With the Cardinals apparently not liking the price for Jon Lester or David Price, they went out and got Justin Masterson, who Cleveland couldn't wait to get rid of. Masterson has been on the DL as of late, but many think it was to give his knees a rest. Word is that pain in his knees caused him to make a mechanical adjustment and that has caused his decreased effectiveness this year. Hopefully the Cards can get him back to where he was last season. Moving to the NL will certainly help. Meanwhile, Cleveland got top OF prospect James Ramsey. Ramsey is batting .300 with 13 HRs in AA. Right now it seems like Cleveland got the better part of this deal, but we will have to wait and see. Also what does this mean for Jon Lester and David Price with one team out of the running.
We have a brief reprieve from Comic-Con news. After weeks of rumors, Jake Peavy has been traded to the San Francisco Giants. The Giants came out of nowhere to make this deal happen. Along with Peavy, the Giants will get $1 million. The Red Sox will get LHP Edwin Escobar and RHP Heath Hembree. It seems like a fair enough trade. It is a bit of a head-scratcher for the Red Sox. They have plenty of pitching depth in the minors and they really need the most help in the OF. And it is not like these two pitchers are tearing it up in the minors. At the end of the day, it is a fair trade.
The finale of our season brings the prediction of the playoffs. This will be one of the tightest playoffs we have seen in awhile. It looks to be a good postseason. The seeding looks like this:
* denotes Wild Card team Wild Card RoundNL Wild Card: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves This will be a tight game. The Cardinals will send ace Adam Wainwright to the mound. He will dominate the Braves. The Braves will put Julio Teheran up against Wainwright, but Teheran will lose the battle. He will give up a run or two more then Wainwright. Atlanta's lack of a true ace will cost them the game. Winner: St. Louis Cardinals AL Wild Card: Detroit Tigers vs. Los Angeles Angels The Tigers will put Scherzer up against Jered Weaver. Scherzer will put up a decent performance, but the Angels will jump on him towards the end of his game. Weaver will also give up a few runs, but will be solid. The Angels fantastic offense will give them the W. Winner: Los Angeles Angels Division SeriesALDS: Oakland Athletics vs Los Angeles Angels The West Coast teams will put on the best Division Series this year. The Angels have a good offensive attack. The A's pitching will subdue that. This series will fall to how well the Angels pitch. With their current rotation, I don't think they will be able to hold the A's balanced offense off for more then one game. Winner: Oakland Athletics in 4 games ALDS: Kansas City Royals vs Baltimore Orioles The two surprise teams in the playoffs face-off against one another. One team's weakness is the others strength, so this will certainly be an interesting series to watch. Whereas Kansas has the far superior pitching staff, Baltimore has the superior offense. The games will be close, but I believe Baltimore's pitching staff will cost them the series. Winner: Kansas City Royals in 5 games NLDS: Washington Nationals vs. St. Louis Cardinals The Nationals will come out firing this year. The pitchers will be dominating, while the bats just keep hitting. The Cardinals will do their best to fight back, though. They will certainly make a series out of this, but the Nationals will just be too much to handle. Winner: Washington Nationals in 4 games NLDS: Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers This will be the better NLDS series to watch. The Dodgers have the better team all-around. Cincinnati will be kept in the games. Cueto, Latos, and Leake will make sure of that. I have questions about the production of the Reds offense to declare them the winners. Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers in 4 games Championship SeriesNLCS: Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers This will be a good series. The Nationals and Dodgers are the most evenly matched teams in baseball. I think the Dodgers will make some big moves at the deadline, and that will be what propels them to the win. The Nationals have a deeper pitching staff, but the Dodgers have the more prolific offense. Couple the better offense with the trades, and the Dodgers will win. Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers in 6 games ALCS: Oakland Athletics vs. Kansas City Royals I feel bad for KC. They have to face the best team in baseball after missing out on the playoffs for more than 20 years. They will stay close in games, but they just won't be able to overcome the Athletics. Winner: Oakland Athletics in 4 games World SeriesWS: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Oakland Athletics The two best teams in baseball will face off against one another. The Athletics have the deeper rotation and more balanced offensive attack. The Dodgers have one of the best top 3 in a rotation and a powerful offense. It will be back and forth in the games. In the end, I think Oakland's bullpen will be the MVP of the series. If they hand a lead over to the bullpen, then the game is over. The same can't be said for the Dodgers. Winner: Oakland Athletics in 6 games It will definitely be a fight to get to the top of the baseball world this October. Oakland's balanced team will be their key to the World Series.
This past week has been filled with the MLB Mid-Season Outlook series. Today we will look at the original predictions at the beginning of the year, followed by the revised prediction. Come back tomorrow for the finale of the series, which will take a look at the playoffs.
The NL East has been a back and forth division. The Braves and Nationals can't seem to decide which team wants first place. Meanwhile, the Mets and Marlins are staying within spitting distance. If either of these teams make a run, this could turn into a three team race. ![]() Washington Nationals (51-42)- The Nats are in first by mere percentage points. The rotation has led them to their current first place position. They have been pretty great. Strasburg is leading the staff, and when he has Tanner Roark and Jordan Zimmerman following him, that is just a bad day for the opposing team. Fister has proven to be a good trade so far. Gio has been solid, but has missed a few games. This rotation could be the best in baseball, if they start pitching like it. Right now they are very good. The offense has been pretty solid, too, even without Bryce Harper. Anthony Rendon has really made a name for himself this season. Adam LaRoche and Jayson Werth have been solid. If Zimmerman figures out whatever is bothering him, Harper stays healthy and produces, and the rotation steps up their game, the Nats will run away with the East. Final Record Prediction: 96-66, 1st in the NL East ![]() Atlanta Braves (52-43)- The Braves are enjoying another good season. The offense has been pretty good. Freddie Freeman has been one of the most consistent bats in baseball. Evan Gattis is making people forget about McCann. Justin Upton is looking great. Even B.J. Upton is starting to hit a little. They have even closed up the black hole at 2nd, thanks to the play of Tommy La Stella. If this team wants to overtake the Nationals, they needed better pitching. Julio Teheran has really improved and is leading this rotation. Alex Wood and John Dans have been good. Danks has been injured far too often, though. Harang and Santana both started the season out well, but have faltered along the way. Minor, Harang, and Santana need to pitch better for the Braves to win the division. They need a left-handed reliever, too. Expect the Braves to look for some pitching help at the deadline. The Red Sox look like the perfect trade partner. Maybe the Braves will try to grab Peavy and Miller or Breslow from the BoSox. Final Record Prediction: 93-69, 2nd in the NL East, 1st Wild Card ![]() New York Mets (45-50)- The Mets won't be in the playoffs this year. But the future is looking bright. The team is starting to implement some of the young guys into the team. The vets are also solid guys. Jon Niese, Zack Wheeler, Jacob DeGrom, and Dillon Gee have all looked great at times this year. Dice-K has proven to be reliable. Colon is a respectable pitcher. The bullpen has had a bit of news, with the closer carousel, but the team has taken to Meija. The offense has been the rough part this year. David Wright is having a way down year. The outfield has been pretty rough, but has been better with Granderson heating up. Eric Campbell and Daniel Murphy have both enjoyed good years. The Mets won't make the playoffs this year, but if they can add some offense anyway they can, this team will be better off. Final Record Prediction: 77-85, 3rd in the NL East ![]() Miami Marlins (44-50)- The Marlins have stayed semi-competitive this year. After Jose Fernandez went down for the year, the season definitely looked over for the Marlins. Somehow, they have managed to stay only 6 games under .500. That is most likely due to some solid pitching. Henderson Alvarez has stepped up and taken over as ace of the staff. Andrew Heaney got his first taste of the bigs, and while he was roughed up, now knows what to expect. Eovaldi and Koehler have also been pretty impressive. Giancarlo Stanton has stayed healthy and is in the midst of an MVP caliber season. Casey McGehee has surprised, Hechavarria is a good SS, and Yelich has been steady. The real surprise of the first half, besides Alvarez, is Marcell Ozuna. He has started to make a name for himself, and if he and Yelich continue to improve, will give the Marlins one of the best young outfields in baseball. Miami has something to root for again. Final Record Prediction: 76-86, 4th in the NL East ![]() Philadelphia Phillies (42-53)- The Phillies may get what they want soon. Rumors are going around that Amaro will finally start a rebuild. Now is the year, with the majority of the players healthy and at least putting up respectable years. Utley has been solid. Howard has been respectable, although when you think about his contract, maybe he hasn't. Brown has gone back to disappointing. Amaro should've sold high on him. Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, AJ Burnett, and Jonathan Papelbon are having great years. The Phillies should go ahead and trade the players while they can still get something good for them. But the word of a rebuilding team should be music to the ears of Phillie fans. Final Record Prediction: 72-90, Last in the NL East The division is only a two team race. But it is one of the most interesting divisions in baseball. All the teams have something exciting going on from the Marlins youth movement to the prospect of rebuilding in Philadelphia. Expect the Braves and Nationals race to be a close one.
The AL East has not gone like anyone thought it would. We all knew the Red Sox would regress, but not this much. Nobody thought Tampa would stink. Heck we all thought the Yankees would have the possibility of running away. And no one thought the Orioles would be in first at the All-Star break. Certainly a wild division this year. ![]() Baltimore Orioles (52-42)- The Orioles have somehow found themselves in first place. That is off the back of Nelson Cruz. The $8 million man has surged his way to 28 homers and 74 RBIs. This has more than covered for the missing production of Matt Wieters (lost for the season) and Chris Davis (ineptitude at the plate). Steve Pearce has emerged from nowhere to put together a great season. Machado has been a good player. Markakis is putting together one of his best seasons. Adam Jones is great as usual. The key on offense for this team is JJ Hardy's power returning and Chris Davis being more than a masher. The team could have a bigger lead if it had better pitching. The Jimenez signing has been a flunk. Tillman, Chen, and Gonzalez have been suspect at best. Gausman has been stellar in his the majority of his starts, and it is looking like he will be getting an extended stay now. Bud Norris has also been a solid guy. If this team wants to go deep into October, it will need to pick up another starter. Final Record Prediction: 92-70, 1st in the AL East ![]() Toronto Blue Jays (49-47)- The Blue Jays were the best team in baseball for a period of time. Then they fell back down to Earth. The reason they have stayed in it is pitching. That is the reason they have been bad for the past couple years. Poor pitching. They finally have some good pitching. Marcus Stroman has been a revelation. Minus a bad start against the Angels the other day, and a couple average starts in May, Stroman has been stellar. Dickey is good enough. Buehrle is having a career year. They need to add an arm or two if they want to win the division. The bats have been great. Encarnacion was having a break-out year until he got injured. Bautista has been a rock. Cabrera has been good. Lawrie was good before he went down with an injury. Jose Reyes has managed to stay healthy for the majority of the year. Yet the team is starting to fall apart. They haven't been playing great baseball for awhile. I don't see a playoff team here. They need to add a couple arms for that to happen. Final Record Prediction: 85-77, 4th in the AL East ![]() New York Yankees (47-47)- The Yankees downslide will continue. This team has stayed around this long with subpar pitching, but the loss of Tanaka, even if only for a few weeks, will crush this team. David Phelps has been the only other better then average, and barely at that, pitcher. CC Sabathia is gone for the season, and he wasn't good when he was around. They are hoping McCarthy and Whitley can make up the loss of Pineda, Sabathia, and Tanaka. They can't. The offseason spending spree has been a failure for this year. Beltran has been injured and hasn't hit. McCann has been lost at the plate. Ellsbury definitely isn't worth the contract he got. For the positives, Betances has emerged as a worthy replacement for Mo when that position opens up. Not to mention Brett Gardner is also having a pretty good year. The Yankees need to add a marquee pitcher, another one or two solid pitchers, and hope the bats pickup. I don't see all that happening. The Yankees will be spending their second season watching October from the couch. It is disappointing, too, considering it is Jeter's last year. As a baseball fan, it would've been nice to see him go out on top. Final Record Prediction: 83-79, Last in the AL East ![]() Tampa Bay Rays (44-53)- The Rays have dug themselves a hole. But as of late, they are the hottest team in baseball. Price has figured out what was ailing him at the beginning of the season. The team was hurt when Myers went down, because Longoria lost his protection. Kiermaier has filled in admirably and has played himself into an everyday spot. Ben Zobrist has been the hottest player in baseball before the All-Star break. Like I said, Longoria is having a down year, so if the Rays want to actually have a shot at the playoffs, they need some help on offense. Meanwhile, the rotation has been pretty bad this year. Odorizzi is starting to improve, though. Alex Cobb needs to improve and the Rays need to find a replacement for Bedard. Price has been great, and Archer has improved his game a lot this year. I think the Rays will ride their hot streak a bit longer, and make up a lot of ground. Final Record Prediction: 90-72, 2nd in the AL East ![]() Boston Red Sox (43-52)- The Red Sox have been pretty terrible on offense this year. Everyone is having a down year. The OF has been horrible. Ortiz's average is down. Napoli and Pedroia's power numbers are down. Bogaerts hasn't been the same since the Drew signing. The rotation has been stellar, though. Lester is having a career year. Lackey is solid. Peavy has been good for his past few starts. Buchholz is starting to look like the pitcher he was last year. Workman and De la Rosa have been good, too. Since the Red Sox released Pierzynski, they have won 5 out of their last 6. That is enough to give them the hope of contending. They may still trade Peavy, but they need to get an OF they can plug in right away. Something needs to be done about the OF for this team to have an actual shot at getting back to October. Jackie Bradley is starting to look comfortable at the plate, so do something with Nava/Gomes/Carp. Give Betts the everyday job. Send Bogaerts down and place Holt at 3rd. This team can make it back to the playoffs with the right moves and some luck. I don't think they will do enough to get back there. Final Record Prediction: 89-73, 3rd in the AL East Well, I had the score right. The 2014 MLB All-Star game was one of the better Mid-Summer classics in recent history. The night was known for Jeter. But one player rose above. Mike Trout. Trout's name always seems to pop-up and it is fitting that he accomplished what he did on the night of Jeter's last All-Star game. There was also a bit of controversy surrounding Adam Wainwright, and it didn't involve Clayton Kershaw.
Jeter did not disappoint. Before his first at-bat, the entire stadium and both teams gave him a moment of appreciation for all he has done for baseball. Wainwright set his glove down on the mound and joined in the applause. It was clear Jeter appreciated it, but it was also clear he wanted to play. Still, this was one of those moments that gives a baseball fan chills. Jeter knocked the second pitch to RF for a double. Mike Trout (Angels) smacked a double that brought Jeter around to score. Cabrera came up a few batters after and knocked one out of the park. The AL was leading 3-0. In the top of the second, the NL got two runs back. One on a double by Chase Utley (Phillies), and the other on a double by Jonathan Lucroy (Brewers). Both came off Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester. Jeter came back up to bat in the 3rd and knocked another hit out to RF. When the top of the 4th came around, Jeter was back on the field. But not for long, when Alexei Ramirez (White Sox) came out to replace him. Again the crowd erupt into applause. Jeter nodded to the crowd, went into the dugout and shook everyone's hand, and came out for a curtain call. This was another one of those great baseball moments. The NL scored another run in the top of the 4th, when Dee Gordon (Dodgers) scored off another Jonathan Lucroy double. The AL took the final lead in the fifth. After a couple singles, Mike Trout knocked Oakland catcher Derek Norris in for a run. Houston second baseman Jose Altuve hit a sac fly that scored Alexei Ramirez. The game was over from that point on. There was a brief moment of controversy when Adam Wainwright said he gave Jeter a couple meatballs. The media really ran with this. Wainwright was joking. It was clear he wasn't serving anything up to Jeter, especially when his first pitch was a knee-buckling curveball in the dirt. And even if he did, Jeter said it best, "You still gotta hit it." At the end of the night, as much as we all wanted to see it, Jeter was not the MVP. Mike Trout walked away with that honor after knocking in 2 runs. But it was fitting. Many see Trout as the heir-apparent to Jeter. And in many ways Trout is. He is a generational player. He is a good role model and ambassador to the game. And Trout believes in Jeter. It was a changing of the guard tonight. The NL Central hasn't played out like we thought it would. No one expected the Brewers to be in first, the Cardinals and Pirates to struggle, and the Reds also struggling. Things are starting to move around in the division. The Brew Crew is on a down trend, the Reds are heating up, the Cardinals are also heating up, and the Pirates are staying in it. This is the best division battle in baseball right now. ![]() Milwaukee Brewers (53-43)- I think we all expected Milwaukee to at least stay in the playoff talks, but not in first. But that is where they are at the midway point. They are trending downwards, though. St. Louis just took 2 out of 3 from them. Segura, even in his poor offense, is gonna be gone for a bit. This team can mash with the best of them. Ryan Braun, Carlos Gomez, and Jonathan Lucroy are leading this surprisingly productive offensive team. The rotation has some question marks. Matt Garza is starting to clean-up his season a bit. Marco Estrada needs to be replaced, though. If they stay the course, the have a shot at making the playoffs. I feel the need to make some moves if they want to ensure a playoff spot, though. Final Record Prediction: 87-75, 4th in the NL Central ![]() St. Louis Cardinals (52-44)- The Cardinals had a tough first half of the season. The injuries have hurt the team. The lost Jaime Garcia for the year, and Wacha is out right now. Now Yadier Molina is out for up to 3 months. I think if this team makes a move for a catcher at the deadline, they will be the favorites in this division. If Matt Adams keeps producing like he has of late, that could go a long way for this team. They also need to start hitting better with RISP, and figure out what to do with Oscar Taveras. Taveras has had a rough go of it since he has been up, but he is starting to look more comfortable. Also some rotation depth would help. Martinez is getting his first shot at the rotation, and while he is a little rough around the edges and will surely have some sort of limit on him, can be solid. He can't be any worse then Shelby Miller, who should be taken out of the rotation. There are rumors swirling around that the Cards could go for Jake Peavy, so that could solve some problems. With a few moves the Cards can once again be the favorite in the NL Central. Final Record Prediction: 92-70, 2nd in the NL Central, *2nd Wild Card ![]() Cincinnati Reds (51-44)- The Reds have just recently entered back into serious contention talk. Playing without Votto definitely hurts the team, but they have been doing that for the majority of the season. Billy Hamilton has done far better then anyone expected. Todd Frazier and Devin Mesaraco are having break-out years. Brandon Phillips is having a solid year. The rotation has been a little above-average. Cueto is having a CY-Young year. Alfredo Simon is the next big thing right now, although he is due for some regression. Mike Leake has impressed, and Mat Latos has been solid when healthy. Homer Bailey is not playing up to his contract, so they have to hope he gets better. I think to improve this team needs to go out and grab another impact bat, whether it be a SS or OF. A high-average, big power bat could make this team the clear-cut favorites for the Central. Still, where they stand, they look like the team to beat in the Central. Final Record Prediction: 95-67, 1st in the NL Central ![]() Pittsburgh Pirates (49-46)- The Pirates have managed to stay in the playoff talks, after a horrid start to the season. At one point they were 8.5 GB. Since they have called up Polanco, this team has worked its way back into contention. The key problem with this team is pitching. It has either been poor or injured. Liriano and Cole have both missed extended periods of time. And Liriano just hasn't been good when he is pitching. Then there was the whole Jason Grilli debacle. They semi-fixed that by trading him away. The starters have all been good, sans Liriano. The real pitching problem lies in the bullpen, where no one can really seem to get the job done. This team needs to get some bullpen help if it has aspirations of contending for the rest of the season. Up and down, the lineup has been good. McCutchen is having an MVP year again, and some how Josh Harrison is having an All-Star season. Polanco has been solid since his call-up. They could probably add a depth piece, but there isn't a huge weak spot on offense. I think the problem with the Pirates is very similar to the Red Sox problem. They had a lot of magic last year, and it has just disappeared this year. Final Record Prediction: 90-72, 3rd in the NL Central ![]() Chicago Cubs (40-54)- The Cubs are doing fairly well by their standards this year. They aren't going to win anything for a few years. It isn't looking like Bryant or Baez will get called up anytime soon. Rizzo and Castro have really put together great campaigns. The club subtracted Samardzija and Hammel from the rotation, so the rotation will stink it up a little more, but they added some great players in that trade. Arrieta has really stepped up his game this year. Just about everyone else in the rotation has stunk, but the bullpen has some really good pieces in it currently. And their first really good prospect, Alcantara, has been called up. Basically what I am saying is that even though the Cubs won't contend this year, we are starting to see some of their great moves and prospects show up. Things are looking up in Chicago. Final Record Prediction: 66-96, Last in the NL Central This will definitely be baseball's tightest race, with 4 out of the 5 teams within spitting distance. I think the Reds have the best shot at overtaking everyone, though. The Pirates have too many questions with pitching. The Cardinals just don't look like a great team this year. And I have doubts about the Brewers abilities to stay in contention. It will be a fun race to watch, though.
The AL Central is always a hit-or-miss division, except for the Tigers. Detroit is where everyone expected. And the other teams are trailing behind where everyone expected they would be. But every year it seems like there is a surprise in this division, and it looks like that will also happen this year. ![]() Detroit Tigers (53-38)- Don't let that record fool you. The Tigers are actually starting to look vulnerable this year. Verlander has been awful, going through a Tim Lincecum type transformation. Miguel Cabrera has look awfully human this year. Max Scherzer's Cy Young year is looking like an aberration. Scherzer as been solid, along with Rick Porcello and Anibal Sanchez, but the other two pieces in the rotation, Smyly and Verlander, get roughed up a lot. The bullpen isn't much better better, especially when one of your two most reliable relievers is named Joba Chamberlain. The offense has been good, though. Kinsler has really thrived in Detroit. Even though Cabrera looks human, he is still having a solid year. Victor Martinez is having an insanely good year. Castellanos is pretty disappointing, though. Alex Avila and Austin Jackson are also having rough years. This is a team starting to look beatable. They need to add a starter, bullpen arms, and a bat to really run away with the division, though. Final Record Prediction: 92-70, 2nd in the AL Central, *2nd Wild Card ![]() Kansas City Royals (48-46)- This team is 6.5 GB, but they have proven they can beat the Tigers. This team is too streaky, though. They need to consistently string together more wins. The pitching is the team's strong point. Jason Vargas, Danny Duffy, and Yordano Ventura have all really stepped up their games. James Shields is a nice anchor for the rotation, too. I think a key for them is for Ventura to pitch deeper into games. He needs to give them more innings. The team has a pretty dominant bullpen. The team needs more consistency from the bats, though. If Mike Moustakas can continue his improvement, then this team could be a serious threat in the playoffs. They need another power bat. If they can go out and grab someone like Alex Rios or Adrian Beltre, this team will be a huge threat. With another bat or two, this team can overtake Detroit. Final Record Prediction: 93-69, 1st in the AL Central ![]() Cleveland Indians (47-47)- The Indians have been a disappointment this season. The main cause of that is pitching. Losing Jimenez hurt, Masterson has been lost all season, and Salazar pitched his way too the minors. Corey Kluber has been the rock of the rotation. Trevor Bauer is unpredictable from start to start, but has been fairly solid. On offense, Carlos Santana and Nick Swisher have had rough first halves. Part of the problem with Santana can probably be attributed to lack of a set position. He moved around a lot. The Indians have enjoyed breakout seasons for Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall. Jason Kipnis hasn't produced as expected, although he was injured for part of the year. Now Bourn is on the DL. If Cleveland wants to stay in the race, they will have to make some moves at the deadline. They need to grab to quality arms for the rotation and another 2 power bats. I don't see them making that many moves, so Cleveland will eventually fall completely out of the race in the second-half. Final Record Prediction: 79-83, 4th in the AL Central ![]() Chicago White Sox (45-51)- The White Sox don't completely suck this year. They are only 6 games under .500. The offense is solid. Alexei Ramirez has had one of his better years. Adam Eaton is solid. Connor Gillaspie is really good this year. And Jose Abreu has taken over baseball. This kid is amazing. He flicks his bat and the ball is gone. This was a great move by Rick Hahn. Abreu will definitely help lead this team to the playoffs. If they want to make it this year, they have to add some pitching. They need another solid starter. Chris Sale is a CY Young candidate again this year, Jose Quintana is quietly putting together one of the better years in baseball, and John Danks has been solid. They need another solid pitcher to really make this rotation a threat. They also need some bullpen help. They don't have a consistent bullpen, what with only two great pitchers. They could make some noise this year, but they won't make it to the playoffs. Final Record Prediction: 80-82, 3rd in the AL Central ![]() Minnesota Twins (44-50)- Minnesota also dosesn't completely suck this year. They have been getting some surprise contributions. Phil Hughes has thrived in the pitcher friendly confines of Target Field. Brian Dozier has been a surprise. Heck, Kurt Suzuki is making contact with everything. Joe Mauer is a key player for this team. If they want to finish above .500, he has to start hitting somewhat close to the Mauer of old. The team also needs to have Ricky Nolasco pitch better. He hasn't been worth a dime. The Twins aren't going to the playoffs this year, but they are trying to get back to at least .500. They will need some players to improve for that to happen. Final Record Prediction: 77-85, Last in the AL Central You may not agree with the Royals over the Tigers, but I believe the Tigers will falter as the season wears on. Just today Miggy and Verlander both said they weren't at 100%. If they get there, then the Tigers are the favorites. One thing is very clear from watching this division. It is about to turn into a 5 team race in the next couple of years.
The lineups are set. The pitchers are chosen. And tonight the game will be played at Target Field in Minnesota. Tune into FOX tomorrow night @ 7:30/6:30c for coverage of the All-Star Game.
The only questionable decision for starters on both sides is Adam Wainwright starting for the NL. Kershaw is the better pitcher. When asked to defend his decision, manager Mike Matheny said it was based on leadership and execution. It is a curious decision at best, and one I don't agree with. If the lineup gets down to Cabrera while Waino is still in, watch that AB. Cabrera is 2-5 with a homer off Wainwright, so maybe Cabrera will take advantage.
Looking at both lineups, it seems like the NL side is a bit stronger and deeper. Pretty hard to claim that when you have the best players from the other league on the opposing side, but the only slightly weak part in the NL lineup is Carlos Gomez, who is batting 9th. Someone to watch is Derek Jeter, who is playing in his last All-Star game. He is sure to get a few at-bats, but it will be interesting to see how he gets taken out of the game. I would expect something similar to what happened with Mariano Rivera last year. Another player to watch, and this is from a play perspective, is Jose Abreu. I have a feeling he could be the MVP of this affair. It is close, but the AL pitching staff just edges out the NL this year. Look for this to be a lower scoring game. The one pitcher that is most likely to give up the game for the AL is Fernando Rodney. He is quite erratic, so keep on eye on him if he comes into the game. This will definitely be a game that comes down to which pitcher will implode first, and Rodney is the number 1 candidate for that. This game looks to be a close one. The AL has the deeper bench and just slightly better pitching. If Derek Jeter contributes to a win at all, look for him to snag the MVP. I think it will come down to a late inning play, though. Maybe a homer by Jose Abreu to win the game. It will certainly be interesting to see what some of these new and younger stars do on one of baseball's biggest stages. In the end look for the AL to come out on top. AL beats the NL 5-3 Jose Abreu wins the MVP |
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