MLB Preseason Predictions

Sig Hansen

Well-known member
Most of the big free agents have been signed and rosters are about, set even though Spring Training hasn't started. So it should be easy enough to make predictions.

Post 'em
 
 
My Predictions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wild Card (If they can add it in time for this year)
Yankees def. Rangers
Nationals def. Diamondbacks

ALDS
Angels def. Rays
Yankees def. Tigers

NLDS
Reds def. Nationals
Braves def. Rockies

ALCS

Angels def. Yankees

NLCS
Braves def. Reds

World Series
Angels def. Braves

My bold predictions are obviously the Rockies and Nationals. The Nats are probably still a year away from being a good team, but I think they can have a year like the 2010 Reds where they exceed expectations and contend. Strasburg really needs to stay healthy, as well as Zimmerman. They really, really could have used Prince Fielder. I think the Marlins will suck as well. Even with all the offseason additions they are still an average team IMO, and certainly aren't better than Philly and Atlanta.
I predict the Phillies to have an awful year. The old age of most of their players will come back to hurt them and they won't be able to score any runs.

And the Rockies, I don't really know why I picked them. San Fran and San Diego can't score runs, and I think Arizona's pitching will regress from last year. Plus the Dodgers just suck, especially with their ownership problems. That leaves the Rockies. They could easily finish last, but this division is probably the hardest to pick. No real favorite to choose from

Odd how these predictions work out, because I definitely don't think the Braves are good enough to make the World Series, but with the the matchups I gave them it somehow works out that way. I'd be stoked if the Reds could make the NLCS, though. The Angels don't have a real weakness IMO. They're going to score a ton of runs, and it helps that they play Seattle and Oakland so much
 
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Not bad, although I think Minnesota will finish 3rd in the Central. KC is still too green and lacks pitching and Chicago is in rebuild mode. The Twins are healthy players away from being decent.

I think if you were gonna pick a surprise in the NL East I'd have gone Marlins (although I don't think the Phillies are done at all).
 
Not bad, although I think Minnesota will finish 3rd in the Central. KC is still too green and lacks pitching and Chicago is in rebuild mode. The Twins are healthy players away from being decent.
Definitely possible. The bottom three in the AL Central are a toss up, IMO. There will probably be a very sizable gap between the Indians and whoever finishes 3rd

I think if you were gonna pick a surprise in the NL East I'd have gone Marlins (although I don't think the Phillies are done at all).
I think the Marlins will take a while to get used to all their new players and Hanley Ramirez has to adjust to playing 3B. Also, everyone has to get used to playing in a completely new stadium, which a lot of people are forgetting about. Look at all of the problems the Mets had when they opened their stadium a few years ago.
 
Stole Sig's format:

My Predictions:

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

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

AL West
1. Rangers
2. Angels

3. Mariners
4. Athletics

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

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

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

Wild Card (I don't think it will be added this year)
Angels def. Yankees
Marlins def. Diamondbacks

ALDS
Rangers def. Rays
Angels def. Tigers

NLDS
Phillies def. Cardinals
Marlins def. Dodgers

ALCS
Rangers def. Angels

NLCS
Phillies def. Marlins

World Series
Rangers def. Phillies

No real surprises in the AL. The Rays have a team full of players ready to break out. Yankees and Red Sox are old, and I have the Blue Jays ahead of the Red Sox, which may be a bit of a surprise but the Red Sox got worse this off-season (aging, RF?, traded both SS). The Tigers are the best team in the AL Central and it's not even close. The rest of the division is down but I see the Tribe finishing 2nd again. AL West is between Rangers and Angels with each winning around 100 games and the Mariners/Athletics losing around 100 games. Both Rangers and Angels have solid pitching (edge Angels) and both have a crowded infield (Angels at 1B with Pujols, Morales, Trumbo and Rangers with C/1B/DH Napoli, C Torrealba, 1B Moreland, 2B Kinsler, SS Andrews, 3B Beltre, UTL Young - edge Rangers) and both have a good OF (though the edge goes to Rangers). I see both meeting in the ALCS in one hell of a series with the slight edge going to the Texas Rangers

The NL is a much different story. NL East is realistically between 4 teams. Phillies have dominated the past few years but are aging (though they haven't really lost anything except for Howard for the start of the season). The Marlins are the most improved team and could be even better than people expect with a typical Hanley-like season (unlike last year) and a healthy Josh Johnson. Adding Reyes, Buehrlie, and Bell were all huge upgrades and I expect young guys Stanton, Sanchez (Anibal and Gaby), Morrison and Bonifacio to have breakout seasons. The Braves and Nationals are similar in that they both have deep rotations, but I'm not sold on the hitting for either team. Oh and the Mets suck. NL Central is also open but is not nearly as strong as the East. Cardinals added Beltran, who had a solid season after a handful of seasons cut short due to injuries, and Wainwright will be back as well. The Reds are a close 2nd, improving the pitching with the addition of Latos but the hitting is still a weakness. The other 4 teams in the division are far behind these two. The NL West is WIDE open with, realistically, every team having a chance. We could possibly see all 5 teams in the playoff hunt heading into September as all have some strengths with huge weaknesses. I like the Dodgers now. They have Cy Young winner Kershaw and should-have-been MVP Kemp. Billingsly is a solid #2, Eithier could be in for a huge comeback season, and I like Dee Gordon's potential.
 
NL Division Winner
Phillies
Reds
Rockies

NL Wild Card
Marlins


AL Division Winners
Yankees
Tigers
Angels

AL Wild Card
Rangers
 
AL East
1. Yankees
2. Rays
3. Red Sox
4. Blue Jays
5. Orioles

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

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

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

NL Central
1. Reds
2. Cardinals
3. Brewers
4. Pirates
5. Cups
6. Astros

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

Wild Cards:
AL - Rays (Angels if two)
NL - Cardinals (Braves if two)

Not messing with playoff results.
 
NL Play Off:

East = Phillies
Central = Cardinals
West = D-Backs
WC = Marlins

AL Play Off:

East = Yankees
Central = Tigers
West = Rangers
WC = Angels

NLDS = Cardinals over Marlins
Phillies over D-Backs

ALDS = Yankees over Rangers
Tigers over Angels

NLCS = Cardinals over Phillies

ALCS = Yankees over Tigers

WS = Cardinals over Yankees
 
The hitting was a weakness. It can't always be boom or bust, you need consistency. And we'll see how long Rolen stays healthy and how good he is while healthy anyway
 
:laugh: Yea they have a couple guys who strike out a lot, but they have an MVP first basemen in Votto, Along with Phillips, Bruce, and a healthy Rolen. Even with all the k's and Rolen being out, they still finished 2nd in scoring. Their offense is not the problem. It was pitching, and it looks like they improved greatly. Time will tell, but if the pitching improves even a little bit, the Reds should win the division. "hitting is a weakness" :laugh:

Shocker someone from Cincinnati disagrees with my predictions (but only my NL Central prediction?). It's hard to argue with someone who doesn't know anything about baseball (or any other sport, for that matter) when the only team they follow is their own. Yes, hitting is a weakness. The only team that had a worse batting average than the Reds in the NL Central last year was the Pirates. Other than Phillips, Votto, and Bruce, I'm not sold on any of the other hitters. If a 37 year old who hits .242 and can't stay healthy is your 4th best hitter then yes, hitting is a weakness.

Pitching has improved and they have had young MLB-ready talent in the minors for some time now. Latos and Cueto have front of the rotation stuff with four others battling for the final three spots (Chapman, Leake, Arroyo, Bailey).
 
Being a Reds fan aside, claiming the offense is a weakness is a bit silly. Fourth in the NL in OBP and hits, fifth in slugging and OPS, third in total bases and RBI and second in runs and home runs isn't indicative of a weakness.

However, they were way too inconsistent in key situations. What they really lack is a guy at or near the top of the order like Barry Larkin was that will make sure that Votto/Bruce have people to drive in by hitting the ball to the right side, bunting effectively and stealing a base when one is needed.

Pitching was the big weakness last year and bad pitching is what landed them in third place.
 
Being a Reds fan aside, claiming the offense is a weakness is a bit silly. Fourth in the NL in OBP and hits, fifth in slugging and OPS, third in total bases and RBI and second in runs and home runs isn't indicative of a weakness.

However, they were way too inconsistent in key situations. What they really lack is a guy at or near the top of the order like Barry Larkin was that will make sure that Votto/Bruce have people to drive in by hitting the ball to the right side, bunting effectively and stealing a base when one is needed.

Pitching was the big weakness last year and bad pitching is what landed them in third place.

This

They may score a lot of runs, but last year they were never able to get the big hit in the 8th or 9th inning to drive in a guy on second or third base to take the lead. Votto is really the only guy you can count on IMO
 
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