2012 MLB Season: Bold Predictions After Week 1

I did what every person in Las Vegas wishes they could do. I waited a full week into the season to make my predictions.

I got to watch every team play their first five or six games before laying my neck out. I have watched managers misuse their bullpen and general managers neglect to stock their newly ripened teams with a bullpen.

Here is what I know after watching nonstop MLB action the past week. 

Red Sox Will Be Just Fine, Will Even Win the AL East

Don't panic, Red Sox fans.

A 1-5 start is nothing to be proud of, but take solace in the fact that you lost your closer at the end of spring training and have not played a home game yet.

Jacoby Ellsbury has been so bad that they may force him to eat fried chicken to bust his slump.

The Red Sox will continue to hover around .500 until the relievers learn their roles, but when they do—and they will—this team will be the best team in the AL.

Adding a healthy Carl Crawford can't hurt, either. 

Bold Meter: 6/10

As the old saying (that I just made up) goes: Don't panic until you play a game outdoors.

L.A. Angels Will Miss the Playoffs

Would I have told you this last week? Probably not.

I would have put the Angels in a wild-card spot. But after watching them all week, I don't like this team.

The Angels do not have a bullpen.

It's not just one guy; everybody they bring in in the sixth, seventh or eighth inning simply cannot throw the right pitches to get hitters out.  

The good news for Angels fans is they have pieces to move, such as Bobby Abreu, that they can flip for some veteran arms. 

Also, I went on a baseball road trip to L.A. to catch an Angels game and could not find their stadium. I am sending a petition to change the name to the O.C. Angels. Please sign.

Bold Meter: 7/10

Tim Lincecum Is a Former Cy Young Winner the Rest of His Career

Tim Lincecum is now a shadow of the guy who won back-to-back Cy Young Awards. His fastball velocity is down, and his changeup velocity is up.

His strikeouts per nine innings has gone down every year, and he is being smacked around as if the batters know what pitch he is about to throw.

His numbers will improve (he currently has a 12.91 ERA), but he will never win another Cy Young. 

Bold Meter: 1/10

The Dodgers' Season Has Not Started Yet

The Los Angeles Dodgers are 6-1, but against the bottom of the barrel that the MLB has to offer.

They are who people thought they were so far.

Matt Kemp is great. The defense is great. Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley are a great one-two starting duo, and they have a good back end of the bullpen.

Can this translate against teams that won't spend the majority of the season in last place? I think so, but I wouldn't be surprised either way. 

Bold Meter: TBD

Ozzie Guillen Will Not Be Fired

Ozzie Guillen is currently serving a five-game suspension for his comments about Fidel Castro. The Marlins brought him in knowing that he would ruffle a few feathers, so there is zero chance they pull the trigger and fire him over this, right?  

He has since apologized, but don't be quick too forgive him. He made similar remarks about Castro in 2008.

Stay tuned for more Ozzie being Ozzie.

Bold Meter: 1/10 

The Marlins knew what they were getting when they hired him.

Rays Are the Fourth-Best Team in the AL East

If the Tampa Bay Rays are to get fourth place in the division, their offense needs to be as stagnant as I expect it to be.

Any team that starts Jeff Keppinger at cleanup has the chance to be only a 90-win team.

They have a great starting rotation that has racked up the most innings in the majors over the past year. As the arms begin to fade, so will their record.

Bold Meter: 10/10  

Blue Jays Will Win the New Second Wild Card in the AL

The Toronto Blue Jays are off to a great start, even with Joey Bats off to a miserable first week.

The Blue Jays are a complete team.

They play great defense all over the diamond. They possess an underrated starting rotation, featuring Henderson Alvarez and Kyle Drabek. Their setup man is a former All-Star closer in Fransisco Cordero.

They are made to get that second wild-card spot.  

Bold Meter: 5/10

Hot Starts Can Be Misleading

The New York Mets, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox are all currently .500 or better.

When we fast-forward the clock to game 162, each of these four teams will be in last place in their respective divisions.

The Mets are 4-2 despite being outscored by two runs. They have won all four games, decided by two runs or less. Watch for their bullpen to falter and for them to slide comfortably into last place. 

The Astros won a series. Try saying that five times fast, and see if your head does not explode. This will only happen a few more times this season, as they are the worst major league team in the last 10 years and deserve to be relegated to the minors. 

The Mariners and White Sox are the cream of the crop.

The Mariners have a top-five pitcher in baseball and great young players in Jesus Montero, Justin Smoak and Dustin Ackley. They are two years away from being a contender, but they are not as good as the A's for third place this year. 

The White Sox are rebuilding and will start a fire sale shorty. Expect Alex Rios, Jake Peavy and Adam Dunn to be gone by the trade deadline. 

Bold Meter: 3/10