Top Of The Third: March 2016

Thursday 31 March 2016

2016 MLB Team Preview: New York Yankees

New York Yankees

2015 Win/Loss Record: 87-75, 2^nd in American League East

Last Postseason Appearance: 2015

Last World Series Championship: 2009

Key Arrivals: Aroldis Chapman (P), Starlin Castro (INF), Aaron Hicks (OF)

Key Departures: Stephen Drew (INF), Justin Wilson (P), Chris Young (OF)

Manager: Joe Girardi, 9^th Year W/L 735-561

(813-645 in 9 years with Marlins and Yankees)

Overall Review: The last time the New York Yankees finished with a losing record was 1992. That means 23 years of playing better than .500 ball, including 18 postseason appearances, 14 division titles, seven American League Pennants and five World Series Championships. But all that history meant nothing when they couldn’t score a run off Houston in the Wild Card game. And it meant even little when they held as much as an eight-game lead in the division in July, but struggled home to finish six games back of Toronto.

The days are gone when the Yankees made the postseason another episode of “How much can we spend this year to buy a championship.” The dangers of falling into bad habits of overpaying players (Jason Giambi, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Johnny Damon) who were past their prime is gone. There are still a few mistake contracts to come off the books (A-Rod, Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia and Jacoby Ellsbury) and then the Yankees will be taking the step in the right direction to build a contender the proper way: from within and by adding a few pieces along the way.

Offense: The only current youth movement going on in the Bronx right now is up the middle. Shortstop Didi Gregorious didn’t exactly replace Derek Jeter (but how can you replace one of the greatest players in team history) but he held his own. His average was .265, he hit nine home runs and added 56 RBIs. At 25, he was the only member of the starting nine from 2015 that was under the age of 30. Enter another 25-year old, Starlin Castro at second base. Last year with the Cubs, Castro hit .265, 11 home runs and 69 RBIs.

Everyone after that is getting a bit long in the tooth. While Teixeira had a decent season (.255, 31, 79) his proneness to injury is rendering him ineffective. He missed most of the final two months with a fractured shin. And then there’s Alex Rodriguez. Despite his off-field problems, A-Rod can still hit the long ball. He hit 33 last year and is only 13 dingers away from being the fourth player in history to reach the 700 mark. He still sits 75 behind Barry Bonds for the all-time lead, but at 40 years of age, how much longer he can play effectively remains to be seen. He tailed off towards the end of the season.

Pitching: Let’s forget about the rotation for a second and focus on the bullpen. The Yankees made perhaps one of their best deals in many years when they acquired closer Aroldis Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds. In 2015, he saved 33 games for a last-place club (bringing his career total to 146) had a 1.63 ERA and brings the Yankees the closer they’ve been looking for since Mariano Rivera retired in 2013.

Back to the rotation, Masahiro Tanaka will be the ace and in 2015, he posted a 12-7 record, with a 3.51 ERA and 139 strike outs. Two young starters, Michael Pineda (12-10, 4.37, 121) and Nathan Eovaldi (14-3, 4.20, 156) had impressive years last season and will have to continue to improve if the Yankees are to duplicate or improve upon their Wild Card spot from last year. Former ace, Sabathia, is merely a shadow of his former self. Injuries have taken a toll on the hefty left-hander and it will be an accomplishment if he can get through the season healthy.

Yankees' catcher Brian McCann

Prediction: The Yankees are heading in the right direction, trying to bring in some younger players, specifically in the starting rotation and the bullpen. However, their aging lineup is what will keep them out of the playoffs in 2016. A third-place finish will be the likely result this year, but if the Red Sox don’t improve like everyone thinks they will, the Yankees will finish a distant second to Toronto.

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Wednesday 30 March 2016

2016 MLB Team Preview: Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

2015 Win/Loss Record: 78-84, 5^th in American League East

Last Postseason Appearance: 2013

Last World Series Championship: 2013

Key Arrivals: David Price (P), Craig Kimbrel (P)

Key Departures: Wade Miley (P)

Manager: John Farrell, 4^th Year W/L 246-240
(400-410 in 5 years with Blue Jays and Red Sox)

Overall Review: Here’s how the last four years have gone for the Boston Red Sox: last place, World Champions, last place, last place. And there’s not a team in baseball who wouldn’t trade three last-place finishes for a World Championship sandwiched in the middle. But the 2015 Sox were much improved from the 2014 edition, despite missing some of the key players in the line up due to injuries. Dustin Pedroia, Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez all missed significant time last year.

So despite the big-name pitching acquisitions Boston made in the offseason, if the Red Sox are to climb out of the basement and into postseason contention again, it will be the return to health of the line-up. But, of course, some of the pitching performances of 2015 leave much to be desired as well.

Offense: Much is going to be made—and pretty much already has been—of David Ortiz’s impending retirement that will follow the 2016 season. Big Papi will be 40 years old this year and he’s hoping he can have one more All-Star calibre season in his great career. Last year his home run and RBI total of 37 and 108, were the highest he’s had in both categories since 2007. One can just hope that the Red Sox don’t take the focus off of the team and place it on one player for the whole season.

Because there’s plenty of other stories to be told on this Boston team. The first being if former AL MVP Pedroia can play his first full season since 2013. Even though he only appeared in 93 games last year, he still managed to hit .291, hit 12 homers and drive in 42 runs. He’s also a team leader and Boston needs his presence in their line-up. Another story to look at is if Pablo Sandoval will live up to the big contract he signed prior to 2014. You’d have to say Year One in Boston was rather disappointing as the Panda only batted .245 with ten home runs and 47 RBIs. Of course, he wasn’t exactly a model of regular season consistency when he was with the Giants either. If Boston can get into the playoffs, that’s when he will earn the contract he received.

Pitching: The Red Sox were the big winners in the David Price sweepstakes. But Price is now with his fourth team in the last two years and while his regular season numbers have been impressive, he has been a complete bust in the playoffs. In 14 playoff games with the Rays, Tigers and Blue Jays, Price has an ERA of 5.12 and a record of 2-7, and neither of those wins came as a starter. Rick Porcello is pencilled in to be the number two starter and he struggled last year with a 9-15 record, a 4.92 ERA and 149 strikeouts. Rounding out the starting staff will be Eduardo Rodriguez (10-6, 3.85, 98), Clay Buchholz (7-7, 3.26, 107 in only 18 starts) and Joe Kelly (10-6, 4.82, 110).

The trade with the Padres that netted closer Craig Kimbrel will probably prove to be a bigger acquisition than Price. Kimbrel saved 39 games for a pitiful San Diego team last year and his high-nineties fastball makes him virtually unhittable. Former closer Koji Uehara will be one of the best set-up men in all of baseball. The problem is, will the starting rotation be able to pass leads on to these two relievers? That will be the test for the Red Sox.

Second baseman Dustin Pedroia

Prediction: Health is the priority for Boston in 2016. If everyone stays healthy, the Red Sox will not spend a third consecutive season in the basement. They aren’t quite ready to compete with Toronto for the division, but will easily pass the Orioles and Rays. What will determine their spot in the standings at the end of the year will be how they stack up with the Yankees. They should be able to catch and pass the aging New Yorkers and finish in second in the AL East. The top Wild Card spot beckons.

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Tuesday 29 March 2016

2016 MLB Team Preview: Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles

2015 Win/Loss Record: 81-81, 3^rd in American League East

Last Postseason Appearance: 2014

Last World Series Championship: 1983

Key Arrivals: Mark Trumbo (1B), Hyun-Soo Kim (OF)

Key Departures: Gerardo Perra (OF), Steve Pearce (OF)

Manager: Buck Showalter, 7^th Year W/L 485-409

(1340-1242 in 17 years with Yankee, D-Backs, Rangers and Orioles)

Overall Review: The Baltimore Orioles took a huge step backwards in 2015. After winning 96 games and the AL East title a year earlier, the Orioles only managed 81 wins and finished 12 games back of the first-place Toronto Blue Jays. Unfortunately, it appears the Orioles will continue their descent in 2016 as they didn’t do much in the way of upgrading their team, while division rivals Boston and New York were busy building their team to challenge Toronto, and Tampa Bay is going to see their next youth movement make progress this year.

One bit of good news is the re-signing of first baseman Chris Davis. For a while, it looked like the slugger would be out the door, signing with a different team. But at the eleventh hour, the Orioles got the job done and retained him. Losing Davis would have hurt Baltimore quite a bit, maybe too much to recover from.

Offense: Having Davis’s bat in the line-up was essential for the Orioles to mount any kind of threat this year. In 2015, the slugger bashed a league-leading 47 home runs and added 117 RBIs. It was the second time in three years he was the AL’s home run leader after smacking 53 in 2013. His strikeouts, however, have to be a concern. In 2013 he whiffed 199 times, 173 times in 2014 (in only 127 games) and 208 times last year. Go big or go home, I guess you could say with Davis. There are two more sluggers in the Orioles line-up. Third baseman Manny Machado, who hit 35 dingers, drove in 86 and even batted .286, and centre-fielder Adam Jones (.269, 27, 82) are both able to show some power at a lower cost of strikeouts (111 and 102 respectively.)

A big reason for the O’s shortcomings last year was the injury problems of the middle infielders. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop (.279, 15, and 39) only played in 86 games while shortstop J.J. Hardy (.219, 8, 37) played in 114. If the two of them can stay healthy, Baltimore has even more power potential, which they will need if they hope to get back to the top of the division.

Pitching: Looking at the starting rotation doesn’t exactly strike fear in opponents. Their mediocre performance is one of the reasons the Orioles slid to third place last year. Their best pitcher, Wei-Yin Chen is gone, leaving Ubaldo Jimenez as the ace. In 2015, Jimenez was 12-10, had a 4.11 ERA and struck out 168 batters. The number two guy will be Kevin Gausman. Last year, in 25 appearances—17 starts—Gausman was 4-7, had a 4.25 ERA and struck out 103. Rounding out the rotation will be Chris Tillman (11-11, 4.99, 120), Miguel Gonzalez (9-12, 4.91, 109) and Dylan Bundy, who has been limited to 63 minor league innings over the past three season due to injuries to his shoulder and elbow.

Closer Zach Britton will anchor the Baltimore bullpen for the third consecutive year. Despite the Orioles winning 15 less games, Britton still saved 36 in 2015, down only one from a year ago. His ERA jumped a bit but you can’t complain when it sits at 1.92. Darren O’Day will provide some help in the pen as the primary set-up man. Last year, O’Day won six games in relief and saved six as well. His ERA was 1.52 and he struck out 82 batters.

O's slugger Chris Davis

Prediction: The Orioles won’t be able to catch Toronto or the Yankees in 2016. They will also watch the Red Sox and Rays jump ahead of them. For a team that made it to the ALCS just two years ago, a last-place finish will be a huge disappointment for both the team and fans. However, the basement is where the Orioles will end up this year. There’s not enough good starting pitching to go along with the power bats in the line up.

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Monday 28 March 2016

2016 MLB Team Preview: Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins

2015 Win/Loss Record: 83-79, 2^nd in American League Central

Last Postseason Appearance: 2010

Last World Series Championship: 1991

Key Arrivals: John Ryan Murphy (C), Byung Ho Park (INF)

Key Departures: Torii Hunter (OF), Mike Pelfrey (P), Aaron Hicks (OF)

Manager: Paul Molitor, 2^nd Year W/L 83-79

Overall Review: After their back-to-back division titles in 2009 and 2010, the Twins fell hard into last place with 99 losses. It’s been a five-year trip, but Minnesota is slowly building themselves into contenders again. The one thing you can say about the organization is that they like stability. Since 1986, they’ve had three managers: Tom Kelly, Ron Gardenhire and now Paul Molitor is in his second year.

They finished second in the division in 2015, and like the Indians, they could finish in last place this season, but that doesn’t mean they’re a bad team. The front office didn’t do much in the way of bringing in any top-tier players to help improve on their efforts from a year ago, so it’s up to the young core of players they have to continue to get better both as individuals and as a team.

Offense: Not one player on the team managed to hit .300 last year. In fact the highest average on the team belonged to outfielder Eddie Rosario at .267, and he’s not even in the plans to be an everyday player in 2016. Second baseman Brian Dozier was the primary source of power last year. Despite an anemic .236 batting average, he did smash 28 home runs and had 77 RBIs. Third baseman Trevor Plouffe contributed with a .244 average, 22 home runs and 86 RBIs.

First baseman Joe Mauer is still plugging along, despite not being the offensive threat he used to be. Last season, he batted .265, hit ten homers and drove in 66 runs. New to the Majors this year will be Korean League sensation Byung Ho Park. While he is recognized as a power threat, he did strike out once every 4.2 plate appearances in Korea. One has to wonder how the Big League pitchers will handle him. Centre-fielder Bryon Buxton appeared in 46 games in his first season with the Twins. And while his numbers were nothing to write home about (.209, 2, 6) he did play superbly while in the outfield, not making an error in 117 chances.

Pitching: Phil Hughes will be the ace of the pitching staff for Minnesota. While he’s really never lived up to the hype he had when he started with the Yankees a decade ago, he has been a decent pitcher chalking up 83 wins against 69 losses over his nine-year career. Last year he was 11-9, with a 4.40 ERA. Ervin Santana was 7-5, had a 4.00 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 17 games last year. A full season could see him win 15 in 2016. Also in the starting rotation will be Kyle Gibson (11-11, 3.84, 145), Tommy Milone (9-5, 3.92, 91) and Ricky Nolasco (5-2, 6.75, 35 in eight starts).

As for the bullpen, closer Glen Perkins has saved 118 games since 2012 and that includes the 32 he had last season. His ERA is fairly high for a closer (3.32) and he did lose five games in relief, but he’s the best option the Twins have at the moment. The set-up man will be Kevin Jepsen, who in 2015 appeared in 29 games and saved ten games. His ERA is more respectable as a reliever at 1.61 and he could occupy the closer’s role by the end of the season.

Manager Paul Molitor

Prediction: After a second place finish last year, expect the Twins to fall back into fourth place in 2016. The Royals are still the division’s best and the Tigers and White Sox made significant upgrades to compete for one of the Wild Card spots. But, as with the Indians, if the pitching falls into place and the offense gets some timely hits, the Twins could make the jump into the postseason for the first time in six years.

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Sunday 27 March 2016

2016 MLB Team Preview: Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals

2015 Win/Loss Record: 95-67, 1^st in American League Central, Won World Series

Last Postseason Appearance: 2015

Last World Series Championship: 2015

Key Arrivals: Tony Cruz (C), Joakim Soria (P)

Key Departures: Johnny Cueto (P), Ben Zobrist (2B), Ryan Madson (P)

Manager: Ned Yost, 7^th Year W/L 468-469
(925-971 in 12 years with Brewers and Royals)

Overall Review: For a while during the ALDS against Houston, it appeared that the Royals were finished. Down two games to one and trailing Game 4 by a score of 6-2 in the eighth inning, the Royals showed why they were the best team in baseball. They rallied to win the fourth game, came from behind again in the fifth game to knock out the Astros, outlasted the Blue Jays in the ALCS and easily disposed of the Mets in the World Series.

There’s no reason to think the Royals won’t repeat. They didn’t lose much. Their offense is still intact and their pitching will survive the loss of Johnny Cueto, who really didn’t help them much anyway. They are in the toughest division in baseball (top to bottom) and as the champions, they’ll be sporting a big bull’s eye, but the Royals have already proven they can overcome adversity.

Offense: Yes, the Angels’ Mike Trout and the Pirates’ Andrew McCutcheon are outstanding ball players. But I will take Lorenzo Cain as my starting centre-fielder over anyone in all of baseball. A few injuries limited him to 140 games last year, but he still hit .307, 16 home runs and added 72 RBIs, while stealing 28 bases. Yes the two centre-fielders I mentioned have put together better stats…in the regular season. Cain can get it done when it counts: the postseason. In 31 playoff games in 2014 and 2015, Cain has a .295 average, one home run, 19 RBIs and eight stolen bases.

He has a lot of help in the line-up as well. Catcher Salvador Perez (.260, 21, 70), first baseman Eric Hosmer (.297, 18, 93) and left-fielder Alex Gordon (.271, 13, 48) all made key contributions during Kansas City’s playoff runs over the last two years. And it looks like speedster Jarrod Dyson will finally get his chance to play everyday as he’s scheduled to start in right field. In 90 games last year, Dyson only batted .250 but he did steal 26 bases. The more he plays, the more he’ll get on base, and the more he’ll steal.

Pitching: Even with the timely hitting of the offense, it’s the pitching that won the World Series for the Royals. The starting staff is led by two Latin-American fireballers: Yordano Ventura and Edinson Voloquez. Ventura will be the ace and in 2015 he was 13-8, posted a 4.08 ERA and struck out 156 batters. He’s still only 25 and is learning to be a better pitcher every year. Voloquez finished 2015 with a 13-9 record, a 3.55 ERA and struck out 155 batters. The other three hurlers will be Chris Young (11-6, 3.06, 83), Danny Duffy (7-8, 4.08, 102) and Kris Medlen (6-2, 4.01, 40, in eight starts and seven relief appearances.)

The bullpen took a hit with the loss of Ryan Madson but they’re still potent. The closer will be Wade Davis again. Last year, Davis saved 17 games after the team lost Greg Holland to an elbow injury. Davis also won eight games out of the pen, had a 0.94 ERA and struck out 49 batters. Kelvin Herrera will be the Royals’ set-up man, but he has the tools to one day be a Big League closer. In 2015, Herrera made 72 relief appearances, striking out 62 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings, had a 4-3 record and posted a 2.71 ERA.

Kansas City centre-fielder Lorenzo Cain

Prediction: Another first place finish in the AL Central is in store for the Royals. But another World Series championship might be hard to come by. The Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays both have line-ups capable of ousting the Royals in a short series. However, never count the champions out. They didn’t get there by accident and they still have a line-up worthy of being baseball’s first back-to-back champions since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000.

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Saturday 26 March 2016

This Day In Blue Jays' History: March 26, 1976

It was on this date in 1976 that the city of Toronto was awarded an American League franchise, scheduled to begin play in the 1977 season. First, a little background.

The San Francisco Giants had been losing money and owner Horace Stoneham was looking to sell the team. A Toronto group, led by Don McDougall, president of Labatt Breweries of Canada, Ltd, Howard Webster, president of the Globe and Mail newspaper, and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada, offered Stoneham $13.25 million to purchase the team and move it to Toronto. In January of 1976, Stoneham accepted the offer and the team (which would be called the Toronto Giants) was set to begin play in the National League in April of 1976, with their home games being played at Exhibition Stadium, a football stadium renovated to accommodate baseball.

Exhibition Stadium, the first home of the Toronto club

However, A United States court blocked the move and the sale, allowing real estate magnate Bob Lurie to come in (riding the white horse) and purchase the team keeping it in San Francisco.

In March, though, the American League decided to expand for the 1977 season, and on March 26^th, Toronto was selected as one of the two cities with Seattle as the other. Another threat, however, emerged as U.S. President Gerald Ford put pressure on Major League Baseball to award Washington, D.C. the franchise instead of Toronto. While some of the media expressed concern, MLB basically ignored the pressure Ford put on them and Toronto kept the expansion franchise.

Paul Beeston
The Toronto club's first employee

The ownership was formed by the same group that attempted to buy the Giants. Labatt Breweries would own 45% of the team, Webster 45% and CIBC 10%. The franchise’s first employee was Paul Beeston who was given the title vice president of business operations. The team’s first general manger was Peter Bavasi and his assistant was Pat Gillick.

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Friday 25 March 2016

2016 MLB Team Preview: Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers

2015 Win/Loss Record: 74-87, 5^th in American League Central

Last Postseason Appearance: 2014

Last World Series Championship: 1984

Key Arrivals: Cameron Maybin (CF), Jordan Zimmerman (P), Francisco Rodriguez (P)

Key Departures: Alex Avila (C), Rajai Davis (OF), Alfredo Simon (P)

Manager: Brad Ausmus, 3^rd Year W/L 164-159

Overall Review: After four consecutive AL Central division titles from 2011-14 that included three consecutive appearances in the ALCS and a trip to the World Series, the Tigers seemed to take a step back last year as they dropped to the basement in the division for only the second time since their 119-loss season in 2003. But don’t expect the Tigers to stay down for too long. Rather then re-building, they’re re-loading as they spared no expense in bringing in a top-notch pitcher in Jordan Zimmerman, to replace David Price—who they traded at the deadline in July—as the ace in the rotation.

The three-four-five spots in the lineup could be one of the most dangerous in all of baseball, with Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, and Victor Martinez. Staying healthy will be a concern as both Cabrera and Victor Martinez missed time last year battling injuries.

Offense: Let’s start with right-fielder J.D. Martinez, who was the Tigers’ best hitter last year, batting .282 and leading the team in home runs (38) and RBIs (102). In only 119 games, Cabrera still managed to hit 18 homers and drive in 76. And he again proved his Triple Crown in 2012 was no fluke, as he batted .338. Designated hitter Victor Martinez batted .245, hit 11 home runs and had 64 RBIs in only 120 games.

Rookie catcher James McCann had a good first year as he hit .264, seven homers and 41 RBIs, numbers good enough for the Tigers to let Alex Avilla go. Left-fielder Anthony Gose could be a great lead-off hitter if he can improve his on base percentage. He batted only .254 and drew only 45 walks. If he can increase both, his total of 23 stolen bases will jump considerably. Second baseman Ian Kinsler played well in 2015, batting .296, hitting 11 home runs and added 73 RBIs.

Pitching: One year after losing starting pitcher Max Scherzer to the Washington Nationals, the Tigers took a starter from Washington, signing free agent Jordan Zimmerman. In 2015, Zimmerman was 13-10, had a 3.66 ERA and struck out 164 batters. It was a bit of a down year for him, but the whole Washington team underachieved. If Zimmerman can get his ERA down to where it was in 2014 (2.66) and the Tigers’ bats give him some run support, he can easily win 20 games. The number two spot in the rotation will be filled by former ace, Justin Verlander, who was only 5-8 last year in 20 starts, and the Tigers would like to see just a glimpse of the pitcher Verlander was several years ago. The sleeper in the rotation could very well be left-hander Daniel Norris, who Detroit picked up from the Blue Jays in the David Price trade. In 13 starts split between Toronto and Detroit, Norris was 3-2, had a 3.75 ERA and struck out 45 batters.

The Tigers will have a new closer in Francisco Rodriguez, who saved 82 games over the past two seasons with Milwaukee. K-Rod can still be as dominant as he was with the Angels a decade ago, and being with a competitive team like Detroit will help him prove that. Mark Lowe will be the set-up man. After posting an ERA of 1.00 in 34 games in the first half of the year with Seattle in 2015, Lowe struggled after he was traded to Toronto (3.79 ERA in 23 games.) Look for his stats with the Tigers to be somewhere in between those numbers.

Tigers' second sacker Ian Kinsler

Prediction: The Tigers will not settle in the basement for a second year in a row. In fact, they will improve enough to make the postseason once again. While they won’t catch the Royals for the division crown, they will finish second in the Central and will secure the second Wild Card spot. But they’re not quite ready yet to once again represent the American League in the World Series. Give it a couple of years.

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Thursday 24 March 2016

2016 MLB Team Preview: Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians

2015 Win/Loss Record: 81-80, 3^rd in American League Central

Last Postseason Appearance: 2013

Last World Series Championship: 1948

Key Arrivals: Rajai Davis (OF), Mike Napoli (1B)

Key Departures: Mike Aviles (UT), Ryan Raburn (OF), Ryan Webb (P)

Manager: Terry Francona, 4^th Year W/L 258-227
(1287-1142 in 15 years with Phillies, Red Sox and Indians)

Overall Review: It seems the city of Cleveland will forever be cursed when it comes to their professional sports teams. The Cavaliers have never won the NBA Championship, the Browns have not won an NFL title in more than 50 years, and the Indians are closing in on 70 years without winning the World Series. The Indians made the post season as a Wild Card entry in Terry Francona’s first year as a manager in 2013, but have slipped slightly each of the past two seasons.

In 2016, the Indians may be headed for the basement in the AL Central, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will have a bad team. It just means that the division is probably the best in baseball, top to bottom. And with the exception of the Royals, who will win the division crown again, any of the other four teams can finish in any of the four other spots.

Offense: At 22 years old, shortstop Francisco Lindor may very well already be the best player on the team. In only 99 games in 2015, Lindor had an impressive .313 batting average, hit 12 home runs and added 51 RBIs, stole 12 bases and finished second in the voting for the AL Rookie Of The Year. He is also an excellent glove man on defense and some Gold Gloves may be in his future.

First baseman Carlos Santana was the best power threat last year for the Indians when he hit 19 home runs and drove in 85 runs. But his average was low, at .231. Michael Brantley hit .310 in 137 games, while hitting 15 home runs, driving in 84 runs and stealing 15 bases. Newcomer Mike Napoli will play first base and try to stay healthy in 2016. In only 35 games last season with the Texas Rangers, Napoli batted .295, while hitting five homers and adding ten RBIs.

Pitching: The Indians have a very young starting rotation. On Opening Day, all five of the starting staff will be under the age of 30. That will last for about a week when staff ace Corey Kluber will hit the milestone. In 2015, Kluber had a rather disappointing record at 9-16, but he had a decent 3.49 ERA and with some run support, could very easily have recorded more wins. He also struck out 245 batters in his 222 innings of work. Carlos Carrasco will slot into the number two spot. Last year, he posted a 14-12 record, had a 3.63 ERA and struck out 216 batters. Danny Salazar also won 14 games (while losing ten) and his ERA was at 3.45. He recorded 195 strikeouts. Rounding out the rotation will be Trevor Bauer (11-12, 4.55, 170) and Cody Anderson (7-3, 3.05, 44 in only 15 starts.)

In the bullpen, Cody Allen will return to the closer’s role for the third year in a row. After saving 24 games in 2014, Allen improved that number to 34 last year, while winning two games in relief, posting a 2.99 ERA and whiffing 99 batters in 69 1/3 innings. He will get help from set-up man Bryan Shaw, who last season made 74 relief appearances, had a 3-3 record with a 2.95 ERA and 54 strikeouts.

Cleveland's Francisco Lindor

Prediction: While the other teams around them seemed to help themselves in the off-season, the Indians didn’t do much—either through free agency or trades—to improve upon last year’s 81 wins. It’s pretty much a “what you see is what you get” scenario for the Tribe. All signs point to a last place finish in the AL Central, but with the continued maturation of the starting pitchers, they could find themselves challenging for a Wild Card spot if everything falls into place.

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Wednesday 23 March 2016

2016 MLB Team Preview: Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox

2015 Win/Loss Record: 76-86, 4^th in American League Central

Last Postseason Appearance: 2008

Last World Series Championship: 2005

Key Arrivals: Alex Avila (C), Todd Frazier (3B), Brett Lawrie (INF)

Key Departures: Alexei Ramirez (SS), Jeff Samardzjia (P), Tyler Flowers (C)

Manager: Robin Ventura, 5^th Year W/L 297-351

Overall Review: Look for the Chicago White Sox to take a huge step forward in 2016. After bottoming out at 63 wins and 99 losses in 2013, the Sox improved to 73 wins in 2014 and then 76 last year. Some key off-season additions (Alex Avila, Todd Frazier, Brett Lawrie and Dioner Navarro) should help improve the team offensively.

And losing a pitcher from the rotation like Jeff Samardzjia won’t hurt as much as you may think. The rotation will still be a bit questionable but continued improvement could lead Chicago’s south side team to a winning record. However, a spot in the post season is just a pipe dream at this point.

Offense: The team’s best offensive player is first baseman Jose Abreu. In his second year in the league, Abreu batted .290, hit 30 home runs and had 101 RBIs. And those numbers are down from his Rookie of the Year totals from 2014. He should hit over 30 and drive in over 100 again this season. Left-fielder Melky Cabrera was a good pick-up a year ago. In 2015, he batted .273 and managed to hit 12 home runs and drive in 77 runs. And Adam Eaton should be a solid batter at the top of the batting order. Last year, the centre-fielder hit .287, 14 homers, 56 RBIs and he stole 18 bases.

Acquired in a trade with the Reds, third baseman Todd Frazier was the biggest pick-up of the off-season. For last-place Cincinnati, Frazier hit 36 home runs, had 89 RBIs, batted .255 and even stole 13 bases. It’s hard to believe he could improve on those numbers, but if he’s got more Sox on base than what the Reds provided, the RBIs could reach 100. Catcher Alex Avila was a big steal for Chicago. Not only do they get a good receiver to handle the pitching staff, they took one away from division rival Detroit. He has had concussion issues however, and Chicago must hope he plays more than the 67 games he appeared in last year.

Pitching: The ace of the staff will be Chris Sale. He only won 13 games last year, but he did have a fairly decent ERA (3.41) and he struck out 274 batters. He will be joined in the rotation by Jose Quintana (9-10, 3.36, 177), Carlos Rodon (9-6, 3.75, 139), John Danks (7-15, 4.71, 124) and Erik Johnson (3-1, 3.34, 30 in six starts). The rotation has the potential to improve on their stats if they can get more run support.

After saving 34 games in 2015, David Robertson returns to the closer’s role for his second year with Chicago, after saving 39 games with the Yankees in 2014. His ERA was a bit high for a closer (3.41), but he did strike out 86 batters in 63 1/3 innings. Bullpen help will come from Zach Duke. Pitching 71 games in relief in his first year with the Sox, Duke had a 3-6 record, a 3.41 ERA and struck out 66 batters.

Slugger Jose Abreu

Prediction: While the White Sox will improve on their 2015 season—and a shot at one of the Wild Card spots may be a possibility—they will finish in third place in the AL Central this season. They’ll be better than Cleveland and Minnesota, but they won’t nearly be as good as defending World Champion Kansas City, and vastly improved Detroit. A strong season from the starting pitchers could see them edge Detroit for the second slot in the division.

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Tuesday 22 March 2016

2016 MLB Team Preview: Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers

2015 Win/Loss Record: 88-74, 1^st in American League West

Last Postseason Appearance: 2015

Last World Series Championship: None

Key Arrivals: Justin Ruggiano (OF), Tom Wilhelmsen (P), Ian Desmond (INF)

Key Departures: Yovani Gallardo (P), Leonys Martin (OF), Mike Napoli (1B)

Manager: Jeff Banister, 2^nd Year W/L 88-74

Overall Review: Consider the 2015 regular season a surprising success. Consider the postseason a huge disappointment after blowing a two games to none lead in the best-of-five ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays. But despite the failure in the playoffs, the Rangers had a very good year and will look to build upon that in 2016. The problem is that even if they’re better than they were a year ago, the Houston Astros may be too much to overcome.

Not much remains from the team that made back-to-back World Series trips in 2010 and 2011. First baseman Mitch Moreland, outfielder Josh Hamilton (although he’s merely a shadow of the player he once was) and pitcher Derek Holland are pretty much all that is left. There wasn’t much in the way of off-season acquisitions for the Rangers so what you had last year is what you’ll get again.

Offense: If Delino DeShields can improve his on base percentage, he could be one of the best leadoff hitters in the division, maybe the American League. Although he doesn’t have much power (two home runs in 121 games) he did steal 25 bases. If he can get on more, he could swipe 40 over the course of a full season. Prince Fielder had a decent re-bound season in 2015 after missing most of the previous year with an injury. He batted .305 and drilled 23 home runs and added 98 RBIs. Look for the power numbers to go up if he can stay healthy.

At 35 years old, Josh Hamilton could be nearing the end of his career. Injury problems as well as personal demons, have derailed what was once a freight-train of a ball player. In only 50 games last year, Hamilton batted .253, hit 8 homers and had 25 RBIs. Second baseman Rougned Odor could be a future All-Star. At only 21 years of age last year, he batted .261 in 120 games in his second year in the league. He also added 16 home runs and 61 RBIs. If he gets over his habit of trying to pull the ball and starts spraying to all fields, the average will improve.

Pitching: The starting rotation is the big question mark in Texas right now. Last year’s ace, Colby Lewis, who won 17 games (he also posted a 4.66 ERA and struck out 142 batters) wasn’t even one of the starters in the playoffs. At age 36, he had off-season surgery on both his knees. How he recovers physically—and how he deals with the frustration of being snubbed in the post season—will go a long way to the success of the Rangers’ staff. Yu Darvish returns after missing the entire 2015 season after Tommy John surgery. Derek Holland only had ten starts last year after having injury trouble with his shoulder and knees. Even the big trade-deadline pick-up Cole Hamels has some question marks. Although he went 7-1 in his 12 starts with the Rangers, he was inconsistent in his last three years in Philadelphia.

The closer will once again be Shawn Tolleson. In 2015, Tolleson saved 35 games, won six in relief, posted a 2.99 ERA and had 76 strikeouts. Sam Dyson will be the set-up man after pitching 31 games in relief last year, saving two games, winning two, posting a brilliant 1.15 ERA and striking out 30 batters.

Rangers' DH Prince Fielder

Prediction: Second place seems to be the destination for the Rangers in 2016. Due to Houston’s slump down the stretch, the Rangers were able to snag the division title late in the year. Houston won’t have those same problems this year. The Rangers won’t have a record good enough to win either of the wild card spots. A strong season from the starting rotation could move them ahead of Houston, but age and injury may be the biggest obstacle for that to happen.

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Monday 21 March 2016

2016 MLB Team Preview: Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners

2015 Win/Loss Record: 76-86, 4^th in American League West

Last Postseason Appearance: 2001

Last World Series Championship: None

Key Arrivals: Chris Iannetta (C), Adam Lind (1B), Nori Aoki (LF)

Key Departures: Mark Trumbo (OF), Brad Miller (UT), Logan Morrison (1B)

Manager: Scott Servais, 1^st Year

Overall Review: The Seattle Mariners own the longest post-season drought in baseball, having not made the playoffs since their MLB-record setting 116 win-season in 2001. For the third year in a row, there are a lot of expectations for the Mariners, and after a lot of trades and free agent signings, Seattle is determined to buy their way into contention again. However, after a fourth place finish in 2015, the team will improve but will only get as high as third place.

Three players in the starting line-up are new, as is some bullpen help. There have been some rumblings that Robinson Cano wanted out of Seattle and was looking to return to the Yankees. I guess the big contract that caught his eye two years ago hasn’t been enough to make him want to stay with the Mariners. So far, he hasn’t lived up to his end of that monstrous contract, and since the Yankees probably don’t want him anyway, I’m afraid Mariners’ fans are stuck with him.

Offense: Let’s stay on the Cano subject. He signed a 10-year $240 million contract prior to the 2014 season. He hit only 14 home runs in 2014 and improved to 21 last year. However, compare that to the last four years of his Yankee career (29, 28, 33, 27) and it’s fair to say that he has been a disappointment so far on the West Coast. Right-fielder Nelson Cruz proved to be the best player at the plate for the M’s last season. The former ALCS MVP batted a team-high .302, hit a team-high 44 home runs and added a team-high 93 RBIs, and all for about nine million dollars less than Cano received.

Third baseman Kyle Seager can also be a force at the plate. In 2015, Seager batted .266, smashed 26 home runs and had 74 RBIs. The Mariners hope they have improved at catcher (Chris Iannetta), first base (Adam Lind) and left field (Nori Aoki) bringing in all three players through either free agency or trades.

Pitching: King Felix (Hernandez) rules the mound at Safeco Field, but he’ll need some help. Last year, Hernandez had another All-Star calibre campaign winning 18 games, posting a 3.53 ERA and striking out 191 batters. Taijuan Walker had a decent year (11-8 record in 29 starts, a rather high 4.56 ERA and 157 strikeouts) and in only 20 starts, Hisashi Iwakuma won nine games, had a 3.54 ERA and struck out 111 batters. The final two spots in the rotation will likely be Wade Miley (11-11, 4.46, 147 with Boston) and Nate Karns (7-5, 3.67, 145 with Tampa).

Steve Cishek joins the bullpen from the Cardinals and is pencilled in as the closer. Cishek has saved 95 games in his big league career, all but one of those with the Florida/Miami Marlins. Last year with Miami and the Cardinals, he only saved four in 59 appearances, and had a 3.58 ERA. Joining him in the bullpen will be another off-season addition, Joaquin Benoit. In 67 relief appearances with San Diego last year, Benoit had a 6-5 record, saved two games, had a 2.34 ERA and struck out 63 batters.

Seattle's Nelson Cruz

Prediction: While the Mariners should improve on their mediocre performance from 2015, they won’t be good enough to catch either Houston or Texas at the top of the division. They should jump over the Angels, who appear to be on their way down. If Robinson Cano can get out of the funk he’s been in the last two years, Seattle’s chances of ending their post-season drought should improve. But the rotation needs some more consistency for that to be a possibility.

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Sunday 20 March 2016

2016 MLB Team Preview: Oakland Athletics

Oakland Athletics

2015 Win/Loss Record: 68-94, 5^th in American League West

Last Postseason Appearance: 2014

Last World Series Championship: 1989

Key Arrivals: Jed Lowrie (INF), Yonder Alonso (1B), Ryan Madison (P)

Key Departures: Jesse Chavez (P), Brett Lawrie (3B), Drew Promeranz (P)

Manager: Bob Melvin, 6^th Year, W/L 393-354

(886-862 in 12 years with Mariners, D-Backs and A’s)

Overall Review: The Oakland Athletics have been a model for doing the most with very little since 2000. Despite having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, the team has made the playoffs eight times since the turn of the century. They never had any postseason success during those runs though, as they only made it past the ALDS once and that was in 2006 when they were swept aside by the Tigers in the ALCS.

It appeared that Oakland took a huge step back in 2015 when they lost 94 games, the first time they lost that many since 1997. But Oakland’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, Billy Beane has built a legacy as a front office whiz when it comes to building a competitive team with a penny-pinching ownership. The A’s traded away some of their regulars from last year and have brought in the next wave of young players and prospects (only three players on the 40-man roster are over 30 years of age) to try and reach the post season again.

Offense: One of the new players on the A’s roster this year is first baseman Yonder Alonso, acquired in a trade with the San Diego Padres. In 103 games last year, Alonso had a decent average at .282, but has never been the power hitter a first baseman should be. He only hit five last year and his season high was in 2012 when he hit nine. Jed Lowrie is another addition, via a trade with the Houston Astros, and will play second base. This will be his second stint with Oakland having previously played for the team in 2013 and 2014. In 69 games with Houston last year, Lowrie batted only .222, hit nine home runs and added 30 RBIs.

Centre-fielder Billy Burns has the potential to be the best player on the team. He had the highest average on the team in 2015 at .294. He only hit five home runs and drove in 40 from he lead-off spot, but he also stole 26 bases. Right-fielder Josh Reddick is the biggest power threat on the team. He hit 20 homers last year and drove in 77 runs. His average was a decent .272 and he did steal ten bases. Catcher Stephen Vogt can also go deep as evidenced by his 18 dingers in 136 games.

Pitching: Sonny Gray is the best pitcher in the A’s starting rotation. He posted a 14-7 record last season, with a 2.73 and 169 strikeouts. Pretty decent numbers for a last-place team that lost 94 games. Free agent signee Henderson Alvarez should help the rotation. While he was limited to only four starts last season (he lost all four) he did post a 12-7 record in 2014, and had a 2.65 ERA and struck out 11 in 30 starts.

The bullpen will be stronger with three off-season additions. First is free agent Ryan Madson who joins Oakland from the World Champion Kansas City Royals. In his first season in the Majors since 2011, Madson saved three games and posted a 2.13 ERA in 60 games. John Axford is another pick up through free agency. With Colorado last year, Axford had a 4-5 record with 25 saves, a 4.20 ERA and 62 strike outs. The other bullpen addition is Liam Hendriks who comes from Toronto via a trade. In 58 games with the Blue Jays, Hendriks had a 5-0 record and a 2.92 ERA while striking out 71 batters.

A's pitcher Sonny Gray

Prediction: Give the Athletics a couple of years before Beane’s latest attempt to compete with the high spenders is successful. While the pieces are slowly being put in place, another last place finish in the AL West seems the likely destination. Rumours have abounded for years about the city of Oakland losing their team. Last year, MLB blocked the attempt to move the A’s to San Jose. A new stadium would be nice, but chances are they’ll be stuck in the old Coliseum for a while.

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Saturday 19 March 2016

2016 MLB Team Preview: Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Angels

2015 Win/Loss Record: 85-77, 3^rd in American League West

Last Postseason Appearance: 2014

Last World Series Championship: 2002

Key Arrivals: Yunel Escobar (3B), Daniel Nava (OF), Andrelton Simmons (SS)

Key Departures: David Freese (3B), Erick Aybar (SS), Trevor Gott (P)

Manager: Mike Scioscia, 17^th Year, W/L 1416-1176

Overall Review: The front office was a mess, the high-priced signings were either a major disaster or slowed by aches and pains by the end of the season. After looking like they would runaway with the division at the All-Star break, the Angels fell in the second half and finished one game behind the Astros for the second Wild Card spot. Rather than try to spend their way to a championship this off-season, the Angels took a smarter approach in signing or trading for players who can help them win and not the biggest names available.

A return to from by Albert Pujols is a must, but the aging slugger showed a lot of signs of slowing down in the second half after his resurgence before the All-Star break. Hopefully the front office problems are over. While the Angels may be improved from 2015, the competition may be tougher in the division.

Offense: In his four full seasons in the Majors, centre-fielder Mike Trout has won the AL MVP award once and finished second three times. He’s a four-time All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner and was Rookie of the Year in 2012. Not bad for a 24-year old. His .299 average, 41 home runs and 90 RBIs were a remarkable achievement last year considering he didn’t have much help around him in the second half.

One has to wonder if Pujols will ever be the same player again as he was in St. Louis. While his power numbers were impressive (40 homers, 95 RBIs), his average continues to go south. In eleven years with the Cards, his worst batting average was .299 in 2011. In his four years in Anaheim, it hasn’t even come close to that. He will be the DH for the Angels in 2016 and saving his body from playing every day in the field will hopefully improve his bat.

Pitching: Garrett Richards is the ace of the Halos’ staff. He was a workhorse last season pitching 207 1/3 innings. His record was 15-12, he had a 3.65 ERA and struck out 176 batters. At 24, Andrew Heaney could be star on the rise. In 18 starts in 2016, Heaney was 6-4, posted a 3.49 ERA and struck out 78 batters. Rounding out the staff will be Jered Weaver (7-12, 4.64, 90) who is a mere shadow of the pitcher he was several years ago, C.J. Wilson (8-8, 3.89, 110) and Hector Santiago (9-9, 3.59, 162).

There is no problem at the back end of the bullpen. Closer Huston Street (315 saves in his 11 years) managed to save 40 games for the Angels last year while also winning three games in relief. Joe Smith will provide some help as well. In 2015, Smith was 5-5, with five saves, a 3.58 ERA and 57 strike outs in 65 1/3 innings.

Angels' outfielder Mike Trout

Prediction: One of my friends is an Angels fan and I know he’ll be reading this post. And he’s such a nice guy that it pains me to say this but the team will continue to slide down in the AL West. Houston and Texas will battle for the division. Seattle has made improvements to pull up to third place. Even though the Angels may finish with a winning record, they are destined for fourth place in 2016.

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