Tag Archives: 2011

Third Time Is {Probably} The Charm

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June updates to predictions? DONE! Nick Waltz style…

AL East:

I thought all along that the tales of the Red Sox demise was foolish at best, and now I look like a freaking genius. Sox are still my pick for the AL East but I’m changing my Wild Card pick to the Rays. A few reasons: They’ve played out of their minds since Manny left town, and the reworked bullpen ACTUALLY IS WORKING! Their biggest strength last year became their biggest weakness and now it’s a strength all over again. By the way, look at this lineup: Sam Fuld? Johnny Damon? Kyle Farnsworth as your closer? You’ve got to be kidding me, but it’s WORKING. Amazing. Plus I hate the Yankees.

AL Central:

So the Twins are done and the White Sox are looking like it? Amazing. Nothing in the American League Central makes sense this season. I want to stick with the Indians winning the Central (Which was my new pick after picking the White Sox at the beginning of the season), but I have to agree with the great and wise Josh Stover: Tigers look good, and I honestly think they are underperforming right now. Plus there is no way a team could look like one of the 3 worst teams going into the season and ending up being one of the top 3 teams right? Right?

AL West:

So a funny thing happened while no one was looking: The Mariners are 1.5 games back of Texas, and this is happening with Ichiro apparently forgetting he’s one of the greatest hitters ever to play baseball. Amazing. However I’m picking the Rangers to win the division this year. Oakland is looking like they are about to fall down hill fast, and the Los Anaheim Angels of Anaheim have no offense. especially with Morales gone for the whole season yet again. The M’s have no one hitting for them either, which means the Rangers, who were in good shape offensively already before Beltre started  killing it for them this season, will only be better has Hamilton comes back to form, plus you’re looking at a very good rotation still.

NL East:

So the Phillies are still the team to beat, or rather their rotation is, and so they stay my pick for the NL East champs, but what the heck is going on with Florida? They’re making me doubt picking the Braves to win the Wild Card, until I noticed that Josh Johnson is now on the DL and that’ll affect them a LOT. Braves still win the WC but they have some middle relief issues that needs solving, and Dan Uggla needs to stop doing his best impression of Carlos Pena and start getting on base.

NL Central:

The Brewers continue to impress me each time I watch them play. Rickie Weeks is crazy good and Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun have put together incredible offensive season almost completely under the radar, which makes no sense to me at all. Jonathan Lucroy is the hottest young catcher in baseball and Shaun Marcum is showing how good he really is, all this while Zach Greinke isn’t pitching at his peak yet. Brewers still for the win.

NL West:

What in the world? Arizona is in first? This league is crazy. Losing Posey is a huge blow, but the Rockies took a bigger one with De La Rosa out for the year, so instead of a Giants/Rockies chase, it’s not a Giants/Diamondbacks chase. Will Arizona continue to perform this well? Who the heck knows, but I do know that I’d take the Giants pitching over theirs, (and that includes the bullpen) 100 times out of 100, and there is NO WAY the Giants continue to hit so poorly. Hopefully Huff’s 3 HR night breaks him out and when Pablo comes back, watch out. Giants still win this one.

(-NW)

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Prediction Reboot: The (correct) Stover Addition

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Steve has issued some re-picks as we enter June and I thought I would set him straight on a few…

AL East

Steve is half right here. The Red Sox are back and they are going to win this division. I differ with his assessment of the Rays though. I don’t think you can succeed in that division without more hitting. Yes, they are a very similar team to the Giants, but they don’t play in the NL West (thankfully) and I can’t see them beating the Yankees and the Red Sox. They rank 21st in hitting and I’m not sure that will cut it in that division. In addition, the Yankees actually are ranked higher in pitching stats and I don’t think they are going to lose 1st place to anyone but the Sox.  I’m taking the Red Sox to win it, and the Yankees to win the wild card. One side note, I think Joe Maddon is one of, if not THE best manager in all of baseball. I would want to play for him.

AL Central

Ok so this one is super confusing….still.  Even more confusing is the White Sox. They have turned around, or at least slowed, their awful start. Steve, I like that you aren’t just picking chalk here, but I don’t see a division win in their future. I don’t see it in Cleveland’s either. At some point, Cleveland is going to start playing up, or should I say down to their potential. I’m taking the Tigers in this one.

AL West

This division still lines up clearly for me. The Rangers are winning it. Billy Bean came out today and said he didn’t want his catcher getting run over at the plate so he told him to avoid any home plate collisions. That should keep the A’s from having a repeat of the Buster Posey incident. However, Suzuki isn’t Posey, and the A’s aren’t as good as the Rangers. I’ll still take them to repeat as AL west champs.

NL East

Steve and I are in complete agreement here. Even though Hanley Ramirez is stinkin’ this year, the Marlins are finding a way to win. Pitching is the key to their success, but Josh Johnson is on the DL and they don’t have a lot of proven winners on the staff or in the bullpen. They should come back down soon. The scary part for that division is even when the Marlins are playing great, the Phillies still lead by 2 games. Philly will win this one easily and I am changing my wild card pick to Atlanta. That has more to do with Cincy stinking than with my faith in Atlanta.

NL Central

So I have publicly ripped the Brewers in previous posts and it looks like they listened. They are playing great right now and only 2.5 games out. It looks like they may make my pre season pick correct after all. Here’s a fun fact: they are amazing at home and AWFUL on the road. 21-7 vs 9-19. I don’t know what to do with the Cards. They are surprising, especially noting the slump that Pujols is in. My bold prediction is that he is going to stay in that slump all year. I know he didn’t want to negotiate his contract during the year, but maybe he should reevaluate that stance. Something is bothering him and he says he isn’t injured. I will choose to believe him and say it must be mental. Sign a contract for 26 mil a year for the next 7 years and he’ll be fine.  I’ll keep the Brewers winning the central but knock Cincy off of my previous wild card choice.

NL West

Nobody panic. Arizona isn’t winning the west. Every team gets hot at some point, they just put a couple of hot streaks together. I also don’t believe that Colorado is out of it. I look for the Rockies to be in it until September. I am still concerned about the Giants. I watched the game last night and even though we got 16 hits, I just have no faith in where our offense is coming from. Especially when Huff is up, I have no faith. I am the eternal pessimist when my team is up but I’m still not a believer yet. Trade options are a discussion for a separate post but we need to strengthen our lineup. We have 5 outfielders that Bochy has to try to time their hot streaks (ie Ross and Nate right now) and that isn’t a recipe for success.

Ok so Steve and I agree on a lot of picks.  That is a natural occurrence because we are both very smart males.  I’m really looking forward to this summer.  I broke down and got the MLB package so now I can watch the Giants more.  Blasted east coast time is killing me though.  Enjoy the games!!!

(-JS)

Prediction Reboot: June Edition

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June 1st means that we are effectively one-third of the way through the season. The old adage is that a team spends the first third of the season figuring out its identity and needs, the second third getting what it needs to fill the holes, and the final third making a run at the playoffs. If that is true then the next two months will be defined by the moves teams make to help with the final push. Each division remains close with multiple teams in contention…this is shaping up to be a fascinating season. Here’s another prediction reboot as I evaluate my pre-season picks and give my take on each division:

AL East

Order has been restored in the East and as improved as the Orioles are and as fun as the Blue Jays have been, this is and will continue to be a three-horse race between the Sox, the Yanks, and the Rays. The interesting thing about this division is that the Red Sox and Yankees are virtually identical: good offenses, star-studded line ups, veterans who are underproducing, and big questions marks in the back half of the rotations. The Rays are the opposite…they are the AL version of the Giants: pitching, pitching, pitching, and hope for some runs. Still going with my original predictions: Red Sox take the division and the Rays win the Wild Card.

AL Central 

I continue to admit that picking the Twins was one of the worst predictions I have ever made! That said, this division presents a conundrum to many around baseball. Are the Indians for real? They seem to be playing above their heads, especially in the pitching department, and the gap has closed between them and the rest of the division recently. Detroit continues to be the primary adversary to date, and the Twins and Royals are essentially done. That leaves Chicago. They appear to have righted the bullpen issues that plagued them early and I have to believe that their offense will heat up as the weather continues to warm. My money is still on Chicago to get hot and take this division, but I have little confidence in any prediction I can make about the AL Central.

AL West 

The AL West is extremely close and incredibly mediocre. Each team has 27, 28, or 29 wins. First and last are separated by 2 wins (2.5 games). The big surprise has been the Mariners who could be in first place by tonight if things go right. As impossible as it might seem, given their atrocious offense, they might be able to stay in this slowest of  races. The Western divisions are probably the two that will be most affected by mid-season trades. Whoever makes the best moves here will probably prevail. Last year it took 90 wins to take this division, right now the winner is on pace for 87. That’s not great. My thoughts: I have the most confidence in the Rangers to pull off a difference making move, but I am not ready to change my original pick. The A’s will make a move too, and they will also see their starters go on a crazy run and win 15 of 17 at some point this summer to separate themselves from the pack. Oakland prevails.

NL East

One of the best stories of the year has to be the Marlins. They were my NL Sleeper pick back in January and they are making me proud! That said, I still can’t help but think the Braves will overtake them. And now with the news about Hanley Ramirez and his bad back, I feel even more strongly that the Marlins will fade. It will be close though. The Braves squeak by for the Wild Card and the Phillies ride their four horsemen to the division title.

NL Central 

I have to admit that I am starting to believe in the Cardinals. However, not much has changed here as far as my opinion about this division. Still think the Brewers are the team to beat, still think the Reds are/were overrated, still think the Cubs and Pirates are actually close to contending and could be annoying down the stretch. The Cardinals though are really going to make this interesting. Their offense is great as much because of the Allen Craigs and David Freeses and Ryan Theriots even though much credit  goes to the big three of Berkman and Holliday and Pujols (who WILL break out soon). If they make a significant pitching move, it could be enough to make the playoffs. I don’t think Milwaukee can make a big move (ala Jose Reyes) because they lack the prospects (after their two big offseason trades). They will have to do this with what they have. That could be the difference. Nonetheless, I still stay the Brewers take the Central.

NL West

So, the Rockies lose their best pitcher for the season and everyone concedes the division to the Giants. The next day the Giants lose their best player for the season and meanwhile no one really notices that, hey, the Diamondbacks are winning the division! The loss of De la Rosa and Posey means the West is wild and wide open. However, it is pretty safe to say that the Padres and Dodgers aren’t going to join the party. The Rockies are in danger in burying themselves, but even down an important arm I think they are too talented to go away and die. The Diamondbacks are good, young, and talented, but their pitching is a far cry from what the Giants have. I expect the Giants to make significant move and I hope it involves Eric Surkamp and Thomas Neal, not Zack Wheeler or Brandon Belt, and I think that move will be helpful. But at the end of the day, no one in the West pitches like the Giants. It might only take 88-91 wins to take this division and I think the Giants can manage that even sans Buster. Sticking with my boys: Giants win the West.

As you can tell, not much has changed in my opinion here in the last month. Still a long way to go and as we head into trade season much will be illuminated. As it was last year there are a lot of good teams, but no GREAT team and so anything seems possible. It’s going to be a crazy summer!

(-SB)

Win Ugly!

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A fact that gets lost in all the worthy reveling over the Giants World Series Championship is that this present team has not actually spent a lot of time together. Consider each position:

  • 1B Huff: February 2010
  • 2B Sanchez: July 2009
  • SS Tejada/Fontenot: January 2011/August 2010 (respectively)
  • 3B Sandoval: June 2008
  • LF Burrell: May/June 2010
  • CF Torres: January 2009 (didn’t become a regular until May 2010)
  • RF Ross: August/September 2010
  • C Posey: June 2010 (when he came up for good)
A couple of other factors to consider: Ross didn’t really become a regular until the end of the season/post-season last year. Fontenot was a bit player last year, much more integral this year. Sandoval, he of the great 2009, has had little time to be a part of this team due to injuries/ineffectiveness. Sanchez was hurt at the beginning of 2010 and it wasn’t really until mid 2010 that he established himself in the lineup.
     Several pitchers have been around for a while, but Bumgarner is “new” and any bullpen is always changing, but Javier Lopez, Ramon Ramirez are also newer additions.
     All of this to say: even though this team is the defending World Champions, it is not a team that has been together for a long time, and therefore in a strange way, the book is still open on just what kind of team it is.
     I still feel like there is a lot of room to grow, especially for the offense (Sandoval’s return will be super important to that). A roster/team is always a moving target and in some kind of flux, but I think it is safe to make a couple of conclusions:
  1. This roster, as currently constructed, can win. It won the World Series last year and is hanging on to first place right now after SWEEPING THE DODGERS.
  2. This roster wins ugly. In popular parlance, torture! But, I think we have seen enough to assume that the way it is going to go with this team, is ugly wins. Two of my favorite Giants teams of yore are 1993 and 2003. Those teams won cleanly and efficiently. The mid-2010 to 2011 Giants are NOT those teams.
So, Giants fans, strap in and hang on, it’s not going to be pretty but it will produce victories.
(-SB)

Nick’s Prediction Reboot

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(note: nick’s article was submitted on may 6th, before the completion of the Giants-Rockies series).

AL EAST

Well the Red Sox certainly blew up my prediction for a dominant run at the AL title. That being said I still see them recovering nicely and being in the playoff hunt for the rest of the season. I still think I’m sticking with them for the title since the Yankees seem to be falling apart. As for the Rays, they’ve sold me after a really rough start. That, in addition to the terrible Central and West mean I’m picking them as my new AL Wild Card winners.

AL CENTRAL

I still think the Royals are a few years away, but good lord do the White Sox suck right now. No hitting, no pitching, no nothing. I have no clue what the Tigers really are and I don’t know if I can trust the Twins with Morneau and Mauer out so much. Looking at the Indians I think they’re the real deal, or at least real enough to win the Central.

AL WEST

Not sold on the A’s anymore and I’m changing my pick to the Rangers. Losing Feliz and Hamilton didn’t help, but Neftali is coming back and when Josh returns the offense will continue to swing large. The A’s could make a run and I wouldn’t be surprised if they did, but it’ll be down to those two teams as the Angels don’t seem to have the pieces necessary to win and the M’s are the M’s.

NL EAST

I don’t buy the Marlins at all. I know everyone says that and then they go win a World Series, but I don’t see that pitching and offense outlasting the Phillies or the Braves. That being said I still have the Phillies winning the division but after watching Atlanta this past few weeks, It’s going to be a LOT closer than I thought, close enough that I think the Braves will take the Wild Card in the NL.

NL CENTRAL 

I know St. Louis is playing really well, but honestly I still see this as the Brewers’ division to lose. I’m not picking them to win the NL anymore, but this division should still be there with good pitching and REALLY good hitting.

NL WEST

I just don’t know what to make of the Giants. They look SO bad some times, but they have had no Torres, Pablo, Zito, Wilson, Ross or Casilla and a bad hitting Belt for some or most of the season, and they’re still within a stones throw from the Rockies. The Rockies, on the other hand, are REALLY good. I’m sticking with the Giants out of plain homerism but I wouldn’t be betting against Colorado to win the division at this point.

(-NW)

Awards Predictions Remixed

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Here’s the original post

Now, for the remix:

  • AL MVP: (original pick: Adrian Gonzalez) So much of the MVP choice tends to be tied in to who makes the playoffs (see Hamilton, Josh), but has there been a better player for the last 15 months than Jose Bautista? Obviously the award is only for 2011, but it is looking like 2010 (54 home runs, .995 OPS) was no fluke. Maybe the biggest sign of his turnaround is that he is walking twice as much as he is striking out. He is capable of a year that transcends the standings.
  • AL CYA: (original pick: Jon Lester) Thus far this award is Jered Weaver’s to lose, but I still think Lester will win. Jon usually starts slow and then has a torrid finish, but this year he has started strong and if he continues to dominate throughout I think he’ll win it with numbers clearly superior to Weaver. Part of what makes him so amazing is that he is left-handed and lefties typically don’t do well at fenway. Sticking to my guns here!
  • AL ROY: (original pick: Jake McGee) Huge whiff with this choice as Jake was just sent down to AAA to work some stuff out. Oh well, this is a hard one to pick anyway. The new pick is Eric Hosmer. He’s been killing it at every level and that will continue in KC. The future is rapidly approaching for the Royals.
  • NL MVP: (original pick: Albert Pujols) Pujols got off to a slow start and even then is not that far off from the numbers needed to be in this discussion. A big May could put him right back at the front of the pack. That said, Ryan Braun is going to be hard to catch, especially if the Brewers get going and take the division. I’ll take Braun for now, but with the full awareness that I might switch back to AP in June!
  • NL CYA: (original pick: Yovani Gallardo) Another big OOPS! Not only has Yovani not taken the step forward I anticipated he’s taken two major steps backward. Josh Johnson is the Jered Weaver of the NL right now and he is nasty but he always seems to get hurt or tire at some point. If he can keep it up for a full season he will be tough to beat. Halladay is right there in the mix, per usual (as is Cliff Lee). However, I think this may end up being Tim Lincecum‘s best season to date. His struggles of 2010 led to an evolution mentally and helped him develop his repertoire of pitchers. Now he has his fastball back. He is in the rare zone where his mental capacity and his physical abilities are on par. Very few athletes get to enjoy this. It’ll be number 3 for Timmy.
  • NL ROY: (original pick: Brandon Belt) Belt can still win this but he needs to come back by June 1 and he needs to absolutely rake. Otherwise, this is Brandon Beachy’s award to lose. This kid has come out of nowhere to dominate the NL this spring. Young pitchers like him tend to struggle the second and third times they face teams so he may be coming back to earth soon. Last year it was Giants vs. Braves for this award and everyone thought it would be again (Belt vs. Freeman) only we all got the wrong Brave!
(-SB)

2011 World Series Predictions

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The season begins! And here are our predictions on how it all will end (maybe).

Nick:

Boston Red Sox over the Milwaukee Brewers (in 6). I almost picked this to go seven games, but in the end I think the Red Sox’s experience and their offense will outlast the Brewers pitching. It’ll be a good World Series but when the Red Sox get going in the playoffs, they will be really hard to beat.

Jon:

San Francisco Giants over the Boston Red Sox: Pitching wins championships, but you must have reliable offense to complement. The Giants have what it takes to be the first back-to-back winner since the Yanks. The Giants will have to get past the Phils’ rotation in the playoffs and get stellar pitching to beat the Red Sox in the WS. 2011 World Series winner: San Francisco Giants.

Josh:

Boston Red Sox over Philadelphia Phillies: Last year was all about pitching. This year will be the same but I think the sox hitting will overcome the great rotation of the Phillies.

Steve:

San Francisco Giants over the Boston Red Sox: I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see the Rays, Twins, Rockies, Braves, Yankees, Brewers, White Sox, or A’s make a “surprise” run and win it all, but I honestly think the three teams most likely to be there at the end are the Giants, Phillies, and Red Sox. The way I see it, though, the Phillies age and injuries will trip them up and the Red Sox rotation will be their downfall leaving the Giants as the most unlikely repeat WS champs maybe of all time.

Let the games begin!

2011 Awards Predictions

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Who will take home the individual, end of season, awards? Traditional/repeat heroes like Pujols and Halladay, or new comers like Votto and Hernandez? Here’s what we think:

Nick

  • AL MVP: Adam Dunn
  • AL Cy Young: Jon Lester
  • AL Rookie of the Year: Dustin Ackley
  • NL MVP: Prince Fielder
  • NL CYA: Ubaldo Jimenez
  • NL ROY: Domonic Brown

Jon

  • AL MVP: Carl Crawford
  • AL CYA: Trevor Cahill
  • AL ROY: Jeremy Hellickson
  • NL MVP: Carlos Gonzalez
  • NL CYA: Timmy Lincecum
  • NL ROY: Bryce Harper (even though I REALLY want to pick Brandon Belt)

Steve

  • AL MVP: Adrian Gonzalez (huge first year in Boston numbers wise, plus team with best regular season record=hardware)
  • AL CYA: Jon Lester (King Felix will have slightly better peripherals, but Lester could win 25 games and have great stats…too good to pass up)
  • AL ROY: Jake McGee (goes all Neftali Feliz on the AL and saves over 40 games for an overachieving Rays team)
  • NL MVP: Albert Pujols (the great Pujols goes off during contract year, puts to bed any question as to whether he deserves riches contract in MLB history)
  • NL CYA: Yovani Gallardo (outshines two big additions in Grienke and Marcum to prove he’s the true ace of the staff and the class of the NL, at least in 2011)
  • NL ROY: Brandon Belt (there was a time when even imagining the Giants producing back-to-back ROYs would have induced side-splitting laughter…laugh no more: Belt is 2011 Posey)

2011 NL West Predictions

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Three days to go until “real” baseball games are played. Until then, enjoy our final season preview and predictions posts leading up to the seaon. Today, our final divisional look, the National League West.

Nick

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

After trading Adrian Gonzalez there is just no way the Padres contend like they did last year. To that I add: the Dodgers have some major pitching and hitting issues and the NL West will turn out to be a two team race between the Giants and Rockies. While the Rockies are the one team that scare me every time they play the Giants, I just love the Giants pitching (and Buster Posey) way too much to pick the Rockies, although I do have Colorado winning the Wild Card.

Josh

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

Yep, the Dodgers will always be in last. I’m not just picking the Giants to win this division because I’m a homer. Well, ok, yes I am. However, I really think they will win it and I don’t think it will come down to the last game of the season. I will say that I’m a bit nervous about the Rockies. They could turn out to be the wild card team. Now as a Giants fan, I have a hard time picking them to win the division because I don’t want to jinx it. Because of this, I’m writing this blog sitting on a wood floor, knocking on a wood door, watching old games of Kirk Rueter pitch, and whittling a wooden canoe out of pure wood. COME ON G-MEN!

Jon

  1. THE San Francisco Giants: World Series Champions of the World
  2. Colorado Rockies
  3. San Diego Padres
  4. Los Angeles Dodgers
  5. Arizona Diamondbacks

I won’t lie, the last 7 days have been a bit sour in the Giants’ Spring Training camp. A couple of injuries and a few poor performances have given the impression that they are limping into the season after dominating most of the preseason schedule. Fear not, the Giants are way too young, talented, and angry (in the sense that they still believe they have something to prove) for them not to be the front-runners in the battle for the NL West Crown. The Rockies are good, real good and they may prove to put up a battle for the Wild Card against the Phils. The Pads aren’t going to drown in the sea of mediocrity because of the loss of Gonzales, but they will not have enough to take the crown. The Dogs got divorced and the D-Backs are hopeless.

Steve

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

It’s clear we are high on the Giants and low on the Dodgers. Bay Area homers or what? Really, though, could these two organizations be more different? Whatever one thinks about Brian Sabean, the Giants are showing the wisdom of stability in the front office and management of a baseball orgnanization. The Dodgers, by contrast, are in chaos. My controversial statement is this: the Giants are the class of the division and the Rockies are closer to 3-5 than 1. The Giants win because of pitching and depth. This team is much deeper going in to the season and well equipped to deal with injuries (like Wilson and Ross). Now if Lincecum or Cain go down, that’s a world of pain. The Rockies have some stud hitters and Ubaldo Jimenez but I don’t like the rest of the rotation. Arizona is better than people think, especially with some real pitchers in the bullpen. San Diego will not even come close to what they did last year and it’s not because of losing Adrian Gonzalez. Injuries, luck, and the inability to repeat their bullpen magic will make for tough times.

2011 NL Central Predictions

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We end our week in the NL Central…here we go (also scroll down to see our updated posts with Jon’s picks):

Nick

  1. Milwaukee Brewers
  2. Cincinnati Reds
  3. St. Louis Cardinals
  4. Houston Astros
  5. Pittsburg Pirates
  6. Editor’s Note: No Cubs were included in Nick’s picks…they will probably win the World Series

The Brewers had the best offseason in my opinion and that rotation is a LOT stronger than last year. Milwaukee’s offense is very underrated, with an unheralded trio of Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks and Casey McGehee. If they hold onto Prince Fielder, which I think they will if they’re making a run at the postseason, then they  will outlast the Reds, who have great pitching but not as good off an offense.The loss of Adam Wainwright is a big blow to the Cards, and if Chris Carpenter is injured then kiss their season goodbye, despite the awesomeness of Albert.

Josh

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

I really like the top half of this division and I think it could be the most interesting to watch. Either the Brewers, Reds, or Cardinals could win this one. I’m picking the Brewers because of, well, everything. Great pitching and I think they will have the best lineup in the National league. In Spring Training, they lead the National League in Average, slugging, on base percentage, RBI, and triples. Ya Triples!!! Ok who cares about triples…and who cares about spring training. However, they are going to be great and I want them to do well.

Steve

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

As much as I want to be different, I have to go with the Brewers. They fit the model of adding pitching to a T. I love what Bob Melvin has done there: every small market team builds with youth for a window of opportunity and that window is now open and he is going for it, as he should. Kudos. Hope they pull it off. What is interesting to me, though, is the rest of the division. I actually think the Cardinals will make this a very, very close race. Here’s why: Tony LaRussa will manage to lead his team through adversity and a million distractions (Pujols contract, injuries, his own uncertain future) for one last hurrah and they will make it very interesting, but just fall short in the end. A couple of other thoughts: I can’t make up my mind about the Reds…they appear to be going in the right directing, and in many ways it would not surprise me to see them run away with the division. But they are managed by Dusty Baker and seem just as likely to fall back into mediocrity. The Cubs did some things to get better (love Garza and some of their young players) but not enough for this year. I also think the Pirates will make some noise…lots of good young position players there now, but no pitchers. Houston is a mess.