2016 MLB Preview

Happy holiday from the ZP: Left Fielder! Today is Opening Day, when 30 teams think they have a chance, and the long winter without baseball comes to an end.

This year, there is even more intrigue, where 15 American League teams think they have a chance at the post-season, while in the NL, powerhouses square off to make it to the promise land. Who will make it to October and who will be left looking from the outside? The ZP: Left Fielder previews the 2016 MLB season:

National League Central:

1. Cubs

This team is stacked. A team coming fresh off an NLCS appearance went out and got a top 3 starter and two big-time free agent hitters. Looking up and down the lineup, it is difficult to figure out who to pitch to. The only thing that could stop the Cubs is expectations, although Joe Maddon will keep them cool under pressure.

2. Pirates (Wild Card)

The Pirates are well on their way to creating a quirky dynasty: playoffs every year, but always at risk for a quick Wild Card exit. McCutchen is as reliable as it gets, and the pitching is deep enough to keep them going strong in the tough NL Central.

3. Cardinals

After three straight years of divisional titles, the Cardinals are looking at the toughest competition yet. They always find a way to stay alive, and they have a stable of young hitters to go toe-to-toe with the Cubs, but they are not nearly where they have been over the past decade. A small step back sees the Cardinals on the outside looking in.

4. Brewers

Milwaukee is in rebuilding mode, and the pieces are in place to see the future as pretty bright. That future isn’t here yet, though, because it will be a long year of losing for the Brew Crew. Young players arriving throughout the summer will give Brewers fans something to look forward to in 2017 and beyond.

5. Reds

The Reds were so bad this past calendar year that they even failed to sell off their resources like they wanted to. They didn’t get nearly what they should have for Todd Fraizer and Aroldis Chapman, and Jay Bruce didn’t move at all. This team will be miserable until July, when they can sell off everyone not named Votto (and maybe even a guy named Votto).

National League West:

1. Dodgers

Losing Zack Greinke can’t be good for a team, but the Dodgers went out and added enough depth to try to replace his success by committee. The Dodgers are crazy deep, and should take home their fourth straight divisional crown.

2. Giants (Wild Card)

Yeah, yeah, we know, it’s an even year. And I’m not dumb enough to bet against them making the playoffs. But the Giants just aren’t deep enough with strong enough players to be the powerhouse that you would expect of a dynasty coming in on their hot year. The infield is stacked, and MadBum is the real deal, but an old outfield and too many question marks makes this team a hot pick for a bust this year.

3. Diamondbacks

With one of the bolder offseasons in recent memory, the Diamondbacks look like they’re ready to strike. The loss of AJ Pollock makes a playoff spot look difficult, but the Snakes look good for the next two or three years.

4. Rockies

Until the Rockies can convince a pitcher to join the Mile High Party, this team will never be able to compete against the stacked NL West. Nolan Arenado will be fun to watch, and Carlos Gonzalez will spend the rest of his career under the cloud of the trading block until a deal gets done.

5. Padres

From World Series threat to the joke of the division, the Padres have done everything wrong since this time last year. A team made up of good parts made a bad whole, and doesn’t look like it is going to get any better in the coming year.

National League East:

1. Nationals

Last year’s biggest disappointment, the Nationals are going to come into the new season as the second best team in the National League East. That will only serve them well, as an improved lineup that stays healthy will follow a contract year from Stephen Strasburg into the playoffs.

2. Mets

Officially the boldest prediction of the year, the Mets will miss the playoffs altogether. Starting pitching is as good as it gets, but the offensive and defensive sides of the ball will let down a staff that will almost certainly have to carry the team.

3. Marlins

Some people want to pick the Marlins as their sexy dark horse this week. I’m not buying it. Giancarlo Stanton is a monster, but only when he stays healthy. The rest of the team is overwhelmingly mediocre, and isn’t enough to find themselves in the playoffs, especially in a strong division.

4. Braves

The Braves have decided to scrap the 2016 season and rebuild, but took the fastest route to a rebuild. Ender Inciarte is a soon-to-be perennial All-Star, and Danby Swanson is going to be a superstar. If they can put things together quickly, this team could be good as soon as the start of next season. Just not this year.

5. Phillies

Oh, poor Philadelphia. The Phillies will try to beat their city-mate 76ers’ ineptitude, and rebuild for a long-term future. A few names stand out as fun to watch, including Aaron Nola and Mikhail Franco, but, on the whole, this will be another miserable summer in Philadelphia.

American League Central:

1. Royals

Are we ready to believe in the Royals yet? Kansas City has been to the World Series twice, won it once, and is bringing back nearly all of the same pieces. When will this team run out of magic? Not yet, at least.

2. Tigers

Detroit has been in win-now mode for a very long time and, until last year, it was working. With the additions of Jordan Zimmermann and Justin Upton, they continue to try to compete in the immediate, possibly forsaking the future. Here’s to hoping for a return to greatness for Justin Verlander.

3. Twins

If potential was enough, the Twins would be a very intriguing team. Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano are expected to be superstars, and Brian Dozier brings veteran experience. Their ptiching is a little weak, and they are probably a year away from being major players in the Central.

4. White Sox

Oh, poor White Sox. They can’t seem to decide if they are rebuilding or competing. After a spring filled with drama, the White Sox will show flashes of brillaince (thank you, Jose Abreu, Chris Sale and Todd Frazier) among long stretches of mediocrity (thank you, everyone else).

5. Indians

The Mets of the American League, the Indians are stacked at pitching. Well, they have three good pitchers. When you look at the other 23 guys on the roster, you see a lot to be desired. Corey Kluber will spend another year wasting his prime on a bad team with no hope for October.

American League West:

1. Astros

A young, exciting team that was six outs away from the ALCS, the Astros are putting things together for a long run of contention. Carlos Correa is a strong threat for MVP, and Dallas Keuchel is a stud. The Astros are here to stay, and should be a World Series favorite out of the AL.

2. Rangers (Wild Card)

The Rangers are the best team you’ve never heard of. Their offense took off in June last year, and they never looked back, even so far as to push the powerhouse Blue Jays to the brink of elimination last year. With an entire season of Cole Hamels and a return of Yu Darvish, this team is one to be feared.

3. Angels

Maybe we should call this team Trout and Co. Behind the superstar, there really isn’t much to talk about. This team has some players that will keep them interesting, but there just isn’t enough to play with here for a real competition.

4. Mariners

Last year’s most disappointing team is looking to repeat for the title again. After an offseason with a massive quantity of moves, the Mariners look exactly as meh as they were last year. Unless the right guys catch fire, we will be scratching our heads again in September.

5. As

For the first time in a while, Oakland was relatively quiet in an offseason. That isn’t a good thing for a team that finished near the bottom of the AL West last year. It doesn’t look good for the Sonny Gray led A’s, who will have to consider dealing the ace at the deadline.

American League East:

1. Red Sox

The Red Sox have made “worst to first” their new personal motto. Well, last year they were bad, but not THAT bad. And after adding David Price to an already potent lineup, expect the Red Sox to challenge Toronto for Eastern supremacy.

2. Blue Jays (Wild Card)

Last year, the Blue Jays could out-hit anyone. This year, their lack of pitching will come back to bite them in the butt. With contract disputes with two of their three best hitters, this doesn’t bode well for the Blue Jays, who have to spend their entire season looking over their shoulder.

3. Rays

I desperately wanted to predict an AL East Division Championship for this Rays team. Their pitching is stacked, they have a lineup full of consistency (if not stardom), and the Rays management just knows how to win. I see them in it until September, then losing steam because of deadline acquisitions by division rivals.

4. Yankees

Many people think the Yankees will be in the thick of a playoff race late in the year. With their aging lineup and questionable rotation, that is wishful thinking. The Yankees will always be the Yankees, but this year, they aren’t going to be in October.

5. Orioles

The Orioles are the team to beat up on in the American League East. Their lineup is suspect, their pitching is sad, and the team just won’t be able to keep pace with the powerhouses that occupy their division.

February 17th: Spring Training Hat Preview

After a long winter, the clouds are starting to part. Baseball season is officially back, with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp starting today.

Upon their arrival, they will find new gear in their lockers, as Major League Baseball has announced new hats and jerseys for the spring schedule. The new designs, released a few weeks ago by MLB.com and subsequently available on Lids.com, include some teams remaining fairly traditional, others pushing new color pairings, and still others getting total makeovers.

The ZP: Left Fielder takes a look at the winners, losers, and those who win some and lose some:

Winners:

Diamondbacks:  After a redesign of their jerseys and hats this winter, the Diamondbacks come to camp with their snake-head logo, biting into a baseball. The colors are excellent, the logo is fierce, and the hat does a great job of using a secondary logo to make the hat stand out from the regular season options. The Diamondbacks win the Spring Training Hat of the Year Award in a big way.

Brewers: The Brewers went with their throwback MB baseball mitt logo, and put it on a darker blue that will go really well with their jerseys. The gold logo pops off the blue really well, and gives a nod to those who have been begging for more use of a classic logo. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this as a best-seller at Miller Park even during the regular season.

Rangers: Whenever a team uses a more traditional logo, there is a risk that nobody will buy the new hat. To compensate for that, the Rangers have added an outline of the state of Texas to their hat, paying homage to their community, and keying into the state pride for which Texans are so well known. As someone who already loves the Rangers T, this only adds to the class of the cap.

Losers:

Indians: The Indians have almost entirely given up on their Chief Wahoo hat (whether for the good or not), and have instead replaced it by one of the most boring logos in sports. In case you were worried that the new Spring Training hat would force some cool on them, they outlined their red C in white, and then put it on a white front panel. White on white looks pale, and gives an already weak logo an even less bold look.

Royals: It’s nice to be the defending champs. When you’re the Royals, you take that notion of being crowned to an even higher degree. The Royals cap has their usual KC logo, adorned with a large, cartoonish crown. While it’s a nice thought now, it will quickly become obsolete (unless, of course, they keep winning). The crown looks like an afterthought, and takes a usually very classic logo and makes it look a little ridiculous.

Marlins: Oh, poor Marlins. They just can’t seem to get it right. As if their normal hat wasn’t phosphorescent enough, they went and created a dark neon hat. The colors are a little blinding, the orange could be used to stop traffic, and, frankly, I’m afraid to buy it because it might glow in the dark at night in my closet.

Win Some, Lose Some:

Tigers: The Tigers have released two different hats for this Spring, one for home games, the other for away games. The blue one is very sharp looking, just slightly different than the regular season traditional hat. The other is bright orange. So bright that, under the Florida sun, it has the chance to be a sunburn risk. The Tigers hit a home run with their blue hat, and struck out with the orange.

Dodgers: The LA logo is one of the three most famous logos in baseball. To depart from it is to profoundly break with tradition. This year, the Dodgers have added a script D to their hat repotoire, a bold move that both looks very good, and makes the steadfast baseball traditionalists cringe. It’s a good hat, but any new hat is bound to displease.

Blue Jays: As the only team in Canada, the Blue Jays own their identity up north, and have used a Maple Leaf as their design for the spring. On its own, the hat looks really good, with a great color and a clean logo. The only problem is that it looks exactly like a Toronto Maple Leafs hat. Unless the Jays are lacing up skates, the design misses by just a little bit.

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