Crazy Predictions for the Upcoming Baseball Season

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Crazy Predictions for the upcoming season:

– The Marlins will compete for the NL East (and Wild Card)…They have one of the potentially best rotations in the division. The key will be Andrew Miller – if he can pitch like everyone expected when he was drafted, this will be a tough team to beat. Add in a return to form from Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez, and you have an instant contender.
– The Cardinals will win the NL Central…This isn’t homer talking – the Cards are legit. The main question is which Chris Carpenter will be pitching this season – Cy Young winner or DL member? Colby Rasmus will have a good season. The closer situation – and bullpen as a whole – will be much better with full seasons from Chris Perez and Jason Motte. Add in the moves the Cubs made, and the division is wide open.
– The Yankees will miss the playoffs again…While adding CC, AJ, and others, there are still a few question marks. How much time will AJ Burnett spend on the DL? Will CC Sabathia cave under the pressure of New York? Who will be the starting centerfielder? Will Alex Rodriguez over come the steroid label? Can this team really compete with the upgraded Rays and Red Sox?
– At least 3 other big name players will be named in the steroid scandal…I’m not willing to guess who they are, but I’m thinking a couple of big names will fall. It’s not going to be like the current testing where Alex Sanchez and Juan Rincon are named.
– National League will win the All Star Game…It’s just a hunch, but they are due. Hanley Ramirez will be the MVP.
– A big name player will be injured during the World Baseball Classic…Someone big will go down. I don’t want it to happen, but it will. The last time, injuries were minimal. I also think because of this injury, there will not be another WBC.
– Miguel Tejada will miss part of the season…This won’t be because of injuries. He’ll be made an example of by the government for lying in their steroid investigation and will miss part of the season due to jail time. The max he can get is a year, so I’d expect at least 6 months.
– The Royals will finish third in the AL Central…While some of their moves this off-season have been head scratchers (trading for Jacobs, signing Farnsworth), they’ve got talent young talent that will finally put it together. Billy Butler and Alex Gordon will be the key for the turn around here. They’ll finish behind Cleveland and Minnesota.

My Playoff predictions:
NL East – Philadelphia
NL Central – St. Louis
NL West – Los Angeles
NL Wild Card – New York

AL East – Tampa Bay
AL Central – Cleveland
AL West – Oakland
AL Wild Card – Los Angeles

World Series – Los Angeles (NL) vs Oakland

The Breakout Team
C – Chris Iannetta (Rockies) – Their catcher of the future has started to take the full time role after struggling 2 years ago. I expect 20 homers from him this season.
1B – Daric Barton (Athletics) – Barton has been a top prospect for a while now, and I expect his talent to show this season. After a rough first full season, look for the natural hitter to make a few adjustments and hit like he did in the minors.
2B – Alexi Casilla (Twins) – The speedy second baseman will become the prototypical leadoff hitter for the Twins; he’ll get on base, steal a few, and become the tablesetter for this offense. He’s also solid with the glove.
3B – Chris Davis (Rangers) – Texas is moving Hank Blalock to first base to make room for Davis (and to limit the wear and tear on Blalock). He’ll have a decent average and will hit for power. Of course, his numbers will be inflated due to his ballpark.
SS – Erick Aybar (Angels) – Aybar will show the Angels (and their fans) it was a good move sending Brandon Wood to third base. He’s going to take a step forward in power and on base. I also think he’s got the potential to be an all star.
OF – Chris Young (Diamondbacks) – He’s quietly the best player you’ve never heard of. He’s got the ability to be a 30/30 player this year. I also expect him to get on base better than he has in the past.
OF – Carlos Gonzalez (Rockies) – He’s been the key player in 2 trades, but hasn’t shown the ability to hit that he did in the low minors. Moving to Coors will solve that temperarily. We’ll see a boost in his power numbers this year, along with an increase in batting average.
OF – Nelson Cruz (Rangers) – He’s the next Ryan Ludwick – a guy that’s got tons of potential but hasn’t shown results. After a few small stints in the majors, he’ll force his way into the Rangers lineup.

SP – Josh Johnson (Marlins) – He looked great 2 seasons ago, but injuries have slowed him down. Now that he’s healthy, he’ll anchor the rotation for the Marlins. I’m thinking he’ll be an all star this year.
SP – Jonathan Sanchez (Giants) – Sanchez’s name had been linked to a few trade rumors this off-season, but he’ll reward the Giants for not moving him. I think he’ll move ahead of Matt Cain on the rotation depth charts.
SP – Luke Hochevar (Royals) – Hochevar has had a slow start to his career, but this is the year he puts it together. The low pressure environment in KC will help him quietly become their ace.
RP – Matt Lindstrom (Marlins) – He’s being handed the Closer role in Florida and I expect that he’s going to be the next Joakim Soria.
RP – Jason Motte (Cardinals) – Motte, a converted catcher, has one of the best fastballs in baseball today. He can easily hit triple digits. If he can add a solid second pitch, he’ll emerge as one of the best relievers in the game.