American League Wild Card Series
1. Tampa Bay Rays vs. 8. Toronto Blue Jays
Don’t scoff at the Rays being the best team in a 60-game season. They did accomplished this feat in ways most teams can’t. Continue reading
Brewers
National League Central
Standard* – indicates new to team
+ – indicates injury
1. St. Louis Cardinals
Their pitching depth is solid and their lineup has a foundation around Paul Goldschmidt.
2. Cincinnati Reds
They are the trending favorite to surprise folks around baseball. The moves they made were strategic considering their ballpark is a hitters paradise.
3. Chicago Cubs
The talent is there to clinch a Wild Card spot or even win the division, but there are questions as to what their future holds.
4. Milwaukee Brewers
If their pitching staff can match what their lineup can do then the Brewers should be contenders all the way.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
After a steady run of success, the Pirates are starting from scratch.
Player to Watch: OF Christian Yelich – Milwaukee Brewers
Best Acquisition: 2B Mike Moustakas – Cincinnati Reds
New Kid on the Block: INF Nico Hoerner – Chicago Cubs Continue reading
2019 MLB All-Star Teams
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For the 90th year of the Midsummer Classic, baseball turns its sights to Progressive Field (formerly Jacobs Field or “The Jake”) in Cleveland, Ohio. The last time the mid-summer classic was played in Cleveland was in 1997. 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, nor the commissioner’s office. 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 32 players for each league.
AVG – Batting Average
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves
BAA – Batting Average Against
WHIP – Walks/Hits Per Innings Pitched
K – Strikeouts
Stats are accurate as of July 5
* – asterisk indicates starter Continue reading
2019 MLB World Series & Awards Predictions
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MLB Awards
NL MVP – 1B Paul Goldschmidt – St. Louis Cardinals
AL MVP – OF Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels
NL Cy Young – Aaron Nola – Philadelphia Phillies
AL Cy Young – Gerrit Cole – Houston Astros
NL Rookie of the Year – OF Victor Robles – Washington Nationals
AL Rookie of the Year – OF Eloy Jimenez – Chicago White Sox
NL Manager of the Year – Craig Counsell – Milwaukee Brewers
AL Manager of the Year – Rocco Baldelli – Minnesota Twins
Postseason Projections
NL Division Winners – Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers
NL Wild Card Winners – Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals
AL Division Winners – Houston Astros, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians
AL Wild Card Winners – Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins
NLCS – Dodgers over Brewers
ALCS – Yankees over Astros
World Series – Dodgers over Yankees in 6 games
National League Central
Standard* – indicates new to team
+ – indicates injury
1. Milwaukee Brewers
Last year they were within one game of reaching the World Series. They’re motivated to cash in this year.
2. St. Louis Cardinals
They are instantly back in contention with Paul Goldschmidt in the middle of their lineup.
3. Chicago Cubs
This could be an interesting year as manager Joe Maddon doesn’t have an extension and there are rumblings about the future of Kris Bryant.
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
By no means are they among the worst teams in the National League. They just play in a stacked division.
5. Cincinnati Reds
With the moves they made they could be classified as a ‘sleeper’ team this season.
Player to Watch: OF Christian Yelich – Milwaukee Brewers
Best Acquisition: 1B Paul Goldschmidt – St. Louis Cardinals
New Kid on the Block: 2B Keston Hiura – Milwaukee Brewers Continue reading
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