MLB Recap – April

Best Hitter – 1B Chris Davis (.352 AVG 9 HR 28 RBI) Baltimore Orioles

Best Pitcher – Matt Moore (5-0, 1.13 ERA) Tampa Bay Rays

Best Team – Boston Red Sox 18-8 (7-3 road record)

Division Leaders

American League

Boston Red Sox 18-8

Best Player – P Clay Buchholz (5-0, 1.19 ERA)

Detroit Tigers 15-10

Best Player – 3B Miguel Cabrera (.363 AVG 4 HR 28 RBI)

Texas Rangers 17-9

Best Player – P Yu Darvish (5-1 2.33 ERA)

National League

Atlanta Braves 17-9

Best Player – OF Justin Upton (.298 AVG 12 HR 19 RBI)

St. Louis Cardinals 15-11

Best Player – P Adam Wainwright (4-2, 2.03 ERA)

Colorado Rockies 16-11

Best Player – C Wilin Rosario (.350 AVG 7 HR 19 RBI)

Wild Card Teams

American League

New York Yankees 16-10

Best Player – 2B Robinson Cano (.327 AVG 7 HR 17 RBI)

Baltimore Orioles 16-11

Best Player – 1B Chris Davis (.352 AVG 9 HR 28 RBI)

Kansas City Royals 14-10

Best Player – P Ervin Santana (3-1, 2.00 ERA)

Oakland Athletics 16-12

Best Player – SS Jed Lowrie (.333 AVG 3 HR 15 RBI)

Minnesota Twins 11-12

Best Player – C Joe Mauer (.287 AVG 2 HR 8 RBI)

Tampa Bay Rays 12-14

Best Player – P Matt Moore (5-0, 1.13 ERA)

Cleveland Indians 11-13

Best Player – C Carlos Santana (.389 AVG 5 HR 13 RBI)

National League

Milwaukee Brewers 14-11

Best Player – SS Jean Segura (.367 AVG 3 HR 9 RBI)

Arizona Diamondbacks 15-12

Best Player – P Patrick Corbin (3-0, 1.91 ERA)

Pittsburgh Pirates 15-12

Best Player – OF Starling Marte (.327 AVG 2 HR 11 RBI)

San Francisco Giants 15-12

Best Player – P Madison Bumgarner (3-0, 1.55 ERA)

Cincinnati Reds 15-13

Best Player – OF Shin-Soo Choo (.337 AVG 4 HR 11 RBI)

Los Angeles Dodgers 13-13

Best Player – 1B Adrian Gonzalez (.333 AVG 2 HR 18 RBI)

Washington Nationals 13-14

Best Player – OF Bryce Harper (.344 AVG 9 HR 18 RBI)

Philadelphia Phillies 12-15

Best Player – 3B Michael Young (.341 AVG 1 HR 6 RBI)

Outside Looking In

American League

Seattle Mariners 12-17

Best Player – P Hisashi Iwakuma (2-1, 1.67 ERA)

Chicago White Sox 10-15

Best Player – P Addison Reed (8 SV, 1.64 ERA)

Toronto Blue Jays 10-17

Best Player – SS Jose Reyes (.395 AVG 1 HR 5 RBI) they really miss him

Los Angeles Angels 9-17

Best Player – 1B/DH Mark Trumbo (.300 AVG 5 HR 16 RBI)

Houston Astros 8-19

Best Player – 2B Jose Altuve (.324 AVG 1 HR 13 RBI)

National League

New York Mets 10-15

Best Player – P Matt Harvey (4-0, 1.56 ERA)

Chicago Cubs 10-16

Best Player – P Travis Wood (2-1, 2.25 ERA)

San Diego Padres 10-16

Best Player – C Nick Hundley (.329 AVG 3 HR 11 RBI)

Miami Marlins 8-19

Best Player – P Kevin Slowey (0-2, 2.15 ERA)

2013 NBA Playoffs Preview

Eastern Conference

1. Miami Heat vs. 8 Milwaukee Bucks

Key Players: G Dwayne Wade and G Brandon Jennings

Results: Heat in 4 games

2. New York Knicks vs. 7. Boston Celtics

Key Players: F Carmelo Anthony and F Kevin Garnett

Results: Knicks in 7 games

3. Indiana Pacers vs. 6. Atlanta Hawks

Key Players: C Roy Hibbert and F Josh Smith

Results: Pacers in 5 games

4. Brooklyn Nets vs. 5. Chicago Bulls

Key Players: C Brook Lopez and F Luol Deng

Results: Bulls in 6 games

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8. Houston Rockets

Key Players: G Russell Westbrook and G James Harden

Results: Thunder in 5 games

2. San Antonio Spurs vs. 7. Los Angeles Lakers

Key Players: G Tony Parker and F Pau Gasol

Results: Spurs in 6 games

3. Denver Nuggets vs. 6. Golden State Warriors

Key Players: G Andre Iguodala and F David Lee

Results: Nuggets in 7 games

4. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 5. Memphis Grizzlies

Key Players: F Blake Griffin and F Zach Randolph

Results: Clippers in 7 games

2013 MLB World Series & Awards Predictions

MLB Awards

NL MVP – OF Andrew McCutchen

AL MVP – 1B Albert Pujols Los Angeles Angels

NL Cy Young – Stephen Strasburg Washington Nationals

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers

NL Rookie of the Year – P Gerrit Cole Pittsburgh Pirates

AL Rookie of the Year – OF Aaron Hick Minnesota Twins

NL Manager of the Year – Clint Hurdle Pittsburgh Pirates

AL Manager of the Year – Bob Melvin Oakland Athletics

Postseason Projections

NL Division Winners – Nationals, Reds, Giants

NL Wild Card Winners – Dodgers, Cardinals

AL Division Winners – Tigers, Angels, Yankees

AL Wild Card Winners – Blue Jays, Athletics

ALCS – Tigers over Angels

NLCS – Nationals over Reds

World Series – Nationals over Tigers

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 slow start could relegate them to the back of the pack.
2. Toronto Blue Jays
Benefiting from another Marlins fire sale puts them in contention.
3. Tampa Bay Rays
They’re poised to go under the radar once again.
4. Baltimore Orioles
They’ll remain contenders in an ultra competitive division.
5. Boston Red Sox
They pushed the reset button and forget 2012 ever happened.

Player to Watch: P David Price Tampa Bay Rays
He won his first Cy Young award last season, but with that and the massive extensions some of the best starting pitchers are getting in the offseason Price could be pricing himself out of Tampa Bay. It would be hard to imagine the Rays dealing him at any point. Evan Longoria received a massive extension a few years ago, but the Rays small payroll will put restrictions on them keeping Price.
Best Acquisition: SS Jose Reyes Toronto Blue Jays
There’s no doubt about how much of a difference maker he can be. Reyes can single handedly win a ball game for any team. Even if the Blue Jays just acquired him from the Marlins they would still be instant contenders in the AL East. Putting him in a power hitting lineup will motivate him to be a potential MVP candidate for many years in Toronto.
New Kid on the Block: P Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore has enough starters to keep Bundy and Gausman from being rushed to the big leagues. However, it’s only a matter of time before they’re pitching for them this season. Gausman has the inside track on making an impact in the rotation. Bundy might see time in the bullpen first, but make no mistake that these two will be frontline starters for many years.

Yankees Lineup

1. CF Brett Gardner

.323 AVG 0 HR 3 RBI

2. SS Derek Jeter

.316 AVG 15 HR 58 RBI

3. RF Ichiro Suzuki

.283 AVG 9 HR 55 RBI

4. 2B Robinson Cano

.313 AVG 33 HR 94 RBI

5. 3B Kevin Youkilis*

.235 AVG 19 HR 60 RBI

6. DH Travis Hafner*

.228 AVG 12 HR 34 RBI

7. LF Vernon Wells*

.230 AVG 11 HR 29 RBi

8. 1B Lyle Overbay*

.259 AVG 2 HR 10 RBI

9. C Francisco Cervelli

.246 AVG 2 HR 39 RBI (AAA stats))

Bench

INF Eduardo Nunez

.292 AVG 1 HR 11 RBI

C Chris Stewart

.241 AVG 1 HR 13 RBI

OF Ben Francisco*

.240 AVG 4 HR 15 RBI

Rotation

1. C.C. Sabathia

15-6 3.38 ERA

2. Phil Hughes

16-13 4.23 ERA

3. Hiroki Kuroda

16-11 3.32 ERA

4. Andy Pettitte

5-4 2.87 ERA

5. Ivan Nova

12-8 5.02 ERA

Setup

David Robertson

2-7 2.67 ERA

Closer

Mariano Rivera

5 SV 2.16 ERA

Joe Girardi’s Job: Overcome the injuries and stay near the top of the division.

Most Important Player: 2B Robinson Cano

Blue Jays Lineup

1. SS Jose Reyes*

.287 AVG 11 HR 57 RBI

2. LF Melky Cabrera*

.346 AVG 11 HR 60 RBI

3. RF Jose Bautista

.241 AVG 27 HR 65 RBI

4. 1B Edwin Encarnacion

.280 AVG 42 HR 110 RBI

5. DH Adam Lind

.255 AVG 11 HR 45 RBI

6. 3B Brett Lawrie

.273 AVG 11 HR 48 RBI

7. CF Colby Rasmus

.223 AVG 23 HR 75 RBI

8. C J.P. Arencibia

.233 AVG 18 HR 56 RBI

9. 2B Emilio Bonifacio*

.258 AVG 1 HR 11 RBI

Bench

INF Maicer Izturis*

.256 AVG 2 HR 20 RBI

OF Rajai Davis

.257 AVG 8 HR 43 RBI

INF/OF Mark DeRosa*

.188 AVG 0 HR 6 RBI

Rotation

1. R.A. Dickey*

20-6 2.73 ERA

2. Josh Johnson*

8-14 3.81 ERA

3. Mark Buehrle*

13-13 3.74 ERA

4. Brandon Morrow

10-7 2.96 ERA

5. Ricky Romero

9-14 5.77 ERA

Setup

Casey Janssen

22 SV 2.54 ERA

Closer

Sergio Santos

2 SV 9.00 ERA

John Gibbons’ Job: Ignore the hype and just play baseball.

Most Important Player: SS Jose Reyes

Rays Lineup

1. CF Desmond Jennings

.246 AVG 13 HR 47 RBI

2. SS Yunel Escobar*

.253 AVG 9 HR 51 RBI

3. RF Ben Zobrist

.270 AVG 20 HR 74 RBI

4. 3B Evan Longoria

.289 AVG 17 HR 55 RBI

5. LF Matt Joyce

.241 AVG 17 HR 59 RBI

6. DH Luke Scott

.229 AVG 14 HR 55 RBI

7. 2B Kelly Johnson*

.225 AVG 16 HR 55 RBI

8. 1B James Loney*

.249 AVG 6 HR 41 RBI

9. C Jose Molina

.223 AVG 8 HR 32 RBI

Bench

INF Ryan Roberts

.235 AVG 12 HR 52 RBI

INF/OF Sean Rodriguez

.213 AVG 6 HR 32 RBI

OF Sam Fuld

.255 AVG 0 HR 5 RBI

Rotation

1. David Price

20-5 2.56 ERA

2. Jeremy Hellickson

10-11 3.10 ERA

3. Matt Moore

11-11 3.81 ERA

4. Alex Cobb

11-9 4.03 ERA

5. Roberto Hernandez*

0-3 7.53 ERA

Setup

Joel Peralta

2-6 3.63 ERA

Closer

Fernando Rodney

48 SV 0.60 ERA

Joe Maddon’s Job: Continue to stay under the radar.

Most Important Player: P David Price

Orioles Lineup

1. 2B Brian Roberts

.182 AVG 0 HR 5 RBI

2. RF Nick Markakis

.298 AVG 13 HR 54 RBI

3. CF Adam Jones

.287 AVG 32 HR 82 RBI

4. C Matt Wieters

.249 AVG 23 HR 83 RBI

5. 1B Chris Davis

.270 AVG 33 HR 85 RBI

6. SS J.J. Hardy

.238 AVG 22 HR 68 RBI

7. 3B Manny Machado

.262 AVG 7 HR 26 RBI

8. DH Nolan Reimold

.313 AVG 5 HR 10 RBI

9. LF Nate McLouth

.241 AVG 7 HR 20 RBI

Bench

INF Wilson Betemit

.261 AVG 12 HR 40 RBI

INF Alexi Casilla*

.241 AVG 1 HR 30 RBi

INF Ryan Flaherty

.216 AVG 6 HR 19 RBI

Rotation

1. Jason Hammel

8-6 3.43 ERA

2. Wei-Yin Chen

12-11 4.02 ERA

3. Chris Tillman

9-3 2.93 ERA

4. Miguel Gonzalez

9-4 3.25 ERA

5. Brian Matusz

6-10 4.87 ERA

Setup

Darren O’Day

7-1 2.28 ERA

Closer

Jim Johnson

51 SV 2.49 ERA

Buck Showalter’s Job: Continue to build into eventual title contenders.

Most Important Player: 3B Manny Machado

Red Sox Lineup

1. CF Jacoby Ellsbury

.271 AVG 4 HR 26 RBI

2. 2B Dustin Pedroia

.290 AVG 15 HR 65 RBI

3. DH David Ortiz

.318 AVG 23 HR 60 RBI

4. 1B Mike Napoli*

.227 AVG 24 HR 56 RBI

5. LF Jonny Gomes*

.262 AVG 18 HR 47 RBI

6. RF Shane Victorino*

.255 AVG 11 HR 55 RBI

7. 3B Will Middlebrooks

.288 AVG 15 HR 54 RBI

8. C Jarrod Saltalamacchia

.222 AVG 25 HR 59 RBI

9. SS Stephen Drew*

.233 AVG 7 HR 28 RBI

Bench

C David Ross*

.256 AVG 9 HR 23 RBI

1B/OF Mike Carp*

.213 AVG 5 HR 20 RBI

OF Daniel Nava

.243 AVG 6 HR 33 RBI

Rotation

1. Jon Lester

9-14 4.82 ERA

2. Clay Buchholz

11-8 4.56 ERA

3. Ryan Dempster*

12-8 3.38 ERA

4. Felix Doubront

11-10 4.86 ERA

5. John Lackey

Did not play

Setup

Koji Uehara*

0-0 1.75 ERA

Closer

Joel Hanrahan*

36 SV 2.72 ERA

John Farrell’s Job: Wipe out any memory of Bobby Valentine.

Most Important Player: P Jon Lester

National League East

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

1. Washington Nationals
Last year was no fluke. They are the best team in baseball.
2. Atlanta Braves
A bolstered lineup should take the pressure off the pitching staff.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
A full season from Chase Utley and Ryan Howard will help immensely.
4. New York Mets
Other than re-signing David Wright, no major improvements.
5. Miami Marlins
They’re in full-on rebuilding mode once again.

Player to Watch: P Stephen Strasburg Washington Nationals
Pitch limits be damned. All of that is gone now and everyone will want to know how Strasburg does for a full season. History has shown that pitchers in their second year removed from Tommy John surgery are back to what they were before the surgery. Health aside, he has the most electric stuff in the game. That’s saying a lot, but the Nationals will only go as far as his arm can take them.
Best Acquisition: OF Justin Upton Atlanta Braves
They didn’t have to give Arizona a whole lot to get Upton. Which is somewhat surprising considering how good he is. He is reunited with his older brother B.J. who signed a 5 year deal early in the offseason. Now that they’re both in an environment that wants them maybe they’ll perform to their talent level. Justin should perform well in a lineup with Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman.
New Kid on the Block: P Julio Teheran Atlanta Braves
There’s a reason that the Braves didn’t include Teheran in any of their trades the last couple years. They see him as a top of the rotation starter. Since the Braves have good depth at the top right now, he’ll be at the bottom. That’s a good thing as to not put too much pressure on him. Look for him to eventually be the number two starter or the ace of the future.

Nationals Lineup

1. CF Denard Span*

.283 AVG 4 HR 41 RBI

2. SS Ian Desmond

.292 AVG 25 HR 73 RBI

3. 3B Ryan Zimmerman

.282 AVG 25 HR 95 RBI

4. 1B Adam LaRoche

.271 AVG 33 HR 100 RBI

5. RF Jayson Werth

.300 AVG 5 HR 31 RBI

6. LF Bryce Harper

.270 AVG 22 HR 59 RBI

7. 2B Danny Espinosa

.247 AVG 17 HR 56 RBI

8. C Wilson Ramos

.265 AVG 3 HR 10 RBI

Bench

OF Roger Bernadina

.291 AVG 5 HR 25 RBI

C Kurt Suzuki

.235 AVG 6 HR 43 RBI

INF Steve Lombardozzi

.273 AVG 3 HR 27 RBI

Rotation

1. Stephen Strasburg

15-6 3.16 ERA

2. Gio Gonzalez

21-8 2.89 ERA

3. Jordan Zimmermann

12-8 2.94 ERA

4. Ross Detwiler

10-8 3.40 ERA

5. Dan Haren*

12-13 4.33 ERA

Setup

Drew Storen

3-1 2.37 ERA

Closer

Rafael Soriano*

42 SV 2.26 ERA

Davey Johnson’s Job: Keep them focused on the task at hand.

Most Important Player: P Stephen Strasburg

Braves Lineup

1. SS Andrelton Simmons

.289 AVG 3 HR 19 RBI

2. RF Jason Heyward

.269 AVG 27 HR 82 RBI

3. LF Justin Upton*

.280 AVG 17 HR 67 RBI

4. 1B Freddie Freeman

.259 AVG 23 HR 94 RBI

5. CF B.J. Upton*

.246 AVG 28 HR 78 RBI

6. C Brian McCann

.230 AVG 20 HR 67 RBI

7. 2B Dan Uggla

.220 AVG 19 HR 78 RBI

8. 3B Chris Johnson*

.281 AVG 15 HR 76 RBI

Bench

3B Juan Francisco

.234 AVG 9 HR 32 RBI

OF Reed Johnson

.290 AVG 3 HR 20 RBI

C Gerald Laird*

.282 AVG 2 HR 11 RBI

Rotation

1. Tim Hudson

16-7 3.62 ERA

2. Paul Maholm

13-11 3.67 ERA

3. Kris Medlen

10-1 1.57 ERA

4. Mike Minor

11-10 4.12 ERA

5. Julio Teheran

7-9 5.08 ERA (AAA stats)

Setup

Jonny Venters

5-4 3.22 ERA

Closer

Craig Kimbrel

42 SV 1.01 ERA

Fredi Gonzalez’s Job: Avoid falling flat in September.

Most Important Player: P Craig Kimbrel

Phillies Lineup

1. SS Jimmy Rollins

.250 AVG 23 HR 68 RBI

2. 2B Chase Utley

.256 AVG 11 HR 45 RBI

3. 3B Michael Young*

.277 AVG 8 HR 67 RBI

4. 1B Ryan Howard

.219 AVG 14 HR 56 RBI

5. LF Delmon Young*

.267 AVG 18 HR 74 RBI

6. RF Domonic Brown

.235 AVG 5 HR 26 RBI

7. CF Ben Revere*

.294 AVG 0 HR 32 RBI

8. C Erik Kratz

.248 AVG 9 HR 26 RBI

Bench

OF/1B John Mayberry

.245 AVG 14 HR 46 RBI

OF Laynce Nix

.246 AVG 3 HR 16 RBI

INF Kevin Frandsen

.338 AVG 2 HR 14 RBI

Rotation

1. Roy Halladay

11-8 4.49 ERA

2. Cole Hamels

17-6 3.05 ERA

3. Cliff Lee

6-9 3.16 ERA

4. Kyle Kendrick

11-12 3.90 ERA

5. John Lannan*

4-1 4.13 ERA

Setup

Mike Adams*

5-3 3.27 ERA

Closer

Jonathan Papelbon

38 SV 2.44 ERA

Charlie Manuel’s Job: Get the offense back on track.

Most Important Player: P Cole Hamels

Mets Lineup

1. CF Collin Cowgill*

.250 AVG 4 HR 37 RBI (AAA stats)

2. 2B Daniel Murphy

.291 AVG 6 HR 65 RBI

3. 3B David Wright

.306 AVG 21 HR 93 RBI

4. 1B Ike Davis

.227 AVG 32 HR 90 RBI

5. RF Marlon Byrd*

.210 AVG 1 HR 9 RBI

6. LF Lucas Duda

.239 AVG 15 HR 57 RBI

7. C John Buck*

.192 AVG 12 HR 41 RBI

8. SS Ruben Tejada

.289 AVG 1 HR 25 RBI

Bench

INF Justin Turner

.269 AVG 2 HR 19 RBI

OF Mike Baxter

.263 AVG 3 HR 17 RBI

OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis

.252 AVG 7 HR 28 RBI

Rotation

1. Jon Niese

13-9 3.40 ERA

2. Shaun Marcum*

7-4 3.70 ERA

3. Matt Harvey

3-5 2.73 ERA

4. Dillon Gee

6-7 4.10 ERA

5. Jeremy Hefner

4-7 5.09 ERA

Setup

Brandon Lyon*

4-2 3.10 ERA

Closer

Bobby Parnell

7 SV 2.49 ERA

Terry Collins’ Job: Do the best with what you have.

Most Important Player: 3B David Wright

Marlins Lineup

1. LF Juan Pierre*

.307 AVG 1 HR 25 RBI

2. 3B Placido Polanco*

.257 AVG 2 HR 19 RBI

3. RF Giancarlo Stanton

.290 AVG 37 HR 86 RBI

4. 1B Casey Kotchman*

.229 AVG 12 HR 55 RBI

5. CF Chris Coghlan

.140 AVG 1 HR 10 RBI

6. C Rob Brantly

.298 AVG 5 HR 41 RBI (AA and AAA stats)

7. 2B Donovan Solano

.295 AVG 2 HR 28 RBI

8. SS Adeiny Hechavarria*

.312 AVG 6 HR 63 RBI (AAA stats)

Bench

1B/OF Logan Morrison

.230 AVG 11 HR 36 RBI

INF Greg Dobbs

.285 AVG 5 HR 39 RBI

OF Austin Kearns

.245 AVG 4 HR 16 RBI

Rotation

1. Ricky Nolasco

12-13 4.48 ERA

2. Nathan Eovaldi

4-13 4.30 ERA

3. Wade LeBlanc

2-5 3.67 ERA

4. Henderson Alvarez*

9-14 4.85 ERA

5. Kevin Slowey*

3-3 5.14 ERA

Setup

Jon Rauch*

3-7 3.59 ERA

Closer

Steve Cishek

15 SV 2.69 ERA

Mike Redmond’s Job: Don’t think of this as a AAA managing job.

Most Important Player: OF Giancarlo Stanton