Hinton&#039;s Sports Highlights

Derek Jeter has had a wonderful career. A career that any young shortstop would dream of having. He is the captain of the most prestigious team in all of sports and has five World Series rings. With that being said I feel he is one of the most overrated players in the history of baseball. Before you start yelling at me through your computer screen I am not saying he is a bad player I am saying he is overrated. Jeter will be a no doubt first ballot Hall of Famer. I have no problem with that he has played well throughout his career and deserves it. But I believe people put Jeter way too high on their list of all time greats.

Jeter owns a career .313/.382/.448 triple slash. That’s some pretty good numbers but if you really think about it Jeter is the best worst hitter of all time. I know you just read that and have no idea what I mean so I will tell you. Have you ever seen Jeter hit? He inside outs everything. That’s not the “right” way to hit. Yes it has worked for him for many years but he is about the only person its worked for so kids don’t try and be like Derek Jeter. So even if you give him hitting and say he gets on base and scores runs, does that really make him one of the best players of all time?

Lets look at Jeter’s fielding now. He is known for his patented jump throw and diving into stands during regular season games. So you must think well Jeter is a great fielder. Wrong, he didn’t win this first Gold Gloves until Alex Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees and moved to third base. And for the most part the Gold Gloves he did win were more about his name then his actual fielding stats. He only had the best fielding percentage twice when he won the Gold Glove award and in those years his range factor was well below league average. So he was fielding the balls he was getting to but wasn’t getting to as many as he should have. He has below league average range and for you sabermetric fans he owns a negative career defensive WAR.

Alright so you are now pissed and you say screw his hitting and screw his fielding he is known for his postseason batting. With all the talk about him being so clutch and how well he hits in the playoffs he has to be batting like .600 in the postseason. No, he has a career .303 postseason average. He has played in 158 playoff games so if we just take his combined stats and call them a full season he would have 20 home runs, 61 RBI and 111 runs scored. Besides the home runs, which he has hit more then 20 multiple times in his career, these stats are lower then his 162 game averages for the regular season so can we really say he plays better in the postseason?

Jeter is a great player and a first ballot HoFer but he is overrated. If he played his whole career in Kansas City would anyone care this much about him? No, he would just be another great shortstop and that’s it. His stats compare to guys like Nomar Garciaparra, Michael Young, and Roberto Alomar. These guys are great players but never were talked about as highly as Jeter. So before you start saying Jeter is the greatest of all time take a look at his stats and see if you really think that or are just going off his name.

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Apr 08

Baseball is Back! AL and NL Hitters and Pitchers of the Week

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With the first week of baseball in the books we have already seen some amazing things. An almost perfect game, lots of home runs, and some dominant pitching performances. There have been some great starts by players but a few of them standout more then others. I want to highlight a few players who we will call, hitter/pitcher of the week.

The NL pitcher of the week has to be Clayton Kershaw. That is a no brainer. He is already 2-0 and has thrown 16 innings of scoreless baseball. In those 16 innings he has 16 Ks and 1 walk. To go along with his 0.00 ERA he has a 0.44 WHIP. He even hit his first career home run this week. He is off to a great start and has a great chance to win the NL Cy Young. The AL pitcher of the week goes to Justin Masterson. He is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA. He is averaging a strikeout per inning and has a sub 1.00 WHIP. Masterson just beat out almost perfect Yu Darvish for this honor.

The AL hitter of the week was just as easy as the NL pitcher. This goes to Chris Davis. He tied the record for most consecutive games with a home run to start the season with 4 in his first 4 games. He is also on pace to have 459 RBI. His 17 RBI this week is a great month for some guys. He has cut down on his strikeouts only striking out 3 times this week. The NL hitter of the week goes to Todd Frazier. He is hitting a solid .480 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI. I know all you Braves fans would argue that Justin Upton should be in this spot but Frazier hit .162 points higher and has struck out only 4 times compared to Upton’s 11 times.

There were a lot of players who had great first weeks. Some should continue on and have great years but most of these players won’t sustain this level of success but this season should be very fun to watch. It is really nice to have baseball back.

Mar 27

Predicting The MLB’s Top Award Winners

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With the baseball regular season less then a week away, we decided to have some fun over here at HSH in Dunk City. Each writer was asked to predict the major awards for this upcoming season.

Below are our picks, and a brief synopsis about why we chose them.

Also we added who we think will win each pennant and the team in bold is our choice for the World Series winner.

We also have two special predictors who know their MLB. They will be hard to beat, up first is DC. He is the voice of Southwest Florida’s Rock Station and the host of DC Mornings on 99X. DC’s baseball knowledge is vast and ruling, don’t be fooled. The second is Roger Marley from 99X, this guy knows his baseball. Don’t let the fact he is a fan of Purdue, Colts, Cubs, corn, canoodling and cuddling get in your way of trusting him.

AL MVP:

Robinson Cano – 2B – New York Yankees

The Yankees are getting old but Robby Cano is only getting better. He tore up the WBC winning the MVP of the tournament and will add another MVP at the end of this season. –Zachary Hoffmann

Evan Longoria – 3B – Tampa Bay Rays

He played in only 74 games last year but he looks ready to go for 2013. Should be the best player on one of the AL’s best teams. –Nick Steingart

Jose Bautista – OF – Toronto Blue Jays

Despite all the big moves, the Jays are built around Joey Bats. Despite putting up monster numbers with lesser talent around him- he now has a lineup filled with guys who get on base and protection around him. Expect Joey Bats to keep filling up the stat sheet. –Guy Hase

Miguel Cabrera – 3B – Detroit Tigers

Repeat!

WAIT no..I pick Mike Trout

WAIT he’s fat now..I pick Albert Pujols –Mike Millis

Mike Trout – OF – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Trout will give the US born fans someone to cheer for. That is right I said it! He had an amazing rookie year and will only get better. –Nick Hinton

Robinson Cano – 2B – New York Yankees

After three-consecutive top-six finishes, Cano finally gets the hardware. Everyone thinks the Yankees are old and in trouble, but the 30-year-old second baseman will carry them to yet another postseason. -Matt Bowie

Albert Pujols -1B – Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout will slow down, and after reports stating he showed up to spring training 40 pounds overweight, this only supports this argument. Mike Trout will most likely have a sophomore slump. – DC

Mike Trout – OF – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Going with Nick here, Mike will have an explosive season. – Marley

NL MVP:

Jason Heyward – OF – Atlanta Braves

With the Upton brothers in the lineup a fully healthy Heyward will have a big year driving in runs. I see a 30/20 with 100+ RBI. –Zachary Hoffmann

Justin Upton – OF – Atlanta Braves

Upton is finally playing in a place where he is comfortable and has a stacked lineup around him. He’ll finally show us his true potential. –Nick Steingart

Yadier Molina – C – St. Louis Cardinals

Most underrated player in the game finally gets his due. Ask manager Mike Matheny and any Cardinal fan who the most important player on their team is and they’ll tell you it’s the youngest of the Molinas. –Guy Hase

Andrew McCutchen – OF – Pittsburgh Pirates 

The Pirates finally make it back to the postseason led by McCutchen. Any man who leads them back to the playoffs deserves to win MVP –Mike Millis

Andrew McCutchen – OF – Pittsburgh Pirates 

McCutchen will have a big year. If he can stay healthy and not fade down the stretch this season he could bring the Pirates into the postseason winning the MVP. –Nick Hinton

Joey Votto – 1B - Cincinnati Reds

Before having surgery on his left knee, Votto hit .342 with 14 homers, 49 RBI, and had a .465 on-base percentage and a .604 slugging percentage through the first 86 games of 2012. If healthy in 2013, Votto will at least double those numbers. -Matt Bowie

Ryan Braun – OF – Milwaukee Brewers – DC

Matt Kemp – OF – Los Angeles Dodgers – Marley

NL Cy Young:

Clayton Kershaw – SP – Las Angeles Dodgers

With the top tier pitchers in the National League getting older the young dominate Kershaw should run away with this award. He could win 25 games with the lineup he has and should win the pitching Triple Crown. –Zachary Hoffmann

Gio Gonzalez – SP – Washington Nationals

You could easily pick Gonzalez’s teammate to win this as well but I think Gonzalez is more durable and should pitch more innings. He was first in wins and tied for 4th in K’s in 2012 and I think he’ll be even more dominant this year. –Nick Steingart

Stephen Strasburg – SP – Washington Nationals

The comeback is FINALLY complete. The best young pitcher in the game collects his first of what could be multiple Cy Young Awards. -Guy Hase

Zack Greinke – SP – Dodgers

Same face, different place. He won one in KC, and with the lineup he has to back him up, Greinke will have a stellar year. –Mike Millis

Clayton Kershaw – SP – Los Angeles Dodgers

Kershaw gets his second Cy Young by leading the league in ERA for a third consecutive year. He will continue strike everyone out and with more run production by the Dodgers this year his win total will get back to 20-plus. -Matt Bowie

Cole Hamels – SP – Philadelphia Phillies

Cole Hamels, this guy wants to be THE guy again and this is scary. To add to this, Cole plays in the NL which could produce 4-5 100 loss teams. Plus the Marlins and Mets are in his division – DC

Stephen Strasburg – SP – Washington Nationals

Young and is going to come out swinging. – Marley

AL Cy Young:

Yu Darvish – SP – Texas Rangers

Darvish was once thought to be the best pitcher in the world. He dominated in Japan and in his first season in America did great. Now that he is more comfortable with his new life in the states he will show why people thought he was the best pitcher in the world. –Zachary Hoffmann

Yu Darvish – SP – Texas Rangers

Despite playing in a little league sized park and a tough division Darvish will have a monster year in 2013 with his tremendous assortment of pitches. He really cut down on his walks in the second half of 2012, which should help him going into 2013. –Nick Steingart

Justin Verlander – SP – Detroit Tigers

At a Greg Maddux-esque stretch where you just pick him preseason. Or else you just look moronic. –Guy Hase

Justin Verlander – SP – Detroit Tigers

Too nasty –Mike Millis

Chris Sale – SP- Chicago White Sox

Going with FGCU’s and Dunk City’s own Chris Sales. Sale started last season on fire, but fell off a little towards the end of the season. Sale finished with 17 w’s and 8 l’s. Chris will pitch better this season. –Nick Hinton

Jered Weaver – SP - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

As the ace of the staff, Weaver will once again show the rest of the league that the Angels can pitch too. With a potent lineup, Weaver will get plenty of run production, if he even needs it. -Matt Bowie

David Price – SP- Tampa Bay Rays

Say it with me, repeat. - DC

Chris Sale – SP- Chicago White Sox

Going with Nick again on this one - Marley

NL Rookie of the Year:

Travis d’Arnaud – C – New York Mets

After being traded to the National League d’Arnaud became the best prospect in the National League. He will become the everyday catcher for the Mets and the only rookie in the National League worth taking a look at. –Zachary Hoffmann

Adam Eaton – OF – Arizona Diamondbacks

Eaton has had ridiculous minor league numbers in AAA last year hitting .381 with an OBP of .456. While he likely won’t put up those kinds of numbers in the bigs I expect him to hit over .300 and steal over 30 bases to take home the award. –Nick Steingart

Kyuju Fukiyama – RP – Chicago Cubs

A homer pick, yes. But out of the question? Not so much. If the Cubbies do what a few experts believe and that is compete next season then the rise of Fukiyama will be key. A favorite to unseat the soon-to-be-traded Carlos Marmol- Fukiyama could be cueing Steve Goodman’s “Go Cubs Go” many times in 2013. –Guy Hase

Oscar Taveras, – OF – St. Louis Cardinals

Who can hate a guy named Oscar? –Mike Millis

Gerrit Cole – SP – Pittsburgh Pirates

Cole will get called up shortly after the season starts. His pitching will put the Pirates into playoff contention. He will even get a few Cy Young votes. –Nick Hinton

Travis d’Arnaud – C – New York Mets

Probably the only thing for Mets’ fans to watch this year will be the 24-year-old, power-hitting catcher, Travis d’Arnaud whom they acquired from Toronto for R.A. Dickey. After crushing AAA pitching last year, he’s ready for the bigs. -Matt Bowie

Gerrit Cole – SP – Pittsburgh Pirates

Not big on pitchers getting ROY, but I have to agree with Nick on this one. – DC

Oscar Taveras, – OF – St. Louis Cardinals

Millis, that is why I picked him. – Marley

AL Rookie of the Year:

Jurickson Profar – SS/2B – Texas Rangers

Profar is baseball’s top prospect so it shouldn’t be a stretch for him to win RoY. He will start the year in Triple A but will eventually be called up when Kinsler decides to be a team player and move to first base. –Zachary Hoffmann

Bruce Rondon – RP – Detroit Tigers

The 275 lb. rookie is the favorite to win the Tigers closing job. He can touch 100 mph with his fastball and playing on a team as good as the Tigers he should get at least 40-45 save opportunities this year. –Nick Steingart

Wil Myers – OF – Tampa Bay Rays

Finally the bat to compliment Evan Longoria –Guy Hase

Wil Myers  – OF – Tampa Bay Rays

He’s the only one with the hype  Aka the only one I’ve ever heard of. –Mike Millis

Jurickson Profar – SS/2B – Texas Rangers

Guys hop off the Myers train. Even starting the year in the minors, Profar will get called up and produce. This kid can hit, youtube him. –Nick Hinton

Manny Machado – 3B/SS – Baltimore Orioles

The O’s brought up Machado last August to sure up the defense at third, but were also rewarded with an impressive offensive output as well. He will continue to impress with both his bat and glove. If not ROY then at least a Gold Glove. -Matt Bowie

Wil Myers  – OF – Tampa Bay Rays

Wil Myers could have Ryan Braun talent, if his effort is half his talent. Lack of scoring wont be the Rays problem. – DC

Boston Red Sox – OF- Jackie Bradley Jr

Jackie Bradley Jr has forced his way into the discussion here in Dunk City for a starting job on Opening Day after a spring that’s seen him hit .444/.523/.667 in 24 games. If he can do this all year around, he will be the best in baseball this season. - Marley

NL Come Back Player of the Year:

Troy Tulowitzki – SS – Colorado Rockies

If Tulo can stay on the field he will put up MVP type numbers. –Zachary Hoffmann

Ryan Howard – 1B – Philadelphia Phillies

He played in only 71 games last year due to his nagging leg injury, and when he played he wasn’t very good hitting only .219. But Howard has been mashing the ball this spring and hitting with power to the opposite field like he was a few years ago. –Nick Steingart

Tim Lincecum – SP/RP – San Francisco Giants

Where oh where has Timmy’s velocity gone? Maybe some extended rest will finally help the former Cy Young winner regain it. Pitching lower in the rotation and less responsibility will let this once ace figure it out mentally and regain his stuff. –Guy Hase

Troy Tulowitzki – SS – Colorado Rockies

A “core” injury at the end of last year? Freak injury, but dude is nasty. –Mike Millis

Troy Tulowitzki – SS – Colorado Rockies

Tulo is an MVP type player who just cant seem to stay on the field. He will be healthy this year although opposing pitchers will wish he was hurt. –Nick Hinton

Roy Halladay – SP – Philadelphia Phillies

Halladay will come back strong and pitch his usual 200-plus innings over 30 starts. He may not reach 20 wins but the Phillies will be better in 2013 thanks to the determination of Halladay. -Matt Bowie

Ryan Howard – 1B – Philadelphia Phillies

Slowing his feet may have been the best thing for him. This forced him to hit opposite field more and this is when Howard is the best hitting 1st baseman in the game. Thats right, you heard me Prince. . – DC

Justin Upton – OF – Atlanta Braves

Reunited with his brother B.J. Upton, Justin along with the Braves have legit shot at winning the World Series and Justin maybe the guy to lead them there. – Marley

AL Come Back Player of the Year:

Mariano Rivera – RP – New York Yankees

What hasn’t Mo done? –Zachary Hoffmann

Scott Kazmir – SP – Cleveland Indians

He’s only 29 but the former Rays ace hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2011, when he threw a grand total of 1.2 innings. He’s been throwing great for Cleveland this spring though and has a good chance to win the 5th starter spot. –Nick Steingart

Victor Martinez – C/DH – Detroit Tigers 

The favorite will be Mo Rivera but he only pitches one inning. The Yanks still made the playoffs without him and their losing in the playoffs had absolutely no connection to his absence at all. Tigers may have won World Series had Martinez been in their lineup. A productive bat that makes contact, hits for power, gets on base, and produces runs. Will blend in wonderfully with Miggy and Prince. –Guy Hase

Mariano Rivera – RP – Yankees

Greatest closer ever takes his victory lap and collects one more individual trophy –Mike Millis

Victor Martinez –C/DH – Detroit Tigers

Martinez has put up some great numbers in his career and will continue to do so in that great Detroit lineup. This one is a no-brainer. –Nick Hinton

Victor Martinez – C/DH – Detroit Tigers 

After missing the entire season with a torn ACL, Martinez will bounce back stronger than ever. Hitting behind Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder will provide him plenty of RBI opportunities. A .303 career hitter, Martinez will stay healthy and possibly break his career high of 114 RBI. -Matt Bowie

Victor Martinez –C/DH – Detroit Tigers

In this lineup Martinez will be tested early, but will be feed fat all season. He will have MVP numbers by the All-Star break. – DC

Evan Longoria – 3B – Tampa Bay Rays

With Myers behind him in the lineup, Longoria will put up great numbers this season. He also bangs a hot playboy model. – Marley

NL Pennant

Atlanta – Zachary Hoffmann

Atlanta – Nick Steingart

Cincinnati – Guy Hase

Atlanta – Millis

Washington – Nick Hinton

Cincinnati – Matt Bowie

Dodgers – DC

Washington – Marley

AL Pennant

Detroit – Zachary Hoffmann

Detroit – Nick Steingart

Toronto – Guy Hase

Tampa Bay – Nick Hinton

New York Yankees- Millis

Los Angeles – Matt Bowie

Detroit – DC

Angels- Marley

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Mar 20

Are the Atlanta Braves World Series Contenders?

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Key offseason additions:

Justin Upton, B.J. Upton, Chris Johnson, Jordan Walden

Key offseason departures:

Chipper Jones, Martin Prado, Randall Delgado, Tommy Hanson, Michael Bourn

The Braves lost the face of their franchise to retirement this offseason. What Chipper Jones meant to the Braves wont be matched by any player that they have brought in but Justin Upton can certainly match if not surpass his offensive numbers. Its no surprise that the Braves made great moves this offseason as they have one of the best front offices in the game. The addition of the Upton brothers is what the Braves have needed for years. It gives them some pop in their lineup to go with that great pitching staff. The Braves also strengthened an already stellar bullpen by trading for flamethrower Jordan Walden.

The Braves will have one of the best young offensives in the league. Jason Heyward will look to build off of a great season last year with the new guys around him. Heyward could put up huge offensive numbers and put his name in the MVP race this season. The Braves three outfielders all have been in the 20/20 club and have the potential to join the 30/30 club. The production wont just come from the outfield. Freddie Freeman is a star in the making. He will have a break out season this year and hit 30 plus home runs. Andrelton Simmons will likely hit lead off and after a great World Baseball Classic performance he looks ready for the season to start. He will be a prefect table setter for those big bats in the middle of the Braves new look lineup.

The Braves have always been built around pitching. Its no different this year they have a great pitching staff. The rotation is lead by veteran Tim Hudson who even at 37 is still pitching great. Kris Medlen has been used as a swing man in recent years but will be a full time starter this season. Last year he appeared in 50 games starting 12 of them and went 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA. The wild card will be how well Julio Teheran pitches. He has been lights out this spring and has likely won the 5^th starter job but I think he will show us just how good he can be this season. He has struggled in the past but is the Braves top prospect and has top of the rotation stuff.

The starting pitching is great but the bullpen is the strength. They have the best bullpen in all of baseball. They have Johnny Venters and Eric O’Flaherty coming out of the pen from the left side and Christian Martinez and Jordan Walden coming from the right side. These guy all lead to the best closer in the world Craig Kimbrel. He put up numbers that were insane even if you were playing a video game. Kimbrel had 16.7 K/9 with a 0.65 WHIP. He had one of the best seasons we have ever seen from a pitcher.

This is a great Atlanta Braves team. They will put it all together and easily finish in one of the playoff spots. If Julio Teheran can pitch as well as he has this spring the Braves have a real shot at winning the World Series this year. Even if it doesn’t come this year the Braves will win the World Series at least once in the next three years.

Predicted Finish: 2^nd NL East; Loss WS vs Detroit Tigers

Mar 18

Will Washington Build on their NLDS Loss Last Season?

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Key offseason additions:

Rafael Soriano, Dan Haren, Denard Span

Key offseason departures:

Mike Gonzalez, Edwin Jackson, Michael Morse

The Washington Nationals had a great season last year. After winning only 80 games in 2011 they won 98 games in 2012 and made the playoffs for the first time as the Nationals and the first time since 1981 when they were the Montreal Expos. The Nationals lost to the Cardinals in the NLDS after a blown save by closer Drew Storen. The Nationals have made some good moves this offseason. Its scary to think but the 98 win Nationals have actually gotten better.

This offseason they traded for Denard Span to play center field. This gives them a leadoff hitter and allows the Nationals to move Bryce Harper over to a corner outfield spot. The Nationals also resigned Adam LaRoche who is coming off of a career year. They have decided to move Harper from the two hole to the number three spot. This will give him more opportunities to drive in runs. Even with this great offense they will need Ryan Zimmerman to stay healthy to keep the offense together.

The Nationals have a great offense but they have one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball. They have a starting five that includes; Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Geo Gonzalez, Dan Haren, and Ross Detwiler. They also added the best free agent closer to an already deep bullpen giving them three guys that can handle the 9^th inning. Their only weakness is they only have one left hander, Zach Duke, in the bullpen.

The Nationals will be very good this season. They will have Strasburg and Harper for a full season. Harper could potentially start putting up MVP caliber numbers this season. I think he will at least finish in the top three in MVP voting. If they can add another lefty in the bullpen they would be set. They will win the East and they should make a run in the playoffs.

Predicted Finish: 1^st NL East; Loss NLCS v Atlanta

Mar 16

Can the Phillies Stay Healthy?

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Key offseason additions:

Ben Revere, Delmon Young, John Lannan, Mike Adams, Mike Young

Key offseason departures:

Jose Contreras, Placido Polanco, Vance Worley

The Phillies have made a few moves this offseason. They made to trades upgrading third bases and center field. They also added to the back end of the bullpen signing a great setup man in Mike Adams. Their most interesting move was signing Delmon Young. He could go either way and be a great signing or a huge problem.

One thing that the Phillies have had a problem with is keeping their team on the field. This year they are healthy and should have a good offensive season. It all starts with Ryan Howard. He should be able to hit 30 bombs and drive in 100 runs this season. Also look for Michael Young to have a bounce back year and help the Phillies offense greatly.

The Phillies have a solid pitching staff. They will need a big year from former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay if they want to have a good year this year. Cole Hamels continues to improve and Cliff Lee has been consistently good. They have one of the best closers in the game and now have added one of the best set up men to make their games 7 innings long.

The Phillies struggled last year and are another year older but they are healthy. They have Howard and Chase Utley back on the field and will be contenders again this season. As long as they can stay healthy they will win one of the two wild card spots.

Predicted Finish: 3^rd NL East; Loss WC vs Atlanta

Mar 14

Will the Mets Contend in the Strong NL East?

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Key offseason additions:

Travis d’Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard, Shaun Marcum

Key offseason departures:

R.A. Dickey, Jason Bay, Scott Hairston

The Mets made some great moves this offseason locking up their superstar player, David Wright, and acquiring catcher of the future Travis d’Arnaud. These are franchise changing moves and for once they were the right moves. The Mets did lose R.A. Dickey in the deal for d’Arnaud but even after winning the Cy Young it was nothing to give up an aging knuckleballer for a future All-Star catcher.

Adding d’Arnaud strengthens an offense that was 25^th in the league in runs scored. He may start the season in Triple A to get more work and stop is arbitration clock but once he gets called up he will hit. The Mets weakest link is their outfield. They have no star power and it doesn’t look like they have much talent that is close to major league ready either. There are a number of solid outfielders becoming free agents at the end of this season so the Mets should look to upgrade by signing a few big name stars.

Even with the loss of Dickey the Mets rotation isn’t that bad. They still have, two time Cy Young winner, Johan Santana. Yes, he isn’t the pitcher he once was but can still pitch well if healthy. They also signed Shaun Marcum who has had a very solid career. They have Zack Wheeler, who will eventually be called up this season, as their future ace. Wheeler and Matt Harvey will make a very strong 1-2 punch for years to come.

The Mets are actually going in the right direction for once. This should make their fans happy. If they can add a good outfielder next offseason they may be able to compete. They should put up a fight this season but the NL East is too strong for them without another bat in the outfield. Look for the Mets to be big players next offseason and to compete in 2014.

Predicted Finish: 4^th NL East

Mar 12

Will Giancarlo Stanton be a Marlin by Years End?

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Key offseason additions:

Casey Kotchman, Jon Rauch, Chone Figgins, Placido Polanco, John Maine

Key offseason departures:

Heath Bell, Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Emilio Bonifacio

The Marlins have made a lot of noise this offseason and not in a good way. They traded 5 players all of them being starters to the Blue Jays. In return they got more quantity rather then quality. This trade really got the 14 fans that the Marlins have extremely upset. They felt that if they finished in last with a roster full over high priced talent they could just trade them away and spend no money to finish in last.

The Marlins do still have a few bright spots. They have the best young power hitter in baseball in Giancarlo Stanton. They also have four prospects in Keith Law’s top 100 including number 16 Jose Fernandez and number 6 Christian Yelich. Yelich should win a starting spot right out of spring training but you never know with the Marlins.

The biggest story for the Marlins this year will be when are they going to trade Stanton. He was very unhappy with the deal they made and he let it be known via his twitter account. There is a very slim chance that he will sign long term with them so in the next few years they will look to trade him. Right now he is the only thing that make people want to think about watching the Marlins but the longer they wait the less they will be able to get for him.

The Marlins are known for selling all of their talent. They did this after they won the World Series in 1997 and 2003. This big trade will effect high price free agents going to Miami. They wont want to sign unless they get a full no trade clause. The Marlins are clearly in a rebuilding mode and wont compete until their top prospects are ready. This will be a rough year for the Marlins and Stanton.

Predicted Finish: 5^th NL East

Mar 10

Will the Reds Make it Past the NLDS?

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Key offseason additions:

Shin-Soo Choo, Jack Hannahan

Key offseason Departures:

Scott Rolen, Drew Stubbs, Didi Gregorius

The Reds had a great regular season last year winning 97 games. They went up 2-0 in the NLDS but ended up losing 3 straight to the World Champion Giants. Trying to improve on their season last year the Reds made a trade and acquired Shin-Soo Choo from the Indians. He is certainly an upgrade over Drew Stubbs but he will be asked to play centerfield a position he has never played regularly. The Reds are just looking for average defense out of him and will rely more on his bat then glove.

The Reds have a solid offense. They are lead by slugger Joey Votto who holds a career .968 OPS. They also resigned Ryan Ludwick who had a great season last year and with the departure of Scott Rolen, Todd Frazier finally has a spot in the lineup. With the addition of Choo to the lineup they should be able to score more runs then they did last year.

The Reds pitching is what made the team great. Johnny Cueto has a Cy Young caliber year and will look to improve. Mat Latos started slow but finished strong ending up with a solid 3.48 ERA and Homer Bailey has finally started to show how good he really can be. The Reds will try and move Aroldis Chapman to the starting rotation but I see them moving him back to the closers role sometime in the middle of the season.

The Reds play in a fairly weak division and will play well enough to win it. Because of the division they will win the most games in the National League. Their prize for doing so well will be Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs. They will lose to them and get sent home early again this season.

Predicted Finish: 1^st NL Central; Loss NLDS vs Atlanta

Mar 08

Will the Cardinals Make Another Run at the Playoffs?

Categories:

Key offseason additions:

None

Key offseason departures:

Kyle Lohse, Skip Schumaker, Lance Berkman, Brian Fuentes

The St. Louis Cardinals have made the playoffs 9 times in the last 13 seasons and 3 times in the last 4, including a World Series title. They must feel like the team they have can compete because haven’t made many moves this offseason. Their best move though has probably been their choice not to bring back Kyle Lohse. He is asking to be paid for his career year rather then what he is really worth and that is why he is still a free agent.

Their pitching staff is where they will have the most question marks. Their ace, Chris Carpenter, is likely going to be out for the year and could possibly retire. Jaime Garcia is coming off a shoulder injury that limited him to just over 120 innings last season. Adam Wainwright should be healthy and they will need a big year from him if they want to compete. The wild cards will be Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal. If they can both pitch to their abilities and make the rotation then the Cards will do ok, but that’s putting their season in the hands of two 22 year olds.

The Cardinals offense took a hit when they learned shortstop Rafael Furcal would need Tommy John surgery. He will be out for the whole year likely being replaced by Pete Kozma or Ronny Cedeno. They do have a solid outfield with Matt Holliday, John Jay, and Carlos Beltran. They also have the best catcher in the league in Yadier Molina.

They have a solid lineup that should score a lot of runs but their pitching scares me. If they can get good seasons out of their young starters then they will be alright. They have a pretty deep farm system with a lot of young guys waiting to play so they will be good for a while. I am not sure this is the year they make it back to the playoffs with all the additions other teams have made.

Predicted finish: 2^nd NL Central