With the season under way, I will take a look at
every team in baseball going from their best-case scenarios to their worst and
from the lineup to rotation along with my prediction for each team and my
eventual World Series champion.
AL EAST
Tampa Bay Rays
Prediction: 1st place. Rotation and just
enough offense will propel the Rays back into the playoffs.
Key Player: Evan Longoria. The Rays were 47-27 last
season when Longo was in the lineup and 43-45 when he was not. He needs to stay
healthy because outside of him, this lineup is shaky. If Longo is hurt, the
Rays will struggle.
Best Case Scenario: Longoria stays healthy, Wil Myers
comes up mid-season and Longo finally has legitimate protection. The rotation
performs at its highest and David Price wins CY Young. They win 96 games
eventually leading to a World Series title.
Worst Case Scenario: The lineup drags the team down,
Longo cannot stay healthy and Myers is not ready for the bright lights. They
fall to third place with 84 wins.
Lineup: This lineup could struggle at times. Longoria
will need to be completely healthy. Myers could be big addition if he lives up
to his potential and expectations.
Rotation: Very solid rotation with David Price and
Matt Moore leading the young and talented rotation. Fernando Rodney was
ridiculous last season as their closer (1.92 era). Him and Joel Peralta form a
solid back end of the bullpen.
New York Yankees
Prediction: 2nd place. Once everyone comes
back, their veteran and winning mentality will overcome their age and they will
be back in the playoffs.
Key Player: Robinson Cano. Cano is in the final year
of his contract and he will be looking for a monster year. The Yankees will
need Cano to be his best with the loss of so much production this offseason. He
will be relied on night in and night out. Teams may choose to pitch around Cano
but will he accept a walk?
Best Case Scenario: Cano and company scores enough
runs and their rotation shine as they stay around .500 for the first month of
the season. Granderson, Teixeira, Jeter, and Hughes all come back strong and
lead this team to another division title. 90 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: Age and injuries catch up with
them along with their catching situation. Their problems leave the Yankees
under .500 for the first time since 1992. 80 wins.
Lineup: Age and injuries are the primary questions
heading into this season but if everyone can get and stay healthy they will
have a solid lineup. They will not be the team people are use to seeing as they
will be more of a get on, steal, and drive him in type of team.
Rotation: They will have a very solid rotation and if
CC is completely healthy, there is no reason he should not be the ace he is.
Phelps and Nova will need to step up with Hughes out and Michael Pineda can become
a great addition mid-season. No more Rafael Soriano means the Yankees have
complete faith in 43-year-old Mariano Rivera who will be coming off an ACL
injury. David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain will lead a very solid bullpen.
Toronto Blue Jays
Prediction: 3rd Place. Injuries will haunt
this team in the end. If healthy however, they will win this division.
Key Player: Jose Reyes and Josh Johnson. Both
acquired in a trade with the Miami Marlins and both injury-prone. The Jays took
a risk with both of them but if they are both healthy, the Jays could be the
best team not only in this division.
Best Case Scenario: Reyes, Jose Bautista, Brett
Lawrie, and Johnson all stay healthy. Additions of Reyes, Johnson, Buehrle,
Dickey, and Cabrera pay off and they Jays win 96 games, the division, and a
World Series title.
Worst Case Scenario: Reyes, Bautista, Lawrie,
Johnson, and Morrow cannot stay healthy. Reyes’ legs break down on the turf and
the Jays finish fourth with 86 wins.
Lineup: If everyone is healthy, this lineup will be
one of the best in baseball. Bautista will be interesting coming off a bad
wrist injury. Can he be that 50-homer player that he is?
Rotation: Additions of last years CY Young award
winner (Dickey), Mr. Dependable (Buehrle), and an injury-prone ace (Johnson)
can and will be huge acquisitions. The question remains; how will those three
fair in the toughest division in the league? Janssen and Santos were not that
great last season; both had high ERA’s. They will need to step up.
Baltimore Orioles
Prediction: 4th place. They will prove
that last season was a fluke and come back down to earth in an even better AL
East.
Key Player: Manny Machado. When he was called up, the
O’s season took off and he led them to a playoff appearance. Now that he is
around for the whole season, we will see what he can do.
Best Case Scenario: 2012 was not a fluke and the
Orioles win the division behind Machado and all-star Adam Jones. Nick Markakis
and Brian Roberts stay healthy and contribute tremendously to a run in the
playoffs. 92 wins and division title.
Worst Case Scenario: 2012 was a fluke and the Orioles
finish in the basement of the AL East once again. Their bullpen is not as
fortunate as it was last season, their lineup cannot stay healthy and their
untouched rotation is a disaster again. 5th place and 77 wins.
Lineup: If healthy they will be better than last
season. Machado and Jones will need to carry them along with last season
all-star Matt Wieters.
Rotation: 21st in ERA last season. They
will need to improve if they want to compete in this division. Brian Matusz was
a huge disappointment last season and former high touted prospect needs to
regain his confidence. Their bullpen was excellent last season but do not expect
the same this season.
Boston Red Sox
Prediction: 5th place. The teams changes
will not be enough and injury concerns haunt team for the whole season.
Key Player: Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury are
tremendous players who fell last season. They will have to be at their best
this season if the Red Sox want to compete.
Best Case Scenario: Lester is revitalized, Ellsbury
and Pedroia return to MVP form and Jackie Bradley Jr. sparks team and ignites
hope for the future. 3rd place and 86 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: Shane Victorino, Ryan Dempster,
and Mike Napoli continue their career declines and they finish in last place
for the second straight season. 5th place with 76 wins.
Lineup: Ellsbury, Will Middlebrooks and David Ortiz
need to remain healthy while Victorino and Pedroia need to have big seasons. If
all the cards fall right, their lineup will be solid.
Rotation: Lester and Clay Buchholz struggle like they
did in 2012 and Dempster struggles mightily in the not-so-kind AL East. Andrew
Bailey does not improve from last season and newly acquired Joel Hanrahan
struggles in the American League.
AL CENTRAL
Detroit Tigers
Prediction: 1st place. No one in this
division is as talented offensively and pitching. The defending American League
champions will run away with another division crown.
Key Player: Victor Martinez. If Martinez can stay
healthy and produce this season, the Tigers will have one of the most dangerous
2-5 in the league with Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, and
Martinez. That would be very scary for any pitcher.
Best Case Scenario: Cabrera repeats last seasons MVP
and Triple Crown while the richest pitcher in baseball Justin Verlander and Max
Scherzer battle for the CY Young. They repeat as AL champs and win the World
Series behind 97 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: They endure a World Series
hangover, the bullpen struggles without a real closer and they get bounced out
of the playoffs in the first round. 1st place with 86 wins.
Lineup: Very strong lineup that could be the best in
the league if healthy. Hunter and Martinez will give them depth and pop. Austin
Jackson is continuing to grow and develop into an All-Star.
Rotation: They have two possible CY Young candidates,
which includes the newly richest pitcher in baseball in Verlander. This
rotation is strong and deep. Their bullpen however, has many question marks.
They do not have a real closer on their roster. They believe Bruce Rondon was
the answer but he did not even make the team. Could they possible bring back
unemployed Jose Valverde? I highly doubt that.
Kansas City Royals
Prediction: 2nd place. The rebuilt
pitching staff and young, talented lineup will bring hope to Kansas City and a
2nd place finish.
Key Player: James Shields. The Royals gave up a lot
(top prospect Wil Myers) in exchange for James Shields who will be the ace of
this staff. He will have to bring his veteran experience and his winning ways.
Best Case Scenario: Shields leads Royals along with
young lineup to battle for a Wild Card berth. They finish in 2nd
place with 84 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: Shields and Ervin Santana are
busts while Wil Myers has a monster year with the Tampa Bay Rays. Young lineup
flops and they fall to a 4th place finish with 72 wins.
Lineup: Young and talented lineup that continues to
grow. First basemen Eric Hosmer needs to have a better season, one that
resembles his 2011 .799 OPS. Salvador Perez is going to be a huge upgrade after
missing the entire season last year. There is a lot of promise for this lineup.
Rotation: New additions Shields, Santana, and Wade
Davis will give them a formidable rotation and give fans hope and reason to
come support. Greg Holland has 16 career saves and will be asked to become
their everyday closer. Aaron Crow is another reliever who can help. There are
certainly some question marks with this rotation.
Chicago White Sox
Prediction: 3rd place. They surprised some
last season with challenging the Tigers for the division. This season the
Royals and Indians improved but the White Sox really did not. They will stay
middle of the pack.
Key Player: Chris Sale. He was a CY Young award
candidate last season winning 17 games. He needs to repeat his stats from last
year (3.05 ERA, 1.135 WHIP).
Best Case Scenario: Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn keep
hitting home runs while the rotation stays healthy. Addison Reed comes in and
steps up as their new closer. They finish 2nd with 84 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: Konerko and Dunn show their age
and rotation cannot stay healthy. They finish in fourth place with only 74
wins.
Lineup: Questions with age could hinder their lineup
but either way they will score runs. Alexis Rios needs to improve from last
season while Dunn needs to keep hitting home runs.
Rotation: Needs to stay healthy and Jake Peavy needs
to continue to be productive. Sale will lead a rotation that is not very good
in the bottom half. Bullpen can be very strong if Reed is what he is projected
to be. Matt Thorton has proved he can close and set-up.
Cleveland Indians
Prediction: 4th place. They added some
real good pieces but questions with the rotation will continue throughout the
season and the end in fourth in a tight race from two to four.
Key Player: Justin Masterson. He is anchoring this
rotation and needs to become the ace they believe he can be. He needs to
improve on his 4.93 ERA from last season.
Best Case Scenario: Major acquisitions pay off, the
rotation improves tremendously, and they challenge the Tigers for the Central
crown. 86 win season gets them 2nd place.
Worst Case Scenario: Key additions do not pay off.
They spend big money on busts and the rotation stumbles to the finish line. By
giving away prospects, they do not show much hope for the future. Finish in
fourth place with 73 wins.
Lineup: With additions of Michael Bourn, Nick
Swisher, and Mark Reynolds this lineup could be very good. How will Swisher do
in Cleveland not having home run hitting Yankee Stadium anymore? They have done
a good job signing guys that will help but can these guys carry a team. They
never have in any of their careers.
Rotation: Masterson and Ubaldo Jiminez need to be
aces especially Jiminez who was once a top of the line starter. Brett Meyers
could be a good signing if he stays healthy and that is a big if. They could
have a decent bullpen if Chris Perez is a lock down closer with help from Matt
Albers.
Minnesota Twins
Prediction: 5th place. This team is going
to struggle mightily. Their rotation and lineup is not up to par with this
division and it will be another long season in the Twin City.
Key Player: Vance Worley. Acquired from the Phillies,
Worley is asked upon to be the ace of this staff. The Twins own the worst
record in the league over the past two seasons and their pitching is the main
reason. He along with newcomers Mike Pelfrey and Kevin Correia will hopefully
make the Twins competitive.
Best case Scenario: Joe Mauer wins the MVP while
Justin Morneau is concussion free and has a tremendous season. Scott Diamond
shows that he is an ace and the future looks bright. They will finish in 5th
no matter what unless something drastically changes and will win a best 72
games.
Worst Case Scenario: Mauer gets injured, Morneau gets
dizzy, and the rotation is atrocious. They finish in the basement with only 60
wins.
Lineup: They will struggle to score even if Mauer and
Morneau are at full strength. They just do not have enough pieces around them
to compete at a high level.
Rotation: Worley has front-end talent but can he be
the ace right now? The Twins are very excited for Scott Diamond but will he be
their ace now or years down the road? Bullpen will struggle with bad rotation
and bad lineup. Perkins will help but he does not have much.
AL WEST
Los Angeles Angels
Prediction: 1st place. The have the most
dangerous lineup in the league and that alone will carry them to a first place
finish. They went all in this season so it is championship or bust.
Key Player: There are two key players on this team,
Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson. Pujols had a down year for Albert Pujols. If he
hits .330 with 40 home runs and 120 RBI’s, this team may run right through the
American League. Wilson will need to get back to his Texas form and lead this
team to a championship.
Best Case Scenario: They do what they are supposed to
do and win a World Series. Mike Trout wins the MVP by going for 40 home runs
and 40 stolen bases while Pujols returns to Pujols form and Jered Weaver wins
the CY Young award. They get to 100 wins and beat everyone in sight.
Worst Case Scenario: Josh Hamilton struggles with
injuries, sophomore slump for Mike Trout, and Wilson and Madson struggle. They
finish in 3rd place with 86 wins.
Lineup: If everything goes well, it will be the best
lineup in baseball. No pitcher will want to face this lineup. There are no
holes especially one through six.
Rotation: Struggled this spring but expect them to be
just fine. The offense will carry this team but if this rotation is bad enough,
it might lead to the teams’ downfall. Ernesto Frieri was not the guy to close
last season but will be called on again this year. Ryan Madson was an addition
to the bullpen and is already hurt. His injuries could hurt this bullpen.
Oakland Athletics
Prediction: 2nd place. This team showed
they were no joke last season by surprising everyone and winning the division.
I believe this pitching staff is only going to get better and a wild card game
is in their future.
Key Player: Yoenis Cespedes. Oakland was 82-46 with
the dynamic Cuban in the lineup, 12-22 without. He is a big part in their
lineup and needs to stay healthy and improve off of last season.
Best Case Scenario: Young rotation continues to grow.
Cespedes becomes an All-Star and candidate for MVP. Josh Reddick, Brandon Moss,
and Chris Young hit home runs and Oakland leads the league. End up in first
place with 91 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: Rotation has sophomore slump,
Reddick cannot hit and they lose a lot of one run games, opposite of last
season. 3rd place with only 75 wins.
Lineup: Good lineup who will hit a lot of home runs.
Cespedes and Reddick will need to continue to progress and lead this team.
Addition of Chris Young and Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima will help this
lineup.
Rotation: Very solid and very young. So much talent
who carried them last season. Their bullpen will be good again. They will shut
down games and win a lot of close games.
Texas Rangers
Prediction: 3rd place. The loss of Josh
Hamilton will certainly hurt and they will feel it by not making the playoffs
in an even tougher division.
Key Player: Ian Kinsler. He will need to step up big
time without Hamilton. He had a down year batting only .260 with 22 home runs.
If he struggles this lineup will too.
Best Case Scenario: Kinsler hits .300 with 20 plus
home runs leading off. Jurickson Profar wins the Rookie of the Year and Adrian
Beltre, Lance Berkman, and Nelson Cruz make Texas forget about Hamilton. They win
the division with 94 victories.
Worst Case Scenario: They start to feel the pain of
not having Hamilton. Berkman cannot stay healthy; Beltre and Kinsler decline
and they fall to third place with 84 wins.
Lineup: Good combination of veterans and youngsters.
Should still be a solid lineup even without Hamilton. Kinsler and Cruz need to
be better and mid-season call up of Profar could ignite them.
Rotation: Lewis and Perez will help when they return
from injury. Will have a solid rotation. Derek Holland will need to step up. Yu
Darvish will be a star. Solid bullpen is Joe Nathan can stay healthy.
Seattle Mariners
Prediction: 4th place. They added some big
bats but will not be enough to contend in this division.
Key Player: Michael Saunders. Saunders has the chance
to be a 25 homer, 25 steal man and is the best of a young group (Dustin Ackley,
Jesus Montero, Kyle Seager and Justin Smoak) that must produce.
Best Case Scenario: Kendry Morales, Michael Morse,
Jason Bay, and Raul Ibanez will all provide pop and offense. Their lineup will
be better but nothing better than a fourth place finish. Ceiling is 77 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: Aging acquisitions do not pay
off and continue to decline rapidly. Hernandez’s tender elbow acts up and he
does not live up to big contract. 68 wins and a fourth place finish.
Lineup: New acquisitions will definitely help if they
remain healthy. Their young core really needs to step up and start leading this
team to what could be a bright future.
Rotation: Felix Hernandez is a CY Young award
candidate every season but after him it is a bunch of no-name guys who will
struggle. They are the major downfall of this team. Bullpen along with the
rotation will struggle. Tom Wilhelmsen could be a solid closer but will offense
or rotation help?
Houston Astros
Prediction: 5th place. Lack of talent all
over their roster and their payroll less than Alex Rodriguez’s contract for the
season will leave them as the worst team in the big leagues.
Key Player: Carlos Pena and Chris Carter. These two
new acquisitions will need to carry this lackluster lineup. Pena will have to
bat better than .192 and needs to mash 40 home runs.
Best Case Scenario: Jose Altuve and Brett Wallace are
All-Stars and team is fundamentally sound. Will still finish in 5th
place and win just 64 games.
Worst Case Scenario: They resemble the 1962 New York
Mets and are historically bad. They lack any real talent and will struggle to
win games. Only bright side is that Mariano Rivera’s final game is in Houston.
5th place with 55 victories.
Lineup: Pena and Carter will provide pop but team
will struggle to score. Altuve needs a repeat of last season and Wallace needs
to step up.
Rotation: It is definitely going to be a long season
in Houston. Rotation is just bad. Bullpen does not get better either. Veras and
Wright is not a good closer-set-up man combination. Hey at least the Texans are
good!
AMERICAN LEAGUE
PLAYOFFS
Wild Card Round Championship Round
Yankees vs. Athletics Tigers vs. Angels
Divisional Round
Yankees vs. Angels
Rays vs. Tigers
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