Misc. Monday - 05-16-2011 - Line 'em up
And it is totally fair that I wait one month into the season. Who can predict what teams are going to be hot coming into the season? I only know one person who predicted the Indians to finish first in the American League. I still think that is a pretty lofty prediction, but we'll see how that plays out.
Also, there were some big names that changed teams this season. Former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke finally busted out of Kansas City and joined the Brewers. The Red Sox only landed power hitting Adrian Gonzalez and, oh yeah, added Carl Crawford to their lineup. Then former Cleveland Indians Cy Young winner Cliff Lee joined forces with the Phillies, whom he pitched for two seasons ago. So did the power shift? Let's line the teams up and see how each division is going to play out.
American League
East
This is the best division in baseball. Although overlooked for the last decade, the Rays, Blue Jays and Orioles are all better this season. That being said, it should make it more trying for the Yankees and Red Sox to pull away from each other.
The Tampa Bay Rays have taken an early lead, but in the end it is going to the Boston Red Sox. Kevin Youkilis is finally healthy and means more to that team than Steven Tyler meant to Aerosmith. Their lineup is too dangerous not to win 95 games, even after the rough start. The Yankees have Freddy Garcia and Bortolo Colon as starters. Sorry Yankee fans, OK not sorry, but you are not making the playoffs this season.
Central
As much as I want the Tribe to win, is it really possible? After being in the ballpark for Travis Hafner's walk-off homerun Friday, the "believe" is in my blood. But there is one problem - the Detroit Tigers.
Before they got the injury bug last season, the Tigers were rolling. Now that they are healthy and have added a 20 homerun 100 RBI catcher named Victor Martinez to bat fifth behind Miguel Cabrera, teams will pitch to Cabrera. Also, the duo (at the top of the rotation) of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer is dynamite. The Twins are currently last and I don't see them being a factor because they have no pitching. The White Sox are just too old and the Royals, well are the Royals. Put your bets on the Tigers, but I like the Indians to finish over .500.
West
Not the Rangers. If we learned anything from the World Series last year, it is that pitching still wins. And this season with the league batting average being the lowest it has been since the '70s, why would that change? But the Rangers will be the wild card from the American League.
The Oakland A's are going to win this division, scraping by the Texas Rangers. Trevor Cahill might be the most underrated pitcher, or even player, in all of baseball and will win the AL Cy Young this year. Following him in the A's rotation is Gio Gonzalez, and Brett Anderson, who ESPN's Buster Olney says has the nastiest stuff of any young pitcher in the league. These three, plus the upcoming Tyson Ross, round off the best starting pitching staff in the league, which will equal a division crown for Oakland
National League
East
Like the Oakland A's, pitching will win the National League East as well. The fact that the Phillies added Cliff Lee to a staff that already has Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels is ridiculous. However, I don't see the Phillies winning in the playoffs. They are missing something offensively. They hope it is going to be the comeback of second basemen Chase Utley, but Utley may be past his prime and the Phils are going to need another bat.
The National League wild card will come from this division though, and it will be the Florida Marlins. I am not sure how they do it every year, but they will be there again.
Central
Like the Red Sox, they have started slow, but the favorite here is the St. Louis Cardinals. Next season, their first basemen Albert Pujols will become the highest paid player in Major League Baseball history, so he has to live up to it. Even without Adam Wainwright, the Cardinals will overtake the Reds and Brewers and enter the playoffs with probably the worst record of any team that gets in.
West
I love the Dodgers, but those overpaid babies are not going to win the division and neither are the World Series champions from last season, the San Francisco Giants. The Colorado Rockies have managed to play decent baseball in April and have stayed above the water for their late season run, which seems to happen every season.
With young talent like Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler, the Rockies will mix in some young starting pitcher and will prove the Giants' run was a one-hit wonder.
So how do the playoffs go? How about this outcome?
American League:
Boston will end up with the best record in the American League, so they will play the wild card, Texas.
Boston over Texas.
Oakland over Detroit.
Boston over Oakland - Boston makes the World Series.
National League:
The Philadelphia Phillies will have the best record in the National League, so they will play the wild card, Florida.
Florida over Philadelphia.
Colorado over St. Louis.
Florida over Colorado (expansion matchup!) - Florida makes the World Series
World Series:
Florida over Boston in 7 games.
The Marlins do it again this season, without anyone in Miami caring about baseball. I'd much rather have the Marlins win than the Miami Heat!
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