2009 MLB predictions

[Real World]

Ok people, it's that time of year again. Post your thoughts & predictions for the coming 2009 season. Division winners, wild card, WS champs, MVP's, busts, rebounds, etc.

As of right now, I think:

American League
Redsox
Twins (look out for Indians if Mauer is out for while)
Angels
WC-Yankees

National League
Phillies
Cubs
Arizona (SF Giants could make a run here)
WC-Mets

MVP
Justin Morneau
David Wright

Cy Young
Francisco Liriano
Johan Santana

Observations:
*The Dodgers are short on pitching IMO, but the NL West is so weak, any team could make a move and win it. The Giants will contend this year.

*The AL East is so tough, that Tampa could win the division, and two of the big 3 could possibly be out of the playoffs. A WC winner could come from a different division, with the AL East teams beating each other up all season long (unlikely, but possible). Health will be key, since the rotations for the big 3 are top notch, up and down. If Arod can't perform because of his hip, then the Yankees could be the odd team out.

*I like the Indians moves (Pavano will be a nice pick up for them), but I don't think Cliff Lee is for real. Carmona & Bettancourt should rebound, Wood will be good in the pen, and Wedge is a good manager. So goes Lee, goes Cleveland.

*Does Oakland have enough pitching to last in the second half? Nice roster full of cast offs, rejects, younsters, and all out performers. Not enough to last 162 though. Without a move they will fade down the stretch. Would Oakland dare pay to aquire Jake Peavy?

World Series

Redsox versus Mets

Redsox in 6 games.

What's amazing is that in the AL East, the Sox could miss the playoffs. Any big injury, or down year by a key player, will likely be the difference there. Still, if they get in, and are healthy, they should win it. In the playoffs it's all about pitching and defense, with the ability to manufacture a run when needed. We know the Sox have the pitching, and the defense, capable to win it all. Tampa is a team that follows a similar script. If they can get in, they could repeat as AL Champions.

 

[patsfanofNC12]

American League:
Red Sox
Twins
Angels
WC: Rays [Yankees won't be able to live up to hype]

National League:
Phillies
Cubs
Arizona
WC: Braves [have put together a solid team that isn't getting notice, tons of young superstar prospects aren't even making the team at the moment]

MVP:
Youk [comes back hungrier than ever]
Hanley Ramirez [Going to have a huge year]

Cy Young:
Dice-K [It's a long shot, but I see it happening]
Johan Santana

World Series:
Red Sox verse Braves

Sox win in 6

By the way, was not trying to be sox biased here, just ended up that way

 

[WhiskeyBreath]

AL East:

1. Boston Red Sox
2. New York Yankees(WC)
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Baltimore Orioles

AL Central:

1. Cleveland Indians
2. Minnesota Twins
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Detroit Tigers
5. Kansas City Royals

AL West:

1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Oakland Athletics
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Texas Rangers

NL East:

1. New York Mets
2. Philadelphia Phillies (WC)
3. Atlanta Braves
4. Florida Marlins
5. Washington Nationals

NL Central:

1. Chicago Cubs
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Houston Astros
6. Pittsburgh Pirates

NL West:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
3. San Francisco Giants
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Diego Padres

 

[Wildo7]

AL East
Sox
Rays (WC)
Yankees
Orioles
Toronto

AL Central
Indians
Twins
Kansas City
White Sox
Tigers

AL West
Angels
Rangers
Oakland
Seattle

NL East
Mets
Phillies (WC)
Marlins
Braves
Nats

NL Central
Cincinnati
St. Louis
Cubs
Brewers
Pirates

NL West
Dodgers
DBacks
Giants
Rockies
Padres

AL Cy Young: CC Sabathia
AL MVP: Grady Sizemore

NL Cy Young: Lincecum
NL MVP: Pujols

World Series: Red Sox beat the Mets.

Thoughts:

The Sox pitching depth puts them over the top for me this year, and the bats that I expect to return to form (Ortiz, Lowell) will make a difference too. Tampa Bay could easily be better than last year with Price eventually coming up, BJ Upton and Carl Crawford getting healthy along with Troy Percival. The Yankees have a nice rotation, but I just have a feeling that they'll never get it all together at the same time.

I think the Indians offense this year is being criminally underrated and I think that between Lee (who won't be quite as good but still solid), Carmona and Pavano they have a solid rotation now with a good closer in Kerry Wood. The rest of the central is not as well rounded IMO. The big sleeper here is Kansas City. If Alex Gordon (who's on fire in ST) and Billy Butler break out they have some nice hitting and good speed with Coco. The Greinke-Meche-Davies combo has the potential to make some noise also, and Soria is one of the best closers in baseball. The Twins are too young and with health concerns over Nathan and Mauer (who's gonna be on and off the DL all year) I don't see them making it to the postseason. I don't see anything to get excited about with the ChiSox except Alexei and Danks. The Tigers pitching is worthless, from the rotation right through the BP. Verlander will disappoint again.

The Angels have some serious question marks with their starting rotation: Lackey looks like he's heading towards the DL, Santana is gonna be out for a couple of months if not more, and Escobar, who has looked really solid in his rehab (hitting 96 mph) is no sure thing to return. But by default I think they take the division since Texas, as amazing as their offense is (Kinsler, Hamilton, Cruz, Davis is a godly group of bats) has no pitching to speak of. Watch out for pesky Oakland in a sneak attack after adding Holliday and being able to pull quality pitching out of thin air. The Mariners are a have some nice potential pitching but just not enough offense.

The Mets would have won the division last year if it weren't for the bullpen. Throw in two of the best closers in baseball along with Wright and Reyes entering their primes and I think it's a recipe for success. Cole Hamels is going on the DL at some point and I have a hunch it'll be for TJ surgery. His workload has been unreal and he's already showing signs of breaking down. The offense with a healthy Utley, a slimmed down Howard and now Ibanez will give them the WC. The Marlins have an intriguing 1-2 punch with Nolasco and Johnson, but they have terrible defense and beyond Hanley they just aren't a complete team. The Braves improved the pitching but still not enough offense. The Nats are the Nats.

My big sleeper pick: Cinncinati. Harang, I think will return to form and between him, Volquez and Cueto, that's about as solid a rotation as you see in this division. Add in the studliness of Votto, Phillips and Bruce and you've got some nice hitting. The Cubs bats don't excite me and neither does Harden's love affair with the team doctor or Zambrano's declining everything. The Brewer's have a possible Cy Young candidate in YoGa, and another possible beast in Parra, but the rest of the rotation sucks as does the BP and the offense is too streaky. St. Louis has a possibility of contending but I doubt Carpenter keeps it together all year after barely pitching for two years and the offense hasn't done much to improve itself beyond having the best player in the game and Ryan Ludwick. The Pirates are garbage.

I don't really feel like breaking down the NL West to a great extent because it's a steaming pile of ****, but the Dodgers will take it easily having the best offense with Kemp, Manny and Ethier and solid but not deep pitching with C Bills, Kershaw and Broxton. San Fran has the best rotation in the league and nothing else (besides Pablo). Arizona has the best 1-2 punch in the game and an offense that is still a year or two from really breaking out. The Padres are the worst team in the league.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

With Detroit cutting Sheffield ( and eating his salary) I wonder if he might be on the way to Boston ( if he has anything left in the tank). Sox were interested last time and NYY picked up his option to prevent him from becoming a Red Sock back then...

 

[Wildo7]

With Detroit cutting Sheffield ( and eating his salary) I wonder if he might be on the way to Boston ( if he has anything left in the tank). Sox were interested last time and NYY picked up his option to prevent him from becoming a Red Sock back then...

I think he ends up in Philly.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

I think he ends up in Philly.

I think Philly probably wishes he had come on the market before they gave Raul Ibanez $30 million over 3 years. Victorino is safe in Center but Jason Werth has been injured all spring. Signing Sheffield as a 4th OF makes sense with a rotation but I still think the Sox make a run.....

 

[Real World]

Sheff wants AB's, and is a disruptive force in the clubhouse. He needs a team that has a need at DH. He'd actually make sense in Minny maybe, behind Morneau, although they have a bit of a log jam with the OF, and DH AB's as is, with Cuddyer, Kubel, Young, and maybe Mauer.

 

[captain insano]

all i care about is the al east.
1 redsox
2 rays
3 yankees. i could care less about who wins the mvp or any other division.

 

[Wildo7]

Yup, 2 days after I pick Cincinnati as my sleeper, ESPN writes an article about it. I should get paid for this

Jerry Crasnick: Young nucleus makes Cincinnati Reds a potential dark horse - ESPN

 

[Real World]

Looks like we all messed up somewhat. Arizona? WTF was I thinking?

 

[dalero]

Looks like we all messed up somewhat. Arizona? WTF was I thinking?

Your Yanks are looking very tough to beat right now. It'll be interesting to see if Arod can turn his post season legacy around this year.

 

[Real World]

Your Yanks are looking very tough to beat right now. It'll be interesting to see if Arod can turn his post season legacy around this year.

They are looking pretty good, but they aren't unbeatable. Personally, I think any team in the AL East, can win their respective series. Even Detroit versus the Yankees. Remember, the first round is best 3 out of 5, and with Verlander being as nasty as he's been, you could totally see him (potentially) winning 2 starts. That would mean they'd only need steal 1 other win, and that's always possible in any series. My guess is Jackson/Porcello could do that against Pettitte/Burnett. Obviously it could go the other way too, but in a short series, a single ace can make any team dangerous. This is why playoff baseball is so different than the regular season. A CC/Verlander type match up, could be a 2-1, or 3-2 game, where a stolen base, error, or bunt makes up the difference. This is why I actualy like the Redsox in the playoffs. They got front end pitching in Beckett and Lester, play excellent defense, and can steal a base (manufacture a run). Anyhow, here Detroit loses luster, is in their bullpen. Still though, I like the Yankees chances, but the AL is wide open IMO.