2012 Baseball Predictions

I will again submit my yearly embarrassment where I give my picks for the upcoming baseball season. Please hold all laughter until September.

AL East

1. New York

2. Boston

3. Toronto

4. Tampa Bay

5. Baltimore

The Yankees are still the class of the AL East. I love the pickup of Pineda to bolster the rotation. You know they will still score runs and while I think they are getting a little long in the tooth in some areas they still have enough to win it. The Red Sox collapse last year will go down in history. It’s a lot to try and come back from. I love the lineup if they can stay healthy. My issue is their pitching. Lester and Beckett need to have solid years or it will be another year of missed playoffs for the Carmine’s. I love a lot of what the Blue Jays are doing. I really think they may push Boston for the wild card. But they still may be a year away. I love the lineup and if the backend of that rotation rounds into forum, look out. The Rays went on an amazing run to grab the wild card last year. I still really like their pitching. That Moore kid looks like a stud. But, I wonder if they will score enough runs. They got a lot of breaks at the end to get in last year, I just don’t know if they do it again. The Orioles for years have floundered under the mismanagement of Andy MacPhail. I know they play in a tough division but they are still are a talent wasteland. It’s about the pitching and the O’s just don’t have enough to compete with the other heavyweights.

AL Central

1. Detroit

2. Cleveland

3. Kansas City

4. Chicago

5. Minnesota

Even without Victor Martinez the Tigers lineup is loaded. They will easily score enough, and with Verlander leading your staff you know they are solid there as well. In what should be a fairly mediocre division they are clearly at the head of it. The Indians shocked everyone last year and stayed in the race until September. They were probably playing above their heads a tad. Still there is some young talent here that is starting to round into forum. May be a year away still but there is some light at the end of the tunnel. The Royals have been a doormat since the Reagan administration. At long last they are starting to harness some young talent. They are still thin at a lot of spots but I love the Hosmer, Moustakas, and Giaveotella trio of youngsters that may forum the best infield in the AL in a couple of years. For now they still have too many holes to compete for anything. The White Sox used the dreaded rebuild word this offseason. I think they may actually pitch ok but I wonder about the lineup and the backend of the bullpen. Also I don’t like the Ventura hiring. He may be great but it could also really backfire. The Twins have a couple of nice pieces but as a whole I really don’t like them. Mauer is not the same player for whatever reason and I will maintain when Karl Pavano is your opening day starter you have issues.

AL West

1. Anaheim

2. Texas

3. Oakland

4. Seattle

How can you not like what the Angles did in the off season? I mean they went out and laded the biggest fish in Pujos and then signed Wilson as well. I think in the long term both moves will bite them in the ass. But for 2012 they are stocked. They are going to be good if healthy. The Rangers are the two time defending American league champs. But, I worry about that choke job in October carrying over. They say it won’t but how can it not. They can still rake with any team out there but the pitching is a question. I know everyone is raving about Yu Darvish but everyone raved about Dice-K as well. The A’s are a curious team. Back in their Moneyball heyday they always had a pipeline of good young talent ready to come up and play. But really in the last couple of years who have they really produced? The well is running dry and they gave money to some guys who really don’t wow me. They need to move out of the brutal stadium which may be the worst in baseball. I thought the Mariners might surprise some people last year and was I wrong. They are still awhile away. They just don’t score enough runs to be competitive. I love King Felix but not much else on the roster to get excited about.

NL East

1. Philadelphia

2. Miami

3. Atlanta

4. Washington

5. New York

I know Howard and Utley are hurting and they have some holes to fill. But I still love the pitching and I know both those bats will come back. If they tread water long enough I still think the Phillies win the east. I know a lot of people are picking against them and I totally understand why. This could be like picking the Twins last year you pick them til they prove otherwise. But my gut tells me they have one more run in them. The Marlins could be amazing or could crash and burn. I personally think if the pitching can stay healthy they will be very good. Say what you want about Ozzie (and over the years I’ve said plenty) but he usually gets a lot out of his talent. If the Phillies falter at all they will be right there ready to pounce. The Braves completely choked last year. I just think it’s hard to come back from something like that. They still have talent and will still compete but I think Miami has passed them. The Nationals are coming. If Strasberg can stay healthy they have the makings of a very good pitching staff. I still think they are a year away however. I think they have the nucleolus to be pretty good but 2013 is there year not 12. The Mets are a mess. A lineup with more holes then Swiss cheese and a patched together pitching staff. I don’t see a lot of hope there.

NL Central

1. St. Louis

2. Cincinnati

3. Milwaukee

4. Chicago

5. Pittsburgh

6. Houston

All logic will tell you the Cardinals without Albert take a huge step back. Well I am not so sure. Okay you don’t replace that production how could you? However, there is still talent on this team and they can still pitch. Let’s not forget they get Wainright back and I like the Beltran signing. Division is not great so they could win 92 and grab it. I like a lot of what the Reds have done. Getting Latos was a great move. But, I will never pick a Dsuty Baker team. Sure he proved me wrong two years ago but sorry just can’t do it. The Brewers and that cheater Braun have some serious negative mojo working. They still have a good pitching staff and will still score some runs. But there is something about this team that just makes me think they will underperform, or maybe that is what I am just hoping for. At long last the Cubs have started to build the right way through the draft and by getting young. Yes, they have a long way to go but I do think our pitching staff will be good. We won’t score any runs but if you can pitch in this game that is half the battle. The Pirates last year for the first time in eons actually were good until they ran out of gas in August. Sadly, I think that team may have played above their heads. Sure, they have a couple of nice players but, when Eric Bedard is your opening day starter you have no addressed your biggest need and that is starting pitching. The Astros are a total and complete mess. They have a new owner so that is the good news. The roster however is in serious disrepair. I have been wrong plenty in the past but I don’t see how they don’t lose 100.

NL West

1. San Francisco

2. Arizona

3. Colorado

4. Los Angeles

5. San Diego

This is the toughest division to pick. You could throw the top three in a hat in my opinion. There is not much separating any of them. However, I will go with the Giants. It comes down to pitching and they have the best and deepest. They have improved the lineup and little and a whole year from Posey won’t hurt. I think they score enough to win a squeaker. The Diamondbacks came out of nowhere last year to win the west. I did not see that coming. But the young pitching came into forum and Upton starting hitting like the player he was touted to be. They will be right there again. Every year it seems like I over value the Rockies. I still love that lineup littered with home grown talent. However, that pitching staff leaves a lot to be desired and I just don’t see them being able to overtake the top two teams. The Dodgers could be interesting. I like the pitching staff and their everyday lineup has some thump. But the middle infield is a total void and I worry about the bullpen. It is good they are at long last out of the McCourt mess but still will have some work to do. The Padres are not a very sexy team and don’t have much talent. I like Maybin and Headley and they have a solid bullpen. But they lack the depth to be very competitive.

AL Playoffs

Wild Card Game

Boston over Texas

ALDS

Anaheim over Boston

Detroit over New York

ALCS

Anaheim over Detroit

NL Playoffs

Wild Card Game

Arizona over Miami

NLDS

Arizona over Philadelphia

San Francisco over St. Louis

NLCS

San Francisco over Arizona

World Series

Anaheim over San Francisco