2012 MLB World Series & Awards Predictions

MLB Awards

NL MVP – 1B Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds

AL MVP – OF Jose Bautista Toronto Blue Jays

NL Cy Young – Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers

NL Rookie of the Year – SS Dee Gordon Los Angeles Dodgers

AL Rookie of the Year – P Matt Moore Tampa Bay Rays

NL Manager of the Year – Kirk Gibson Arizona Diamondbacks

AL Manager of the Year – Joe Maddon Tampa Bay Rays

Postseason Projections

AL Division Winners – Yankees, Tigers, Angels

AL Wild Card Winners – Rays, Rangers

NL Division Winners – Phillies, Reds, Diamondbacks

NL Wild Card Winners – Braves, Cardinals

ALCS – Angels vs. Tigers

NLCS – Phillies vs. Diamondbacks

World Series – Phillies vs. Angels

Lets Play Ball!

National League East

* – indicates new to team
AVG – Batting Average
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves

1. Philadelphia Phillies
Their rotation will carry them once again
2. Atlanta Braves
Another September collapse is not in the cards
3. Miami Marlins
New stadium and new faces bring new life to the Marlins
4. Washington Nationals
October baseball is fast approaching
5. New York Mets
So goes Johan Santana, so go the Mets

Player to Watch: 3B Hanley Ramirez Miami Marlins
Best Acquisition: SS Jose Reyes Miami Marlins
New Kid on the Block: OF Bryce Harper Washington Nationals

Phillies Lineup

1. SS Jimmy Rollins

.268 AVG 16 HR 63 RBI

2. 3B Placido Polanco

.277 AVG 5 HR 50 RBI

3. CF Shane Victorino

.279 AVG 17 RH 61 RBI

4. RF Hunter Pence

.314 AVG 22 HR 97 RBI

5. LF John Mayberry

.273 AVG 15 HR 49 RBI

6. 1B Ty Wigginton*

.242 AVG 15 HR 47 RBI

7. C Carlos Ruiz

.283 AVG 6 HR 40 RBI

8. 2B Freddy Galvis

.278 AVG 8 HR 43 RBI ( AA and AAA stats)

Bench

OF Laynce Nix*

.250 AVG 16 HR 44 RBI

OF Juan Pierre*

.279 AVG 2 HR 50 RBI

1B Jim Thome*

.256 AVG 15 HR 50 RBI

Rotation

1. Roy Halladay

19-6 2.35 ERA

2. Cliff Lee

17-8 2.40 ERA

3. Cole Hamels

14-9 2.79 ERA

4. Vance Worley

11-3 3.01 ERA

5. Joe Blanton

1-2 5.01 ERA

Setup

Antonio Bastardo

6-1 2.64 ERA

Closer

Jonathan Papelbon*

31 SV 2.94 ERA

Charlie Manuel’s Job: Stay positive minus Howard and Utley

Most Important Player: SS Jimmy Rollins

Braves Lineup

1. CF Michael Bourn

.294 AVG 2 HR 50 RBI

2. LF Martin Prado

.260 AVG 13 HR 57 RBI

3. C Brian McCann

.270 AVG 24 HR 71 RBI

4. 2B Dan Uggla

.233 AVG 36 HR 82 RBI

5. 3B Chipper Jones

.275 AVG 18 HR 70 RBI

6. 1B Freddie Freeman

.282 AVG 21 HR 76 RBI

7. RF Jason Heyward

.227 AVG 14 HR 42 RBI

8. SS Tyler Pastornicky

.314 AVG 7 RH 45 RBI (AA and AAA stats)

Bench

INF/OF Eric Hinske

.233 AVG 10 HR 28 RBI

C David Ross

.263 AVG 6 HR 23 RBI

OF Matt Diaz

.263 AVG 0 HR 20 RBI

Rotation

1. Tim Hudson

16-10 3.22 ERA

2. Jair Jurrjens

13-6 2.96 ERA

3. Tommy Hanson

11-7 3.60 ERA

4. Brandon Beachy

7-3 3.68 ERA

5. Mike Minor

5-3 4.14 ERA

Setup

Jonny Venters

6-2 1.84 ERA

Closer

Craig Kimbrel

46 SV 2.10 ERA

Fredi Gonzalez’s Job: Forget about 2011

Most Important Player: P Jair Jurrjens

Marlins Lineup

1. SS Jose Reyes*

.337 AVG 7 HR 44 RBI

2. CF Emilio Bonifacio

.296 AVG 5 HR 36 RBI

3. 3B Hanley Ramirez

.243 AVG 10 HR 45 RBI

4. RF Giancarlo Stanton

.262 AVG 34 HR 87 RBI

5. 1B Gaby Sanchez

.266 AVG 19 HR 78 RBI

6. LF Logan Morrison

.247 AVG 23 HR 72 RBI

7. C John Buck

.227 AVG 16 HR 57 RBI

8. 2B Omar Infante

.276 AVG 7 HR 49 RBI

Bench

INF Greg Dobbs

.275 AVG 8 HR 49 RBI

OF Chris Coghlan

.230 AVG 5 HR 22 RBI

OF Austin Kearns*

.200 AVG 2 HR 7 RBI

Rotation

1. Josh Johnson

3-1 1.64 ERA

2. Mark Buehrle*

13-9 3.59 ERA

3. Anibal Sanchez

8-9 3.67 ERA

4. Ricky Nolasco

10-12 4.67 ERA

5. Carlos Zambrano*

9-7 4.82 ERA

Setup

Edward Mujica

9-6 2.96 ERA

Closer

Heath Bell*

43 SV 2.44 ERA

Ozzie Guillen’s Job: Rejuvenate the fan base

Most Important Player: P Josh Johnson

Nationals Lineup

1. SS Ian Desmond

.253 AVG 8 RH 49 RBI

2. 2B Danny Espinosa

.236 AVG 21 HR 66 RBI

3. 3B Ryan Zimmerman

.289 AVG 12 HR 49 RBI

4. LF Michael Morse

.303 AVG 31 HR 95 RBI

5. RF Jayson Werth

.232 AVG 20 HR 58 RBI

6. 1B Adam LaRoche

.172 AVG 3 HR 15 RBI

7. C Wilson Ramos

.267 AVG 15 HR 52 RBI

8. CF Roger Bernadina

.243 AVG 7 RH 27 RBI

Bench

INF/OF Mark DeRosa*

.279 AVG 0 HR 12 RBI

OF Rick Ankiel

.239 AVG 9 HR 37 RBI

C Jesus Flores

.209 AVG 1 HR 2 RBI

Rotation

1. Stephen Strasburg

1-1 1.50 ERA

2. Gio Gonzalez*

16-12 3.12 ERA

3. Edwin Jackson*

12-9 3.79 ERA

4. Jordan Zimmermann

8-11 3.18 ERA

5. John Lannan

10-13 3.70 ERA

Setup

Tyler Clippard

3-0 1.83 ERA

Closer

Drew Storen

43 SV 2.75 ERA

Davey Johnson’s Job: Don’t give in to the hype

Most Important Player: OF Jayson Werth

Mets Lineup

1. CF Andres Torres*

.221 AVG 4 HR 19 RBI

2. 2B Daniel Murphy

.320 AVG 6 HR 49 RBI

3. 3B David Wright

.254 AVG 14 HR 61 RBI

4. 1B Ike Davis

.302 AVG 7 HR 25 RBI

5. LF Jason Bay

.245 AVG 12 HR 57 RBI

6. RF Lucas Duda

.292 AVG 10 HR 50 RBI

7. C Josh Thole

.268 AVG 3 HR 40 RBI

8. SS Ruben Tejada

.284 AVG 0 HR 36 RBI

Bench

OF Scott Hairston

.235 AVG 7 HR 24 RBI

INF Justin Turner

.260 AVG 4 HR 51 RBI

INF Ronny Cedeno*

.249 AVG 2 HR 32 RBI

Rotation

1. Johan Santana

Did Not Play

2. R.A. Dickey

8-13 3.28 ERA

3. Jon Niese

11-11 4.40 ERA

4. Mike Pelfrey

7-13 4.74 ERA

5. Dillon Gee

13-6 4.43 ERA

Setup

Jon Rauch*

5-4 4.85 ERA

Closer

Frank Francisco*

17 SV 3.55 ERA

Terry Collins’ Job: Low expectations are a good thing

Most Important Player: P Johan Santana

American League East

* – indicates new to team
AVG – Batting Average
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves

1. New York Yankees
A deeper rotation makes them even better than last year
2. Tampa Bay Rays
It won’t come down to the last game this year
3. Boston Red Sox
Whole sale changes won’t mean instant success
4. Toronto Blue Jays
A scary lineup, but not enough quality starters
5. Baltimore Orioles
Hard to be optimistic in the AL East

Player to Watch: OF Jose Bautista Toronto Blue Jays
Best Acquisition: P Hiroki Kuroda New York Yankees
New Kid on the Block: 3B Brett Lawrie Toronto Blue Jays

Yankees Lineup

1. SS Derek Jeter

.297 AVG 6 HR 61 RBI

2. CF Curtis Granderson

.262 AVG 41 HR 119 RBI

3. 2B Robinson Cano

.302 AVG 28 HR 118 RBI

4. 3B Alex Rodriguez

.276 AVG 16 HR 62 RBI

5. 1B Mark Teixeira

.248 AVG 39 HR 111 RBI

6. RF Nick Swisher

.260 AVG 23 HR 85 RBI

7. DH Raul Ibanez*

.245 AVG 20 HR 84 RBI

8. C Russell Martin

.237 AVG 18 RH 65 RBI

9. LF Brett Gardner

.259 AVG 7 HR 36 RBI

Bench

OF/DH Andruw Jones

.247 AVG 13 HR 33 RBI

INF Eduardo Nunez

.265 AVG 5 HR 30 RBI

INF Eric Chavez

.263 AVG 2 HR 26 RBI

Rotation

1. C.C. Sabathia

19-8 3.00 ERA

2. Michael Pineda*

9-10 3.74 ERA

3. Ivan Nova

16-4 3.70 ERA

4. Hiroki Kuroda*

13-16 3.07 ERA

5. Freddy Garcia

12-8 3.62 ERA

Setup

David Robertson

4-0 1.08 ERA

Closer

Mariano Rivera

44 SV 1.91 ERA

Joe Girardi’s Job: Ignore the media as best you can

Most Important Player: 3B Alex Rodriguez

Rays Lineup

1. LF Desmond Jennings

.259 AVG 10 HR 25 RBI

2. RF Ben Zobrist

.269 AVG 20 HR 91 RBI

3. 3B Evan Longoria

.244 AVG 31 HR 99 RBI

4. 1B Carlos Pena*

.225 AVG 28 HR 80 RBI

5. CF B.J. Upton

.243 AVG 23 HR 81 RBI

6. DH Luke Scott*

.220 AVG 9 HR 22 RBI

7. 2B Jeff Keppinger*

.277 AVG 6 HR 35 RBI

8. SS Reid Brignac

.193 AVG 1 HR 15 RBI

9. C Jose Molina*

.281 AVG 3 HR 15 RBI

Bench

INF Sean Rodriguez

.223 AVG 8 HR 36 RBI

OF Matt Joyce

.277 AVG 19 HR 75 RBI

OF Sam Fuld

.240 AVG 3 HR 27 RBI

Rotation

1. James Shields

16-12 2.82 ERA

2. David Price

12-13 3.49 ERA

3. Jeremy Hellickson

13-10 2.95 ERA

4. Matt Moore

12-3 1.92 ERA (AA and AAA stats)

5. Jeff Niemann

11-7 4.06 ERA

Setup

Fernando Rodney*

3-5 4.50 ERA

Closer

Kyle Farnsworth

25 SV 2.18 ERA

Joe Maddon’s Job: ‘No one thinks you can win.’ Use that

Most Important Player: 3B Evan Longoria

Red Sox Lineup

1. CF Jacoby Ellsbury

.321 AVG 32 HR 105 RBI

2. 2B Dustin Pedroia

.307 AVG 21 HR 91 RBI

3. 1B Adrian Gonzalez

.338 AVG 27 HR 117 RBI

4. DH David Ortiz

.309 AVG 29 HR 96 RBI

5. 3B Kevin Youkilis

.258 AVG 17 HR 80 RBI

6. LF Cody Ross*

.240 AVG 14 HR 52 RBI

7. RF Ryan Sweeney*

.265 AVG 1 HR 25 RBI

8. C Jarrod Saltalamacchia

.235 AVG 16 HR 56 RBI

9. SS Mike Aviles

.255 AVG 7 HR 39 RBI

Bench

INF Nick Punto*

.278 AVG 1 HR 20 RBI

OF Darnell McDonald

.236 AVG 6 HR 24 RBI

C Kelly Shoppach*

.176 AVG 11 HR 22 RBI

Rotation

1. Jon Lester

15-9 3.47 ERA

2. Josh Beckett

13-7 2.89 ERA

3. Clay Buchholz

6-3 3.48 ERA

4. Daniel Bard

2-9 3.33 ERA

5. Vicente Padilla*

0-0 4.15 ERA

Setup

Mark Melancon*

20 SV 2.78 ERA

Closer

Alfredo Aceves

10-2 2.61 ERA

Bobby Valentine’s Job: Avoid confrontation

Most Important Player: P Daniel Bard

Blue Jays Lineup

1. SS Yunel Escobar

.290 AVG 11 HR 48 RBI

2. 2B Kelly Johnson

.222 AVG 21 HR 58 RBI

3. RF Jose Bautista

.302 AVG 43 HR 103 RBI

4. 1B Adam Lind

.251 AVG 26 HR 87 RBI

5. DH Edwin Encarnacion

.272 AVG 17 HR 55 RBI

6. 3B Brett Lawrie

.293 AVG 9 HR 25 RBI

7. LF Eric Thames

.262 AVG 12 HR 37 RBI

8. C J.P. Arencibia

.219 AVG 23 HR 78 RBI

9. CF Colby Rasmus

.225 AVG 14 HR 53 RBI

Bench

OF Rajai Davis

.238 AVG 1 HR 29 RBI

OF Ben Francisco*

.244 AVG 6 HR 34 RBI

C Jeff Mathis*

.174 AVG 3 HR 22 RBI

Rotation

1. Ricky Romero

15-11 2.92 ERA

2. Brandon Morrow

11-11 4.72 ERA

3. Brett Cecil

4-11 4.73 ERA

4. Henderson Alvarez

1-3 3.53 ERA

5. Kyle Drabek

4-5 6.06 ERA

Setup

Francisco Cordero*

37 SV 2.45 ERA

Closer

Sergio Santos*

30 SV 3.55 ERA

John Farrell’s Job: Build up the pitching staff

Most Important Player: P Brandon Morrow

Orioles Lineup

1. LF Nolan Reimold

.247 AVG 13 HR 45 RBI

2. SS J. J. Hardy

.269 AVG 30 HR 80 RBI

3. RF Nick Markakis

.284 AVG 15 HR 73 RBI

4. CF Adam Jones

.280 AVG 25 HR 83 RBI

5. C Matt Wieters

.262 AVG 22 HR 68 RBI

6. 3B Mark Reynolds

.221 AVG 37 HR 86 RBI

7. 1B Chris Davis

.266 AVG 5 HR 19 RBI

8. DH Wilson Betemit*

.285 AVG 8 HR 46 RBI

9. 2B Robert Andino

.263 AVG 5 HR 36 RBI

Bench

OF Endy Chavez*

.301 AVG 5 HR 27 RBI

1B Nick Johnson*

.201 AVG 6 HR 13 RBI (AA and AAA stats)

C Ronny Paulino*

.268 AVG 2 HR 19 RBI

Rotation

1. Jake Arrieta

10-8 5.05 ERA

2. Tommy Hunter

4-4 4.68 ERA

3. Jason Hammel*

7-13 4.76 ERA

4. Brian Matusz

1-9 10.69 ERA

5. Wei-Yin Chen*

8-10 2.68 ERA (Japan)

Setup

Jim Johnson

6-5 2.67 ERA

Closer

Kevin Gregg

22 SV 4.37 ERA

Buck Showalter’s Job: Take small steps forward

Most Important Player: P Brian Matusz

American League Central

* – indicates new to team
AVG – Batting Average
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves

1. Detroit Tigers
A new cleanup hitter makes them even better
2. Cleveland Indians
The youth movement is ready now
3. Minnesota Twins
Mauer & Morneau healthy will help a lot
4. Chicago White Sox
Growing pains with a first time manager
5. Kansas City Royals
Too many question marks in the rotation

Player to Watch: C Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins
Best Acquisition: 1B Prince Fielder Detroit Tigers
New Kid on the Block: 2B Jason Kipnis Cleveland Indians

Tigers Lineup

1. CF Austin Jackson

.249 AVG 10 HR 45 RBI

2. RF Brennan Boesch

.283 AVG 16 HR 54 RBI

3. 3B Miguel Cabrera

.344 AVG 30 HR 105 RBI

4. 1B Prince Fielder*

.299 AVG 38 HR 120 RBI

5. LF Delmon Young

.268 AVG 12 HR 64 RBI

6. C Alex Avila

.295 AVG 19 HR 82 RBI

7. SS Jhonny Peralta

.299 AVG 21 HR 86 RBI

8. DH Don Kelly

.245 AVG 7 HR 28 RBI

9. 2B Ramon Santiago

.260 AVG 5 HR 30 RBI

Bench

OF/INF Ryan Raburn

.256 AVG 14 HR 49 RBI

INF Brandon Inge

.197 AVG 3 HR 23 RBI

C Gerald Laird*

.232 AVG 1 HR 12 RBI

Rotation

1. Justin Verlander

24-5 2.40 ERA

2. Max Scherzer

15-9 4.43 ERA

3. Doug Fister

11-13 2.83 ERA

4. Rick Porcello

14-9 4.75 ERA

5. Drew Smyly

11-6 2.07 ERA (A and AA stats)

Setup

Joaquin Benoit

4-3 2.95 ERA

Closer

Jose Valverde

49 SV 2.24 ERA

Jim Leyland’s Job: Sit back and relax

Most Important Player: P Doug Fister

Indians Lineup

1. CF Michael Brantley

.266 AVG 7 HR 46 RBI

2. 2B Jason Kipnis

.272 AVG 7 HR 19 RBI

3. SS Asdrubal Cabrera

.273 AVG 25 HR 92 RBI

4. C Carlos Santana

.239 AVG 27 HR 79 RBI

5. RF Shin-Soo Choo

.259 AVG 8 HR 36 RBI

6. DH Travis Hafner

.280 AVG 13 HR 57 RBI

7. 1B Casey Kotchman*

.306 AVG 10 HR 48 RBI

8. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall

.255 AVG 7 HR 22 RBI

9. LF Shelley Duncan

.260 AVG 11 HR 47 RBI

Bench

1B/OF Matt LaPorta

.247 AVG 11 HR 53 RBI

3B Jack Hannahan

.250 AVG 8 HR 40 RBI

OF Grady Sizemore

.224 AVG 10 HR 32 RBI

Rotation

1. Justin Masterson

12-10 3.21 ERA

2. Ubaldo Jimenez

10-13 4.68 ERA

3. Josh Tomlin

12-7 4.25 ERA

4. Derek Lowe*

9-17 5.05 ERA

5. David Huff

2-6 4.09 ERA

Setup

Vinnie Pestano

1-2 2.32 ERA

Closer

Chris Perez

36 SV 3.32 ERA

Manny Acta’s Job: Stay the course

Most Important Player: P Ubaldo Jimenez

Twins Lineup

1. CF Denard Span

.264 AVG 2 HR 16 RBI

2. SS Jamey Carroll*

.290 AVG 0 HR 17 RBI

3. C Joe Mauer

.287 AVG 3 HR 30 RBI

4. 1B Justin Morneau

.227 AVG 4 HR 30 RBI

5. RF Josh Willingham*

.246 AVG 29 HR 98 RBI

6. DH Ryan Doumit*

.303 AVG 8 HR 30 RBI

7. 3B Danny Valencia

.246 AVG 15 HR 72 RBI

8. LF Ben Revere

.267 AVG 0 HR 30 RBI

9. 2B Alexi Casilla

.260 AVG 2 HR 21 RBI

Bench

INF Luke Hughes

.223 AVG 7 HR 30 RBI

INF Trevor Plouffe

.238 AVG 8 HR 31 RBI

1B/OF Chris Parmelee

.355 AVG 4 HR 14 RBI

Rotation

1. Carl Pavano

9-13 4.30 ERA

2. Francisco Liriano

9-10 5.09 ERA

3. Scott Baker

8-6 3.14 ERA

4. Jason Marquis*

8-6 4.43 ERA

5. Nick Blackburn

7-10 4.49 ERA

Setup

Glen Perkins

4-4 2.48 ERA

Closer

Matt Capps

15 SV 4.25 ERA

Ron Gardenhire’s Job: Keep Mauer & Morneau in the lineup

Most Important Player: OF Denard Span

White Sox Lineup

1. CF Alejandro De Aza

.329 AVG 4 HR 23 RBI

2. C A.J. Pierzynski

.287 AVG 8 HR 48 RBI

3. RF Alex Rios

.227 AVG 13 HR 44 RBI

4. 1B Paul Konerko

.300 AVG 31 HR 105 RBI

5. DH Adam Dunn

.159 AVG 11 HR 42 RBI

6. SS Alexei Ramirez

.269 AVG 15 HR 70 RBI

7. LF Dayan Viciedo

.296 AVG 20 HR 78 RBI (AAA stats)

8. 3B Brent Morel

.245 AVG 10 HR 41 RBI

9. 2B Gordon Beckham

.230 AVG 10 HR 44 RBI

Bench

OF Kosuke Fukudome*

.262 AVG 8 HR 35 RBI

INF/OF Brent Lillibridge

.258 AVG 13 HR 29 RBI

C Tyler Flowers

.209 AVG 5 HR 16 RBI

Rotation

1. John Danks

8-12 4.33 ERA

2. Jake Peavy

7-7 4.92 ERA

3. Gavin Floyd

12-13 4.37 ERA

4. Chris Sale

2-2 2.79 ERA

5. Philip Humber

9-9 3.75 ERA

Setup

Jesse Crain

8-3 2.62 ERA

Closer

Matt Thornton

3 SV 3.32 ERA

Robin Ventura’s Job: On the job training

Most Important Player: DH Adam Dunn

Royals Lineup

1. LF Alex Gordon

.303 AVG 23 HR 87 RBI

2. 2B Chris Getz

.255 AVG 0 HR 26 RBI

3. 1B Eric Hosmer

.293 AVG 19 HR 78 RBI

4. DH Billy Butler

.291 AVG 19 HR 95 RBI

5. RF Jeff Francoeur

.285 AVG 20 HR 87 RBI

6. 3B Mike Moustakas

.263 AVG 5 HR 30 RBI

7. CF Lorenzo Cain

.312 AVG 16 HR 81 RBI (AAA stats)

8. C Brayan Pena

.248 AVG 3 HR 24 RBI

9. SS Alcides Escobar

.254 AVG 4 HR 46 RBI

Bench

INF Yuniesky Betancourt*

.252 AVG 13 HR 68 RBI

OF Mitch Maier

.232 AVG 0 HR 7 RBI

C Humberto Quintero*

.240 AVG 2 HR 25 RBI

Rotation

1. Bruce Chen

12-8 3.77 ERA

2. Luke Hochevar

11-11 4.68 ERA

3. Jonathan Sanchez*

4-7 4.26 ERA

4. Felipe Paulino

4-10 4.46 ERA

5. Danny Duffy

4-8 5.64 ERA

Setup

Aaron Crow

4-4 2.76 ERA

Closer

Jonathan Broxton*

7 SV 5.68 ERA

Ned Yost’s Job: Hope the lineup keeps improving

Most Important Player: P Luke Hochevar

National League Central

* – indicates new to team
AVG – Batting Average
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves

1. Cincinnati Reds
A big trade brings new life into the team
2. St. Louis Cardinals
Can they defend their title without Pujols?
3. Milwaukee Brewers
No Prince means they have to rely on pitching
4. Chicago Cubs
The new regime is preaching patience
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
They’re heading in the right direction
6. Houston Astros
A new beginning as they move to the AL next year

Player to Watch: 3B David Freese St. Louis Cardinals
Best Acquisition: OF Carlos Beltran St. Louis Cardinals
New Kid on the Block: 1B Mat Gamel Milwaukee Brewers

Reds Lineup

1. 2B Brandon Phillips

.300 AVG 18 HR 82 RBI

2. LF Chris Heisey

.254 AVG 18 HR 50 RBI

3. 1B Joey Votto

.309 AVG 29 HR 103 RBI

4. RF Jay Bruce

.256 AVG 32 HR 97 RBI

5. 3B Scott Rolen

.242 AVG 5 HR 36 RBI

6. CF Drew Stubbs

.243 AVG 15 HR 44 RBI

7. SS Zack Cozart

.310 AVG 7 HR 32 RBI (AAA stats)

8. C Ryan Hanigan

.267 AVG 6 HR 31 RBI

Bench

OF Ryan Ludwick*

.237 AVG 13 HR 75 RBI

INF Miguel Cairo

.265 AVG 8 HR 33 RBI

C Devin Mesoraco

.289 AVG 15 HR 71 RBI (AAA stats)

Rotation

1. Mat Latos*

9-14 3.47 ERA

2. Johnny Cueto

9-5 2.31 ERA

3. Bronson Arroyo

9-12 5.07 ERA

4. Homer Bailey

9-7 4.43 ERA

5. Mike Leake

12-9 3.86 ERA

Setup

Nick Masset

3-6 3.71 ERA

Closer

Sean Marshall*

5 SV 2.26 ERA

Dusty Baker’s Job: Monitor the pitching staff

Most Important Player: P Johnny Cueto

Cardinals Lineup

1. SS Rafael Furcal

.231 AVG 8 HR 28 RBI

2. RF Carlos Beltran*

.300 AVG 22 HR 84 RBI

3. LF Matt Holliday

.296 AVG 22 HR 75 RBI

4. 1B Lance Berkman

.301 AVG 31 HR 94 RBI

5. 3B David Freese

.297 AVG 10 HR 55 RBI

6. CF Jon Jay

.297 AVG 10 HR 37 RBI

7. C Yadier Molina

.305 AVG 14 HR 65 RBI

8. 2B Tyler Greene

.212 AVG 1 HR 11 RBI

Bench

OF/INF Allen Craig

.315 AVG 11 HR 40 RBI

INF Daniel Descalso

.264 AVG 1 HR 28 RBI

INF/OF Skip Schumaker

.283 AVG 2 HR 38 RBI

Rotation

1. Chris Carpenter

11-9 3.45 ERA

2. Adam Wainwright

Did Not Play

3. Jaime Garcia

13-7 3.56 ERA

4. Kyle Lohse

14-8 3.39 ERA

5. Jake Westbrook

12-9 4.66 ERA

Setup

Fernando Salas

5-6 2.28 ERA

Closer

Jason Motte

9 SV 2.25 ERA

Mike Matheny’s Job: Don’t fix what isn’t broken

Most Important Player: P Jason Motte

Brewers Lineup

1. 2B Rickie Weeks

.269 AVG 20 HR 49 RBI

2. CF Nyjer Morgan

.304 AVG 4 HR 37 RBI

3. LF Ryan Braun

.332 AVG 33 HR 111 RBI

4. 3B Aramis Ramirez*

.306 AVG 26 HR 93 RBI

5. RF Corey Hart

.285 AVG 26 HR 63 RBI

6. 1B Mat Gamel

.310 AVG 28 HR 96 RBI (AAA stats)

7. SS Alex Gonzalez*

.241 AVG 15 HR 56 RBI

8. C Jonathan Lucroy

.265 AVG 12 HR 59 RBI

Bench

OF Carlos Gomez

.225 AVG 8 HR 24 RBI

OF Norichika Aoki*

.292 AVG 4 HR 44 RBI (Japan)

C George Kottaras

.252 AVG 5 HR 17 RBI

Rotation

1. Yovani Gallardo

17-10 3.52 ERA

2. Zack Greinke

16-6 3.83 ERA

3. Shaun Marcum

13-7 3.54 ERA

4. Randy Wolf

13-10 3.69 ERA

5. Chris Narveson

11-8 4.45 ERA

Setup

Francisco Rodriguez

6-2 2.64 ERA

Closer

John Axford

46 SV 1.95 ERA

Ron Roenicke’s Job: Play small ball

Most Important Player: OF Ryan Braun

Cubs Lineup

1. RF David DeJesus*

.240 AVG 10 HR 46 RBI

2. 3B Ian Stewart*

.156 AVG 0 HR 6 RBI

3. SS Starlin Castro

.307 AVG 10 HR 66 RBI

4. 1B Bryan LaHair

.331 AVG 38 HR 109 RBI (AAA stats)

5. LF Alfonso Soriano

.244 AVG 26 HR 88 RBI

6. C Geovany Soto

.228 AVG 17 HR 54 RBI

7. CF Marlon Byrd

.276 AVG 9 HR 35 RBI

8. 2B Darwin Barney

.276 AVG 2 HR 43 RBI

Bench

INF/OF Jeff Baker

.269 AVG 3 HR 23 RBI

OF Reed Johnson

.309 AVG 5 HR 28 RBI

OF Tony Campana

.259 AVG 1 HR 6 RBI

Rotation

1. Matt Garza

10-10 3.32 ERA

2. Ryan Dempster

10-14 4.80 ERA

3. Paul Maholm*

6-14 3.66 ERA

4. Jeff Samardzija

8-4 2.97 ERA

5. Chris Volstad*

5-13 4.89 ERA

Setup

Kerry Wood

3-5 3.35 ERA

Closer

Carlos Marmol

34 SV 4.01 ERA

Dale Sveum’s Job: Fly under the radar

Most Important Player: SS Starlin Castro

Pirates Lineup

1. LF Alex Presley

.298 AVG 4 HR 20 RBI

2. RF Jose Tabata

.266 AVG 4 HR 21 RBI

3. CF Andrew McCutchen

.259 AVG 23 HR 89 RBI

4. 2B Neil Walker

.273 AVG 12 HR 83 RBI

5. 1B Garrett Jones

.243 AVG 16 HR 58 RBI

6. C Rod Barajas*

.230 AVG 16 HR 47 RBI

7. 3B Pedro Alvarez

.191 AVG 4 HR 19 RBI

8. SS Clint Barmes*

.244 AVG 12 HR 39 RBI

Bench

INF Casey McGehee*

.223 AVG 13 HR 67 RBI

OF Nate McLouth*

.228 AVG 4 HR 16 RBI

INF Yamaico Navarro*

.250 AVG 1 HR 9 RBI

Rotation

1. Erik Bedard*

5-9 3.62 ERA

2. Jeff Karstens

9-9 3.38 ERA

3. James McDonald

9-9 4.21 ERA

4. Kevin Correia

12-11 4.79 ERA

5. Charlie Morton

10-10 3.83 ERA

Setup

Evan Meek

1-1 3.48 ERA

Closer

Joel Hanrahan

40 SV 1.83 ERA

Clint Hurdle’s Job: Improve on last years success

Most Important Player: OF Andrew McCutchen

Astros Lineup

1. CF Jordan Schafer

.242 AVG 2 HR 13 RBI

2. SS Jed Lowrie*

.252 AVG 6 HR 36 RBI

3. LF J.D. Martinez

.274 AVG 6 HR 35 RBI

4. 1B Carlos Lee

.275 AVG 18 HR 94 RBI

5. RF Brian Bogusevic

.287 AVG 4 HR 15 RBI

6. 3B Chris Johnson

.251 AVG 7 HR 42 RBI

7. C Jason Castro

Did Not Play

8. 2B Jose Altuve

.276 AVG 2 HR 12 RBI

Bench

1B Brett Wallace

.259 AVG 5 HR 29 RBI

INF Matt Downs

.276 AVG 10 HR 41 RBI

C Chris Snyder*

.271 AVG 3 HR 17 RBI

Rotation

1. Wandy Rodriguez

11-11 3.49 ERA

2. Bud Norris

6-11 3.77 ERA

3. J.A. Happ

6-15 5.35 ERA

4. Kyle Weiland*

8-10 3.58 ERA (AAA stats)

5. Jordan Lyles

2-8 5.36 ERA

Setup

Wilton Lopez

2-6 2.79 ERA

Closer

Brett Myers

7-14 4.46 ERA

Brad Mills’ Job: Build for the future

Most Important Player: 2B Jose Altuve

An opinionated and analytical view of sports since 2009.

Baseball

2012 MLB World Series & Awards Predictions

National League East

American League East

American League Central

National League Central