Baseball

2017 MLB All-Star Teams

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For the 87th year of the Midsummer Classic, baseball turns its sights to Marlins Park in Miami, Florida. This will be the first MLB All-Star game played at the Miami Marlins new ballpark. It was first opened back in 2012. Now every year there is always a lot of discussion and some of it a little dated about how the teams are put together. No system will ever be perfect. Fans don’t always get it right and managers won’t either. The fact that the players are able to vote for participants was a great choice and they know who is deserving. Regardless of who should or shouldn’t be in the game lets just accept that the best players will always be involved one way or another. Here are my all-stars keeping with the rules that every team be represented and a total of 34 players for each league. Continue reading →

National League East

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* – indicates new to team

1. Washington Nationals

The only flaw is the back end of their bullpen, but they could remedy that before the trade deadline.

2. New York Mets

This is easily one of the deepest rosters the Mets franchise have ever had.

3. Miami Marlins

With the loss of Jose Fernandez to a boat accident, they’ll have to rebuild the rotation.

4. Atlanta Braves

The new ballpark will be open and it’s time to see all the talent the Braves have accumulated for the past two seasons.

5. Philadelphia Phillies

Another year in the cellar is likely, but the Phillies future is looking brighter each day. Continue reading →

American League East

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* – indicates new to team

1. Boston Red Sox

A stellar rotation instantly makes them World Series contenders.

2. Toronto Blue Jays

Their lineup is still among the best, but will the bullpen be able to keep a lead?

3. Baltimore Orioles

There are too many question marks in the rotation to put them anywhere past a Wild Card spot.

4. New York Yankees

While a Wild Card spot isn’t out of the question, giving their young nucleus a season to grow could help them in the long run.

5. Tampa Bay Rays

They could certainly be an interesting team to watch if they played in a different division. Continue reading →

National League Central

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* – indicates new to team

1. Chicago Cubs

They are easily the favorites to repeat this year and could be for many more seasons.

2. St. Louis Cardinals

While they aren’t the flashiest team, they have plenty of depth to plug up any holes.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates could be in a transitional year with rumors swirling about trading McCutchen.

4. Milwaukee Brewers

They’re still a year or two away from being potential contenders.

5. Cincinnati Reds

The rebuilding project has begun with the offseason trade of Brandon Phillips. Continue reading →