Quote:
Originally Posted by Red October1984
I'm looking it up right now.
Still pulling for the Blue Jays this year?  |
I might become a Blue Jay this year (hopefully). The team is recruiting analyst interns from my school, if I get lucky, maybe I will get a shot.
But uh, no matter how I spin it, there is no way rooting for the Jays would be good for one's sanity. They made 0 improvements this off season, while all the guys just got a year older. Sure, last year their luck was spectacularly bad, but even if they regress a bit, I don't see the Blue Jays pulling more than 85 wins. After all, they are in the AL East, the hardest division in baseball.
These shirts are pretty nice though:
I feel like this season the National League will be a yawn. The Dodgers will dominate the west, the Cardinals will dominate the central, the Braves and nationals will contest the east. The toughest contested spot is probably going to be the second wild card.
My national league picks:
West: Dodgers
Central: Cardinals
East: Braves
Wild Card 1: Nationals
Wild Card 2: Pirates/Reds/Diamondbacks
The American League should be fun though. The west should be a tough division, the A's and Rangers should be fighting for the top spot, but the Mariners and Angels shouldn't be counted out. The Mariners have Cano, and the Angels should see their players bounce back a bit. Tigers should win the central, but their horrible move of shipping Doug Fister to the Nations for effectively a prospect + a few players to be named later will probably backfire. The Royals and Indians should be able to make some gains, and challenge the Tigers dominance.
The AL east is completely unpredictable. The Yankees are the biggest reason. They have the best outfield, after all, you know your outfield is good when Ichiro is warming your bench (his bat has declined, but his base running and defense is still top notch). Sabathia is hoping to bounce back to his all star days, but that is a huge question mark. Kuroda, Texeria, and Jeter are old, like really old. Tanaka is a huge question mark, there is no denying that he is spectacular when it comes down to his skills, but who knows if he can transition to play in America effectively.
Even at catcher, the Yankees are in a bind. McCann is a great addition, probably one of the greatest offensive catchers in the game today. He can hit for power, and Yankee stadiums short porch should boost his offensive numbers. But than, by playing McCann at catcher, they can't play Francisco Cervelli, probably the best defensive catcher in the game. Their infield is still garbage though. There is almost no chance Jeter, Texeria, and Roberts can survive a whole season healthy.
http://grantland.com/features/studyi...molina-others/
The Red Sox are very solid, after all, they just won the World Series. Sure, a few departing players would dent them, but their prospects are ready to step in and contribute. The Rays are also a big threat. They finally decided to push for the playoffs, and should be able to make a serious run for the division. The Orioles aren't bad, and the Jays can crack .500 if lucky, but in this division, not bad isn't enough.
My AL picks:
AL West: Rangers
AL Central: Tigers
AL East: Red Sox
WCs: A's/Yankees/Rays/Royals/Indians