2015 MLB prediction/discussion thread

[© tweed]

AL East

1. Boston (3)
2. Tampa Bay* (5)
3. NY Yankees
4. Baltimore
5. Toronto

AL Central

1. Cleveland (2)
2. Chi White Sox
3. Detroit
4. Kansas City
5. Minnesota

AL West

1. Seattle (1)
2. LA Angels*(4)
3. Oakland
4. Houston
5. Texas

NL East

1. Washington (2)
2. Miami* (4)
3. NY Mets
4. Atlanta
5. Philadelphia


NL Central

1. St Louis (3)
2. Chi Cubs* (5)
3. Pittsburgh
4. Milwaukee
5. Cincinnati

NL West

1. LA Dodgers (1)
2. San Francisco
3. San Diego
4. Arizona
5. Colorado



ALCS: Seattle over Cleveland
NLCS: Washington over LA Dodgers

WS: Seattle over Washington

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

I'll just do the National League because I really don't have any idea what's going with the Junior Circuit. 

EAST
(1) Washington
(4) New York
Miami
Atlanta
Philadelphia

CENTRAL
(2) Pittsburgh
(5) St. Louis
Chicago
Cincinnati
Milwaukee

WEST
(3) Los Angeles
San Diego
San Francisco
Arizona
Colorado

(4) New York def. (5) St. Louis in NL Wild Card game

(1) Washington over (4) New York : (
(3) Los Angeles over (2) Pittsburgh

(3) Los Angeles over (1) Washington

NL MVP: Giancarlo Stanton (MIA)
NL Cy Young: Matt Harvey (NYM)
NL RoY: Kris Bryant (CHC)

[Grumpier Than Thou]

I actually have a google drive document with all of this, so copy+paste below...

NL East

Washington Nationals
Miami Marlins
Atlanta Braves
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies

NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals
Pittsburgh Pirates**
Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinnati Reds

NL West

San Diego Padres
Los Angeles Dodgers**
San Francisco Giants
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies

AL East

Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox**
Toronto Blue Jays
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays

AL Central

Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians**
Kansas City Royals
Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins

AL West

Oakland Athletics
Los Angeles Angels
Seattle Mariners
Houston Astros
Texas Rangers

National League Standings

Nationals
Padres
Cardinals
Dodgers
Pirates

American League Standings

Tigers
Athletics
Orioles
Red Sox
Indians

NLDS

Nationals over Dodgers in 4
Padres over Cardinals in 5

ALDS

Red Sox over Tigers in 5
Athletics over Orioles in 4

NLCS

Nationals over Padres in 6

ALCS

Athletics over Red Sox in 7

World Series

Nationals over Athletics in 6

[The Dowager Mod]

Red Sox
Orioles (wc)
Blue Jays
Yankees
Rays
---------
Tigers
Indians
Royals
White Sox
Twins
--------
Mariners
A's (wc)
Angels
Rangers
Astros
----------
Nationals
Marlins
Mets
Braves
Phillies
----------
Cardinals
Pirates (wc)
Cubs
Brewers
Reds
---------
Dodgers
Padres (wc)
Giants
Rockies
D-Backs

[RI]

AL East
1. Orioles
2. Blue Jays
3. Red Sox
4. Yankees
5. Rays

AL Central
1. Indians
2. White Sox (WC)
3. Tigers
4. Royals
5. Twins

AL West
1. Angels
2. Mariners (WC)
3. Athletics
4. Astros
5. Rangers

NL East
1. Nationals
2. Mets (WC)
3. Marlins
4. Braves
5. Phillies

NL Central
1. Cardinals
2. Cubs (WC)
3. Pirates
4. Brewers
5. Reds

NL West
1. Dodgers
2. Padres
3. Giants
4. Diamondbacks
5. Rockies

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Nats over Angels 4-2

[Joe Biden 2020]

Anybody know who the Cardinals are expecting to start against the Cubs on Easter Sunday?  Last I heard, Adam Wainwright had a late start to Spring Training and I've heard they may try to limit his innings this season.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Anybody know who the Cardinals are expecting to start against the Cubs on Easter Sunday?  Last I heard, Adam Wainwright had a late start to Spring Training and I've heard they may try to limit his innings this season.

They haven't named one, but Adam Wainwright is the odds-on-favorite. If it's not him, I'd say John Lackey would be preferred over Lance Lynn.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Division winners

AL E
Red Sox

AL C
Tigers

AL W
Rangers

Wildcard
White Sox
Orioles

NL C
Pirates

NL E
Nationals

NL W
Dodgers

Wildcard
Rockies
Bravea

Red Sox def Nationals for Wrld Series

[Joe Biden 2020]

Anybody know who the Cardinals are expecting to start against the Cubs on Easter Sunday?  Last I heard, Adam Wainwright had a late start to Spring Training and I've heard they may try to limit his innings this season.

ESPN.com reports the Cardinals have named Wainwright the starter for Sunday night.  Nobody has been designated yet for Tuesday's game against the Cubs.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Red Sox got Pablo Sandoval, and he helped the Giants to 2 world series.  I want him to succeed so badly with Sox

[Associate Justice PiT]

Red Sox got Pablo Sandoval, and he helped the Giants to 2 world series.  I want him to succeed so badly with Sox

    He also got benched in one due to sucking too badly.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

But, since Derek Jeter retired and Yankees aren't the team to beat, the Red Sox are the best team.

And the Natl's are the second best team.

[© tweed]

Red Sox got Pablo Sandoval, and he helped the Giants to 2 world series.  I want him to succeed so badly with Sox

he's overrated, as Xahar will gladly tell you when he drops in, and also is unlikely to remain a servicable 3B through the duration of that deal.  the Yankees did themselves much better with Chase Headley for 4y/$56M.

though I do like the Red Sox this year... I've never been a Porcello fan, but he'll help, as will Wade Miley and the return of Masterson.  you hope for the best with the other guys, until Henry Owens appears in June.

all that should be enough to support a lineup that can collectively post an OPS+ of 110 or 115.  I'm not in love with Boston, but I like them better than the other AL East teams (though I'd place all of them between say 78 and 89 wins at true talent level - anything could happen).

[patrick1]

I really hope the Mets can stay relevant and contend for a playoff spot through the summer.  It is really an exciting vibe when the Mets are going good. Citi field hasnt really had much to be excited about.  The best moments thus far have really been individual accomplishments.  Johan no hitter, RA Dickey 20 wins, Harvey day etc.

[© tweed]

the Isles will also be in the playoffs come a few weeks.  even though that's hard to remember since they've sucked for the last four weeks.  I REALLY hope they don't draw the Rangers in a 1-8.  drawing the Penguins as a 2-3 with home ice would be their best shot to win a series, IMO.

and you're right.  Citi Field has had very few special moments -- such is why it doesn't quite feel like "home" after 6 seasons.  given the 2nd wild card, the Mets should remain in contention through mid-September even without a best-case scenario.  I'd put the Mets at about an 82 or 83 win true-talent level: very similar to the 2014 Giants and Royals.  from there, anything can happen.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

The New York Mets will be better than people think.  Think of everything they are gaining this year as compared to last.

-A full season of Matt Harvey rather than 25 starts between Matsuzaka (washed up), Torres (a reliever), Montero (a rookie), and Mejia (another reliever). 

-A full season of Jacob deGrom

-Michael Cuddyer in the OF instead of a series of AAA players

-A healthy David Wright

-A Curtis Granderson that has acclimated himself to the NL (wrecking the ball this Spring)

-2014 Opening Day bullpen: Familia (2.21), Germen (4.75), Lannan (15.75), Parnell (surgery after one game), Rice (5.93), Torres (3.06), Valverde (5.66)
 
 2015 Opening Day bullpen: Black (2.60), Blevins (4.87), Familia (2.21), Mejia (3.65), Montero (4.06), A.Torres (2.25), C.Torres (3.06), Parnell (2.16 ERA in 2013)

The 2015 bullpen was basically put together halfway through last year, taking the Mets' relievers ERA from near dead last in the NL to 4th.  They added Blevins and A.Torres to matchup against lefties. 

-Wilmer Flores in place of Ruben Tejada at SS

Last year's team won 79 games.  I don't think it's unrealistic to expect this year's squad to win 7-10 more games and contend for the 2nd Wild Card.  If everything goes REALLY well it's a 92-93 win team. 

[Joe Biden 2020]

A little under 43 hours until first pitch.  Any idea on who, if anyone, is throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Cardinals/Cubs game Sunday night?  President Obama is the biggest name with a Chicago tie, but isn't he mostly a White Sox fan?

[Хahar 🤔]

Red Sox got Pablo Sandoval, and he helped the Giants to 2 world series.  I want him to succeed so badly with Sox

    He also got benched in one due to sucking too badly.

Which was a terrible decision, commensurate with Bochy's decision in Game 4 of the NLCS that year to sit Andres Torres for Aaron Rowand. Sandoval was a league-average player in 2010, which was his worst year by far. Let's not rewrite history.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Red Sox got Pablo Sandoval, and he helped the Giants to 2 world series.  I want him to succeed so badly with Sox

    He also got benched in one due to sucking too badly.

Which was a terrible decision, commensurate with Bochy's decision in Game 4 of the NLCS that year to sit Andres Torres for Aaron Rowand. Sandoval was a league-average player in 2010, which was his worst year by far. Let's not rewrite history.

     Terrible decision, like using Strickland in the playoffs this last year?

[© tweed]

Padres/Braves pulled off the rare pre-OD blockbuster today.  the last I remember was Sean Casey for Dave Burba in 1998

--

Cardinals @ Cubs in a half-hour.  Wainwright @ Lester.  Kris Bryant paces around his low-rent apartment in Des Moines as Mike Olt goes 0-for-4 with 2 Ks.

[Stockdale for Veep]

A division winner will have less than 85 wins

The Mariners will miss the playoffs

The Cubs will win 77 games

An MVP contender will get hurt before July

World Series - Dodgers beat Indians in 5

[NewYorkExpress]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/04/07/miami-marlins-learn-weather-apps-cant-replace-a-meteorologist/

So the Miami Marlins had an sixteen-minute rain-delay on Opening Day, in a stadium with retractable roof. Apparently their idiot ownership forgot that it rains every day in South Florida...should've built a MarlinDome.

[Хahar 🤔]

The Giants will lose more games than they win.

[Associate Justice PiT]

The Giants will lose more games than they win.

     It's too early to tell, but our rotation beyond Bumgarner inspires no confidence. I really wouldn't be surprised if this happened.