March 2009
Parrots 4, Red Eagle 3
Broncos 14, Goldens 6
Oilers 9, Warriors 7
Sultans 7, Cowboys 0
Tigers 9, Pirates 3
Lions 10, Olmecs 5
Red Devils 10, Steelers 3
Owls 4, Sarpae Makers 3
The Los Angeles
Dodgers
are talking with reliever Will Ohman about coming to the team. Ohman
was offered a $1 million dollar deal to pitch in the Dodger bullpen.
GM Ned Colletti denies reports.
Ohman pitched for Atlanta last year and pitched in 83 games. He was 4-1 with a 3.68 ERA. He also recorded one save.
The New York Yankees have named Brett Gardner as the starter center fielder for Opening Day against the
Baltimore Orioles.
Gardner defeated Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon for the starting job.
The 25-year old rookie will most likely hit ninth for the Yankees.
Last
year, Brett Gardner played in 42 game for the Yankees last year. He hit
.228 with zero homers and 16 RBIs including a game winning single
against the Boston Red Sox.
This spring, Garnder hit .385 with
three homers. His counterpart Melky Cabrera, who skipped a trip to the
WBC, batted .340 with one homer with nine RBIs.
The Laguna Cowboys pulled off a comfortable 12-8 victory over the
Chihuahua Goldens. Claudio Sanchez picked up the win in relief for the
Cowboys. Miguel Rubio was tacked with the loss.
The Cowboys were down 4-2 going into the fourth but, scored four runs in the next two innings to seal the game.
The Cowboys' Fernando Rodriguez hit a two-run shot with no out off of Rubio. He was 3 for 4 with four runs batted in on the day.
Ramon Orantes hit a homer of his own for the Goldens.
The Cowboys are now 1-0, and the Goldens are 0-1.
The game was a high scoring one but in the end the Reynosa Broncos
would defeat the Nuevo Laredo Owls 11-10 in ten innings, the first
extra inning game of the season.
Matthew McDougal would have to
step up for the Broncos when he hit a sac-fly that scored Domingo
Castro that eventually won the game. Alan Guerrero would get the win,
pitching two innings and recording a strike out.
Domingo Castro
was 3 for 4 with a walk and scored four times. He also had a double.
Francisco Arias and Jose Espinoza both hit homers.
The Owls' Luis Angel Daniel would pick up the loss.
Left fielder Gregorio Vazquez was 3 for 6 with three RBIs.
The Campeche Pirates were not having the best game. The Pirates were
down 4-0 going into the eighth inning to the Tobasco Olmecs. The
Pirates seemed to just be biding their time until they exploded.
The
Pirates scored 11 runs in one inning that was capped off by Ruben
Rivera and Abraham Valencia home runs that totaled five runs. Not even
half of the runs accounted for in the inning.
Shortstop Javier Robles and Rivera both scored twice in the inning. Rivera also tallied three RBIs. Jose Macias had two.
For Tobasco, catcher Mario Santana hit a three-run homer, the only bright spot in the game for the Olemecs.
Vincio Gonzalez picked up the win for Campeche and Guillermo Carrillo got the loss for Tobasco.
Quintana Roo defeated the Yucatan 10-8, but it was an uphill climb for
them to win the game. Quintana Roo Tigers started off the game down 5-1
in the first inning when the Yucatan Lions' catcher Said Gutierrez hit
a two-run homer.
However the Tigers would tie the game up in the
top of the second when Carlos Gastelum tripled knocking in three runs.
And then Carlos Sievers singled and knocked in Gastelum but was thrown
out at second base, trying to be greedy.
The Lions would go up in the fifth when Gutierrez scored on a Luis Arredondo force play.
The
Tigers however would score a total of five runs in the latter part of
the game and win 10-8. Felipe Arredondo picked up the win for Quintana
Roo, Scott Chiasson got the save, and Manuel Flores picked up the loss.
Felix Villegas pitched his first shut out of the season in incredible
fashion. Villegas went eight innings strong and gave up only two hits.
He struck out 12 batters the most this season.
First baseman Kit
Pellow hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning that capped off a
four run inning which sealed the deal for Saltillo Sarape Makers.
Saltillo would defeat the Monclova Steelers 6-0.
The Veracruz Red Eagle got a great pitching performance from Roberto
Giron. Giron pitched six innings and gave up only one hit as Veracruz
defeated the Minatitlan Oilers 2-0.
The only Red Eagle runs came
in the sixth inning when Jose Amator scored Jose Offerman on a single
and Santiago Gonzalez scored Roberto Mendez on a single of his own.
From there is was just Giron all day and the rest of the Red Eagle bullpen.
Oilers'
starter Juan Feliciano pitched five innings, gave up four hits and no
runs. Reliever Noe Romo lost the game for Minatitlan.
The Red Eagle move to 1-0, the Oilers are 0-1.
Baseball in Oaxaca,
Mexico started last night when the Oaxaca Warriors faced off against the Puebla Parrots.
The
Warriors started off with a three run second inning that started out
when Francisco Lizarraga singled in Raul Lopez. Alejandro Gonzalez got
hit by a pitch which set up a bases loaded situation. Pitcher Emil
Kamar then walked in a run to make the game 2-0. A wild pitch then
scored Lizarraga. It wasn't going to well for the Parrots.
All
was not lost for Puebla however. They would start their comeback in the
fifth inning scoring two runs. The next inning Puebla put up three runs
that was capped off by a long single from Ivan Cervantes. Puebla would
tack on another run in the seventh making the game seem unreachable at
6-3 heading into the eighth.
In the bottom of the eighth, Oaxaca
would make a big comeback. The Warriors' Jamie Bruena and Eloy
Gutierrez both reached base but the next two batters would
strike out swininging. Was the tide changing? No!
The
Warrios would still carry on. Hector Leal grounded through the whole
between third and short scoring Bruena and Gutierrez. Lizarraga came up
wit the bases loaded and hit a liner scoring two runs. It was a four
run eighth! An extra was tacked on again. The Warriors scored five runs
to win the game.
Darwin
Cubillan saved the game in the ninth inning. Alex Serrano picked up the
win. Starter Rosman Garcia pitched five innings giving up two runs,
zero earned. He struck out five batters and walked two for the Warriors.
Antonio
Alfonseca lost the game for the Parrots. He gave up two runs on three
hits in one-third of an inning. Kumar pitched five innings and only
gave up those three runs in the second.
The Warriors are 1-0, the Parrots are 0-1
Former All-Star and Angel reliever Brendan Donnelly has been released
by the Texas Rangers. Donnelly felt good pitching in Spring Training,
however the Rangers organization felt differently.
The Rangers
bullpen now consists of C.J. Wilson, Frank Francisco, and Eddie
Guardado with Warner Madrigal, Josh Rupe, Willie Eyre, Derrick Turnbow,
Doug Mathis and Dustin Nippert and left-hander Jimmy Gobble all vying
for spots in the bullpen.
The
Tampa Bay Rays
phenom pitcher David Price has been optioned to Triple-A Durham today.
Price supposedly needs more time in the minors to gain some seasoning.
However, expect Price to be called up during the season since I don't
think anyone could handle his stuff.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| R | H | E |
Monterrey
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | 10 | 0 |
Mexico
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X |
| 4 | 11 | 1 |
The Mexico Diablos defeated the Monterrey Sultanes 4-3 to kick off the start of the Mexican League.
Mexico scored first in the bottom of the second when Carlos Valencia scored off a Jose Luis Sandoval single.
Mexico
would strike for two runs in the fourth and then in the sixth. Eduardo
Arredondo would triple and set himself up to score when Oscar Robles
sac-flied to score him.
Mexico would quench a three run eighth by Monterrey.
Roberto
Ramirez picked up the win for Mexico striking out three, giving up five
hits and did not let up any runs. Monterrey's Adrian Ramirez let up
four runs and had the loss. David Cortes picked up his first save of
the season.
BATTINGHR: Rios, R (1, 8th inning off Rincon, 1 on, 2 out).
TB: Rios, R 5; Gomez 3; Quintero; Hidalgo; Lopez, B; Rios, F; Rodriguez.
RBI: Rios, R 2 (2), Quintero (1).
2-out RBI: Rios, R 2; Quintero.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Quintero; Lopez, M.
GIDP: Quintero 2.
Team LOB: 5.
FIELDINGPB: Rodriguez (1).
DP: (Flores-Gomez-Lopez, B).
1-Ran for Lopez, B in the 9th.
BATTING2B: Sandoval (1, Ramirez, A), Valencia, C (1, Osuna).
3B: Arredondo, E (1, Silva, J).
TB: Arredondo, E 4; Robles 2; Bojorquez; Saucedo; Valencia, C 3; Valenzuela; Sandoval 3.
RBI: Sandoval (1), Robles 2 (2), Saucedo (1).
2-out RBI: Robles; Saucedo.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Gil, G 2; Bojorquez 2; Valenzuela; Ojeda, M.
SF: Robles.
GIDP: Ojeda, M.
Team LOB: 10.
FIELDINGE: Gil, G (1, missed catch).
DP: 2 (Valencia, C-Sandoval-Gil, G, Ramirez, R-Sandoval-Gil, G).
Box Scores Courtesy of Milb.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers have resigned Manny Ramirez and are looking to
get to the next step and go to the World Series. Last year they lost to
the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS. The Dodgers do have what it
takes. They did lose Brad Penny to Boston but have Clayton Kershaw
becoming a shining star.
The Dodgers need Jason Schmidt to be totally healthy as he will be a key in the Dodgers'
playoff
run. James Loney brings a 13 home run, 90 RBI season back with him, and
Russell Martin had 13 homers and 63 RBIs in an All-Star season.
Keep and Eye on: Clayton Kershaw, sp
Clayton
Kershaw is the Dodgers' prime prospect coming up this year. Kershaw
played in 22 games last year for L.A. going 5-5 with a 4.26 ERA. He has
to settle his stuff down if he wants to be in the Majors for a long
time.
Projected Lineup1. Rafael Furcal, ss
2. Juan Pierre, cf
3. Manny Ramirez, lf
4. Russell Martin, c
5. James Loney, 1b
6. Matt Kemp, rf
7. Blake Dewitt, 2b
8. Casey Blake, 3b
Projected Pitching Staff1. Chad Billingsley, rhp
2. Hiroki Kuroda, rhp
3. Clayton Kershawk, lhp
4. Jason Schmidt, rhp
5. James McDonald, rhp
Projected BullpenJonathan Broxton
Scott Elbert
Hong-Chih Kuo
Eric Stults
Ramon Troncoso
Cory Wade
Top Prospects1. James McDonald, rhp
2. Andrew Lambo, of
3. Josh Lindblom
4. Ivan DeJesus Jr, ss/2b
5. Scott Elbert, lhp
The Arizona Diamondbacks fell short in making the playoffs last year
with only 82 wins but with a low budget and aces like Brandon Webb and
Dan Haren, the might be pretty competitive in the west. You can also
look at rookie Max Scherzer who is coming up in the ranks.
The
Diamondbacks signed Felipe Lopez to replace Orlando Hudson at second
base and the Diamondbacks would love to have Mark Reynolds continue his
power surge that he had last year except they do not want him to cool
off. Chris Young and Stephen Drew also return looking for a playoff run.
Keep and Eye on: Max Scherzer, sp/rp
Even
though the D'Backs probably will start him off in the bullpen, I have
him the rotation after Danny Haren. He could do the Joba Chamberlain
thing though.
Projected Lineup
1. Felipe Lopez, 2b
2. Chris Young, cf
3. Stephen Drew, ss
4. Conor Jackson, lf
5. Justin Upton, rf
6. Chad Tracy, 1b
7. Mark Reynolds, 3b
8. Chris Snyder, c
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Brandon Webb, rhp
2. Dan Haren, rhp
3. Max Scherzer, rhp
4. Doug Davis, lhp
5. Yusmeiro Petit, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Chad Qualls
Tony Pena
Jon Rauch
Scott Schoeneweis
Leo Rosales
Billy Buckner
Travis Blackley
Top Prospects
1. Jarrod Parker, rhp
2. Daniel Schlereth, lhp
3. Gerardo Pena, of
4. Wade Miley, lhp
The San Francisco Giants ended last year with a 72-90 record, a tiny
improvement from 2007. This year they'll finish third in the West
because the hitting will not be there this year. Edgar Renteria will be
a bright spot along with Aaron Rowand and Fred Lewis. They will be
expecting to call up catcher Buster Posey who was drafted last year
along with Madison Bumgarner a left handed pitcher.
Speaking up
pitching Tim Lincecum will be looking to have another marvelous
performance coming off an 18-5 record with a 2.62 ERA. Matt Cain will
also looking to be adding an extra punch and he needs to do it because
he had an 8-14 record last year. Barry Zito needs to come through as
well with a 10-17 record. Newly signed Randy Johnson will be going for
his 300th this year.
Keep an Eye on: Pablo Sandoval, c/1b/3b
Pablo
Sandobal can play anywhere and will in the lineup starting this year.
Sandoval played in 41 games for the Giants last year batting .345 with
three homers and 24 RBIs.
Projected Lineup
1. Randy Winn, rf
2. Edgar Renteria, ss
3. Pablo Sandoval, 3b
4. Bengie Molina, c
5. Fred Lewis, lf
6. Aaron Rowand, cf
7. Travis Ishikawa, 1b
8. Emanuel Burriss, 2b
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Tim Lincecum, rhp
2. Matt Cain, rhp
3. Randy Johnson, lhp
4. Johnathan Sanchez, lhp
5. Barry Zito, lhp
Projected Bullpen
Brian Wilson
Jeremy Affeldt
Bob Howry
Alex Hinshaw
Sergio Romo
Jack Taschner
Keiichi Yabu
Top Prospects
1. Madison Bumgarner, lhp
2. Buster Posey, c
3. Tim Aldserson, rhp
4. Angel Villalona, 1b
5. Henry Sosa, rhp
The San Diego Padres has a disappointing season last year only managing
63 wins last year after an 89 win year the season before. This year
could be the year things start to change for San Diego and it starts
with the pitching rotation.
Jake Peavy will lead the Padres on
the staff that includes Chris Young (7-6, 3.96 ERA) and Korean Cha
Seung Baek (6-9, 4.62 ERA). A couple of new comers Josh Greer and Wade
LeBlanc. Young needs to stay healthy for this team to do well.
The
Padres also bring in Mark Worrell from St. Louis to help them in the
bullpen. They lost all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman to the Brewers
and might have to rely on Heath Bell or Cla Meredith to help them close
out games.
Adrian Gonzalez leads the lineup with 36 homers and
119 RBIs. They lost Khalil Greene at short and replacing him is Luis
Rodriguez who does not have a lot of Major League experience. Brian
Giles returns to the outfield as well as Chase Headley.
Keep and Eye on: Heath Bell, rp
Stepping
into the closer void left by Trevor Hoffman, Heath Bell is going to
have some pretty big shoes to fill. He did not have one save last year
and is not expected to carry the load for the Padres in the bullpen.
We'll see this year if he's up to the task.
Projected Lineup
1. Jody Gerut, cf
2. Edgar Gonzalez, 2b
3. Brian Giles, rf
4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1b
5. Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3b
6. Chase Headley, lf
7. Luis Rodriguez, ss
8. Nick Hundley, c
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Jake Peavey, rhp
2. Chris Young, rhp
3. Cha Seung Baek, rhp
4. Josh Greer, rhp
5. Wade LeBlanc, lhp
Projected Bullpen
Heath Bell
Mark Worrell
Cla Meredith
Chris Britton
Justin Hampson
Top Prospects
1. Kyle Banks, 1b
2. Jaff Decker, of
3. Matt Latos, rhp
4. Kellen Kulbacki,
The Colorado Rockies are two years removed from their World Series run
in 2007 and things couldn't be more different. Last year, they finished
with a 74-88 record. They finished fourth in the NL West.
This
offseason, the Rockies made some big trades. They traded power hitter
Matt Holliday to Oakland and in return got prospect Carlos Gonzalez,
pitcher Greg Smith, and closer Huston Street. With the Street deal, the
Rockies released Brian Fuentes.
The Rockies will finish last in
the division this year because the Padres will have Chris Young and
Jake Peavy to get them through hte year. The Rockeis lineup will not do
as well. Todd Helton's production will decrease and you will not see
anything from Troy Tulowitzki or Brad Hawpe this year.
The
staff, led by Aaron Cook might have some success. Cook was 16-9 last
year with a 3.96 ERA. Ubaldo Jiminez will need more than a 12-12 record
to get by and bringing up the rear in the rotation is Jason Marquis who
was 11-9 last year.
Keep an Eye on: Ian Stewat, 3b
Ian
Stewart will backup Garrett Atkins this year at third base. Stewart
might see some action after he hit 10 homers and drove in 41 runs in 81
games. He could see more action if Atkins' production starts to slip.
Projected Lineup
1. Ryan Spiliborghs, cf
2. Clint Barmes, 2b
3. Todd Helton, 1b
4. Garrett Atkins, 3b
5. Brad Hawpe, rf
6. Troy Tulowitzki, ss
7. Chris Ianetta, c
8. Seth Smith, lf
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Aaron Cook, rhp
2. Ubaldo Jiminez, rhp
3. Jeff Francis, lhp
4. Jorge De La Rosa, lhp
5. Jason Marquis, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Huston Street
Manny Corpas
Alan Embree
Greg Smith
Taylor Buchholz
Jason Grilli
Ryan Speier
Top Prospects
1. Dexter Fowler, of
2. Jhoulys Chacin, rhp
3. Christian Friedrich, lhp
4. Hector Gomez, ss
5. Wilin Rosario, c
The St. Louis Cardinals will most likely end up second to the hated
Chicago Cubs again. The Cardinals do have the lineup and the talent,
but overall, the Cubs are better.
Albert Pujols is poised for a
big season and we all have to watch out for Todd Wellemeyer this year
as he shocked us last year with a 13-9 record and a 3.71 ERA. Adam
Wainwright will head the staff as he had an 11-3 season, though mostly
injured in the season, he pitched in 20 games and if was healthy
would've have St. Louis a playoff push.
Ryan Ludwick is coming off a terrific season where he had 37 homers and 113 RBIs and is looking to improve even more.
Keep and Eye on: Jason Motte, rp
Jason
Motte is a new reliever on the block for St. Louis. He spent his days
last year in Triple-A Memphis. He was 4-3 with a 3.24 ERA in 63 games.
If Chris Perez can't cut it as closer, expect Motte to step in.
Projected Lineup
1. Skip Schumaker, lf
2. Ryan Ludwick, rf
3. Albert Pujols, 1b
4. Rick Ankiel, cf
5. Troy Glaus, 3b
6. Yadier Molina, c
7. Khalil Greene, ss
8. Adam Kennedy, 2b
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Adam Wainwright, rhp
2. Kyle Lohse, rhp
3. Todd Wellemeyer, rhp
4. Joel Pineiro, rhp
5. Chris Carpenter, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Chris Perez
Jason Motte
Ryan Franklin
Trever Miller
Josh Kinney
Kyle McClellan
Brad Thompson
Top Prospects
1. Colby Rasmus, of
2. Brett Wallace, 3b
3. Bryan Anderson, c
4. Daryl Jones, lf
5. Jason Motte, rhp
The Cincinnati Reds will make the greatest improvement this year. I
have a feeling they will finish above .500 after a 74-88 record last
year. They will do so well that they will contend for the NL Central
division crown and an NL Wildcard berth but will fall short in both.
Players
like Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Joey Votto, and, Brandon Phillips
will step up this year. This will be their first full season without
Adam Dunn who was traded a the trade deadline last year to Arizona. Jay
Bruce will have to come in as he will fill-in for Dunn in right field.
Chris Dickerson will be in left and Willy Taveras will be in center.
It's a whole different Cincinnati Red
ball club this year.
Keep and Eye on: Chris Dickerson, lf
Chris
Dickerson is part of the new outfield look for the Reds this year. It's
kind of strange not to see Ken Griffey Jr or Adam Dunn out there.
Dickerson played mostly for Triple-A Louisville last year hitting .297
and jacking 11 homers and 53 RBIs. Dickerson is from Hollywood, CA and
is looking to bring showtime to Cincy.
Projected Lineup1. Willy Taveras, cf
2. Brandon Phillips, 2b
3. Chris Dickerson, lf
4. Edwin Encarnacion, 3b
5. Joey Votto, 1b
6. Jay Bruce, rf
7. Ramon Hernandez, c
8. Alex Gonzalez, ss
Projected Pitching Staff1. Edinson Volquez, rhp
2. Bronson Arroyo, rhp
3. Aaron Harang, rhp
4. Johnny Cueto, rhp
5. Homer Bailey, rhp
Projected BullpenFrancisco Cordero
David Weathers
Arthur Rhodes
Jared Burton
Mike Lincoln
Bill Bray
Micah Owings
Top Prospects1. Yonder Alonso, 1b
2. Nefetali Soto, 3b/ss
3. Drew Stubbs, of
4. Todd Frazier, 3b/1b
5. Yorman Rodriguez, of
Slim at pitching, the Milwaukee Brewers might slip to fourth this year
pending on whether or not their hitting will pick it up. Ryan Braun,
Prince Fielder, J.J. Hardy, and company will the lead the offensive
power house but the Brewers will be without Ben Sheets. They could not
resign him nor could they get C.C. Sabathia back as he left to go east.
The
Brewers will have to turn to new ace Yovanni Gallardo and rookie Manny
Parra. With the loss of Eric Gagne, the Brewers will rely on Carlos
Villanueva, who had one save last year, to fill in for the closer duty.
Keep an Eye on: Matt Gamel, 3b
If
Bill Hall starts slipping at third base, expect to see Matt Gamel come
in. Gamel is a rookie and hit 19 homers and batted in 96 runs in
Double-A Huntsville last year.
Projected Lineup
1. Rickie Weeks, 2b
2. J.J. Hardy, ss
3. Ryan Braun, lf
4. Prince Fielder, 1b
5. Corey Hart, rf
6. Bill Hall, 3b
7. Mike Cameron, cf
8. Jason Kendall, c
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Yovanni Gallardo rhp
2. Jeff Suppan, rhp
3. Manny Parra, lhp
4. Dave Bush, rhp
5. Seth McClung, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Carlos Villanueva
David Riske
Jorge Julio
Tim Dillard
Todd Coffey
Mitch Stetter
Top Prospects
1. Alcides Escobar, ss
2. Jeremy Jeffress, rhp
3. Matt Gamel, 3b
4. Brett Lawrie, c
5. Jon Lucroy, c
The Pirates organization has been on a downfall since they lost
Barry Bonds.
Over the past five years, their highest win total was 72, and that was
in 2004. Least year they only managed to grab 67 wins. This
organization is getting pathetic but there is hope to those who wait.
Players
like Nate McLouth, Andrew McCutchen, and Andy LaRoche are coming into
their own and soon enough, if they don't get traded them and pitchers
Ian Snell, Zach Duke, and Tom Gorzelanny will blossom. This year is not
the year though.
Keep and Eye on: Steve Pearce, of
Relatively
unknown to the untrained baseball eye, Steve Pearce could be big for
the Pirates this year. He is expected to get better even though he had
a .248 average in 37 games.
Projected Lineup1. Nate McLouth, cf
2. Freddy Sanchez, 2b
3. Nyjer Morgan, lf
4. Andy LaRoche, 3b
5. Adam LaRoche, 1b
6. Steve Pearce, rf
7. Ryan Doumit, c
8. Jack Wilson, ss
Projected Pitching Staff1. Paul Maholm, lhp
2. Ian Snell, rhp
3. Tom Gorzelanny, lhp
4. Zach Duke, lhp
5. Jeff Karstens, rhp
Projected BullpenMatt Capps
Tyler Yates
John Grabow
Evan Meek
Phil Dumatrait
Romulo Sanchez
Top Prospects1. Andrew McCutchen, of
2. Pedro Alvarez, 3b
3. Jose Tabata, cf
4. Brad Lincoln, rhp
5. Neil Walker, 3b
The Mets will win the NL East this time after blowing the lead two
straight years in a row. They will have a great bullpen to guarantee
Johan about 30 wins this? Na, I'm just joking but Johan could get 30
wins this year if he does as well as he did last year and stays healthy.
The
Mets did some shopping and brought in Francisco Rodriguez to be the
closer and J.J. Putz to set him up. Putz is a good closer but will be
in a safer role as a setup man for K-Rod. The Mets also have the same
dangerous lineup as always top to bottom. They will start rookie Daniel
Murphy in left and could possibly put Nick Evans at first if Carlos
Delgado starts to slip.
Keep and Eye on: Ryan Church, of
An
injury plagued year cost Church some playing time in 2008, but he is
back in 2009 to kick some butt. He played in only 90 games last year.
He batted .276 with 12 homers and 49 RBIs.
Projected Lineup
1. Jose Reyes, ss
2. Luis Castillo, 2b
3. Carlos Beltran, cf
4. David Wright, 3b
5. Carlos Delgado, 1b
6. Ryan Church, rf
7. Daniel Murphy, lf
8. Brian Schneider, c
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Johan Santana, lhp
2. John Maine, rhp
3. Oliver Perez, rhp
4. Freddy Garcia, rhp
5. Mike Pelfrey, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Francisco Rodriguez
J.J. Putz
Tim Redding
Pedro Feliciano
Sean Green
Top Prospects
1. Fernando Martinez, of
2. Wilmer Flores, ss
3. Jonathon Niese
4. Brad Holt, rhp
5. Jefry Marte, 3b
Yes, the Mets will finally hold off the Phillies to win the NL East
this year, I swear. The Mets have the bullpen now to finish games and
hold off late comebacks by teams. The Phillies however might win the
wildcard in the National League. They stil have Cole Hamels and Ryan
Howard, two threats on opposite sides of the ball. Chase Utley will
also help out with the dominance of the Phillies along with Jimmy
Rollins.
But since Cole Hamels is only one man, the rest of the
staff will not get it done. Jamie Moyer will start to faulter. Joe
Blanton will continue giving up runs and Brett Myers will not be as
solid as last year. Brad Lidge will be good in the bullpen as well as
Chad Durbin and Ryan Madson.
Will they win the World Series again? Only time will tell.
Keep and Eye on: Ronny Paulino, c
Coming
off a rather disappointing 40 games in Pittsburgh, Paulino tore up the
minor leagues with Indianapolis. He batted .306 in 30 games. With
Pittsburgh he only had a .212 average with 18 runs batted in. Paulino
will have to battle for the starting catcher job with Chris Coste and
Carlos Ruiz.
Projected Lineup
1. Jimmy Rollins, ss
2. Chase Utley, 2b
3. Raul Ibanez, lf
4. Ryan Howard, 1b
5. Shane Victorino, cf
6. Jayson Werth, rf
7. Pedro Feliz, 3b
8. Carlos Ruiz, c
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Cole Hamels, lhp
2. Brett Myers, rhp
3. Joe Blanton, rhp
4. Jamie Moyer, lhp
5. Kyle Kendrick, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Brad Lidge
Ryan Madson
Chad Durbin
Scott Eyre
Clay Condrey
J.C. Romero
Top Prospects
1. Carlos Carrasco, rhp
2. Jason Donald, ss
3. Michael Taylor, of
4. Domonic Brown, of
5. J.A. Happ, lhp
The Marlins will have a lot of youngster help this year from the the
returning Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Jeremy Hermida, and Cameron
Maybin. They also acquired Emilio Bonifacio from Washington for Scott
Olsen. However, Florida did lose Kevin Gregg who had 29 saves last
year. Replacing him is Matt Lindstrom.
The reason why I have the
Marlins third is because they will not compare to the Phillies or the
Mets. They do not have the pitching staff to do it. Josh Johnson needs
to come into full stride this year. He only started 14 games but did go
7-1. Andrew Miller also needs to step up this year as well. Last year
he was 6-10 with a 5.87 ERA in 19 games.
Keep an Eye on: Matt Lindstrom, rp
Although
injuring himself in the WBC, Lindstrom is a young gun who picked up 5
saves last year with the Marlins. Lindstrom adopts the full time closer
role from Kevin Gregg.
Projected Lineup
1. Cameron Maybin, cf
2. Jeff Baker, c
3. Hanley Ramirez, ss
4. Jorge Cantu, 1b
5. Dan Uggla, 2b
6. Cody Ross, rf
7. Jeremy Hermida, lf
8. Emilio Bonifacio, 3b
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Ricky Nolasco, rhp
2. Josh Johnson, rhp
3. Chris Volstad, rhp
4. Anibal Sanchez, rhp
5. Andrew Miller, lhp
Projected Bullpen
Matt Lindstrom
Leo Nunez
Renyel Pinto
Logan Kensing
Top Prospects
1. Cameron Maybin, cf
2. Mike Stanton, cf
3. Logan Morrison, 1b
4. Matt Dominguez, 3b
5. Chris Coghlan, 2b
The
Atlanta Braves
broke up their great staff a few years ago with the departures of Greg
Maddux and Tom Glavine. This year, John Smoltz went to the Red Sox and
last year Glavine came back from the Mets but he still wasn't the same.
The only thing they got last year was Javier Vazquez and Derek Lowe to
help out their staff. It is still not the same and that's why the
Braves will finish fourth this year in the NL East.
Keep and Eye on: Jorge Campillo, sp
Personally,
I think that Campillo still needs some seasoning. But this year he
might bang out 11-14 wins for the Braves. Last year Campillo was 8-7
with 3.91 ERA and 107 strikeouts.
Projected Lineup1. Kelly Johnson, 2b
2. Yunel Escobar, ss
3. Chipper Jones, 3b
4. Brian McCann, c
5. Jeff Francoeur, rf
6. Casey Kotchman, 1b
7. Brandon Jones, lf
8. Jordan Schafer, cf
Projected Pitching Staff1. Derek Lowe, rhp
2. Javier Vazquez, rhp
3. Jair Jurrjens, rhp
4. Jorge Campillo, rhp
5. Jo-Jo Reyes, lhp
Projected BullpenMike Gonzalez
Manny Acosta
Blaine Boyer
Boone Logan
Jeff Bennett
Top Prospects1. Jason Heyward, rf
2. Tommy Hanson
3. Jordan Schafer, cf
4. Freddie Freeman, 1
The Nationals enter the 2009 season with a young yet revamped lineup.
The Nationals will lean on third baseman Ryan Zimmerman for power and
will have to turn to Lastings Milledge or Nick Johnson to do the rest.
Scott Olsen, from Florida, will have to carry the pitching load.
Keep and Eye on: John Lannan, sp
John
Lannan started 31 games last year for Washington. This was his rookie
year. He had a 9-15 record with a 3.91 ERA. Not such a bad ERA. He
struck out 117 batters. Lannan will be a big key in this year's
rotation.
Projected Lineup
1. Lastings Milledge, cf
2. Christian Guzman, ss
3. Ryan Zimmerman, 3b
4. Adam Dunn, rf
5. Josh Willingham, lf
6. Nick Johnson, 1b
7. Anderson Hernandez, 2b
8. Jesus Flores, c
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Scott Olsen, lhp
2. John Lannan, lhp
3. Daniel Cabrera, rhp
4. Collin Balester, rhp
5. Garrett Mock, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Joel Hanrahan
Saul Rivera
Steven Shell
Jason Bergmann
Top Prospects
1. Jordan Zimmerman, rhp
2. Ross Detwiler, lhp
3. Michael Burgess, rf
4. Chris Marrero, 1b
5. Jack McGeary, lhp
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim bring back a team that lost some
steam during the off season but could still be a playoff contender.
They lost closer and single season saves king Francisco Rodriguez to
the Mets, Mark Teixeira to the Yankees, and Garrett Anderson to the
Braves. They did however sign Brian Fuentes to fill-in for K-Rod.
Over
the last three years, the Angels' win total has increased. In 2006 they
had 89, in 2007 they had 94, and in 2008 they had 100. They will win
the AL West no matter how many wins the get.
Projected Lineup
1. Chone Figgins, 3b
2. Howie Kendrick, 2b
3. Vladimir Guerrero, rf
4. Torii Hunter, cf
5. Juan Rivera, dh
6. Mike Napoli, c
7. Kendry Morales, 1b
8. Gary Matthews Jr, lf
9. Erick Aybar, ss
Projected Pitching Staff
1. John Lackey, rhp
2. Ervin Santan, rhp
3. Joe Saunders, lhp
4. Jered Weaver, rhp
5. Dustin Mosely, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Brian Fuentes
Scot Shields
Jose Arredondo
Darren Oliver
Kevin Jepsen
Justin Speier
Top Prospects
1. Jordan Walden, rhp
2. Nick Adenhart, rhp
3. Hank Conger, c
4. Peter Bourjos, of
5. Trevor Reckling, lhp
The Oakland A's, with some new faces, most likely will tie with the
upstart Rangers for second in the American League West division.
Oakland brought back Jason Giambi, and traded young center fielder
Carlos Gonzalez to Colorado for the powerful Matt Holliday.
Their
pitching staff will need to come through behind Justin Duchscherer and
Dana Eveland. The bullpen will have Joey Devine and Brad Ziegler in the
late innings.
Keep and Eye on: Gio Gonzalez, sp
Gio
Gonzalez is a new face on the A's pitching staff. Gonzalez spent most
of his time last year in Sacramento, Triple-A, playing in 23 games. For
the A's he pitching in 10, and went 1-4 with a 7.68 ERA. Gonzalez will
need to become a force in the back of the staff if he wants to stay
there.
Projected Lineup
1. Travis Buck, rf
2. Orlando Cabrera, ss
3. Eric Chavez, 3b
4. Matt Holliday, lf
5. Jason Giambi, dh
6. Mark Ellis, 2b
7. Daric Barton, 1b
8. Ryan Sweeney, cf
9. Kurt Suzuki, c
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Justin Duchscherer, rhp
2. Dana Eveland, lhp
3. Sean Gallagher, rhp
4. Dallas Braden, lhp
5. Gio Gonzalez, lhp
Projected Bullpen
Brad Ziegler
Joey Devine
Jerry Blevins
Santiago Casilla
Andrew Brown
Josh Outman
Top Prospects
1. Trevor Cahill, rhp
2. Brett Anderson, lhp
3. Michael Inoa, rhp
4. Gio Gonzalez, lhp
5. Adrian Cardenas, 2b/ss
I honestly think that they're will be a tie for second between the
Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics. The Rangers didn't add anyone
major this offseason but they do have players like Ian Kinser, Josh
Hamilton, and Michael Young returning for them on offense and with the
power of Chris Davis, the Rangers could make a play for the Wild Card.
What's
going to kill the Rangers is the in-experienced pitching staff with
people like Brandon McCarthy, Scott Feldman, and Matt Harrison running
the back of their rotation, the Rangers might need to go out and get a
pitcher during the season.
Keep an Eye on: Nelson Cruz, of
For
the Rangers everyone should watch the quiet Nelson Cruz. The outfielder
played in 31 games last year for the Rangers. He batted .330 with 7
homers and 26 RBIs.
Projected Lineup
1. Ian Kinsler, 2b
2. Michael Young, 3b
3. Josh Hamilton, cf
4. Nelson Cruz, rf
5. Elvis Andrus, ss
6. David Murphy, lf
7. Hank Blalock, 1b
8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, dh
9. Max Ramirez, c
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Kevin Millwodd, rhp
2. Vicente Padilla, rhp
3. Matt Harrison, lhp
4. Scott Feldman, rhp
5. Brandon McCarthy, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Frank Francisco
Joaquim Benoit
C.J. Wilson
Josh Rupe
Warner Madrigal
Kason Gabbard
Top Prospects
1. Neftali Perez, rhp
2. Justin Smoak, 1b
3. Derek Holland, lhp
4. Taylor Teagarden, c
5. Elvis Andrus, ss
The
Mariners
have a very young staff stepping forward. Felix Hernandez is the
sure-fire ace but people have to watch out for Brandon Morrow is the
key youngster that could make a name for himself in the rotation. Also
Erik Bedard is lurking in the shadows as the number two on the staff.
The Mariners also get a blast from the past with Ken Griffey Jr. who
will more than likely play outfield.
The Mariners will be light in the bullpen with the J.J. Putz trade. They got Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, and Sean Green for him.
Keep an Eye on: Jeff Clement, c
Clement
is a young catcher coming up to fill in for Kenji Johjima who is in the
thirties. Clement, last year, played in 66 games for Seattle hitting
.227 and only driving in 23 RBIs. In Tacoma, he was batting .335 with
43 RBIs in 48 games.
Projected Lineup1. Ichiro Suzuki, rf
2. Endy Chavez, lf
3. Jose Lopez, 2b
4. Adrian Beltre, 3b
5. Ken Griffey Jr, cf
6. Russel Branyan, 1b
7. Jeff Clement, dh
8. Kenji Johjima, c
9. Yniesky Betancourt, ss
Projected Pitching Staff1. Felix Hernandez,rhp
2. Erik Bedard, lhp
3. Carlos Silva, rhp
4. Brandon Morrow, rhp
5. Jarrod Washbur, lhp
Projected BullpenMiguel Batista
Roy Corcoran
Ryan Rowland-Smith
Mark Lowe
Aaron Heilman
Jason Vargas
Top Prospects1. Carlos Truinfel, ss
2. Phillippe Aumont, rhp
3. Michael Saunders, cf
4. Greg Halman, of
5. Juan Ramirez, rhp
Who I predict will win the AL Central is the Minnesota Twins. The Twins
have a very good mash of players that could produce good enough
chemistry. Players like Carlos Gomez, Denard Span, Justin Morneau and
Joe Mauer all can do well in this lineup.
Keep an Eye on: Alexi Casilla, 2b
Another
infielder making a new for himself is second baseman Alexei Casilla.
Casilla is coming off a phenomenal rookie year in which .281 in 98
games collecting 15 doubles and 50 runs batted in.
Projected Lineup
1. Denard Span, lf
2. Alexi Casilla, 2b
3. Joe Mauer, c
4. Justin Morneau, 1b
5. Michael Cuddyer, rf
6. Jason Kubel, dh
7. Brendan Harris, 3b
8. Nick Punto, ss
9. Carlos Gomez, cf
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Francisco Liriano, lhp
2. Kevin Slowey, rhp
3. Scott Baker, rhp
4. Glen Perkins, lhp
5. Nick Blackburn, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Joe Nathan
Jesse Crain
Matt Guerrier
Bobby Korecky
Craig Breslow
Boof Bonser
Top Prospects
1. Aaron Hicks, cf
2. Shooter Hunt, rhp
3. Ben Revere, cf
4. Wilson Ramos, c
5. Angel Morales, of
The White Sox will bounce back and make a run at the AL Central
this year after a 89-74 record. The Whtie Sox will finish second to the
Minnesota Twins and I really don't think they will win the wild card.
Keep and Eye on: Alexei Ramirez, 2b/ss
Ramirez's
rookie season made showed that there is a new name in town when it
comes to infielders. Ramirez batted .290 hitting 21 homers and batted
in 77 runs. He stole 13 bases last year too.
Projected Lineup
1. Jerry Owens, cf
2. Alexei Ramirez, ss
3. Carlos Quentin, lf
4. Jim Thome, dh
5. Paul Konerko, 1b
6. Jermaine Dye, rf
7. A.J. Pierzynski, c
8. Josh Fields, 3b
9. Jayson Nix, 2b
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Mark Buehrle, lhp
2. Gavin Floyd, rhp
3. John Danks, lhp
4. Claytin Richard, lhp
5. Jeffery Marquez, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Bobby Jenks
Scott Linebrink
Matt Thornton
Octavio Dotel
Ehren Wasserman
Top Prospects
1. Gordon Beckham, ss
2. Aaron Poreda, lhp
3. Tyler Flowers, c
4. Dayan Viciedo, 3b
5. Jordan Danks, of
The Cleveland Indians, I predict, will finish third in the AL Central
this year. They will have to ride the shoulders of Travis Hafner and
Grady Sizemore if they want to finish second of first in their
division. Cliff Lee will have to have more wins as well.
Keep and Eye on: Kerry Wood, rp
Kerry
Wood is a new addition to the Indians bullpen and will become the
closer for the team. Last year on the Cubs, Wood had 34 saves and a
3.26 ERA.
Projected Lineup
1. Grady Sizemore, cf
2. Ben Francisco, lf
3. Travis Hafner, dh
4. Kelly Shoppach, c
5. Jhonny Peralta, ss
6. Victor Martinez, 1b
7. Shin-Soo Choo, rf
8. Andy Marte, 3b
9. Josh Barfield, 2b
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Cliff Lee, lhp
2. Fausto Carmona, rhp
3. Aaron Laffey, lhp
4. Jeremy Sowers, lhp
5. Anthony Reyes, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Kerry Wood
Jensen Lewis
Rafael Betancourt
Rafael Perez
Joe Smith
Masa Kobayashi
Top Prospects
1.Matt LaPorta, of/1b
2. Carlos Santana, c
3. Adam Miller, rhp
4. Nick Weglarz, lf
5. Beau Mills, 1b
After a disappointing 2008 campaign, I feel that the Tigers will finish
fourth in the AL Central. The Tigers need Justin Verlander to come
through as long as Dontrelle Willis to comeback healthy and ready to
pitch. Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez need to be on.
Keep an Eye on: Justin Verlander, sp
Verlander
had a very tough season last year going 11-17 with a 4.84 ERA and
throwing 163 strikeouts. The Tigers need their ace to perform better
than last year.
Projected Lineup
1. Curtis Granderson, cf
2. Placido Polanco, 2b
3. Magglio Ordonez, rf
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1b
5. Gary Sheffield, dh
6. Carlos Guillen, lf
7. Gerald Laird, c
8. Brandon Inge, 3b
9. Adam Everett, ss
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Justin Verlander, rhp
2. Jeremy Bonderman, rhp
3. Armando Galarraga, rhp
4. Edwin Jackson, rhp
5. Nate Robertson, lhp
Projected Bullpen
Fernando Rodney
Joel Zumaya
Bobby Seay
Freddy Dolsi
Macay McBride
Zach Miner
Top Prospects
1. Rick Porcello, rhp
2. Ryan Perry, rhp
3. Cale Iorg, ss
4. Cody Satterwhite, rhp
5. Casey Crosby, lhp
I honestly do not think the Kansas City Royals will escape the clutches
of last place. I do not think they have the right mix of players on
that team to get the job that is needed to get done in the AL Central.
Keep and Eye on: Mike Aviles, ss/2b
Aviles
is a talented kid that will prosper into being a great player. Last
year he played 102 games batting .325 and hitting 10 homers driving in
51 RBIs.
Projected Lineup
1. Coco Crisp, cf
2. David DeJesus, lf
3. Mike Aviles, ss
4. Jose Guillen, rf
5. Mike Jacobs, 1b
6. Alex Gordon, 3b
7. Billy Butler, dh
8. Miguel Olivo, c
9. Alberto Callaspo, 2b
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Gil Meche, rhp
2. Zack Greinke, rhp
3. Kyle Davies, rhp
4. Brian Bannister, rhp
5. Luke Hochevar, rhp
Projected Bullpen
Joakim Soria
Kyle Farnsworth
Ron Mahay
Doug Waechter
Robinson Tejada
Jimmy Gobble
Top Prospects
1. Mike Moustakas, 3b/ss
2. Eric Hosmer, 1b
3. Danny Duffy, lhp
4. Daniel Cortes, rhp
5. Tim Melville, rhp
The
Yankees
again have bought themselves a dynasty but will high priced players fit
well with chemistry of the team? I don't know but I think that the
Yankees do have the players that could bring them to the promised land
in 2009.
Keep an Eye on: Xavier Nady, of
Nady
was a deadline addition from Pittsburgh last year and soon blossomed
into a key part of the lineup. He hit 12 homers and drove in 40 RBIs in
59 games with the Yankees, however he did not help the team make the
playoffs last year.
Projected Lineup1. Johnny Damon, lf
2.
Derek Jeter, ss
3. Mark Teixeira, 1b
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3b
5. Jorge Posada, c
6. Xavier Nady, rf
7. Hideki Matsui, dh
8. Robinson Cano, 2b
9. Brett Gardner, cf
Projected Pitching Staff1. C.C. Sabathia, lhp
2. A.J. Burnett, rhp
3. Chien-Ming Wang, rhp
4. Andy Pettitte, lhp
5. Joba Chamberlain, rhp
Projected BullpenMariano Rivera
Damaso Marte
Jose Veras
Brian Bruney
Phil Coke
Top Prospects1. Austin Jackson, cf
2. Jesus Montero, c
3. Andrew Brackman, rhp
4. Dellin Betances, rhp
5. Kelvin DeLeon, rf
This is a very hard decision for me to make. The
Boston Red Sox
made some very key additions picking up Brad Penny and John Smoltz to
help their staff, but I feel that they still lack some power without
Manny and that's why I have them second in the AL East, however they
will give the Yankees a run for their money behind AL MVP Dustin
Pedroia.
Keep and Eye on: Jed Lowrie, ss/3b
Lowrie
is a young kid that could provide and extra spark in the lineup. Lowrie
played in 81 games last year for Boston and hit .258 and drove in 46
runs.
Projected Lineup1. Jacoby Ellsbury, cf
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2b
3. Kevin Youkilis, 1b
4. David Ortiz, dh
5.
Jason Bay, lf
6. J.D. Drew, rf
7. Mike Lowell, 3b
8. Jason Varitek, c
9. Julio Lugo, ss
Projected Pitching Staff1. Josh Beckett, rhp
2. Jon Lester, lhp
3. Daisuke Matsuzaka, rhp
4.
Tim Wakefield, rhp
5. Clay Buchholz, rhp
Projected BullpenJonathan Papelbon
Manny Delcarmen
Hideki Okajima
Ramon Ramirez
Justin Masterson
Javier Lopez
John Smoltz
Top Prospects1. Lars Anderson, 1b
2. Michael Bowden, rhp
3. Josh Reddick, cf
4. Junichi Tazawa, rhp
5. Daniel Bard, rhp
Last year was definitely a phase. They Rays will not make it back
to the post season and will have to wait an extra year for players like
David Price, Jeff Niemann, Andy Sonnanstine, and Evan Longoria to fully
meet their potential. All I'm saying is last year was a fluke.
Keep an Eye on: Grant Balfour, rp
Balfour
is a good reliever that could go for those long innings when others are
tired. Last year he was made known in the post season for his dominant
performances against the Red Sox in relief.
Projected Lineup
1. Akinori Iwamura, 2b
2. B.J. Upton, cf
3. Carlos Pena, 1b
4. Evan Longoria, 3b
5. Carl Crawford, lf
6. Matt Joyce, dh
7. Dionner Navarro, c
8. Gabe Gross, rf
9. Jason Bartlett, ss
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Scott Kazmir, lhp
2. James Shields, rhp
3. Matt Garza, rhp
4. Andy Sonnanstine, rhp
5. David Price, lhp
Projected Bullpen
Troy Percival
Dan Wheeler
J.P. Howell
Chad Bradford
Grant Balfour
Top Prospects
1. David Price, lhp
2. Tim Beckham, ss
3. Wade Davis, rhp
4. Reid Brignac, ss
5. Desmond Jennings, cf
I have the Toronto Blue Jays finishing in a close fourth this year
behind the Tampa Bay Rays. They will need a big drive to make it all
the way through the season with a descent record and standing in the
always tough AL East.
Keep and Eye on: David Purcey, sp
Purcey will be starting his rookie season in the rotation. The lefty went 8-6 with a 2.69 ERA in Syracuse last year.
Projected Lineup
1. Marco Scutaro, ss
2. Aaron Hill, 2b
3. Alex Rios, rf
4. Vernon Wells, cf
5. Adam Lind, dh
6. Scott Rolen, 3b
7. Lyle Overbay, 1b
8. Rod Barajas, c
9. Travis Snider, lf
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Roy Halladay, rhp
2. Jesse Litsch, rhp
3. David Purcey, lhp
4. Casey Janssen, rhp
5. Dustin McGowan, rhp
Projected Bullpen
B.J. Ryan
Scott Downs
Jason Frasor
Brandon League
Jeremy Accardo
Top Prospects
1. Travis Snider, lf
2. J.P. Arencibia, c
3. Brett Cecil, lhp
4. Justin Jackson, ss
5. David Cooper, 1b
We kick off our preview of all 30 MLB teams with the Baltimore Orioles
who I predict will finish fifth in the AL East. The Orioles are a good
team with a lot of talent but they do not have enough to compete with
the Yankees or the Red Sox and they will barely compete the the Rays.
Keep and Eye on: Adam Jones, of
In 132 games last year, Jones batted .270 with nine homers and 57 RBIs. Expect his production to increase.
Projected Lineup
1. Brian Roberts, 2b
2. Melvin Mora, 3b
3. Nick Markakis, rf
4. Aubrey Huff, dh
5. Luke Scott, lf
6. Adam Jones, cf
7. Matt Wieters, c
8. Cesar Izturis, ss
9. Oscar Salazar, 1b
Projected Pitching Staff
1. Jeremy Guthrie, rhp
2. Garrett Olson, lhp
3. Chris Waters, lhp
4. Radhames Liz, rhp
5. Matt Albers, rhp
Projected Bullpen
George Sherrill
Chris Ray
Jim Johnson
Jamie Walker
Dennis Sarfate
Top Prospects
1. Matt Weiters, c
2. Chris Tillman, rhp
3. Brian Matusz, lhp
4. Jakie Arrieta, rhp
5. Nolan Reimold, of
I will be posting my previews for this year. Some of the projections I have made pre-Spring Training so don't yell at me if I'm wrong lol.
I will be posting on this site again. For you all to read. I also am posting on my main site http://thebaseballblog03.blogspot.com/
Even though I just started I will be moving my blog to blogger. Sorry...
Here's the link http://theryangaydosblog.blogspot.com/
If you have any ideas of what I should cover or how I can possibly make money being a blogger then tell me please.
Thanks,
Ryan
