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by Digger
Mike Scioscia’s Los Angeles Angels have dominated the AL West winning 4 division titles in 5 years. It won’t come easy this season. Oakland has made big strides re-assembling their team with a few big sticks to compliment their pitching staff. As always, injuries might derail their season. Texas ownership still hasn’t learned good starting pitching helps win championships. Seattle went bust last year and is rebuilding.
Oakland Athletics (Mgr. Bob Geren)
Injuries have really hampered the A’s chances in recent seasons. They’re already a bit dinged up this spring but I’m picking them to win anyway. GM Billy Beane signed a couple of big sticks (Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi & Orlando Cabrera) . Oakland has a very deep bench which will come in handy when players end up on DL. Everything will have to click just right to overtake LA. This could be their year.
Rotation: Duchscherer, Gallagher, Eveland, ??, ?? Setup: Devine. Closer: Ziegler. Front 3 are set, but might not be ready for opening day. Final two slots yet to be named. A few wicked arms in the mix. A’s bullpen is lights out. If the starters can go 6 strong innings odds are the A’s will win more than they lose. Ziegler is a nasty closer. Devine was untouchable in ’08. A’s have mastered tutoring young pitchers. Let’s see if they can handle a pennant race. Geren will have to manage his pitching staff wisely this year. Steady Kurt Suzuki calls the shots and contributes with his bat.
Around the Horn: Barton, Ellis, Cabrera, Chavez. Barton is developing into a solid 1B and should see better pitches with new look lineup. Giambi will get a few starts when he’s not DH. Ellis & Cabrera form a great dp duo. Chavez health is of concern once again this spring. He hasn’t played a full season in years. Nomar Gariciaparra was just signed. He’s always hurting too but has plenty of gas left in his tank when healthy. Depth includes Bubba Crosby (most likely to start at 3rd if Chavez can’t play). Smart hitters and solid defenders backing up young pitchers.
Outfield: Cust, Sweeney, Holliday. Solid group here. Holliday’s first full season outside of Colorado. Cust clocked 33 last year. Slick fielding Sweeney will contribute too. Geren will have a tough time cutting players. A talented group of backup OF’s playing hard to make the big league club.
Forecast: After a busy off-season, deep A’s squad ready to take the West. Health is issue #1. Backups will get it done. Rotation holds key to success… or doom.
Los Angeles Angels (Mgr. Mike Scioscia)LA’s solid top to bottom. Unfortunately, they too have health issues entering ’09. Vlad Guerrero, Matthews, Santana, Weaver & Escobar attempt to get back into playing form. Entire infield missed time last year.
Rotation: Lackey, Santana, Saunders, Weaver, ?? Setup: Shields. Closer: Fuentes. Angels cautiously optimistic their front four starters will be ready to go. Injuries will challenge this team’s ability to win big games. Missing in ’09 is Francisco Rodriguez record breaking 62 saves. New closer Fuentes has already pulled up lame with back spasms. Mathis & Napoli split time catching this group.
Around the Horn: Morales, Kendrick, Aybar, Figgins. Free swinging, slick fielding, speedy contact hitters will drive opposing pitchers crazy. Surviving DL stints is key to success. All have spent extended time healing in past seasons. Depth is very thin.
Outfield: Guerrero, Hunter, Rivera, Abreu. Abreu was a late free agent pickup. He’ll compliment this team very well. He could be the only player with more than 60 walks in Angels free swinging lineup. Guerrero has fought off nagging injuries lately… and might see plenty of DH time with Abreu filling in RF. Rivera has never played a full season. Not sure why everyone seems to be high on this kid. He has never lived up to flaunted potential. Hunter remains one of baseball’s premier CF.
Forecast: It’s going to be a very challenging season for Scioscia’s Angels. Injuries will mount. Lack of patient hitting might cost games. LA might not make the playoffs this year. One major factor in their favor… A’s just as banged up! LA is a Wild Card contender.
Texas Rangers (Mgr. Ron Washington)Not much good news for Rangers fans heading into ’09. Management refuses, or doesn’t know how, to find quality starting pitching. They’ve been terrific at trading away future stars. Andruw Jones will try resurrecting his career after failing miserably for Torre’s Dodgers in ’08. Michael Young moves over the 3rd making way for rising star SS Elvis Andrus. Oft injured starter Kris Benson was signed (why?). Not much else has changed.
Rotation: Millwood, Padilla, McCarthy, Harrison, Feldman, Benson. Setup: undecided. Closer: Francisco. No pitcher on this will strike fear into rivals. None could crack top 3 in any other rotation. Starters figure to get shelled all season long. No real life or fantasy value. Bullpen will suffer from too many appearances and will wind up being a revolving door. Terrible staff. Jarrod Saltalamacchia begins the year as everyday catcher.
Around the Horn: Davis, Kinsler, Andrus, Young, Blalock. Future star Andrus takes over at short. Blalock becomes DH/1B. Young moves to 3rd. Davis at 1B. New positions for everyone except 2B Kinsler. Expecting a lot of errors. Texas will probably lead the league in runs allowed.
Outfield: Hamilton, Jones, Cruz, Murphy. Josh Hamilton had a season to remember. He played large all season and electrified an All Star crowd in Yankee Stadium with a monstrous display of power during the Home Run Contest. He’s moving to RF so Jones can man CF. LF might become a Cruz/Murphy platoon. Too many if’s here. These guys do not impress unless AJ returns to form.
Forecast: Doom and gloom. Rangers continue to ignore their most pressing needs, again. Pitching, pitching, pitching. This team will never contend until they find pitchers to shut down opposing teams. Only one thing can keep them out of last place……… Seattle.
Seattle Mariners (Mgr. Don Wakamatsu… who?)This club has fallen on hard times. Not too long ago Seattle won 116 games (2001). Last year, 101 losses and should be considered lucky not to have lost 115. This will be a restart season. There is some talent on this squad as they play for respectability. It shouldn’t be too hard to pass Texas in the standings. Who else can they beat?
Rotation: Hernandez, Bedard, Morrow, Washburn, Smith, Silva. Setup: undecided. Closer: Mark Lowe. Bedard was to be ’08 prized starting pitcher free agent pickup. Arm troubles killed any chances of contributing. Hernandez is a big time talent. Everyone else needs to rebound. Overall thin starting unit. Bullpen assignments yet to be determined but it’s clear… no one really stands out here. Catcher Johjima was terrible on both sides of the plate last year (.226, 8 errors, 8 passed balls).
Around the Horn: Branyan, Lopez, Betancorte, Beltre. Branyan as an everyday 1B? This move could hurt. Not much depth behind the starters. Mike Sweeney will be given a shot at making this club. He’s a great hitter when healthy… (only one season playing 120 games since ’03). Good news is this group can make a few defensive plays.
Outfield: Ichiro, Gutierrez, Griffey. Ichiro is a lock. I was hoping he’d get traded to Mets but no such luck. Gutierrez will have to earn his keep playing in spacious Safeco. Griffey will play LF but his lack of range might hurt staff. He’s best suited for full time DH. Lack of depth isn’t helpful if Junior gets hurt or if Gutierrez can’t handle everyday play on a major league level.
Forecast: Seattle to battle Texas. Loser owns last place in AL West. Not much on the horizon for this team. Thin prospects. Tight budget. Aging stars.
Stay tuned for National League predictions. NL East on deck.
(www.allworldallsports.com)
Showing posts with label American League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American League. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
2009 American League Central Forecast
Keep up with your favorite sports from around the world!
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by Digger
American League Central 2009. Baseball's anything can happen division. Last year, this division was decided by a one game sudden death Playoff. Chicago won a nailbiter over Minnesota 1-0 for the crown. Plenty of "what if's" when teams break camp in a couple of weeks. No single team stands above the rest. The experts are divided. Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit and Minnesota have been predicted to win. Not in my book! Here's how they'll finish in '09:
Kansas City Royals (Mgr. Trey Hillman)Ok, call me crazy. I’m picking Kansas City. Why not? In 2007 it was Colorado stunning the baseball world. Last year, Tampa Bay came out of nowhere. This year, my sleeper team is from Missouri. The Royals made some key upgrades and are serious about 2009 becoming their first playoff appearance since 1985 (World Series Champs).
Rotation: Projected to be Meche, Greinke, Bannister, Davies, Ramirez. Setup: Juan Cruz. Closer: Joakim Soria. 1 thru 3 is set with spring contenders fighting for final two starting assignments. KC’s bullpen is deep. Very deep for the first time in years. It will be up the the starting staff to pitch deep into contests. Then it could be lights out for opposing hitters in late inning situations. Many strong arms compete for bullpen duties this spring. Kyle Farnsworth could be the go to guy in middle innings. Soria will shut the door and pick up plenty of saves. Miguel Olivo will probably get most chances behind the dish to handle this group. He’ll also provide much needed offensive pop. This staff reminds me of Tampa’s heading into last year. No one expected too much up front… but they quickly gelled and propelled TB to AL East crown. If the pieces fall into place, KC will stun Central foes.
Around the Horn: Jacobs, Teahen, Aviles, Gordon. Did you say who? All of these young infielders are primed for a breakout season. Mike Jacobs crushed 32 homers for Florida in ’08. Teahen & Gordon are two home grown talents needing to show maturity at the plate by cutting down on strikeouts. Both are solid hitters and will have plenty of opportunities to deliver. Aviles hit .325 in limited starts last year. These four players must come thru when it matters most. Strikeouts will be rally killers. They must, and will, play smart ball to create runs. Their defense will be a pleasant surprise to a pitching staff hampered by past poor play.
Outfield: Guillen, Crisp, DeJesus. Guillen finally has help in KC’s new look lineup. Crisp in CF is an instant upgrade. DeJesus has proven he can handle anyone’s nasty stuff. Defensive range and strong arms will keep opposing hitters from gambling for extra bases. Not much depth behind this starting crew. Injuries could be costly.
Forecast: You’ve read it here first. Royals will win AL Central division title. They have all the ingredients. Pitching, hitting, speed & defense. Can they put it together to produce wins? Yes!
Cleveland Indians (Mgr. Eric Wedge)2008 was supposed to be Cleveland’s year after winning the Central in ’07. They sputtered out of the gate and never really contended. Cliff Lee (22-3) was their only effective starting pitcher and he wasn’t even projected to make the opening day rotation last spring. Many questions surround this club. Picking them 2nd might seem crazier than KC in 1st. Then again, this is the anything can happen AL Central.
Rotation: Lee, Carmona, Pavano are 1-3. Setup: undecided. Closer: Kerry Wood. Wedge will decide his final two this spring. Potential here can swing either way… very good or very bad. Lee will not reproduce ’08 numbers but will be very good once again. Everyone else needs to prove prior successes weren’t flukes. Tribe signed oft-injured Wood to close games which was quite a gamble. Bullpen must put out fires set by starters or Cleveland could easily become a last place team. Behind the plate is Kelly Shoppach who displayed home run power in ’08. He’ll have to keep pitchers under control.
Around the Horn: Garko, Cabrera, Peralta, DeRosa. Peralta (SS) anchors this infield group. Not much power from these guys so hitting with runners in scoring position becomes extremely important if this team expects to win games. 2nd base remains a problem position. Cabrera is not the answer unless his defensive prowess hides a weak bat.
Outfield: Choo, Sizemore, Francisco. Not good. Not good at all. Sizemore is great but might not see many good pitches to hit in ’09 as lineup protection is lacking. Choo & Francisco haven’t cashed in on brief opportunities. Very risky to have these guys open the season. It might work out.
Forecast: Cleveland will only go as far as their pitchers take them. It doesn’t look good to me on paper. Indians will finish a distant 2nd to KC. Don’t be surprised to see these guys finish dead last.
Chicago White Sox (Mgr. Ozzie Guillen)Outspoken manager Guillen will have plenty to crow about this year if Chicago starts slowly. This squad has the tools to win the division if starting pitchers do their job. Infield defense might cost this team many victories.
Rotation: Buehrle, Floyd, Danks, Colon, Contreras. Setup: Dotel. Closer: Jenks. Front three will provide innings. Colon & Contreras fighting their way back from nagging injuries remain brittle. Spring contenders are highly rated within the organization but haven’t proven themselves on the pro level. Jenks is a dominating closer when he’s not walking himself into trouble. Sox pen gives away too many free passes. If this continues water coolers beware for firecracker Guillen to start swinging. AJ Pierzynski calls the shots behind home plate. He’ll be busy with this wild bunch.
Around the Horn: Konerko, ??, Ramirez, Fields. Konerko had a subpar ’08 and might be facing declining years. 2nd base job will be won in spring training. There’s no clear cut leader here. Rookie Gordon Beckham is having a nice spring trying to win a job. Alexi Ramirez played mostly 2b last year will begin ’09 as the everyday SS. Josh Fields smacked 23 homers in ’07 as a rookie 3B but spent most of last year struggling in minors. As a group, these guys aren’t going to scare anyone. Defense will suffer. OBA is low and strikeouts high… a terrible combination. Baseball’s worst infield heading into 2009.
Outfield: Dye, Owens, Quentin. Very strong corner OF’s (Dye/Quentin) are gamers. Both hit for power. OF defense is another concern for Guillen. If Owens fails to produce, Brian Anderson will be waiting to take over. His D is pretty solid but he can’t hit. Not much depth if someone gets hurt.
Forecast: Slugging Vet Jim Thome needs to step into a leadership role if Chicago plans on challenging this season. Offense strikes out way too much. Defense is very shaky. As a result, pitchers stats will be ugly. Guillen’s antics might get him canned. GM should be first to go for assembling this group. Anything can happen here but middle of the road seems to fit.
Detroit Tigers (Mgr. Jim Leyland)Heading into ’08, the Tigers appeared to be ready to dominate the American League. A great young and improving starting rotation. Deep bullpen. Slugging lineup. They had made several great acquisitions (Willis, Cabrera) and were predicted to win. We were all dead wrong. Detroit stumbled early and often. The pitchers weren’t good and defense even worse. Not much has changed heading into ’09. However, if the rotation can bounce back then better days ahead. Don’t count on it yet.
Rotation: Verlander, Bonderman, Galarraga, Jackson, Willis, Robertson. Setup: Zumaya. Closer: Lyon. Armando Galarraga was the lone bright spot for baseball’s most underachieving ’08 staff. Verlander, Willis & Robertson imploded. What’s in store for ’09 is probably more of the same (I expect Verlander to return to form). Brandon Lyon is the new closer. Don’t expect much from a guy with a career 4.46 era. Bullpen is hurting. Many competing for a few remaining slots. New weak hitting signal callers, Laird & Treanor, will have their hands full with this erratic staff.
Around the Horn: Cabrera, Polanco, Everett, Inge. Cabrera is one of baseball’s best hitters but defense is a liability. He’s gone from LF to 3B to 1B in his brief Tiger career. Polanco/Everett should be a fine dp combo. Corner inf’s swing big sticks. Everett will need to advance runners with bunts or smart outs.
Outfield: Ordonez, Granderson, Guillen. Gary Sheffield is finally mentally ready to be Detroit’s full time DH. Carlos Guillen is slated to be Tigers everyday LF. This move should guarantee another injury plagued year. Granderson keeps improving and Ordonez is Detroit’s Mr. Clutch. All 4 can hit and will knock in their share of runs.
Forecast: I had predicted Detroit to challenge for the Title last year. They failed miserably. If pitchers struggle, Tigers will have a dismal season. If staff bounces back, then the skies the limit.
Minnesota Twins (Mgr. Ron Gardenhire)This is one team no one should pick for last place. Gardenhire knows how to tweak every last ounce of energy from his players. They don’t dominate games. They just find a way to win. In ’08, they nearly scrapped and clawed their way to the AL Central title. A one game sudden death playoff 1-0 loss to Chicago sent the Twins home. Lack of power will finally catch up to this crew in ’09.
Rotation: Liriano, Baker, Slowey, Blackburn, Perkins. Setup: Crain. Closer: Nathan. It seemed as though Twins starters made big pitches in key moments all year long until a Jim Thome homerun ended their season in sudden death. Don’t expect the same in ’09 as Twins will be trailing thanks to a less than productive offense. Except for Nathan, bullpen will be challenged and over worked all year long. Joe Mauer is one of baseball’s best hitting catchers. However, his surgically repaired back is still bothering him causing Minnesota great concern this spring.
Around the Horn: Morneau, Casilla, Pinto, Crede. Morneau represents the Twins only power threat. Bank on him not getting very many good looks at the dish. This weak lineup offers him no protection. Infield defense on the speedy Metrodome turf will be challenged with Casilla/Pinto dp combo playing their first full season together. Crede was picked up from Chicago offers some pop as a middle of the road 3B. These guys will not produce many runs unless they’re given a ton of free passes (not likely).
Outfield: Cuddyer, Gomez, Young, Kubel. Not exactly top 10 picks in fantasy baseball leagues. Cuddyer is hoping to return to ’07 form. Speedy ex-Met top prospect Gomez (CF) is a star in the making. He must cut down on strikeout totals (142 in 577 AB’s) to become an effective hitter. Pretty solid defense but it doesn’t offset their collective lack of production. Kubel will DH.
Forecast: Gardenhire’s seven year tenure has produced 4 division titles and a near miss in ’08. The run is done. 2009 will be an instructional year. Pitching, hitting, infield defense all need improving. On paper, this team does not match up will with division rivals. Games are won and lost on the field. Minnesota will lose 90+.
Stay tuned... American League West on deck!
www.allworldallsports.com
Visit All World All Sports
by Digger
American League Central 2009. Baseball's anything can happen division. Last year, this division was decided by a one game sudden death Playoff. Chicago won a nailbiter over Minnesota 1-0 for the crown. Plenty of "what if's" when teams break camp in a couple of weeks. No single team stands above the rest. The experts are divided. Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit and Minnesota have been predicted to win. Not in my book! Here's how they'll finish in '09:
Kansas City Royals (Mgr. Trey Hillman)Ok, call me crazy. I’m picking Kansas City. Why not? In 2007 it was Colorado stunning the baseball world. Last year, Tampa Bay came out of nowhere. This year, my sleeper team is from Missouri. The Royals made some key upgrades and are serious about 2009 becoming their first playoff appearance since 1985 (World Series Champs).
Rotation: Projected to be Meche, Greinke, Bannister, Davies, Ramirez. Setup: Juan Cruz. Closer: Joakim Soria. 1 thru 3 is set with spring contenders fighting for final two starting assignments. KC’s bullpen is deep. Very deep for the first time in years. It will be up the the starting staff to pitch deep into contests. Then it could be lights out for opposing hitters in late inning situations. Many strong arms compete for bullpen duties this spring. Kyle Farnsworth could be the go to guy in middle innings. Soria will shut the door and pick up plenty of saves. Miguel Olivo will probably get most chances behind the dish to handle this group. He’ll also provide much needed offensive pop. This staff reminds me of Tampa’s heading into last year. No one expected too much up front… but they quickly gelled and propelled TB to AL East crown. If the pieces fall into place, KC will stun Central foes.
Around the Horn: Jacobs, Teahen, Aviles, Gordon. Did you say who? All of these young infielders are primed for a breakout season. Mike Jacobs crushed 32 homers for Florida in ’08. Teahen & Gordon are two home grown talents needing to show maturity at the plate by cutting down on strikeouts. Both are solid hitters and will have plenty of opportunities to deliver. Aviles hit .325 in limited starts last year. These four players must come thru when it matters most. Strikeouts will be rally killers. They must, and will, play smart ball to create runs. Their defense will be a pleasant surprise to a pitching staff hampered by past poor play.
Outfield: Guillen, Crisp, DeJesus. Guillen finally has help in KC’s new look lineup. Crisp in CF is an instant upgrade. DeJesus has proven he can handle anyone’s nasty stuff. Defensive range and strong arms will keep opposing hitters from gambling for extra bases. Not much depth behind this starting crew. Injuries could be costly.
Forecast: You’ve read it here first. Royals will win AL Central division title. They have all the ingredients. Pitching, hitting, speed & defense. Can they put it together to produce wins? Yes!
Cleveland Indians (Mgr. Eric Wedge)2008 was supposed to be Cleveland’s year after winning the Central in ’07. They sputtered out of the gate and never really contended. Cliff Lee (22-3) was their only effective starting pitcher and he wasn’t even projected to make the opening day rotation last spring. Many questions surround this club. Picking them 2nd might seem crazier than KC in 1st. Then again, this is the anything can happen AL Central.
Rotation: Lee, Carmona, Pavano are 1-3. Setup: undecided. Closer: Kerry Wood. Wedge will decide his final two this spring. Potential here can swing either way… very good or very bad. Lee will not reproduce ’08 numbers but will be very good once again. Everyone else needs to prove prior successes weren’t flukes. Tribe signed oft-injured Wood to close games which was quite a gamble. Bullpen must put out fires set by starters or Cleveland could easily become a last place team. Behind the plate is Kelly Shoppach who displayed home run power in ’08. He’ll have to keep pitchers under control.
Around the Horn: Garko, Cabrera, Peralta, DeRosa. Peralta (SS) anchors this infield group. Not much power from these guys so hitting with runners in scoring position becomes extremely important if this team expects to win games. 2nd base remains a problem position. Cabrera is not the answer unless his defensive prowess hides a weak bat.
Outfield: Choo, Sizemore, Francisco. Not good. Not good at all. Sizemore is great but might not see many good pitches to hit in ’09 as lineup protection is lacking. Choo & Francisco haven’t cashed in on brief opportunities. Very risky to have these guys open the season. It might work out.
Forecast: Cleveland will only go as far as their pitchers take them. It doesn’t look good to me on paper. Indians will finish a distant 2nd to KC. Don’t be surprised to see these guys finish dead last.
Chicago White Sox (Mgr. Ozzie Guillen)Outspoken manager Guillen will have plenty to crow about this year if Chicago starts slowly. This squad has the tools to win the division if starting pitchers do their job. Infield defense might cost this team many victories.
Rotation: Buehrle, Floyd, Danks, Colon, Contreras. Setup: Dotel. Closer: Jenks. Front three will provide innings. Colon & Contreras fighting their way back from nagging injuries remain brittle. Spring contenders are highly rated within the organization but haven’t proven themselves on the pro level. Jenks is a dominating closer when he’s not walking himself into trouble. Sox pen gives away too many free passes. If this continues water coolers beware for firecracker Guillen to start swinging. AJ Pierzynski calls the shots behind home plate. He’ll be busy with this wild bunch.
Around the Horn: Konerko, ??, Ramirez, Fields. Konerko had a subpar ’08 and might be facing declining years. 2nd base job will be won in spring training. There’s no clear cut leader here. Rookie Gordon Beckham is having a nice spring trying to win a job. Alexi Ramirez played mostly 2b last year will begin ’09 as the everyday SS. Josh Fields smacked 23 homers in ’07 as a rookie 3B but spent most of last year struggling in minors. As a group, these guys aren’t going to scare anyone. Defense will suffer. OBA is low and strikeouts high… a terrible combination. Baseball’s worst infield heading into 2009.
Outfield: Dye, Owens, Quentin. Very strong corner OF’s (Dye/Quentin) are gamers. Both hit for power. OF defense is another concern for Guillen. If Owens fails to produce, Brian Anderson will be waiting to take over. His D is pretty solid but he can’t hit. Not much depth if someone gets hurt.
Forecast: Slugging Vet Jim Thome needs to step into a leadership role if Chicago plans on challenging this season. Offense strikes out way too much. Defense is very shaky. As a result, pitchers stats will be ugly. Guillen’s antics might get him canned. GM should be first to go for assembling this group. Anything can happen here but middle of the road seems to fit.
Detroit Tigers (Mgr. Jim Leyland)Heading into ’08, the Tigers appeared to be ready to dominate the American League. A great young and improving starting rotation. Deep bullpen. Slugging lineup. They had made several great acquisitions (Willis, Cabrera) and were predicted to win. We were all dead wrong. Detroit stumbled early and often. The pitchers weren’t good and defense even worse. Not much has changed heading into ’09. However, if the rotation can bounce back then better days ahead. Don’t count on it yet.
Rotation: Verlander, Bonderman, Galarraga, Jackson, Willis, Robertson. Setup: Zumaya. Closer: Lyon. Armando Galarraga was the lone bright spot for baseball’s most underachieving ’08 staff. Verlander, Willis & Robertson imploded. What’s in store for ’09 is probably more of the same (I expect Verlander to return to form). Brandon Lyon is the new closer. Don’t expect much from a guy with a career 4.46 era. Bullpen is hurting. Many competing for a few remaining slots. New weak hitting signal callers, Laird & Treanor, will have their hands full with this erratic staff.
Around the Horn: Cabrera, Polanco, Everett, Inge. Cabrera is one of baseball’s best hitters but defense is a liability. He’s gone from LF to 3B to 1B in his brief Tiger career. Polanco/Everett should be a fine dp combo. Corner inf’s swing big sticks. Everett will need to advance runners with bunts or smart outs.
Outfield: Ordonez, Granderson, Guillen. Gary Sheffield is finally mentally ready to be Detroit’s full time DH. Carlos Guillen is slated to be Tigers everyday LF. This move should guarantee another injury plagued year. Granderson keeps improving and Ordonez is Detroit’s Mr. Clutch. All 4 can hit and will knock in their share of runs.
Forecast: I had predicted Detroit to challenge for the Title last year. They failed miserably. If pitchers struggle, Tigers will have a dismal season. If staff bounces back, then the skies the limit.
Minnesota Twins (Mgr. Ron Gardenhire)This is one team no one should pick for last place. Gardenhire knows how to tweak every last ounce of energy from his players. They don’t dominate games. They just find a way to win. In ’08, they nearly scrapped and clawed their way to the AL Central title. A one game sudden death playoff 1-0 loss to Chicago sent the Twins home. Lack of power will finally catch up to this crew in ’09.
Rotation: Liriano, Baker, Slowey, Blackburn, Perkins. Setup: Crain. Closer: Nathan. It seemed as though Twins starters made big pitches in key moments all year long until a Jim Thome homerun ended their season in sudden death. Don’t expect the same in ’09 as Twins will be trailing thanks to a less than productive offense. Except for Nathan, bullpen will be challenged and over worked all year long. Joe Mauer is one of baseball’s best hitting catchers. However, his surgically repaired back is still bothering him causing Minnesota great concern this spring.
Around the Horn: Morneau, Casilla, Pinto, Crede. Morneau represents the Twins only power threat. Bank on him not getting very many good looks at the dish. This weak lineup offers him no protection. Infield defense on the speedy Metrodome turf will be challenged with Casilla/Pinto dp combo playing their first full season together. Crede was picked up from Chicago offers some pop as a middle of the road 3B. These guys will not produce many runs unless they’re given a ton of free passes (not likely).
Outfield: Cuddyer, Gomez, Young, Kubel. Not exactly top 10 picks in fantasy baseball leagues. Cuddyer is hoping to return to ’07 form. Speedy ex-Met top prospect Gomez (CF) is a star in the making. He must cut down on strikeout totals (142 in 577 AB’s) to become an effective hitter. Pretty solid defense but it doesn’t offset their collective lack of production. Kubel will DH.
Forecast: Gardenhire’s seven year tenure has produced 4 division titles and a near miss in ’08. The run is done. 2009 will be an instructional year. Pitching, hitting, infield defense all need improving. On paper, this team does not match up will with division rivals. Games are won and lost on the field. Minnesota will lose 90+.
Stay tuned... American League West on deck!
www.allworldallsports.com
Monday, March 9, 2009
2009 American League East Forecast
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By Digger
Baseball 2009 is here! Everyday this week I will be posting my predictions on a division by division, team by team format. First up, American League East:
New York Yankees (Mgr. Joe Girardi)
It’s going to be a big year in New York. The New Yankee Stadium debuts this season. The Bronx Bombers attempt to rebound after missing the playoffs for the first time since 1994. Yanks were busy adding new faces this winter. CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira & AJ Burnett are the prized (and very well paid) acquisitions.
Rotation: Sabathia, Burnett, Wang, Pettitte, Chamberlain. Set up: undecided. Closer: RiveraFront 4 starters are locked in and will give solid quality starts. Sabathia, Burnett & Wang could all be Cy Young candidates. Pettitte is a NY favorite and still has some gas left in his tank. Joba Chamberlain as a starting pitcher is a tremendous mistake. The Yanks best World Series teams had lights out bullpens. Rivera is recovering from off season surgery and there’s no clear cut set up man. Joba + Rivera are the Yanks best option. Joba should be in the process of being groomed as Yanks closer of the future. Instead, he’s being moved into the rotation. Big mistake! He walks too many hitters as a starter… while striking fear into batters coming out of the pen in late game situations. Bullpen assignments to be determined this spring. Catcher Jorge Posada battled nagging injuries last year and must rebound to handle this strong staff.
Around the Horn: Teixeira, Cano, Jeter, Rodriguez (out until June). Baseball’s best infield? Mark Teixeira will prove to be the best free agent position player NY has signed in years. Tremendous skills at the plate and in the field. He hasn’t reached his prime yet and will continue to improve unless the New York night life becomes a distraction. Cano had a terrible ’08 and should return to his clutch hitting ways. Captain Jeter needs to remain healthy. He had an inconsistent ’08 and really needs to “lead” in ’09. ARod is out 6-9 weeks. As of now, reserve Cody Ransom is slated to fill in. Yanks need to find a two month 3B. Another Scott Brosius/Charlie Hayes type player is what’s needed. If Ransom is named the starter… all he has to do is field his position well and improve his bunting skills.
Outfielders: Damon, Matsui, Nady, Cabrera, Swisher. It’s deep here which should be a great bonus for Girardi. Yanks bench is AL’s best. All had less than stellar ’08 performances. Centerfield D is key here. Whoever wins the spring training battle (Cabrera or Swisher) will need to play big in the field and cut down on strike outs at the plate. It’ll be Damon in LF and Nady in RF.
Forecast: Most feared lineup in AL now has pitching support and improved defense. NY can survive without ARod with solid defense on the hot corner. Yanks will win no less than 105 games assuming key pitchers remain healthy.
Tampa Bay Rays (Mgr. Joe Maddon)
Tampa was 2008 Cinderella story. Never having won more than 70 games in their brief history… Tampa Bay outplayed Boston & New York for AL East Title (97 wins). Maddon’s team then bested Chicago in ALDS before stunning Boston in ALCS to qualify for their first World Series appearance. Can they repeat as AL East champs? Not this year.
Rotation: Kazmir, Shields & Garza were tough in ’08. David Price is a future star and is projected as #4 with Sonnastine 5th. Setup: Balfour. Closer: Percival.Will there be bumps in the road this time around? Just a gut feeling says yes. Rays rotation might quickly become the gem of the division in years to come. It’s their bullpen which could cost them a shot at repeating as division winners. Percival is brittle but brilliant when healthy. We’ll soon find out if the rest of the relief crew can recreate ’08 success or return to earth in ’09. I think TB will have plenty of bullpen struggles this season. They’ll be overused and burnt out by short outings by starters.
Around the Horn: Pena, Iwamura, Bartlett, Longoria. This crew will need to play stellar defense for pitchers to succeed. Hitting will be wait and see. They’re not big on batting averages but make up for it with late inning clutch swings.
Outfielders: Crawford, Upton, Joyce & Burrell will provide range but will they hit? Crawford flashes a great combination of extra base hits, speed and base running ability. Upton and Joyce are free swingers needing better command of the strike zone. Burrell figures to see more time at DH than LF.
Forecast: Rays will challenge for another playoff appearance. Not enough power at the plate to keep up with NY this year. Bullpen will not duplicate ’08 performances. Talented team on the rise falls short in ’09.
Boston Red Sox (Mgr. Terry Francona) Red Sox want another World Series crown. Health will be the main concern. If they can stay healthy Boston will be one of baseball’s best. Don’t count on good health. Depth off the bench won’t be enough to beat out NY or keep up with a younger Tampa group.
Rotation: Beckett, Matsuzaka, Lester, Wakefield, Penny, Smoltz. Setup: undecided. Closer: Papelbon. Looking great on paper. Looks might be deceiving. 2 keys here: is Lester for real? And, can Penny/Smoltz get healthy enough to contribute? BIG questions in my book . Papelbon is one of baseball’s best. Red Sox high on Justin Masterson’s future. Catcher Jason Varitek is AL’s best signal caller from behind the plate. JV gets the best out of his staff. Unfortunately, his hitting skills took a year off in ’08 and almost lead to not being resigned. Let’s see if he can get it together in ’09.
Around the Horn: Youkilis, Pedroia, Lowrie, Lowell. Left side is question mark. Is Lowrie an everyday SS? No. Lowell has been one of Boston’s steadiest contributors but has been running into health issues lately. Pedroia at 2B one of AL’s best. Youkilis is Mr. Clutch.
Outfield: Bay, Ellsbury, Drew are the starters. None strike fear into opposing staffs. Ellsbury finally takes over everyday duties but will not live up to local fan expectations. I’ve never been a fan of oft injured Drew dating back to his earliest hold out days. This trio is Boston’s weakest outfield in recent memory. I’m happily surprised GM Epstein didn’t upgrade!
Forecast: Francona will have his team ready to play every game. Too many aging stars who might be on downturn of career and players injury concerns sink Boston into 3rd (Penny, Smoltz, Lowell, Varitek, Ortiz). Has David Ortiz nagging wrist fully healed? A healthy Big Papi is needed to carry Boston’s less than powerful offense. A healthy team challenges NY. This Band-Aid bunch will make plenty of DL trips.
Baltimore Orioles (Mgr. Dave Trembley)
When will the Orioles return to respectability? This once great franchise has floundered under Peter Angelos ownership. It’s been one bad move after another. They are five managers removed from their last winning season (1997 1st place, Davey Johnson, 98-64). 2009 team has a pretty solid lineup. Pitching staff is weak.
Rotation: As of this moment, no clear cut rotation in place. Closer: George Sherrill. Jeremy Guthrie & newcomer Koji Uehara figure to be 1-2. Trembley might close his eyes and pull names out of a hat for 3 thru 5. On the upside, a couple of talented pitchers are in the mix (Baez, Hendrickson). Orioles biggest problem has been pitchers falling behind hitters and issuing free passes. Bullpen assignments have been a dogfight this spring as pitchers battle for innings. Baltimore will have some tough cuts before opening day.
Around the Horn: Huff, Roberts, Izturis, Mora. A solid infield with a good mix of speed and power. Defense will dramatically improve up the middle with Baltimore’s addition of Izturis. O’s got killed last year by seeing-eye grounders. All four have good plate discipline. Behind the plate on opening day might be one of baseball’s top prospects, Matt Wieters.
Outfield: Markakis, Jones, Pie, Scott, Wigginton. Markakis is a rising star. Trembley has high hopes for Adam Jones quick improvement. I’d like to see Ty Wigginton take over at 3B and Mora move into LF. Wigginton is steady at third and can hit. Mora is better suited to handle the switch. O’s picked up Pie from Chicago but he’s not the answer in ’09.
Forecast: Run producing offense coupled with run surrendering pitchers will make for exciting box scores. Orioles will finally become fun to watch but will continue losing more games than they win. These birds remain in a no fly zone.
Toronto Blue Jays (Mgr. Cito Gaston).
Cito Gaston has always been one of baseball’s most underrated managers. Guess what? Toronto hasn’t won a division title since Gaston’s final season (1993 World Champions). He came back to inject some life into this club after John Gibbons was canned mid-season. 2009 will be rough north of the border. This is not a good team and attendance will be one of AL’s lowest quickly highlighting potential economic doom for Toronto.
Rotation: Halladay, Litsch, Purcey are 1-3. Closer: BJ Ryan. Halladay might be a cost cutting trade bait move mid-season. He’s one of the games best hurlers. Purcey is high on Toronto’s radar. Gaston will decide who rounds out the last 2 slots between 5 pitchers. Bullpen has been this teams Achilles heel in recent seasons. BJ Ryan needs to stay away from the DL. Jays pen is anything can happen. Cito will pick the best of the bunch but this division is too tough for on the job training.
Around the Horn: Overbay, Hill, Scutaro, Rolen. Good but qualifies as divisions weakest. No power and possible short range up the middle. Not good when playing most games on turf. Overbay lacks power and Rolen is brittle. Kevin Millar will get some time vs lefties and fill in as DH from time to time. Not many runs will be produced by this crew.
Outfield: Rios, Wells, Snider, Lind. Question marks. Rios (RF) & Wells (CF) are great when healthy. Wells is already missing spring games. Thin OF.
Forecast: Toronto will give up many runs. Injury prone players visit DL. It’s going to be a very long year for Blue Jays fans.
Stay tuned...... American League Central on deck!
www.allworldallsports.com
By Digger
Baseball 2009 is here! Everyday this week I will be posting my predictions on a division by division, team by team format. First up, American League East:
New York Yankees (Mgr. Joe Girardi)
It’s going to be a big year in New York. The New Yankee Stadium debuts this season. The Bronx Bombers attempt to rebound after missing the playoffs for the first time since 1994. Yanks were busy adding new faces this winter. CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira & AJ Burnett are the prized (and very well paid) acquisitions.
Rotation: Sabathia, Burnett, Wang, Pettitte, Chamberlain. Set up: undecided. Closer: RiveraFront 4 starters are locked in and will give solid quality starts. Sabathia, Burnett & Wang could all be Cy Young candidates. Pettitte is a NY favorite and still has some gas left in his tank. Joba Chamberlain as a starting pitcher is a tremendous mistake. The Yanks best World Series teams had lights out bullpens. Rivera is recovering from off season surgery and there’s no clear cut set up man. Joba + Rivera are the Yanks best option. Joba should be in the process of being groomed as Yanks closer of the future. Instead, he’s being moved into the rotation. Big mistake! He walks too many hitters as a starter… while striking fear into batters coming out of the pen in late game situations. Bullpen assignments to be determined this spring. Catcher Jorge Posada battled nagging injuries last year and must rebound to handle this strong staff.
Around the Horn: Teixeira, Cano, Jeter, Rodriguez (out until June). Baseball’s best infield? Mark Teixeira will prove to be the best free agent position player NY has signed in years. Tremendous skills at the plate and in the field. He hasn’t reached his prime yet and will continue to improve unless the New York night life becomes a distraction. Cano had a terrible ’08 and should return to his clutch hitting ways. Captain Jeter needs to remain healthy. He had an inconsistent ’08 and really needs to “lead” in ’09. ARod is out 6-9 weeks. As of now, reserve Cody Ransom is slated to fill in. Yanks need to find a two month 3B. Another Scott Brosius/Charlie Hayes type player is what’s needed. If Ransom is named the starter… all he has to do is field his position well and improve his bunting skills.
Outfielders: Damon, Matsui, Nady, Cabrera, Swisher. It’s deep here which should be a great bonus for Girardi. Yanks bench is AL’s best. All had less than stellar ’08 performances. Centerfield D is key here. Whoever wins the spring training battle (Cabrera or Swisher) will need to play big in the field and cut down on strike outs at the plate. It’ll be Damon in LF and Nady in RF.
Forecast: Most feared lineup in AL now has pitching support and improved defense. NY can survive without ARod with solid defense on the hot corner. Yanks will win no less than 105 games assuming key pitchers remain healthy.
Tampa Bay Rays (Mgr. Joe Maddon)
Tampa was 2008 Cinderella story. Never having won more than 70 games in their brief history… Tampa Bay outplayed Boston & New York for AL East Title (97 wins). Maddon’s team then bested Chicago in ALDS before stunning Boston in ALCS to qualify for their first World Series appearance. Can they repeat as AL East champs? Not this year.
Rotation: Kazmir, Shields & Garza were tough in ’08. David Price is a future star and is projected as #4 with Sonnastine 5th. Setup: Balfour. Closer: Percival.Will there be bumps in the road this time around? Just a gut feeling says yes. Rays rotation might quickly become the gem of the division in years to come. It’s their bullpen which could cost them a shot at repeating as division winners. Percival is brittle but brilliant when healthy. We’ll soon find out if the rest of the relief crew can recreate ’08 success or return to earth in ’09. I think TB will have plenty of bullpen struggles this season. They’ll be overused and burnt out by short outings by starters.
Around the Horn: Pena, Iwamura, Bartlett, Longoria. This crew will need to play stellar defense for pitchers to succeed. Hitting will be wait and see. They’re not big on batting averages but make up for it with late inning clutch swings.
Outfielders: Crawford, Upton, Joyce & Burrell will provide range but will they hit? Crawford flashes a great combination of extra base hits, speed and base running ability. Upton and Joyce are free swingers needing better command of the strike zone. Burrell figures to see more time at DH than LF.
Forecast: Rays will challenge for another playoff appearance. Not enough power at the plate to keep up with NY this year. Bullpen will not duplicate ’08 performances. Talented team on the rise falls short in ’09.
Boston Red Sox (Mgr. Terry Francona) Red Sox want another World Series crown. Health will be the main concern. If they can stay healthy Boston will be one of baseball’s best. Don’t count on good health. Depth off the bench won’t be enough to beat out NY or keep up with a younger Tampa group.
Rotation: Beckett, Matsuzaka, Lester, Wakefield, Penny, Smoltz. Setup: undecided. Closer: Papelbon. Looking great on paper. Looks might be deceiving. 2 keys here: is Lester for real? And, can Penny/Smoltz get healthy enough to contribute? BIG questions in my book . Papelbon is one of baseball’s best. Red Sox high on Justin Masterson’s future. Catcher Jason Varitek is AL’s best signal caller from behind the plate. JV gets the best out of his staff. Unfortunately, his hitting skills took a year off in ’08 and almost lead to not being resigned. Let’s see if he can get it together in ’09.
Around the Horn: Youkilis, Pedroia, Lowrie, Lowell. Left side is question mark. Is Lowrie an everyday SS? No. Lowell has been one of Boston’s steadiest contributors but has been running into health issues lately. Pedroia at 2B one of AL’s best. Youkilis is Mr. Clutch.
Outfield: Bay, Ellsbury, Drew are the starters. None strike fear into opposing staffs. Ellsbury finally takes over everyday duties but will not live up to local fan expectations. I’ve never been a fan of oft injured Drew dating back to his earliest hold out days. This trio is Boston’s weakest outfield in recent memory. I’m happily surprised GM Epstein didn’t upgrade!
Forecast: Francona will have his team ready to play every game. Too many aging stars who might be on downturn of career and players injury concerns sink Boston into 3rd (Penny, Smoltz, Lowell, Varitek, Ortiz). Has David Ortiz nagging wrist fully healed? A healthy Big Papi is needed to carry Boston’s less than powerful offense. A healthy team challenges NY. This Band-Aid bunch will make plenty of DL trips.
Baltimore Orioles (Mgr. Dave Trembley)
When will the Orioles return to respectability? This once great franchise has floundered under Peter Angelos ownership. It’s been one bad move after another. They are five managers removed from their last winning season (1997 1st place, Davey Johnson, 98-64). 2009 team has a pretty solid lineup. Pitching staff is weak.
Rotation: As of this moment, no clear cut rotation in place. Closer: George Sherrill. Jeremy Guthrie & newcomer Koji Uehara figure to be 1-2. Trembley might close his eyes and pull names out of a hat for 3 thru 5. On the upside, a couple of talented pitchers are in the mix (Baez, Hendrickson). Orioles biggest problem has been pitchers falling behind hitters and issuing free passes. Bullpen assignments have been a dogfight this spring as pitchers battle for innings. Baltimore will have some tough cuts before opening day.
Around the Horn: Huff, Roberts, Izturis, Mora. A solid infield with a good mix of speed and power. Defense will dramatically improve up the middle with Baltimore’s addition of Izturis. O’s got killed last year by seeing-eye grounders. All four have good plate discipline. Behind the plate on opening day might be one of baseball’s top prospects, Matt Wieters.
Outfield: Markakis, Jones, Pie, Scott, Wigginton. Markakis is a rising star. Trembley has high hopes for Adam Jones quick improvement. I’d like to see Ty Wigginton take over at 3B and Mora move into LF. Wigginton is steady at third and can hit. Mora is better suited to handle the switch. O’s picked up Pie from Chicago but he’s not the answer in ’09.
Forecast: Run producing offense coupled with run surrendering pitchers will make for exciting box scores. Orioles will finally become fun to watch but will continue losing more games than they win. These birds remain in a no fly zone.
Toronto Blue Jays (Mgr. Cito Gaston).
Cito Gaston has always been one of baseball’s most underrated managers. Guess what? Toronto hasn’t won a division title since Gaston’s final season (1993 World Champions). He came back to inject some life into this club after John Gibbons was canned mid-season. 2009 will be rough north of the border. This is not a good team and attendance will be one of AL’s lowest quickly highlighting potential economic doom for Toronto.
Rotation: Halladay, Litsch, Purcey are 1-3. Closer: BJ Ryan. Halladay might be a cost cutting trade bait move mid-season. He’s one of the games best hurlers. Purcey is high on Toronto’s radar. Gaston will decide who rounds out the last 2 slots between 5 pitchers. Bullpen has been this teams Achilles heel in recent seasons. BJ Ryan needs to stay away from the DL. Jays pen is anything can happen. Cito will pick the best of the bunch but this division is too tough for on the job training.
Around the Horn: Overbay, Hill, Scutaro, Rolen. Good but qualifies as divisions weakest. No power and possible short range up the middle. Not good when playing most games on turf. Overbay lacks power and Rolen is brittle. Kevin Millar will get some time vs lefties and fill in as DH from time to time. Not many runs will be produced by this crew.
Outfield: Rios, Wells, Snider, Lind. Question marks. Rios (RF) & Wells (CF) are great when healthy. Wells is already missing spring games. Thin OF.
Forecast: Toronto will give up many runs. Injury prone players visit DL. It’s going to be a very long year for Blue Jays fans.
Stay tuned...... American League Central on deck!
www.allworldallsports.com
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Baseball 2009 Predictions
Visit All World All Sports & The Sports Rage Page
by Digger
Baseball's regular season just around the corner. Many MLB stars are currently representing their homeland during this years World Baseball Classic. All others are prepping with their teams in Spring Training.
There will be a handful of teams with new look rosters in '09. A few big names have found new homes. Philadelphia Phillies will be trying for a repeat World Series Title. Tampa Bay Rays looking to win it all this time after knocking on the door in '08.
Who will win it all in '09? Below is how I rank all teams. Coming soon... an in depth team by team synopsis from top to bottom featuring different divisions on a daily basis.
American League
East
1- Yankees
2- Rays
3- Red Sox
4- Orioles
5- Blue Jays
Central
1- Royals
2- Indians
3- White Sox
4- Tigers
5- Twins
West
1- Athletics
2- Angels
3- Rangers
4- Mariners
Wild Card: Angels
National League
East
1- Phillies
2- Mets
3- Marlins
4- Braves
5- Nationals
Central
1- Cubs
2- Reds
3- Astros
4- Cardinals
5- Brewers
6- Pirates
West
1- Dodgers
2- Diamondbacks
3- Rockies
4- Giants
5- Padres
Wild Card: Mets
by Digger
Baseball's regular season just around the corner. Many MLB stars are currently representing their homeland during this years World Baseball Classic. All others are prepping with their teams in Spring Training.
There will be a handful of teams with new look rosters in '09. A few big names have found new homes. Philadelphia Phillies will be trying for a repeat World Series Title. Tampa Bay Rays looking to win it all this time after knocking on the door in '08.
Who will win it all in '09? Below is how I rank all teams. Coming soon... an in depth team by team synopsis from top to bottom featuring different divisions on a daily basis.
American League
East
1- Yankees
2- Rays
3- Red Sox
4- Orioles
5- Blue Jays
Central
1- Royals
2- Indians
3- White Sox
4- Tigers
5- Twins
West
1- Athletics
2- Angels
3- Rangers
4- Mariners
Wild Card: Angels
National League
East
1- Phillies
2- Mets
3- Marlins
4- Braves
5- Nationals
Central
1- Cubs
2- Reds
3- Astros
4- Cardinals
5- Brewers
6- Pirates
West
1- Dodgers
2- Diamondbacks
3- Rockies
4- Giants
5- Padres
Wild Card: Mets
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