50 Predictions for the 2011 MLB Season
After five long months, the 2011 MLB season is finally here. Every team can enter the season with high expectations and feel good about themselves because everyone starts the season off with the same record at 0-0. There is nothing like a new baseball season.
The San Fransisco Giants will try to defend their World Series title, while every other team will try to knock them off their championship throne. Some teams will underachieve and disappoint their fans, while others will come out of nowhere and have their supporters feeling positive about the future.
The baseball season is a marathon of 162 games. That is the longest in all of the four major professional sports. So, with no time to waste, here are my 50 predictions for the 2011 MLB season—some bold—some just my thoughts.
With the Loss of Adam Wainwright, the Cardinals Will Miss the Postseason
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Adam Wainwright got the worst possible news when he found out that he needs Tommy John surgery and will be out for the year. Wainwright is coming off his best season last year, where he won 20 games, had 213 strikeouts and finished with a 2.42 ERA.
The Cardinals, losing a possible Cy Young candidate for the whole season, will not be easy to overcome. Chris Carpenter and a solid lineup led by Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday will not be enough to make the postseason. Especially in the NL Central, where the Brewers improved their pitching with the signing of Zack Greinke and with the Central champs, the Cincinnati Reds, returning the majority of their team.
St. Louis Cardinals finish third in the NL Central and miss the postseason.
Dan Uggla Will Have New Career Highs in Home Runs, RBI and Errors
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Dan Uggla has put up very solid power numbers in his five seasons with the Florida Marlins, hitting 154 home runs and 465 RBI. He also has been terrible defensively, as he has 73 errors in five seasons.
In 45 games at Turner Field, Uggla has hit for 37 runs, 12 home runs, 36 RBI, and a .354 batting average. Well, now he will be playing 81 games there.
Uggla will finish with a career high in errors, with 20, just because he is terrible defensively but he'll make up for it with 40 home runs and 110 RBI.
Get this guy on your fantasy team.
Josh Johnson Will Win the NL Cy Young Award
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Josh Johnson is coming off of one of his best seasons last year, going 11-6 and finishing with an NL-best 2.30 ERA. Johnson could have had more wins but had several no decisions due to a horrible bullpen and lack of run support.
This year, the Marlins have added some pieces to the lineup and bullpen that should make this team better and help Johnson win the Cy Young Award. With the addition of Mike Dunn and a closer in Leo Nunez, who is progressing, the bullpen should be improved. With a healthy Chris Coghlan and the additions of Omar Infante and John Buck, this lineup is solid.
Josh Johnson finishes with a 19-5 record, 195 strikeouts, and a 2.50 ERA.
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Jayson Werth Will Show He Is Not Worth $126 Million
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Jayson Werth is not worth the $126 million, seven-year contract the Washington Nationals gave him. Werth put up above-average numbers in a stacked lineup and in a hitter's ballpark. You're now putting him in a below-average lineup and in a pitcher's park.
Jayson Werth will finish with 28 home runs, 86 RBI and a .280 batting average. Solid numbers, but not worth $18 million a year.
The Baltimore Orioles Will Finish Above .500
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What an off-season Baltimore had, signing Mark Reynolds, J.J. Hardy, Vladimir Guerrero, Derrek Lee, Kevin Gregg and Justin Duchscherer. Those are impressive additions for a team that hasn't had a winning record since 1997.
Baltimore, who finished 66-96 last season, will finish 84-78 this season as they are a team that's on the rise. Bad news is they're a team that is in the AL East and won't get much attention until they get a couple more pieces to be able to compete with Boston and New York.
Manager Buck Showalter will reach exactly 1,000 career wins when Baltimore gets its 84th of the year.
Josh Beckett Will Bounce Back and Have a Solid Season
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Josh Beckett is coming off the worst year of his career with a 6-6 record and a 5.78 ERA. History is not on Josh Beckett's side, which says players who have seasons like his and who are over 30 are done as major league pitchers.
Let's not forget, in his last five seasons from '05 to '09, Beckett's record is 80-42, with 889 strikeouts. Just two years ago, Beckett went 17-6, with 199 strikeouts and a 3.86 ERA.
Beckett is a good pitcher and one bad season will not change that.
Josh Beckett's 2011 numbers: 14-6, 175 Ks, 3.00 ERA.
Carl Crawford Has the Most Productive Season of His Career
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Crawford has played nine years at a pitcher-friendly park in Tampa Bay. In those nine years, he has averaged 100 runs, 194 hits, 14 home runs and 54 stolen bases. Crawford now moves to a hitter's park and will have Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia in the same lineup.
Crawford's numbers are going to be off the charts. With a short right field in Fenway, Crawford will top 20 home runs for the first time in his career. The Red Sox haven’t had a stolen base percentage lower than 76.36 percent over the last 4 seasons and have swiped 120 or more bases in two of the last three years. Crawford should steal 50 easily playing in Boston.
Carl Crawford's numbers: 25 home runs, 110 runs, 100 RBI, 56 stolen bases, .315 BA.
Jesus Montero Will Finish the Season as the Starting Catcher for the Yankees
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Jesus Montero is a 21-year-old prospect signed by the Yankees out of Venezuela. In 2010, Montero was ranked the Yankees' best prospect by Baseball America and the fifth-best prospect overall.
In 2010, Montero played 123 games for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, finishing the season with 131 hits, 21 home runs, 75 RBI and a .289 batting average. There is no question he can hit at the big league level, but he has to work on his defense before he can earn the starting position.
With Jorge Posada at 39 years old and Russell Martin on a short leash, it's only a matter of time before Montero is the starting catcher for the New York Yankees.
Stephen Strasburg Will Pitch Again in 2011
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Stephen Strasburg is the top pitching prospect that the MLB has seen in a long time. Strasburg has filthy stuff and is known for his 102 mile-per-hour fastball. Although, last year, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery and was expected to be out for a year.
Now people within the Nationals organization are saying he is ahead of schedule and could possibly pitch sometime this season.
The Nationals are not going anywhere this season and the best thing to do is shut down Strasburg for the whole year. Save the kid's arm, make sure he is healthy and save your franchise by not letting him pitch and possibly making it worse.
I don't think the Nationals are going to do that though. Strasburg will pitch sometime next year because he draws attendance. The attendance at Nationals' games was almost 50 percent higher when Strasburg took the mound.
I hope I'm wrong, but I think we'll see Stephen Strasburg pitching in 2011.
Brandon Belt Wins NL Rookie of the Year
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Brandon Belt is ranked the third-best first baseman prospect on MLB.com prior to the 2011 season and 26th overall prospect by the MLB Network. Brandon was selected by the Giants in the fifth-round of the 2009 draft and put up monster numbers last year in the minors (23 home runs, 112 RBI and a .352 batting average). Belt is also very patient at the plate, drawing 93 walks, a .455 on-base percentage and a .620 slugging percentage.
Brandon will have every opportunity to earn a starting position on the Giants roster this season. He will definitely help a Giants team that ranked 9th in the NL in runs scored.
Brandon Belt's 2011 numbers—15 home runs, 81 RBI, 78 runs, and .267 BA
That would be more than enough to win the NL Rookie of the year.
There Will Not Be a Perfect Game Thrown This Season
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Last season, we were spoiled with the "year of the pitcher." There were six no-hitters thrown and two of those were perfect games. (Three if you want to count Armando Galarraga's, despite the blown call by umpire Jim Joyce.)
Last year was a fluke though. In reality, perfect games are very rare and will not happen again for the third year in a row. There have only been 18 perfect games since the modern era began in 1900.
Even though the pitchers have the advantage with the crack-down on the steroid era, I like the odds of no perfect games this season.
José Bautista Will Not Hit 40 Home Runs, Let Alone 50
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Last season, José Bautista came out of nowhere for the Blue Jays and led the major leagues with 54 home runs. Before last season, Bautista had 59 home runs in a combined 6 seasons. The most home runs Bautista ever hit in a season was 16 with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2006.
Once again, I'll go with history and say Bautista ends up hitting somewhere near 35 home runs.
Miguel Olivo Will Make the AL All-Star Team
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Miguel Olivo will make the first all-star game of his career this season. Olivo is a hard-nosed journeyman who isn't real flashy, he just gets the job done. In fact, Olivo may be more known for having to leave a game early to pass a kidney stone than his play on the field. (He came back to finish the game by the way.)
Olivo is with his sixth team in 10 seasons and is on his second stint with the Seattle Mariners. For a 162 game average, Olivo's numbers are 21 home runs, 73 RBI and a .246 batting average. Olivo should have made it last year with Colorado—he won't be denied this season.
Miguel Olivo's numbers: 25 home runs, 73 RBI, .245 BA.
Ozzie Guillen Will Be the First Manager Fired in 2011
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Let's be honest, Ozzie Guillen should have been fired last season after all the drama. Ozzie has been asking to get fired with his comments to the media and his disrespect to GM Kenny Williams. Even Ozzie's 24-year-old son started problems when he used Twitter to criticize the White Sox organization. Ozzie later told his son, who was an employee of the team, to resign.
Ozzie led the White Sox to a World Series Championship in 2005. Since then, they have made the playoffs just once in the last five seasons. Ozzie Guillen has not accomplished enough for the front office to put up with his constant disrespect towards them.
Ozzie and Kenny Williams have both said they look to minimize the off-field distractions this season and focus on baseball. We'll see how long that lasts.
Guillen is on a short leash and if the White Sox get off to a slow start, you may see Ozzie in the same position as his son.
Hanley Ramirez Will Become the Marlins All-Time Leader in Home Runs
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Coming off of a somewhat disappointing year last season by Hanley's standards, he is ready to go this year. There are talks down in South Florida about Hanley becoming the NL MVP this year.
Ramirez sits just 30 home runs behind former Marlin Dan Uggla to become the all-time Marlins leader. Although Hanley has only surpassed 30 home runs once in his career, it's a sure bet this year will be his second. Ramirez is hungry coming into this season, has something to prove and the attitude is gone.
Hanley Ramirez's numbers: 110 runs, 32 home runs, 103 RBI, 43 SB, .315 BA.
Tim Wakefield Will Reach the 200 Win Mark and Retire at the End of the Season
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Tim Wakefield, the knuckleballer, has a chance to make history in the 2011 season. Wakefield is just seven wins shy of 200, which would make him the fifth modern day knuckleballer to reach such a feat. (Phil and Joe Niekro, Charlie Hough and Ed Cicotte are the others to do so.)
This will probably be the last chance Wakefield has, considering he is 44 years old and his performance is rapidly declining. With the lineup behind Wakefield, there is a great chance he gets those seven wins and will be able to retire when the season ends.
Matt Stairs Will Break Two Major League Records This Season
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Matt Stairs has signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals. Once he makes the ball club or is called up, he will instantly set a major league record. Stairs would then have officially played for his 13th different team.
Once he is on the roster, he just has to hit one home run and he will then set another big league record. Matt Stairs would then have homered for 12 different baseball franchises.
Stairs should get plenty of opportunities on the National's team and go down in the record books two more times.
Felix Hernandez Will Repeat as AL Cy Young Award Winner
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If you didn't know this already, Felix Hernandez is kind of good. Hernandez won the Cy Young Award last season with 13 wins, 232 strikeouts and a 2.27 ERA. That's with Felix getting very little, to no run support as the Mariners drove in just 513 runs, which was worst in the majors.
We all know Felix has phenomenal stuff, but he can't keep doing it all by himself. The key to winning the Cy Young Award this season is getting the offense to help Hernandez out. With the signings of Miguel Olivo, Justin Smoak tapping into his potential and the call-up of Dustin Ackley, the Mariners should be a little better on offense.
Felix should once again with the Cy Young Award with numbers such as 15 wins, 225 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.50.
The Kansas City Royals Will Lose 100 Games
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The Royals finished last in the AL Central with a 67-95 record. Don't expect this season to be any different. With Zack Greinke being traded to Milwaukee, the Royals starting rotation is extremely thin. The rotation is led by Bruce Chen and Jeff Francis, who are a combined 103-100 in their careers.
The bullpen, led by Blake Wood and closer Joakim Soria, is about as solid as they come, but how many times will he actually get a chance to close a game?
Kila Ka’aihue, Alex Gordon and Billy Butler are the future of this young team. In fact, this team is so young, Mike Aviles is the only player over 30-years-old. The inexperience will show with this team, but with the youth comes some talented players for the future.
The problem for Kansas City is the future isn't now, and they will once again have to put up with another long season.
Kansas City Royals: 60-102
Andrew McCutchen Will Give You a Reason to Watch the Pittsburgh Pirates
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Well, not really, but Andrew McCutchen is a star in the making. McCutchen followed up a decent rookie year with numbers like 16 HRs, 33 steals and a .286 batting average last year for the Pirates.
Those numbers may not be eye-popping, but McCutchen is entering only his third year, with last season being his first complete one. McCutchen has the wheels, is easily one of the fastest guys in the majors and should continue to improve on the base stealing. Andrew should start to develop more of the power scouts thought he had—while 30 home runs is out of the question—20 is not unlikely.
The Pirates may not be good as a team, but Andrew McCutchen is a young player on the rise that is fun to watch.
Andrew MucCutchen's numbers: 105 runs, 20 home runs, 67 RBI, .290 BA, 40 SB
Derek Jeter Will Have 3000 Career Hits Before the All-Star Break
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Derek Jeter will add another accomplishment to his Hall of Fame resume and will accomplish it before the All-Star break. Jeter is 74 hits away from becoming the 28th player ever to reach 3000 career hits.
Jeter, who signed a three-year, $51 million contract in the off season, should have plenty of motivation. Jeter took a lot of criticism on how he handled the contract negotiations and some even said he lost it, as Jeter is coming off of a sub-par performance in 2010.
Look for Derek Jeter to reach 3000 hits sometime in late June, early July and remind everyone that he is one of the greatest players in MLB history.
Mariano Rivera Will Surpass Trevor Hoffman as the All-Time Saves Leader
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Mariano Rivera only needs 43 saves to become the All-Time saves leader—he'll get it. Rivera has only went over 40 saves once in the last five seasons, but that was a couple years ago, in 2009, when he finished with 44.
Although his strikeouts have gone down drastically, so have his innings pitched. Mariano still only gave up 12 earned runs in 60 innings.
Mariano Rivera may be getting up there in age, but he can still close games with the best of them. With the Yankees stacked lineup, you can bet Rivera will be given the chance to become the all-time saves leader by year's end.
Jim Thome Will Reach 600 Career Home Runs
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Jim Thome is 11 home runs away from having 600 in his career. In 17 of his last 18 seasons, Thome hasn't hit less than 23 home runs. The one season he hit less was in 2005, where he only played 59 games—he finished that year with seven.
If Thome also plays the same amount of games he did last year with the Twins, at 108, he will have played 2,500 total games. Only 50 other players have played more.
Thome is likely to split the DH duties with Jason Kubel, but even playing part-time, 11 home runs for Jim Thome should be a small feat.
Only seven other players have ever hit at least 600 home runs in their career: Barry Bonds, Henry Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa.
And who says Jim Thome doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame?
Juan Pierre Will Lead the Majors in Steals, Again
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Juan Pierre isn't just fast, he out runs his own shadow. In 11 seasons played, Pierre has stolen 527 bases, which is good for 30th all-time.
Pierre puts lots of time into base stealing, by doing extensive video research of the pitchers' delivery and live movement. He then goes over what he saw with the White Sox assistant coach and comes up with a base-running game plan. Pierre is one of two players in MLB history that has led both the American League and the National league in stolen bases.
With power hitters like Adam Dunn, Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko around him in the lineup, you can be sure Juan will be aggressive this season on the base paths.
Juan Pierre steals a career-high 70 bases, which will be good enough to lead the major leagues—again—and move into the top 20 of all-time.
Bryce Harper Will Make His MLB Debut in July
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Besides Stephen Strasburg, the Washington Nationals have another potential stud on their ball club. His name is Bryce Harper.
Harper was the first-overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft and is only 18 years old. Most people know Harper from his ridiculous, towering home run shots you can see all over YouTube. In Harper's only year of college ball, he played 66 games and hit 31 home runs, 98 RBI and a .443 batting average.
Harper is currently in spring training trying to make the transition from catcher to outfielder, but will be ready whenever the Nationals are ready to make the call. I think it'll be sometime in July, maybe after the All-Star break.
Francisco Rodriguez Saves 40 Games and Overcomes a Disappointing 2010 Season
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Last season was a disaster for K-Rod. Rodriguez finished last season with 25 in 52 appearances, which was the fewest in his career since 2004. There were off-the-field incidents as well, as he was arrested for punching his father-in-law in the face after a loss to the Colorado Rockies.
Francisco is coming off of thumb surgery but says the thumb is feeling fine and giving him no trouble.
Although K-Rod has had a quick temper during his last two seasons in New York, I'm predicting he will keep his cool and get back on track. The Mets may not do well this season, but he will still finish the year with 35-40 saves and 80-90 strikeouts.
Rodriguez is 32 saves away from 300 on his career.
Bill Hall Will Have a Year Similar to 2006
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Bill Hall returns to the NL Central where he put up solid numbers a few years ago playing for the Brewers. This time he is playing for the Houston Astros and he should see plenty of playing time.
Hall is a utility man who can play outfield, second base, third base and shortstop. Players like Chris Johnson and Clint Barmes, who are not exactly impressive, give Hall opportunities for more playing time.
Bill Hall is returning to a hitter-friendly ball park, and we could possibly see numbers like he put up in 2006, where he hit 35 home runs and drove in 85 RBI.
Albert Pujols Will Continue to Be Albert Pujols
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Albert Pujols is a beast on the baseball field and is arguably the greatest player of this generation. Pujols has played 10 seasons and has never hit less than 32 home runs, 103 RBI and his lowest batting average ever is .312.
His 408 home runs in his career are the most by anybody in the history of the game in their fist 10 seasons. He is also the only player ever to average at least 30 homers and 100 RBI in his first 10 years.
Contract disputes have taken up majority of his off-season, but when April comes, you can expect another monster year from King Albert.
Victor Martinez Will Put Together Back-to-Back Solid Seasons
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Victor Martinez hasn't put together two solid seasons in a row since 2006 and 2007. That will change this season.
Age and injuries are catching up to the four-time all-star. With more time as the DH and less time behind the plate, Martinez not only should stay healthy but all also productive. Youngster Alex Avila will handle majority of the catching duties.
Martinez should produce good numbers in a solid Tigers lineup.
A.J. Burnett Has a Better Season Than Last Year
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AJ Burnett suffered the most losses last season than any other and ended the year with his worst ERA at 5.26. Burnett has yet to live up to his huge contract the Yankees gave him. In his two years pitching for the Yankees, he has a combined 23-24 record and a 4.26 ERA.
Burnett has never really been labeled as an "ace" pitcher, but he has never been this bad.
Yankees have hired new pitching coach Larry Rothschild and Burnett looks to get back on track. Even at the age of 34, AJ still has decent stuff and with the lineup behind him, he should easily pick up double-digit wins.
AJ Burnett numbers: 14-6, 183 strikeouts, 3.34 ERA
Jason Bartlett Will Have an Average Season
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Bartlett had a somewhat disappointing season with Tampa Bay last year, batting .254 with 4 home runs and 47 RBI. Those numbers are coming after his 2009 breakout year, where he hit 14 home runs, 66 RBI and had a .320 BA.
Bartlett is entering his eighth season and with all the hype that was behind him, I don't think he'll ever live up to it. Bartlett is not an amazing player but is not as bad as he was last season. Bartlett will be somewhere in-between.
Alfonso Soriano Loses His Starting Spot to Tyler Colvin
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Entering his 13th season, Soriano's production is beginning to take a hit. Seasons with 30-40 home runs are over. He lost a step in the outfield and last season had the fewest stolen bases of any full season in his career, with 5.
Considering Soriano is due to make $18 million this year, the Cubs will give Alfonso every opportunity to return to form. With youngster Tyler Colvin waiting to take his place, it will make it easier to replace him in the lineup and, most importantly, in the outfield. Colvin finished his rookie season with 20 home runs and 56 RBI in just 358 at-bats. He also finished with one more stolen base than Soriano and Alfonso had 154 more plate appearances.
If Soriano keeps struggling, Colvin will be waiting.
Josh Willingham Will Play an Injury Free Season and Hit 30 Home Runs
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Josh Willingham is entering his eighth season and his first in the American league. Willingham was having a good year—that ended with him having to have knee surgery. Willingham hasn't played more than 133 games in his last three seasons but has still managed to average 20 home runs and 66 RBI in his last five.
Willingham will be a run-producer for the A's and the injury bug will finally escape him as he puts up 30 home runs, the most in his career.
Mike Moustakas Will Win AL Rookie of the Year
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Mike Moustakas has a bright future. Drafted with the second-overall pick in the 2007 draft, Moustakas looks to make his MLB debut sometime in 2011.
Last season, playing a total of 118 games in double-A and triple-A, Moustakas had 156 hits, 36 home runs, 124 RBI and had a .322 BA. He was later named the 2010 Texas League Player of the Year. Moustakas also holds the Omaha Royals record with three home runs and 11 RBI in one game.
With numbers like those, the only question is who is going to be benched for Moustakas and when do you call him up?
Dontrelle Willis Will Pitch Again in the Majors This Season
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Ever since Willis has left the Florida Marlins in 2007, he has never been the same. Since leaving, Willis has a 3-9 record and 119 walks to 82 strikeouts. His control has been all over the place and Willis is now on his third team in four years.
Working with pitching coach Bryan Price, Willis has lost his high signature leg kick and the Reds organization is very pleased with his progress. The Reds hope to use Willis as a middle man coming out of the bullpen, but with relief pitchers in Aroldis Chapman and Bill Bray, his action may be limited.
Dontrelle will be given another shot though—let's see if he can make the most of it.
Chipper Jones Retires After a Sub-Par Season
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Chipper Jones will enter his 18th season in the major leagues—all 18 have been in an Atlanta Braves uniform. He has had a great career, but he should have retired last season.
Last year was Jones' worst season of his career and it ended with knee surgery. Jones contemplated retirement but said Braves fans can't see his career end that way. At the age of 39, I don't see this season being any better.
Chipper can still hit the ball and knows the strike zone better than anyone but is on his last leg. I hope he goes out with a great season, but it's unlikely to see that happen.
Brandon Webb Bounces Back
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Brandon Webb was a dominant pitcher three years in a row, before missing the last two seasons with shoulder problems. Winning the Cy Young Award in 2006 and finishing second in 2007 and 2008, Webb will be ready to pitch sometime early this year.
Working with pitching coach Mike Maddux, Webb says there is still some things to work on, but the arm feels good.
Look for Webb to come out of the bullpen in late April or early May and to slowly regain his 2008 form, where he finished 22-7 with 183 strikeouts.
Alex Rodriguez Moves into 5th All Time for Home Runs
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A-Rod is moving on up in the home run list. Last season, he passed Sammy Sosa for sixth all-time and is now sitting at 613.
Rodriguez is just 18 away from jumping Ken Griffey, Jr. and becoming the fifth-greatest home run hitter of all-time. Rodriguez has hit at least 30 home runs in 13 consecutive seasons, so it shouldn't be a problem. With A-Rod batting clean up for the Yankees, you can expect him to hit at least 35 jacks and move within a reasonable number behind Willie Mays for next season.
Adam Dunn Hits 50 Home Runs and Tops 400 for His Career
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Adam Dunn is a big guy that has averaged 40 home runs in his last seven seasons. In the last two seasons, Dunn has played for the Washington Nationals, hitting a total of 76 home runs. 39 of those came in Nationals Park, a stadium not exactly kind to left-handed power-hitters.
Dunn now moves to U.S. Cellular Field, which is a much better hitter's park and home run environment.
With a much better team, better lineup and now in a better hitter's park, Dunn could have a career year.
Jamie Moyer Retires Before Making a Comeback Next Season
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Jamie Moyer has had Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow and plans to attempt a comeback in 2012, at age 49. Moyer has played 24 seasons for seven different teams and racked up over 4,000 innings.
Moyer will miss the entire 2011 season but says he plans on returning for his 25th season in 2012. Jamie Moyer is a free agent and finding a team to sign a 49-year-old coming off of major arm surgery will be difficult.
I think Moyer will come to his senses and realize it is time to call it a career.
Shin-Soo Choo Improves on Back-to-Back Solid Seasons
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Playing on a terrible Indians team, Shin-Soo Choo is one of the few bright spots, as he is really beginning to establish himself as a solid outfielder in the major leagues. Choo is coming off his third straight season with a .300 batting average and in the last two seasons, he has finished with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.
Playing in a pitcher's park, Choo's power numbers may not increase, but he should be able to put up around the same numbers he did the last two seasons. Another .300 batting average, 23 home runs, 94 RBI and 24 stolen bases is another solid season for Shin-Soo Choo.
Ryan Zimmerman Has the Best Season of All NL Third Baseman
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Zimmerman's numbers declined a little last season, but he only played 142 games, compared to the 157 he played in 2009. This season, Ryan is completely healthy and will be playing in a somewhat better Nationals lineup.
Last season, Zimmerman had the highest batting average of his career in a full season at .307. Zimmerman is now 26, possibly entering the prime of his career and his numbers should continue to get even better. The addition of Jayson Werth will only help his production as well.
Ryan Zimmerman: 100 runs, 34 home runs, 107 RBI, .312 batting average.
Carlos Pena Will Deliver for His New Team
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Carlos Pena's batting average has dipped over the last couple of years but hit rock bottom last season. Carlos hit a horrible .196 last year and finished with 28 home runs, his fewest since 2006.
The move to Wrigley field will only help Pena, as the wind will help carry more home runs out. Pena has never been a hitter with a great average but the power numbers are there, averaging 36 home runs over the last four seasons. Pena's power will help improve the Cubs who ranked below the middle of the MLB last season, with 149 team home runs.
Carlos Pena's numbers: 35 home runs, 108 RBI, .250 BA
Vernon Wells Will Struggle in His New Home
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Vernon Wells finally overcame injuries and had a solid season for the Toronto Blue Jays, hitting 31 home runs and 88 RBI. This was Wells' best season since 2006.
Wells is now moving to a stadium that isn't kind to right-handed power hitters. Wells has only topped 30 home runs 3 times in his 12-year career and it's questionable if he'll be able to remain healthy for another complete season.
J.D. Drew Will Continue to Dissapoint and Be Benched
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J.D. Drew, who is 35, is on the downside of his career. Batting average has dropped the last couple of years, but he still manages to hit around 20 home runs.
Question is, can he remain healthy? Drew has averaged only 128 games played in the last three seasons.
The Red Sox will give Drew every opportunity to produce in a stacked Boston lineup, but with youngster Ryan Kalish on the team it'll be easier to replace him. Kalish is a 22-year-old who has solid speed and 20 home run potential.
David Ortiz Will Have One More Good Year
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David Ortiz had such a slow start last season, critics were questioning if his career was done. He ended up with 32 home runs, 102 RBI and a .270 batting average. His best season since 2007.
Ortiz is getting up there in age, he'll be 35 this season, but you have to think he has one more good season left in him—especially in a great Boston lineup that will take some pressure off of him to produce.
Another 25-30 home runs should not be out of the question, along with 90-100 RBI.
Troy Tulowitzki Wins the NL MVP Award
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Troy Tulowitzki only played 122 game last season due to a heel injury. He still managed to put up 27 home runs, 95 RBI and the highest batting average of his career at .315.
Troy is entering his sixth season and has all the potential in the world to not only be the top shortstop in the game but one of the best players in the league. The heel injury is behind him and Tulowitzki is one hundred percent healthy this season. The numbers are going to be there, but for Troy to have a chance at the NL MVP, the Rockies will have to have a respectable record in the NL West. I think the Rockies can contend for a wild card spot and finish second in the NL West division.
Troy Tulowitzki will hit 35 home runs, 110 RBI and have a .320 batting average.
Mike Stanton Will Hit 40+ Home Runs
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In Mike Stanton's rookie season last year, he hit 22 home runs. That was in 100 games and in 359 at bats.
Mike Stanton is huge, with legs the size of tree trunks and you could consider him an athletic Adam Dunn. He is known to have hit a 500-foot home run before in the minors and I wouldn't doubt it. Stanton was learning major league pitching last season and could often be fooled on certain breaking pitches. But once the pitchers made a mistake, Stanton made them pay by absolutely crushing the ball.
With a year under his belt and him starting from day one this year, Stanton will put up huge power numbers. This 21-year-old is no fluke.
At Least Two Players Will Hit 50+ Homers for the First Time Since 2007
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Last year was the year of the pitcher and Jose Bautista still managed to top 50 home runs. This season, the MLB will get some of that power back as the hitters start to balance it out a little bit.
With guys like Albert Pujols, who will prove he is worth that new contract, Mike Stanton, Adam Dunn and Bautista, just to name a few, I like the chances. Prince Fielder is another guy who had a sub-par season, compared to his standards, that will be looking to get back on track.
The girls will be satisfied this season as the long ball is back in 2011.
The Boston Red Sox Will Win the World Series
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Last season, the Red Sox were rattled with injuries as they finished third in the AL East behind the Rays and Yankees. This season, they're healthy and even better than last season.
With the additions of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, this lineup is stacked one through nine. The rotation is the biggest question mark on this team. They have the potential to be one of the best in the league, but can they stay healthy? Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka all had injury problems last season. Adding Dan Wheeler and Bobby Jenks to a bullpen that already has Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon, is ridiculous. Good luck coming back if you're losing to Boston late in the game.
This team is well put together and should be a ton of fun to watch. If they are able to avoid the injury bug, they will be hosting the Commissioner's Trophy at the end of the year.
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