I was going to write my all too familiar one or two
paragraph lead in here. You know, about
the green grass, the excitement in the air, and all that sentimental baseball
stuff. But it’s cold in Boston, the Red
Sox are coming off a last place finish, and frankly, nobody in their right mind
is excited for 162 freaking baseball games.
The only people excited for April and May baseball are the
gamblers. So I’m going to cut it short. Like…now.
American League
East Division
1. New York Yankees- Their entire lineup is disintegrating
except for Robinson Cano, who just so happens to be in a contract year. I can already see the Yankees struggling
through the first two months before picking up steam (as always) in the summer
and before we know it, it’s October 1st and they’re in first place
in the East. And we’ll all feel terrible
about ourselves.
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2. Tampa Bay Rays- The Rays are going to be there at the end of
the season, no matter how inept their offense is or who leaves in free
agency. Joe Maddon (right) is the best manager
in the game, and David Price and Matt Moore are a pair of southpaw Aces that
can beat anyone. I’ve got them in the
wildcard.
3. Baltimore Orioles- A good young roster headlined by Adam
Jones, Matt Wieters, and Manny Machado, the O’s could repeat as East champs or
sink to the bottom. I’ve got them right
in the middle.
4. Boston Red Sox- The roster isn’t much better than it was
last season, and even if Bobby V’s circus has left town, this is still a tough
division to rebuild on the fly in. I don’t
think they have the pitching to compete this season.
5. Toronto Blue Jays- They traded for the same big name players
that got Miami a fifth place finish last year, as well as a 38-year-old breakout
knuckleballer who pitched in the most pitcher-friendly park in the majors in
Citi Field. I’m not buying the Jays.
Central Division
1. Detroit Tigers- They’ve got an elite rotation and the best
3-4 in the league in Cabrera and Fielder.
Easily the cream of the crop in this division.
2. Chicago White Sox- Chris Sale (below) is an Ace, and they can still
mash it. The White Sox are a good,
consistent bet to be there until September.
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3. Kansas City Royals- They’re the talk of the spring, but also
the Royals. So I averaged it out to third
place.
4. Cleveland Indians- They’ve got some good young players and a
solid manager in Terry Francona. But
this division has some good veteran teams and I can’t see Cleveland matching up
over the long haul.
5. Minnesota Twins- They’re clearly the worst team in the
division on paper. It’s years like this
that they always surprise though.
West Division
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1. Los Angeles/Anaheim Angels- They continued to add big names
this offseason, landing Josh Hamilton (right) to join a lineup that already features
Pujols, Trout, and Trumbo. They’re too
talented to miss the playoffs again.
2. Oakland Athletics- They’ve got a great rotation of homegrown
arms, and a pesky lineup that does enough to get the job done. Billy Beane has built the model franchise for
a small market team. I’ve got them in
the wildcard.
3. Texas Rangers- Hamilton was a loss, but that lineup is still
terrific with Cruz, Beltre, Young, Andrus, and Kinsler. I just don’t know if they’ve got the pitching
to match Tampa or Oakland. They’ll be in
the thick of things, but I’ve got them missing the playoffs.
4. Seattle Mariners- Good news, Mariner fans! The Astros are here, so you won’t come in
last! (also Felix Hernandez isn’t
leaving for a while.)
5. Houston Astros- I have nothing to say on this one. Houston still has a problem in the talent
department.
Awards
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-Rookie of the Year- Will Myers, Rays- The Rays didn’t trade James
Shields for him to sit in the minors all season. He’s got pop.
-Manager of the Year- Joe Girardi, Yankees- I’ve got the
Yanks defying the odds and winning the East.
It’ll be an easy choice if that happens.
-CY Young- Justin Verlander, Tigers- Can’t go wrong betting
on the best pitcher on the planet right now.
-MVP- Robinson Cano (left), Yankees:
I’m expecting a .340/30/100 season in his walk year, and if the Yanks
win the division he’ll be hard to beat.
Playoffs
Wildcard- Rays over A’s
Divisional Round- Tigers over Rays, Angels over Yankees
Championship Round- Angels over Tigers.
National League
East Division
1. Atlanta Braves- This offense is downright scary, as I’m
expecting Jason Heyward to really step it up this year as a franchise player,
and now they have the Uptons too. Throw
in Brian McCann, Freddie Freeman, and some young players all over the roster
(they might have the best farm system in the game), and I’m penciling the
Braves in to win the East.
2. Washington Nationals- They’re America’s sweethearts right
now, and probably the favorites in the National League. But I can’t see them having the offense to
keep up with Atlanta, and young teams are never a sure thing.
3. Philadelphia Phillies- They have a pretty God-awful offense,
and Doc Halladay hasn’t looked himself thus far. But just about anyone could finish in third
in this division.
4. New York Mets- The Mets had a pretty quiet offseason, with
the exception of the R.A. Dickey trade.
Good to see they aren’t going to destroy any careers this year.
5. Miami Marlins- This.
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Central Division
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1. St. Louis Cardinals- No matter who they lose, they’ll always
be good. They’re like the opposite of
the Mets in that regard. A safe bet to
be there in October, they’re my pick in this division.
2. Cincinnati Reds- The Aroldis Chapman (right) starter thing is the
story to watch here. I’m saying the Reds
will contend for the division and the wild-card, but narrowly miss out on both.
3. Milwaukee Brewers- If Ryan Braun ever actually gets
reprimanded for using PEDs they’ll be in trouble. Til then, they’re competitive.
4. Pittsburgh Pirates- I’ll believe they’re good when I see it.
5. Chicago Cubs- The sky is blue, the ball is white, and the
Cubs aren’t going to win the World Series.
My three guarantees for 2013.
West Division
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2. San Francisco Giants- They still have the best pitching in
the league, and Bruce Bochy is pretty smart.
Put it this way, they won the World Series last year and Lincecum wasn’t
even Lincecum. I’ve got them in the
wild-card.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers- They spent a lot of money. That doesn’t equate to wins. Too many injury-prone guys in that lineup,
namely Kemp (left) and Ramirez.
4. San Diego Padres- In honor of Spanish Heritage month I’m not slotting the Padres in 5th.
5. Colorado Rockies- Can you name one pitcher on the Rockies? Neither can I.
Awards
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-Rookie of the Year- Julio Tehran, Braves- The Braves’ fifth
starter is a former top prospect who seems to have his head back in a good
place. He’ll be an X-Factor in their
quest for the East.
-Manager of the Year- Kirk Gibson, Diamondbacks- Do you believe…
what you just saw?
-CY Young- Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers- Like Verlander, it’s
just easy to go with the best pitcher in the league in this spot.
-MVP- Jason Heyward, Braves- I’ve got an inkling Heyward
finally busts through this year. 35
homers, 120 RBI, and 25 steals with a .300 average? I can see it coming.
Playoffs
Wildcard- Nationals over Giants
Divisional Round- Nationals over Braves, Cardinals over
Diamondbacks
Championship Round- Cardinals over Nationals
World Series Pick
Angels over Cardinals
WS MVP: Mike Trout
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