National League East

* – indicates new to team

+ – indicates injury

1. Atlanta Braves

They have stiff competition to repeat as division champs, but they have more elite talent at key positions than their division rivals.

2. Washington Nationals

Not having Anthony Rendon in the middle of their lineup will hurt, but their pitching staff as why they won the World Series last year.

3. New York Mets

Having the designated hitter the entire 60-game season plus the Postseason will benefit the Mets if they should make it to October.

4. Philadelphia Phillies

Their bullpen will be their downfall once again. Will they learn that lesson in the offseason?

5. Miami Marlins

The massive rebuild continues with some interesting pitching prospects starting to emerge.

Player to Watch: P Max Scherzer – Washington Nationals

Best Acquisition: OF Marcell Ozuna – Atlanta Braves

New Kid on the Block: INF Carter Kieboom – Washington Nationals Continue reading →

2019 MLB All-Star Teams

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 →

National League East

* – indicates new to team

+ – indicates injury

1. Philadelphia Phillies

Not only did they sign Bryce Harper, but they also traded for one of the best catchers in J.T. Realmuto.

2. Washington Nationals

A new ‘face of the franchise’ will emerge with the departure of Harper. Technically Max Scherzer has been doing that since his arrival.

3. Atlanta Braves

This doesn’t mean they won’t be competitive. They will be in the middle of a crazy race in the NL East.

4. New York Mets

With stability in the bullpen, maybe Jacob deGrom will get at least 15 wins this year.

5. Miami Marlins

Time to see what prospects will begin to emerge in the middle of a long and deliberate rebuilding process.

Player to Watch: OF Bryce Harper – Philadelphia Phillies

Best Acquisition: OF Bryce Harper – Philadelphia Phillies

New Kid on the Block: OF Victor Robles – Washington Nationals Continue reading →

2018 MLB All-Star Teams

For the 88th year of the Midsummer Classic, baseball turns its sights to Nationals Park in Washington D.C. This will be the first MLB All-Star game played at Nationals Park and the first in the nation’s capital since 1969 at RFK Stadium, the home of the then Washington Senators. 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 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 13

* – asterisk indicates starter Continue reading →

National League East

* – indicates new to team

+ – indicates injury

1. Washington Nationals

Another managerial change could have a negative impact, but this is their best time to finally make a World Series run.

2. New York Mets

Their rotation stacks up against the best in baseball if they all remain healthy.

3. Atlanta Braves

All of that surplus talent in the minors are ready to make their debuts throughout the 2018 season.

4. Philadelphia Phillies

A couple free agent signings along with their top minor league talent could have them sneaking up in the standings in the NL East.

5. Miami Marlins

Another fire sale has the fan base reeling and wondering when will it finally stop. Continue reading →