Despite only having four teams in the division the American League West is the most unpredictable division in all of baseball. Its always hard to peg who will have the best team because the Oakland A's usually win with younger talent, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim has older talent, The Texas Rangers usually are not very good even though they went to the World Series last year, and the Seattle Mariners are as bi-polar as a team can get when one year they will have the best record in baseball then the next year they will have the worst. So here is my attempt to predict who will win the AL West:
1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- The AL West has not had a real dominate team since the 2002 Mariners and has been pretty week but this year the Angels could be the most dominate team to come out of the division since then. The pitching has a solid one two three starters in Jared Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana but Joel Pinerio and Scott Kazmir do not intimate anyone. Joel and Scott are good starters and will most likely win ten to twelve games but I predict they will have more loses than wins. They have a solid closer in Fernando Rodney and Scott Downs has been a good middle reliever for a lot of years. The bats got a little better with the subtraction of Hideki Matsui and the addition of Vernon Wells. Dont forget about Torii Hunter either has he can hit the homer or gap a double anytime at the plate. If first baseman Kendry Morales can continue to improve and hit for average then the hitting should be top five in the AL and Bob Abreu as a designated hitter is not too shabby to have either.
2. Texas Rangers- The defending AL Champions check in at number two mainly for one reason, the loss of Cliff Lee. The Rangers just do not have the front line pitcher of a Lee they can count on to produce quality start after start. C.J. Wilson is their best starter pitcher but would be a number two on most teams but the key will be Tommy Hunter and if he can improve from last season and continue to throw the ball with confidence then he should see a huge jump in his win total. If baseball was just about hitting then the Rangers would win the AL Championship every year. They have great bats even with Vladimir Guerrero gone. Nelson Cruz, Michael Young, Adrian Beltre, and Josh Hamilton is about as good as it can get for a one through four can get. The player to watch out for is Ian Kinsler. If he is able to consistently hit for power and average then the Rangers should find themselves in the thick of things for the wild card and the division.
3. Oakland Athletics- This team uses its farm system just about as good as anyone in the Majors. The only problem is are the young guns talented and ready for the big time. Dallas Braden threw a perfect game last year on mothers day and quickly became a household name but the other starters Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson need to improve greatly if they want to contend for a wild card spot. The hitting use to be horrible but has gotten better with Josh Willingham, CoCo Crisp, and David DeJesus. The big addition in the offseason was Hideki Matsui as the designated hitter. He might be getting older but he still has an above average bat. The player to watch out for is second baseman Mark Ellis. He posted a .291 average last year but had a dip in homeruns and RBI's, if the Atheletics want to improve and have a chance Ellis needs to keep his average and up his homers and RBI's.
4. Seattle Mariners- The Mariners have not been very good as of late and its not because they do not have star power. They have arguably the best pitcher in Felix Hernandez and the best hitter Ichiro Suzuki. Pitching is their biggest weakness because behind Hernandez the Mariners do not have a proven starter or closer. They have a great up and comer at first base in Jeff Smoak but he still is a couple of years away from being the elite player he can be. They still have good bats in Chone Figgins and Michael Bradley but Figgins is not a homer threat but when he gets on base he might as well just start at second since he is going to steal it any ways. Michael Bradley has been an off and on hitter in his career and when he is on he is about as hard to get our as anyone but when he is off he is not someone you want around your ball club. The player to watch is the closer Brandon League. If he has less than five blown saves this year expect the Mariners to win around seventy games but even that might be stretching it.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Baseball Season Preview: NL West
The National League West is the hardest division to predict in all of baseball. Every year you never know which team is going to be the team to beat or the team that struggles the most. This division is the weakest of all divisions as well during the regular season but like last year with the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants, the division champion usually ends up in the NLCS and hardly gets knocked out in the first round. Expect this year to be no different as the division champion might win eighty-five games but who will get to eighty-five first?
1. San Francisco Giants- They are the champions until someone knocks them off. The Giants have the best pitching staff in the NL West going with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Josh Sanchez, Mitch Bumgarner, and Barry Zito to round out their starting rotation. The only other team that has a better rotation is the Philadelphia Phillies but it is not by much. Experts say that the teams pitching staff is also defined by their closer and is there anyone as hot as Brian "Fear the Beard" Wilson? This guy came up big for the Giants most of the year last year. The Giants depend on pitching their more than hitting but Pablo Sandoval was the only true threat last year and still is but with the additions of Miguel Tejada and Mark Derosa he has a little better help. The Player to Watch is was last year's rookie sensation Buster Posey, whose stellar play at catcher was able to lead the Giants and was the difference for the team and would not have won the World Series with out him.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers- The Dodgers bring in new manager Don Mattingly as they depart with Joe Torre. Mattingly takes over a very good young talented ball club that has excellent field position players but outside of their one two pitching punch of Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley no one is really realiable. Jonathan Broxton, closer, looks good at times but can get into a two or three week funk where he is no where near the pitcher he can be. The addition of Marcus Thames makes this outfield one of the best hitting as budding stars Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp continue to improve and either one can make a run for the National League MVP. The player to watch is former Giant Juan Uribe. Last year Uribe had a down year in the statistical categories but he will bring a lot of wealth and knowledge to this young ball club and should be a top leader in the clubhouse.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks- They might have looked horrible last year and might still be in rebuilding mode but there is enough talent for them to finish third in the west. Joel Saunders will be the ace of the ball club and it will be his success that leads to the teams success and the rest of the pitching staff success. J.J. Putz is a solid closer but nothing to get too excited about. Centerfielder Chris Young, short-stop Stephen Drew, and second baseman Kelly Johnson gives them a good core of solid player but this team lacks that super star name unless that is if Justin Upton can put it all together this year. He is the brother of B.J. Upton and has the ability to be a great hitter and fielder if he puts all his talent into it. Upton could be the difference of them finishing last or third.
4. San Diego Padres- They traded their best player in Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox in the off-season and Gonzalez took atleast ten wins with him. They are not completely horrible but their is no players on this team that can get anyone excited. Jason Bartlett at short-stop is a future star in the league but he still needs to fine tune his game and former Rockies first baseman Brad Hawpe is a solid pick-up but he doesnt have the pop in his bat that they need to replace Gonzalez. Mat Latos is the only starter that can be count on to go out and throw a decent game every time but the player to watch will be closer Heath Bell. If he is able to come in and shut teams down then this year might not be as bad.
5. Colorado Rockies- The Rockies have been a bi-polar team as they usually start off weak then in the last half of the season end up having the best record during that time and is always in the thick of the play-off race, however, this year they will not be able to do that. Ubaldo Jimenez came out of the gates fast last year before slowing down and looks to be the ace of a bleak pitching staff that has one of the best younger closer in the game, Huston Street. Todd Helton will be the player to watch and the one they will count on the entire season to lead the team but the other player that is key is short-stop Troy Tulowitzki. He is one of the most underrated players in the Majors and he could be traded before the trade deadline before the season is over.
1. San Francisco Giants- They are the champions until someone knocks them off. The Giants have the best pitching staff in the NL West going with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Josh Sanchez, Mitch Bumgarner, and Barry Zito to round out their starting rotation. The only other team that has a better rotation is the Philadelphia Phillies but it is not by much. Experts say that the teams pitching staff is also defined by their closer and is there anyone as hot as Brian "Fear the Beard" Wilson? This guy came up big for the Giants most of the year last year. The Giants depend on pitching their more than hitting but Pablo Sandoval was the only true threat last year and still is but with the additions of Miguel Tejada and Mark Derosa he has a little better help. The Player to Watch is was last year's rookie sensation Buster Posey, whose stellar play at catcher was able to lead the Giants and was the difference for the team and would not have won the World Series with out him.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers- The Dodgers bring in new manager Don Mattingly as they depart with Joe Torre. Mattingly takes over a very good young talented ball club that has excellent field position players but outside of their one two pitching punch of Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley no one is really realiable. Jonathan Broxton, closer, looks good at times but can get into a two or three week funk where he is no where near the pitcher he can be. The addition of Marcus Thames makes this outfield one of the best hitting as budding stars Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp continue to improve and either one can make a run for the National League MVP. The player to watch is former Giant Juan Uribe. Last year Uribe had a down year in the statistical categories but he will bring a lot of wealth and knowledge to this young ball club and should be a top leader in the clubhouse.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks- They might have looked horrible last year and might still be in rebuilding mode but there is enough talent for them to finish third in the west. Joel Saunders will be the ace of the ball club and it will be his success that leads to the teams success and the rest of the pitching staff success. J.J. Putz is a solid closer but nothing to get too excited about. Centerfielder Chris Young, short-stop Stephen Drew, and second baseman Kelly Johnson gives them a good core of solid player but this team lacks that super star name unless that is if Justin Upton can put it all together this year. He is the brother of B.J. Upton and has the ability to be a great hitter and fielder if he puts all his talent into it. Upton could be the difference of them finishing last or third.
4. San Diego Padres- They traded their best player in Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox in the off-season and Gonzalez took atleast ten wins with him. They are not completely horrible but their is no players on this team that can get anyone excited. Jason Bartlett at short-stop is a future star in the league but he still needs to fine tune his game and former Rockies first baseman Brad Hawpe is a solid pick-up but he doesnt have the pop in his bat that they need to replace Gonzalez. Mat Latos is the only starter that can be count on to go out and throw a decent game every time but the player to watch will be closer Heath Bell. If he is able to come in and shut teams down then this year might not be as bad.
5. Colorado Rockies- The Rockies have been a bi-polar team as they usually start off weak then in the last half of the season end up having the best record during that time and is always in the thick of the play-off race, however, this year they will not be able to do that. Ubaldo Jimenez came out of the gates fast last year before slowing down and looks to be the ace of a bleak pitching staff that has one of the best younger closer in the game, Huston Street. Todd Helton will be the player to watch and the one they will count on the entire season to lead the team but the other player that is key is short-stop Troy Tulowitzki. He is one of the most underrated players in the Majors and he could be traded before the trade deadline before the season is over.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Baseball Season Preview: NL Central
The NL Central saw a surprise a top the division last year as the Cincinnati Reds out lasted the St. Louis Cardinals to win the division. The Reds Joey Votto was named MVP of the National League. This year before the season began the Cardinals were struck with the news that their ace, Adam Wainwright, will be undergoing tommy john surgery and be out for the year also contract talks with Albert Pujols was going on before spring training started. The Chicago Cubs bring in a new manager in Mike Quade and the Milwaukee Brewers bring in Zach Greinke to help out the rotation. With all of these moves who will be number 1?
1. St. Louis Cardinals- I did feel way more secure about this pick when Wainwright was still planning on playing this year but it is just so hard to pick against a team run by Tony LaRussa and have the best player in baseball playing for that team. During spring training Cris Carpenter was injured during a game and could miss all of spring training. They signed Lance Berkman and Ryan Theriot to a deal in the off-season to solidify the short-stop and outfield but these are not any major up-grades. The Bullpen is a big question mark as Jason Motte and Ryan Franklin lead the charge and will be counted on a lot this year. The player to watch is Matt Holiday. Last year Holliday came over and did what he was suppose to and that was to protect Albert Pujols in the line-up and he did a heck of job and if the Cardinals want to reclaim the division title he must do the same this year.
2. Cincinnati Reds- The Reds bring everyone back from last year’s division championship squad, so you would think that they would win the division again. Last year Joey Votto had a “break-out” year and was able to win the MVP of National League but that was the first year he had ever produce the numbers he did, so his production will probably decline from last year still. They have a great young pitching staff starting off with Edison Volquez and Mike Leake. Both of these guys must improve on a big curve if they want to finish here at number two and challenge for the wild-card spot. The player to watch will be old man Rolen at third base. Scott Rolen is not doubt the leader of this ball club and a major reason why they won the division last year but how far down will his production be since he is getting up there on age. If he has a good year then the Reds might upset teams again and be in the play-offs for the second year in a row.
3. Milwaukee Brewers- Every year it seems like the Brewers is everyone’s surprise team that might finally do something and contend for the division crown, and for most people this year is no different but for me I’m not buying it. They probably did get the second best pitcher in the off-season Zach Greinke but the pitching is still suspect at best but the 7th, 8th, 9th inning guys will be pretty tough if they could get to them with Saito, Hawkins, and Axford. They have hitting with Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder but who else are you going to rely on? Corey Hart? Rickie Weeks? Those names don’t wow at all. So the hitting needs to come around if this team is serious about contending. The player to watch would be third baseman Corey McGehee. If he is able to continue his numbers and hit and field with consistency then the Brewers should be able to be in playoff talk the entire season.
4 .Chicago Cubs- On the paper the Cubs look like a very good team but games are not played on paper. The Cubs last year led the majors in errors or were right at the top most of the year and giving teams extra outs is never a good thing. Shortstop Starlin Castro is the best young prospect at his position and should have a great year but he still needs to work on his glove more and less on hitting. They traded for Matt Garza in the off-season with the Tampa Bay Rays but they should have sought after another pitcher. Garza is good but as a solid number two, its debateable. Alfonso Soriano has been in left field for four seasons now going onto his fifth but has yet to produce the numbers he use to with the Washington Nationals and the Texas Rangers. The club can not do anything until he gets it together. But the player to watch out for is Aramis Ramirez who was suppose to be an every year all-star third baseman but since coming to Chicago from Pittsburgh has not really been able to “do his thing.” If he cuts down on his errors the Cubs should be in great shape to finish somewhere in the top 4 of the Wildcard race.
5. Houston Astros- O my! Where do I begin with this team who traded their best pitcher in Roy Oswalt and player Lance Berkman last year so younger players can get playing time. This year is a young inexperience team that still has a couple of years left before can be taking seriously. Carlos Lee is the best hitter on the team but he probably wont be on the team much during the season since they are going to be willing to trade him for more prospects. Hunter Pence is a nice outfielder but the arm is weak just like his bat but he can run like a deer to catch balls in the air. The player to watch will be pitcher Wandy Rodriguez. He is going to be their ace for many a year and should continue to up his game as he goes further along this season. The Astros are still a couple of years away from being able to challenge for a wildcard slot.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates- Surprise! No not really, ever since the late 80’s early 90’s the Pirates really have not been too much to talk about and its due to its ownership. Every time the team might start contending the team will trade their best players away for more prospects instead of trying to keep a nucleus of players. They have great young talent as always but its like they are a farm system playing in the majors and ship the players off to whoever needs that position player. Center fielder Andrew McCutchen is a great young center fielder and possibly the best young one in the whole game but he still needs coaching and attitude adjustment before he is able to reach his full potential. The player to watch is Lyle Overbay who undoubtley needs to come in and take over the clubhouse and tell them how to do things and because he has probably played in this league than most of his teammates have been alive. Just like every year Pirate fans just sit back and enjoy the losing while your cross state rival is winning World Series.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Baseball Season Preview: NL East
With Spring Training starting up its time for TheCheek20 to give his baseball preview. We start out with the NL East where a lot happen in the offseason. This has been regarded as the toughest division in the National League, if not all of baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies won the division last year despite the Atlanta Braves leading it most of the way. Now the Phillies and Braves should both make the playoffs again this year just like last year but whether they will be able to is going to be tough cause the Washington Nationals, New York Mets, and Florida Marlins are not the average three through five teams that are just going to lay down and quit. So expect this division to be tough all throughout the baseball season and not decided until the final month. Without further a due here is how the NL East will turn out this year:
1. Philadelphia Phillies- They got the biggest pitching free agent in Cliff Lee during the off-season. There rotation now from top to bottom includes Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and Joe Blanton. This is easily the best starting rotation in the MLB. The bullpen is not too good but not the worst either led by closer Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson. When it comes to batting the Phillies are no slouch either with Ryan Howard and Chase Utley leading the way. Those two right there give them a top ten hitting team, not to mention Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Placido Planco. The key player for the Phillies to get where they want would be Brad Lidge, he has to be better at closing games. So from top to bottom the Phillies deserve the number one spot in the NL East and all of the National League.
2. Atlanta Braves (wildcard)- The Braves are losing a top five manager of all-time in Bobby Cox but Fredi Gonzalez has already come in and make an impact and many of the experts believes he is just like a Bobby Cox type of manager. The Braves are also digging into their farm system for a first baseman. Freddie Freeman came up for a couple of games last year to fill in but was still a year away from being the elite rookie he could be so this is the year they will expect big things from him and if he is able to produce the numbers like Jason Heyward then the Braves should be a top team in the National League. Speaking of Jason Heyward, the Braves need him to produce higher numbers since Chipper Jones is declining and being in the third or fifth spot they need him on base so Brian McCann can get him in. The pitching staff is solid with Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson, and Mike Minor. Billy Wagner retired so now Craig Kimbrell will be the new closer.
3. New York Mets- Just by the talent alone they land here but can they finally put it together and contend for at-least the wildcard. Carlos Beltran is moving from center field to right field for the first time in his career. Their pitching staff is woeful to say the least. Once you get past Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey then no one really scares anyone. They got argueably the best left side of the infield in the National League with David Wright and Jose Reyes, two of the best younger talents in baseball period. Outside of them and Carlos Beltran the rest of the Mets bats done really intimidate and is almost obsolete. The Mets are a mess but by talent alone they should finish here third in the NL East.
4. Washington Nationals- They lost Adam Dunn in the off-season but welcome Jayson Werth from division rival Phillies and Adam LaRoche. Ivan Rodriguez is still at catcher and i believe he turn sixty in the offseason but he is still a quality catcher but you can not talk about the Nationals without mentioning Ryan Zimmerman. He is the best young third baseman in the MLB and if he was in any line-up he would be penciled in the third slot and be the best hitter on the team as well. Just like the past couple of year the Nationals have great young talent but still need to grow up some until you can take them seriously. Last year when Stephen Strausburg came up from the minors many people saw what the future could entail but he will not play this season due to tommy john surgeory so Livan Hernandez will be their best pitcher in a dismal rotation. Two years from now the Nationals might be able to contend for the division but we still have to see how Bryce Harper will turn out to make that decision.
5. Florida Marlins- Where to begin about this squad. They have the lowest pay roll in baseball and then they fire their manager Fredi Gonzalez who got them to a winning record one year, which is a miracle in itself. The Marlins are always that team you are not quite sure about but this year they will struggle to win sixty-five games cause the only player they have is Hanely Ramirez even though they added Omar Infante from the trade with the Braves. The only problem with the trade was that they traded Dan Uggla, the best power hitting second baseman in the game and not only did they trade him but traded him to a division rival. The Marlins have some good young pitching in Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco but not enough for them to feel confident.
1. Philadelphia Phillies- They got the biggest pitching free agent in Cliff Lee during the off-season. There rotation now from top to bottom includes Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, and Joe Blanton. This is easily the best starting rotation in the MLB. The bullpen is not too good but not the worst either led by closer Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson. When it comes to batting the Phillies are no slouch either with Ryan Howard and Chase Utley leading the way. Those two right there give them a top ten hitting team, not to mention Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Placido Planco. The key player for the Phillies to get where they want would be Brad Lidge, he has to be better at closing games. So from top to bottom the Phillies deserve the number one spot in the NL East and all of the National League.
2. Atlanta Braves (wildcard)- The Braves are losing a top five manager of all-time in Bobby Cox but Fredi Gonzalez has already come in and make an impact and many of the experts believes he is just like a Bobby Cox type of manager. The Braves are also digging into their farm system for a first baseman. Freddie Freeman came up for a couple of games last year to fill in but was still a year away from being the elite rookie he could be so this is the year they will expect big things from him and if he is able to produce the numbers like Jason Heyward then the Braves should be a top team in the National League. Speaking of Jason Heyward, the Braves need him to produce higher numbers since Chipper Jones is declining and being in the third or fifth spot they need him on base so Brian McCann can get him in. The pitching staff is solid with Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson, and Mike Minor. Billy Wagner retired so now Craig Kimbrell will be the new closer.
3. New York Mets- Just by the talent alone they land here but can they finally put it together and contend for at-least the wildcard. Carlos Beltran is moving from center field to right field for the first time in his career. Their pitching staff is woeful to say the least. Once you get past Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey then no one really scares anyone. They got argueably the best left side of the infield in the National League with David Wright and Jose Reyes, two of the best younger talents in baseball period. Outside of them and Carlos Beltran the rest of the Mets bats done really intimidate and is almost obsolete. The Mets are a mess but by talent alone they should finish here third in the NL East.
4. Washington Nationals- They lost Adam Dunn in the off-season but welcome Jayson Werth from division rival Phillies and Adam LaRoche. Ivan Rodriguez is still at catcher and i believe he turn sixty in the offseason but he is still a quality catcher but you can not talk about the Nationals without mentioning Ryan Zimmerman. He is the best young third baseman in the MLB and if he was in any line-up he would be penciled in the third slot and be the best hitter on the team as well. Just like the past couple of year the Nationals have great young talent but still need to grow up some until you can take them seriously. Last year when Stephen Strausburg came up from the minors many people saw what the future could entail but he will not play this season due to tommy john surgeory so Livan Hernandez will be their best pitcher in a dismal rotation. Two years from now the Nationals might be able to contend for the division but we still have to see how Bryce Harper will turn out to make that decision.
5. Florida Marlins- Where to begin about this squad. They have the lowest pay roll in baseball and then they fire their manager Fredi Gonzalez who got them to a winning record one year, which is a miracle in itself. The Marlins are always that team you are not quite sure about but this year they will struggle to win sixty-five games cause the only player they have is Hanely Ramirez even though they added Omar Infante from the trade with the Braves. The only problem with the trade was that they traded Dan Uggla, the best power hitting second baseman in the game and not only did they trade him but traded him to a division rival. The Marlins have some good young pitching in Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco but not enough for them to feel confident.
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