2010 MLB Standings predictions
by David Harnden on Mar 4, 2010 4:43 PM EST
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I was thinking about how this season would shape out today, and decided I wanted to know what you guys thought too (not sure why, but I digress)
Here's how I see things shaping out. ( I was going to add my ballpark of what each teams record would be, but then I decided the Royals couldn't REALLY go 12-150 to make all my numbers accurate.
AL East
1. Red Sox (by maybe 3 games?)
2. Yankees (Wild Card Winner)
3. Rays
4. Orioles ( With as good of a record possible while still ending up 4th)
5. Blue Jays
AL Central (toughest to decide by far)
1. Twins ( By 2 games or less)
2. White Sox (over Detroit by 2 games or less)
3. Tigers
4. Indians
5. Royals (12-150) [Soria has 12 wins and 12 saves somehow]
AL West
1. Rangers ( By 4 games)
2. Angels
3. Mariners
4. A's
NL East
1. Phillies (by 6 games)
2. Braves
3. Mets
4. Nationals
5. Marlins
NL Central
1. Cardinals (by 9 games)
2. Brewers
3. Reds
4. Cubs
5. Astros
6. Pirates (16-146)
NL West
1. Rockies (By 1 game)
2. Giants (Wild Card Winner)
3. Dodgers
4. Diamondbacks
5. Padres
Definitely tough to commit to all of these, so be gentle. : )
Have fun.
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Hmm, my stab
AL EAST
Red Sox/Yankees (not going to decide which one but the loser gets the WC)
Rays
Orioles
Blue Jays
AL CENTRAL
Twins
White Sox
Tigers
Indians
Royals
AL WEST
Mariners
Angels
Rangers
A’s
NL EAST
Phillies
Marlins (Surprise pick here)
Braves
Mets
Nationals
NL CENTRAL
Cards
Reds
Cubs
Brewers
Astros
Pirates
NL WEST
Dodgers
Rockies
Giants
D’Backs
Padres
Royals (12-150) [Soria has 12 wins and 12 saves somehow]
How about Greinke?
"That was a lot of fun… You just keep pounding balls into the gap. The one thing you don’t want to do is hit a home run. That’s a rally-killer." Jeff Francoeur
Greinke
Sidelined after 3IP on opening day with Dysentery. Soria picks up the ball and doesn’t give it up until early October.
Whoever said it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, probably lost.
by David Harnden on Mar 4, 2010 5:27 PM EST up reply actions
Sure, why not?
AL East
Red Sox: 96-66
Yankees: 95-67
Rays: 91-71
Orioles: 77-85
Blue Jays: 70-92
AL Central
Twins: 88-74
White Sox: 85-77
Tigers: 81-81
Indians: 64-98
Royals: 58-104
AL West
Mariners: 90-72
Rangers: 86-76
Angels: 85-77
A’s: 70-92
NL East
Phillies: 92-70
Braves: 86-76
Mets: 82-80
Marlins: 80-82
Nationals: 70-92
NL Central
Cardinals: 92-70
Reds: 84-78
Cubs: 82-80
Astros: 75-87
Brewers: 74-88
Pirates: 60-102
NL West
Rockies: 93-69
Dodgers: 87-75
Giants: 85-77
Diamondbacks: 82-80
Padres: 70-92
USG
Amazingly, the final record of the MLB after just one run through was 2431 - 2429
I was one away from having it PERFECT on my first try. Therefore, I’m going to be nearly perfect when the season is over.
USG
Nice theory
We’ll see how it pans out. You could always give Pittsburgh another loss, nobody will mind.
Whoever said it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, probably lost.
by David Harnden on Mar 4, 2010 5:43 PM EST up reply actions
Also acceptable
Couldn’t stomach going below 60 for the Pirates? Mad love for Garrett Jones..
Whoever said it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, probably lost.
by David Harnden on Mar 4, 2010 6:24 PM EST up reply actions
Nice.
Overall, I concur with your standings.
I’m a little warmer even on the Sox – I think they could challenge for a 100 wins. The +diff off the pythagorean theorem for suppressing runs against as much as I think they should over last year (and assuming only a minor change in runs scored) moves me to think they should post around 98 wins unless they are unlucky.
I also think the Phillies will post the most wins in the NL, not the Rockies.
Mark it down-i'll be dead on
AL East:
MFY
Rays (Wild Card)
Sox
Orioles
Jays
AL Central:
White Sox
Twins
Royals
Tigers
Indians
AL West:
Rangers
Mariners
Angels
A’s
-————————————————————————————————————————————————-
NL East:
Philly
Atlanta (Wild Card)
Florida
Nationals
Mets
NL Central
Cardinals
Cubs
Brewers
Reds
Pirates
Astros
NL West
Rockies
Dodgers
Giants
D’Backs
Padres
Trade Beckett before the deadline
JD Drew the stud who is.
I'm taking suggestions from myself on the 2010 rally song.
Re-sign Victor Martinez, the future DH of the Boston Red Sox
Am I supposed to like John Lackey ?
as stands now? no
I still think the Sox need a bat or two. I know the stat geeks will give me a ton of stats that say they do not, but I think they do. I hope I am wrong.
If Ortiz produces start to finish, they could get the WC I suppose. My biggest hopes for this year is that Lester claims true ace status, Bard/Buchholz progresses, and one of our minor league catcher’s can come up and stay up at some point in the season.
Trade Beckett before the deadline
JD Drew the stud who is.
I'm taking suggestions from myself on the 2010 rally song.
Re-sign Victor Martinez, the future DH of the Boston Red Sox
Am I supposed to like John Lackey ?
Eh.
So we’re not going to lead the league in runs scored. But we’re adding Lackey, Dice K and a full season of Buch to what was already a very good pitching staff. I’d be shocked if we don’t make the playoffs.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
Like I said-I hope I'm wrong.
Trade Beckett before the deadline
JD Drew the stud who is.
I'm taking suggestions from myself on the 2010 rally song.
Re-sign Victor Martinez, the future DH of the Boston Red Sox
Am I supposed to like John Lackey ?
Gizmo Gizmo Gizmo!!!!!
WOOOOo
Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.
by CasanovaWong on Mar 4, 2010 10:11 PM EST up reply actions
I completely hate the TB franchise.
but I see Crawford and Pena having monster years. Soriano as a closer gives them something they haven’t had the past 2 seasons.
Trade Beckett before the deadline
JD Drew the stud who is.
I'm taking suggestions from myself on the 2010 rally song.
Re-sign Victor Martinez, the future DH of the Boston Red Sox
Am I supposed to like John Lackey ?
TB
An offense that includes Longoria, Upton, Zobrist, Crawford, and Pena is definitely scary, but their rotation doesn’t do much for me unless Price can live up to the hype this year. A lot rests on their starting pitching, and I don’t think they have enough in that department to have more wins than the sox and yanks at the end of the year.
Even if Price lives up to the hype,
Niemann? Davis? I’m none too impressed. And Soriano is better than what they’ve had, but I’m not sure his numbers will be as impressive in the AL East. Tons of pressure on him to perform though, thats for sure.
Whoever said it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, probably lost.
by David Harnden on Mar 5, 2010 4:28 PM EST up reply actions
I'll try too
AL EAST
Red Sox 95-67
Yankees 94-68
Rays 85-77
Orioles 79-83
Blue Jays 74-88
AL CENTRAL
White Sox 90-72
Twins 89-73
Tigers 78-84
Royals 63-99
Indians 57-105
AL WEST
Angels 88-74
Rangers 85-77
Mariners 80-82
Athletics 78-84
NL EAST
Phillies 91-71
Marlins 84-78
Braves 83-79
Mets 77-85
Nationals 75-87
NL CENTRAL
Cardinals 96-66
Brewers 86-76
Cubs 81-81
Pirates 74-88 (SURPRISE!)
Astros 63-99
Reds 60-102
NL WEST
Dodgers 89-73
Rockies 88-74
Diamondbacks 83-79
Giants 81-81
Padres 78-84
AL Playoffs
Sox vs. Angels (go figure)
White Sox vs. Yankees
NL Playoffs
Cardinals vs. Rockies
Phillies vs. Dodgers
All of you are wrong if you think the White Sox are finishing over the Tigers....
That’s almost stupid considering their dysfunctional mananger and quickly aging team.
Peavy is fading, Gordon Beckam isn’t, but I see no great improve for that team….
"Hating the New York Yankees is as American as apple pie, unwed mothers and cheating on your income tax." -- Mike Royko
Williams will pull the trigger on a deal for offense before the deadline.
And Rios could work out well for them.
They have far better pitching than Detroit.
Trade Beckett before the deadline
JD Drew the stud who is.
I'm taking suggestions from myself on the 2010 rally song.
Re-sign Victor Martinez, the future DH of the Boston Red Sox
Am I supposed to like John Lackey ?
Who do the Tigers have? Verlander and Cabrera?
Porcello and Scherzer are going to be good, but are too young to depend on. And I’m not about to give Ryan Raburn any credit for half a season.
The White Sox don’t have any 1 big bat, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see any number of their guys have better years than they did in 2009. They could have a bunch of solid bats, and as Sandy said, they’ve been vocal about their desire to trade for a big bat.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Mar 5, 2010 12:41 AM EST up reply actions
I'm lazy.
Yanks, Twins and Rangers win the Divisions, Sox take the WC.
Phils, Reds and Diamondbacks, Braves take the WC.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
Reds over the Cards?
I don’t see it. Pujols, Carpenter, Holliday, and Wainwright will win that division.
I see it as a crapshoot
The Angels took a big hit with losing Lackey and Figgins. They’ve got five solid 3s. Maybe if Wood and Kendrick rake, and Hunter/Abreu/Matsui/Rivera manage to fend off old age for another year, they can stay on top. But I don’t see it.
The M’s are improved, and the Felix and Lee combo is filthy, but it’s hard to predict good things for a team where the projected SS, 2B, 1B, C, CF and DH OBP’d .292, .303, .339, .289, .339 and .324, respectfully.
Oakland potentially has the best rotation in the West – Sheets and Duscherer are the X factors – but that offense is anemic.
Which leaves the Rangers. Harden needs to stay healthy, of course, but he can be a stud, and Feldman, Holland and Hunter are young solid arms. But it’s all about the offense. Hamilton should rebound, and Young, Kinsler and Cruz are solid. And I really like the Vlad signing – even if he only gets 300 at bats, he can hit a ton in that park. Not a perfect team, but I like their team.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
Yeah, it's because they're the big risk team of the year.
Tons of guys who could bounce back, tons who could bust or have sophomore slumps. Look at their big offseason acquisitions: Vlad, Harden, Colby Lewis. Who knows how any of them will do? What about Andrus and Feliz? Hamilton and Kinsler need to bounce back, etc. etc. etc.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Mar 5, 2010 12:44 AM EST up reply actions
Lots of upside.
Every team needs something to go right to win. The Rangers have so much young talent and potential, they should dominate the division for the next 5 years. The question is whether they can begin to realize that potential this year.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
The Reds are a sleeper.
The Cards are the favorite, but if Carp goes down again, then Penny is their #2, right?
The Reds are developing some good young pitching, plus they have Votto, Bruce, and Phillips anchoring their lineup. I could see them doing good things.
As for the Diamondbacks, they have a very solid lineup, and I think Upton makes huge strides this year. If Webb is at all healthy, they have a formidable 1-2.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
Actually, screw it, all 3 are.
They’re all very fundamentally flawed teams.
The Giants have no offense. At all. Pablo Sandoval is good, but I’d be very surprised to see them score 700 runs on the year. For some reason they signed Aubrey Huff to replace a player with actual potential in Travis Ishikawa. Randy Winn and DeRosa is pretty much a push. And they’re starting Edgar Renteria. Period. Plus their rotation is actually pretty mediocre past the top-2. Does anyone really trust Barry Zito, Jonathan Sanchez, and a rookie to be anything better than 3 #4-5 types? I don’t.
The Dodgers’ pitchers were pretty damn lucky last year despite having a mediocre defense behind them. They’re also much more prone to the inconsistencies of age and attitude. Their lineup, meanwhile, has only 3 really reliable batters in Ethier, Manny, and Kemp. The others are either inconsistent (Blake, Furcal) or just plain bad (Loney, Loney, Loney). If Martin has a resurgence, they could be good. But that’s a pretty big “if” given the fact that he’s already going in injured.
The Rockies have a very questionable rotation, but I think I can trust Ubaldo Jimenez more than Kershaw or Billingsley, youth-wise. They’ve got a pretty strong lineup, though it’s a bit weak at the bottom and there’s always the “Coors Field Question”. Of course, then you have to give the rotation a boost. I think the Rockies are probably the most solid of the teams, but they all have issues, and I wouldn’t expect the NL WC to come from there were it not for the fact that the rest of the NL is so damn weak in general.
USG
SF has great pitching.
But Panda can’t carry the offense.
LA can hit, but their pitching is uninspiring. And Colorado isn’t very inspiring.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
I like
Colorado in the west. I think they made a couple nice additions, they’ll have a good enough rotation, an average bullpen, and a solid closer.
Miguel Olivo for Governor of Colorado
Whoever said it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, probably lost.
by David Harnden on Mar 7, 2010 2:52 AM EST up reply actions
I think a lot depends on Jeff Francis
and whether he can contribute after a year off.
But If Tulo can keep it up, and Stewart and Iannetta can become impact bats, they might have something there.
Manny ain't the only bad man.
i think anyone can win this division except the Padres
The Rockies might be the most balance team of the 4, Diamondbacks have potential. Dodgers have offense and bad pitching, Giants have pitching and no offense. I dont think anyone really has this division locked up.
by German Red Sox Fan on Mar 7, 2010 11:00 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah its definitely not locked up
Maybe if the Rockies get fed up and switch managers again mid-late season, they’ll go on another mega-run.
Whoever said it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, probably lost.
by David Harnden on Mar 7, 2010 1:28 PM EST up reply actions
mine
BOS, CWS, TEX, TB
PHI, STL, LA, SF
BOS over LA
If the White Sox pull of a trade for Adrian Gonzalez
I think they win the central. Otherwise, its the Twins
My prediction (it'll be right):
Sox, Twins, Mariners, Yankees (WC)
Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, Rockies (WC)
World Series: Sox win over Cardinals, 4 games to 1
It depends on whether I buy the Cable baseball package or not.
It is all metaphysical. If I buy the package, no playoffs for the Sox. If I don’t, they will probably win everything.
I can be brided.
There are some funny projections i cant believe.
for example Chone NL EAST:
NL East Wins Losses
Atlanta Braves 89 73
Philadelphia Phillies 87 75
New York Mets 80 82
Florida Marlins 76 86
Washington Nationals 74 88
There is now way in my mind that the Phillies will not win the NL East unless they have Mets like injuries. I think the Braves just traded their best Pitchers for a Closer more or less (payroll wise), dont like their offense, chipper is old. Dont like their offseason moves all that much. Sign a 38 year old closer and give up a 1st round pick for it, outch. The Phillies have the best pitcher and the best offense of the NL. They run away with the Division ihmo.
AL West Wins Losses
Texas Rangers 86 76
Los Angeles Angels 81 81
Oakland A’s 81 81
Seattle Mariners 78 84
How is Seatlle winning 7 Games less than last year? Actually i think Chone has some really awkward and very conservative projections.
by German Red Sox Fan on Mar 7, 2010 10:44 AM EST reply actions
Re: Seattle
Last year, their Pythag was 75-87. They finished 10 games better.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Mar 7, 2010 8:00 PM EST up reply actions
I like what the M's did this off-season
The AL West will come down to whether Texas, LA, or Seattle stay healthy. I wouldn’t count the Angels out, nor do I think the M’s will win. If I had to bet, I’d take LA or Texas.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Mar 7, 2010 8:30 PM EST up reply actions
I've crunched the numbers
and here’s what I come up with. (And yes, the records align to 2430-2430. Thank you Excel.)
And please don’t get your panties up in a twist if you don’t like my prediction. It’s much more a testament to my perception of the AL East than me being a critic of the Red Sox.
AL East:
1. Yankees, 100-62
2. Rays, 96-66, 4 GB (Wild Card)
3. Red Sox, 95-67, 5
4. Orioles, 76-86, 24
5. Blue Jays, 68-94, 32
AL Central:
1. Twins, 88-74
2. Tigers, 80-82, 8
3. White Sox, 78-84, 10
4. Indians, 67-95, 21
5. Royals, 61-101, 27
AL West:
1. Angels, 89-73
2. Rangers, 86-76, 3
3. Mariners, 84-78, 5
4. Athletics, 78-84. 11
NL East:
1. Phillies, 93-69
2. Braves, 91-71, 4 (Wild Card)
3. Marlins, 86-76, 7
4. Mets, 77-85, 16
5. Nationals, 71-91, 22
NL Central:
1. Cardinals, 90-72
2. Brewers, 86-76, 4
3. Cubs, 82-80, 8
4. Reds, 75-87, 15
5. Astros, 62-100, 28
6. Pirates, 59-103, 31
NL West:
1. Rockies, 94-68
2. Dodgers, 88-74, 6
3. D’backs, 83-79, 11
4. Giants, 81-81, 13
5. Padres, 66-96, 28
For the record, I had the Rays pegged to win the 2009 World Series, and the Yankees missing the playoffs, so I’m not about to accept any “homer” blasts.
homer
Trade Beckett before the deadline
JD Drew the stud who is.
I'm taking suggestions from myself on the 2010 rally song.
Re-sign Victor Martinez, the future DH of the Boston Red Sox
Am I supposed to like John Lackey ?
Sorry,
but as discussed above, I don’t think the Rays have the starting pitching depth to win 96 games in the regular season and beat the yankees or the red sox to the playoffs. They’ll be tough to beat for sure, but not a top contender, IMO
I dont know what you don't like about Tampa's pitching
Its right up there with anyone. Shields and Garza are both front line guys. Niemann, Davis and Price were all top prospects. They also have plenty of depth (Hellickson, Sonnanstine).
I think Tampa’s pitching is right behind ours and better than New York’s. Plus they have the benefit of being backed by excellent defenders – like us, and unlike the Yanks (who admittedly have improved their defense, but still have bad defenders at 2B and 3B & average to below average in RF and at SS)
www.bullpenbanter.com
Davis and Price have yet to have any real success at the ML level.
Niemann has only one good season in the books. And Neither Garza nor Shields really looked like aces last year. When it comes down to it, prospects are all well and good, but filling your rotation with them will get you nowhere. Put 2-3 more years under the belts of the staff and they could rival anyone. But as is, they’re kind of like Baltimore.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Mar 8, 2010 10:12 AM EST up reply actions
Niemann's HR/FB last year has to be a fluke
Niemann had a ridiculously low 7.6% HR/FB. He isn’t a GB pitcher either. I don’t think that is sustainable. Josh Beckett, a power pitcher, had a lower FB% and higher GB% last year. I’d bet on Niemann regressing in 2010.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Mar 8, 2010 1:03 PM EST up reply actions
GB% shouldn't matter re: HR/FB
But yeah, 7.6% should bump up towards an average 9-11%. There’s not a lot of evidence that there’s much a pitcher can do as far as that number is concerned.
USG
Yep, there isn't much a pitcher can do. That's why the low % is a fluke.
But, GB% does matter. If you give up a lot of FB and an average % of HR, you’ll end up giving up a lot of HR. Even with the low HR/FB, Niemann gave up 17 HR in 180.2 IP. Roy Halladay, who had a of 10.6% HR/FB, had roughly the same HR/9 because his GB% was better. Niemann could easily give up 30 HR in 200+ IP if his HR/FB.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Mar 8, 2010 2:16 PM EST up reply actions
Right, but it doesn't effect HR/FB is the point.
Because you’re just increasing the numerator and denominator.
Actually, ground ball pitchers have been found to give up a higher HR/FB number, likely because when they give up fly balls, it tends to be more often a serious mistake pitch. The meatball, as it were.
USG
Niemann is a FB pitcher
His HR supression last year was luck.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Mar 8, 2010 3:17 PM EST up reply actions
Yes, we agree on that.
The point is that HR/9 is the number that is affected by GB%, not HR/FB, except in that GB pitchers do have a tendency to have a higher HR/FB number.
USG
GB% is improtant in showing that Niemann's HR supression was luck
As for HR/FB for GB pitchers, Chien-Ming Wang had a very good ratio prior to his injury-plagued 2009. In 2006 his GB% was 62.8% and his HR/FB was 7.8%. The following year, his GB% was 58.4% and his HR/FB was 6.0%.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Mar 8, 2010 3:56 PM EST up reply actions
That's one example.
Fangraphs posted this piece showing that, generally, a GB pitcher will have a higher HR/FB number.
USG
Of course it is
Wang also had absurdly low K-rates.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Mar 8, 2010 4:24 PM EST up reply actions
That would blow
to win 95 games and completely miss the playoffs…..sucks that three of the top teams in the league are in the same division. Any of the 3 would be heavy favorites to win every other division.
Lessee here.
AL East
Rays
Red Sox
Yankees
Orioles
Blue Jays
A comeback year from BJ Upton plus Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena playing out of their heads in their contract years push the Rays into first place for the second and probably last time for a while. The Red Sox run-prevention system gives them the Wild Card, while the Yankees core of A-Rod, Jeter, Posada, and Petitte play to their ages. The Orioles finish just under .500, and the Jays go to the basement, but they won’t stay for long.
AL Central
White Sox
Twins
Tigers
Royals
Indians
Peavy is humanized by US Cellular Field, but the Sox still have far and away the best rotation in the Central, carrying them to 90 wins and a run to the postseason. The M&Ms take the junkfood team to second place while Sophomore woes hit Rick Porcello and the Tigers. The Royals and Indians could go in any order here, but I think Butler, Meche, Greinke, and Soria can carry KC over Cleveland.
AL West
Mariners
Rangers
Angels
Athletics
Franklin Gutierrez has the coolest nickname in baseball, between Death to Flying Things, Cliff Lee, and King Felix, Seattle knocks out 92 wins and wins the West. The Rangers do well, but without much pitching they fall short of the Mariners. The Angels give up on their idea of playing Matsui in the outfield, but they lose too much from last year to come out on top again. The A’s deal Ben Sheets and any other player with value at the deadline. Sheets pitches out of his gourd in anticipation of a big payday.
NL East
Phillies
Braves
Marlins
Mets
Nationals
Halladay pitches well, but not to the Pedro-esque numbers everyone seems to expect from him. Still, visibility and hype basically hand him the Cy Young. The Braves, powered by a reformed pitching staff take second followed by the Marlins. The Mets and Nationals are both below .500, but the Nats go forward while the Mets fall back.
NL Central
Cardinals
Brewers
Astros
Cubs
Reds
Pirates
The Carpenter/Wainwright duo backs Pujols to the top spot in the central. The next three spots are interchangeable, but the Brewers seem the least bad of the lot, so I’ll give them second place. Brad Mills reenergizes the Astros, pushing them past the Cubs, while the Reds and the finally rebuilding Pirates fall to the bottom.
NL West
Rockies
Giants
D’Backs
Dodgers
Padres
The Rockies climb to the top here, with the Giants grabbing a big bat in July and making a push for the Wild Card. Brandon Webb comes back from the DL, pairs up with Dan Haren, and finally gives Pheonix what it wanted after the Haren trade, two of the best aces in the NL, healthy at the same time. The Divorce in Dodgertown proves to be too big of a distraction, and the Dodgers fall to fourth in the division. The Padres do better than last year with the addition of Scott Hairston, but after dealing Adrian Gonzales at the deadline, they firmly entrench themselves in a rebuilding mode. Beware that lineup in two or three years, a number of young stars plus Kyle Blanks and Chase Headley in their natural positions is nothing to sneeze at.
If I was your math homework I'd be really hard and you'd be doing me on your desk.
I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
I hate to do this before we break spring
always seems to be some late spring injuries that change my opinion but
AL east-BOS,NYY, Rays, O’s, jays
Boston movesto make themselves better but the yanks could always surprise. The O’s may surprise everyone
Central- Twins, Chi, Detroit, KC, Cle
Twins just know how to win, and they have the talent. Peavy and Buehrle pace the Sox
west- Sea, Tex, LAA, Oak
Seattle’s off season moves prove to be winners, an the Angels regret letting Vlad go, Weaver not able to take Lackey’s place as #1
NL
east- Phil, ATL, NYM, Nats, Marlins
Phils are too much for this division. Braves are good but not quite ready for the playoffs. The mets have injuries already, nats improved, andthe fish just seem to follow a good year by a bad year all the time.
central- Cards, Brewers, Cubs, Pirates, Reds, Stros
cards have King Albert and he is awesome, enough picthing to win. The Brew crew is improved and may take the wild card. Cubs seem to be stuck with some guys who just wont come back to form.
West- Giants, Dodgers, D-backs, Rockies, padres
Giants pitching is very good, the Dodgers are infected by Manny, the D-backs do not seem to have Webb back all the way
Here she is...
AL EAST
Yankees
Red Sox (Wild Card)
Rays
Blue Jays
Orioles
AL CENTRAL
White Sox
Twinkies
Tigers
Royals
Indians
AL WEST
Mariners
Rangers
Angels
A’s
NL EAST
Phillies
Marlins
Mets
Braves
Nationals
NL CENTRAL
Cardinals
Brewers
Reds
Pirates (Will they finally break .500…?)
Cubies
Astros
NL WEST
Giants
Rockies (Wild Card)
Dodgers
Arizona
Padres
NYY AND BOS
are the 2 best teams in baseball if they play to their ponial
okay i have cerebral palsy arthris and chronic fatigue as well i have a great life and loveing folks some days are better than other days i got a make-a-wish in 2001 and saw my favorite team the broncos it was the trip of a lifetime i wish everyone couild have gotten to enjoy that with me i know some of u hate the broncos and that okay but i bleed organ and bule for my mnr fans but i bleed orange and blue denver will rise again resident broncos fan for every blog resident broncos for stampede bule thanks shvd98z24
Division Realignment
Don’t kow if any of you read the SI article on fluctuating divisions to get out from the unbalanced schedule or not but how about this drastic plan:
1. Remove all divisions.
2. Go to strictly 14 team leagues (this means disbanding 2 teams)
3. Top 4 teams make the playoffs (lowest record plays highest record 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs.3)
4. Kill the unbalanced schedule – 13 opponents allows for 2 home and 2 away series = 156 games. That’s 2 more series that could go against rivals or intraleague, etc.
alternate plan
3. Top 6 teams make the playoffs with top 2 getting a bye in the first round
4. Shorten season to 156 games with 12 games per opponent.
I realize this is radical…
1st round byes are an awful idea.
Teams have trouble with long layoffs.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Mar 10, 2010 1:22 PM EST up reply actions
Most of these plans are silly
I would like to see MLB end interleague play and go to a more balanced schedule, with the top four teams by record making the playoffs. That would eliminate weak division winners getting in, which is the biggest problem with division play. There are other—smaller—changes that I’d like to see: mostly involving FA compensation, bonuses to drafted players and amateur FA, etc.
Here’s Rob Neyer’s take on the SI article.
A few weeks ago, Ken Rosenthal proposed several realignment plans, all of them bad—and all would hurt the Red Sox.
While I don’t think the current system is perfect, drastic changes aren’t needed to make baseball better. Most of the plans I’ve seen are far worse than the current system or so impractical that they could never be implemented.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Mar 10, 2010 2:20 PM EST up reply actions
What is silly
is one division with 6 teams, 5 with 5 teams and one with 4….that’s plain silly right there no matter how you look at it…..Astros should be in the NL West
Whoops I fudged that one
I said Astros and NL West while thinking Brewers and AL West
Not sure how that happened other than I’m getting old
No
If you have 15 teams in each league, then you have either year-round interleague games (please God no) or one team in each league going inactive for a series.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Mar 15, 2010 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah didn't think of that.....
But still find it unfair that 6 teams have to battle for a division in the NL Central while only 4 go at it in the AL West.
Plus you could change the number of games….why should we be set on 162??
Changing the number of games wouldn't make much of a difference re: divisional splits.
You’d have to change the lengths of series, which would lead to massive travel costs, a lot more off days, etc.
Besides, the difference between having 6 and 4 guys in the division isn’t all that huge when it comes down to it. Baseball isn’t a game of coin flips. It is one more or less team that could oppose you, but for the most part you don’t find the NL Central being unusually strong or the AL West being unusually weak, so it’s not a problem.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Mar 15, 2010 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions
How about
1. increasing MLB to 32 teams
2. 16 AL / 16 NL
3. 2 Division per league with 8 Teams
4. you play within the division 16 Times 8 home/8road
you play team from the other division 6 times 3 home/3 road
Thats a total of 160 Games
5. The 2 division winner make the playoffs and the next 2 best teams
6. All playoffrounds are best of seven and the division winners gets homefield advantage in the first round
by German Red Sox Fan on Mar 15, 2010 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions
That actually works for me.
The problem might be travel time when it comes to teams in the west. Also, there’s gotta be economic questions when it comes to 2 new teams. They seem to be targeting the new, family friendly Vegas. Where’s the other team going to go?
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Mar 15, 2010 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions
choose 2 of:
Link
Biggest Metropolitan Areas without a Baseball Team:
Rank: Metropolitan Area : Inhabitants
14: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA : 4,115,871
23: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA : 2,207,462
25:Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, CA MSA : 2,109,832
27:Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA : 2 ,054,574
28:San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX MSA: 2,031,445
30:Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA : 1,865,746
smallest Metro in current MLB:
39:Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI MSA : 1,549,308
Other possibilities: Charlotte, Nashville, Buffalo, Vancouver (other city in canada maybe),
Or maybe even a 3rd Team in New York , 20M divived by 3 is still around 7M per team ;)
Well maybe even a Team in (North)Mexico.
regarding Travel for West Teams: i dont think they travel much more than now. Only 3 Games at Fenway and all other east parks instead of up to 6 like now?
by German Red Sox Fan on Mar 15, 2010 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Portland and Vegas
More teams out west…..better for teams out west. Portland would be a natural rival for Seattle and LV is the fastest growing metro area in the country
Imagniarium
American League East
Baltimore
Boston
Cleveland
Chicago
Detroit
New York
Tampa Bay
Toronto
American League West
Kansas City
Los Angeles
Las Vegas
Minnesota
Oakland
Portland
Seattle
Texas
National League East
Atlanta
Cincy
Florida
Houston
New York
Pittsburgh
Philly
Washington
National League West
Arizona
Chicago
Colorado
Los Angeles
Milwaukee
St. Louis
San Diego
San Fran
I was thinking about Portland.
But the minor league Beavers get below average attendance for a AAA team by about 15%, and that’s with reports of really inflated attendance numbers in an attempt to get a new stadium.
I hear San Antonio does pretty well for a AA team. Maybe there?
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Mar 15, 2010 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Also, if you can get one NL West team to move to the AL, that'd be best.
Sticking 2 expansion teams in the same division would be kind of weak.
USG
by Ben Buchanan on Mar 15, 2010 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions
This might play better
American League East
Baltimore
Boston
Cleveland
Chicago
Detroit
New York
Tampa Bay
Toronto
American League West
Kansas City
Los Angeles
Milwaukee
Minnesota
Oakland
San Antonio
Seattle
Texas
*SA gives Texas an in-state/in-league rival. Milwaukee/Minnesota is a nice setup. Not sure about KC or Chicago here
National League East
Atlanta
Cincy
Florida
Houston
New York
Pittsburgh
Philly
Washington
- retro old NL East with Cincy, Houston, Pitt returning….used to love the Braves/Reds series back in the 80s
National League West
Arizona
Chicago
Colorado
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
St. Louis
San Diego
San Fran
I like the LV-LA natural, Chicago and STL move west but stay together to keep that rivalry going.
I wouldn't mind seeing
a 7 game series in the divisional round of the playoffs, but like Drugs said, with the 4 best records in either league. I think that would truly determine the most talented team in a playoff system.
Winning a 5 game series and winning a 7 game series are 2 totally different animals.
Like lamb and Tuna fish….
Whoever said it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, probably lost.
maybe you want something more american? like spaghetti and meatball?
by Please Shoot Me on Mar 12, 2010 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
Whew
Thank you, I was afraid that would go unnoticed by the community.
Whoever said it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, probably lost.
by David Harnden on Mar 12, 2010 1:05 PM EST up reply actions
So the question is what should I buy?
I made a hundred dollar bet with an uneducated cubs fan that the cubs would finish the season with a better record than the sox. I even gave the guy a 10 game handicap cushion. So what should I buy?
Whoever said it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, probably lost.
you have the sox side of the bet right?
sounds like you have the cubs side
by German Red Sox Fan on Mar 14, 2010 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah I took the Sox
Sorry, worded poorly on my mobile upload dealy
Whoever said it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, probably lost.
by David Harnden on Mar 15, 2010 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Pecota loves the Sox
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/fantasy/dc/
I’m kinda suprised that they see the yankees so clear behind us. Hope they are right. ;)
by German Red Sox Fan on Mar 22, 2010 8:34 AM EDT reply actions
I'd be shocked if they only score 8 more runs than us.
I could see them scoring 900. Yes, losing Damon and Matsui hurts, and Posada and Jeter are likely due some regression, but Arod should be better and healthy, and Granderson and Johnson should offset the losses of Matsui/Damon,
Manny ain't the only bad man.
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