Tag Archives: baseball

April 9, 2013

2013 MLB Predictions

By nalstradamus

Yeah I know the season’s already a week old, but better late than ever to dish out my yearly MLB predictions. My predictions for last year weren’t too awful, I did pick the World Series match up correctly; however, I also picked Lincecum for the Cy Young. Ok so feel free to laugh at the following predictions.

AL EAST

  1. Toronto
  2. New York (w)
  3. Tampa Bay
  4. Boston
  5. Baltimore

Yup, a total biased pick here, but now is the time for my Blue Jays. The super powers in the Yankees and Red Sox are both ageing and not as formidable as they usually are. The Blue Jays have the deepest line-up and the best rotation in this division. The Jays have started off cold, but it’s only a matter of time before the line up starts putting up crooked numbers and the rotation starts shutting teams down.

HR King? (FRED THORNHILL/REUTERS)

HR King? (FRED THORNHILL/REUTERS)

AL CENTRAL

  1. Detroit
  2. KC
  3. Chicago
  4. Minnesota
  5. Cleveland

This division is weak sauce so the defending AL champs should be able to win this division rather comfortably…although I said that last year and it wasn’t like they dominated the division. The Royals are loaded with talent, their rotation is somewhat decent for a change and they also have a solid bullpen…I think they’ll come close to a wild card this year.

KC Studs

KC Studs

AL WEST

  1. Texas
  2. LA (w)
  3. Seattle
  4. Oakland
  5. Houston

The Rangers are still the class of this division in my opinion. I like their rotation and bullpen much more than the Angels. Yeah the Angels have 3 of the most feared hitters in the game, but if they can’t stop the other team from scoring it won’t matter. Seattle is an up and coming team..watch Dustin Ackley go buck this year. Houston…yikes that’s an awful team.

Jurickson Profar. Will be a stud one day

Jurickson Profar. Will be a stud one day

NL EAST

  1. Atlanta
  2. Washington (w)
  3. Philadelphia
  4. New York
  5. Miami
Cy Young?

Cy Young?

This was a tough one for me to pick, but I really like Atlanta’s outfield and that’s what gives them the slight edge over the Nats. Both teams have strong rotations and bullpens, this will be a battle until the bitter end. I’ll give the Nats one of the wildcards.

NL CENTRAL

  1. Cincinnati
  2. St. Louis
  3. Pittsburgh
  4. Milwaukee
  5. Chicago

If I had to choose a favourite team in the NL it would have to be the Reds. They have a strong lineup, a deep rotation and lights out bullpen. The Cards are a strong team as well and are likely to take at least a wildcard spot.

Canadian super stud

Canadian super stud

NL WEST

  1. Arizona
  2. San Francisco
  3. Los Angeles
  4. Colorado
  5. San Diego

I’m banking on a World Series hangover by the Giants this year. I’m thinking the Diamondbacks can challenge the champs this year for the NL West crown. They have the line up, rotation and bullpen to do it. The Dodgers have blown all of Magic Johnson’s money, but I just don’t trust that rotation past Kershaw.

Paul Goldschmidt and the Diamondbacks should give the Giants a run for their money.

Paul Goldschmidt and the Diamondbacks should give the Giants a run for their money.

Here are my trophy/hardware predictions for the season:

AL Winner: Toronto

NL Winner: Cincinnati

World Series Winner: Toronto

AL MVP: Jose Bautista

NL MVP: Joey Votto

AL CY Young: Yu Darvish

NL CY Young: Stephen Strasburg

AL Rookie of the Year: Wil Myers

NL Rookie of the Year: Adam Eaton

AL Batting Champ: Miguel Cabrera

NL Batting Champ: Joey Votto

AL HR King: Jose Bautista

NL HR King: Jay Bruce

 

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December 15, 2012

Northern Knuckler?

By nalstradamus
The Knuckler bringing his talents to Yonge St?

The Knuckler bringing his talents to Yonge St?

Reports are out that the Blue Jays may be close to adding NL Cy Young Award winner R.A Dickey. This move won’t come cheap and reports have super Jays prospect Travis d’Arnaud being the piece moving to the Mets. The deal may be bigger than just these 2 players with other rumoured names such as Mets 1B Ike Davis and the Jays top OF prospect Anthony Gose also possibly moving locales.

The Jays likely already have the best starting 5 in the AL East, but this move would make it arguably the best 5 in the entire league. But is the cost worth it?

In my opinion it seems like a lot to give up for a 38 year old starter on the final year of a contract. Trading d’Arnaud means the Jays believe JP Arencibia is their catcher for the long haul. As I’ve stated in earlier posts I’m not a huge Arencibia fan. I’m a baseball purist and believe your catcher needs to be able to catch first and hit 2nd. Arencibia is a terrible defender and there’s no signs that this aspect of his game is expected to improve drastically.

Bye bye birdie?

Bye bye birdie?

The rumours of Ike Davis being thrown into this deal makes sense as the Jays would probably want some youth and control coming back to them after giving up their top 2 prospects. I like Ike Davis and he is a monstrous upgrade over Adam Lind at first base. However, Gose is a scary talent to give up on…a possible 5 tool talent that doesn’t come around too often.

I’ve been on board with every move AA has made on his road to making the Jays a playoff contender, but I’m having a hard time buying in to this one. I’m all for trading your prospects for proven talent when you are close to something special, but giving up your top 2 prospects for a 38 year old rental and a so-so middle tier first baseman is a zany gamble. Oh and for those saying why don’t the Jays just trade Arencibia and Rasmus instead…that is nowhere near close enough to get you a Cy Young Award winner.

In the end though, the Jays will be the favourite to win the AL East and having a rotation with Ricky Romero as your 5th starter is just perverted.

Ok…I think I’m starting to talk myself into liking this trade….damn it….why can’t baseball start right now!!!

 

 

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November 20, 2012

John Gibbons: Part 2

By nalstradamus

Who saw this coming? You’re lying if you say yes. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

When I first heard the news the Jays rehired John Gibbons as manager I farted.

Not because I was angry or happy really…protein shakes just make me gassy.

What do I think of the move? I’m obviously surprised like everyone else, but I can’t say I’m disappointed or excited…just blah.

Nothing really exciting happened in his first go around with the Jays other than his confrontations with his own players like Ted Lilly and Shea Hillenbrand.

The thing is, nothing really bad happened either.

It’s not like Gibbons has been a managerial star since he left the Jays either. He was a bench coach in KC for a bit and last year managed a double A team to a below .500 finish.

So why Gibbons?

Alex Anthopoulos is obviously familiar with Gibbons and knows him personally and professionally. He knows he can trust him and he knows for certain this manager will not leave the Jays to pursue another “dream job.” He knows how Gibbons manages and ultimately he feels strongly enough that Gibbons’ managerial style fits his new roster. From reading and listening to other reports it appears Gibbons is a laid back type of manager that players love to play for, but also someone who won’t shy away from telling a mega million dollar player that he sucks balls.

Is this hire risky? Without a doubt. It seems like AA is acting on a major hunch on this hire because as mentioned above there isn’t much recent evidence to support that Gibbons can be a winning manager. He better hope his hunch pans out because if it doesn’t he won’t be around to make another hunch.

 

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November 13, 2012

Blue Jays Complete Blockbuster to End All Blockbusters

By nalstradamus

If there was something that would bring me back to the blogosphere it would definitely be the MONSTER trade that just occurred between the Blue Jays and Marlins. The final details are still trickling in as I type this. The main thing for Jays fans is the Jays are getting Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and Emilio Bonafacio. To get quality players of course the Jays had to part with major young talent: Adeiny Hechavarria, Justin Nicolino and Henderson Alvarez. These youngsters have the potential to be stars; however, I would do that trade 100 times out of a 100 to get an all-star, former batting champ shortstop  and one of the premier power arms in the game.

Jose Reyes immediately becomes the best Blue Jays SS ever. Sorry Tony Fernandez.

This trade shows the Jays brass were not blowing off hot air in off season interviews when stating that they were committed to being serious contenders next season. Adding this much talent doesn’t come cheap though as ownership wallets have been ripped wide open with Reyes, Johnson and Buehrle bringing with them $178.75 million in payroll…YOWZA! Not only does this trade make the Jays a more viable contender in the AL East, but the trade should also attract more interest from available managers. Who wouldn’t want to be the skip of a team that can trot out a top of the line up like this: Reyes, Lawrie, Bautista, Encarnacion.

Johnson and Morrow make a scary 1-2 power arm combo

 

Adding Johnson and Buehrle significantly strengthens a Blue Jays rotation that was decimated by injury and a terrible year from now former ace Ricky Romero. Buehrle is just the kind of veteran starter presence the Jays were in dire need of. He is a professional, that brings his work pail to the park day in and day out and should be a calming influence for the other young Jays pitchers. Can you imagine if your an opposing team and you go into a weekend 3 game set knowing you will have to face Josh Johnson and Brandon Morrow? Might as well chock up an automatic 1 for 8 with 4 k’s if your a hitter other than Miguel Cabrera.

Buehrle is like having a 2nd pitching coach on the bench.

(Oh, a tweet just in confirms John Buck as another Marlins player coming over in this massive deal. He’ll be the back up to JP barring any other crazy deals.)

I’m trying to stay sane with this deal, but it’s tough not to get excited when the team you love turns into a serious contender in a matter of minutes. The Jays aren’t done though…they still need a left fielder and you just know Adam Lind can’t be the DH or 1 bagger come April. Oh and of course a manager to lead this team is obviously a must as well.

What a way to celebrate the 100th post of my blog with the biggest trade for the Jays since the Alomar/Carter trade.

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August 20, 2012

Justin Morneau Would Look Good in Blue

By nalstradamus

The Toronto Blue Jays’ hard luck season is winding down and thoughts about next season are already on most Jays fans minds. I thought the Jays would be in the mix for a wild card spot all season, but injuries to almost their entire starting line up, the majority of their starting rotation, a set-up man and their closer…there’s was no chance in hell. What this season has shown is the holes the roster needs to fill to be serious contenders. I’ve blabbed all season about the holes in the rotation, but today I want to focus on the gaping wound at first base.

Adam Lind, the incumbent at first has continued to regress this season. His line of .227 avg, .298 OBP, .394 Slugging, 8 home runs, 27 RBI is dreadful for a power corner infield position. The Jays finally lost patience with the former 35 home run 114 RBI man earlier in the year and demoted him to the minors to see if it would kick start his motor similar to what happened with Edwin Encarnacion. However, the plan has just not panned out how the Jays were hoping and it’s become clear the Jays need to move in another direction at first base.

Adam Lind

One solution is to put Edwin Encarnacion at first base. I have no issues with this at all, but who is going to take over at DH for EE? Or share DH and 1B duties with EE? The title of this blog kind of gives away my opinion on these questions. I think Justin Morneau would fit nicely in a 1B/DH role for the Jays. After struggling with injuries the last couple seasons it appears Morneau is starting to regain his form. His stats aren’t eye popping at first glance (.276, 16 HR, 59 RBI), but considering there was talk in the pre-season of him possibly retiring due to health problems, these stats are solid. Having him time share with EE at 1B would help keep him fresh and lessen the chances of injury. A powerful left handed bat behind Bautista/Encarnacion (or between them) is sorely needed and Morneau has shown he still has plenty of pop. Add in the fact that he is Canadian and a former MVP, he would likely become a fan favourite in no time. It would be a neat combo having both corners of the infield being manned by guys from BC…that would have to be a first in history right?

Justin Morneau

The one drawback of Morneau’s apparent resurgence is it may make it difficult for the Jays to pry him away from the Twins. He is still under contract for one more season, but the Twins don’t appear to be near contention anytime soon and they would likely want to get something for Morneau while they still can. The Twins are always looking for young players to fill their minor league system and the Jays have plenty of young talent in their system to wheel and deal with. It would be somewhat of a risky move by the Jays since Morneau is just a knock in the head away from never playing the game again. However, I think the rewards of a power middle of the order left handed bat outweigh the potential risks.

If you disagree with my Morneau to the Jays thoughts let me know or better yet give me a realistic alternative option you would like to see Jays go after this off season.

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August 16, 2012

The Ultimate Man Crush of 2012: Mike Trout

By nalstradamus

It’s been quite awhile since I last posted. I’ve been soaking up as much sun as I can here in Vancouver before the inevitable…dare I say it…rain returns. I’ve been itching to write though and I’ve made a long list of potential topics that should keep me busy for the next little while. I thought I’d dust the writer’s rust off with a post about my choice for the best player in baseball right now, Mike Trout.

Kelvin Kuo/US Presswire

.340, 93 runs, 131 hits, 22 home runs, 66 RBI, 38 stolen bases

Those numbers are just insane. His average and stolen base totals are tops in the AL. Add in the fact that the kid is a rookie and is only 21 years old makes those stats just perverted. Also remember the kid didn’t start the season with the Angels, he’s done all the above in only 95 games. If he hit at the same clip over a full season it gets even nuttier 158 runs, 223 hits, 38 home runs, 112 RBI, 65 stolen bases. I’m running out of hyperboles to use here. The offence is eye catching, but so is the kid’s defence. He has made several highlight reel catches (see the best catch of the year in the video below) including multiple home run thefts. He is also likely the main reason why the Angels turned their season around after a horrendous start and why they are in the wild card mix.

Seriously though, all man crushing aside, if you were starting a franchise and could pick one current player to build around would it not be Mike Trout? If you have someone else in mind argue away in the comment section and give me some solid reasoning. I’m sure someone will argue a pitcher would be their first pick, maybe someone like Stephen Strasburg. My argument against that would be that the pitcher can only have an impact every 5 days while Trout can make a difference daily. Pitchers also seriously injure themselves more often then position players do. Anyway, I’ll stop arguing for now…

With about 43-45 games remaining I’m thinking he has a good shot to join the 30-30 club. I can’t think off the top of my head if there’s been any other rookies who have done this before. If you know of one feel free to call me out in the comment section. I also think he’s done more than enough to win not only the AL rookie of the year, but also the AL MVP. If he does the double he will be only the 3rd player in history to achieve this, Ichiro and Fred Lynn being the others.

Ok, I think you get the picture. The guy’s just slightly above average.

 

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June 13, 2012

Youth Movement

By nalstradamus

It’s been almost a month since my last post. So many things have happened in the world of sports since then: the Stanley Cup is in Hollywood, the Euro Cup (and the constant honking down Commercial Drive) is in full force, my fellow filipinos continue to weep in the streets over the worst boxing decision of all time, the “anyone but Lebron” cries are heard all over the NBA finals and Roberto Luongo is still a Canuck. I have no excuses really so I won’t waste anyone’s time with loads of B.S. Today I want to talk about something that has really excited me the last few months and that’s all the young stars in baseball. Can anyone think of another time in baseball where there have been so many young studs in the league at the same time? I am going to go through my top 7 current youngn’s under the age of 24.

1) Bryce Harper – 19 years old, Outfielder, Washington Nationals

I really didn’t want to like this kid. All I heard and saw were stories of his cockiness and lack of respect for the game and other players. This video sums up why I thought he was a douche.

Douche-e-ness aside, this guy is an amazing talent. He has raw power, a cannon for an arm, speed and a tough as nails kind of attitude every manager loves to see in a ballplayer. On the field he plays the game the right way: hustles every play and gives it his all. He has been saying all the right things in interviews even in times when he could have easily gone wild such as when Cole Hamels purposely beaned him because he didn’t like the kid.

I’m still waiting for the kid to slow down and show his age a bit, but he doesn’t look like he is going to anytime soon.

2) Stephen Strasburg, 23 years old, Pitcher, Washington Nationals

 

English: Stephen Strasburg

Stephen Strasburg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Another National and another 1st overall pick. The Nationals have been lucky that their two 1st overall picks are looking like 1st overall picks. There have been many times that hasn’t been the case (see Luck Hochevar in KC). Strasburg is a scary talent. He has a fastball that can touch triple digits and a change-up in the 90′s! His breaking stuff is just as nasty. He leads the league in strikeouts this year with 100 in just 77 innings. His control has also been masterful with just 20 walks. He looks like the 2nd coming of Nolan Ryan, no hit stuff in every start. The only thing to worry about is health with this kid. He is already coming off major surgery that forced him to miss most of last year. If he can stay healthy he may become one of the best pitchers that ever played the game.

3) Mike Trout, 20 years old, Outfielder, Los Angeles Angels

 

Mike Trout

 

I have a personal man crush on this guy because he is currently carrying my fantasy team. This kid is an all around beast. He can hit for power and average, he has high end speed and has gold glove worthy skills in the outfield. He is also a throwback type of player in which you get pure hustle and tenacity with every play. In just 41 games he already has 57 hits and 15 stolen bases. He is hitting at a .345 clip and getting on base just over 40% of the time. His energy on the field has seemed to kickstart the Angels into overdrive. Before his call-up the Angels were struggling and were looking like the biggest busts of the season. Now the Angels are within striking distance of their rivals the Rangers and many thanks should go to Trout for turning the ship around.

4) Giancarlo Stanton, 22 years old, Outfielder, Miami Marlins

If I was going to buy a ticket to watch one player take batting practice it would be Stanton. This guy hits moonshots.

He has 50 home runs written all over him. He can hit 40 in his sleep with the power he possesses. Arguably he has the most power in the league and he’s only 22…scary to think of what he can do as he gets more years under his belt.

5) Brett Lawrie, 22 years old, Third Base, Toronto Blue Jays

Very similar to Mike Trout in terms of hustle and heart and power, but maybe a little less speed. Lawrie has all the tools to be a superstar, but needs to work on his temper around the umps if he wants to get some borderline calls to go his way once and awhile.

He hasn’t been driving the ball as much as he was during his sensational call up last season as his .380 slugging percentage clearly shows. I’m thinking he’s close to busting out in a big way in the next few months…time for me to pitch a deal for him in my fantasy league.

6) Chris Sale, 23 years old, Pitcher, Chicago White Sox

 

Chris Sale

 

There seems to be an abundance of fire balling young left handed pitchers these days: David Price, Clayton Kershaw, Aroldis Chapman to name a few. Sale is yet another one of these intimidating lefties. This is the 6’6″ 180 pounder’s first year in the starting rotation and he is dominating so far with an 8-2 record, a ridiculous WHIP of 0.92 and an absurd opponents batting average of just .188. He is also the #1 rated pitcher in fantasy baseball. An All-Star nod is likely and if he continues to dominate maybe even a Cy Young.

7) Starlin Castro, 22 years old, Shortstop, Chicago Cubs

 

English: Starlin Castro of the Chicago Cubs wa...

 

Castro is the brightest light for the Cubs and their rebuild back into a contending ball club. He is an all round talent as he excels with the bat, glove and his legs. His plate discipline is Vladdy Guerrero like in which if it’s close he’s going to have a rip at it. He will likely be a perennial .300 hitter with close to 200 hits, 15-20 jacks and 20-25 SB’s…those numbers are elite SS numbers.

Those are my top 7, if I missed any that you have secret man crushes on let me know.

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May 6, 2012

April Showers Bring Bautista Powers?

By nalstradamus

The first month of the MLB season has just ended and the Toronto Blue Jays are right in the thick of things in the stacked AL East. The Blue Jays currently sit at 16-13 which is good for the 4th best record in the AL. Defence, starting pitching and Edwin Encarnacion have been carrying the Jays thus far.  The defence has been especially strong up the middle with Escobar, Johnson and Rasmus. The Jays are the league leaders in rolling double plays and Rasmus has already made several highlight real snags. The starting pitching has been strong lead by ace Ricky Romero. The starters have routinely been pitching 6 innings plus keeping the bullpen fresh. Edwin Encarnacion is having an incredible start to the season with 9 dingers and 24 runs batted in. However, there have been some poor starts to the season in the bullpen and with the rest of the hitting line up not named Encarnacion or Lawrie.

Edwin Encarnacion has been carrying the Jays offence thus far with 9 home runs and 24 RBI’s

The bullpen was a major focus in the offseason for the Jays as they were near the top of the league in blown saves. A new closer in Sergio Santos was brought in as well as a fire balling set up man (Cordero) and a crafty lefty specialist (Oliver). Unfortunately for the Jays the revamped bullpen has struggled thus far converting only 4 saves in 10 opportunities. The 6 blown saves are 2nd worst in the AL behind the LA Angels. The Jays will give Santos a long leash to figure things out once he gets back from the DL. Santos has all the tools you want in a closer, but will have to keep his 95+MPH heater down to be successful. Any big league hitter can hit a grooved belt high heater no matter how fast its thrown.

Of more concern to Jays fans is the slow start by the Jays bats. Adam Lind and Jose Bautista have struggled mightily. Lind is batting .200 while Bautista is hitting .180. They have combined for 7 home runs and 23 RBIs which falls short of teammate Encarnacion’s output. Definitely not numbers you want to see from your #3 and #4 hitters in the line up. Bautista has been showing some signs of life lately as he has been hitting the ball hard the last few games. His timing looked just off in April, but it appears it’s just a matter of time before he gets back to hitting at an all star level. I’m predicting a monster May and June for the slugging right fielder. As for Lind the same hopeful optimsim can’t be shared. As pointed out by Gregg Zaun on today’s Jays broadcast it appears Lind has lost his ability to hit the fastball on a consistent basis. A MLB player who struggles to hit the fastball is in big trouble. Lind may soon drop in the order and if he continues to struggle may lose some playing time to EE at 1st.

Bautista won’t hit .180 for much longer

Overall a solid month for the Jays. Being above .500 in a division of super powers is an amazing accomplishment in itself. What’s even more impressive is the Jays have this record while not having all the parts of the machine running optimally. If the starters can keep doing what they’re doing and the defence keeps doing what they’re doing the Jays will be fine. The bats will come around and the ‘Pen will mesh and settle down. There’s no rush or anything… I mean there’s only 6 months left in the season ;)

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March 30, 2012

2012 MLB Predictions

By nalstradamus

The boys of summer are back and that means it’s prediction time. I already gave my Blue Jays predictions here, so today I will make the rest of my 2012 predictions.

AL East

1) New York

2) Toronto (w)

3) Tampa Bay

4) Boston

5) Baltimore

Robinson Cano leads a dangerous Yankee line up

The Yanks are ageing, but they are still the team to beat in the East. They have a nightmare of a line-up that keeps them in any game. There are question marks in the rotation, but with an offence like their’s who cares?  The Rays have a solid line-up led by a future MVP in Evan Longoria and  in my opinion they have the strongest rotation in the East. The Rays will be in the wildcard mix all season long. The Red Sox fell apart in the last month of last season causing them to undergo one of the biggest collapses in MLB regular season history. I think the fried chicken, beer and video games shenanigans continue this season and thus, no postseason. I’m not even going to bother talking about Baltimore…other than what will the over/under be on Chris Davis and Mark Reynolds’ strikeout total? 425?

AL Central

1) Detroit

2) Cleveland

3) Kansas City

4) Chicago

5) Minnesota

Miguel Cabrera is going to destroy the league with Prince Fielder protecting him.

The Tigers are the obvious studs of this division and should wrap this division up by June. The Indians were a pleasant surprise last season and I see them continuing to improve this year. I’m also predicting a huge bounce back season for Ubaldo Jimenez. The Royals have loads of young talent on the MLB level and in the minors; however, when Bruce Chen is slated to be your #1 starter your in deep trouble. The White Sox also have some young talent to show off in the outfield this year, but their line-up depends too heavily on an ageing Paul Konerko. Adam Dunn has been a bust, but he can only go up from last season’s debacle. The Twins who once were yearly contenders for the division crown are now considered to be a team on the decline. The health of former MVP Justin Morneau is still in question and the absence of power from the rest of the line up means this team will struggle to score runs in their spacious home park. I do think Francisco Liriano will have a solid year and will take over the #1 role from Carl Pavano in no time.

AL West

1) Texas

2) Los Angeles (w)

3) Oakland

4) Seattle

Jered Weaver is my pick for the AL Cy Young

The Angels went wild in the offseason blowing $$$ on Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson. However, I still think the Rangers are the class of this division. In my opinion they have a deeper rotation and bullpen and a more balanced offensive attack. The battle for the division title will be fun to watch all season long. Oakland and Seattle are several tiers below the Angels and Rangers in terms of talent. Their focus will continue to be developing their young prospects and collecting draft picks. I’m hoping Ichiro bounces back and gets back to superstar status, he is one of my all time favourite players.

NL East

1) Philadelphia

2) Atlanta (w)

3) Washington

4) Miami

5) New York

Roy you know I'll always love (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The Phillies were the favourites to win it all last season until they were upset by the eventual World Series winners the St. Louis Cardinals. They will be the favourites to win the NL East again this season as they have the best rotation in the division, a solid bullpen, excellent defence and a quality hitting line-up. The Braves suffered a heart breaking collapse to end the year to miss the playoffs on the final day of the season. The Braves have a deep rotation, the best 1-2 punch in the bullpen in Venters and Kimbrel and a balance of speed and power in the line up. The Nationals are getting closer to contending with the big 2 atop this division, but are still a few years away. I wonder how long it will take before Bryce Harper is called up for good and the hype machine is pushed into overdrive. The Marlins not only changed their team name, but they also went bananas spending a whack load of cash on Heath Bell, Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes. The fish could surprise this year if Hanley gets interested in playing again and if Josh Johnson and Reyes can stay off extended stays on the DL. The Mets have a few nice pieces especially Lucas Duda and Ike Davis. However, relying on 2 key cogs from last year’s Blue Jays bullpen (Rauch and Francisco) that blew 25 saves is not a recipe for a dominant bullpen. I am pulling for Johan Santana to make a successful comeback as he is one of my all time favourite pitchers.

NL Central

1) Milwaukee

2) Cincinnati

3) St. Louis

4) Chicago

5) Pittsburgh

6) Houston

The Canadian Moustache man will look to keep the Brew Crew atop the NL Central

The Brewers are lucky Ryan Braun’s suspension was squashed because without him there’s no way they contend for the division. The Brew crew may have lost Prince Fielder, but they gained Aramis Ramirez and they still have a very deep rotation and a lights out bullpen. The defending champion Cards are still a solid team even with the departure of Albert Pujols and manager Tony La Russa. However, I think the departure of Pujols and La Russa will not be easy to overcome and I can see a bit of a World Series hangover letdown this season. The Reds are a strong team, but were dealt a huge blow with the loss of newly signed closer Ryan Madson for the year. I see the Reds pushing for the wild card hard this season, but falling just short. The Cubs have a superstar in the making in Starlin Castro, but other than this there isn’t much to be excited about on this roster. The Pirates have great young talent in McCutchen, Tabata, Alvarez, Walker and all-star closer Hanrahan, but the rotation is absolutely horrid. Can you name the starting outfield in Houston?…I didn’t think so…enough said.

NL West

1) San Francisco

2) Arizona (w)

3) Los Angeles

4) Colorado

5) San Diego

Tim Lincecum and the Giants look to regain the NL West crown after a disappointing season.

With Lincecum, Cain and Bumgarner I’m not sure how the Giants don’t win this division. It’s not going to be easy though as Arizona has a strong line up anchored by emerging superstar Justin Upton. The Diamondback rotation may not be as dominant, but it is solid from 1-5. The Dodgers have the best starting pitcher in the league in Clayton Kershaw and the best centre fielder in the league in Matt Kemp. However, these 2 alone will not be enough to bring a playoff spot to Magic Johnson and the new ownership group. The Rockies have my pick for NL MVP this year Troy Tulowitzki, but other than Tulo and CarGo there isn’t much to be excited about as the rotation is porous and the bullpen is full of unknowns. I really like the Padres line-up and rotation. I think scoring Yonder Alonso and Edinson Volquez from the Reds was a huge steal. I think the Padres might surprise and finish in the middle of this division when all is said and done.

Here are my trophy/hardware predictions for the season:

AL Winner: Detroit Tigers

NL Winner: San Francisco

World Series Winner: Detroit Tigers

AL MVP: Jose Bautista

NL MVP: Troy Tulowitzki

AL CY Young: Jered Weaver

NL CY Young: Tim Lincecum

AL Rookie of the Year: Matt Moore

NL Rookie of the Year: Yonder Alonso

AL Batting Champ: Miguel Cabrera

NL Batting Champ: Joey Votto

AL HR King: Jose Bautista

NL HR King: Giancarlo Stanton

I can’t wait to see how many of these predictions I get wrong…err I mean right.

Let’s play ball!

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Baseball

March 28, 2012

Blue Jays 2012 Season Preview

By nalstradamus

The Blue Jays will make the playoffs this year. There I said it. Am I nuts? I don’t think I’m that far off base. Ignore the fact they are a MLB best 21-4 in spring training…ok, maybe you can’t fully ignore that ridiculous record. Up and down the roster is strong. They also have a huge stockpile of prospects in the minors that they could use as trade bait to land important free agents to push them even closer to playoff contention. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, they are still in the toughest division in all of baseball. However, the Yanks and Red Sox are aging and showing some chinks in the armour and the Orioles are still horrible. The Rays are dangerous though and winning in Tampa this year will be key if the Jays have playoff aspirations (they have historically stunk at the Trop). I’m going to give my breakdown on the team below and maybe you too will become a believer.

Starting Pitching

1) Ricky Romero

2) Brandon Morrow

3) Brett Cecil

4) Henderson Alvarez

5) Dustin McGowan (may start season on DL with foot injury)

Henderson Alvarez (Photo From David Cooper/Toronto Star)

As with all teams, starting pitching will be the most important part of the team’s success. The Jays rotation is likely the weakest part of the entire roster. Ricky Romero is the unquestioned ace of the staff and has been improving yearly. Brandon Morrow has elite talent but has yet to piece it all together to be a consistent arm start after start. Brett Cecil had an awful year last season starting with a significant drop in velocity and his eventual demotion to the minors. Henderson Alvarez is a 22 year old flame-thrower  that had a cup of coffee with the club last year starting 10 games to close out the season. Alvarez has electric stuff, but needs to work on his off speed pitches to keep the fastball loving AL East beasts off balance. Dustin McGowan was the feel good story of the year last year after he successfully returned to the majors after several surgeries and seasons of rehab. There is no guarantee that his surgically repaired arm will be able to handle a consistent workload, but there is no denying he still has solid stuff.

There have been rampant rumours that Alex Anthopoulos (AA) is looking to add another arm or two to this list. I do believe that the above rotation as it stands would not be strong enough to push the Jays into the playoffs. Something likely will be done via the trade route. Possibly a package deal involving Travis Snider and a minor league prospect would be enough to lure a 2nd or solid 3rd starter.

Bullpen

Closer: Sergio Santos

Set up men: Jason Fraser, Francisco Cordero

Lefty specialist: Darren Oliver

Middle Relief: Casey Janssen, Luis Perez

Long man: Carlos Villanueva

Sergio Santos will look to improve upon the Jays 25 blown saves from last season. Photograph by: John Lott, The National Post

The ‘Pen last year was atrocious and thus was a major focal point in the off season for AA. 3 key additions were added in Santos, Cordero and Oliver. Santos brings an intimidating, fireballing, strikeout threat to the closer role that the Jays fans haven’t seen since maybe Billy Koch. Cordero is also a power arm that has over 300 saves in his career. Oliver is a seasoned vet that has had a sub 3.00 in the last 4 seasons and is as dependable as it gets for left handed specialists. The bullpen overall will look to improve upon the 25 blown saves from last season. If the Jays were able to convert on half of those blown saves last season they would likely have been a playoff team. The bullpen should be a strength this year rather than a weakness.

Outfield

Left Field: Eric Thames

Centre Field: Colby Rasmus

Right Field: Jose Bautista

The battle of the spring was for the starting left field spot between Thames and Snider. With Thames winning this battle it all but seals the end of Snider’s days with the Jays. Thames showed he could mash last year hitting 12 bombs in 95 games. He was a liability on defence last year, but he has worked hard in the offseason and looks capable in the field so far in the spring. Colby Rasmus was an exciting pickup by the Jays, a highly touted prospect that fell out of favour with the St. Louis Cardinals. By all accounts a rare 5 tool player that needed a change in scenery. Rasmus struggled last year, but the talent is there and the Jays have worked their magic on another disgruntled young player in Yunel Escobar so there’s no saying they can’t do the same with Rasmus. What more is there to say about Joey Bats? The 2 time defending HR champ, a solid fielder and leader in the club house. I forever blashphamized myself as a Jays fan when I skipped Bautista at pick #5 of my fantasy pool in favour of Troy Tulowitzki. You know I didn’t mean it Joey…always love.

Can Jose Bautista win another HR title? (FRED THORNHILL/REUTERS)

Infield and DH

3B: Brett Lawrie

SS: Yunel Escobar

2B: Kelly Johnson

1B: Adam Lind

C: JP Arencibia

DH: Edwin Encarnacion

Brett Lawrie is a stud (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

There are no doubts to who will be the starters this year in the infield. This is stark contrast to last year where there was a revolving door at 3B and a struggling Aaron Hill at 2B. I’m not going to hype up Brett Lawrie anymore since I’ve already professed my love here, here and here. Yunel Escobar is a gold glove caliber SS and a solid hitter at the plate as well. Adam Lind was surprisingly competent in the field at 1B last year, but he continues to be inconsistent at the plate especially against lefties. Arencibia had a solid first full year behind the plate and showed tremendous power knocking out 23 dingers. He will look to improve upon a paltry .219 average and also on his game calling and throwing. Kelly Johnson had solid power numbers for the 2nd straight season (21 jacks), but will look to cut down on his whiffs (163 k’s) and get on base more frequently (.304 OBP). Edwin Encarnacion ended last season on a tear hitting .291, 11 homers and 7 steals in the 2nd half. Double E has teased us before with flashes of potential, but I think this season is the season he puts it together and puts in a .280, 25 HR, 85 RBI type of year.

My prediction for the Jays this year is that they will win 91 games and the 1st wild card in the AL. Some other predictions:

- Joey Bats leads the league in home runs

- Brandon Morrow throws a no hitter

- Sergio Santos, Joey Bats and Ricky Romero make the All-Star team

- Brett Lawrie goes 20/20 (20 jacks and 20 steals)

- John Farrell wins AL coach of the year

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Baseball

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