Carlos Zambrano. Is he the Cy Young candidate that everyone was looking for, or is he a guy that people are going to have anxiety attacks over every time he takes the hill? The answer is simple; he gets better as the season goes on. Last season, his April numbers looked like this: 6 starts, 33 innings, a 0-2 record, 5.35 ERA, and a 1.72 WHIP. From May to July he was 12-1, and is 117 innings he gave up just 35 runs. In May and June his ERA was under 2.00, and his WHIP was just over 1.00.
Those numbers alone should inform you that his best months are on their way. After tomorrow the calendar turns to May. A pitcher like this has been one of the biggest first month disappointments that anyone has ever seen. He is in a contract year, and was a projected Cy Young candidate at the start of the year. He was also one of the top 5 starters that were drafted around fantasy leagues. Hopefully, no manager who drafted him has traded him already. I have him on my team, and I know first-hand what it was like during this first month. However, what fantasy owners probably didn’t know is that his worst career numbers are against the teams he faced in the first month. Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Cincinnati were the teams he faced in April, and they have forced some of his highest career ERA total with a minimum of 5 starts. His final start against St. Louis this past week is what we should expect from Zambrano in the coming months. He has had good career numbers against St. Louis with an ERA under 3.00.
He was one of the best pitchers throughout the middle of the season last year. In fact he was in a lot of Cy Young talks throughout the middle of the year. He is back in that picture again this season, as well as in negotiation for a new contract. You can rest assure that in the coming months as the weather heats up, so will Carlos. His numbers were staggering last year through the next three months, and only if the bullpen was a little better last year his win total would’ve been a lot higher.
The bottom line is the anxiety attacks should be over as far as Carlos Zambrano is concerned. Hopefully you didn’t panic and make a move to trade him thinking he wasn’t going to product this season. Keep him in your lineups against any competitor because this summer should be fun with Carlos on your roster. There is a lot on the line for Zambrano this season, he knows that, and what you should know is that he will produce in the coming months. He might be a good trade asset later this season as his stock goes higher during his best career months. Don’t panic, we are only a month through and this top pitcher still has a lot to show you.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Late Round Picks Putting Up First Round Numbers?
Hitting has been at a premium for some of the best hitters to start this season. A lot of postponements have turned the season’s first month into a month that has been dominated by pitching. Only now at the end of April are we starting to see the league’s better hitters get going. This will hurt their fantasy production over the course of the year, however, as we move into May, be prepared to see more runs scored as the weather starts to get warmer.
Looking at some of the best hitters in fantasy right now, only a few first and second round picks have made the list of the top 30. The number one fantasy player through 3 weeks has obviously been Alex Rodriguez who has been pummeling the ball to all fields. Not too far behind him is Jose Reyes, who has more triples than doubles through three weeks. After that, there is a significant distance in fantasy points from the hitter in third, Carlos Beltran. This isn’t where I am trying to make my point.
Through three weeks, you are getting more out of Luis Gonzalez than you are from Matt Holliday; Edgar Renteria more than Miguel Tejada; and Eric Byrnes more than Carl Crawford. Guess where Chase Utley ranks amongst second basemen so far this season? He is 5th best behind guys like Kyle Johnson, Marcus Giles, and Ian Kinsler. These three guys were more than likely drafted after the 15th round, whereas Utley was drafted in the first round.
Another example of this recent inflation of points from late round draft picks is at first base. The list was endless with the number of guys that fill up first base. However, to everyone’s surprise the number one first basemen through three weeks is Justin Morneau. On fantasy lists he was probably 5th or 6th best when it came time to ranking these first basemen. Adrian Gonzalez who is an extremely young talent at first base is in front of Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, and Derek Lee in fantasy points so far.
Teams who drafted the second tier talent at each position seem to be getting more production out of their players than those who went after the top tier players. What this should tell you is that we may be in for a year like we had last. This is good for fantasy because it give everyone a chance to stay competitive. We all know that the guys drafted in the first and second rounds will be at the top by season’s end, but I feel that the gap is closing between the second tier talent and the first tier talent. Continue to watch the talent pool, because this year it may not be a bad idea to have a Ryan Church or David DeJesus. In fact, you may get more production out of them then a Jeff Francoeur or Nick Swisher.
On a different note, it would appear that the Phillies are doing the best they can and are turning around this early season funk they are in. Ryan Howard finally got his first homerun on Sunday; maybe he will begin to heat up. Unfortunately, for the people who draft Alfonso Soriano, you may not see him hit his first homerun for you until May. What a big let- down off a 40-40 year, possibly the worst we have ever seen.
Looking at some of the best hitters in fantasy right now, only a few first and second round picks have made the list of the top 30. The number one fantasy player through 3 weeks has obviously been Alex Rodriguez who has been pummeling the ball to all fields. Not too far behind him is Jose Reyes, who has more triples than doubles through three weeks. After that, there is a significant distance in fantasy points from the hitter in third, Carlos Beltran. This isn’t where I am trying to make my point.
Through three weeks, you are getting more out of Luis Gonzalez than you are from Matt Holliday; Edgar Renteria more than Miguel Tejada; and Eric Byrnes more than Carl Crawford. Guess where Chase Utley ranks amongst second basemen so far this season? He is 5th best behind guys like Kyle Johnson, Marcus Giles, and Ian Kinsler. These three guys were more than likely drafted after the 15th round, whereas Utley was drafted in the first round.
Another example of this recent inflation of points from late round draft picks is at first base. The list was endless with the number of guys that fill up first base. However, to everyone’s surprise the number one first basemen through three weeks is Justin Morneau. On fantasy lists he was probably 5th or 6th best when it came time to ranking these first basemen. Adrian Gonzalez who is an extremely young talent at first base is in front of Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, and Derek Lee in fantasy points so far.
Teams who drafted the second tier talent at each position seem to be getting more production out of their players than those who went after the top tier players. What this should tell you is that we may be in for a year like we had last. This is good for fantasy because it give everyone a chance to stay competitive. We all know that the guys drafted in the first and second rounds will be at the top by season’s end, but I feel that the gap is closing between the second tier talent and the first tier talent. Continue to watch the talent pool, because this year it may not be a bad idea to have a Ryan Church or David DeJesus. In fact, you may get more production out of them then a Jeff Francoeur or Nick Swisher.
On a different note, it would appear that the Phillies are doing the best they can and are turning around this early season funk they are in. Ryan Howard finally got his first homerun on Sunday; maybe he will begin to heat up. Unfortunately, for the people who draft Alfonso Soriano, you may not see him hit his first homerun for you until May. What a big let- down off a 40-40 year, possibly the worst we have ever seen.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
The Philadelphia Phillies: Slow Starters, or Overrated?
The Philadelphia Phillies have turned out starting slow again. With multiple picks in the first two or three rounds it would seem that we drafted them backwards. In almost all drafts the order went Howard, Utley, and Rollins as the top three Phillies drafted. Here at the end of week 2 it would appear that the production between the three of them doesn’t reflect their draft picks. Rollins has been the most productive, with Utley at second and Howard at third. Let’s break this team down.
A lot of fans and people around baseball felt the Phillies were going to be a force in the National League. This team was expected to beat the Mets in their division. However, the only thing that everyone forgot to look at when saying that the Phillies are a team on the rise is their bullpen. A bullpen that features very little as far as relief is concerned. I feel like their closer can still get the job done, but will need a couple of days rest between appearances in order to be effective. Guys like Ryan Madsen, Geoff Geary, Antonio Alfonseca, Matt Smith, Jon Lieber, and Francisco Rosario will continue to struggle, and they do not solve the puzzle on how to get to the ninth inning and Tom Gordon in the long run.
After the bullpen comes the rotation. Brett Myers has great potential to be a leader at top the rotation. Just a few seasons ago, he was the fourth or fifth starter, and now is the number one guy. With being the man at the top of the rotation you have great responsibility, which Myers has yet to grasp this season. He had a great year with ERA and was very durable, pitching in almost 200 innings last year. This season he is off to a 0-2 starts with an ERA of 9.39. Not what you want from your number one. These numbers have to come down if the Phillies want to be competitive this year. Adam Eaton is coming off of injury this year and has gotten off to a 1-1 record with an ERA of 6.94. He is their number four guy in the rotation. Eaton is an interesting pickup in the offseason. I feel like he is struggling to be a part of the rotation, and it will take him a few more months to get him to the top of his potential, however I wouldn’t know how good that would be. He hasn’t been very good in his recent seasons and you shouldn’t expect that much from a guy who is coming off of injury this past season. Cole Hamels is the future of the Phillies rotation. He has arguably been the best guy in the rotation so far this season with a 1-0 record and a 3.32 ERA. With 18 strike outs in 19 innings pitched so far this year it would seem that he is going to be the anchor of the rotation. There is nothing bad yet to concern yourself with when it comes to Hamels. He will be the anchor of the rotation for seasons to come. Jamie Moyer is the senior citizen of their rotation; however, he just isn’t pitching like it. His numbers’ are better than Eaton and Myers, and are currently second best in the rotation. He is 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA. I expect his ERA to go up a little bit and the record to be around 500 all year. His numbers have always been solid so there is no reason to worry about his production. As far as Freddy Garcia is concerned, the “X-Factor” in the rotation of the Phillies, we have yet to see him pitch. He will be good, just not dominate. Nobody should be really intimidated by what he is capable of. At this stage in his career the numbers he has put up over the past few seasons will more than likely be repeated this season too. Their good numbers, but he isn’t a guy that will single handedly be the deciding factor in winning the NL East.
Finally, let’s look at the Phillies offense. What’s there to say, outside Jimmy Rollins being one of the top hitters in baseball, their offense hasn’t lived up to the expectations. Victorino has been struggling at the plate, and on the bases. He is fast; he just needs to learn what to do what his speed. Utley and Howard have been nothing short of being cold. Utley had a good game on Saturday, and hopefully it means that he will start to turn it on. Howard on the other hand has been ice cold. Fantasy owners are impatiently waiting for his bat to finally catch fire. He has yet to hit a home run in five games that they have played in Citizen’s Bank Ballpark this year. The reigning MVP is also struggling with his batting average; it’s at .237. He has done nothing for both the Phillies and fantasy owners. He is a major reason why both the Phillies and fantasy teams around the country are struggling. Question marks will rise again in June and July when talking about Pat Burrell. I can see him being traded by the trade deadline this year. He has simply worn out his welcome with the team and will be better suited for a new one. If he doesn’t improve offensively, or doesn’t get traded, he will more than likely be demoted. As far as everyone else is concerned, there is no power production from Helms, Rowand, or Barajas which plays a major role is the lack of production for the guys at the top. This lineup was built to be circular and they are so far from it.
These reasons alone should give you an idea that the Phillies are a team that has a lot of question marks. They have given up 8 unearned runs, which are most in the Majors, and they have a team ERA that is close to 6. It looks like it’s going be a long April once again for a team that is supposed to win their division. I can see them being in contention at the end; however, they will more than likely fall short of a wildcard berth.
A lot of fans and people around baseball felt the Phillies were going to be a force in the National League. This team was expected to beat the Mets in their division. However, the only thing that everyone forgot to look at when saying that the Phillies are a team on the rise is their bullpen. A bullpen that features very little as far as relief is concerned. I feel like their closer can still get the job done, but will need a couple of days rest between appearances in order to be effective. Guys like Ryan Madsen, Geoff Geary, Antonio Alfonseca, Matt Smith, Jon Lieber, and Francisco Rosario will continue to struggle, and they do not solve the puzzle on how to get to the ninth inning and Tom Gordon in the long run.
After the bullpen comes the rotation. Brett Myers has great potential to be a leader at top the rotation. Just a few seasons ago, he was the fourth or fifth starter, and now is the number one guy. With being the man at the top of the rotation you have great responsibility, which Myers has yet to grasp this season. He had a great year with ERA and was very durable, pitching in almost 200 innings last year. This season he is off to a 0-2 starts with an ERA of 9.39. Not what you want from your number one. These numbers have to come down if the Phillies want to be competitive this year. Adam Eaton is coming off of injury this year and has gotten off to a 1-1 record with an ERA of 6.94. He is their number four guy in the rotation. Eaton is an interesting pickup in the offseason. I feel like he is struggling to be a part of the rotation, and it will take him a few more months to get him to the top of his potential, however I wouldn’t know how good that would be. He hasn’t been very good in his recent seasons and you shouldn’t expect that much from a guy who is coming off of injury this past season. Cole Hamels is the future of the Phillies rotation. He has arguably been the best guy in the rotation so far this season with a 1-0 record and a 3.32 ERA. With 18 strike outs in 19 innings pitched so far this year it would seem that he is going to be the anchor of the rotation. There is nothing bad yet to concern yourself with when it comes to Hamels. He will be the anchor of the rotation for seasons to come. Jamie Moyer is the senior citizen of their rotation; however, he just isn’t pitching like it. His numbers’ are better than Eaton and Myers, and are currently second best in the rotation. He is 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA. I expect his ERA to go up a little bit and the record to be around 500 all year. His numbers have always been solid so there is no reason to worry about his production. As far as Freddy Garcia is concerned, the “X-Factor” in the rotation of the Phillies, we have yet to see him pitch. He will be good, just not dominate. Nobody should be really intimidated by what he is capable of. At this stage in his career the numbers he has put up over the past few seasons will more than likely be repeated this season too. Their good numbers, but he isn’t a guy that will single handedly be the deciding factor in winning the NL East.
Finally, let’s look at the Phillies offense. What’s there to say, outside Jimmy Rollins being one of the top hitters in baseball, their offense hasn’t lived up to the expectations. Victorino has been struggling at the plate, and on the bases. He is fast; he just needs to learn what to do what his speed. Utley and Howard have been nothing short of being cold. Utley had a good game on Saturday, and hopefully it means that he will start to turn it on. Howard on the other hand has been ice cold. Fantasy owners are impatiently waiting for his bat to finally catch fire. He has yet to hit a home run in five games that they have played in Citizen’s Bank Ballpark this year. The reigning MVP is also struggling with his batting average; it’s at .237. He has done nothing for both the Phillies and fantasy owners. He is a major reason why both the Phillies and fantasy teams around the country are struggling. Question marks will rise again in June and July when talking about Pat Burrell. I can see him being traded by the trade deadline this year. He has simply worn out his welcome with the team and will be better suited for a new one. If he doesn’t improve offensively, or doesn’t get traded, he will more than likely be demoted. As far as everyone else is concerned, there is no power production from Helms, Rowand, or Barajas which plays a major role is the lack of production for the guys at the top. This lineup was built to be circular and they are so far from it.
These reasons alone should give you an idea that the Phillies are a team that has a lot of question marks. They have given up 8 unearned runs, which are most in the Majors, and they have a team ERA that is close to 6. It looks like it’s going be a long April once again for a team that is supposed to win their division. I can see them being in contention at the end; however, they will more than likely fall short of a wildcard berth.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Don't Worry It's Still Early
Week one is now over. It’s been a week of ups and downs, and a lot of bad weather. It’s also been a bad week for the first round picks. Only a handful of the top 10 to 12 players taken in drafts have really showed up leaving the other half of the owners in leagues concerned. In the league I am in, of the top 30 hitters, only 4 first round picks made the top 30. Pitching is also interesting to look at as guys like Jason Frasor have outscored some of the top starters in the league as well. My answer to you is not to panic, there is a reason why they are all first round picks, and believe me they will all turn around in week 2. Guys like Jose Reyes, A-Rod, Miguel Cabrera, Johan Santana, and Vladimir Guerrerro all seem to be doing their part as first round picks. However, the teams who took Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Alfonso Soriano, David Ortiz, Albert Pujols, Carlos Beltran and Travis Hafner all seem to be wondering what is going on. Albert Pujols is the best hitter in baseball and all of fantasy, he will turn it up. Travis Hafner only played three games this week and never got a real chance to get rolling. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley will get started together, when the Phillies get hot you know these two are in the thick of it. Beltran and Soriano are five tool players and are struggling a little early, don’t get worried these are 40-40 threats every year. All in all it is always tough to go by what happens in the first week. We would all like to get off to a good start in our leagues, however, we all can’t. Rest assure, it is only week 1 and there is no reason to get worried, all of these first round picks deserve to be there. They are the anchors of fantasy team around the country and they will produce.
Who are the guys you should be looking at? Guys like Casey Kotchman, Akinori Iwamura, and Chris B. Young, are all guys that are currently top 30 hitters. One of these might be this year’s Chris Shelton so it might be a good idea to grab one of these players and ride out this hot streak. A spotlight should also be put on the efforts of Salomon Torres this week. Four saves for the Pirates who have got off to a surprising start in a division that anyone can win.
Curtis Granderson is also not a typical top 30 outfielder in fantasy, but he hit two homeruns this week, including a grand slam. Nick Markakis has also had a breakout week in fantasy, and I wouldn’t expect a sophomore slump. Ian Kinsler also fits the category that Markakis is in.
Looking Ahead: The Rangers play the D-rays this week, so I would expect the slow starts of Teixeira and Young to end right there. Rays’ starting pitching is good, but the bullpen has struggled and there doesn’t seem to be an answer coming soon.
There is also an exciting series between the Diamondbacks and the Reds starting on Monday. Two young teams with something to prove will be great to watch. The Yankees always seem to have the Twins’ number in April, and I would think that this run of starters not getting out of the fifth inning will end on Monday. These two are division contenders which will be interesting to watch as well. Speaking of division contenders, the Phillies and the Mets square off for the first time this year. (If you haven’t started Pat Burrell yet, now would be a good time to put him in. He has dominated the Mets.) As far as international baseball is concerned, Ichiro Suzuki will face Daisuke Matsuzaka for the first time in the Major’s here in America. That’s a wrap up of week one. Don’t feel down if you lost, there’s still a load of baseball left to be played. That’s if the weather doesn’t hurt us again. Good luck everyone!
Who are the guys you should be looking at? Guys like Casey Kotchman, Akinori Iwamura, and Chris B. Young, are all guys that are currently top 30 hitters. One of these might be this year’s Chris Shelton so it might be a good idea to grab one of these players and ride out this hot streak. A spotlight should also be put on the efforts of Salomon Torres this week. Four saves for the Pirates who have got off to a surprising start in a division that anyone can win.
Curtis Granderson is also not a typical top 30 outfielder in fantasy, but he hit two homeruns this week, including a grand slam. Nick Markakis has also had a breakout week in fantasy, and I wouldn’t expect a sophomore slump. Ian Kinsler also fits the category that Markakis is in.
Looking Ahead: The Rangers play the D-rays this week, so I would expect the slow starts of Teixeira and Young to end right there. Rays’ starting pitching is good, but the bullpen has struggled and there doesn’t seem to be an answer coming soon.
There is also an exciting series between the Diamondbacks and the Reds starting on Monday. Two young teams with something to prove will be great to watch. The Yankees always seem to have the Twins’ number in April, and I would think that this run of starters not getting out of the fifth inning will end on Monday. These two are division contenders which will be interesting to watch as well. Speaking of division contenders, the Phillies and the Mets square off for the first time this year. (If you haven’t started Pat Burrell yet, now would be a good time to put him in. He has dominated the Mets.) As far as international baseball is concerned, Ichiro Suzuki will face Daisuke Matsuzaka for the first time in the Major’s here in America. That’s a wrap up of week one. Don’t feel down if you lost, there’s still a load of baseball left to be played. That’s if the weather doesn’t hurt us again. Good luck everyone!
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Who's In, Who's Out in 2007
The season is now hours away. By now the fantasy teams have been drafted, your lineups for the opening week are in place, and your pitching staff is set with its probable matchups for the week. With the season’s opener being the rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series between the Mets and the Cardinals, I felt that it was time to give you my picks for division winners, and wild card teams.
AL East-
New York Yankees- Going for their 10th consecutive division championship in 2007, the Yankees may have the best 1, 2, 3, in their rotation in baseball. Their lineup is continuous and it is very hard to find a weak spot. Their rotation has question marks at the start of the year. However, don’t go by that in April. The Yankees are still the best team in their division. The Red Sox will be better than last year and don’t expect an August fall off. The rest of the division is getting better but they have a lot of catching up to do. The Yankee bullpen appears to have gotten better which is a great thing for Rivera. Yankees will be one if the best in baseball this year and will win their 10th straight division title.
AL Central-
Detroit Tigers- The defending American League Champions will be defending their crown in October. This will be a four team race for the majority of the season this year. The Indians, White Sox, Twins, and Tigers, will go back and forth throughout the year. In the end it will come down to pitching. The Tigers led baseball last year in ERA as an American League team. Their offense now has a standout bat in Gary Sheffield. Their lineup was good enough last year with a lot of balanced power with a handful of 20+ homerun guys. Sheffield will bring more depth to the lineup. Their bullpen is comparable to the Twins who are projected to have the best bullpen. In the end Detroit will end out on top.
AL West-
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- the Angels coming out of the spring appear to have the best team. They have some great young guys in their rotation, they have a very good bullpen, and their closer is the best in the game. Their lineup is aging, but that still won’t stop them from putting up numbers in the coming season. This division is interesting because I feel that everyone has gotten better and anyone can win the division. But when in doubt u have to take the team that has the best pitching. The Angels are that team. The A’s could challenge them, but will need consistency from Harden and Blanton. However, after that the A’s don’t have enough fire power in their offense to keep pace with the Angels. Angels are the most balanced team in the division and will be in October as AL West Champions.
AL Wildcard-
Boston Red Sox- They may finish behind the Yankees again this year, but they won’t finish out of the playoffs again. The rotation of the Red Sox is very good, and has gotten a lot better with Matsuzaka. Their bullpen has Papelbon back at closer. It worked out fine for them last year and should do the same this year. By the way, they also have Manny and Papi. This is the most formidable 1, 2 punch in baseball. They rebuilt around them and are geared up to take down the Yankees. I think they will fall short but still become the AL wildcard winner.
NL East-
New York Mets- Don’t worry about their rotation problems here in April, it won’t matter by the end of May. The Mets have a lineup that can be compared to AL lineups. They have the two best young hitters in the game in Wright and Reyes, and their bullpen will still be consistent. Their rotation has a lot to prove, but even on days where they struggle, their offense can bail them out and get the win. Either way I still feel they are the best team in their division. It won’t be as easy as it was last year when they won the division in June, but they can still win it.
NL Central-
St. Louis Cardinals- The defending champions will be back in October this year. Five out of the six of these teams in this division can win it. However, don’t sell the Cardinals rotation that fast. The young guys in Wainwright and Reyes can hold their ground in the rotation. They will get Mulder back later in the year also. Isringhausen is a solid closer in the back of the bullpen, and they also have Albert Pujols. Bottom line is you cannot expect the Cubs to make a 40 win jump from last year, the Brewers and Astros will hang tough for a while but their inexperience will eventually cost them. You can make arguments for everyone, but when in doubt u have to go with the team that has been there before.
NL West-
San Diego Padres- Like the AL Central, this division will be a dog fight all year. All 5 of the teams can make a case for winning this division. The division winner will likely has 88-93 wins because they will be beating up on each other all season. I like the Padres rotation more than the Dodgers, and their lineup has guys that should have bounce back years. Their rotation is a mix of veterans and youngsters that will show their ability in 2007. The Dodgers are a good team but I feel like they have a lot of questions about health, age, and experience that will prevent them from taking this division. The Giants are too old, and in the near future will get younger, the Rockies are missing an ace, and the Diamondbacks are too young. I feel the Padres can pull this division out in a race that can go down to the last day.
NL Wildcard-
Milwaukee Brewers- It’s time this team gets the opportunity that it deserves. I feel that the Brewers will have a chance due to the ongoing battles for the east and west divisions. While those teams beat each other down it will give a central team a central team a chance to take control of the wildcard. The Brewers are that team. Their rotation doesn’t stand out but there is a lot of consistency throughout. The bullpen is sold, especially if Turnbow can have a bounce back year, and their lineup is at the age where they can have a breakout year. This is a sleeper pick of mine to win the wildcard, and can shock you with some big wins in 2007.
Those are my projections to make it to the playoffs in 2007. It’s going to be a great year to watch the young pitchers and hitters develop over the course of the year. You will be hearing from me on a more frequent basis now that the season has started. Good Luck in fantasy and let’s enjoy the year!
AL East-
New York Yankees- Going for their 10th consecutive division championship in 2007, the Yankees may have the best 1, 2, 3, in their rotation in baseball. Their lineup is continuous and it is very hard to find a weak spot. Their rotation has question marks at the start of the year. However, don’t go by that in April. The Yankees are still the best team in their division. The Red Sox will be better than last year and don’t expect an August fall off. The rest of the division is getting better but they have a lot of catching up to do. The Yankee bullpen appears to have gotten better which is a great thing for Rivera. Yankees will be one if the best in baseball this year and will win their 10th straight division title.
AL Central-
Detroit Tigers- The defending American League Champions will be defending their crown in October. This will be a four team race for the majority of the season this year. The Indians, White Sox, Twins, and Tigers, will go back and forth throughout the year. In the end it will come down to pitching. The Tigers led baseball last year in ERA as an American League team. Their offense now has a standout bat in Gary Sheffield. Their lineup was good enough last year with a lot of balanced power with a handful of 20+ homerun guys. Sheffield will bring more depth to the lineup. Their bullpen is comparable to the Twins who are projected to have the best bullpen. In the end Detroit will end out on top.
AL West-
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- the Angels coming out of the spring appear to have the best team. They have some great young guys in their rotation, they have a very good bullpen, and their closer is the best in the game. Their lineup is aging, but that still won’t stop them from putting up numbers in the coming season. This division is interesting because I feel that everyone has gotten better and anyone can win the division. But when in doubt u have to take the team that has the best pitching. The Angels are that team. The A’s could challenge them, but will need consistency from Harden and Blanton. However, after that the A’s don’t have enough fire power in their offense to keep pace with the Angels. Angels are the most balanced team in the division and will be in October as AL West Champions.
AL Wildcard-
Boston Red Sox- They may finish behind the Yankees again this year, but they won’t finish out of the playoffs again. The rotation of the Red Sox is very good, and has gotten a lot better with Matsuzaka. Their bullpen has Papelbon back at closer. It worked out fine for them last year and should do the same this year. By the way, they also have Manny and Papi. This is the most formidable 1, 2 punch in baseball. They rebuilt around them and are geared up to take down the Yankees. I think they will fall short but still become the AL wildcard winner.
NL East-
New York Mets- Don’t worry about their rotation problems here in April, it won’t matter by the end of May. The Mets have a lineup that can be compared to AL lineups. They have the two best young hitters in the game in Wright and Reyes, and their bullpen will still be consistent. Their rotation has a lot to prove, but even on days where they struggle, their offense can bail them out and get the win. Either way I still feel they are the best team in their division. It won’t be as easy as it was last year when they won the division in June, but they can still win it.
NL Central-
St. Louis Cardinals- The defending champions will be back in October this year. Five out of the six of these teams in this division can win it. However, don’t sell the Cardinals rotation that fast. The young guys in Wainwright and Reyes can hold their ground in the rotation. They will get Mulder back later in the year also. Isringhausen is a solid closer in the back of the bullpen, and they also have Albert Pujols. Bottom line is you cannot expect the Cubs to make a 40 win jump from last year, the Brewers and Astros will hang tough for a while but their inexperience will eventually cost them. You can make arguments for everyone, but when in doubt u have to go with the team that has been there before.
NL West-
San Diego Padres- Like the AL Central, this division will be a dog fight all year. All 5 of the teams can make a case for winning this division. The division winner will likely has 88-93 wins because they will be beating up on each other all season. I like the Padres rotation more than the Dodgers, and their lineup has guys that should have bounce back years. Their rotation is a mix of veterans and youngsters that will show their ability in 2007. The Dodgers are a good team but I feel like they have a lot of questions about health, age, and experience that will prevent them from taking this division. The Giants are too old, and in the near future will get younger, the Rockies are missing an ace, and the Diamondbacks are too young. I feel the Padres can pull this division out in a race that can go down to the last day.
NL Wildcard-
Milwaukee Brewers- It’s time this team gets the opportunity that it deserves. I feel that the Brewers will have a chance due to the ongoing battles for the east and west divisions. While those teams beat each other down it will give a central team a central team a chance to take control of the wildcard. The Brewers are that team. Their rotation doesn’t stand out but there is a lot of consistency throughout. The bullpen is sold, especially if Turnbow can have a bounce back year, and their lineup is at the age where they can have a breakout year. This is a sleeper pick of mine to win the wildcard, and can shock you with some big wins in 2007.
Those are my projections to make it to the playoffs in 2007. It’s going to be a great year to watch the young pitchers and hitters develop over the course of the year. You will be hearing from me on a more frequent basis now that the season has started. Good Luck in fantasy and let’s enjoy the year!
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