2016 MLB Preview
Damn, baseball, back at it again with the white ball! The past MLB season was the most exciting in my lifetime, as I saw my team march all the way to the World Series before falling short to the Kansas City Royals in an exciting, but speedy championship round. Now, 2016 promises to answer several exciting questions. Will the Mets follow up a Royals championship in the same manner they did 30 years ago? Will Barry Bonds quit his job as hitting coach to sign a major league contract? Will Drake LaRoche quit his job as pseudo-student to sign a major league contact? Let’s get to it.
STANDINGS
AL East
1. Toronto Blue Jays – The upheaval in the front office was surprising for a team that seemed to be trending upwards, and still is. There are questions across the board about the aging and uninspiring pitching arms, but the offense is going to carry this team once again. Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Troy Tulowitzki, and reigning MVP Josh Donaldson are all in the same lineup. Poor Ivan Nova is going to be crushed by these guys several times this season.
2. Boston Red Sox* – Big Papi wants go out on top, and without more steroid questions. He may still be the biggest power bat in the lineup, though Mookie Betts, Xander Boegarts, and other developing prospects will look to release his stranglehold on the offense. The big move of the offseason was signing David Price to his third AL East team. He’s obviously intimately familiar with the division, and is a top-shelf Cy Young ace. Clay Buchholz and Rick Porcello will have to step up to make the signing worth it.
3. New York Yankees – It will take a month due to the domestic violence suspension, but the Yankees will then surpass the Royals with the best bullpen in baseball. Facing Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, and Aroldis Chapman in consecutive innings is a terrifying prospect for hitters. The Yankees are going need them to step up, because the rotation may struggle with performance and issues, regardless of who wins the last job in the rotation. Also, expect a regression from the Yankees’ endlessly-aging bats, such as A-Rod (in his penultimate season).
4. Baltimore Orioles – Quietly, the best offense this side of the Mississippi may have been assembled in Baltimore. Power bats include Pedro Alvarez, Manny Machado, Mark Trumbo, and the freshly-overpaid Chris Davis. Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, and Jonathan Schoop are all there as well. But the bullpen is going to have a lot of work to do, as Yovani Gallardo is the only established arm in the rotation. Hopefully, Baltimore will play all of their games in front of fans this season.
5. Tampa Bay Rays – Chris Archer and Evan Longoria. That’s who Tampa Bay fans have to look forward to watching this season. Otherwise, things could get ugly in manager Kevin Cash’s second season if Matt Moore and Alex Cobb don’t make successful returns to the rotation from injury.
AL Central
1. Kansas City Royals – Many are predicting the downfall of the defending champs, but don’t be so presumptuous. Many of the offensive and leadership pieces that have led the surge in the past two years are still there, as is Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera to slam the door on any comebacks by opponents. The rotation has some questions, but with a strong bullpen, it shouldn’t inhibit an AL Central crown.
2. Detroit Tigers* – Detroit has a lot of players with big names, some of whom are still performing well: Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and Ian Kinsler come to mind. Then there’s the pitching albatross. Anibal Sanchez is always hurt, Mike Pelfrey is limited, Jordan Zimmerman is switching leagues, and Daniel Norris is recovering from cancer. That doesn’t include Justin Verlander, who quickly dropped from one of the best pitchers in baseball to one of the worst. Detroit’s success is dependent on his resurgence.
3. Cleveland Indians – Their rotation is as solid as it was a year ago, but a lack of run support is what did this team in, and plugging in a bunch of aging veterans doesn’t seem like a sound solution to the problem. It may be nearing the point that underwhelming the high expectations could lead to the ouster of Terry Francona as manager.
4. Chicago White Sox – The only chance this team has to contend is if Adam LaRoche returns and hits clean-up for them. Just kidding. He was actually awful last year, and his retirement may be addition by subtraction for the ChiSox. Chris Sale and Jose Abreu will now be tasked with leading a contending charge as Robin Ventura tries to keep a tense locker room from exploding.
5. Minnesota Twins – Patience, Twins fans. Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton are coming, and they’re going to kill it. Sad that Joe Mauer is never really going to contend for a championship though, as he languishes with a franchise he helped revitalize a decade ago.
AL West
1. Houston Astros – This absurdly young team arrived early last year, so they should only be better this season. There can’t be any regression from Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel or Collin McHugh, but if there is, the hot young bats such as Carlos Correa and George Springer can fill the void. This team needs more veteran leadership, but the acquisition of closer Ken Giles should go a long way in boosting this squad to the top of their division.
2. Los Angeles Angels – This squad is going to be strong defensively, especially after the acquisition of the best defensive player in the game right now, shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Sadly, the depressing Albert Pujols decline will continue. The Angels have the potential to have a sneaky good rotation if Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Matt Shoemaker, and Garrett Richards all get going at the same time. Plus, it helps to have the best player in baseball: Mike Trout.
3. Texas Rangers – Expectations for this outfit have become outsized. The offense should be good, but even if Ian Desmond is a strong contributor, his defense in the outfield is going to be lackluster. Yu Darvish is a great arm, but his return to health is optimistic, at best. The Rangers have never won a World Series, and people need to keep their expectations in check.
4. Seattle Mariners – Robinson Cano needs to live up to his hype in the same way Nelson Cruz managed to overcome his last season. It’s unfortunate that King Felix remains a pitcher with an absurd ERA and strikeout percentage, and no wins to show for it – that’s why the “W” is a devalued stat in the sport today.
5. Oakland Athletics – Josh Reddick and Stephen Vogt were pretty good last year. Sonny Gray has real ace potential. Otherwise, there’s not much doing with Billy Beane’s squad this year. In his tenure, the team is never out of it for too long, but this can be one of the more depressing seasons in the Bay Area since the pre-Barry Zito days.
NL East
1. New York Mets – My SQUAD! This spring training has not been without its entertainment and controversy, from the Yoenis Cespedes car parade to the Matt Harvey bladder situation. But it’s time to get to work. If the rotation performs to expectations (especially when Zack Wheeler during midseason), this team will be tough to mess with. The offense will still leave some things to be desired, but Neil Walker may be an upgrade over regular season Daniel Murphy, and Granderson and Duda can still rake. This year might be special.
2. Washington Nationals* – After the immense disappointment of last season’s campaign, Dusty Baker has been brought in to clean up the debris and get this ship back on track. Bryce Harper is only going to improve on his MVP season, but the rest of the offense proved last year that it wasn’t ready to follow his lead. Max Scherzer suffered from King Felix Syndrome – two no-hitters and yet barely anything to show for it. Washington should be an interesting outlet, especially if Jonathan Papelbon tries to choke again.
3. Miami Marlins – The dream in Florida is to have Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez play on the same day. Who knows, it could happen this season. If co-hitting coach Barry Bonds is able to help players like Marcell Ozuna and J.T. Realmuto (Stanton doesn’t need the help) reach their potential, the Marlins may cause some issues in the National League.
4. Atlanta Braves – There’s going to be plenty of ugliness in Atlanta, as they try to rebuild in time for their new stadium opening in 2017. They do have one of the best farm systems in baseball, though. They should get Freddie Freeman out of there, unless he’s going to be the centerpiece for the next generation.
5. Philadelphia Phillies – How the mighty have fallen. At least they have Ryan Howard. Oh, he’s been over-the-hill for years? Well, maybe Maikel Franco will be something.
NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs – The hype has never been higher to end one of the most notorious streaks in sports, and with good reason. They have the best manager in baseball, the best lineup in baseball, and one of the best pitchers in Jake Arrieta, who was straight up unhittable in the second half of 2016. It’s unclear if Arrieta will hit those heights again, but this could really be the year people…buckle up.
2. St. Louis Cardinals* – Maintaining a position above the Pirates for this squad has everything to do with health. Yadier Molina, Matt Holliday, Adam Wainwright, and Jamie Garcia are all players that deal with health issues a lot. Stephen Piscotty and Carlos Martinez are young players ready to make their impact, but they need the veterans on the field to lead the charge.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates – After constantly failing to hit the next level, it feels like the Pirates are being lost in their own division. It also feels like they may be losing steam. Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker are gone, and the rotation is missing the energy after Gerrit Cole, who may be a bit disgruntled with his contract status. Andrew McCutchen is two years from a massive free agency, and him going elsewhere would crush this franchise.
4. Cincinnati Reds – Well, Joey Votto is still there, and so is Jay Bruce and franchise stalwart Brandon Phillips. And Billy Hamilton is super fast, so that’s something cool, I guess.
5. Milwaukee Brewers – Well, Jonathan Lucroy is still there, but he will be traded by the deadline, leaving fans to root for…Ryan Braun. Somewhere, Goose Gossage is screaming.
NL West
1. San Francisco Giants – Fact: it’s an even year. Does anything else really matter? The Johnny Cueto signing will work out, and the Jeff Samardzija one probably won’t. The young bats are all good, and the old arms are all old. If they can keep throwing along, though, San Fran will be fine.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers – With a new manager and no Zack Greinke, a step back seems inevitable. But Clayton Kershaw is still the best pitcher on the planet, which will help, and the bats are still talented. Don’t count LA out, even though we all want to.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks – Paul Goldschmidt and Zack Greinke are unquestionably two of the best individual players in the sport. But just like for the ChiSox, an elite slugger and an ace pitcher don’t make a roster. Yasmany Tomas and Patrick Corbin are amongst those who will have to prove their worth for the Diamondbacks to make a run at the postseason.
4. San Diego Padres – After the big spending sprees failed to pay off, things are expected to be a bit quieter in San Diego this season. James Shields can still be a great pitcher, and Matt Kemp quietly reminded people that he can hit. A healthy and productive season from Wil Myers would make people feel much better about this squad’s future.
5. Colorado Rockies – This languishing franchise still has plenty of offensive pieces. CarGo and Charlie Blackmon are there, and they may pale in comparison to future MVP Nolan Arenado. But as per usual in the Rocky Mountain State, there’s no pitching to speak of – this in addition to the dark cloud of Jose Reyes’ domestic violence case clouding this team.
AWARDS
AL MVP: OF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
NL MVP: 1B Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs
AL Cy Young: SP David Price, Boston Red Sox
NL Cy Young: SP Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
AL Rookie of the Year: OF Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
NL Rookie of the Year: SS Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL Manager of the Year: A.J. Hinch, Houston Astros
NL Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon, Chicago Cubs
PLAYOFFS
AL Wild Card: Boston Red Sox def. Detroit Tigers
NL Wild Card: Washington Nationals def. St. Louis Cardinals
ALDS: Toronto Blue Jays def. Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros def. Kansas City Royals
NLDS: Chicago Cubs def. Washington Nationals, New York Mets def. San Francisco Giants
ALCS: Toronto Blue Jays def. Houston Astros
NLCS: New York Mets def. Chicago Cubs
World Series: New York Mets def. Toronto Blue Jays, 4-2
