94's Annual Baseball Predictions

[Seattlehawk94]

I will do a different division every day....

NL East:

1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Atlanta Braves
3. Florida Marlins
4. New Yawk Mets
5. Washington Nationals

Okay let me be frank...This division is probably the easiest to pick..

The Phightin' Phils are coming off of back-to-back National League flags with a World Championship mixed in for good measure, they lose Lee (TO THE M'S BABY!) and pick up Roy Halladay I don't like this move in that you lose the LHP for another RHP starter but it's Halladay so it should work out...Howard comes back and YAAAAWN hits another 40+dingers, Little Jimmy Rollins continues to push for that 30-30 season I see him having, and the rest of the lineup is a steller mix of talent which Ruben Amaro Jr. seems to be able to field every season since taking over for Gillick...Basically they win this thing by 10 games and push for 100 wins when it's all said and done..

Bobby Cox is going out like the Chairman of the Board (for those too young and stupid--usually both---I'm talking about Frank Sinatra)--Doing it HIS WAY...In the last year of Cox's stewardship the Atlanta Braves should be thinking about a date in October with the NL Central or West flagcarriers, this team should make a strong push for the Wild Card and Frank Wren will do everything in his power to send Bobby out a winner...Coming off of an off year (for himself) Larry--Chipper to you and me--Jones has the drive to send out Bobby with a flag of somekind. If Hansen continues to get better and pushes for the 20 wins I see him getting sooner than later this team could be the ones to knock off the Phils. The only question I have is with the teams 3-5 guys and the fact that the Braves haven't really gotten much out production out of the middle of the order since the departure of Andrew Jones. Early pick for Cox's replacement---Terry Pendleton, the 1991 NL MVP who taught the Braves how to win has been groomed as Cox's Bench Coach for the last few years and SHOULD get the job..Unless...

Is Freddi Gonzalez the next Atlanta manager? Will he be gone by the ASG? Can the Marlins actually KEEP stars? We know the Florida soon to be Miami Marlins have resigned Josh Johnson but with Uggla, Hanley, and the rest coming into arbitration and FA years soon does that new 38,000 seat stadium (yeah, it's THAT small) keep them in Miami unis when the "F" is taken off the hats? This team has issues (doesn't it always?) but should contend for that Wild Card spot (as they always seem to do into September) but this could be the calm before FIRE SALE III: FLORIDA replaces Horratio Caine's CSIs as Miami's favorite TV Show...

The New York Mess...Err...Mets team HR leader last year? Can ya name him? David Wright? BUZZZZ Carlos Delgado? BUUZZZZ Gary Sheffield? BUUUZZZZ....Try Daniel Murphy---WHO? With 12[//b]--you read that right TWELVE for a team that hit 88 TOTAL...Most of the players blame Citi Field, personally I blame the fact that David Wright and his cohorts just plain SUCK and are New Yawk media creations..Blame Citi Field, you still play 81 games on the road..Or for those counting at home 6 less road games than TOTAL Mets HRs. This team is going nowhere fast and the only thing keeping them from being the Least of the NL LEast is the...

Steven Strasburg and pray for 4 days of rain is going to be the Beltway's new battle cry as the Washington Nationals begin Year 1 AS: After Strasburg...The kid will be money but the rest of the team is lacking..No offense...No SPs...No Bully....Defense that is a joke...Pretty much the highlights of 2010 are Strasburg making his ML Debut and winning a few games and grabbing future legend Bryce Harper who according to some is the "Next Babe Ruth" in that he hits 500+foot HRs throws 95+ and can play IF, OF, C, and P...The guy is going to change the game....Problem is...He's 17--yeah---SEVENTEEN (and doing all that)...He won't be in the bigs for the next 2 1/2 years AT LEAST so the Nats will basically just have to enjoy knowing they have the best young pitcher and the best young hitter in the World in their system for the time being....

Tomorrow: NL Central

 

[bobflipaburger]

I'm a huge fan of the Marlin's starting rotation. I think they'll come in 2nd over Atlanta. The Braves lost their best pitcher from last season.

 

[Seattlehawk94]

NL Central:

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

In the most top heavy division in the game the Chicago Cubs will inch by the Cards and make the playoffs as the lone NL Central team to make the dance...Chitown is led by Soriano and a nice supporting cast. Lou should save his job but making the playoffs is no longer a goal on the Northside of Chitown...They've waited 100+years and only want one thing...

Pujols...Pujols...Pujols...That's who WILL lead the NL in Average, HRs, and RBIs when this season is a memory...For the first time since Yaz in '67 MLB will have a Triple Crown winner...LaRussa's boys have firepower but to me this team is just too damn streaky..The St. Louis Cardinals have offense, they have pitching, but they just don't have HEART...

The Brew Crew have the power to win..But the pitching is equal to those late '90s Mariners...Braun, Prince and the rest of Macha's Maulers will win games but winning 9-8 every night just does not a playoff team make...

The Redlegs of Cincy have a great young nucleus but Jay Bruce needs to learn to protect the plate..His BA is something a prospect of his calibre shouldn't have to carry around, the kid has pop but at what cost? He's the LH version of Jay Buhner...Too many Ks and not enough Hs to go with those HRs..

Houston---We have a problem! The Astros are going to pay almost $100 Million in salary this season with $45 Million of that on players NOT IN UNIFORM....This team is a mess and minus Wandy Rodriguez are a shambles in terms of young talent and farm help...It's going to be awhile...

Pissburgh's Pirates are almost like their NFL Pirate teams....No hope...Horrible Ownership.....And no hope for the future....Since Sid Bream's mad dash in the 1992 NLCS this team hasn't even SNIFFED .500...When your biggest "hope" is uberbust Jeff Clement...You know your going to be watching some garbage baseball for a looooong while...

Tomorrow: NL West

 

[bobflipaburger]

Scratching my head a little on this one... The Cubs don't have what it takes to keep up with the Cards in this division.

 

[Seattlehawk94]

My issue with the St. Louis Baseball Crudinals is they have that "we are owed" attitude..I think the McGwire thing is going to HAUNT them this year...They aren't a hungry team, they are a "ho hum...We'll make the playoff no matter what" kinda team...

The Cubs will have hunger...To me the team's attitude and makeup is what wins...The Cruds don't have the backs to the wall makeup....They ARE (no ifs, ands, or buts) the WEAKEST World Champion of this era, the biggest playoff flops outside of the Braves of this era, and the team that just makes it because of lack of divisional competition since they've gone to the 3 division format....Basically it's a bunch of statwhores who someone managed to win a WS against the weakest AL Champions in this decade (Tigers)....

They are ripe for the picking...

 

[bobflipaburger]

They're the most complete team in the entire National League though. Headlined by 2 aces, the best position player in the entire world. The Cubs just don't have the talent, neither do the Brewers, Reds, Astros, or Pirates. The Cards kind of win this division by default in my mind. To me this division is easier to pick than the East.