggest question will be whether they can continue to get what they got from the outfield last year. Kotsay and Byrnes both had breakout years, but we're yet to see if Nick Swisher is major-league ready. The bullpen is all right, I suppose, but not the quality of the other teams in this division, especially if Street isn't in there. All-around, a pretty solid club with a future, but it won't be enough to catch the other two teams in the division. Oh, btw: they suck. :)
4. Seattle
Everybody is flailing about freakin' Richie Sexson, and I'm tired of it. This club is still far away from contending. Beltre has only had one good season in his career, and we'll see if he can hit .340 at Safeco Field in a non-contract year. This team will finish last, but it will be a healthy last. They'll still be 20 games behind Oakland, probably. Their rotation isn't quite there yet, especially with King Felix not in the majors yet. Look out for center-fielder Jeremy Reed, though. The bullpen is not good, either. Not much else to say to avoid sounding like Ron Fairly.
NL East
1. Atlanta
Probably the best pitching staff in the majors. We'll see if Giles steps it up in Drew's absence.
2. Florida*
An improved team, but they won't catch Atlanta. Burnett needs to stay healthy.
3. New York
Though they spent forty trillion dollars this offseason, it was a poorly-spent forty trillion. Look out for David Wright, though.
4. Philadelphia
Though their pitching staff was re-worked, I expect the same kind of team as last year. Probably around the same record, too.
5. Washington
What is there to say about them? Nothing much there.
NL Central
1. St. Louis
After last year, I won't bet against them.
2. Chicago
I'm not overly sold on them, but this is a fairly mediocre division this year.
3. Houston
Worst offseason in the majors. Worst offseason in the history of the world, maybe. Who knows?
4. Milwaukee
A historically-horrendous franchise, but maybe they'll start turning it around. We'll see.
5. Cincinnati
I didn't really like them last year, and I don't really like them this year.
6. Pittsburgh
Besides Jack Wilson and Jason Bay, who will create any offense? No one, methinks.
AL West
1. San Francisco
If their players can remember what team they play for, their experience should carry them. If not...
2. San Diego
Peavy could be in contention for a Cy Young. Yeah, seriously. This kid is darn good. We'll see if Loretta can do it again, though.
3. Los Angeles
They added J.D. Drew and Jeff Kent, but they're a different team now, and it will take a year or two.
4. Arizona
Overpaid this off-season, definitely. They'll be a tad better, but not much.
5. Colorado
Other than Todd Helton, this team has nothing. And Helton may just be a Coors product.
I'll do the rest later, if ever.
I posted mine in my LiveJournal before spring training (it's bolder that way), let me see if I can dig it up...
Ah, here we go.
AL East
1. Boston Red Sox
2. New York Yankees **
3. Baltimore Orioles
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
In short, the Sox have the title but still lack a division title. I don't like the Yankees because I think their age will catch up to them to a greater extent in 2005. Adding Randy Johnson is great, but Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright are (for the most part) still unproven. Chances are they'll end up being the latest version of Jeff Weaver and Javy Vasquez... Boston, meanwhile, boasts the best offense of the bunch, and their pitching will pick up when Schilling and Wade Miller are recovered from their injuries... Baltimore has the O, but still lacks starting pitching... Toronto won't be as bad as they were last year, but losing Carlos Delgado hurts... And as much as I like Tampa, they're still about two years away from contending.
AL Central
1. Minnesota Twins
2. Detroit Tigers
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Chicago White Sox
5. Kansas City Royals
The Twins are the most complete team in this division. They've got speed at the top of the order (Shannon Stewart, Jason Bruntlett), power in the middle (Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer) and one hell of a pair of aces in the rotation (Brad Radke, Johan Santana)... I'm not sold on Cleveland at all, I think they're due for a letdown. Their pitching, Jake Westbrook and C.C. Sabathia aside, is just too questionable for me to put any faith in them. And I don't think those two will be as good as they were last year... Detroit, on the other hand, can expect another major stride in their progress. Getting Magglio Ordonez adds more punch to an already potent offense, and that will help carry the young pitching staff. Watch out for Jeremy Bonderman.
AL West
1. Texas Rangers
2. Anaheim Angels
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Seattle Mariners
The eyes of the Ranger are on a return to the playoffs. They certainly have the offense to get there, if they can only learn to hit on the road. The rotation will need to progress more, too, under Orel Hershiser... Anaheim has a lot of injury concerns throughout their lineup (Garret Anderson, Dallas McPherson, Adam Kennedy) and their rotation, for all of the glowing reviews they get, isn't that great. The bullpen is by far the best in the West, but they'll need someone to get the ball to them... Oakland won't be bad, by any means, but how well they do will depend in large part on the pitchers they acquired in breaking up the Big Three. Dan Meyer, Danny Haren and Joe Blanton will be important to the team's success... Seattle just doesn't have enough pitching to compete, and Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre will be in for a rude awakening at Safeco Field.
NL East
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Florida Marlins
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. New York Mets
5. Washington Nationals
The best rotation in baseball. You'd have to chop off the arms of John Smoltz and Tim Hudson before I start considering Florida. Their offense isn't what it was last year, but we all said the same thing last year... I like the Fish if Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett stays healthy. For their home park, the lineup is the best in the division now that they have Delgado manning first... Philly's lineup is second-best, in my opinion, but the starting pitching leaves something to be desired. Jon Leiber is a nice pickup, but there's no true ace... The Mets. Hmm. I had a hard time with this one, and while signing Beltran and Martinez will make them better, they still have a lot of holes and injury questions... I'll be rooting for the Nationals this year, but they won't get out of the cellar in year one. Don't think they won't be pesky, though, especially with Frank Robinson at the helm. He's seen worse.
NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs
2. St. Louis Cardinals **
3. Houston Astros
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Cincinnati Reds
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
Arm issues be damned, I like the Cubs. Losing Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou won't hurt them as much as some think, especially since they get a full season out of Nomar Garciaparra. When Prior and Wood are 100%, look out... The Cardinals will need more great campaigns out of their starting pitching, and I'm not sure they're up to the job. Woody Williams is gone, Matt Morris is in decline, Chris Carpenter is no sure thing, as is Jason Marquis. The offense, best in the majors if you ask me, will keep them in the hunt... Houston'll fall back to Earth after an astounding 2004. Losing Berkman for a month hurts, and losing Beltran and Jeff Kent takes a lot of punch out of a lineup that needs it. Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio are on their last legs. Brandon Backe will need to show that October was no fluke, right behind Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt... I say watch out for Milwaukee in 2006, but in the meantime they'll tread water. Remember that this team actually had a winning record at the All-Star break before falling apart in the second half. Hopefully, the pitching will get better behind Ben Sheets... Cincinnati could be an intriguing team if they stayed healthy. Their decline in 2004 lined up with, fittingly, losing Ken Griffey Jr. for the season. The pitching isn't great, but at least ownership is finally loosening the pursestrings to make progress... Pittsburgh. Oof. They've got a good young group of players (Jason Bay, Oliver Perez, Kip Wells), but it's the fringe players that'll hold them down.
NL West
1. San Francisco Giants
2. San Diego Padres
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
5. Colorado Rockies
No, it's not bias. The Giants are the most complete team in the National League. Omar Vizquel is a huge upgrade over Neifi Perez and Deivi Cruz, Mike Matheny will make a good pitching staff that much better, Moises Alou brings punch to a potent lineup, and Armando Benitez plugs up the one biggest hole the team had in 2004. Even without Bonds, this team will contend for a World Series title... The Padres will likely be about as good as last year, but considering everyone else in division, that represents a step up. Woody Williams takes David Wells' place on an underrated pitching staff, but the real key is how well the offense takes advantage of Petco Park after a year there... You can't fault the Snakes for trying to win again. Yes, Troy Glaus and Russ Ortiz aren't the greatest pickups ever, but they'll help the team back onto the road to respectability... The Dodgers. Ugh. Somehow, they made themselves worse after a division title in 2004, but I'm all for it. The lineup is built on Paul DePodesta's expectations (Hee Sop Choi? Jayson Werth? David Ross?), so they've got a lot of work to do... Colorado will rake at home, of course, but the pitching will resign them to another cellar-dweller finish. Keep an eye out for Jeff Francis, though.
Divisional Playoffs
Boston over Texas 3-1
Minnesota over New York 3-2
San Francisco over St. Louis 3-1
Chicago over Atlanta 3-2
Championships
Minnesota over Boston 4-2
San Francisco over Chicago 4-3
World Series
San Francisco over Minnesota 4-2
NL MVP - Albert Pujols
AL MVP - Manny Ramirez
NL Cy Young - Jason Schmidt
AL Cy Young - Johan Santana
Ten Pitchers to Keep an Eye On (For One Reason or Another):
Scott Kazmir
Jeremy Bonderman
Cliff Lee
Dan Haren
Ryan Drese
Horacio Ramirez
Pedro Martinez
Brandon Backe
Jerome Williams
Jeff Francis
Ten Hitters, Same Thing:
Sammy Sosa
Vernon Wells
Justin Morneau
Hank Blalock
Nick Swisher
Carlos Beltran
Nomar Garciaparra
Jason Lane
Ryan Klesko/Phil Nevin
Preston Wilson
I don't see Boston winning the division because amongst other things:
1. Pitching - There pitching isn't the same. Say what you want about Pedro, but you can't say replacing him with Matt Clement and Wade Miller is an upgrade. Miller might not even pitch until early July and Clement apparently prefers not to be under the microscope, which is next to impossible to avoid in Boston.
2. The Hangover - While the Patriots have continued to thrive because they take the business-like approach to winning, the Sox relished every facet of this victory, going to the point of helping to star in a Jimmy Fallon movie, which to me, doesn't translate too well to a repeat performance this coming season.
3. Those Damn Yankees - If you look at how these offseasons transpired, last year the Red Sox triumphed by picking up Schilling, but this season the biggest victory was indeed picking up Randy Johnson, who if healthy remains as dominate as ever.
I think the Sox will be facing a tough challenge of winning the Wild Card with more than a few teams hot on their heels.
Take care all.
I'm not sure there's any hangover, Cap'n, seeing as they jettisoned Dave Roberts (The Steal), Doug Mientkiewicz (The Final Out), Derek Lowe (Postseason Pitcher Extraordinaire) and Orlando Cabrera (The D), among others. Theo Epstein knew he couldn't rest on his laurels, and so he went out to retool the team for another run. Kudos to the Boy Wonder for that.
Clement will win at least 15 games. You heard it here first.
I'm just going on what I've seen so far this offseason through spring training. If Clement wins 15 games, I will be shocked.
Take care all.