MARCO'S BASEBALL
BLOG-O-ROONIE 2017: TEAM RATINGS AND PREDICTIONS NL
So I took a week off
and watched the action before I decided to commit on the NL
predictions. So much easier to predict winners after they've already
won.
My AL picks are
discombobulated by cold weather injuries and flu bugs. I don't care.
I am confident that my picks will prevail. Lindor and
Correa have started hot, much as I foretold. Houston looks
a little better than I expected them to...Texas a little
weaker. Boston is diseased but game. Toronto can't beat
Tampa Bay. Baltimore and
Minnesota are murderously offensive. So be it. It's a long
season.
And now...THE
NATIONAL LEAGUE!
Let's start in the
West. (Because it's more interesting than the other divisions, not
because of some western bias.)
NL WEST
1st
place: LOS ANGELES DODGERS
I pretty much
telegraphed this pick in earlier blogs, so no big stunner. The
stunner at the start of the season is Arizona and Colorado
both going 4-0. Kershaw gave up back to back homers and all
the pundits had to change their pampers, but he started cold last
year too. Not to worry.
Offense: 3
1/2*...what they're missing is that one big superstar bat that
just scares the heck out of other teams. Like Ortiz did for
the Sox or Trout does for the Angels. Encarnacion. Cabrera.
Votto. In their own division the Trolley Dodgers (yes, that's
where the nickname comes from all you denizens of a bygone Brooklyn
era) have to contend with Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks and
Arenado of the Rockies. We'll see if Seager develops
into that kind of hitter.
Puig has
always tantalized that he might become that guy but I think he's more
likely to remain an agonizing tease. (Though he's lots better since
Dave Roberts became his manager.) They have strong support
throughout the lineup with Turner, Gonzalez and others. Not
much right-handed pop if Turner and Puig don't produce.
Defense: 4*...the
Dodgers are athletic and talented up the middle and in the outfield.
Center fielder Joc Peterson plays a little too deep I think.
Sometimes they have to play Scott Van Slyke at first or in the
outfield but he's such an amiable guy I don't want to criticize him.
I think it's interesting that a career bench player has stuck with
the same team so long. (6 years so far.) That doesn't usually happen.
So I figure he must be a great teammate in the locker room. He's a
valuable back-up. No shame in that kind of career. Make Daddy proud,
Scott!
Starting
Rotation: 4*...it falls off a little after their Supremo Numero
Uno Kershaw. but the depth is so amazing. And the youth with
Maeda and Urias
and Alex Wood.
They are a little fragile with Hill's blister issues and
Kershaw's back disc. Last year they used 16 starters. The thing
is....they got 'em and won the division going away!
Bullpen: 3*...not
as good here except for closer Kenly Jansen (the Flying
Dutchman). We'll see how they've pieced it together as the season
goes on. No lack of candidates in the Dodger's overloaded system.
Leadership: 4
1/2*...mostly for the manager Dave Roberts who has shown how
effective good people skills can be in smoothing out the edges of an
irascible clubhouse that was full of malcontents and head cases and
getting them all on the same page. Now the Dodgers are enjoying
themselves and winning. And they should send Magic Johnson
down to the clubhouse more often to be the face of management.
19*: FIRST PLACE!
2nd
place...SAN FRANCISCO
Offense: 2
1/2*...too low you say? Well
who scares you in that lineup? Buster Posey.
Ok...I'm waiting. Shortstop Brandon Crawford
is hitting cleanup a lot and he only hit .275 with 84 ribbies (to
lead the club by the way!) Sure, AT&T Park is a joke when it
comes to punishing the hitters, but that doesn't mean the Giants have
an offense. They can't seem to get an outfielder who can hit and keep
depending on injury-prone Hunter Pence
every year. I like Nunez'
speed at third. But that's their big addition for the year? How many
2-1 games will Bumgarner
have to lose before he volunteers to play outfield on his off days?
He may be the scariest hitter the Giants have.
Defense: 3
1/2*...great fielding
percentage. Great keystone combo. Great Catcher. Really bad outfield
arms.
Starters:
4*...because they have
Bumgarner and Cueto
at the top. Matt Moore and
Jeff Samardzija posted high
ERA's for the home ballpark they played in. Matt Cain
is a ghost. Depth very uncertain so if one of the top two gets hurt
knock off a star.
Bullpen: 1
1/2*...one closer does not a
bullpen make. They got Mark Melancon
from the Nats and he promptly coughed up a furball in his first game
as a Giant (against the Diamondbacks)
and managed to lose a game where Bumgarner had hit two homers and
pitched great except for one stretch of three hitters that cost him.
Not even Bruce Bochy
can manage this bullpen full of losers.
Leadership:
5*...something must be helping
them get to the playoffs every year, right? Bochy is the best manager
in the game. Above Madden, Giradi and
Francona. Buster Posey,
Crawford and Pence...all game day leaders.
But
number one is the Unicorn...MadBum. He's an evolutionary inheritor of
whatever gene made pitchers like Lefty Grove, Bob Gibson
and Randy Johnson the
dominating, devastating, refuse-to-lose guys they were. You want that
guy on your team for the Big Game? I guess you do!
16 1/2*: SECOND
PLACE!
3rd
place...COLORADO
Every year somebody
says...the Rockies are gonna be great this year! And every year the
snow melts and they turn to Rocky Mountain Sludge. No matter that
they have terrific hitting stars like Carlos Gonzalez, Nolan
Arenado, Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon and
D.J.LeMahieu. It's all an illusion created by the light air of
the Mile-High city and the big power alleys of Coors Field.
Offense: 3
1/2*...see above.
Defense: 4
1/2*...Gold Glovers at second and third. Real good everywhere.
Starters:
3*...Chatwood and
Anderson both had ERAs below 4!!! That seems so good. But
Chatwood was 8-1 on the road with an ERA of 1.69 and 4-8 ERA of 6.12
at home. And you didn't think Coors made that much difference?
Bullpen: 1
1/2*...ERA last year? 5.13...Yarg. Gargle on that.
Leadership:
2*...good on the field leaders. But management somehow got
themselves into a situation where their first pick in the draft this
year will be number 48. ONE WINNING SEASON ON THE ROAD IN THE TEAM'S
ENTIRE HISTORY....AND THEY CAN NEVER FIX IT.
14 1/2*: THIRD
PLACE!
4th
place...ARIZONA
They looked good
beating the Giants at home to start the season. Are the 'Backs
...back? That's a lame pun indeed. Back from where? They've never
been “here” except for that infamous year of 2001 where they
knocked off the Yanks because they had Randy (Johnson)and Curt
(Schilling) slingin' it for four games.
They got Pollock
back from a year-long DL stretch and they need him to team with
Goldy, Lamb and
Tomas to keep the offense humming. You need a lot of offense to
win at Chase Field. (They are going to humidify the baseballs to take
the rabbit out of the them this year...ala Colorado.) Also, Greinke
and Miller are
better pitchers than they showed last year. (And least one would hope
if one were a fan of the Diamondhumps.)
Offense: 2
1/2*...they really aren't that good except for those mentioned
above. Chase Field makes them seem like an offensive
monolith...they're really just a crumbling adobe brick.
They had to trade
Jean Segura...a top-tier offensive (and defensive) shortstop
to get Taijuan Walker. I don't like that trade. They give up a
top five shortstop for a pitcher who couldn't consistently pitch in
one of the best pitcher's parks in baseball? Walker is gonna gag when
he sees what fly balls do at Chase Field. They also have nothing
coming from the catcher or shortstop positions (Mathis and
Ahmed).
Defense: 3
1/2*...might be four stars if they didn't have to play Yasmany
Tomas somewhere.
Starters:
3*...see above comments about Greinke, Walker and Miller. Leftie
Robbie Ray K'd 218 in 174 innings but still had a 4.90 ERA.
Bullpen: 2*...I
really can't stand Fernando Rodney's “arrow” routine. I
bet every player in baseball hates that.
How about when you
blow a save Fernando, you mime an arrow going into your heart and
drop dead on the mound, just to even up the theatrics?
Leadership:
1/2*...as far as management goes, the Titanic had better
leadership. Baseball geniuses Dave Stewart and Tony La
Russa traded the number one pick of the 2015 draft... shortstop
Dansby Swanson... pitcher Aaron Blair and Gold Glove
outfielder Ender Inciarte to the Atlanta Braves for Shelby
Miller, a hard luck pitcher who proved that if it wasn't for bad luck
he'd have no luck at all. He wound up in the minors while Swanson was
revitalizing the Braves. Inciarte batted .291 while playing awesome
center field. It would have been a bad trade if it was just Inciarte
for Miller.
So they fired
Stewart and “reassigned” La Russa. So their new GM Mike
Hazen...just to make sure he didn't have a great
shortstop...trades Segura for Walker. That's two trades giving up
proven every day players and a number 1 prospect for two questionable
pitchers. Wow.
11 1/2*... FOURTH
PLACE!
5th
place...SAN DIEGO
They lost 120 games
last year. And they have bad uniforms when they're not sporting the
camys. Now they're calling it a “deep rebuild”. See you in 2022
San Diego.
Offense:
1*...it's Will Myers and the prospects. Hunter Renfroe
is from Mississippi State and Bulldog draftees can usually hit...see
Will Clark and
Rafael Palmeiro (though cursed be his steroid-tainted name!)
Defense: 2*...who
really knows? Nobody has seen any of these guys play.
Starters:
1/2*...Oh My God. They may be historically bad. Maybe some of
these guys can pitch but they are space fillers. The team doesn't
want to spend money on starters until the rest of the prospects
develop. That's actually smart. The Cubs did that too. But will any
fans at all come to the park?
Bullpen: 1
1/2*...like I said. It's a bad, bad ball team.
Leadership:
1*...you've got to ask how they dug themselves into this
tremendous hole. Baseball may not survive in San Diego.
6*: FIFTH PLACE!
(congratulations are in order. San Diego, you are the lowest rated
team in the history of this blog.)
NL CENTRAL
You just can't see
anybody breaking up the Cubs/Cardinals death grip on the top
of the division. I suppose Pittsburgh could finally put it
together but it's hard to have confidence in them. (Maybe if I ignore
them this year they'll start playing better.) Milwaukee and
the Reds are rebuilds.
1st
place...CHICAGO
What? You thought I
was going to give some shock prediction that the Adorables would
crumble to dust overnight? Not likely. I did say earlier that they
have a few concerns. Replacing Dexter Fowler at leadoff is
one. (He went to the rival Cards which is double bad for Chicago.) He
inspired them last year. Also I predicted that they would miss David
Ross...Lester's personal catcher and a kind of Grey
Eminence in the locker room for the youngsters. But unless a mutant
goat charges the dugout with Steve Bartman on his back and
pees on Kris Bryant, the Cubs will at the very least make the
Playoffs.
Offense: 4
1/2*...talent from top to bottom. They have Schwarber
leading off which is not perfect...I am aware of his .408 OBP though.
Almora needs to hit in centerfield. But with the confidence
these young hitters gained by winning last season...it's going to be
a long season for the rest of the League.
Defense: 4
1/2*...very very good. Catcher Contreras needs to learn
how to frame pitches but with that veteran staff he should be ok if
he listens. Schwarber and Zobrist ain't exactly gazelles in
the outfield, but that's why they have Almora between them. They may
not even play Jason Heyward that much. He makes a great
defensive backup for $180 million dollars, though, don't you think?
Bryant can move around which is handy. Short, Second, First?...Gold
Glove caliber.
Starters:
5*...Lester, Arrieta, Hendricks in their primes. Lackey
still a force. Mike Montgomery had a primo ERA last year and
he's a strong number 5. Other teams don't really want to deal with
any of these guys...coming at them day after day is going to be
depressing for them.
Bullpen: 4*...on
paper. Four guys with power arms and good breaking balls. Edwards,
Strop, Rondon, and
Davis. (That doesn't even include Koji Uehara and his
famous split) If Davis stay healthy this group should be yet another
strength for the club. Maddon needs to treat them right and
build up their confidence.
Leadership:
4*...I thought Maddon kind of dissed his bullpen guys in the
Series by pitching Aroldis Chapman into the ground instead of letting
somebody else take a shot. That caused some disgruntlement, But Joe
is a dynamic guy and a good tactical manager too. The front office is
the best in baseball. (Bunch of smarty pants-es!) On field leadership
developing behind nice guys Rizzo and Bryant and old pros like
Lackey, Lester and Zobrist.
I guess you'd call
this a Dream Team. Let's see if they continue their Adorable Ways.
22*: FIRST PLACE!
2nd
place...ST. LOUIS
The Cards have a real good team. Good D, a fairly potent offense,
some nasty pitchers and the best catcher in baseball. And they lost
to the Cubs by 17 games!
Offense: 3 1/2*...they have a lot of pretty good bats but no
great bats. They have a lot of 15-20 homer guys but no 35-40 homer
guys. And they don't steal anymore which is kind of shocking for the
Cardinals, who have always countered their cavernous Busch Stadium
with a pesky speed game. They are ahead of the Giants offensively,
but way way back of the Cubs, Dodgers, and Nats.
Defense: 4 1/2*...Aledmys Diaz is a great new
shortstop. (Let's nickname him “Aladdin” shall we?) He led all
rookies with a .369 On Base and his 17 homers was impressive. Matt
Carpenter will be an upgrade at first and Jhonny
Peralta moving to third works. If Wong can play well
that's a terrific infield. The outfield is also very good with
Grichuk, Piscotty and Fowler.
Yady Molina is worth a star and a half all by himself. Anytime
your staff ERA is over a run better when a certain guy is behind the
plate...well, Molina should have a couple of MVP awards by now. It
goes to show you how people underrate what a great catcher means on
defense. And Molina hits .300 as well. (In fact he hit .365 with a
.529 slugging in the second half!)
Starters: 3 1/2*..Carlos Martinez...step right up. It's
your turn. Alex Reyes could be great. But Wainwright is
trying to do it with guile now and when he misses his target they
light him up. Lance Lynn and Mike Leake? Big question
marks there. Whatever happened to Michael Wacha? Can he ever
come back from all those injuries? Last season...ERA over 5. He
looked good in his first start of 2017 though.
Bullpen: 4*...Seung-hwan Oh is the new closer and they
are prepping Trevor Rosenthal to be an innings eater like
Andrew Miller. They have other good arms out there and Michael
Wacha might even wind up a reliever.
Leadership: 4*...Mike Matheny is a good, steady,
motivating manager with a new 3-year contract. Mozeliak is the
GM and the pipeline of great prospects is loaded with talent...both
pitchers and position players. The Cards will be good for a long
time.
On the field, they have perhaps the best leader in baseball...Yadier
Molina. He's an extra manager. (I took off half a point because the
Cardinals somehow allowed one of their minions to hack into the
Astros scouting reports and steal info. The guy is in jail now!)
19 1/2*: SECOND
PLACE!
3rd
place...PITTSBURGH
Offense: 3
1/2*...one of the best
outfields in baseball with Marte, Polanco and
McCutcheon. Trouble
is, Marte is peaking, Polanco is still on the way up and 'Cutch is
just now sliding down. Their timing is off if they want to win.
Austin Meadows is a
big stick in the minors, waiting for his shot. The rest of the lineup
are nothing special...just nice, average players.
Defense:
2*...very bad in the infield.
Atrocious in fact. Great outfield and catcher (Cervelli).
Starters:
3*...not enough of them. Gerrit
Cole has to be an Ace and he's
just not...not yet. Ivan Nova...does
he really excite you? Tyler Glasnow
(6'8”)is supposed to be the great Right(handed)Hope. Hasn't shown
it at this level. 4.43 BB per 9 innings in the minors.
Bullpen:
3*...Tony Watson
is the leftie closer and he's good. Daniel Hudson
sets up and induces ground balls, which makes the Pirates
organization so very happy. But, like the young starters, this group
is largely composed of young pitchers trying to learn how to throw
strikes. That's why the Buccos finished 78-83 last year and probably
will again.
Leadership: 2
1/2*...this team may have lost
its spirit. They were getting close but every time they do that,
management has to dump salary and they lose very important players
like Russell Martin, Mark Melancon, Francisco Liriano and
Neil Walker. So it's the Myth
of Sisyphus pushing that damn rock up the mountain only to watch it
roll back down to the bottom again and again. The Pirates should get
an owner who is not afraid to pay out for a few years to get a
winner. The fans will come out and you'll get your money back.
14*: THIRD PLACE!
4th
place...MILWAUKEE
“What made Milwaukee famous...made a loser out of me...”
---Jerry Lee Lewis
What made Milwaukee famous wasn't baseball. At least it wasn't since
1957, the last time Milwaukee won anything.
(That was the Braves franchise that beat the Yankees in the World
Series. The Brewers franchise won the division in 2011 with 96 wins.)
Yet another team writhing around in a moneyless hell. They don't have
enough good players to draw well so they don't have enough money to
get good players, so they don't draw well...etc. etc. etc.
Raise the luxury tax MLB...half your teams are never-wins! Socialism
will be good for the game. For every Kansas City or Cleveland,
there's a Milwaukee, a Pittsburgh, a Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Denver,
Tampa Bay or Oakland. Teams that don't have big TV money, don't draw
three million people a year, can't afford enough good players to win
consistently. These teams get behind the eight ball of bad draft
choices when they are any good at all, and lose their good free
agents as soon as the control years are up. So it takes decades
before they time it right and have controllable good young players
mixed with a few stars before their free agent years and can actually
win something over the large market teams. (Hello KC!) And then of
course they can't sustain it. (Hello again KC!)
Think how exciting it would be if the deck got shuffled every year or
so and more of these teams had a chance?
Offense: 2*...near the bottom of baseball in most categories.
(Except first in steals with 181!) Not enough lefties in the lineup.
They have one good hitter...He Who Must Not Be Named! They also have
Jonathon Villar, who hit .285 with 19 dingers and 62 steals.
Defense: 2*...the lowest fielding percentage in
baseball...point 978.
Starters: 1 1/2*...space fillers that will be released or
traded as soon as younger pitchers can be fed to the flames. All
right handed too.
Bullpen: 1 1/2*...unproven arms with bad numbers.
Leadership: 1*...they waited too long to start the rebuild.
The Cubs, Indians and White Sox showed you how, Milwaukee...why wait?
They will trade anybody who is worth anything and field a depressing
team that will lose 100 games at least in this tough division.
8*: FOURTH PLACE!
5th
place... CINCINNATI
Baseball needs a good team in C-town, the first city to ever field a
true, ongoing professional baseball team. That would be the Red
Stockings of 1869. Ten players paid for eight months March 15 to
November 15. Long may they be remembered!
I already bleated out my sullen small market protests in the
Milwaukee segment so I'll shut up...except...the Reds finally traded
Brandon Phillips!! 4 years too late!!
Offense: 2*...God knows what it would be without Joey Votto.
Maybe ½ a star? They also have Adam Duvall who hit 33 homers and
Sliding Billy Hamilton who had 58 steals.
One question: How did Votto hit .326 in that lineup? How did he get
97 rbi's? Why did anybody ever pitch to him? I think Joey has an
outside chance of hitting .400 in a season if he could get on a good
team with some protection. He hit .408 in the second half. His season
OBP was .434 and he slugged .550. That means he doesn't swing at bad
pitches and he can hit it long enough to back up the outfielders.
He's also fast enough to beat out some hits and when they shift on
him he can go to left with ease. His ego doesn't require him to
combat the shift by pulling everything.
Defense: 3*...Duvall and Hamilton were Gold Glove finalists.
Starters: 1/2*...the Reds used 52 players last season and a
whole lot of them were pitchers. 5 starting pitchers made their Major
League debuts. Their only solid starter...Homer Bailey...is hurt
AGAIN. This is a bad bad staff. Maybe these youngsters will improve
but last season they gave up the most homers (258), most walks (636)
and hit batters (78) in all of baseball. That, my friends, is a
disaster.
Bullpen: 1/2*... as bad as the rotation. Most homers, most
walks, most runs allowed. You get the picture. They don't seem to
have improved in the off-season. Whatever starters blow up will be
tried in the bullpen and then sacrificed on top of an Aztec pyramid.
Leadership: 1*...time for a new front office. These guys
aren't getting anywhere.
7*: FIFTH PLACE! (How about a playoff series between the Reds
and the Padres?)
NL EAST
It's getting pretty boring watching the Nationals and the Mets doing
their little dance every year. Wouldn't it be great if Florida came
up with a pitcher or two and surprised everyone? How about Atlanta's
rookies suddenly becoming superstars and leading the Bravos to
victory? The Philly Phoenix rising into the stratosphere?
Oh boy...if only. It's going to be the Nats and the Mets for another
year. Whichever team gets hit by the injury goblins less will win.
1st
place...WASHINGTON
They've lacked the killer instinct the last few years to say the
least. They seemed resigned when they choked two years ago and then
couldn't beat the Dodgers in the clutch last year. Harper has
to play bigger than his hairdo.
Offense: 4*...if everybody stays healthy for a whole season,
which is doubtful if recent seasons are any indication. But Eaton,
Turner, Harper, Murphy, and Rendon are impressive
up top. (*note: Turner is hurt...for how long and how bad not
sure...should be back in a couple weeks but it's his leg and he's a
“leg” man.)
Defense: 3 1/2*...really pretty good if you ignore Daniel
Murphy on second...he's really bad. Norris is second in the
majors among catchers in defensive runs saved (and how they figure it
I don't know!).
Starters: 4*...would be higher if they had any depth.
Scherzer, Strasburg, Roark, Gonzalez and Ross...pretty
damn good. If only Strasburg stays healthy! Scherzer right up there
with Kershaw and Bumgarner as the best in the league.
Bullpen: 2*...a real trouble spot unless they get creative
with a trade. But of course they blew their wad on the Eaton trade
and lost all their minor league pitching depth. Now they are naked
and exposed. (the Miley Cyruses of the League!)
Leadership: 3 1/2*...even though he bugs me sometimes with his
whimsical in-game decisions I have to hand it to Dusty Baker:
the players love him and play hard for him. His sense of humor is
refreshing in a game that sometimes takes itself too seriously. But
he hasn't had the same effect on his team of Sourpusses that Dave
Roberts has had on the Dodger Discontents.
17*: FIRST PLACE!
2nd
place...NEW YORK METS
Oh,
the Metskies! What a Teasin' Team! They
play like world beaters one week and then curl up into a little ball
of Puny the next. This team has no defense, a limited offense that
depends on the home run (and especially Yoenis Cespedes)
and lives and dies on its starting pitching, which is extraordinary
when and if all these superstud Aces in waiting aren't tweaking their
fragile elbows.
Healthy
Mets? A major threat to win it all. DL Mets? Thud.
Offense: 3
1/2*...if healthy! (Broken
record, I know.) 5th
in homers in the majors, but middle to bottom in most other offensive
categories. (23rd OBP, 25th runs, 28th
steals etc.) Long ball hitters Duda, Cabrera, Granderson,
Bruce, Walker and
Conforto ...not to mention
Cespedes...give them enough pop to win, but they are like Houston
without an Altuve...no high averages, lots of strikeouts.
Defense:
2*...definitely weak in this
category. Average outfielders except for Granderson. Cespedes throws
lasers but he's really sloppy at catching the ball and misreads
routes all the time. Conforto is similar. Jay Bruce is a pro but he's
aging to play the big field at Citi. Ordinary to below average all
over the infield. Catcher also a problem.
Starters: 4
1/2*...three full Aces on the
squad: Syndergaard, Harvey and
DeGrom. Zach Wheeler
a Number 2 on most clubs. Matz
is hurt. A lot of their back-ups are hurt now too...even this early
in the season they are vulnerable. If the Aces start getting fragile
again like they did last year you can start deducting stars. Gsellman
is an exciting talent and could be pressed into service as the 5th
starter.
Bullpen: 2
1/2*...uh-oh. A very shaky
bullpen got hit with the double whammy early this season when Lugo
went down. The closer, Familia,
beat on his woman and is suspended for a few more weeks. Will it
affect his performance? Addison Reed
has to be the stopper now.
Leadership:
3*...I know people like Terry
Collins. He's a nice guy and
everything but he's the oldest manager in baseball. I think he
mishandles his bullpen. Management is good when they aren't being
stressed by money problems. They sure have a good scouting system to
pick up all these stud pitchers. On field they need a leader now that
David Wright is hurt.
Jay Bruce helps and Cespedes is an inspirational offensive force who
has long dry spells.
15 1/2*: SECOND
PLACE!
3rd
place...MIAMI
A star-crossed team. Jose Fernandez carried the rotation and
his death was a terrible tragedy. The Marlins might have been a
contender if he had lived. Stanton has played more than 123
games in only one of the last four seasons. He's the scariest power
hitter in baseball when he's right. Dee Gordon was tearing up
the league until he got busted for “enhancements”. That was
another tough hit for the Marlins.
Offense: 3 1/2*...despite finishing 4th in MLB in
average the Marlins were at the bottom in everything else except
on-base (13th with .322) and steals (19th with
71) This must be a result of their humongous ballpark because the
Fish have offensive weapons up and down the lineup. Start with one of
the best outfields in the majors: Stanton, Ozuna and
Yelich. Add Dee Gordon and Martin Prado and 1b Justin
Bour. Ichiro is on the bench whenever you need a hit. The
Fish can compete.
Defense: 3*...nothin' special but solid.
Starters: 1*...it's a bitter pill. They don't have much.
Wei-Yin Chen and Edinson Volquez are being counted
on...too much probably.
Bullpen: 3 1/2*...potentially dominant. Big arms but a few
too many walks last year. A.J.Ramos closes. Phelps,
Barraclough, McGowan, Ziegler and Tazawa. They are deep
and dangerous.
Leadership: 3 1/2* I think Mattingly is a better fit
with the Fish than with the Dodgers as a manager. He is a steady hand
right now, and the bruised hearts of the Marlins should respond.
Martin Prado is their captain and on-field leader.
I hope they do well this year.
14 1/2*: THIRD
PLACE!
4TH
PLACE...ATLANTA
A rebuilding team that is getting closer to respectability but is not
there yet. They moved to their new stadium this year and that should
give them a psychological boost. They won't win anything yet. IN TWO
YEARS WATCH OUT.
Offense: 3*...because of Freddie Freeman, Matt Kemp and
Ender Inciarte the Braves are not helpless. Dansby Swanson
should be a better hitter this year and he already hit.302 for the
Braves. He's still officially a rookie.
Defense: 2*...near the bottom of the Majors. Inciarte is a
Gold Glover in center. Matt Kemp is a statue in left now. Infield
caretakers at third and second.
Starters: 3*...young arms augment Ace Julio Teheran (4
to 1 K/BB ratio). They went out and hired Bartolo Colon and
A.J.Dickey to give some veteran presence and comic relief.
Bullpen: 2*...we will be a'building. Jim Johnson is the
closer. Mauricio Cabrera averaged over 100mph per pitch. Not
very good control-wise though.
Leadership: 2 1/2*...Brian Snitker? Where did he come
from to become the manager? He's been a loyal soldier in their
organization for years and they think he's the one to lead the Braves
back to Heaven. They've got a stocked system now and can build around
Freeman and Swanson.
12 1/2*: FOURTH
PLACE!
5th
place...PHILADELPHIA
Should compete with the Braves for fourth place but their pitching is
more screwed up so I rank them last.
Offense: 1 1/2*...they have some good players but how can I
rank them higher when they finished last or next to last in all of
MLB in batting (.240), total bases, slugging, OBP, OPS, runs, RBIs...
Defense: 2*...they squeak by as almost average because of
their stellar keystone combo, Freddy Galvis (ss) and Cesar
Hernandez (2b), and center fielder Odubel Herrera. Pretty
bad everywhere else.
Starters: 2 1/2*...Hellickson is the Number One and he
had a 3.71 ERA and a 3-1 K/BB ratio. Jerad Eickhoff was a
surprise at 3.65 and 4 to 1. They traded for Boston's Clay Bucholz
and...wouldn't you know it...Clay tore something in his forearm
in his second start. (His career just couldn't stay on track. Poor
guy.) Aaron Nola also struck out 4 for every guy he walked.
Vince Velasquez has the biggest upside on the staff. With some
support, these guys aren't the worst rotation you've seen.
Bullpen: 1*...here is where it all falls apart. Their bullpen
ERA was 5.01 which is truly horrendous for a bullpen. They gave up 86
homers! A few space fillers were added, but no proven lefties at all.
The Phils will lose a lot of games late.
Leadership: 3*...once they get the core ready they have the
cash to go get free agents and get good again. Philly will support a
good team but they have to wait a couple of more years.
10*: FIFTH PLACE!
The National League is in a static condition with a few super teams
running the show up top and everybody beating up on the 5 rebuilding
clubs. That will surely change in coming seasons but this year it
looks like:
East: Washington
Central: Chicago
West: L.A.
Wild Cards: San Francisco, St. Louis
Chicago and L.A. Will play for the pennant again and this time...L.A.
Wins it!
MVP: Paul Goldschmidt
Cy Young: Madison Bumgarner
So there you have it. My next blogs will be much shorter I hope! Hold
me responsible for all your betting mistakes.
May Spring baseball bring you much Joy!
--Marco
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