Tagged: James Shields
Hall of Fame Class of 2024
The Hall of Fame Class of 2024 has been announced. Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton will be joining Jim Leyland in Cooperstown this Summer. Beltre and Mauer are first ballot Hall of Famers, while it took Helton six ballots. Regardless how long it takes a player to reach 75% of the vote, they are a Hall of Famer. They are forever enshrined with the legends of baseball.
Billy Wagner almost joined Leyland, Beltre, Mauer, and Helton falling just five votes short. 2025 will be Wagner’s 10th and final chance to reach Cooperstown. He should head to the Hall of Fame next Summer. He may not be Mariano Rivera, but he has earned his place among the greats of the game.
Gary Sheffield will not be on the ballot next year. He is not heading to Cooperstown. He has exhausted his 10 years of Hall of Fame eligibility. Sheffield has the numbers to be a Hall of Famer. He played 22 seasons, 2,576 Games, scored 1,636 Runs, collected 2,689 Hits, including 467 Doubles, 27 Triples, 509 Home Runs, 1,676 RBI, with 253 Stolen Bases, drew 1,475 Walks, 1,171 Strikeouts, posted a .292 BA, .393 OBP, .514 SLG, .907 OPS, 140 OPS+, and 4,737 Total Bases. Sheffield is a nine time All Star, won five Silver Sluggers, the 1992 National League Batting Title, and the 1997 World Series. His wiggling bat is one of the most recognizable in baseball history. The one thing Sheffield could never shake is the connection to PEDs, which have haunted his candidacy. One of the great hitters in baseball history is not heading to Cooperstown and it is a shame.
Reaching the Hall of Fame is not meant for everyone. Eight players failed to receive the 5% to stay on the ballot. Victor Martinez, Jose Bautista, Bartolo Colon, Matt Holliday, Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon Philips, Jose Reyes, and James Shields are not heading to Cooperstown, but these eight players were among the best players of their generation. Players like Bautista and Colon are beloved, but this does not warrant their enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. They fall into the Hall of the Very Good.
The Class of 2024 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 21 in Cooperstown. Get the tissues ready. Minnesota and Colorado fans have reason to celebrate. Beltre’s election is cause for celebration in Texas and the Dominican Republic. It will be a great day for baseball.
DJ
The Winning Run 2024 Hall of Fame Ballot
The beginning of the new year means it is time for the annual debate about who is and is not a Hall of Famer. Ultimately only the opinions of Hall of Fame voters matter. They decide who goes to Cooperstown. The BBWAA is the sole voting body for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Voters must be a member of the BBWAA and meet the following eligibility requirements.
Hall of Fame Voter Eligibility
- Any member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) who has been an active member for ten years.
- The BBWAA is limited to writers for newspapers only, including some internet newspapers.
The BBWAA sets the following rules for how eligible voters can vote.
- Vote for no more than 10 players.
- A player is eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame if they meet the following criteria:
- They competed in ten seasons. A single game counts as a season played.
- The player has been retired for at least five seasons. The clock restarts if the player returns and plays in the Major Leagues.
- The player is not on the ineligible list; banned from baseball.
- The player must receive 5% of the vote to remain on the ballot.
- The player is elected if they receive at least 75% of all ballots cast.
In addition to the official voting rules for the Baseball Hall of Fame set forth by the BBWAA, The Winning Run has an additional rule for its ballot.
- Known PED users are ineligible.
Every player dreams of reaching the Major Leagues and playing their way to Cooperstown. However, this dream is a reality for only 1% of Major Leaguers. Thousands of players begin their professional careers dreaming of the Hall of Fame and never spend a single day in the Major Leagues. Reaching the Major Leagues is extremely difficult. Appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot, even for a single year, is reserved for baseball’s elites. Making the ballot is an honor, even if the candidate does not receive a single vote.
The 2024 Hall of Fame ballot has 26 candidates. There are 14 returning candidates and 12 new candidates. The 14 returning candidates are:
- Todd Helton- 6th year (72.2%)
- Billy Wagner- 9th year (68.1%)
- Andruw Jones- 7th year (58.1%)
- Gary Sheffield- 10th year (55.0%)
- Carlos Beltran- 2nd year (46.5%)
- Alex Rodriguez- 3rd year (35.7%)
- Manny Ramirez- 8th year (33.2%)
- Omar Vizquel- 7th year (19.5%)
- Andy Pettitte- 6th year (17.0%)
- Bobby Abreu- 5th year (15.4%)
- Jimmy Rollins- 3rd year (12.9%)
- Mark Buehrle- 4th year (10.8%)
- Francisco Rodriguez- 2nd year (10.8%)
- Torii Hunter- 4th year (6.9%)
The 12 first time candidates are:
- Adrian Beltre
- Joe Mauer
- Chase Utley
- David Wright
- Bartolo Colon
- Matt Holliday
- Adrian Gonzalez
- Jose Bautista
- Jose Reyes
- Victor Martinez
- James Shields
- Brandon Phillips
Following our own rule, 5 of the 26 candidates were removed from consideration due to their connections with PEDs.
- Gary Sheffield
- Alex Rodriguez
- Manny Ramirez
- Andy Pettitte
- Bartolo Colon
The sad part of our PED rule is every one of these players posted the necessary numbers to be seriously considered for the Hall of Fame. Their decision to use PEDs has hampered their own election to Cooperstown and left them on the ballot for additional years. These extra years have siphoned votes away from other worthy candidates, harming their Hall of Fame chances through no fault of their own.
Two players we voted for in 2023 were removed from the ballot. Scott Rolen was elected to the Hall of Fame. Jeff Kent failed to be elected in his 10th and final year of eligibility. This means our 2024 ballot has two open spots. None of the candidates we voted for last year received less than 5%, so the other eight candidates have returned. After much research and debate we arrived at our 10 candidates.
Adrian Beltre could do it all on a baseball field. The Third Baseman played 21 seasons with 4 teams: Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2004), Seattle Mariners (2005-2009), Boston Red Sox (2010), and Texas Rangers (2011-2018). He played in 2,933 Games, scored 1,524 Runs, collected 3,166 Hits, including 636 Double, 38 Triples, 477 Home Runs, 1,707 RBI, 121 Stolen Bases, drawing 848 Walks, with 1,732 Strikeouts, posting a .286 BA, .339 OBP, .480 SLG, .819 OPS, 116 OPS+, and 5,309 Total Bases. Beltre won five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, and was a four time All Star. If elected, Beltre will rank first among Hall of Fame Third Basemen in RBI. He will be second in Hits, Doubles, and RBI. Beltre will have the third most Home Runs. He is a clear cut Hall of Famer. Just make sure you do not touch his head.
Joe Mauer never left Minnesota. The hometown boy made good. Mauer Caught 15 seasons with the Minnesota Twins (2004-2018). He played in 1,858 Games, scored 1,018 Runs, collected 2,123 Hits, including 428 Doubles, 30 Triples, 143 Home Runs, 923 RBI, 52 Stolen Bases, drawing 939 Walks, with 1,034 Strikeouts, posting a .306 BA, .388 OBP, .439 SLG, .827 OPS, 124 OPS+, and 3,040 Total Bases. He was a six time All Star, won five Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves, and three Batting Titles. Mauer was named the 2009 American League MVP. If elected, Mauer will have the most Walks among Hall of Fame Catchers. He will be third in Doubles, fourth in OBP, sixth in Hits, and seventh in BA. Mauer should easily reach Cooperstown.
Chase Utley put together an outstanding career. He was one of the leaders for the great Phillies teams, including their 2008 World Series championship. The Second Baseman played for two teams in 16 seasons: Philadelphia Phillies (2003-2015) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2015-2018). He played in 1,937 Games, scored 1,103 Runs, collected 1,885 Hits, including 411 Doubles, 58 Triples, 259 Home Runs, 1,025 RBI, 154 Stolen Bases, drawing 724 Walks, with 1,193 Strikeouts, posting a .275 BA, .358 OBP, .465 SLG, .823 OPS, 117 OPS+, and 3,189 Total Bases. Utley was a six time All Star and won four Silver Sluggers. If elected, Utley would rank fifth among Hall of Fame Second Basemen in Home Runs and seventh in SLG and OPS.
Our ballot has three additions this year. We filled our two open slots with Adrian Beltre and Joe Mauer. We had one player, Jimmy Rollins, replaced by a former teammate, Chase Utley. The choice of Utley over Rollins is extremely close, but Utley is a more deserving candidate. The real issue is both Rollins and Utley are deserving candidates, but the idiotic Rule of 10 once again costs a deserving Hall of Fame candidate votes. If the Rule of 10 was not in place, we would also include Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, and Torii Hunter on our ballot. Now we wait for the official results for the Hall of Fame class of 2024. Who is heading to Cooperstown in July?
DJ
2024 Hall of Fame Ballot
The 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has 26 candidates. The ballot returns 14 candidates, while adding 12 first time candidates. Once the votes are tallied, any candidate receiving 75% or more of the vote will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this coming July. Any candidate receiving less than 5% of the vote will be removed from future consideration. The results of the voting will be released on January 23rd. The Hall of Fame ballot is separate from the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for Managers/ Executives/ Umpires, which recently elected Jim Leyland to Cooperstown.
The 26 candidates played a combined 455 MLB seasons. Omar Vizquel played the most seasons, 24 seasons of outstanding defense, and James Shields commanded on the mound for the fewest, 13 seasons. Simply making the ballot is no easy task and places a player in elite company.
The 14 returning candidates are:
- Todd Helton- 6th year (72.2%)
- Billy Wagner- 9th year (68.1%)
- Andruw Jones- 7th year (58.1%)
- Gary Sheffield- 10th year (55.0%)
- Carlos Beltran- 2nd year (46.5%)
- Alex Rodriguez- 3rd year (35.7%)
- Manny Ramirez- 8th year (33.2%)
- Omar Vizquel- 7th year (19.5%)
- Andy Pettitte- 6th year (17.0%)
- Bobby Abreu- 5th year (15.4%)
- Jimmy Rollins- 3rd year (12.9%)
- Mark Buehrle- 4th year (10.8%)
- Francisco Rodriguez- 2nd year (10.8%)
- Torii Hunter- 4th year (6.9%)
Last year Todd Helton fell just 11 votes short of induction. Will he find 11 more votes to reach Cooperstown? This is the final year of eligibility for Gary Sheffield. Can the bat wiggling slugger make it into the Hall of Fame?
The 12 first time candidates are:
- Adrian Beltre
- Joe Mauer
- Chase Utley
- David Wright
- Bartolo Colon
- Matt Holliday
- Adrian Gonzalez
- Jose Bautista
- Jose Reyes
- Victor Martinez
- James Shields
- Brandon Phillips
Who gets into Cooperstown this Summer? We will find out in a few weeks. There are several candidates that should go in the Hall of Fame come July. The only question is can enough of the voters agree to make this a reality?
DJ
Joey Bats: Bat Flipping Pitchers
As we approach the end of May it’s the perfect time to canonize the one of the rarest feats in baseball — the pitcher bat flip. Even with the increase in bat flips around the game, pitchers rarely flip even refusing to make the most of the few times they do get a hit, let alone a home run.
To encourage more of this glorious celebration of triumph, below is a definitive ranking of all pitcher bat flips found during an exhausting 40 minutes of googling. Each bat flip is ranked on a Joey Bats Scale, with a maximum of 19 points overall and 3.8 points in each category:
Tom Lawless Meter – Game situations matter
Bill Butler F@ck You Meter –
The lead up to the bat flip
The bat flip
10-7
James Shields – Spring training Bat Flip
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Full Dinger (3.8)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Flamboyant (3)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: KBO-esque (2.8)
Tom Lawless Meter: Spring training (0)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: Angry at the ball (.5)
Joey Bats Score: Disqualified
In the highlight of their season, then Padres pitcher James Shields uncorked an impressive bat flip, but it’s immediately disqualified for coming in spring training batting practice. Kudos for being the only highlight real I’ve seen from the 2016 Padres.
Matt Harvey Game 1 2015 NLCS
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Sac bunt (0)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: None (0)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Bat fling (.25)
Tom Lawless Meter: During the NLCS but a sac bunt in the NL (.2)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: Extremely boring play(0)
Joey Bats Score: .45 or 0 Batmans
During a standard NL small ball play, Matt Harvey pulled out a bat flip halfway up the first base line. Given he is a worse base runner than Bartolo Colon (confirmed by in-person scouting), it’s possible that he forgot the bat was in his hand and was desperately flinging it away. His Dark Knight moniker should have been revoked after this flip.
Zack Greinke – 2015 versus Brewers
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Frozen Rope-esque Double (1)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Robotic (1)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Solid bat flip (2)
Tom Lawless Meter: Midseason against Da Brew Crew (.2)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: Sighing on 2nd base (0)
Joey Bats Score: 3
A bat flip is acceptable on any decent hit by a pitcher, but the low-stakes combined with the lack of intensity from Greinke and the crowd makes this unmemorable to anyone but the MLB intern who posted it on YouTube. Loses additional points for not having Vin Scully call the play.
6-4
Zack Greinke – Dodgers vs Reds, 2015
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Dinger (3)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Peyton Manning-esque (.75)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Less Solid bat flip (1.70)
Tom Lawless Meter: Reds won at most 2 games that year (0)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: No sigh! (.5)
Joey Bats Score: 5.55
Greinke here looks like a Peyton Manning robot doing his best imitation of Puig. Despite hitting a home run, even the MLB intern passed over this one. It also came during in an August game against the Reds, who, I am sure, were awful outside of Votto in 2015 (I refuse to look this up).
Jeff Samardzija – 2017
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Solid Double (3)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Alright, Alright, Alright (1.7)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Nut seeking (2)
Tom Lawless Meter: 2017 Giants (0)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: The facial always says f’ you (1)
Joey Bats Score: 6.7
I am amazed he didn’t hit himself in the nuts with this bat flip. That’s some impressive spin, but next time he may want to flip it a little further out to avoid any issues on the bounce back. Pretty impressive, with the ‘70s creeper vibe adding to the cockiness of bat flipping on a double.
Hyun-jin Ryu – 2014 Bat Flip
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Double (1.8)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Standard (1.2)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Great rotation (2.9)
Tom Lawless Meter: Summer game against the Rockies (1)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: Low-pressure (1)
Joey Bats Score: 7.9
I am now thinking that the Dodgers (and Puig) must encourage their pitchers to flip bats. Still only the 2nd best bat flip by a Dodger pitcher, though.
3-1
Hung-Chih Kuo – 2007
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: First Home Run in MLB Dinger! (3.1)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Vin Scully Admired the Flip (3.7)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Great range, great rotation (3)
Tom Lawless Meter: 3rd of 3 dingers (2)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: That flip screamed hell yeah! (2)
Joey Bats Score: 13.8
Easily, the best bat flip by a Dodger pitcher, even got Vin Scully to admire it.
Some Kid – 2016
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Dinger (3)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Puig and then some (3.8)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Sharp shooting, full KBO (3.7)
Tom Lawless Meter: 5-year old playing wiffle ball? Full Lawless in his mind (3)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: Surprised he didn’t flip the bird (3.8)
Joey Bats Score: 17.3
This is a bat flip. I have no idea if he is a pitcher or not, I am assuming yes, but MLB pitchers could learn from this kid. Hope to see him in the show in 17 years.
The bat flip that will never be
The best pitcher bat flip is the one we can only dream of, the one that broke our hearts when its chance at life was squashed this offseason. The one from the sexist pitcher playing today – the Big Sexy bat flip.
The man who gave us one of the most improbable home runs, followed by what has to be the longest home run trot done in earnest, and the only reason for watching the Mets from 2014-2016 selfishly signed with an AL team this offseason. At 45, it’s likely he will never bat again, but we can dream.
Just picture this man, who once carried his bat to 1st base after nearly losing his helmet and the most memorable home run by a Met ever flipping a bat. Watch those video again, there is no doubt in my mind that this would be the bat flip we need. The sheer sexiness of it would result in Colon having at least 3 more families to feed.
We’ll update as the rankings as more pitchers flip more bats in 2018.
KB
2016 New Year’s Resolutions for the NL West
It is time to set some resolutions for 2016 and some teams have decided to start early on their resolutions with some big off-season moves. We thought it might be nice to give a quick recap of what we think are the top 2 moves in each division so far and what the other teams need to do in order to position themselves best for long-term success. We’re starting from the west and giving the nod to the NL as the elder statesman of MLB.
The Moves
The two big moves in the NL West so far were made by the Giants and the Diamondbacks with the signings of Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, and Zack Greinke respectively. Both of these teams have the hitting and fielding necessary to win games and all that they need is a rotation that could keep games from having NFL box scores.
Jeff Samardzija does not back down from anyone or anything. He will throw punches and eat innings for the good of the team. (AP Photo/Andrew A. Nelles)
The bigger move here is the Giants getting Cueto and Samardzija because, with Madison Bumgardner as their ace, there won’t be many easy games in a 7-game series. Looks like the Giants want to keep the even year cycle going into the 2016 season.
The Diamondbacks, with a lineup mostly under 30, can anchor a rotation with Greinke for a season or two as they piece together a powerhouse rotation. Maybe it’s a bit biased but Shelby Miller is better than you might think and with the run support he can get from the D-Backs’ lineup, should make him a solid #2.
Shelby Miller was excellent in baseball history in 2015. Only a Braves team being torn down around him was able to overcome his excellence on the mound. (www.statliners.com)
The Advice
Now we’re not saying that there haven’t been other moves worth noting, but the two we’ve discussed change the dynamics of the division. At the beginning of the 2015 season, the NL West looked like a matchup between the Dodgers and the Giants. The rest of the division was going to be an afterthought. Now the Giants look like they’ve taken the catbird seat with the D-Backs as the biggest threat to unseat them. That said…
Los Angeles Dodgers
BL – I think the Dodgers need to balance themselves out and get themselves a good core group. It seems like they’ve got good hitters who don’t have the legs to field and the younger guys can’t make consistent contact. The best place to start would be revamping their infield fast…like should have been done yesterday.
Is Yasiel Puig destined to become a Dodgers legend or will he be moved to break up the outfield log jam? (www.gardygoesyardy.com)
DJ – The Dodgers have to focus on getting value instead of overpaying for everyone. Their payroll is shrinking some so they cannot continue to spend like the George Steinbrenner Yankees of old. The Dodgers need to decide who is the future of their outfield. Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Andre Ethier, and Carl Crawford make for a crowded outfield. Each of these players plays best when they are in the lineup everyday. The Dodgers Front Office must decide if they will take the financial hit of paying Crawford or Ethier to go away, or risk trading away a decade or more of All Star play by moving Pederson or Puig.
Colorado Rockies
BL – The Rockies lost nearly a quarter of their games in 2015 by substantial margins (4+ runs and 38 games to be precise). Colorado could use a lot more consistent pitching to keep games close. Keeping some scoring margins manageable means having a consistent defense to keep things under control but that might mean letting go of some hitting to get that. The focus should stay on improving the rotation and bullpen in order to make it easier on the defense. Losing John Axford might hurt them in the long run but a closer should only be the icing on the cake.
Nolan Arenado’s perennial Gold Glove defense is overshadowed by hit skill with the bat. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
DJ – The Rockies need power from their first baseman. Combined the Rockies first basemen hit 17 HR with 78 RBI. Ben Paulsen played 88 games at first and hit 8 HR with 38 RBI. Colorado needs more power to drive in runs. Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez both had monster years. If the Rockies can land a first baseman that can add a bit more power to the line up the Rockies could overcome many of their other struggles.
San Diego Padres
BL – The Padres need some sports psychiatry and not just for the players but the managers and front office as well. There’s plenty of talent on this team but it’s simply not working together well. Craig Kimbrel was brought in too early when there were other issues for the team to sort out. There’s a lot of money locked up in the outfield and pitching staff. Best thing for them to do is sort out a plan and stick with it.
Kevin Quackenbush and the rest of the Padres bullpen were severly overused in 2015. San Diego starters needs to do better in 2016. (www.friarsonbase.com)
DJ- The Padres were a mess and it showed in the pitching. The starting rotation only had one starting pitcher average at least 6 innings pitched per start, James Shields. This left the San Diego bullpen with too many innings to chew up. San Diego overworked their relievers. Five relief pitchers appeared in at least 53 games; Brandon Maurer (53 games), Shawn Kelley (53 games), Kevin Quackenbush (57 games), Craig Kimbrel (61 games), and Joaquin Benoit (67 games). No bullpen can survive this workload over the course of a season. If the Padres want to be better in 2016, it all starts with putting together a starting rotation that can go deeper in games.
BL and DJ
Predictions Sure To Go Wrong 2.0
Last season The Winning Run attempted to predict the outcome of the 2014 Major League Baseball season. We were not highly successful in our first attempt. Not to be deterred by our lack of success, we are back to try again. Once again, let us apologize in advance for jinxing everyone’s favorite team, whether it is by dooming your team before it had a chance to do much better or by sending it spiraling down in flames as it does much worse than expected. Either way in which we have ruined the chances of your team this season, we are sorry.
The Giants are still recovering from winning the World Series last October. (www.espn.go.com)
Let us begin with the Senior Circuit.
National League
| East | ||
| 1 | Washington Nationals | Division Winner/ 1st Seed |
| 2 | Miami Marlins | |
| 3 | New York Mets | |
| 4 | Atlanta Braves | |
| 5 | Philadelphia Phillies |
The National League East could be one of the weakest Divisions in all of baseball. Beyond the Nationals, the rest of the division could struggle. The Marlins and Mets could threaten for a Wild Card spot, but each have deficiencies that could prevent it from reaching the playoffs. The Braves could surprise people if the bats and pitchers keep up with one another and hover around .500. The Phillies will be the worst team in all of baseball. A successful season would be to avoid 100 games, but even this could be out of reach in Philadelphia.
It will be a long season in Philadelphia, with or without Cole Hamels. (www.hardballtalk.nbcsports.com)
| Central | ||
| 1 | St. Louis Cardinals | Division Winner/ 3rd Seed |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Wild Card |
| 3 | Chicago Cubs | |
| 4 | Milwaukee Brewers | |
| 5 | Cincinnati Reds |
Every team in the National League Central could win the Division or finish last. The Cardinals should continue to be the class of the Central, as they have the pitching and the bats to match up against any team in baseball. The Pirates could pace with the Cardinals all season, but they may fall a few games short of the division based upon a few miscues throughout the season. The Cubs are dramatically improved, but playing in the Central will keep them out of the playoffs in addition to their young stars not all fully rising to their potential this season. The Brewers are dependent upon their lineup supplying the offense that the pitchers need, but there are too many chances for the bats to go quiet throughout the season. The Reds are recovering from losing several keys pitchers from last season. The Reds could rise out of the cellar, but only if Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, and Brandon Phillips all have productive and healthy seasons.
| West | ||
| 1 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Division Winner/ 2nd Seed |
| 2 | San Francisco Giants | Wild Card |
| 3 | San Diego Padres | |
| 4 | Colorado Rockies | |
| 5 | Arizona Diamondbacks |
Wil Myers and the new look Padres are not going quietly. (www.sports.yahoo.com)
The Dodgers are the clear class of the National League West; they have the arms and bats to compete with any team in baseball. Ultimately, the Dodgers will chase the Nationals for the best record in the National League. The Giants will recover from their October success last season, breaking the cycle of boom and bust that they have experienced the last four seasons. They will make the playoffs as a Wild Card, but they will not win another World Series this season. The Padres like the Marlins and Cubs are greatly improved, but will not be able to put it together this season to reach the playoffs in the first season of their new reality. The Rockies will continue to be successful offensively, but their pitching staff is not ready to take the team to the next level and compete for a playoff spot. The Diamondbacks are in full rebuild, and will be searching for answers in every phase of the game. The trade of Trevor Cahill was the clearest sign of Arizona looking to the future beyond the 2015 season.
Now let us examine the Junior Circuit.
American League
| East | ||
| 1 | Toronto Blue Jays | Division Winner/ 3rd Seed |
| 2 | Baltimore Orioles | |
| 3 | Boston Red Sox | |
| 4 | New York Yankees | |
| 5 | Tampa Bay Rays |
2015 could be painful in the Bronx. (www.nydailynews.com)
The Blue Jays finally have all the players they need to win the American League East. Even with the loss of Marcus Stroman for the season, Toronto has the arms and bats to win the Division. The Orioles will return with another strong team. If Chris Davis or Manny Machado can return to half of their 2013 form Baltimore will stay in the hunt for the playoffs into the final days of the season, but could ultimately fall short. The Red Sox are better than last season, but their pitching leaves too many questions for the bats to make up. Boston should finish above .500, but they will not play in October. The Yankees are a mixture of old talent and youthful ignorance. New York may face more injury worries as the season progresses, which could derail any dreams of reaching the playoffs, or even .500. The Rays are in full rebuild mode. Tampa has to rediscover the magic of over performing if it hopes to avoid finishing last in the East.
| Central | ||
| 1 | Detroit Tigers | Division Winner/ 1st Seed |
| 2 | Cleveland Indians | Wild Card |
| 3 | Kansas City Royals | |
| 4 | Chicago White Sox | |
| 5 | Minnesota Twins |
Nick Swisher and the Indians will have a reason to smile this year. (www.en.wikipedia.org)
The American League Central could be the best Division in all of baseball. The Tigers should be the class of the Division so long as David Price, Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, and Victor Martinez are able to stay healthy. The Indians will finally get over the hump and make the playoffs as a Wild Card. Corey Kluber needs another good season, not necessarily another Cy Young season, and young stars like Michael Brantley need to emerge to power Cleveland back to October. The Royals are still recovering from their World Series hangover. While they will be competitive until late in the season, they will not make a return trip to the playoffs, as the loss of James Shields and Billy Butler will be the difference this season. The White Sox should be much improved but in the Central, it could be difficult to crack the top three in the division even with the addition of Jeff Samardzija to the rotation and David Robertson to the bullpen. The Twins need their bats and arms to light up the box score this season. The continued worry about the health of Joe Mauer and the suspension of Ervin Santana could prevent Minnesota from reaching .500.
| West | ||
| 1 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Division Winner (won 1 game playoff)/ 2nd Seed |
| 2 | Oakland Athletics | Wild Card (lost 1 game playoff) |
| 3 | Seattle Mariners | |
| 4 | Houston Astros | |
| 5 | Texas Rangers |
The American League West has three potential Division winners. The Angels once again have a tremendous offense led by the best player in the game, Mike Trout, a star looking to rediscover his old form, Albert Pujols, and a declining star, Josh Hamilton. If the Angels pitchers can stay healthy, they could win the Division. The Athletics will once again work their magic and surprise everyone to finish the season tied with the Angels. Another star will emerge in Oakland, a player who another club gave up on and let go. The Athletics and Angels will have to play a one game playoff to determine who wins the Division and who is the Wild Card. Ultimately, the Angels will win the Division and send Oakland to the Wild Card. The Mariners will unfortunately fall just short once again and miss the playoffs. They need a bit more offense in Seattle if they are to reach to playoffs, but that will have to wait until 2016. The Astros are once again going to take a huge step forward. Houston should finish .500 or better thanks to the continued development of its young stars in Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Collin McHugh. The Rangers should be able to avoid the injury plague they suffered from last season; however, they still lack the pitching to compete, especially after losing Yu Darvish for the season due to Tommy John surgery.
The laughable Astros are only a memory now. (www.diehardsport.com)
Playoffs
October will once again give us some great moments to remember, beginning with the Wild Card games.
Wild Card
| American League | National League |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Cleveland Indians |
In the American League Wild Card game, the Athletics will have spent too much energy getting to the Wild Card game to overcome the Indians. Cleveland will continue on their excellent season into the Divisional Series. In the National League Wild Card game, the Pirates will finally give Pittsburgh the full playoff series it has been waiting for since 1992. The Giants will finally run out of gas after back-to-back seasons of hard-fought competition to reach October.
Divisional Series
| American League | |
| ALDS | |
| Toronto Blue Jays | |
| ALDS | |
| Detroit Tigers |
| National League | |
| NLDS | |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| NLDS | |
| Washington Nationals |
Albert Pujols and the Angels will come up short again. (www.monkeywithahalo.com)
In the American League Division Series, the Blue Jays will run through the Indians after Cleveland runs out of gas fighting through the Wild Card. Pitching should be fairly even, but offensively Toronto should have an advantage with Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. The Angels will once again come up short due to a lack of pitching to match up against the rotation of the Tigers. Detroit has the best hitters in baseball in Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, who can make up for any problems the pitching staff encounters. In the National League Division Series, the Cardinals will fall to the arms of the Dodgers, as Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke finally translate their dominance to October. The Nationals will continue their dominance as they fight past the Pirates. While the series could be tight, Washington has the pitching staff to quiet the bats of Andrew McCutchen, Josh Harrison, and the rest of the Pirates.
Championship Series
| American League | |
| Detroit Tigers |
| National League | |
| Washington Nationals |
The Championship Series will pair off great offenses in the American League as the power bats of the Blue Jays match up against the all-around hitting ability of the Tigers. The experience and rotation will be the difference for Detroit, even if Justin Verlander and David Price are not in vintage form. In the National League, the Championship Series will see the matchup of two great pitching staffs. Los Angeles will send Kershaw and Greinke to the mound to face off against Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez, and Stephen Strasburg. The Nationals will stop the Dodgers as Washington has a deeper roster and the ability to recover if any of its starters faulted.
World Series
The 2015 World Series will pit the Washington Nationals against the Detroit Tigers. Both have excellent pitching staffs and line-ups. Detroit has the better lineup, while Washington has the better pitching staff. The biggest advantage exists in the lineup for the Tigers, which will propel Detroit to another World Series victory in six games.
| Detroit Tigers | 4 games |
| 2 games |
The Detroit Tigers will be celebrating again in October. (www.blog.detroitathletic.com)
These are our predictions for the 2015 Major League Baseball season. Love it? Hate it? Time will tell if we are right or wrong. We never claim to know what will happen, but this is what we are predicting to happen. Now it is time to watch how bad our predictions turn out to be once they meet reality, while enjoying another great season of baseball.
D, J, and B
The Winning Run 