Clarion Content

Those of you, loyal readers, who have seen these predictions over the years know to take them with a boulder of salt. The rest of you have been forewarned. Last year, for instance, we predicted the Yankees would finish 3rd in the A.L. East and out of the playoffs. Nonetheless, we are back and as confident as ever. We are also battling our friends over at the MEP Report in fantasy baseball this year.

American League East

1. The New York Yankees (over 94.5 wins) ---It was either foolhardy or brave not to bring back Matsui or Damon. How will Curtis Granderson hit lefties? Can he hit in a big spot? When will the ageless Mariano Rivera finally start to deteriorate? The Yankees have so much pitching period, that none of these questions will matter until they start playing postseason games.

2. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays (over 89.5 wins) ---Perhaps the most talented squad in baseball outside of the Yanks and the Phils. We figure B.J. Upton has to rebound a little, and he is surrounded by other good hitters. By mid-season they will have to find some at-bats for shortstop phenom Reid Brigniac. The Clarion Content loves the Rays starting pitching, but the bullpen could be their achilles heel.

3. The Boston Red Sox (under 94 wins) ---Who builds around pitching and defense in Fenway Park? We think the Sox outsmarted themselves this offseason. And weren't their some chinks in Papelbon's armor last season? Ortiz is a shadow of himself without Manny, and that puts too much pressure to produce runs on Pedroia and Youkilis.

4. The Baltimore Orioles (under 72.5 wins) ---The youth movement in Baltimore may finally be starting to come together. Add outfielders Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and catcher Matt Weiters to super solid second baseman Brian Roberts and the Orioles have a smattering of an offense. Unfortunately, there is no pitching to go with it.

5. The Toronto Blue Jays (over 71 wins) ---Unless Vernon Wells resurrects himself from the dead the Blue Jays will likely lose 100 games. With Doc Halladay slinging his pitches in Philadelphia, the Jays are so awful they would suck in the N.L. Central, let alone playing in the toughest division in baseball. It would not surprise us if they lost a combined 50 games just to the Yanks, Rays and Sox.

American League Central

1. The Minnesota Twins (over 82 wins) ---We were rock solid on this pick before closer Joe Nathan got hurt. We still like the Twins, their starting pitching is underrated and could be exceptional if they get any kind of contribution out of Francisco Liriano. The offense starts with Mauer and Morneau, but they have various other pesky, clutch contributors, to which they added the O-Dog, the scrappy Orlando Hudson. And doesn't he always play for a winner?

2. The Chicago White Sox (over 82 wins) ---The top of the rotation is powerful. Buehrle and Peavvy are a terrific 1-2 punch. We like the addition of the speedy, always hustling Juan Pierre. We like the gambles on Andruw Jones and Freddy Garcia having comeback seasons. We like Ozzy Guillen (for the fodder, if nothing else). But if the ChiSox are to sniff the playoffs, some of their old guys will have to contribute offensively.

3. The Detroit Tigers (over 81 wins) ---Like the South Siders, we like their starting pitching. Joel Zumaya is back and could really help strengthen the bullpen. The Tigers season is going to come down to what kind of years do Miguel Cabrerra and Magglio Ordonez have. Both have fluctuated between uber-productive and lackadaisically mediocre.

4. The Cleveland Indians (under 73 wins)---A team that once had C.C. Sabbathia and Cliff Lee now has no pitching. Kerry Wood of all people is penciled in as the closer!?! The offense is lacking too. Victor Martinez is playing in Boston. Manny is a distant memory. Who's left? Shin-Soo Choo and a beat-up Grady Sizemore.

5. The Kansas City Royals (under 71 wins)---The Pittsburgh Pirates of the American League, a once proud franchise giving their fans no hope at all, year after year. Greinke was great last year. Unfortunately, on the Royals an ERA in the low 2.00s barely got him double digit wins. Bonus points for any non-Royals loyalist who can name more than one Kansas City Royals starting infielder. Your 2010 Royals, "Putrid here we come..."

American League Central

1. The Texas Rangers (over 83 wins) ---Good starting pitching, good bullpen, and Michael Young, what's not to like? They also have the talented young Nelson Cruz. And perhaps a highly motivated Vladimir Guerrero, now that the Angels kicked him to the curb liked yesterday news.

2. The Seattle Mariners (over 83 wins) ---What a one-two punch in King Felix and Cliff Lee! Ichiro is as talented as ever. Chone Figgins is a terrific addition. We'd be picking the M's to win the division, but there isn't quite offense. Ken Griffey Jr. is pretty old. We also worry the wisdom of adding lockerroom troublemaker Milton Bradley.

3. The Oakland A's (over 78 wins) ---With their young starting pitching, they will hang around all year. Ben Sheets will probably breakdown right when they need him most. The A's also have some young position player talent. We particularly like their young outfield led by Ryan Sweeney and Rajai Davis.

4. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (under 84 wins) ---They lost their ace starting pitcher, Lackey, their leadoff man, Chone Figgins, and their big dog, Vladimir Guerrero. That is a little too much to recover from all in one year. We also think the loss of closer Frankie Rodriguez, now two years old, has got to start to hurt. And we believe the acquisition of Scott Kazmir late late season was overrated, he is soft. the Angels are in for a hard fall from grace.


The Rays grab the Wild Card. And in a shocking upset, the Twins win a five game first round series against the heavily Yanks. They sneak into the World Series as the A.L. representative in their first season in the new ballpark, only to come up short against the fighting Phils who win their second series in three years.

Labels: baseball, Predictions, sports