Troy Tulowitzki is One of the Best Players in Baseball

     The Colorado Rockies are off to a hot start, currently holding an 11-3 record which is good for the best record in baseball. Not only do they have the best record, but they have the best player in baseball so far. Troy Tulowitzki is ripping the ball; he has 7 home runs to lead the majors and 14 RBI's which is second in all of baseball. He is the reigning gold glove winner at short stop, showing he not only can hit, but he is an excellent defensive shortstop. We are entering a new era at shortstop where you will not find many great hitting short stops who can also win a gold glove. Tulowitzki is the real deal. He's the early front runner for MVP and he surely has a long career ahead of him. 

    

Panic Mode....And We're Only 6 Games into 2011

Holy shit, the Boston Red Sox are 0-6! They were just swept by the fucking Cleveland Indians who are basically a AAA team who can't even get 10,000 people to attend their games. But the early sample we have of the Red Sox season does not give any Sox fan high hopes for this season. They have not pitched, hit, fielded or frankly played baseball consistently. When they pitch well, (example, today when Jon Lester was dominant pitching seven scoreless innings) they don't hit the ball (example, today they get shut out by Fausto Carmona, who isn't bad, but he gave up ten runs to the White Sox on Opening Day). Even worse than that is that they are making stupid mental errors, like Darnell McDonald over running second base to end today's game and Jason Varitek not knowing it wasn't a force play last night, which in theory cost the Red Sox the game. The Red Sox do not look ready and they certainly do not look like a serious playoff contender. The pressure is mounting and  I could see that when Kevin Youkilis busted his bat in frustration after striking out last night. I'll say it again, you cannot get swept by the Cleveland Indians! Getting swept by Texas, that was some what understandable. After starting 0-3, I certainly thought at the very least, AT THE LEAST the Red Sox would come back home with a 2-4 record. But they're 0-6. And here come the New York Yankees. The Red Sox have to take two out of three at the very least, or they're season is nearly over. The Red Sox are just like the Detroit Tigers of a few years back. The Tigers were hyped up as the preseason favorites after snagging some of the biggest names in the offseason. They got off to an 0-7 start, and they never recovered. The Red Sox are on that same path, and I know it is only 6 games into the season.

The AL East: Early Shifts Spark Potential Change

      Three days into the 2011 MLB season and the AL East is out of order. The Orioles and Blue Jays are 2-0, the preseason AL East favorite Red Sox and the Rays are 0-2 and the Yankees sit in their usual first place position also at 2-0. Now the Yankees 2-0 start does not and should not surprise anybody. The Yankees take care of business at home, and in a 3 game home series against a decent Detroit team I guarantee you they will take two out of three games. That is what the Yankees do. They win series' and they take care of business against weaker teams. That is almost always the difference when the Yankees win the AL East by 4 games over the Red Sox.
      But besides the Yankees, this is the bizarro AL East. Did the Red Sox, a team that acquired the two biggest free agents in the offseason and is the favorite in the AL, just get dismantled by Texas? How did the Orioles, a team who hasn't had pitching since the 1990's, hold the Rays to one run over their first two games? How did the Rays just get silenced by the Orioles? And the Blue Jays just handled the Twins in their first two games and the Twins are a playoff team. Is this a preview of the season to come in the AL East?

         Let's start with the Red Sox. Two consecutive miserable pitching performances. They were hammered last night by the Rangers 12-5 with John Lackey giving up nine earned runs. And I was high on John Lackey, but I guess he isn't worth the money. So that is two straight poor outings by Red Sox starters. We'll see how the season progresses, but John Lackey has too many bad innings for him to be consistent. Josh Beckett has a similar problem, he gives up way too many home runs. That leaves the Red Sox with most likely two consistent and very good pitchers in Clay Bucholtz and Jon Lester. And let's look at there potential problems. Clay had the lowest BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play) which means he had luck on his side because when the ball was put in play, the Red Sox were in a position to field it. Now this could continue and he could still have a stellar season like last year. But this could also mean that Bucholtz's ERA goes from 2.5ish to 3.4ish which is nearly a whole run. Now we look at Jon Lester. He gave up three home runs and did not strike out a batter on Opening Day. His stuff and his location just did not look as sharp, but hopefully this gets worked out. This leaves five question marks in the Red Sox rotation if we include Daisuke Matsuzaka and we have left out the bullpen. Daniel Bard struggled big time against Texas, who granted has an exceptional lineup but nonetheless, Bard was atrocious. We also have not seen the adventure that is Jonathan Papelbon and when we do see him, if he walks two guys, loads the bases, lets a three run lead squander to one and he only has one out because he is only throwing fastballs, god this could be a long season. The Red Sox have issues at pitching but luckily they don't seem to have many problems in their lineup. They need to win tonight against Texas to avoid an 0-3 start. I may be a little bit too negative, but I think this Red Sox team looks like the Detroit Tigers of a few years ago. They had a big offseason after a couple successful seasons and they were favorites to win the World Series. But they get off to a horrific start and they could not recover. They too had problems pitching. This is an early must win game for the Red Sox because they need to get on the right track, get their pitching in order and prove that they can play with the best of the AL.

     Another early surprise has been the Toronto Blue Jays, who have defeated the Minnesota Twins easily in their first two games. Two pieces of good news have occurred for the Blue Jays already. One is that Jose Bautista got off to a good start by homering on Opening Day. I don't think that this guy was a fluke last season. He is a major threat at the plate and he can hit for power to all areas of the field. So the Blue Jays lineup looks solid. The other good news was the performances of young pitchers Ricky Romero and Kyle Drabek. The Blue Jays rotation is full of young studs and it is only a matter of time before they burst out. Romero had a semi-breakout season last year, but he looks poised to have an even better season this year. Kyle Drabek is another young stud. He only allowed one run in his work yesterday as the Blue Jays cruised to a 6-1 victory. Along with Brett Cecil, Jesse Litsch and the injured Brandon Morrow, the Blue Jays have a young and pretty deep rotation. If the Blue Jays young rotation holds up and Bautista continues his power surge, don't be surprised to see the Blue Jays fight for a wild-card berth in September.
    
     Now, the other major surprise was the Baltimore Orioles impressive domination of the Tampa Bay Rays. We're looking at one team who's future is very bright in the Orioles and one team who was completely depleted in the offseason and whose future is heading in the other direction. The difference I see in Baltimore is their attitude. Buck Showalter has instilled a winning attitude into the Orioles and they are playing with swagger similar to the New York Jets. Showalter was calling out the Red Sox and the Yankees like Rex Ryan called out the New England Patriots and it brought the Jets success. The Orioles upgraded their lineup with the additions of Mark Reynolds, Vlad Guerrero and Derek Lee but their pitching remained in question. But Jeremy Guthrie threw eight shut out innings and Chad Tillman carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning last night. If their pitchers can have quality outings and keep the Orioles in games, their hitting should be enough for them to win games. This Orioles team looks awfully like the Padres last year. The Padres did not have a great offense, but they're pitching staff emerged as one and fueled by a lights out bullpen, the Padres nearly won the NL West. The Orioles are going to have a tougher time competing in the AL East because there are just too many good teams and I still want to see if they are playing like this in May and June. But if they keep this up, the Orioles could be a force to reckoned with this year and in the next few years.
     Everything that has been going good for the Orioles has not been happening for the Rays. The Rays have been one of the best teams in baseball the past three seasons, but we are starting to see a rapid decline. They lost practically their entire bullpen, their number two starter and a power hitting first basemen and in return they got two aging stars who can barely run. Last year I was surprised how the Rays managed to win the AL East even their offense was stunningly silent for a good part of the season. Now they lose pitching and offense and it seems like its getting worse. Evan Longoria is not quite the super-star caliber we thought he was yet and it doesn't seem like B.J. Upton, Ben Zobrist and the rest of the Rays supporting cast will produce enough the contend in the AL East. The Rays pitching has not been the problem this early in the season, but I don't like Tampa's offense at all. With the emergence of the Orioles and Blue Jays, the Rays could possibly finish a surprising fifth, something we haven't seen since they were the Devil Rays.

The O's are flying high early in 2011. 

2011 Catcher Rankings

The Best Catcher in the MLB is...


Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

      
     He's the best hitting catcher in the game right now and he is fantastic behind the plate. Mauer has consistently hit for average and he has proven himself defensively by winning three consecutive gold gloves. Mauer is the the total package, which is why he's won two batting titles, three gold gloves and an MVP award. He's only 27 going on 28 years old, which means he should have a good six years left in him playing at a high level. 


Followed by-
Buster Posey, Giants
Brian McCann, Braves


The Best Hitting Catcher in the MLB is...


Joe Mauer



     He's a career .327 hitter. He's on pace to become the greatest hitting catcher of all time so there is no way you can't put him as the number one hitting catcher. 


Followed by-
Brian McCann, Braves
Buster Posey, Giants
Victor Martinez, Tigers


The Best Power Hitting Catcher is...


Brian McCann, Braves



     McCann has provided the Braves with a big bat in their lineup for the past few seasons. He is a consistent 20-25 home run guy and he hits for a decent average. 


Followed by...
Victor Martinez, Tigers
Mike Napoli, Rangers


The Best Defensive Catcher in the MLB is...


Yadier Molina, Cardinals 





     Yadier Molina has been the anchor for the Cardinals. He throws out nearly every runner, he does not make errors and he calls one of the best pitching games in the league. Molina is an outstanding defensive catcher, which is why he is a perennial all-star. 


Followed by...
Joe Mauer, Twins
Ivan Rodriguez, Nationals 


The Star Catcher Who is on the Decline...


Jorge Posada, Yankees





     There aren't many older catchers and we have known Posada has been past his prime. But he still plays at a relatively high level, but will be very soon that he breaks down for good. 


Followed by-
Ivan Rodriguez, Nationals 


The Top 5 Catchers of the Future are...


Buster Posey, Giants



Jesus Montero, Yankees





J.P. Arencibia 





Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks





Geovany Soto, Cubs





The Best Catcher in 2015 will be...


Buster Posey





2011 Catchers Rankings
1. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins 
2. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
3. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
4. Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers
5. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals 
6. Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia Phillies
7. Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs
8. Miguel Montero, Arizona Diamondbacks
9. Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians
10. Mike Napoli, Texas Rangers
11. Chris Iannetta, Colorado Rockies
12. A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox
13. Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles
14. John Buck, Florida Marlins
15. Kurt Suzuki, Oakland Athletics


2011 Top Hitting Catchers
1. Joe Mauer, Twins
2. Brian McCann, Braves
3. Victor Martinez, Tigers
4. Buster Posey, Giants
5. Geovany Soto, Cubs
6. Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks
7. Carlos Santana, Indians
8. Mike Napoli, Rangers
9. Matt Wieters, Orioles
10. Jorge Posada, Yankees
11. J.P. Arencibia, Blue Jays
12. John Bucks, Marlins
13. Carlos Ruiz, Phillies
14. Kurt Suzuki, Athletics
15. Yadier Molina, Cardinals


2011 Top Defensive Catchers
1. Yadier Molina, Cardinals 
2. Joe Mauer, Twins
3. Miguel Olivo, Mariners
4. Matt Wieters, Orioles
5. Kurt Suzki, Athletics
6. A.J. Pierzynski, White Sox
7. Carlos Ruiz, Phillies
8. John Buck, Marlins
9. Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks
10. Ivan Rodriguez, Nationals 


Top 10 Catchers in 2015
1. Buster Posey, Giants
2. Joe Mauer, Twins
3. Matt Wieters, Orioles
4. Jesus Montero, Yankees
5. Carlos Santana, Indians
6. J.P. Arencibia, Blue Jays
7. Geovany Soto, Cubs
8. Hank Conger, Angels
9. Devin Mesoraco, Reds
10. Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks




     Posey was the spark plug for the Giants in their 2010 championship season. There was a case for him to be NL MVP for what he did for the Giants even though he didn't play until mid-May. He's also only 24. He should be strong for the next decade and he will be the centerpiece of what should be, great San Francisco teams. 

The Felix Hernandez Debate

     Does Felix Hernandez look as good as he did last season?

      Felix Hernandez opened up his 2011 season with a complete game victory over the Oakland A's last night. Now we all know that Felix Hernandez won the Cy Young Award last season, even though he only won 13 games. This upset me, and here is why. It wasn't that he only won 13 games because I understand that the Mariners had an offense that would be mediocre at the college level. But he lost 12 games. That means that he was out-pitched 12 times by the opposing pitcher. In some of those games he pitched great, and he was a hard luck loser. But in 8 of his 12 losses he allowed 3 earned runs or more. He also went seven straight outings in which his team lost from late April through May. Hernandez was outstanding last season, but he did not deserve the Cy Young award because he was not the most valuable pitcher in the American League. He did not lead the Mariners to many victories and if he was that outstanding his Mariners would have been better than 1 game over .500 in games he pitched and he would have lost less than 12 games.
     But last year is in the past. It's about this season now and Felix Hernandez looks just as strong as he did late last season. After giving up a first inning home run to Josh Willingham, he pitched 8 straight scoreless innings to lead the Mariners to victory. I was surprised the Mariners scored 5 runs and if they can average even half of that than Hernandez might be collecting his second straight Cy Young award. He is too strong: his fastball is lethal, his breaking balls are nasty and his accuracy his spot on. I hope Felix Hernandez has an even better year than he did last season so I can have no problem with him winning the Cy Young award. I know it's only his first outing, but barring any injuries, Felix Hernandez will be 18-8 this season with a stellar ERA and win his second straight Cy Young. But please Seattle, score enough runs for Hernandez so he doesn't win the Cy Young with a 9-12 record. Come on Seattle!

Red Sox Stumble Out of Gate

     The Red Sox opened up their 2011 season with a loss at the defending AL Champion Texas Rangers. Red Sox nation, there is no need to panic. It's one loss. But here are some thoughts on game 1 for the Sox.

Having Adrian Gonzalez bat 5th looks to be a good move


     In each of Gonzalez's first two at bats he had runners in scoring position. What did he do. He drove them in each time with beautiful swings to right and center field. It seems like Terry Francona has found a perfect place for Gonzalez. I know it is only one game, but Gonzalez has the perfect combination of power and contact to bat 5th in a perfect RBI situation. In yesterday's game, Carl Crawford wasn't even on base for Gonzalez to hit. But the top 3 in the Sox's order, Ellsbury, Pedroia and Crawford all are fast and get on base. When on second base, these three guys are all scoring on a base hit. In the 4 spot, Kevin Youkillis is similar to Gonzalez because he drives in runs when given the opportunity. But Gonzo is the better hitter because he has more power and he can hit to all fields better than Youkillis can. So I really, really, really like Adrian Gonzalez batting 5th and it certainly payed off yesterday even in a losing effort, but I would love to see my new favorite Red Sox player bat 4th.


Jon Lester starts out slow again


     Lester got off to a slow start last season and he seems like he is one of those guys who always gets better as the season moves along. So I was not that surprised that Lester didn't pitch well. But he allowed three home runs and he did not strike out a batter. That is very unusual. Lester was leaving pitches out over the middle of the plate, especially on the home run he allowed to Ian Kinsler. But what was even more surprising was that he didn't strike out anybody. His fastball was getting by anyone and his breaking balls weren't fooling anyone. This worries me. Usually when a pitcher has an outing like this early, it seems like they end up on the DL in a few weeks. I certainly hope this isn't the case, but Lester will need to bounce back against Cleveland.






David Ortiz did not, I said did not get off to a slow start this season

    
     Wait, I know we're only one game into the season, but David Ortiz's April batting average isn't .125 without a home run. It was very encouraging to see Ortiz go deep in the eighth inning yesterday because hopefully this is a a sign that Ortiz will not actually start out slow. In the 6 spot in the lineup, if Ortiz hits for power, god this Red Sox lineup will be deep 1-6. I mean really deep.


     So we have good news with Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz but a not so encouraging performance by Jon Lester. Not to mention a miserable performance by Daniel Bard and a non-impact showing by Carl Crawford. But they're 161 games remaining, and as long as the Red Sox don't get swept, there is nothing at all to worry about.

2011 MLB Preview

The inaugural post on Baseball Rage is here ladies and gentleman! It is that time of year, when baseball finally returns. It means that school is almost over and the summer is almost here. Here are Baseball Rage's official MLB predictions for the 2011 season. (Note that I only went in depth on the AL East predictions because the season has already started and the main writers of Baseball Rage are either Red Sox fans or Yankees fans)

AL East


1. Boston Red Sox                    103-59

2010: 89-73, 3rd place      Manager: Terry Francona
Key Additions: Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Bobby Jenks
Key Losses: Victor Martinez, Adrian Beltre
Strengths: Starting Pitching, Corner Defense, Meat of the order
Weakness: Potential Bullpen issues, catching and shortstop, health
Key Players
1 Jonathan Papelbon- Papelbon has been a huge stiff lately. I still can't get over his blown save in the ALDS against Los Angeles two years ago. As much as I can't stand him because he is way too much talk and not much to back it up lately, Papelbon is vital for the Red Sox chances in October this season. He has the potential to be dominant, but he needs to find an off speed pitch or the Red Sox will continue to struggle in late game situations. He is in a contract year, so either he performs properly or his ass will be shipped out of town in mid-July.
2 Jacoby Ellsbury- Ellsbury was another disappointment for the Sox last season. However, looking at the Red Sox on paper this season, the combination of Ellsbury and Crawford on the base paths should be lethal. Ellsbury remains a dynamic player when healthy, but he unfortunately remains a question mark.
3 Jarrod Saltolomachia- With the departure of Victor Martinez, the catching job is in the hands of Saltolomachia. Martinez was definitively a top five hitting catcher, but he was mediocre in terms of calling pitches. If Saltolomachia can do a better job than Martinez at calling the game, even if he does not put up the offensive numbers, he will play an important role for the Sox.
4 John Lackey- Lackey was disappointing last season. But he was very close to having a good season. He had a lot of outing where he would throw five scoreless innings and then have an unlucky and shitty sixth inning which would result in a loss. I project John Lackey to have a surprise season and be a workhorse for the Sox this season. If he can do this, the Red Sox will be four deep in the postseason at least.
Best Hitter: Adrian Gonzalez 
Speed Demon: Carl Crawford
Spark Plug: Dustin Pedroia
Best Glove: Kevin Youkillis
Ace: Jon Lester
Lights out Reliever: Daniel Bard


Outlook: The Red Sox had a tough 2010 season full of injuries and other shit. But this is a new season. They went out and made exceptional moves to energize their roster. Boston has one of the most overlooked pitching staffs in baseball as well. If they stay healthy and resolve a few questions, then the Red Sox should be at the very least a playoff team with the potential of winning the World Series. 











2. New York Yankees                93-69

2010: 95-67, 2nd Place     Manager: Joe Girardi 
Key Additions: Russell Martin, Rafael Soriano
Key Losses: None
Strengths: Hitting, Closer and Bullpen
Weakness: Depth in Pitching Staff
Key Players
1 A.J. Burnett- Alright, the honeymoon is over A.J., time to produce. This guy hasn't really been worth the $420 million dollars or whatever the hell they payed him. The Yankees need Burnett more than ever given their weak rotation after C.C. Sabathia. 
2 Derek Jeter- I believe Jeter has a chip on his shoulder after the way the Yankees front office treated him this past offseason. He still is a good shortstop and if he performs, which I think he will, he will add another weapon to the Yankees lineup.
Best Hitter: Robinson Cano
Speed Demon: Brett Gardner
Spark Plug: Nick Swisher
Best Glove: Mark Teixeira 
Ace: C.C. Sabathia
Lights out Reliever: Mariano Rivera
Outlook: The Yankees simply do not have the pitching to win the World Series, but they do have enough offense to steal the AL East. 





3. Tampa Bay Rays                    88-74

2010: 96-66, 1st Place     2010: Joe Madden
Key Additions: Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon
Key Losses: Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Matt Garza, Rafael Soriano
Strengths: Youth, pitching depth
Weakness: Bullpen, middle infield
Key Players
1 Jeremy Hellickson- From what I've heard, Jeremy Hellickson is nasty. If he is nasty, then he will make it seem like the Rays did not lose Matt Garza and they will take a step to restore themselves into contention in the AL.
2 Kyle Farnsworth- We know Farnsworth is at times very good and very effective. But he needs to have a quality season in order for the Rays to have a sniff of the playoffs this season. The Rays lost practically their entire bullpen, but if Farnsworth can provide reassurance, then the Rays are not in too much trouble.
3 B.J. Upton- I remember seeing B.J. Upton in the ALCS three years ago and he was absolutely lights out. But ever since then he's been a disappointment. If Upton returns to that form, he can certainly he 25 home runs and steal 50. There's a chance he can even be a better version of Carl Crawford, but that's certainly a stretch. The point is, a strong year from Upton will provide the Rays with some spark offensively.
4 Manny Ramirez- Ladies and gentleman, Manny Ramirez can still hit a baseball. In a new role at DH, Manny can just focus on hitting the ball. It's a bold prediction, but I say Manny hits at least 20 home runs and I will not be surprised at all if he hits 30.
Best Hitter: Evan Longoria
Speed Demon: B.J. Upton
Spark Plug: Manny Ramirez
Best Glove: B.J. Upton
Ace: David Price
Lights out Reliever: They don't really have one


Outlook: The Rays are well managed, they are talented in many areas and they have been consistent the past three seasons. Yes they lost a ton of their roster and yes Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon aren't necessarily going to lead the Rays back to the playoffs. But they still have many talented players such as Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton and David Price. The problem for the Rays is that they have too many, "well if they have a good year" kind of guys. B.J. Upton is one of them, Ben Zobrist is a mysterious player, the book is still out on Jeremy Hellickson. So although I believe the Rays have the potential, their are too many if's for them to make the playoffs. 














4. Baltimore Orioles                   82-80

2010: 66-96, 5th Place     Manager: Buck Showalter
Key Additions: Mark Reynolds, Vladimeir Guerrero, Derek Lee, Kevin Gregg, Justin Duchscherer
Key Losses: None
Strengths: Power
Weakness: Starting pitching, bullpen
Key Players
1 Mark Reynolds- Reynolds should be able to hit 30 home runs hitting primarily at Camden Yards. If Reynolds can have a productive season and not strike out too much, then the Orioles will have a definitive power hitter in the middle of their lineup.
2 Matt Wieters- I mean when is this guy going to do something.  I wasted a fantasy draft pick on him last year and I didn't bother this year. Wasn't this guy supposed to be Joe Mauer because right now he looks like John Buck. If Wieters can get going, the Orioles can finally start heading in the right direction.
3 Brian Matusz- This guy has good stuff and I think he is most likely to step up and become the ace of a staff who hasn't had an ace since when, the 80's for christ's sake.
Best Hitter: Adam Jones (I think?)
Speed Demon: Adam Jones (I guess?)
Spark Plug: Vladimeir Guerrero
Ace: Brian Matusz (haha, there can't be hope)
Lights out Reliever: Mike Gonzalez (eh)



Outlook: There is actually hope for the Orioles. Buck Showalter has a Rex Ryan approach to managing and I think it could work. But the talent is not quite like Rex Ryan had, so this could take some time. But for Baltimore's sake, this year shouldn't be that bad. I mean it can't be worse than Pittsburgh or the New York Mets. 














5. Toronto Blue Jays                  80-82

2010: 85-77, 4th Place     Manager: John Farrell 
Key Additions: Rajai Davis, Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel
Key Losses: Vernon Wells
Strengths: Power Hitting, youth in pitching staff
Weakness: Hitting for average
Key Players
1 Jose Bautista- Definitely one of the weirdest 54 home run seasons baseball has ever seen. Put it this way, if Bautista does that again the Blue Jays will probably not finish in 5th place and they have an outside (very outside actually) chance of contending for the wild card. But Bautista's 2010 season very well could have been a fluke. Do I think he's going to hit 54 fucking bombs like he did last year? Not quite, but 40 is not out of the question.
2 Aaron Hill- It was only because Jose Bautista hit 54 home runs that the Blue Jays exceeded expectations last year because Aaron Hill and to a lesser extent Adam Lind had very subpar seasons. Hill was hitting what, .190 for a good part of the season last year. And this guy was an all-star two seasons ago? I think he definitely can get back to around .270 or .280 and it will help the Blue Jays offense if Hill can have a productive season.
3 Brandon Morrow- Well the truth is with the Blue Jays is that they will need more than Brandon Morrow to have a good season. But I think of all of the Blue Jays young arms that Morrow has the most upside. He was phenomenal in his near no hitter last season and he had a lot more quality starts before he was shut down. Morrow is one of the many pitchers for the Blue Jays including Ricky Romero and Kyle Drabek that need to stay healthy and post productive seasons.

Best Hitter: Jose Bautista (well, maybe)
Speed Demon: Rajai Davis
Spark Plug: Jose Bautista
Ace: Ricky Romero
Lights out Reliever: Octavio Dotel
Outlook: The Blue Jays are heading in the right direction. They have a quality pitching staff, a serviceable bullpen and potentially a deadly offense. But there are a few too many question marks for Toronto. They are a young team and maybe in a few years they could be competing with the Red Sox and Yankees, but for now, the Blue Jays will be a few games over .500 at best. 






AL Central


1. Chicago White Sox                92-70







2. Minnesota Twins                   90-72





3. Detroit Tigers                         85-77



4. Kansas City Royals                73-89



5. Cleveland Indians                   70-92





AL West


1. Oakland A's                            91-71



2. Los Angeles Angels               87-75



3. Texas Rangers                        85-77



4. Seattle Mariners                      64-98



ALDS
Bostonover Oakland    3-1

New York over Chicago    3-1



ALCS
Boston over New York   4-2 




NL East


1. Philadelphia Phillies               104-58













2. Atlanta Braves                         94-68



3. Florida Marlins                        78-84



4. New York Mets                       75-87



5. Washington Nationals              73-89



NL Central


1. Milwaukee Brewers               94-68



2. Cincinnati Reds                      92-70



3. Chicago Cubs                         89-73



4. St. Louis Cardinals                 87-75



5. Houston Astros                      75-87



6. Pittsburgh Pirates                   66-96



NL West


1. San Francisco Giants              95-67



2. Los Angeles Dodgers             87-75



3. Colorado Rockies                   87-75



4. San Diego Padres                   77-85



5. Arizona Diamondbacks          70-92



NLDS
Philadelphia over Milwaukee   3-1



Atlanta over San Francisco   3-1


NLCS
Philadelphia over Atlanta   4-0



World Series
Boston over Philadelphia   4-3