Time to conclude my AL Review with the AL West
Some music to listen to: All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix
Hendrix is from the city of my West champion but I could have gone with Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Sir Mix A Lot for this city.
Honestly, this may be the best music division of the MLB.
With Anaheim, you have the Doors, Motley Crue, Snopp Dog, all of NWA, etc. Los Angeles is music central.
Oakland gives you Too Short, En Vogue, E-40, Gorilla Zoe, Jurastic 5, etc.
Texas, are you frickin kidding me? So many musicians in every genre.
For now, its Jimi for Seattle.
To recap, here are my entire predictions for this league:
Anyway, just like last season, here’s the condensed version of the picks for those of you who want a quick read:
Some music to listen to: All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix
Hendrix is from the city of my West champion but I could have gone with Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Sir Mix A Lot for this city.
Honestly, this may be the best music division of the MLB.
With Anaheim, you have the Doors, Motley Crue, Snopp Dog, all of NWA, etc. Los Angeles is music central.
Oakland gives you Too Short, En Vogue, E-40, Gorilla Zoe, Jurastic 5, etc.
Texas, are you frickin kidding me? So many musicians in every genre.
For now, its Jimi for Seattle.
To recap, here are my entire predictions for this league:
Anyway, just like last season, here’s the condensed version of the picks for those of you who want a quick read:
AL East: Tampa
AL Central: Cleveland
AL West: Seattle
Wild Card: Boston (yes, that team up north is not making the playoffs again)
AL Champs: Tampa
AL MVP (top-five):
1) Grady Sizemore, Cleveland
1) Grady Sizemore, Cleveland
2) Evan Longoria, Tampa
3) Miguel Cabrera: Detroit
4) Josh Hamilton, Texas
5) Kevin Youkilis, Boston
AL Cy Young (top-five):
1) Roy Halladay, Toronto
1) Roy Halladay, Toronto
2) Felix Hernandez, Seattle
3) Jon Lester, Boston
4) Francisco Liriano, Minnesota
5) CC Sabathia, New York
AL Manager of the Year: Joe Madden, Tampa
AL surprise teams relative to most experts’ expectations (top-five):
1) Seattle
1) Seattle
2) Oakland
3) Toronto
4) Minnesota
5) Kansas City
AL disappointing teams relative to most experts’ expectations (top-five):
1) New York
1) New York
2) Anaheim
3) Boston
4) Chicago
5) Baltimore
AL Worst team: Baltimore
Ok, on to the AL West:
1) Seattle
Yea: OK, hear me out because I know it’s a stretch. First, its no fun picking Anaheim to win this division every year. Starting rotation is the best from top to bottom. Felix Hernandez is winning the Cy Young Award this season darn it! Bedard is going to have a better second season in Seattle. I like Morrow as a closer. Ichiro is still a respectable force and Beltre is good as well. Griffey is back home and can now DH and save his legs for hitting.
Ney: I’m basing my pick on a healthy Bedard and Hernandez. Not happening. Outside of Ichiro and Beltre, what else do they have in that lineup? The rotation doesn’t inspire much hope. Griffey has seen better days.
Fantasy Focus: This isn’t a good fantasy baseball team. Look at picking up Morrow because they will win some games and he will give you some saves.
2) Anaheim (I refuse to call them the LA Angels of whatever)
Yea: Best team on paper in division. Vlad Guerrero is still a major power threat. Outfield overall has major depth to rotate guys around and rest people. Abreu was an excellent, cheap pickup. Infield is decent, especially if Kendrick and Figgins can stay healthy at second base and third base respectively. Rotation is solid with Lackey, Escobar, Santana and Weaver. Scioscia is an excellent manager.
Ney: Old team in wrong spots, especially the outfield. All five guys vying for positions, accept for maybe Rivera, are high risk for injuries. Kendrick and Figgins are high-risk injury guys as well. Top two starters, Lackey and Santana are starting season on DL, not a good sign. They just need to stay healthy in general and I’m not banking on it. Lost K-Rod to free agency. Is Brian Fuentes really the answer as a closer? Lost Tex to Yankees in free agency. Is Kendry Morales the answer at first base?
Fantasy focus: Avoid their outfielders because you don’t know who is going to play where on what day. Kendrick is an excellent second baseman to have if you need one. Also, give Fuentes a chance because they will win a good amount of games and someone needs to finish them off.
3) Oakland
Yea: Trust in Billy Beane. Don’t know the pitchers yet but you know that they will be legit in the end. Matt Holliday is a major bat and can contend for some postseason honors if he stays with the team. Chavez has to come around at third base at some point. Orlando Cabrara is an undervalued shortstop. Nomar and Giambi on the team, that’s fun times.
Ney: Dana Eveland, Dallas Braden, Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill and Josh Outman. Ladies and Gentlemen, that’s your A’s starting rotation. I think I’m a knowledgeable baseball fan but I have no idea who those guys are. They may all be studs but I can’t predict them to be great yet. Holliday moving away from Coors Field in an inferior NL West and going to a better league and in one of the worst hitters parks in all of baseball. I’ll take a pass. Plus, if they start off bad, he’s getting traded and the season is really over for them. Chavez can’t stay healthy anymore so don’t rely on him. Nomar and Giambi, pass. Brad Ziegler is the closer. Over and out.
Fantasy focus: Tread very lightly with Holliday. I avoided him with a 100-foot pole in both of my fantasy leagues for the reasons mentioned above. No one knows about their pitchers but someone has to win those games so keep an eye out for them and pick one up about a month into the season before anyone realizes how good they are. It Billy Beane, one or two of those guys are going to turn out to be excellent.
4) Texas
Yea: Hitting. Ian Kinsler, Chris Davis, Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and Hank Blaylock are all major hitting threats. I’m still bullish on Saltalamacchia and like the potential of Elvis Andrus at short. Andruw Jones and Omar Vizquel are some vets to have around.
Ney: Pitching. Same frickin story with Texas. They can hit but can’t pitch. I don’t like one of their pitchers. What, you have faith in Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Kris Benson, Eddie Guardado, Derrick Turnbow? Do I have to continue? On the hitting side, you have to be concerned with the health of Hamilton. He wears down or gets hurt every season.
Fantasy focus: This is a great fantasy team to look at for hitting. Do all you can to get all of the hitting threats I mentioned above. Their pitching is brutal so they’re will be lots of scoring. However, everyone in your league knows this as well so take a flyer on Elvis before others start looking at picking him up.
OK, that’s all for the AL in general. NL is tomorrow. Time for some sleep.
Ok, on to the AL West:
1) Seattle
Yea: OK, hear me out because I know it’s a stretch. First, its no fun picking Anaheim to win this division every year. Starting rotation is the best from top to bottom. Felix Hernandez is winning the Cy Young Award this season darn it! Bedard is going to have a better second season in Seattle. I like Morrow as a closer. Ichiro is still a respectable force and Beltre is good as well. Griffey is back home and can now DH and save his legs for hitting.
Ney: I’m basing my pick on a healthy Bedard and Hernandez. Not happening. Outside of Ichiro and Beltre, what else do they have in that lineup? The rotation doesn’t inspire much hope. Griffey has seen better days.
Fantasy Focus: This isn’t a good fantasy baseball team. Look at picking up Morrow because they will win some games and he will give you some saves.
2) Anaheim (I refuse to call them the LA Angels of whatever)
Yea: Best team on paper in division. Vlad Guerrero is still a major power threat. Outfield overall has major depth to rotate guys around and rest people. Abreu was an excellent, cheap pickup. Infield is decent, especially if Kendrick and Figgins can stay healthy at second base and third base respectively. Rotation is solid with Lackey, Escobar, Santana and Weaver. Scioscia is an excellent manager.
Ney: Old team in wrong spots, especially the outfield. All five guys vying for positions, accept for maybe Rivera, are high risk for injuries. Kendrick and Figgins are high-risk injury guys as well. Top two starters, Lackey and Santana are starting season on DL, not a good sign. They just need to stay healthy in general and I’m not banking on it. Lost K-Rod to free agency. Is Brian Fuentes really the answer as a closer? Lost Tex to Yankees in free agency. Is Kendry Morales the answer at first base?
Fantasy focus: Avoid their outfielders because you don’t know who is going to play where on what day. Kendrick is an excellent second baseman to have if you need one. Also, give Fuentes a chance because they will win a good amount of games and someone needs to finish them off.
3) Oakland
Yea: Trust in Billy Beane. Don’t know the pitchers yet but you know that they will be legit in the end. Matt Holliday is a major bat and can contend for some postseason honors if he stays with the team. Chavez has to come around at third base at some point. Orlando Cabrara is an undervalued shortstop. Nomar and Giambi on the team, that’s fun times.
Ney: Dana Eveland, Dallas Braden, Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill and Josh Outman. Ladies and Gentlemen, that’s your A’s starting rotation. I think I’m a knowledgeable baseball fan but I have no idea who those guys are. They may all be studs but I can’t predict them to be great yet. Holliday moving away from Coors Field in an inferior NL West and going to a better league and in one of the worst hitters parks in all of baseball. I’ll take a pass. Plus, if they start off bad, he’s getting traded and the season is really over for them. Chavez can’t stay healthy anymore so don’t rely on him. Nomar and Giambi, pass. Brad Ziegler is the closer. Over and out.
Fantasy focus: Tread very lightly with Holliday. I avoided him with a 100-foot pole in both of my fantasy leagues for the reasons mentioned above. No one knows about their pitchers but someone has to win those games so keep an eye out for them and pick one up about a month into the season before anyone realizes how good they are. It Billy Beane, one or two of those guys are going to turn out to be excellent.
4) Texas
Yea: Hitting. Ian Kinsler, Chris Davis, Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and Hank Blaylock are all major hitting threats. I’m still bullish on Saltalamacchia and like the potential of Elvis Andrus at short. Andruw Jones and Omar Vizquel are some vets to have around.
Ney: Pitching. Same frickin story with Texas. They can hit but can’t pitch. I don’t like one of their pitchers. What, you have faith in Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Kris Benson, Eddie Guardado, Derrick Turnbow? Do I have to continue? On the hitting side, you have to be concerned with the health of Hamilton. He wears down or gets hurt every season.
Fantasy focus: This is a great fantasy team to look at for hitting. Do all you can to get all of the hitting threats I mentioned above. Their pitching is brutal so they’re will be lots of scoring. However, everyone in your league knows this as well so take a flyer on Elvis before others start looking at picking him up.
OK, that’s all for the AL in general. NL is tomorrow. Time for some sleep.
1 comment:
Do you not listen to Tim Kurkjian from ESPN. He said, "For all those people who do not believe Matt Holiday is going to hit because he moved to Oakland, are idiots." Matt Holiday is the man. I would love to have him on my fantasy team.
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