Preview your favorite MLB team

[Yanks]

New York Yankees.

 

Yankees are in a weird transition where they are trying to get younger but still have the fossils playing out the end of their contracts.

 

Pitching:

Tanaka aggravates the shit out of me. His elbow is supposed to be fine. But I get the impression he's afraid to go at 100% and afraid of injury. His fastball and been clocked on and off last year and this spring at the same velocity it was his first few months before his injury. Not sure what we will get from him.

Pineda: he's capable of winning 17-20 games. But there's always something with him. But he's come in to camp this year in the best shape of his career. Hopefully that will help with injuries. He was filthy before he got hurt last year and went 4-7 after coming back from the DL with an era over 5.

 

Nathan Eovaldi: I like his stuff a lot. Once he got comfortable throwing his splitter. After the all star break his usage of the splitter went up 10% and his era went down to the 3.70 range. And his strikeout rate went up about 2 a game. A breakout is coming. He limits his walks and should win 14+ with a whip around 1.15 and era around 3.5. He will give up his hits though. But his K and gb% are up with the confidence of the splitter.

 

Luis Severino: In 11 starts last year Severino went 5-3 with a 2.89 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings. His stuff is just nasty and it became obvious why Cashman wouldn't include him in any trades the last 2 years. His innings won't be limited this year and Girardi says he shouldn't have a problem throwing 200 innings this year. Kid is a future ace. Looking for 14/15 wins and and an era around 3

 

Sabathia/Nova if Sabathia can keep the ball down and pitch and not throw then he's fine for a 5th starter and with his contract and being the only lefty will give him every opportunity to stay in the rotation.

Nova I have given up on. He will look good for a start or a few innings and then it blows up.

 

Bryan Mitchell will probably be the swing man. He's another guy Cashman didn't want to part with in any trade talks. He's had a dominant spring in 5 outings so far with an era of 0.61.

 

Bullpen. Miller will get a bulk of the save opportunities in April until Chapman is back. Adding chapman just makes a dominant pen even better. Last year the yanks were 66-3 when leading after 6 and 73-2 when leading after 7.

Chase Shrieve and Pinder will be back there who aren't great but not terrible either.

[Yanks]

Offense:

 

Projected line up:

 

CF Jacoby Ellsbury

LF Brett Gardner

RF Carlos Beltran

1B Mark Teixeira

DH Alex Rodriguez

C Brian McCann

3B Chase Headley

SS Didi Gregorius

2B Starlin Castro

 

Yankees were 2nd in runs scored last year and return basically the same line up just a year older. And replace Drew with Castro at 2nd.

 

They also led baseball with .77 runs per first inning last year. With Ellsbury and Gardner as the one two punch it's easy to see why that happened. But they both need to stay healthy.

Beltran got off to a horrible start but was pretty consistent from May on. This will be his last year in pinstripes. I'm not expecting much from him but no reason to think with him getting days off here and there that he won't have a decent season.

 

Tex was having a great year to rebound from his wrist injury until a fluke broken leg cut his season short. He led the team in OPS+ and WAR.

 

I like the Castro pick up a lot. He played well the 2nd half with the Cubs last year batting .350 the last 2 months. and has been playing great so far this spring.

 

Gregarious started off absolutely terrible after replacing Jeter last year. But was pretty damn consistent from mid May on and finished with a 3.3 WAR.

 

McCann won't hit .300. Hell he won't hit .270 but his power picked up a little from his first year in pinstripes. And he is on base percentage went up 40 points. He should be around the same this year.

 

Aroid: Anything they get out of him will be a plus. Can't stand the guy and wish he would disappear. He had a good season last year. But broke down towards the end. I'm just looking for consistency this year.

 

Headley: his defense was atrocious last year and his bat wasn't much better. Refsynder has been working on playing third and has a good bat. So would be nice to see him get a quality number of at bats if he makes the trip north.

 

Hicks should get a good number of at bats in the outfield giving The three guys out there time off. Look for him to be in the line up whenever they face a LHP.

[Yanks]

All in all there are a lot of question marks on this team. Mainly health. With no major injuries and a few guys taking steps forward they can win 88-89 games. The East should be a dog fight all year. I'm not sold on the Red Sox and Jays rotations. And showalter always gets the most out his guys. And the Rays have some nice pitching and will give teams trouble. Don't see anyone running away with the division.

 

For the first time i can remember the Yankees didn't sign a free agent. And made their moves through trades. They are trying to get younger and set themselves to make runs at Strasburg, Harper, Fernandez etc. And to make room for Sanchez, Judge etc.

 

Tough to predict but like I said 89/90 wins in the high side and 82 on the low side.

[Yanks]

Let's keep this thread serious and give a preview or something

[WeinkeToWarrick]

Braves

 

Shitty. Fade. I'd give details but it's too depressing.

 

Might beat the Phillies in the division though and should be good for unders again.

[FrogFries]

Atlanta Braves not my favorite team but I know they will suck, Sf Giants will have a nice season, Nationals will too, Rangers should win alot of games, Blue Jays or Red Sox will win the East, Yankess might have some injury issues, A Roid, Teixeira, Ellsbury, Beltran lately always get hurt, Quick Hint watch for teams to start hot and watch for teams after All Star break to take off... I know last year during one stretch Toronto made,me a ton of cash

[Yanks]

Braves

 

Shitty. Fade. I'd give details but it's too depressing.

 

Might beat the Phillies in the division though and should be good for unders again.

Sucks when your team is in rebuilding mode.

[FrogFries]

Reds will be bad this year their pitching staff is bad.

[Yanks]

Reds will be bad this year their pitching staff is bad.

Ya give us a preview of one team here froggles. What's your favorite team? Break them down for us.

[The X]

Red Sox=winning.

[milwaukee mike]

Braves

 

Shitty. Fade. I'd give details but it's too depressing.

 

Might beat the Phillies in the division though and should be good for unders again.

 

first 2 lines are same for brewers

 

i think i might go to a bunch of brewers games just because there is no pressure and there will be less stupid obnoxious fans than usual

[Smoke]

Detroit Tigers

 

 

Armed with a new general manager, Al Avila -- owner Mike Ilitch didn't take kindly to Dave Dombrowski selling off at the trade deadline -- the Tigers reloaded in an aggressive offseason. They added frontline starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, big-time slugger Justin Upton and back-end relievers Francisco Rodriguez and Mark Lowe.

 

Will it be enough to topple the World Series champion Royals, not to mention the pitching-strong Indians, improved White Sox and upstart Twins in a competitive AL Central? Let's take a look.

 

The Lineup

 

As we'll note with pretty much every team, this is just a rough outline of what could be the best lineup at the disposal of manager Brad Ausmus. "Regular" lineups aren't really a thing, as the Tigers' most frequent lineups last year were used five times (there were two of them).

 

1. Ian Kinsler, 2B

2. Justin Upton , LF

3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B

4. Victor Martinez, DH

5. J.D. Martinez, RF

6. Nick Castellanos, 3B

7. James McCann, C

8. Jose Iglesias, SS

9. Anthony Gose, CF

 

I like the speed dynamic Iglesias and Gose have at the end of the order before a power-packed top of the order. If both get on base at a decent clip, it adds an interesting layer here.

 

Of course, the headline is the top five. There's potential for it to be the most formidable top of the order in baseball. Kinsler is coming off a big year, we know what Upton and Cabrera can do and J.D. Martinez has established that his ability as a top-line home run hitter isn't a fluke.

 

The question here, of course, is Victor Martinez. His absurd 2014 season was a total outlier and everyone paying attention knew that. It was a career year at age 35. He'd never hit more than 25 homers in a season and then went for 32. He set career highs in hits, home runs, average, on-base percentage, slugging, total bases and shattered his previous high in intentional walks (28, his previous high was 12).

 

So throw that out.

 

What if he returns to 2013 form, though? Martinez hit .301/.355/.430 with 36 doubles and 14 homers. If his knees can hold up for a full season and produce that, the Tigers' 1-5 in the order is incredibly potent.

 

Doesn't Castellanos have room for growth, too? The former sandwich pick (between first and second rounds) was long hailed as a top-50 prospect in baseball before his promotion and he's still only 24. He hit .255 with 33 doubles and 15 homers last year, but the 152 strikeouts versus 39 walks could be improved upon (leading to a .303 OBP). Working the strike zone better gets him up to around a .325 OBP and 20-25 homers. That would be a huge boost to an already-strong offense.

 

As for the bench, it's already suffered a blow. Cameron Maybin was set to split time with Gose in center, but he's out 4-6 weeks.

 

Can Jarrod Saltalamacchia revert to 2013 form? Doubtful, but it's worth it to find out as a backup catcher to McCann here. Bryan Holaday can figure in the mix as well. Mike Aviles, Andrew Romine and Tyler Collinsround out the bench depth until Maybin can return.

 

In terms of prospect impact, we won't likely see much. Dixon Machado is an outstanding defender who could step in for Iglesias in case of injury, but he can't hit a lick.

 

The Rotation

 

1. Justin Verlander, RHP 

2. Jordan Zimmermann , RHP

3. Anibal Sanchez, RHP

4. Daniel Norris, LHP

5. Mike Pelfrey, RHP

 

We're never going to be treated to Vintage Verlander again, but he can still be plenty effective moving into his mid-30s. In his last 14 starts in 2015, Verlander posted a 2.27 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a paltry .207/.249/.299 line. Fourteen starts isn't really a small sample, so I'm trusting it, considering it's Verlander.

 

Zimmermann is coming off a down year (his ERA dropped by exactly a run), but he's plenty capable of producing 200 innings of work that resembles a fine number two starter.

 

Sanchez is coming off a disaster of a season in which he dealt with injury and he's had triceps soreness in camp so far. He did get good news Wednesday (detroitnews.com), though, so maybe he's turning the corner. Sanchez is only two seasons removed from leading the AL in ERA and FIP, but home runs uncharacteristically did him in last year. If he gets that back on track, expect a bounce-back campaign.

 

Norris has breakout potential after a very weird rookie season. He made 13 total starts, going 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 45 strikeouts in 60 innings. He battled shoulder issues until an MRI revealed a cancerous growth. He's had it removed and is cancer-free. Now that he has that out of the way, he should find a home in the Tigers' rotation and start to scrape the surface of his immense potential (Baseball America ranked him as the 18th-best prospect in baseball last spring).

 

Pelfrey's job will essentially be to not suck.

 

Shane Greene is another option here, but, boy, was he a disaster last season. Matt Boyd and Kyle Ryan could get looks, but the upside is relatively limited.

 

How about Michael Fulmer? The 6-foot-3 right-hander is considered the Tigers' top prospect. In 22 starts last year (21 of which were in Double-A, the other coming in high Class A), Fulmer was 10-3 with a 2.24 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 125 strikeouts in 124 2/3 innings. It's a longshot that he'll make an impact early in the season, but track his progress, Tigers fans. He could be a huge shot in the arm down the stretch. 

 

The Bullpen

 

With the bullpen being an Achilles heel in recent years, Avila went out to grab K-Rod and Lowe to help shore things up.

 

I know it feels like he's been around since the mound was lowered, but K-Rod is actually still only 34. He's coming off his second straight All-Star trip and had a 2.21 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 62 strikeouts in 57 innings last season for a bad Brewers team. He's more than fine as a closer of a hopeful contender.

 

While we're here, Rodriguez has 386 career saves, which is seventh all time. His fifth save this season gets him past Dennis Eckersley. If he saves 39 games this year (he had 38 last year), he'll pass both Billy Wagner and John Franco, moving into fourth all-time behind Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman and Lee Smith. This is definitely something to watch.

 

Anywho, Lowe is also coming off a very good season, though his track record leaves a lot to be desired. Prior to 2015, he had a career 4.16 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. Last season it was a 1.96 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, but the numbers were drastically worse once he was traded to Toronto. He was good at stranding inherited runners and he's always had pretty good success in that department.

 

Behind these two, there's actually potential for a quality bullpen. Lefty Justin Wilsonhad a good season for the Yankees last year while righties Alex Wilson and Blaine Hardy gave the Tigers some very nice work in their own right.

 

Can we dream on Bruce Rondon? He was essentially kicked off the team in September for what sound like attitude/effort problems. This is from just five days ago, though (via mlive.com):

 

"His ability will shine through, I think, if he has the right approach, both in practice and when he takes the mound," Ausmus said. "I think he seems to have turned a little bit of a corner."

 

He went out and worked a spotless inning after that quote. His stuff is electric and he's only 25.

 

Though there's plenty of downside, the Tigers have the pieces to emerge this season with a good bullpen.

 

The Outlook

 

If you squint strongly, isn't there enough here to justify a division championship? The offense is plenty potent, the rotation has that kind of ability and the bullpen has enough upside.

 

Of course ...

 

Shouldn't it be easier to justify a contender? We could go down a checklist of things that need to go right for the Tigers to break through and win 90-plus games again, but what's the realistic chance that the majority of those questions are answered in the positive?

 

Obviously every question won't be answered in the negative, either. The most realistic outcome is somewhere in the middle. The Tigers are most likely going to be improved from the 74 wins last season, but getting all the way to 90 seems a chore. Split the difference. 82-80 sounds reasonable.

[easy does it]

That Yankees bullpen is stellar. They have a lot of aging players on offense who get hurt easily though. They'll be in contention for the division with Toronto and baltimore

[Deemer]

Cleveland Indians

 

Best staff in the majors.

 

Kluber

Carrasco

Salazar

Bauer

Tomlin / Anderson

 

Pen is solid with Allen as the best relief pitcher WAR in 2015. Expect the same. They have shitty lefties in pen, only down fall.

 

Michael Brantley will start season possibly on DL from shoulder surgery. Shouldn't miss too much time. He's their best offensive player.

 

Lindor is the best SS in game and will be incredible watching him this year.

 

Lineup is still a mystery. Added Napoli but OF on opening day will be weak. Raja Davis, Naquin, Chisenhall.

 

Will add more later

[BarryRunSome]

first 2 lines are same for brewers

 

i think i might go to a bunch of brewers games just because there is no pressure and there will be less stupid obnoxious fans than usual

Mike whats the Sentiment for Braun in MilWauKee? Have they forgiven him for what he did to that poor piss tester? Or did they never really care to begin with? In all my years of watching sports that whole thing was one of the Biggest DirtBag moves I've ever seen. Braun is a real POS

[Hangover]

Wtf did Smoke type that out himself? Thats more words than he has typed YTD. Tigers bullpen will be their burial again this year.

[Yanks]

Wtf did Smoke type that out himself? Thats more words than he has typed YTD. Tigers bullpen will be their burial again this year.

copy pasta from

Somewhere but it's good info

[FrogFries]

Red Sox preview... Starts with Starting pitching. Price is Price than you have Bucholz, Porcello, Rodriguez, Kelly.. Which Bucholz will show up ? The rest will be hit or miss Rodriguez and Kelly are ok 4th and 5th starters... Bullpen with Kimbrel and Carson Smith are major up grades.... Line up with Betts at lead off and Xander hitting well.... Pappi may have something left... Panda is a Big ? Mark I mean Big... Pedroia and Hanley stay healthy can hit and get on base. So point blank comes down to starting pitching if they struggle John Farrell will be fired. I say 1st or 2nd... Al East

[Yanks]

Red Sox preview... Starts with Starting pitching. Price is Price than you have Bucholz, Porcello, Rodriguez, Kelly.. Which Bucholz will show up ? The rest will be hit or miss Rodriguez and Kelly are ok 4th and 5th starters... Bullpen with Kimbrel and Carson Smith are major up grades.... Line up with Betts at lead off and Xander hitting well.... Pappi may have something left... Panda is a Big ? Mark I mean Big... Pedroia and Hanley stay healthy can hit and get on base. So point blank comes down to starting pitching if they struggle John Farrell will be fired. I say 1st or 2nd... Al East

Moving hanram to 1st should at least help the outfield defense. Still a terrible signing with Pablo. I think they combined for a -10 WAR last year which is pathetic given how good they could be.

 

Rodriguez I think is starting in the DL but I like him.

 

Porcello needs to figure out that sinker. His ground ball rate was down because the sinker just wasn't good last year. Pretty sure his ground all rate went up after his DL stint towards the end of the year too. So that's promising for the pathetic sox fans.

[FrogFries]

Bucholz is the key if he can get 14- 15 wins Sox will be ok but the AL East will be tough. Orioles and Tampa will be ok... So teams will probably beat each other teams better get off to a good start Yankees included

[tripp]

Red Sox definitely have high end upside, their ceiling is World Series/top 1-3 team in baseball good

 

Red Sox also have a very low floor. It would not completely shock me to see them finish 4th or 5th in the division again (theyve finished last in the div 3 out of the past 4 seasons with a WS title mixed in). Price will be a stud barring injury, no worry there. They made nice bullpen additions. But the SP is still very risky, Buch, Porcello, Kelly etc could all end up sucking again. You cant get by with 1 good pitcher. Now if any or all of those guys step up and have nice years Red Sox could be filthy.

 

Lineup could be really good if the guys produce to their name power, but could also see a decline from Papi, another bad year from the Han/Panda signings, Pedy continue to battle injury issues. Mookie/Xander probably the safest bets to be great players but even Xander is lower end great and is more so considered great based on the position he plays

[Yanks]

Ya gonna be a dogfight in that division. Bucholz is a damn mystery. And a head case. He gets through the first inning and he gets confidence. He gives up a hit and it seems his confidence goes out the window.

[FrogFries]

Plus he gets weird injuries like a stiff neck ?

[Yanks]

Tripp tell me about the Jays, pal

 

Their line up is phenomenal. What's the deal with Edwin?

 

Pitching would scare me though.

[tripp]

Bucholz is the key if he can get 14- 15 wins Sox will be ok but the AL East will be tough. Orioles and Tampa will be ok... So teams will probably beat each other teams better get off to a good start Yankees included

TB could be really good if their starters stay/get healthy

 

Archer/Odor/Smyly/Cobb/Moore is by far the best rotation in the division, nobody close. But Cobb is on the DL to start the year, Moore hasnt been able to stay healthy, Smyly coming off injury plagued season. But with good health this is a top 3-5 rotation in baseball. The lineup is average and the pen isnt great on paper but TB usually surpasses expectations on both those fronts. 

 

Really any of the 5 teams could win the East and not shock me. Almost any of them could finish last also