April 24th: Contenders and Pretenders

The Major League Baseball season is wrapping up it’s third week, and teams are beginning to realize that the pleasant optimism of March doesn’t always carry over into the season. Some teams have come out as surprises, while others have faltered to a disappointing open. Which teams are legit? Which teams will fade down the stretch? The ZP: Left Fielder looks at which teams will continue as they are and which will turn things around, whether for the better or not.

Real Contenders:

American League - Detroit Tigers

This offense is terrifying. Yoenis Cespedes looks to be a perfect addition to a lineup that already included Miguel Cabrera, J.D. and Victor Martinez, and Ian Kinsler. The pitching has also been stellar, as Alfredo Simon looks to be continuing to develop into the All-Star he was last season. A healthy Justin Verlander would be the icing on the cake. Also, is Jose Iglesias even human? His defense is some of the most fun to watch in baseball.

National League - San Diego Padres

I’ve had issues with the revamped Padres, who have a lineup that, while daunting, doesn’t necessarily look like it will gel together. San Diego has come out looking strong, though, and seem to be in contention for the West. Most importantly, the pitching staff has the potential to be filthy dominant, with Tyson Ross as a nasty game-changer.

Pretenders:

American League - Houston Astros

Raise your hand if you expected the Astros to be leading the division after the first three weeks? I thought not. Unfortunately, this isn’t going to continue very long. As the rest of the division heats up and the young Astros squad comes back to earth, this team will fade out a bit. This might be a sign of things to come, though, and a reason to get excited in Texas for the future.

National League - New York Mets

The Mets are baseball’s hottest team, with a long win streak under their belts. The excitement surrounding this team is huge, and will definitely drive them forward. Unfortunately, like the Astros, the rest of the division will soon heat up, and the loss of David Wright (again) leaves New York vulnerable to a downward spiral. It won’t be devastating, but this team is gearing up for a drop-off.

Real Bad:

American League: Chicago White Sox

The White Sox were supposed to be the greatest thing to ever happen to baseball after a busy offseason, but that hasn’t been the case. They were absolutely knocked around by the Royals early on, and haven’t gotten their feet set. The return of Chris Sale will help, but this team is not the powerhouse many expected. Expect us to be talking about this team as the biggest disappointment of the year come the offseason.

National League: Milwaukee Brewers

We knew the Brewers would fall from their pedestal after last season’s epic run and eventual fall. But did anyone see this coming? The Brewers can’t seem to win anything, and they have been the punching bag for an angry Cincinnati team this week. Don’t expect things to get any better now that Jonathan Lucroy is out with foot injury.

Slow Starts:

American League: Los Angeles Angels/Seattle Mariners

These two are expected to be the clash of titans on the West Coast deep into September. That being said, both have records with something left to be desired. The Angels’ Tuesday night beatdown of the As is a big sign of things to come, though, while the Mariners have a long list of perennial All-Stars that just haven’t heated up yet (yet being the key word). These two will turn into everything baseball fans expect, and leave their slow starts behind them.

National League: Washington Nationals

The Nationals were supposed to be unbeatable, and yet they sit just around .500 at the 10% mark of the season. Denard Span and Jayson Werth have come back from injuries, though, and a big walk-off win on Tuesday night could be enough to get the swagger going in D.C. This team is going to be formidable, it is just a matter of when.

April 1st: AL and NL Central Division Preview

Yesterday, we took a look at the National League and American League East Divisions. Today, it’s the Central’s turn. Both Chicago teams saw great improvement over equally abysmal years last year, while the Tigers and Cardinals look to maintain their firm grip at the top. How will things shake out? The ZP: Left Fielder predicts!

American League Central:

1. Tigers

Four time defending Central Champs has a nice ring to it. The Tigers have a solid rotation, a deep lineup, and a manager who has already seen success after just one year in the Majors. The addition of Yoenis Cespedes is huge, as he is one of the premier bats in the American League, and will benefit from protection from Cabrera and Martinez.

2. Indians

Everyone tried to forget about Cleveland, but the Tribe kept fighting last year, falling only a few games short of a Wild Card spot. Corey Kluber is a dominant, filthy pitcher, who will anchor an otherwise unpredictable staff. The roster looks to have the depth to keep the Indians in contention for the long hall. This is going to be one of the most intriguing teams to watch this year.

Michael Brantley was a force for the Indians. He will be a huge
part of the success for this year's Tribe.

3. Royals

Baseball’s greatest feel-good story of the past decade, the Royals came 90 feet away from the greatest postseason story anyone could have imagined. The emergence of Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez, and even Mike Moustakas as young talents in the AL only bodes well for the future in Kansas City. This year, they will have to balance great talent with even greater expectations.

4. White Sox

Everyone is jumping on the White Sox bandwagon, and for good reason. A huge offseason left the made-over White Sox looking like contenders. The problem is that many of these additions will not be able to add up to team success, and will instead lead the Sox to flounder come July. Look for great individual performances from many, but very few collective wins.

5. Twins

Minnesota has embraced the full-scale rebuild mode, and has made some great moves to help make the process more successful in years to come. The addition of Torii Hunter gives the young guys a role model to admire, and should lead to an even brighter future. All that being said, don’t go looking for any kind of winning at Target Field this year.

National League Central:

1. Cardinals

It brings me great sadness to put the Cardinals at the top of anything. A team that made it to the NLCS for the fourth straight year, though, is hard to vote against. The addition of Heyward adds to their threatening lineup, but the rotation is an area of concern. Look for the Cardinals to be sweating it out late in September.

2. Pirates

My vote for best outfield in baseball goes to the Pirates, who have five-tool players at all three positions. The Pirates are fun to watch and go about the game the right way. They will compete with the Pirates til the very end, but still may be a transcendent ace away from stealing the Central.

3. 

   The arrival of Bryant will be the most
   anticipated event of the summer.

   Cubs

Who doesn’t want to be a Cubs fan right now? Chicago has made it known that they are done dwelling in the cellar, and that they want to compete. The greatest young talent in the game makes that a very real possibility. This team doesn’t even need ALL of the stars to pan out, just a few to make this team scary. Kris Bryant’s arrival the first week in May will be a sight to see. Bold prediction: This is a playoff team.

4. Reds

The Reds are getting no respect. They have the best righty in baseball, a former MVP coming back from injury, and a third baseman who, I believe, is ready to be a superstar. The Reds don’t have the depth to stay competitive for the entire season, but they will be a factor in a very competitive NL Central.

5. Brewers

The Brewers were in first place for much of last season and came away with nothing. Now, the jig is up. This team is not nearly as talented as they pretended to be, and Jonathan Lucroy is not enough of a superstar to carry this team by himself. This team is going to sink like a stone, and will serve as the punching bag for the far more talented competition in the NL Central.

Check back tomorrow for the breakdown of the AL and NL West!

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July 31st: MLB Trade Deadline Review

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is by far my favorite couple of days of the year. Leading up to July 31st at 4 pm, the internet is abuzz with insight, speculation, and rumors. Every team seems to be involved at some level.

My favorite part is watching what actually happens, as compared the the wild rumors that lead up to the event. With that being said, ZP:Left Fielder is reviewing the deals that happened, and commenting on some of the deals that should have.

Best Move:

• David Price to the TIgers: Of course, as it should be. The Tigers now have the past three AL Cy Young Award winners. They made this move to compete with the Oakland As. The difference between the As and the Tigers? The Tigers have four starters with World Series experience. The As have two. Price makes the Tigers the favorite in the AL.

Move That Should Have Been:

• Marlon Byrd to...ANYWHERE: WIth the second Wild Card spot, more teams are looking to get ready for playoff runs. That being said, there aren’t that many bats available. Byrd would have been a good addition for the Reds, Mariners, Yankees, or, frankly, anyone else. This was a waste by the Phillies, and a missed opportunity for the rest of the middle-range contenders.

Deal I’m Glad Didn’t Happen:

• Matt Kemp leaving Los Angeles: I’ve been a Kemp fan since the beginning, and hoped he would turn things around. While there is a full outfield in Los Angeles, no team has ever complained from having too many stars in preparation for the playoffs. Kemp has the ability to explode offensively at any time. The Dodgers may be very happy they didn’t do something drastic come October.

Best Move, Worst Location:

• Emilio Bonifacio to the Braves: Plenty of teams could have used a speedy middle-infielder with experience. Well, frankly, all teams could have used him. To give him and a top notch lefty reliever go for just a single-A catcher was a bummer for the Cubs, who started off the deadline so boldly.

Move They’ll Wish They Could Take Back:

• 
  John Lackey to the Cardinals: The Cardinals seem to forget that Lackey has been the worst pitcher in baseball in the not-so-distant past. Giving up last year’s best hitter and a big-future pitcher for an aging veteran may be a short-sighted answer that will come back to bite them. Despite Craig and Kelly’s struggles this year, they will have better long-term success than Lackey will provide short-term.

Biggest Winners:

• The 2015 Red Sox: While this year may be a lost cause, the Red Sox traded this year like a team that knew they were going to be back in contention soon. Two big-hitting outfielders, and a pitching prospect that has a high ceiling, the Sox look like they are getting ready for a rebound. Lester has even talked about coming back in a few months. This team won’t go away for long.
• The Chicago Cubs: Yes, you read that right. The Cubs were able to do what every team hopes to do in April: sign a whole bunch of older talent for dirt cheap and flip them in July. They’ve now done it three years in a row, acquiring their current ace, their future superstar, and their top set-up man that way over the past three years. To give away Hammel and Bonifacio for top level minor league talent is something of a 2016 coup d'etat.
• The 2015 Twins rotation: See a pattern here? While teams are going crazy trying to put winners together for this year, a few teams are quietly getting ready for the future. A new deal with catcher Kurt Suzuki and acquiring Tommy Milone are just that for the Twins. Has anyone noticed the Twins have a nice little rotation going with Milone, Correia, Hughes, and Nolasco? Not Oakland or Detroit, but it’s a start.

Biggest Losers:

• Yoenis Cespedes: How must it feel to go from the cleanup hitter on a World Series favorite to a last-place team? Cespedes is an incredible hitter who has gone from the top to the bottom. Next year may be a fun time (MAYBE), but for the remainder of the 2014 season, this is going to be a miserable team. It will be hard to watch his old team make a long postseason run while he’s watching from home.
• The Pirates and Brewers: If any year were the year to beat out the Cardinals, it was this one. The pieces were available to improve their teams, and both sat relatively quietly at the deadline. The Cardinals moves weren’t great, but they will probably be enough to beat the their two divisional foes.
• The National League: Sorry guys. Whether the biggest winners were the Tigers or the As, the biggest loser was whichever National League team has to try to win the World Series against either of the best rotations in baseball. Can Clayton Kershaw pitch seven games in a row. Cygh...

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.

Five are Fighting

After their second loss to the Broncos in three weeks, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid took the podium for his post-game interview. In his statements, he talked about the need to look forward and focus on getting to the playoffs. He remarked that unlike in the BCS, one loss in the NFL regular season is not enough to tank a championship drive.

This was a particularly touchy subject in the state of Alabama this past weekend. With one second left in the Iron Bowl, Auburn took an Alabama missed field goal back 100 yards to stun the two-time defending champions. Not only was this an epic ending to a well-played football game, but it also shattered Alabama’s dreams of a third straight title.

When rankings were officially announced on Monday, Alabama had dropped to fourth with undefeated Florida State and Ohio State in the top two spots, and Auburn, for their 11-1 season, and unseating of the Crimson Tide, moved to third.

The challenge becomes analyzing teams with different records for ranking purposes. Should Ohio State, who went 12-0 and extended the longest winning streak in the BCS, play for a national championship instead of a one-loss SEC school who may have had a much tougher schedule?

Here’s what it comes down to (or, at the very least, should come down to): if team A and team B played one another on neutral turf, who would win? The rankings play such a significant role in the bowl selection process that it is unrealistic to go solely based on record.

Missouri was six inches to the left of a perfect season. Ohio State has one because one play went their way. Alabama and Auburn were separated by one second. Any of these teams could very well compete against Florida State, the fairly unquestionable top team right now. When considered in terms of head-to-head matchups, though, there seems to be a pretty clear way to sort through it all.

Ohio State has not played nearly the competition that the SEC deals with on any given Saturday. Michigan, Illinois, and Purdue do not stack up the same way as LSU, Texas A & M, and South Carolina. Within the context of conference difficulty, all of a sudden, a 12-0 Ohio State starts to look like a 12-0 Northern Illinois University, who find themselves ranked 14.

Within the SEC, teams cannot simply use single games to lead to a ranking. Realistically, if Alabama played Auburn again tomorrow, even in Auburn, my money would be rolling with the Tide. Same goes for Alabama and Mizzou, Ohio State, or anyone else, frankly.

The hope is that next year’s shift to a four team playoff will alleviate their challenges. That doesn’t bring any solace to the five legitimate championship contenders who are fighting for dear life in the hopes of earning one of the two spots.

There is plenty of football left to play before bowl selections are made, but if the last day of the regular season is any indication, the answers won’t get any easier.