Today, we're going to dive into the 2010's All-Decade team for the National League.  

This team was fairly easy for us to agree upon, with the exception of a couple positions.  There are a few players that didn't make the cut because of prime years spent in other decades/leagues; Brandon Phillips and Carlos Beltran could have made a stronger argument on this team had they played the entire decade in the NL.  

There are certainly some holes in this lineup that make it lack some luster, comparatively speaking.  Shortstop, second base and third base aren't particularly strong so the lineup probably wouldn't hold up against some of the better all-decade teams we've put together) but it was a fun team to look at and there is some decent depth in the outfield and within the rotation.

The most challenging position to agree upon was probably catcher, where we had Buster Posey eking out Yadier Molina.  Buster's hardware (3x WS Champ, MVP and batting title) gave him the edge, in our mind but Yadi is certainly worthy of a mention (8 All-Star appearances and 7 Gold Gloves).    

There was also some discussions at 1B which caused us to pause a bit.

There have been a lot of solid National League first basemen over the past decade so it's not a surprise that a second first baseman made the team in our infield spot.  Unfortunately, Freddie Freeman and Anthony Rizzo weren't able to crack this lineup but we felt both were worthy of mention, as well as Matt Carpenter (who might be one of the most underappreciated players in the National League over the past decade).

We agreed on the first two outfielders rather easily; Ryan Braun * and Andrew McCutchen have the numbers and hardware to anchor the outfield.  The last two spots were up for debate with Justin Upton, Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, Christian Yelich narrowly missing the cut.  

The rotation is strong enough to hold up against most; there are some big arms and personalities on this staff, with Clayton Kershaw the undeniable ace and Craig Kimbrel serving as the lock down closer.  We considered Adam Wainwright, Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto, Stephen Strasburg and the beloved Jose Fernandez but inevitably, felt that Zack Greinke and Max Scherzer had done enough in the NL to warrant spots on this staff (hard to argue against Max Scherzer's two Cy Young's).

Without further adieu, here's your 2010's NL Squad. 

C - Buster Posey
1B - Joey Votto
2B - Daniel Murphy
SS - Troy Tulowitzki
3B - Nolan Arenado
IF - Paul Goldschmidt
OF - Andrew McCutchen
OF - Ryan Braun
OF - Bryce Harper
OF - Giancarlo Stanton
SP - Clayton Kershaw
SP - Madison Bumgarner 
SP - Zack Greinke
SP - Max Scherzer
RP - Craig Kimbrel

Thanks for stopping in.  Let us know what you think!
9:34 AM



2020 has surely been a tough year.  

Surprisingly tough for baseball fans who have had to seen all-time greats passing away at an alarming rate.  

The list of players who have died in 2020 includes Lou Brock, Joe Morgan, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Al Kaline, Don Larsen, among others; that's an incredible compilation of all-time, all-timers.

On Monday, the list got a little longer as we heard the sad news that ex-Phillie/White Sox, Dick Allen had passed away at his home in Wampum, PA at the age of 78.

Dick Allen is enshrined on the Phillies Wall of Fame and it was announced earlier this year that his #15 would be retired by the Phillies... he is also named as infielder on our All-Time Phillies team (I'll let you decide which of those accolades carries the greatest significance).

It is also speculated that he could end up voted in on the next Veteran's Committee "Golden Days" ballot (he was one vote short the last time they voted); a Golden Days vote scheduled for August was pushed back 12 months due to Covid so, rather unfortunately, if Allen is selected for enshrinement, he will have passed away without getting the official Call From the Hall.

The broader storylines that surround the "Wampum Walloper" and the debate that hangs over his Hall of Fame candidacy is complex, at best.  His enshrinement is not as cut and dry as it probably could have been but Allen wasn't cut and dry.  

He was controversial, rebellious, unapologetic, brash and somewhat reckless (his autobiography is titled, "Crash," for what it's worth).  He stood up for himself (held out for higher pay and didn't cater to the media) and chose not to fall in line at a time when black athletes were being asked to conform.  

He also skipped batting practices, drank too much, fought with teammates and feuded with management/ownership/the City of Philadelphia to the point where he was suspended 31 games for missing a team flight and eventually traded, presumably for the betterment of all parties involved.

He was ahead of his time, in some ways but he was a lightning rod, nonetheless.

What is NOT debatable... in his prime, Dick Allen was one of the most ferocious sluggers to ever play the game.  His towering home run shots are forever part of baseball lore.  From 1964 to 1974 (Allen's prime years), he boasted an OPS+ of 165 which is the best of any player with 5,000 plate appearances during that particular span... better than Willie McCovey, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays among  many other all-time greats.  Further, Allen's career OPS+ of 156 ranks 18th all-time.  In short, he could truly hit the cover off the ball... but he had some off years and the off-field stuff carved a wedge between him and the Hall of Fame voters (he never crossed 20% support during his 14 years on the ballot)... complex, for sure.

Regardless, of where you stand on his Hall of Fame candidacy, we are all thinking of Allen's family and friends today.

I found a great article at Cooperstown Cred that dives deeper into Dick Allen and his Hall of Fame credibility.  If you have some time, check it out.  
11:34 AM


As we approach the end of another decade of baseball, we are excited to start thinking about the best players at each position from 2010 - 2019.  Admittedly, my colleagues and I went into this thinking it should be pretty easy to achieve consensus on this team since it's most recent in our minds compared to other decade teams.  There were a few no-brainers, but many of the positions required some debate and scrutiny.  As with past decade teams, it can be hard to separate a guy that absolutely crushed for a couple of years from a guy that was consistent through the whole decade.  Further, we had to weigh the service of players that split time between the two leagues versus players that remained in the league the entire decade.  Here is the team we assembled for your consideration...

C - Salvador Perez
1B - Miguel Cabrera
2B - Jose Altuve
SS - Xander Bogaerts
3B - Adrian Beltre
IF - Robinson Cano
OF - Mike Trout
OF - Jose Bautista
OF - Adam Jones
OF - Nelson Cruz
SP - Justin Verlander
SP - Corey Kluber
SP - Chris Sale
SP - David Price
CL - Fernando Rodney

Where to begin?  We'll start with the easy ones, the lock/no-brainer picks.  Trout and Cabrera were penciled in quite easily.  Miguel Cabrera was a legitimate star the last decade headed into this one.  He hit the ground running in his rookie campaign and sped out of the blocks en route to a six year stretch averaging 38 double, 32 homers, and 115 RBI.  Again that was last decade.  He may well have made our 2000s NL team if not for a guy named Pujols.  Cabrera continued his streak in the 2010s decade highlighted by consecutive MVPs and 4 additional top 10 finishes.  He also garnered 4 batting titles not to mention the first Triple Crown in over 40 years at the time.  As impressive as Cabrera's stats through the decade, equally so are Mike Trout's.  Trout has also come out of the gate swinging (literally) with mind boggling numbers in this past decade.  Starting his first full season in he has managed to either win the MVP or place 2nd in 6 out of 7 years.  That odd year was a middling 4th place MVP finish.  He's also currently on pace to undoubtedly finish 1st or 2nd again this year, an unprecedented run. 

The rest of the outfield and the infield was a little harder to fill out.  In the outfield, we came to an early consensus on Bautista and Cruz.  Both started to mash by 2010 and whereas Bautista has fallen off of late, Cruz continues to put up 30+ homers per year.  Adam Jones rounds out our outfield and although many people may shrug at that pick, we did value longevity over short bursts of dominance.  That's the reason Mookie Betts didn't make the team, he simply doesn't have the prolonged consistency yet.  Prior to this season, Jones has been averaging 29 doubles, 26 homers, and 82 RBI in the decade.  He has been consistently performing under the radar for the O's. 
In the infield, Jose Altuve and Robinson Cano have been 2 of the preeminent infielders over the past decade so we utilized the infield spot for Cano.  There careers are going in opposite directions with Altuve still in the middle of his prime and Cano starting to decline.

There were a few picks that made us scratch our heads and think "is this really the best guy?"  Starting at Catcher, we scoured the league and no disrespect to Salvador Perez, but we were surprised that no one else stood out.  He has been as consistent a hitting catcher as you'll find, he has 5 Gold Gloves in the decade and he has the World Series MVP.  Joe Mauer was probably the closest candidate but given Joe's switch to first in 2014 and the fact that he dealt with some injuries that ultimately let to his retirement in 2018, we felt that Perez was the better choice.  Beltre was another pick that surprised us with his numbers in this decade.  Indeed, he really found a 2nd half career resurgence with his one season in Boston and then several in Texas.  He became an all star for the first time with the Rangers, he topped 100 RBI 4 times, added 3 Gold Gloves, and is certain to be bound for Cooperstown.  We considered Josh Donaldson (3xAS, 2015 MVP) and Evan Longoria (one of the more consistent players on this past decade) but when you compare resumes, Beltre stands out.

Shortstop is unarguably the weakest position on this team.  Xander Bogaerts doesn't hold a candle to many other All-Decade shortstops but the list of potential candidates is fairly slim.  We looked at Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor.  We even considered Derek Jeter (a member of our AL 2000's team who retired in 2014)... ultimately, we went with Bogaerts.

The pitching staff for this decade team is very solid.  Verlander has a Cy Young and MVP and 3 other 2nd place finishes.  Kluber has 2 Cy Youngs and has dominated for the Indians, injuries this year notwithstanding.  Sale is the only hurler on our list without a Cy Young award, but he has finished in the top 6 for the past 7 consecutive years.  Price rounds out the staff and also has a Cy and has been very consistent everywhere he has played.  We painfully had to leave off King Felix Hernandez, whose reign of dominance ended rather abruptly in 2015 (he has really been a shell of himself since 2014).

Perhaps the most surprising part of the all decade team is the lack of a consistent dominating closer in the AL.  Many of the big names swapped leagues with no one establishing themselves as the premier closer.  Besides Rodney, the only other we found with any longevity was Joakim Soria.

Please let us know what you think, what we missed, and where we're way off base.  We appreciate the comments!
8:55 PM
Recently, MLB discussions have centered on proposed rule changes. At least one looks like it will be implemented for the coming year. Baseball is steeped in tradition unlike any of the other major sports leagues. Although baseball still seems to be doing well financially, there continue to be concerns about its longevity among younger fans. The game is now seen as an older generation past time. At the heart of the criticism for why fandom is waning revolves around pacing and tradition that don't resonate with today's younger fans.  At the beginning of last season, rising star Bryce Harper was critical of baseballs outdated traditions claiming the game isn't as fun as it could be. In particular, a main point for Harper involved the unwritten rule of not showing emotion when something positive happens at the plate. Bat flips and watching a homerun ball used to get you an automatic buzz cut on your next at bat. Harper feels the game needs an infusion of fun and emotion to bolster its popularity.

So does the game need to change to be relative in today's society?

This year, there have been a few proposed rule changes. We'll highlight a few, and I'll give my own opinions.

1. Man on 2nd Base to start extra innings
     This will apparently be taking place at the World Baseball Classic and some minor leagues. With this proposed change, extra innings would begin with a man on 2B for each team. It's meant to make run production easier and end an extra innings game sooner. This is one where the purist in me screams no way! It is reminiscent of college football starting at the 25 for overtime. If a team is going to win, they should produce all the facets needed to win, from getting on base to moving runners to knocking in runners. Games should be won organically without outside help.

2. Increasing the strike zone up to above the knee
     This change would theoretically mean more action as the batter friendly strike zone would mean more hits, more runs, and more game action. I'm on the fence with this change. I've always been a proponent of  the "pitch strikes and see what the hitter's got" mentality. Yet this favors hitters considerably and would negatively impact lots of good pitchers that make their living on the edges. I'm not sure introducing more action would speed the game up, so it might not jibe exactly with that initiative. I like a good pitching match, but I like slugfests too. Like I said, on the fence.

3. Intentional Walk signaled from the dugout
     The dugout signal for intentional walk looks like it will make its debut this year. I don't have a problem with this change. Not because it will speed up the game, intentional walks are still pretty rare. I've just always thought it's dumb to throw 4 meaningless lobs when it's clear you're putting the guy on base. Purists have asked if not running the bases for homers would be next. To me that's a reward for the hitter to celebrate. I don't believe I've ever seen a passed ball or hit during an intentional walk lob. Plus, why put any undue strain on the pitcher. This rule I like.

Although baseball treasures its roots and history, some things are bound to change with the times. There were plenty of replay skeptics, but baseball has done a good job not making it intrusive. I'm not in favor of changes that would alter stats or the ability to compare players like shortening innings per game or games per season. Please comment on any changes you would implement.
11:34 AM
Authored by Ben Reese

Maybe it's these new glasses with the rose-colored lenses, but the Phillies' future doesn't look too bad.
OK, they won't win the pennant this season or next or the one after that, but they will improve. Maybe not this season where they will still inhabit the cellar of the National League East unless they can get past the Atlanta Braves who are also "rebuilding."
However, for the first time in quite a while, the Phillies have good prospects in the minor leagues. But they won't be in Citizens Bank Park in 2016, at least not from the start of the season. 
In fact, they have good prospects, even some great prospects, at just about every position. They have pitchers, a couple catchers, infielders and outfielders who have the potential to be good major league players.  This hasn't happened since the early 1970s in Philadelphia. You'll remember these names and the statistics that go with them.
In 1972, the Phillies brought up a young shortstop named Larry Bowa, who many thought wouldn't be able to hit his weight, and a slugger named Greg Luzinski. The next year, Mike Schmidt, Bob Boone, Dick Ruthven and Larry Christianson arrived in Philly.
These players didn't immediately bring home a pennant. It took them several years before they all got going.
Actually, the first season for some of them was less than sterling. Schmidt, who was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995, hit only .196 in his debut season with 18 home runs.
These players formed the nucleus of the 1980 team, which won Philadelphia's first World Championship, beating the Kansas City Royals in six games.
By the way, that 1980 team had some other youngsters worthy of mention. Lonnie Smith added speed and some comedy in the outfield, Keith Moreland backed up Boone behind the plate and Bob Walk, Marty Bystrom, Randy Lerch and Dickie Noles spent quality time on the mound.
That said, the in-coming class of prospects might be as good or better. Some are already in Philadelphia and some are maybe one or two years away. But they are coming.
Maikel Franco is already in Philly. The young third baseman is expected to hold down that spot for many years to come.
Tops on the prospect list is shortstop J.P. Crawford, the team's No. 1 draft pick in 2013. He has been steadily moving up through the farm system and is one of the top 10 prospects in all baseball right now.
Crawford suffered an injury in the Arizona Fall League but it won't affect his 2016 season. That season will probably begin at Lehigh Valley with at least a September call-up in his future.
There are also pitchers, a lot of them. The Phillies' front office traded away many of the "old guard" of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, etc., and got back arms.
From Texas, in the Cole Hamels deal, they got right-hander Jake Thompson, who helped pitch Reading into the Eastern League playoffs. They got Zach Eflin from the Dodgers in the Rollins trade and Mark Appel, the first pick in the 2013 draft by Houston, from the Astros.
If anything is certain it is that pitchers take more time to mature than position players. These three and the others coming up in the minors will be no exceptions. Don't look for them this season.
Behind the plate, there are two highly rated catchers in the system. Jorge Alfaro, who also arrived from Texas, has been one of the top catchers in the minors for several seasons. He was injured last season and will probably start the year in Reading.
The other backstop is Andrew Knapp, a second-round pick of the Phillies in 2013. The switch-hitter was having a decent 2015 at Clearwater in the Florida State League (High Class A) but exploded when called up to Reading, hitting .360 with 11 home runs and 56 RBI in 55 games. That alone could propel him to Lehigh Valley this season.
There are outfielders also. One of the keys to the Hamels deal was outfielder Nick Williams.
Williams is a five-tool players. He has speed and power and can play all three outfield spots. He played only 22 games in Reading after the trade and may end up back there to start the year.
Another outfielder with an intriguing resume is Roman Quinn. He was a second-round pick of the Phils in 2011 who started out his career as a shortstop.
Injuries have hindered Quinn's rise through the system, however. He missed a lot of 2015 with a hip injury.
When he is healthy, he is the ideal leadoff hitter. The switch-hitter hit .306 and stole 29 bases in 58 games for Reading in 2015 before his injury and probably will join Williams in the R-Phils' outfield to start 2016.
The newest addition to the prospect list in second baseman Scott Kingery, drafted in the second round of the 2015 draft. Kingery has a quick bat (he was the top hitter at the University of Arizona and led the NCAA in hitting for much of his senior season) and good speed. He will move quickly through the system but may arrive in Philly after the others.
These are just a few of the prospects rising through the Phillies' farm system. There are more, some closer to the majors than others.
But it does bode well for Phillies' fans, even without these glasses.
11:10 AM
This past December, For Baseball Junkies celebrated its fifth birthday.  The blog has always been a passion for Hersh, Mc and I.  It started as a mechanism for us to memorialize some of our daily conversations while creating a forum for us to connect with other self proclaimed baseball junkies.  Some personal highlights have been connecting with "The Baseball Collector," Zack Hample before he became "the guy who held A-Rod's 3,000 hit for ransom."  Befriending Shawn Anderson, creator of the "Hall of Very Good," and getting a "Like" on our Facebook page from Billy Sample.

Today, as the baseball world officially welcomed a new class to the Hall of Fame, we are pleased and excited to introduce a new contributor to our page, Ben Reese.  Ben is a lifelong baseball fan who has covered high school sports in the greater Philadelphia region for more than 40 years.  He kept his hand in writing as a contributor at www.suburbanonesports.com and we are honored to have him share some of his thoughts with you.  Enjoy!


The Baseball Writers of America have spoken.

 They have cast their votes and decided that Ken Griffey Jr. And Mike Piazza were worthy of addition to the Baseball Hall of Fame. There is no argument from this quarter as to their worthiness for that honor.

 However, there is room for argument about several other candidates on this year's ballot. And there is also some disagreement with the restrictions imposed by the Hall of Fame on that ballot.

 First, let's touch on Griffey and Piazza. Griffey has been ticketed for the Hall ever since his first Major League game.  He had the bloodlines from his Major League father. He also had the experience in professional clubhouses from the time he could walk.  

 Obviously, he didn't disappoint. His 636 homers and sometimes unbelievable defense ensured his selection.

 Just an of note here: three voters did not put Griffey on their ballot. They will be hunted out and dunned for their reason.  

 Leave them alone. They certainly had their own reasons which are irrelevant.

 Really, there are only two reasons that matter. One is that they, however misguided, felt that no one deserves to be unanimous.  The other should be more obvious. With the reduction of voters and with the remaining voters allowed to only select 10 names from the list of eligible players, those three voters left Griffey off in order to give another player a vote.

 After all, as was seen with his 437 votes, Griffey didn't need those three votes to get in. But someone like Alan Trammel, in his final chance as election, did.

 Piazza, a 62nd-round selection in the draft, couldn't have been thinking about the Hall of Fame when he got drafted by the Dodgers. He really was just a bow to his godfather Tommy Lasorda when Los Angeles selected him.

 He proved how astute the Dodgers were with his play throughout his career. No other catcher in the history of the game have ever hit as many home runs as he did.  With his lowly beginnings, he more than earned his trip to Cooperstown.

 Now for the rest of them.

 The jump in percentage of votes received by Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens demonstrates that the now-reduced voting group is younger and more forgiving than the 100 or so voters who were cut from the list. Whether that is right or wrong, only time will tell.

 Another PED-tainted player, Mark McGwire, in his final year on the ballot, didn't make it. And Sammy Sosa, who has his accusers, got only seven percent of the vote.

 If Bonds and/or Clemens ever are elected, then something should be done for Pete Rose. As many have said, the Hall of Fame is a museum, not Heaven.

 Certainly, Rose sinned against baseball. He bet on games while a working member of the professional baseball fraternity.  But he also had more hits than anyone before or after his career. That should be honored or at least given the opportunity to be honored.  If he is ever on the ballot and selected, put on his plaque that he was banned from baseball for betting on games. And leave it at that.

 Many of the talking heads on the MLB Network have been calling for an expanded ballot in the future. Allow the writers to vote for 12 or 15 players.  That might be a good idea. But it will also allow more controversy.

 But, then again, that's what the off-season is all about.

 Ben R.
12:00 AM
Today, at 6 PM, the Official Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2016 will be announced.  This exercise always has a way of getting us excited, upset and befuddled.  Unfortunately, the process is getting more and more difficult with each passing year.  The ballots are officially clogged - there are 20 players on this year's ballot with a Baseball Reference Hall of Fame monitor (HOFm) score over 100... the Baseball Reference Hall of Fame monitor score was created to track the likelihood of a particular player's enshrinement.  It compiles their statistics, accomplishments and accolades and formulates it into a relative scoring system whereby any player with an HOFm of 100 or better is worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.  The higher the score, the more likely a player will get a call from The Hall.  With so many hold-overs, the "10 Player Vote Limit" rule is undoubtedly causing real BBWAA voters much angst.  If you want to vote for 15 players but you only have 10 votes, is a vote for Ken Griffey, Jr. a wasted vote because he's almost assuredly going to get in anyway?  Is it better to vote for a guy like Jeff Kent to ensure that he doesn't fall off the ballot?  That's a philosophical question I can't answer but hopefully, you see the dilemma.

But for now, ahead of the official announcement, I wanted to share our "official" FBJ Ballot (we are not BBWAA writers so our votes don't really count, although we are fortunate enough to know writers with real, actual counting votes)... our selection process is quite (sarcastically) complicated... we each make our choices and if a player is on two out of three ballots, we cast a vote for that player.  
Without further adieu, here are our selections:

Ken Griffey, Jr. (first ballot)
Pete Rose (write-in)

Making these selections proved to be no easy task and the desire to be consistent was clearly pitted against a desire to do what is best for the future.  Admittedly, I've been pro-Raines in the past but I felt compelled to cast my final personal vote for Alan Trammell in his final year because I think he deserves it and I'm hoping that Raines can find enough support to stick around.  I've also been pro-Jeff Kent and but with only ten spots, I couldn't find a place for him on my personal ballot.  

The last name on that list is sure to raise an eyebrow.  It was brought to my attention that a small handful of BBWAA writers have written-in Pete Rose this year and we couldn't be happier.  While Rose's banishment from baseball is certainly appropriate, a baseball Hall of Fame without the all-time hits leader seems very cheap (the same could certainly be said for Bonds as the all-time Home Run leader).  The Hall of Fame is a completely separate entity from Major League Baseball; it would be very interesting to see what would happen if enough writers wrote-in Pete Rose.  Unfortunately, that's unlikely to happen but we're happy to advocate for the cause. 

Unfortunately, what we think will happen is much different than what we actually voted for... the most likely scenario is Ken Griffey Jr. and MAYBE Mike Piazza... if the trend line of Piazza's support is any indication of what will happen this year, he'll be right around the required 75% mark.  Griffey will probably get somewhere between 90% and 95% support but will almost certainly not be the first unanimous selection (Randy Johnson was left off 15 ballots last year).

So there it is... let us know what you think.
2:48 PM
“Baseball is a game of inches.”  That’s a cliché that’s thrown about quite often by announcers, analysts, and old timey fans.  It’s true to a degree and was so during the 2015 World Series between the Mets and Royals.  An in between hop, a jump on a fly ball, a throw that just barely pulls someone off the bag or goes up the line.  “Give ‘em an inch, they’ll take a foot.”  That’s another more universal cliché you often hear.  That sentiment summed up the Royals this postseason as they used every mistake and every opportunity to make their opponents pay for giving just an inch of hope.  The Royals mustered 7 come from behind wins this postseason and actually trailed the Mets in every single game of the World Series.  They plated over 40 runs between the 7th and 9th innings during the playoffs.  It was that never say die attitude and confidence that propelled them to winning the 111th Fall Classic.

Game 1 saw the notion of inches on the first pitch as Alcedis Escobar put one in the left-center gap.  Yoenes Cespedes got a bad jump and then miscommunicated with rookie Michael Conforto as to who was playing the ball.  Cespedes stabbed at it, but missed by a few inches.  The Mets would take the lead 3-1 later in the game.  The Royals tied with the Mets again taking the lead on a Eric Hosmer error scoring Juan Lagares.  In the bottom of the 9th with Jeurys Familia on the mound who hadn’t given up a run in the postseason, Alex Gordon takes him deep on a ball that was up in the zone by a mere few inches.  It took 14 frames to settle, but you got the sense that KC wasn’t going to let up and would find a way to win.  In the 14th, an error by David Wright pulled Lucas Duda off the bag and led to the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Hosmer, redeeming himself.  This would be the first of several Mets miscues that the Royals would use to their advantage. 

Game 2 was a one-sided affair with Johnny Cueto pitching masterfully as he kept the Mets’ hitters off balance the entire game.  Duda managed the only 2 hits for New York and yet they still had the lead at 1-0 going into the 5th.  During that half inning, the Royals used timely deke and dunk hits sprayed all over the field to put 4 runs on the board.  Cueto didn’t need any more than that keeping the Mets guessing the whole night with his myriad styles of delivery to the plate.  Kansas City would add 3 more runs in the 8th to complete the 7-1 romp on their way to holding serve in their home ballpark.

Needing a win in Game 3, the Mets sent fireballer Noah Syndergaard to the mound.  His first pitch came within inches of drilling the hot hitting Escobar.  That kind of bravado from Syndergaard could either juice up the Mets for a comeback in the series or awaken the Royals even further to keep up the pressure, now with a chip on their shoulders.  This game, the Mets dominated as the bats came alive en route to a 9-3 victory.  Wright had 4 RBI and it looked briefly like New York was poised to make it a very competitive series.  In an interesting managerial move, Mets skipper Terry Collins used his setup guys Reed and Clippard, along with his closer Familia in a mop up role where they weren’t needed. 

Game 4 pitted Chris Young against the newest Met pitcher, Steven Matz.  Both pitched great through the first few innings.  Rookie Michael Conforto came out in this game belting 2 homeruns for New York.  Kansas City would touch Matz in the 5th on an RBI single from Gordon and again in the 6th on a Lorenzo Cain single.  New York would take a 3-2 lead into the 8th but no lead was safe against this resilient Royals club.  After 2 walks from Clippard, Collins went to his closer Familia again.  Hosmer hits a weak ground ball to 2nd that Daniel Murphy misplays allowing the ball to miss his glove by a mere inch or two.  The tying run came in and back to back singles plated 2 additional insurance runs.  Royals closer Wade Davis closed the doors on the Mets with a six out save to put KC up 3 games to 1.  During the 9th, another costly mental error hurt the Mets when Cespedes was doubled off to end the game.

In a must win Game 5, New York sent out Harvey again to save the season.  Embroiled in a controversy over his innings limit the past two years, it appeared Harvey was primed to take the Mets on his shoulders in this pivotal elimination game.  He pitched masterfully throughout the game doing what no other Mets starter had done before – consistently get the Royals to swing and miss.  Kansas City had largely avoided the Mets advantage of power pitching, proving to be very hard to strikeout.  Harvey dispatched 9 Royals via the strikeout in Game 5.  Curtis Granderson led off the game with a homerun and the Mets got an insurance run on a Hosmer error.  Going into the 9th, Harvey had only 102 pitches in the game, leaving everyone to wonder who would pitch the final inning.  With Familia warming up, Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen informed Harvey his night was over.  A jazzed up Harvey immediately went to plead his case to Collins insisting he wanted to go back out there.  He could be seen saying “no way!” over and over about being taken out.  Collins relented and the crowd erupted when Harvey ran out of the dugout.  However, as they had been the entire series, the Royals were un-phased by the roar of the crowd or the sense of drama and destiny of the Dark Knight out to save Gotham from elimination.  Cain worked a full count into a walk to start off the inning.  Instead of going to the closer, Collins stuck with his starter to go after Hosmer, who was destroying the ball with runners on base.  Cain stole second easily and Hosmer laced a double to left scoring their first run.  Now Familia was brought into the game asked to be perfect with no one out and the tying run on second.  Hosmer went to 3rd on a grounder by Mike Moustakas.  Next up Salvador Perez (eventual MVP) hit another weak grounder to the left side.  Wright snatched it up and even looked Hosmer back before firing to first.  As soon as Wright looked to first, Hosmer bolted for the plate.  Duda’s throw was off the mark, yet again opening a window for Kansas City as they tied the game.  A good throw and the game is over with the series moving back to Kansas City.  The Royals would blow it open in the 12th plating 5 runs to cinch the series. 

 Some interesting notes regarding the series:
 
·         The inside the park homerun to start Game 1 was the first since 1929
·         Familia is the first pitcher to blow 3 saves in the World Series.  Game 5 blown save was without surrendering a hit
·         KC first team to trail 3 games in the 8th or later to win all 3
·         After Game 1, KC did not have another homerun.  Mets had 5. 
·         Wright, Murphy, and Cespedes went 11-64 (.171) for the series
9:20 AM


This past Saturday marked the 29th anniversary of the pivotal Game 6 of the 1986 World Series between the Mets and the Red Sox.  I was reminded of the similarities between that Mets team and this year’s Royals team.  Both were/are come from behind teams that always believe they’re in the game no matter what.  Game 1 of the 2015 World Series had a coincidence that is particularly memorable for me.  During last night’s game in the 8th inning, Eric Hosmer had a grounder handcuff him which brought in the go ahead run.  Hosmer is a 2 time defending Gold Glove winner at 1B known for his defense.  Were it not for Alex Gordon and his heroics in the 9th, that could have been the turning point in the game last night.  It instantly took me back 29 years (I had just turned 9) to the ’86 series and Game 6. 


Everyone remembers Bill Buckner as the pariah that ruined the chances of the Red Sox to break the Curse of the Bambino that had plagued them since Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920.  The routine grounder went through Buckner’s legs allowing Ray Knight to score the winning run and force a Game 7.  That error overshadowed an outstanding career as Buckner notched 2715 hits, 1208 RBI and hit .289 for his career.  Buckner has noted several times that the media had more to do with his notoriety than actual fans. 

Now my team was on the winning end of the whole situation, so clearly I was happy with the result.  However, it has always bothered me that Buckner gets the blame for the Red Sox collapse against the Mets when so many more factors came into play.  Going back to that night, October 25, 1986 the Red Sox had a 3 games to 2 lead and were winning Game 6 heading into the bottom of the 9th 5-3.  Bob Ojeda had scattered 8 hits over 6 innings giving up 2.  Roger Clemens was rolling giving up 1 and striking out 8.  In the top of the 10th, Rick Aguilera surrendered a homerun to Dave Henderson and another RBI double to SS Marty Barrett.  This gave the Red Sox a 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the 10th.

Calvin Schiraldi who pitched the 8th and the 9th was called on to go one more frame.  Wally Backman and Keith Hernandez flied out to start the inning leaving the Mets to their last at bat.  The Kid, Gary Carter, started things off with a 2 out single.  Kevin Mitchell, pinch hitting, gets another single.  Ray Knight goes down 0-2, leaving the Red Sox one strike away from winning the Series, when he miraculously gets another single, scoring Carter making it 5-4.  So some blame to Schiraldi for giving up 3 hits and 1 run.  Bob Stanley comes in to relieve Schiraldi.  Mookie Wilson battled Stanley to 3-2 and multiple foul balls when Stanley uncorks a wild pitch and Mitchell scores tying the game (Knight to second).  So some blame to Stanley for bringing in the tying run with a wild pitch.  Fair to say everyone is rattled on the Boston side and the pressure is ratcheted up quite a bit.  Now the infamous play, and Mookie grounds one down the first base line to Buckner.  Mookie was fairly fleet of foot having stolen 25 bags that year.  I’m sure that factored in for Buckner who would have had to beat him to the bag.  Buckner didn’t field cleanly and the ball trickled into right field with Knight coming around for the winning run. 

The Red Sox had a 3-0 lead in Game 7 heading into the 6th as Bruce Hurst had their number that year and dominated again that night.  Schiraldi took the loss in Game 7 surrendering 3 runs that would be the difference in that game too.  However, all anyone remembers from that series is Buckner’s gaffe when the game was already tied due to other errors and mental mistakes. 
3:53 PM
Full disclosure from the beginning, I am a die-hard Mets fan of 31 years, so I will try to contain my jubilation and table my bias regarding this preview.  The 2015 World Series  will be represented by 2 teams that have been woefully bad for much of the past two decades.  Both clubs turned things around by bringing up quality talent from their farm systems and filling the gaps with great trades and solid role players.  Both clubs are also chasing their first World Series win in 29/30 years.

The Royals had much success in the late 70s and 80s culminating with a World Series victory in 1985.  They would contend in the West for the rest of the 80s.  By the mid 90s, they had become a bottom dweller in the American League.  Throughout much of the 2000s, they were among the worst teams in all of baseball.  2010 was a turning year for the team as they called up young talents Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez, and Mike Moustakas.  They also traded Zack Greinke, acquiring Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, and other prospects from the Brewers.  Although they would still struggle, the foundations for the current team were coming together.  Last year, with the Tigers collapsing down the stretch, the Royals surged their way into the playoffs and caught fire through the first two rounds.  This year, they signed veterans Alex Rios and Kendrys Morales in the offseason and bolstered their pitching staff and lineup by trading for Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist at the deadline.  The Royals are a comeback team, having come from behind 3 times to win in this postseason already.  They have a lot of confidence that they can win any game no matter what the circumstances.  That pervasive attitude among the team makes them hard to put away.

The scary part of this team is the timely hitting.  Morales was the only Royal to notch 100 RBI this year and no one had more than 22 homers.  However, they have tons of players who can hit in the clutch and they seem to have a different guy step up each night.  Escobar and Cain have been great table setters, and the Royals have had clutch hits from Morales, Zobrist, and Perez throughout the playoffs.  Plus they still have Hosmer and Alex Gordon who can both ignite at any moment.  Edinson Volquez, Yordano Ventura, and Cueto are all capable of pitching lights out, but they aren't untouchable.  The starting pitching is competent, however no one has had a dominant season or postseason run.  If the pitching can keep the Royals close in games, their lineup can manufacture runs in several different ways.


2015 marks the first time since 2009 that neither the Giants or Cardinals won the NL pennant on the way to the Fall Classic.  The Mets are certainly an out of left field surprise to represent the National League in this year's series.  Like the Royals, they have had many stretches with terrible teams in the past few decades.  Their last World Series appearance was 2000, losing in 5 games to the Yankees in the subway series.  They are also approaching 30 years since a title, having last won in the infamous 1986 series with the Red Sox.

As they approached the midseason point this year, the Mets had the worst ranked offense in baseball with many analysts comparing them to a Triple-A lineup.  It was a foregone conclusion to most that the Washington Nationals would run away with the NL East leaving the Mets and Braves to vie for 2nd place and...maybe...a wildcard opportunity.  The Mets pitching staff kept them in the hunt for the first half of the season, but they were without David Wright, Lucas Duda started to slump after a hot start, and they didn't have much additional offense.  The team had fallen behind Washington 4.5 games and needed a push.  They were heavy into a deal for Carlos Gomez (who they originally had and sent to Minnesota in the Johan Santana trade) right at the break.  That deal fell through, paving the way for the Mets to pick up Yoenis Cespedes for a couple of prospects.  When I heard about them getting Cespedes, I was sure they gave up one of their young arms, but the pitching staff was kept in tact.  Cespedes ignited the Mets, along with a Nationals breakdown, and catapulted them to their first division title since 2006.  They went from the worst offense in baseball to the best offense in baseball down the stretch.

This postseason for the Mets has been dominated by power pitching and the unforeseen and other wordly hitting display by Daniel Murphy.  The much maligned Matt Harvey seems to have shed his concerns about innings in order to chase a title.  Harvey picked up key wins against both the Dodgers and Cubs.  Jacob deGrom has found a way to battle his way to 3 wins while not having his best stuff.  Noah Syndergaard has shown great poise for a 22 year old beating the probable Cy Young winner in Jake Arietta and holding his own against the other potential Cy winner in Greinke.  The bullpen has also been lights out as Jeurys Familia has not allowed a run as of yet.  The biggest story thus far has to be Murphy who has caught fire over the past two weeks.  After just 14 home runs all season, Murphy has 7 long balls already in the postseason, including a record setting 6 games in a row current streak.  He's gone deep against Clayton Kershaw (twice), Greinke, Arietta, and Jon Lester, four of the best pitchers in the game. 

Ultimately, I think this World Series comes down to the ages old battle of power pitching versus clutch hitting.  Can the young Met arms continue to throw smoke, locate their pitches, and rack up strikeouts?  Can the comeback Royals keep the magic going with timely hits and key run production?  Will the layoff for New York impact their momentum especially for Murphy?  These are some of the biggest question marks coming into next week.  If Kansas City can put up runs against the Mets' fireballers, they will take the series far and can certainly win the whole thing.  Likewise if the Mets can avoid the vaunted Royals bullpen and strike early and often against their starters, they will take control of the series. 

It should be a great World Series, and although I'm pulling for the Metropolitans, that never say die attitude of the Royals has me very weary indeed.  Mets in 6 (of course I'm biased).       
10:36 AM
Haven't had time to draft a post, however, you have my word that our picks are authentic and were crafted before the season actually started (you'll see from the picks that none of us are front-running).  And this is really for our benefit, anyway (not yours... if anyone out there is considering betting off of our analysis, let me be the first to advise you against doing that).











Hersh

AL MVP-Adam Eaton
NL-MVP-Bryce Harper

AL CY-Chris Sale
NL CY-Johnny Cueto

AL ROY-Sean Newcomb
NL ROY-Kris Bryant

AL MOY-Terry Francona
NL MOY-Joe Maddon

AL Comeback -  Prince Fielder
NL comeback  -Matt Harvey

AL Most Excited-Adam Eaton
NL Most Excited-The Cubs

Mc

AL MVP – Mike Trout
NL MVP – Giancarlo Stanton

AL CY – Felix Hernandez
NL CY – Clayton Kershaw

AL ROY – Carlos Rodon
NL ROY – Kris Bryant

AL MOY – Robin Ventura
NL MOY – Terry Collins

AL Comeback – Prince Fielder
NL Comeback – Matt Harvey

AL Most Excited – Alex Rodriguez
NL Most Excited – Matt Harvey

OCP

AL MVP – Robinson Cano… this is linked to my WS pick and Trout is certainly the best player on the planet but Cano has been really good for a really long time and I think if the Mariners do well, he will be in serious conversation (deserving of an MVP in his career)
NL MVP – Andrew McCutchen… thought about Puig but I think McCutchen is the best player (non-pitcher) in the NL by pretty wide margin.  Barring injuries, it’s his to lose. 

NL CY – Clayton Kershaw… I really want to go with someone else but I can’t.  I wasn’t
AL  CY – Felix Hernandez… admittedly, hedging my bets here.  I don’t expect Felix and Cano (both Mariners) to win these major awards but I think that one of them will. 

AL MOY – Robin Ventura… it’s hard not to like what the White Sox are doing and I think Robin Ventura will have his ball club playing well this year.
NL MOY – Don Mattingly… better results with (seemingly) less.  I think that this year’s Dodgers team is built to win, addition by subtraction.

AL ROY – Dalton Pompey… the Blue Jays have a couple other guys that could vie for the ROY award (namely, starting pitchers Alex Sanchez and Daniel Norris) but Pompey will be a Web Gem favorite, he’ll steal a bunch of bases and he’s slated to lead off in front of Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson… in a relatively weak AL-ROY class, Pompey, who is starting in Center Field for the Blue Jays has an opportunity create some early buzz and help his team reach the postseason.
NL ROY – Joc Pederson… all of the ROY buzz has been focused on the Paul Bunyan-esque slugger known as Kris Bryant but he’s not on the opening day roster for reasons outside of his control so the door has been cracked for someone like Joc Pederson or Bryant’s teammate Jorge Soler to make it a competition.  I like Joc Pederson… in 553 minor league at bats, he posted 33 HR, 30 SB and a 1.017 OPS.  It’s very unlikely he’ll replicate those numbers at the big league level but the soon-to-be 23 year old slugger is a player to watch in 2015.

AL Comeback – Derrek Holland
NL Comeback – Joey Votto
  
3:27 PM




 







Mc

NL EAST
1.       Nationals
2.       Mets*
3.       Braves
4.       Marlins
5.       Phillies

I concur that this division belongs to the Nationals.  Their lineup is solid and with Gio Gonzalez as your 5th starter, you’re doing something right.  As a Mets fan, I’m hopeful they pull it together for their first playoff run since 2006.  Losing Wheeler will hamper that somewhat, but there’s hope that fireballer Noah Syndegaard will break in with the team sometime this year.  The Braves and Marlins could flip flop for 3rd and 4th place, but losing Justin Upton and Jason Heyward will deplete the Braves.  The Phillies are still too old, too injured, and haven’t been able to rebuild yet.  Miracles do happen, but the situation looks bleak for the Fightin Phils.

NL CENTRAL
1.       Cardinals
2.       Pirates*
3.       Reds
4.       Cubs
5.       Brewers

I hope the Pirates can pull out the division and make a deep playoff run, but the Cardinals are just so balanced of a team.  Adding Heyward should help, and their staff is still strong with Adam Wainwright and Lance Lynn at the top.  I don’t think the other 3 teams in the division will put up much of a fight for a playoff spot.  The Reds get Joey Votto back, but his numbers were declining before the injury last year.  The Cubs have some nice young talent and they’re very much anticipating big things from Kris Bryant, whenever they bring him up.  I think they’re a year or two away from being a big presence in the NL Central. 

NL WEST
1.       Dodgers
2.       Padres
3.       Giants
4.       Rockies
5.       Diamondbacks

I think the Dodgers are still the favorites in this division, but the Padres have made some bold moves in the off season.  The Dodgers lost their middle infield, but defensively their replacements in Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick should succeed.  Yasiel Puig should come into true form negating the loss of oft-injured Matt Kemp.  Two Cy Youngs helming the staff in Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke should provide plenty of wins.  The Padres added Upton and Kemp to their outfield as well as Big Game James Shields as their #1 starter.  Scouts and pundits are also expecting a good showing from Andrew Cashner as well.  I don’t think it’s enough to overrun the Dodgers.  The Giants are always that team you don’t think will be good and then they win the World Series.  They replaced Pablo Sandoval with comeback player of the year Casey McGehee.  Madison Bumgarner is a legit Cy Young candidate, but the rest of the staff is either old or shaky (ahem..Tim Lincecum).  Brandon Belt could have a breakout season.  There’s no major reasons to be optimistic for either the Rockies or Diamondbacks this year.

AL EAST
1.       Yankees
2.       Blue Jays
3.       Red Sox
4.       Orioles
5.       Rays

The AL East is one of the hardest to predict.  I think every team except the Rays have a shot at the division.  The Red Sox seem to go last to first every other year, so who knows how they’ll perform.  The Yankees get Tanaka back from injury along with hit or miss Michael Pineda and aging CC Sabathia.  I’m sure the lineup will produce runs, but consistency will be a key factor in their success.  Josh Donaldson was a homer and 2 RBI away from a 30/100 season last year and he bolsters the bash bats of Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.  The key for Toronto will also be consistency of their pitching.  If crafty and aging pitchers RA Dickey and Mark Buerhle can fool hitters, they could make a run.  The Orioles also suffer from pitching, and I don’t think they’ll repeat as Division champs.  Or I could have it completely wrong. 

AL CENTRAL
1.       Tigers
2.       White Sox*
3.       Indians
4.       Royals
5.       Twins

Another tough to call division, the Tigers have the bats to produce runs, but pitching is a bit of a question mark here as well.  They lost a Cy Young ace in Max Scherzer to Washington and Justin Verlander begins the season on the DL.  If he bounces back and they get typical performances from Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and newly acquired Yoenis Cespedes, it’s theirs to lose.  The White Sox and Indians will battle for the top spot all year as well, both of whom have solid young talent ready to produce right now.  I don’t think the Royals did enough with the rotation to be a viable threat, and the Twins don’t look very promising either.

AL WEST
1.     Mariners
2.      Angels*
3.      Athletics
4.      Rangers
5.      Astros

The Mariners and Angels should jockey positions throughout the season.  The M’s added Nelson Cruz to give Robinson Cano some additional weight in the lineup.  For the Angels, a lot will rest on the type of season they get from Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.  The Rangers have Prince Fielder coming back but lost their ace Yu Darvish to Tommy John.  The Astros are a year or two away from making some noise in this division.

AL Champ – White Sox
NL Champ – Cardinals
WS Champ – Cardinals


I think the Cardinals are just too balanced and solid with scrappy players that find ways to get hits and score runs.  

Hersh

NL WEST
   1. Dodgers
   2. Padres
   3. Giants
   4. Diamondbacks
   5. Rockies

Dodgers made some big changes over the winter and I like the moves.  They should be better defensively with Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick.  The Giants have a lot of questions with starting rotation and I don't see a repeat.  Padres are improving.  Going with more offense after years of trying to win with just pitching.  Rockies are just bad.

NL CENTRAL
   1. Pirates
   2. Cardinals *
   3. Cubs *
   4. Brewers
   5. Reds

I think this may be the Pirates year.They have some good young players who I think are going to get better.  I think the Cards have weaknesses, but I think getting Heyward will pay off big for them.  Cubs will make the playoffs, but that's all.  They're a few years or less from being ready.  Joe Maddon will lead them there.  Reds lost too much of their rotation.

NL EAST
   1. Nationals
   2. Mets
   3. Marlins 
   4. Braves
   5. Phillies

There's no reason for the Nats not to win the division.  First, there's no one to challenge them.  At all.  Mets are improving and are loading up with good young pitching.  Yes they lost Wheeler, but there's arms in the minors just waiting.  They don't have enough bats to carry them to more than a .500 record this year.  The Marlins have improved, but don't get Jose Fernandez back till mid-season, that will put them at third place.  Braves are rebuilding and traded away a lot of offense.  But no team will be as bad as the Phillies this year, I see 100 losses for them.

AL WEST
   1. Mariners
   2. Angels *
   3. A'S
   4. Astros
   5. Rangers

Mariners look ready to take this division.  Adding Nelson Cruz should help Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager.  Justin Ruggiano and Seth Smith should also help put runs on the board.  I think the experiment by the Angels of Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton has burned out.  A's traded away too much to repeat with a winning record.  Astros are improving and wouldn't be surprised if they do finish 3rd.  Rangers have too many injuries to rebound from and Yu Darvish could be out for awhile.

AL CENTRAL
   1. Indians
   2. White Sox *
   3. Tigers
   4. Royals
   5. Twins

I think if the Indians can carry the momentum they had the end of last year into this year, they will be strong.  The starting rotation had an ERA of 2.95 after the all-star break last year.  I like the moves the White Sox made, which is why I picked them 2nd.  With Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn gone, they should strikeout a lot less.  I don't see the Royals repeating what they did last year - that bullpen will come back to earth.  I've been picking the Tigers here the last few years and they have disappointed.  Justin Verlander looks like he might be losing a little and losing Max Sherzer will hurt.

AL EAST
   1. Blue Jays
   2. Red Sox
   3. Yankees
   4. Orioles
   5. Rays

Eveyone is picking the Red Sox this year and I don't see why.  I think they have too many people who should be DH's.  Their defense will be bad.  With the addition of Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson, the Jays look ready.  If Dickey and Buehrle hold up, they can do it.  Yanks are getting younger, but still have too many players that are done.  Orioles didn't do anything to improve and Showalter can't work magic every year.  The Rays will miss Maddon.

AL Champ-Mariners
NL Champ-Pirates

WS Champ-Pirates



OCP

AL East
     1.      Yankees
     2.      *Blue Jays
     3.      Orioles
     4.      Red Sox
     5.      Rays

Tough to pick a front runner in this one.  The Orioles won it last year but this is the AL East where teams other than the Yankees rarely seem to win twice in a row… the Yankees finished second last year despite losing Tanaka and I really think they’re a much better team heading into the season this year than they were last year IF their pitchers can stay healthy.  The Red Sox offense looks really scary but their pitching doesn’t wow me at all.  The Blue Jays are a popular pick and I guess I’m buying into it by putting them second and making them a wild card selection… losing Marcus Stroman hurts and not having Melky Cabrera certainly doesn’t help but they have really good depth across the diamond and some young arms who could surprise some people.

AL Central
     1.      White Sox
     2.      *Royals
     3.      Tigers
     4.      Indians
     5.      Twins

This is going to be a fun division to watch.  The White Sox look like a team destined for the postseason – solid pitching, young studs at multiple positions (Jose Abreu could hit 40 HR) and some veteran leadership to keep the clubhouse in order.  The Tigers have a sneaky good lineup and a very formidable top 3 in their rotation.  Of course, the Royals surprised a lot of people last year… they won’t sneak up on anyone and I could very easily see them missing the playoffs (the World Series hangover is real).  The Indians are a fun team to watch – in this division, it’s all about chemistry and momentum.  Who can maintain momentum and keep things moving in the right direction…

AL West
     1.      Mariners
     2.      Angels
     3.      Astros
     4.      Rangers
     5.      Athletics

The Mariners appear to be destined for the playoffs… The 'Stros appear to be a year or so away but I think they’ll be competitive this year.  They have one of the deeper rotations in this division and upside at every position – certainly enough to land them in the top three.  Where the Mariners set themselves apart is their star quality (namely Robinson Cano, King Felix Hernandez, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager) and the depth they have in their rotation and their bullpen.  It’s easy to say that the Angels should be in the playoffs given the fact that they won it last year and they have the best player on the planet in Mike Trout and perhaps the greatest first baseman of all-time in Albert Pujols but I think they’re going to miss Howie Kendrick and Josh Hamilton (who combined for 7 WAR last year).  The Rangers and Athletics have both been nearly decimated by injuries in the early going… not a good omen for their upcoming seasons.

NL East
     1.      Nationals
     2.      Braves
     3.      Mets
     4.      Phillies
     5.      Marlins

Horrid division… Nationals run away with it, boasting the best lineup and rotation in this division (perhaps in the all of baseball – Gio Gonzalez is their fifth starter).  Mets losing Wheeler hurts, otherwise I’d say they supplant the Braves here but the Braves pitching should hold up.  Phillies and Fish duke it out for last.

NL Central
     1.       Cardinals
     2.       *Pirates
     3.       Cubs
     4.       Brewers
     5.       Reds

Competitive division… the Cubs could have enough to sneak into the playoffs as a wild card in this division (either passing the Pirates who I have in second or earning the second wild card in this division) but the Cardinals seem to be the cream of the crop.  They just always seem to do the right things.  They re-tooled their lineup without selling the farm… it’s a shame we will never get to see Oscar Taveres patrolling the outfield at Busch Stadium and a loss like that will hurt in many ways but the Cardinals traded one of their young arms (Shelby Miller) for Jason Heyward which opened up a spot in their rotation for Carlos Martinez, who arguably deserved the spot in the rotation, last year. 

NL West
     1.       Dodgers
     2.       *Padres
     3.       Giants
     4.       Rockies
     5.       Diamondbacks

Another competitive division… the Padres might have a better lineup on paper but the Dodgers still have the best rotation and better star quality.  Some of those battles out west will be fun to watch – I expect a lot of fireworks.  I’m not sure it’s ever smart to bet against the Giants but there’s just not enough there for me to bet on.  One of these years we’ll see a full season of Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowistzki… or maybe we won’t.  Love that Rockies lineup but can’t get excited about the rotation… Kyle Kendrick would be their opening day starter (with the amount of work that bullpen will be getting, I expect Latroy Hawkins arm to fall off).  Diamondbacks don’t enamor me.  Traded away a bunch of young arms and left themselves with not a whole lot…

AL Champ – Mariners
NL Champ – Nationals
WS Champ – Mariners

This is a wild pick but I think that the Mariners and Nationals both appear to be in a position to make the playoffs and if either of those teams are in the playoffs, they have the quality at the top of their rotation to win it all.  I think that the Nationals can out-muscle the Dodgers in a long playoff series… until the Dodgers prove otherwise, they’re not gritty enough to grind out big playoff wins.  I think that there are a lot of up-start teams who will just be happy to be there which bodes well for hungry teams.  I’m excited to see what King Felix and Stephen Strasburg can do against each other on the big stage… all that being said, it will probably be a Yankees/Cardinals World Series.
4:07 PM
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