Thankfully with a newly agreed upon CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) in place before the annual MLB Winter Meetings took place. We all anticipated an active four days in baseball’s offseason. It didn’t disappoint what with the trade of a perennial All-Star pitcher, record breaking contracts for closers and one team coming away with a smorgasbord of top tier prospects. Oh, this was indeed an eventful get together. Continue reading
For the 86th year of the Midsummer Classic, baseball turns its sights to Petco Park in San Diego, California. This will be the first time the MLB All-Star game will be played at the San Diego Padres new ballpark. It was first opened back in 2004. 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.
MLB Awards
NL MVP – OF Bryce Harper Washington Nationals
AL MVP – OF Mike Trout Los Angeles Angels
NL Cy Young – Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers
AL Cy Young – Chris Archer Tampa Bay Rays
NL Rookie of the Year – SS Corey Seager Los Angeles Dodgers
AL Rookie of the Year – OF Byron Buxton Minnesota Twins
NL Manager of the Year – Bruce Bochy San Francisco Giants
AL Manager of the Year – A.J. Hinch Houston Astros
Postseason Projections
NL Division Winners – Cubs, Giants, Mets
NL Wild Card Winners – Cardinals, Pirates
AL Division Winners – Royals, Blue Jays, Astros
AL Wild Card Winners – Rangers, Red Sox
NLCS – Giants over Cubs
ALCS – Royals over Astros
World Series – Royals over Giants
* – indicates new to team
1. Toronto Blue Jays
Some question marks in the pitching staff will be overlooked thanks to their scary good lineup.
2. Boston Red Sox
Getting a legitimate closer and an ace in the rotation puts them back into the contender category.
3. New York Yankees
They’re one injury in the lineup and/or rotation away from struggling mightily.
4. Baltimore Orioles
They also have a good lineup, but their pitching staff has far too many question marks.
5. Tampa Bay Rays
Pitching is something they have plenty of, but their lineup has always struggled to keep pace within the division.
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