Tonight the 2013 MLB season kicks off in Houston, Texas as the Astros begin life in the American League against in-state foe the Texas Rangers. Once again I’ve called on Joe Tichy and Jerry Durney to share their predictions on the upcoming season.
The 2013 MLB season begins in Houston but here is the predictions roundtable.
Key – MV = Mike Vamosi, JT = Joe Tichy and JD = Jerry Durney
AL East – Joe and I like the Blue Jays to win with all they’ve done while Jerry wrote a novel on why the Rays will claim another AL East title
MV: Toronto – Glamorous pick to win the AL East with everything they did this offseason but compared to others why not? However, they could turn out to be the Marlins of 2013.
JT: Toronto – I’m drinking the Kool-Aid. Fast lineup bolstered by a solid rotation. Only thing that could hurt them is Melky facing additional suspension time
JD: Tampa Bay – Toronto is the trendy pick coming into this season but I still feel as if there are too many variables with them (the health of Jose Reyes and Josh Johnson, can R.A. Dickey stay a top of the rotation pitcher, can Rickey Romero even return to the majors, how will Melky Cabrera perform allegedly off the juice). Add in Baltimore unlikely to replicate their late-game magic of a year ago, Boston still recovering from their cratering and the impending free-fall of the Yankees, I’m taking the Rays to win their 3rd AL East title in 6 years.
AL Central – We’re all going with the Tigers in the Central here.
MV: Detroit – Whose got it better than the Tigers? Probably no one in the American League given how tough the East and West divisions should be.
JT: Detroit – Lot of firepower if they stay healthy. Return of V-Mart will be interesting
JD: Detroit – Cabrera and Verlander. Nuff Said.
AL West – Ask three different people and you get three different responses on who’ll win the division.
MV: Texas – I don’t know if they got better with some of the subtractions they made but I do like there staff which will allow other parts to develop.
JT: Los Angeles – Not a hole in their lineup. Bullpen could use some work
JD: Oakland – Against my better judgment, I’m taking Oakland. The Angels rotation is shaky after Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson. Texas’ lineup appears to have taken a massive hit with the losses of Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli. Meanwhile a good, young A’s squad is a year older, I feel like they’re still growing.
AL Wildcards – I’d say that everything is in order here but we’ve got an interesting collection of teams as our picks.
MV: Tampa Bay and Oakland
JT: Chicago and Tampa Bay
JD: Los Angeles and Kansas City – The Angels lineup is still too good for them not to at least get one of the two wild card spots. I’m gonna take a risk and see the Royals playing in October. An Eric Hosmer rebound plus a leap from Mike Moustakas and good rookie campaign from Johnny Giavotella bring postseason baseball to Kansas City. (Pandering: It’s not just for politicians!)
NL East – All three of us decided on the Nationals which isn’t unsurprising at all given the talent this have.
MV: Washington – 2012 we were introduced to the era of Natitude which will continue with no more pitch limits we hope and the heartbreak they suffered last October.
JT: Washington – Gotta love this team. If Gio avoids suspension, this team should contend for the NL title
JD: Washington – Most would have you believe this is a two-team race, but the Nationals might be the most complete team in baseball. The difference in this race will be arms. Atlanta’s depends on Kris Medlen and Mike Minor carrying over their 2nd half success of 2012, while Washington adds a full season of Stephen Strasburg and Dan Haren to an already great rotation. Factor in the addition of Rafael Soriano to an (NLDS Game 5 withstanding) exceptional bullpen and it’s gonna be very tough to score on the Nats. Oh yeah, and watch for Bryce Harper to make those Ken Griffey Jr. comparisons to seem not so far-fetched.
NL Central – So far we are all agreeing on who’ll win these National League divisions with a unanimous pick of the Reds.
MV: Cincinnati – I’m on record as not a fan of Dusty Baker but he’s got enough talent that he won’t get in this teams way until October again.
JT: Cincinnati – Deep team with a great rotation and future star Billy Hamilton waiting in the wings in AAA.
JD: Cincinnati – Add Shin-Soo Choo (and subtract Drew Stubbs) to an already explosive Cincinnati lineup, and the Reds are a darkhorse NL pennant pick. The Reds also have a great 1-2 at the top of the rotation in Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos. The Cardinals will be there to be sure, but they have some question marks that prevent me from picking them to take the Central flag.
NL West – We make it 3-for-3 taking the Giants to repeat in this division.
MV: San Francisco – 2010 when the team won the World Series Buster Posey getting hurt derailed a chance to repeating. With a healthy and probably better team plus the motivation from SoCal I like this team that’s proved it before to us.
JT: San Francisco – Weak division should allow the champs to repeat
JD: San Francisco – Don’t let the Dodgers trust fund kid spending spree fool you, it’s theGiants and everybody else here. San Francisco brings back nearly all of last year’s championship squad. The offense is better than most people give it credit for, as they have one of the game’s top 5 players in Buster Posey and will now have a full season of Hunter Pence, who should have a better campaign than his half-season with them last year. Add a potential rebound for Tim Lincecum to an already loaded rotation and a bullpen that got even better when Sergio Romo became the closer, and it’s gonna be another year of seeing 1’s and 2’s below the run column for San Fran opponents.
NL Wildcards – Two us agree on the Pirates and Braves with the Dodgers and Cardinals thrown in for good will.
MV: Pittsburgh and Los Angeles
JT: Pittsburgh and Atlanta
JD: St. Louis and Atlanta – We get a 2012 rematch here as the Cardinals and Braves are still good squads who I trust to make up for their deficiencies more than I do LA.
AL WC Round – Joe and I pick the Rays to move on while Jerry tries (successfully) to pander to me with his Royals pick.
MV: Tampa Bay over Oakland – This game at the Trop will be tough for the A’s as the Rays advance to the divisional round.
JT: Tampa over Chicago – White Sox just don’t do well in high pressure situations against Tampa
JD: Kansas City over Los Angeles – It was Oakland and Baltimore in 2012 and this year it’s the Royals turn to shock the world and big money Anaheim.
ALDS – Read and decide what you like here.
MV: Toronto v. Tampa Bay, Rays in four – These two teams have played each other tooth and nail for years will meet in October for an entertaining series.
Detroit v. Texas, Tigers in five – This could be an ALCS matchup that’s taking place in the divisional round.
JT: Los Angeles v. Tampa Bay, Angels in four – Potent lineup that will have many pitchers looking like scrubs
Detroit v. Toronto, Tigers in three. Stacked Tigers team will prevail
JD: Detroit v. Kansas City, Tigers – Much like the two cinderellas of last season, the Royals will give the big money boys one hell of a fight but in the end, the Tigers have one of the 5 best pitchers on earth to put them over the top.
Tampa Bay v. Oakland, Rays – On the other side, the Rays have the best rotation in the American League and should handle Oakland in 3 or 4.
ALCS – I like Tigers, Joe likes the Angels and Jerry is going with the Rays.
MV: Toronto v. Detroit, Tigers in six – Experience is the difference which Detroit has over Toronto and it’ll prove to be the difference.
JT: Los Angeles v. Detroit, Angels in seven – Each team has the same weaknesses and strengths, but Albert and Josh trump Prince and Miggy.
JD: Detroit v. Tampa Bay, Rays in five – This should be a matchup of the two best staffs in the AL. As has been the case in the last two postseasons, this Detroit lineup can be silenced by the right staff and Tampa’s rotation fits that bill. In order to beat Detroit’s 4, you have to play small ball and Joe Maddon’s team does it better than most.
NL WC Round – Two us like the Pirates while Jerry says the Braves exact revenge on the Cardinals.
MV: Pittsburgh over Los Angeles – Want to see what the highest payroll losing in the wildcard game looks like?
JT: Pittsburgh over Atlanta – Yes, I work for a Pirates affiliate
JD: Atlanta over St. Louis – In a 2012 rematch of two teams with rotation questions, the Braves bullpen is the difference why they finally get over the St. Louis after 2 straight painful late-season rundowns.
NLDS – We all like Washington to make the NLCS but I’m alone picking the Giants.
MV: Washington v. Pittsburgh, Nationals in three – While the Bucs return to the postseason it’ll be a quick visit as the Nats role.
San Francisco v. Cincinnati, Giants in four – Revenge might be on the Reds minds but Dusty again turns into a mental midget against his old team.
JT: Pittsburgh v. Washington, Nationals in four – Pittsburgh will be better, but they have a lot of holes that Washington doesn’t.
Cincinnati v. San Francisco, Reds in five – X-Factor-Aroldis Chapman
JD: Washington v. Atlanta, Nationals in four – A great climax to what will be a year-long battle of the NL East and while it won’t go the distance, this should be a tremendous series.
Cincinnati v. San Francisco, Reds in four – On the other side, Cincinnati avenges last year’s NLDS loss to San Francisco, a series that they thought they should’ve won.
NLCS – Joe likes the Reds to beat the Nationals where Jerry and I think the opposite.
MV: Washington v. San Francisco, Nationals in six – Last season I thought the Nats would get to the October classic so I’ll try again.
JT: Washington v. Cincinnati, Reds in six – Bryce Harper will choke. That is all.
JD: Washington v. Cincinnati, Nationals in six – Two tremendous lineups but this is where Washington having a legitimate ace in Strasburg finally pays off as he wins both of his starts in the series.
2013 World Series – Again three different winners/match-ups in our World Series.
MV: Detroit v. Washington, Tigers in five – Again, I love putting the bullseye on a team I don’t care for then hope to be wrong.
JT: Los Angeles v. Cincinnati, Angels in five – Dusty can’t seal the deal. Mike Trout can add a ring to his hardware collection.
JD: Tampa Bay v. Washington, Rays in six – This would be up there with 1991 and 2001 as the best World Series matchup of staffs in the last 25 years. The Rays used to the postseason stage, have the better manager, are better at smallball and by the slightest of margins, the better bullpen. They were a more deserving team in 2008 and 2010 and while Washington may have the more well-rounded team, 2013 is the year The Extra 2% finally triumphs.
Awards Section:
AL MVP –
MV: Mike Trout/Angels, The best player on the Angels and I think after falling short last season he gets the nod in 2013.
JT: Robinson Cano/Yankees, I pick him every year because he is that consistently good and deserves more recognition.
JD: Mike Trout/Angels, I won’t rehash the tired MVP debate of last year and I don’t think his bulking up is as big a deal as some are making it out to be. In what is just Trout’s 2nd full season, it’s frightening to think he could get even better. He’ll become the 3rd MVP on his team (joining Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols) while fending off Miguel Cabrera, Evan Longoria and Yoenis Cespedes.
AL Cy Young –
MV:Justin Verlander/Tigers, Detroit’s workhorse will collect another CY Young as he helps them to another division title.
JT: Jered Weaver/Angels, I can see Price repeating, but Weaver could win 22 games with the lineup he has supporting him.
JD: David Price/Rays, He became the unquestioned ace of Tampa’s staff in 2012 and if he continues to improve his secondary pitches, he could be even better. Look for a repeat for the lefty from Vanderbilt. Others in the discussion will be Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez.
AL ROY –
MV: Wil Myers/Rays, Yep I know the pain this will cause Royals fans like me but once he gets to Tampa he’ll be a factor.
JT: Jurickson Profar/Rangers, He got some time in the bigs last year and he is MLB’s top prospect.
JD: Wil Myers/Rays, Hopefully Mike is still standing since I am certain that Myers is the unanimous pick amongst the panel to win this award. Myers has done nothing but rake in the minors and his bat could be the tipping point for a Rays team that struggled for runs last season.
AL Manager of the Year –
MV: John Gibbons/Blue Jays – Ending Toronto’s playoff drought is worth something and if he keeps the clubhouse by staying out of the way …
JT: Joe Maddon/Rays, for once again keeping Tampa in the hunt all year.
JD: Ned Yost/Royals, This may cause Mike’s brain to shut down but this tends to be a results-based award and with KC making it to the playoffs since before the year I was born, Yost would seem t be a shoo-in here. If not him, Joe Maddon is always in the running for this.
NL MVP –
MV: Andrew McCutchen/Pirates, Introduced himself last season by making the All-Star game and this season he’ll return Pittsburgh to the postseason.
JT: Andrew McCutchen/Pirates, That whole working in the Pirates organization is probably the main reason
JD: Joey Votto/Reds, If he’s healthy, it’s his to lose. The best left-handed hitter in the game right now, he’s had an MVP season before and now protection around him that continues to strengthen, I expect Votto to add to his trophy case in November. Expect Matt Kemp, Jason Heyward and Bryce Harper to make a case for themselves.
NL Cy Young –
MV: Matt Cain/Giants, I’ll keep picking Cain until this happens because I think he’s one of the best pitchers in the game.
JT: Matt Cain/Giants, He didn’t get that big fat extension for nothin’
JD: Clayton Kershaw/Dodgers, Kershaw would’ve had his 2nd Cy in a row last year if not for R.A. Dickey’s incredible out-of-nowhere season. He’s just entering his prime now, and he figures to be in this race as long as he’s there. He’ll get a challenge from Stephen Strasburg.
NL ROY –
MV: Gerrit Cole/Pirates, I was impressed seeing him at UCLA in person and he’ll be a factor in the Bucs run to October.
JT: Adam Eaton/Diamondbacks, Fast as all get out and will get time to play immediately
JD: Zack Wheeler/Mets, This could actually be a race between battery mates as catcher Travis d’Arnaud (the Mets’ primarily haul in the R.A. Dickey trade) is expected to receive the call to Citi Field sometime in the season’s first month and many expect him to be instant boost to the offense. Mets fans (full disclosure: including yours truly) have awaited Wheeler’s arrival since the day he was acquired from the Giants for Carlos Beltran in July 2011. He has impressed at every level through the minors, shows all the signs of providing an immediate impact for the Amazins when he arrives and become a future ace. He, Matt Harvey and Jon Niese could provide a mean top of the rotation for years to come.
NL Manager of the Year –
MV: Clint Hurdle/Pirates, As you can tell I really have a thing for Pittsburgh this season and with that credit must be given to Hurdle with this award.
JT: Clint Hurdle/Pirates, for finally getting the Pirates above .500
JD: Clint Hurdle/Pirates, Pittsburgh will finish 3rd in the Central but they will be in the Wild Card hunt into September and the fact that they have improved each year under him finally pays off for one of the best guys in the game.
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2013 Posts: 97
