Let's see your predictions for this year. Mine...
AL East
1. Yankees - Nine straight division titles for the Bronx Bombers.
2. Red Sox - Need innings from Schilling and Beckett.
3. Blue Jays - Could win more than most division champs.
4. Orioles - Even Mazzone can't save this team.
5. Devil Rays - Still trying to get out of the cellar.
AL Central
1. White Sox - A truly great team that got even better, on paper at least.
2. Indians - Lost Millwood, Crisp and Riske, but still have enough talent to strike fear into the White Sox.
3. Twins - Castillo was a decent pickup, but they are still a good ways behind Chicago and Cleveland.
4. Tigers - Underrated pitching staff could produce a .500 record.
5. Royals - Should not be as big a pushover as last year thanks to some veteran additions, but this is still a bad team.
AL West
1. A's - Beane has once again put together a team capable of winning it all.
2. Angels - Still a good team, but their rotation can't match Oakland's.
3. Rangers - Overpaying for Millwood won't solve their problems.
4. Mariners - Not much to be excited about here.
Wild Card: Indians
NL East
1. Braves - Very good starting pitching and loads of young talent lead to another division crown.
2. Mets - Will this years spending spree finally work out? It could.
3. Phillies - Back-end of the bullpen was weakened, but this is the best offensive team in the East, and maybe the entire NL.
4. Nationals - Should more closely resemble the mediocre second half team of last year than the surprising first half team.
5. Marlins - Should be easy pickings for the rest of baseball, although the youngsters bare watching.
NL Central
1. Cardinals - Filled their holes well enough to mainting their hold on first place.
2. Brewers - Surprise, surprise! The Brewers will be playoff bound for the first time in ages.
3. Astros - Will miss Clemens' presence almost as much as his pitching.
4. Cubs - Questionable offseason moves will lead to another bad year.
5. Pirates - Tracy will prove to be a good fit for this club, which will battle the Cubs for 4th.
6. Reds - Could be better than last year, but pitching still isn't up to snuff.
NL West
1. Giants - A healthy Bonds will get them back on top of baseball's weakest division.
2. Padres - As mediocre and unexciting as last years outfit.
3. Dodgers - They're better, but their offseason wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
4. Diamondbacks - Other than Webb, no good pitching to speak of.
5. Rockies - Still buried in last.
Wild Card: Brewers
ALDS: White Sox over Yankees, A's over Indians
NLDS: Braves over Brewers, Cardinals over Giants
ALCS: A's over White Sox
NLCS: Cardinals over Braves
World Series: A's over Cardinals
damn! you stole my surprise pick.
i was gonna pick the A's to win it all. i'll post my predictions after class.
Cards finally win this year.
More predictions...
AL MVP - Alex Rodriguez, NYY
NL MVP - Albert Pujols, STL
AL Cy Young - Roy Halladay, TOR
NL Cy Young - Tim Hudson, ATL
AL Rookie of the Year - Francisco Liriano, MIN
NL Rookie of the Year - Jeremy Hermida, FLA
AL Manager of the Year - Ken Macha, OAK
NL Manager of the Year - Ned Yost, MIL
AL Comeback Player of the Year - Keith Foulke, BOS
NL Comeback Player of the Year - Carlos Beltran, NYM
Keep in mind these are contingent on the Jeff Weaver signing, which could change a lot.
AL East:
Jays- I think this is their year. You have to love the power on that staff.
Yankees- Old team, with a mediocre pitching staff. They'll score a lot though.
Sox- A very weak pitching staff, with a bullpen that hinges on Foulke's health.
Orioles- A terrible team with nothing to look forward to.
D-rays- like the O's, they're terrible, but they DO have a lot to look forward to.
AL Central:
1) White Sox- A six man starting staff and a lineup that could be sick with thome
2) Twins- I love the castillo signing. the rotation could be special with liriano
3) Indians- The loss of millwood is a killer, as well as the depletion of a great bullpen.
4) Tigers- They have some really interesting youngsters, but not enough
5) Royals- Like GDawgs said, their signings were nice, but they still suck
AL West:
1) Angels- I look for McPherson to hit at least 25 homers.
2) A's- A great rotation if zito isn't traded. Milton Bradley is an offensive upgrade.
3) Rangers- I love the pitching pickups, but it won't be enough when you consider the loss of soriano.
4) Mariners- I can't wait to watch the King for a full year, but they are way too weak too pull out of the cellar.
WILD CARD: A's
NL East:
1) Braves- It's tempting to put the Mets here, but the Braves starting rotation is nice.
2) Mets- Pedro is the only good pitcher in a weak staff. I could easily see them ending up winning the division.
3) Phillies- Nice offense, but awful pitching, simply awful.
4) Nationals- Still no hitting, even with soriano.
5) Marlins- check out their to 10 prospect list, it's like a mini major league team.
NL Central:
1) Cubs- Obviously this hinges on Prior and Wood, but as opposed to Gdawgs, i love their signings, especially Pierre and Jones.
2) Brewers- If Sheets stays healthy, their rotation is nasty.
3) Cardinals- The loss of Morris is gonna hurt a lot, but it all hinges on Rolen.
4) Astros- Their biggest strength has been decimated big time.
5) Pirates- I like their signings, the best one being the hiring of jim tracy.
6) Reds- What a sad and pathetic franchise. Their top prospect is nowhere near being brandy.
NL West:
1) Giants- We could be anywhere from 4th place to being in the WS. It depends on Schmidt.
2) Dodgers- They made great moves, but the losses of tracy and weaver are huge.
3) D-backs- watch how much the addition of hudson helps Webb.
4) Padres- 3 Huge losses: Otsuka, Seanez, and Loretta
5) Rockies- They still have no pitching.
WILD CARD: Mets
Playoffs:
ALDS- Angels over Jays, A's over White Sox
NLDS- Braves over Cubs, Giants over Mets
ALCS- A's over Angels
NLCS- Giants over Braves (sorry but i see no reason why not)
WS- A's over Giants
AL MVP- Vlad
NL MVP- Aramis Ramirez
AL Cy Young- Harden
NL Cy Young- Sheets
AL ROY- Verlander
NL ROY- Cain
AL comeback- Thome
NL comeback- Beltran
flyingswoosh Wrote:1) Cubs- Obviously this hinges on Prior and Wood, but as opposed to Gdawgs, i love their signings, especially Pierre and Jones.
I've always thought Jones was quite overrated. He's hit around .250 the last two years with very low OBP's and a lot of strikeouts. To me he's not a difference maker. I do like, Pierre, though. I really was hoping the Braves would get him. He'll make their offense better.
What I don't like is them grossly overpaying for Eyre and Howry. I mean, those guys are good, but not nearly worth what they got. It's like their money was burning a hole in Hendry's pocket.
GDawgs88 Wrote:flyingswoosh Wrote:1) Cubs- Obviously this hinges on Prior and Wood, but as opposed to Gdawgs, i love their signings, especially Pierre and Jones.
I've always thought Jones was quite overrated. He's hit around .250 the last two years with very low OBP's and a lot of strikeouts. To me he's not a difference maker. I do like, Pierre, though. I really was hoping the Braves would get him. He'll make their offense better.
What I don't like is them grossly overpaying for Eyre and Howry. I mean, those guys are good, but not nearly worth what they got. It's like their money was burning a hole in Hendry's pocket.
i'm the opposite, i've always been a big fan of jones. he's no money ball player, but i think he's a clutch player. one of those real baseball players.
i agree they did grossly overpay for those 2, but you can't judge how good the players are by how much they're getting paid. see what i'm saying? in terms of spending money, it was stupid, but it is definitely an upgrade.
AL East
Yankees - old, but still strong enough
Red Sox - I don't know if Coco Crisp can be a good leadoff hitter
Blue Jays - spent lots of money, but did they spend it right (they could get as high as 2nd)
Devil Rays - Time to climb out of the cellar
Orioles - This team stinks
AL Central
White Sox - the best got better
Indians - will push for the wild-card
Tigers - Smoky...I mean Leyland should provide a small spark
Twins - I think they're falling apart quickly
Royals - no comment
AL West
A's - Very similar to the Indians
Angels - Lost some pieces, and didn't add anything
Rangers - Movin' up
Mariners - someone's got to be the worst in this division, might as well be the Mariners
NL East
Braves - until someone knocks 'em off
Mets - but that could happen this year
Phillies - They're better than the Marlins and Nats
Nats - Won't be quite as good as last year, especially with 2 guys at 2B
Marlins - Can you say "Fire Sale" boys and girls?
NL Central
Cardinals - Will fall some, but no one will be good enough to overtake them
Brewers - Had a good season last year, and improved the team in the offseason, not playoff contender yet, but getting better than the rest of the slop in this division
Astros - Falling
Pirates - I think they'll bounce up a bit this year
Reds - Not nearly enough pitching
Cubs - another team that's just a mess
NL West
Giants - Bonds is back, perhaps for his swan song. This team is old, and their chances hang on this year
Rockies - I like their youth movement, I expect good things this year.
D-Backs - A team going nowhere, but better than the mess known as the...
Dodgers - this team doesn't scare me....at all
AL Wild Card - Indians
NL Wild Card - Mets
ALDS - Indians over Yankees
ALDS - White Sox over A's
ALCS - Indians over White Sox
NLDS - Mets over Cardinals
NLDS - Giants over Braves
NLCS - Mets over Giants
World Series - Indians over Mets
2006 is the year!
Everyone seems to think losing Millwood is HUGE for the Indians. Millwood only won NINE games last year. If Paul Byrd can't win 9 games, then the loss of Millwood will be HUGE. Johnson will more than fill Elarton's shoes.
Byrd + Johnson is as good as Millwood + Elarton in my book.
Which would you rather have, a pair of 3's or a 1 & a 5?
rteynor Wrote:Everyone seems to think losing Millwood is HUGE for the Indians. Millwood only won NINE games last year. If Paul Byrd can't win 9 games, then the loss of Millwood will be HUGE. Johnson will more than fill Elarton's shoes.
Byrd + Johnson is as good as Millwood + Elarton in my book.
Which would you rather have, a pair of 3's or a 1 & a 5?
The W total for Millwood was very deceiving. He had the worst luck and run support of any pitcher I've ever seen last year. If not for his exceptional pitching, he probably would have won three or four games with the offense he was getting, instead of nine.
That said I think Cleveland can overcome losing Millwood, but I think the losses to the bullpen may spell doom for them.
GDawgs88 Wrote:rteynor Wrote:Everyone seems to think losing Millwood is HUGE for the Indians. Millwood only won NINE games last year. If Paul Byrd can't win 9 games, then the loss of Millwood will be HUGE. Johnson will more than fill Elarton's shoes.
Byrd + Johnson is as good as Millwood + Elarton in my book.
Which would you rather have, a pair of 3's or a 1 & a 5?
The W total for Millwood was very deceiving. He had the worst luck and run support of any pitcher I've ever seen last year. If not for his exceptional pitching, he probably would have won three or four games with the offense he was getting, instead of nine.
That said I think Cleveland can overcome losing Millwood, but I think the losses to the bullpen may spell doom for them.
I agree. Millwood had little to no support, but that averages out, as Cliff Lee had TONS of support, and got lucky to win 18 games. Lee's win totals probably shouldn't be as high as they were, and Millwood's not as low.
I think the Tribe bullpen will surprise you. The biggest loss in the offseason was Howry, but you'd have to be crazy (or the Cubs) to pay a middle reliever $3 million plus per year. I'm not going to miss Riske. Rhodes let the team down in September last year by not being there. The guys the Indians are getting back are good. Matt Miller was hurt, Sauerbeck is a good lefty in the pen, Guillermo Mota when healthy is a stud. Wickman will be a carbon copy of last year, steady if not spectacular.
I like the team, but I just don't know if they have ENOUGH to get past Chicago this year.
Yeah, and you've still got Betancourt and the young stud Cabrera. You're right, the bullpen may be better than people think.
the indians are definitely tough, but they need sabathia to finally live u to his talent. he has extraordinary ability.
no offense, but mota is not as good as you think. he was really exposed during his last season with the dodgers as well as when he was healthy with the marlins.
AL Central:
White Sox: defending world champs, add thome and resign konerko
Indians: great young core, Lee, Sabathia and Millwood headline a very good rotation
Twins: Santana is fantastic and Liriano should be good this year as well but they don't have many bats
Tigers:Bonderman is a future star and Verlander can really bring it
Royals: .............................
AL East
Red Sox: add Lowell, Becket and Crisp to an already good team
Yankees: adding Damon will help with team speed but they are really getting up there in age
Blue Jays: overpaid for BJ Ryan (why did the reds trade this guy to the O's for Juan Guzman??) but he will still be one of the top closers, adding AJ Burnett helps
Orioles: Have good individual talent but never seem to put it together
Devil Rays: very good young talent, just waiting for it to mature
AL West:
Angels: Colon is a stud as is K-Rod, very solid team in all aspects of the game
A's :great starting pitching, really need Swisher to step up to take the next step
Rangers: lose Soriano, still have great bats, not much pitching
Mariners: Beltre must improve over last year and The King needs to be better than last year for them to get out of the cellar
NL Central:
Cardinals: fantastic bats and good starting pitching, best team in the majors
Astros: good starting pitching and Lidge is a fantastic closer, decent bats
Brewers: great young talent, could make the playoffs if Weeks and Fielder put up the numbers they are capable of
Reds: great bats, Encarnacion should improve over last year, need pitching....waiting for Bailey and Travis Wood
Cubs: potentially great starting pitching, gotta keep wood and prior off the dl
Pirates: very young, have the potential to be good but i dont see it happening this year
NL East
Braves: never seem to let up, great starting and above average bats
Mets: adding Wagner and Delgado will help, Wright is a budding superstar
Nationals: adding soriano helps, good starting, need a few more bats
phillies: lose thome and wagner, abreu and rollins are the stars
marlins: alot of talent unfortunately its all in the minors, hermida is poised to breakout
NL West:
Dodgers: add furcal and garciapara, good starting pitching and need gange to be dominant in the pen again
Giants: Cain is a stud, if bonds is his old self watch out
Padres: Peavy is a CY candidate but after that this team is mediocre
Rockies: good bats like always just need some pitching
NL MVP: Pujols
NL CY: Peavy (changed my mind)
NL ROY: Cain
AL MVP: Ortiz
AL CY: Santana
AL ROY: Chris Young
WS Champ: Cardinals
BTW, I see Swoosh is still going strong with his hatred towards the reds lmfao
JFlight21 Wrote:BTW, I see Swoosh is still going strong with his hatred towards the reds lmfao
actually, ever since you started posting consistently again, i've hated the reds a little less. the hate has actually mutated into pity. though, i don't know any team other than the cubs and indians who should be pitied more than the giants. i mean we haven't won a WS since 1954. how pathetic, at least i've only been alive for 18 of those 54.
flyingswoosh Wrote:JFlight21 Wrote:BTW, I see Swoosh is still going strong with his hatred towards the reds lmfao
actually, ever since you started posting consistently again, i've hated the reds a little less. the hate has actually mutated into pity. though, i don't know any team other than the cubs and indians who should be pitied more than the giants. i mean we haven't won a WS since 1954. how pathetic, at least i've only been alive for 18 of those 54.
It was our ownership. Lindner was awful and he just sold the team. Castelini is the new owner and he promises to spend some cash, hopefully he follows through. But yes we have been a pathetic franchise ever since that run we made in 99.