Pre-Spring Training Predictions

Cardinals pitchers and catchers report tomorrow.  It is 55 degrees outside in St. Louis at 7:00 in Feb.  I have spring fever.  Let me try to infect you as well.

I was thinking about who the teams to beat this year are while I was driving home from Nashville.  Below are my pre-spring training predictions for the NL.  AL to come separately (I'll add a link to navigate easier later).

I reserve the right to update my predictions once a few more signing occur during spring training.  Final predictions will be posted for all to gawk and ridicule before opening day.  Feel free to leave your thoughts too.

NL East
Washington
Atlanta
Philadelphia
New York
Miami

Washington has the hitting and now an unrestricted Strasburg.  They were a few innings away from going to the second round of the playoffs last year.  That experience and an ace for the entire season will keep them at the top.  Atlanta has revamped their outfield with the brothers Upton.  Chipper will be a tough player to replace but their upgrades and another year of seasoning for their young pitchers and hitters will challenge Washington.  Philly made a huge upgrade with Michael Young.  Other than that, not much more to compete with the top two.  New York would have been in the cellar had it not been for Miami's garage sale.  These two teams will provide Washington, Atlanta and Philly with plenty of in-division wins.  Expect the wild card to come from the East.


NL Central
St. Louis
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
Milwaukee
Chicago

Yes, it is a bit of a homer vote to ride St. Louis to first place, but even without Carpenter, I still don't think any team in the central has the skill to knock them off.   Beltran will need to put up similar numbers and secondbase needs to be productive.  Cincinnati is moving Chapman to the rotation with an  innings cap - he is more of a weapon out the pen.  Choo is an nice addition to the outfield, but they always seem to get in their own way.  Pittsburgh just might find a way to win 82 games this year and finally be over .500.  They keep improving, but still not elite.  Milwaukee needs the Braun supporting cast to have career years all at once.  Too risky.  They'll chase Pittsburgh.  Chicago - welcome back to your home...in last place.  Without Houston in the division the wins total will decrease for all teams.  I expect St. Louis to win the division with 90 wins - that means that Cincinnati and Pittsburgh will be close until the last week of the season.

NL West
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Arizona
Colorado
San Diego

How do you go against Los Angeles?  Additions of top notch pitching and hitting should all but guarantee them the NL West title.  San Fran will have something to say about that, but we all know how hard it is to repeat.  They'll give it a good run, but LA is too much.  Arizona has made a bunch of moves this offseason, which in many divisions may be enough to compete, but not in the west.  Colorado and San Diego will both get pushed around by the top three in the division.

No huge surprises, but that's how the offseason has shaped up.  It is somewhat clear to distinguish the haves from the have nots.  Here are my AL predictions.

Serge