2013 season is upon us and here are my predictions sure to go wrong for the season.
AL East Champ- Tampa Bay Rays
Their rotation and bullpen are right up there with anyone in baseball and in the competitive AL East pitching will help them separate themselves from the pack. Their offense should be improved this year as well once they bring up power hitting prospect Wil Myers, who can actually help Longoria from having to carry the load offensively.
AL Central Champ- Detroit Tigers
Probably the best starting rotation in baseball. Very good lineup and even with a questionable bullpen they should win the division easily. Verlander should contend for another Cy Young Award and Pince and Miggy should be right there for the MVP as well. The under the radar move of adding Torii Hunter I think ends up helping this team more than people think.
AL West Champs- Oakland Athletics
Pitching always trumps offense and the A's are heads and shoulders above the Rangers and Angels pitching wise and even though those teams have a better offense I think the A's will still win the division. This team can create runs by running the bases well and not just one player will carry them, they will again be a great TEAM and win their division.
AL Wild Cards- Toronto Blue Jays & Baltimore Orioles
Blue Jays will struggle initially to start the season and never end up catching the Rays. They will eventually catch up once their chemistry and pitching get going.
The Orioles like the A's have good pitching and are a GREAT team led by a great manager and will be right with the Rays and Jays all year in that brutal AL East.
AL Awards-
AL Rookie of the Year- MIN CF Aaron Hicks
AL Cy Young- DET SP Justin Verlander
AL MVP- Tor RF Jose Bautista
ALCS-
Tigers over Rays
Tigers can match the Rays pitching, but the Rays can't match the Tigers offense sending the Tigers back to the Fall Classic for a second consecutive year.
NL East- Washington Nationals
The addition of CF Denard Span was their biggest addition of the offseason and one that will take them over the top in my opinion. They lacked a great leadoff hitter and a true center fielder last season and still were an out away from the NLCS. Span ends up being the difference maker.
NL Central- Cincinnati Reds
Reds did the right thing moving Chapman back to the bullpen. They are just the best overall team in the division.
NL West- San Francisco Giants
Defending world champs will have a tough task of holding off the money spending Dodgers, but their chemistry and pitching help keep them ahead of the new look Dodgers.
NL Wild Cards- Los Angeles Dodgers & St. Louis Cardinals
Dodgers like the Blue Jays will struggle with chemistry initially and that will end up not allowing them to catch the Giants. They will be much improved thanks to them adding pitching to go along with Kershaw.
The Cardinals are just a gritty team that knows how to scrap their way into the playoffs and always make noise while they are there. I think some of their younger pitchers struggle at some point during the season and that is why they end up a wild card team and not a division winner.
NL Awards-
NL Rookie of the Year- NYM SP Zack Wheeler
NL Cy Young- LAD SP Clayton Kershaw
NL MVP- WAS LF Bryce Harper
NLCS-
Nationals over Cardinals
Nationals get revenge over the Cards for knocking them out last season by beating them in the NLCS to go to the World Series. Nationals are the most complete team in baseball and will show us this all season and especially in October.
World Series- Detroit Tigers vs. Washington Nationals
World Series Champion- Washington Nationals
Nats over Tigers in 6 games. The Tigers bullpen comes back to haunt them again in October and the guy they should have signed in Rafael Soriano to close games for them ends up closing out the World Series for the other team. Nationals are the most complete team in baseball and will be on top of the baseball world come late October.
Written by Nick Calo, follow me on Twitter for more updates and sports thoughts @PRH1987
AL East Champ- Tampa Bay Rays
Their rotation and bullpen are right up there with anyone in baseball and in the competitive AL East pitching will help them separate themselves from the pack. Their offense should be improved this year as well once they bring up power hitting prospect Wil Myers, who can actually help Longoria from having to carry the load offensively.
AL Central Champ- Detroit Tigers
Probably the best starting rotation in baseball. Very good lineup and even with a questionable bullpen they should win the division easily. Verlander should contend for another Cy Young Award and Pince and Miggy should be right there for the MVP as well. The under the radar move of adding Torii Hunter I think ends up helping this team more than people think.
AL West Champs- Oakland Athletics
Pitching always trumps offense and the A's are heads and shoulders above the Rangers and Angels pitching wise and even though those teams have a better offense I think the A's will still win the division. This team can create runs by running the bases well and not just one player will carry them, they will again be a great TEAM and win their division.
AL Wild Cards- Toronto Blue Jays & Baltimore Orioles
Blue Jays will struggle initially to start the season and never end up catching the Rays. They will eventually catch up once their chemistry and pitching get going.
The Orioles like the A's have good pitching and are a GREAT team led by a great manager and will be right with the Rays and Jays all year in that brutal AL East.
AL Awards-
AL Rookie of the Year- MIN CF Aaron Hicks
AL Cy Young- DET SP Justin Verlander
AL MVP- Tor RF Jose Bautista
ALCS-
Tigers over Rays
Tigers can match the Rays pitching, but the Rays can't match the Tigers offense sending the Tigers back to the Fall Classic for a second consecutive year.
NL East- Washington Nationals
The addition of CF Denard Span was their biggest addition of the offseason and one that will take them over the top in my opinion. They lacked a great leadoff hitter and a true center fielder last season and still were an out away from the NLCS. Span ends up being the difference maker.
NL Central- Cincinnati Reds
Reds did the right thing moving Chapman back to the bullpen. They are just the best overall team in the division.
NL West- San Francisco Giants
Defending world champs will have a tough task of holding off the money spending Dodgers, but their chemistry and pitching help keep them ahead of the new look Dodgers.
NL Wild Cards- Los Angeles Dodgers & St. Louis Cardinals
Dodgers like the Blue Jays will struggle with chemistry initially and that will end up not allowing them to catch the Giants. They will be much improved thanks to them adding pitching to go along with Kershaw.
The Cardinals are just a gritty team that knows how to scrap their way into the playoffs and always make noise while they are there. I think some of their younger pitchers struggle at some point during the season and that is why they end up a wild card team and not a division winner.
NL Awards-
NL Rookie of the Year- NYM SP Zack Wheeler
NL Cy Young- LAD SP Clayton Kershaw
NL MVP- WAS LF Bryce Harper
NLCS-
Nationals over Cardinals
Nationals get revenge over the Cards for knocking them out last season by beating them in the NLCS to go to the World Series. Nationals are the most complete team in baseball and will show us this all season and especially in October.
World Series- Detroit Tigers vs. Washington Nationals
World Series Champion- Washington Nationals
Nats over Tigers in 6 games. The Tigers bullpen comes back to haunt them again in October and the guy they should have signed in Rafael Soriano to close games for them ends up closing out the World Series for the other team. Nationals are the most complete team in baseball and will be on top of the baseball world come late October.
Written by Nick Calo, follow me on Twitter for more updates and sports thoughts @PRH1987