March 31st: MLB East Division Predictions

The greatest day of the year is fast approaching: Major League Baseball Opening Day! As we start the season, every team believes they are about to embark on a playoff chase, and hope is in the air.

There is an old saying: Everyone is going to win 54 games. Everyone is going to lose 54 games. It is what you do with the other 54 that really counts. This week, the ZP: Left Fielder is going to attempt to decide how each team will fare in the coming season. Division by division, we will break down the playoff predictions and final standings, attempting to guess at what the next six months have in store for us.

Today, we will take a look at the East divisions in the American and National Leagues. Tomorrow we will tackle the Central, and, finally, on Thursday the West. Friday will feature the final playoff predictions.

Let’s get started!

American League East:

1. 

   Old and new faces will help lead Boston back to contention.

   Red Sox

The Red Sox have made a habit out of going from worst to first and back again. After an abysmal 2014, Boston went out and spent the money to revamp the team. The outfield is not only crowded but abundantly talented, and Dustin Pedroia anchors a solid infield. This team is deep, and, despite the lack of a single, dominant ace, the pitching will keep the offense in ball games.

2. Orioles

The offseason was not kind in Baltimore, as the team struggled to replace the big bats that departed. The pitching remains to be an area of strength, and the Orioles maintained their centerpieces with Adam Jones and Manny Machado, but there should be a little bit of a slip for the defending AL East Champs.

3. Yankees

Now that the Derek Jeter festivities are over and gone, the Yankees will have to find a new way to entertain fans. Winning would be a nice place to start. The team has some of the best talent in baseball, but age and health are problems that leads the Yankees to be one of the most polarizing teams to predict. They will either be great or terrible, and it’s hard to tell which.

4. Blue Jays

Things were finally looking up for Canada’s team. The signing or Russell Martin made it seem like they were finally serious about winning. The young guns in the system were looking like they were ready to have an impact. Then, Marcus Stroman went down, and gloom set in. This team will be in the hunt until the first week of August, and slowly start to sputter from a lack of experience in a playoff race. Maybe next year, Blue Jays fans.

5. Rays

If any team can make something out of the nothing going on in Tampa, this may be the one. That being said, it is impossible to have too much faith in a team that looks like a minor league spring training team forgot to head north. This will be a rebuilding year, but that could mean big things for the future Rays. The future looks bright, just not in 2015.

National League East:

1. Nationals

The Nationals had one of the best rotations in baseball last year. Then they added Max Scherzer. This team will be absolutely dominant in the National League, and an overall weak division will lead Washington to the playoffs by a wide margin. Expect Bryce Harper to bounce back and have an MVP-caliber season.

2. Marlins

The Marlins are a popular pick for a team looking to hit it’s stride. It may be a little early yet, though. Stanton had a monster year last year, and Dee Gordon was a good addition to the infield. Overall, the Marlins are intriguing, but a young team is bound to have growing pains, so we might need to keep our expectations reasonable.

3. Mets

The Mets look to be a shortstop away from contention. Well, that shortstop has proved elusive, and David Wright has proven that, despite flashes of brilliance, his health is the thing standing between him and leading this team to the promised land. The young pitching will make this team interesting, but the Mets need to keep adding to the mix at a little more aggressive of a pace.

4. Braves

I’m not entirely sure what the Braves did this offseason. They looked like they were in full-blown rebuild mode, but also signed Nick Markakis to a relatively large contract. The team has a franchise player in Freddie Freeman, but is going to have to go through a few tough months before there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

5. Phillies

Three years ago, the Phillies were the most terrifying team in the National League. Now, they are scary bad. They did little this winter to help their case, and the rebuilding process doesn’t look to be going very well. The Phillies will have a season to forget, and will try to sell everyone they possibly can come July.

Check back in tomorrow for the Central Divisions predictions!

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February 28th: American League Preview

Last week, ZPLF made predictions about the 2014 National League results. This week, it’s the American League’s turn.

AL EAST:

1. Boston Red Sox: Logic says that a team that wins the World Series and keeps its roster pretty much intact should be the favorite to make another run. The 2014 Red Sox should look pretty good, with Dustin Pedroia leading the club both on and off the field. Another AL East title is well within grasp.

2. New York Yankees: The Yankees missed the playoffs for the second time in the last 20 years, and, as they did after the 2008 season, went out and spent a ton of money. The starting lineup features 5 new faces, with 18 All-Star games between them. The only fly in the ointment is that the Yankees are an old team, with every player over the age of 30. This team is totally dependent on the new guys being able to play Yankees style ball.

3. Tampa Bay Rays: We’ve all made the mistake of thinking the Rays will slide. On paper, they shouldn’t be as competitive as they are. They will, though, remain competitive in the tough AL East, but they may be missing the star power to overtake the bigger superpowers of the Red Sox and Yankees.

4. Baltimore Orioles: Last year was a disappointment after the excitement of a 2012 playoff appearance. This off-season, the Orioles added some significant pieces, including Nelson Cruz and Ubaldo Jimenez in the past few weeks. This would be a playoff team in most other divisions, but this looks like a fourth place finisher.

5. Toronto Blue Jays: Oh, what a difference one year makes. Last year, this team was the disappointment of the season after a big off-season left them looking like contenders. This year, it appears as though very little was done to improve a team that finished at the bottom of a stacked division. If 7 big time new players can’t help this team win, I’m not sure anything can.

AL Central:

1. Detroit Tigers: New manager Brad Ausmus has huge shoes to fill, but having a two-time reigning MVP on your team can’t hurt. The pitching remains dominant, the lineup looks solid, and there are no gaping holes in a team that has won three straight division titles. Barring unforeseen circumstances, it doesn’t look like anything is going to change that.

2. Kansas City Royals: A young nucleus with a focus on defense, the Royals look primed for a long run of success. Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas will decide how far this team goes, as they attempt to blossom into the superstars everyone is expecting from them. This is my pick for most exciting team to watch.

3. Cleveland Indians: A brilliant run to the playoffs last year left the city of Cleveland hopping with excitement. The arrival of hometown hero Nick Swisher has revitalized the city and brought hope for the future. Unfortunately for the Tribe, not a lot was done to improve upon last year’s Wild Card game losing team. Another good season appears in the books, but not a good enough one for another Cinderella story.

4. Chicago White Sox: The Sox were a confusingly, atrociously bad team last year. Make that the third worst team in Major League Baseball. The off-season brought some good young talent, including the hopeful superstar Jose Abreu. The pitching staff looks weak, except for Chris Sale, who was the one bright spot on last year’s team. This team will be streaky and most likely downright mediocre.

5. Minnesota Twins: How often does a team get considerably better, yet move down in the standings? This appears to be what will happen to the Twins, as the addition of pitchers Phil Hughes and Ricky Nolasco won’t be enough to bring the team to contention. The future looks bright, though, as prospects Oswaldo Arcia, Byron Buxton, and Miguel Sano patiently await their arrival in the Bigs.

AL West:

1. Texas Rangers: The Ranger have proven time and time again that they are going to beat you with the bat, and let the pitching staff figure itself out. The additions of Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo add two of the most important ingredients to a powerful offense. There will definitely be a void in leadership after the departure of Ian Kinsler, but as long as the team finds a way to come together, things should be looking big in Dallas.

2. Oakland Athletics: Don’t ask me to name three members of the Oakland A’s organization, because I probably can’t. I haven’t been able to name a non-Cuban or non-cereal character in the last three years, yet that hasn’t keep the A’s from winning two straight division championships. It has become impossible to count this team out, but they aren’t in a place worth predicting big things consistently yet, either.

3. Los Angeles Angels: Having the best player in baseball will do great things for an organization. The Angels have been disappointing for the past two years, but a healthy Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton in the same lineup as Mike Trout make a team impossible to ignore. The pitching has been the issue, and there hasn’t been much done to make it better. We’ll see if Tyler Skaggs can make this team a viable contender.

4. Seattle Mariners: The Mariners win the award for most busy off-season, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into regular season success. Robinson Cano will sell tickets, but he isn’t enough to launch this team into a real division race. I expect the Mariners to serve as spoilers for the race between the Rangers and A’s.

5. Houston Astros: The rebuilding process is a long a tired one for Astros fans. The addition of Dexter Fowler will make this team a little better than the 111 loss team from a year ago. Plus, the development of double-play combination Jose Altuve and Jonathan Villar looks to be one to watch. This will be bad in 2014 for Houston, but not as bad as many might believe.