Signor Baseball's My God The Season's More Than Half Over Better Late Than Never MLB Predictions

So, it's a little late.

Ok. It's a lot late.

I've been busy.

Not exactly sure doing what...but something.

Anyway, here goes:

AL

I do not trust the Yankees in the playoffs for the simple reason that they can't seem to beat Houston on a consistent basis. And chances are they won't hit 3-4 home runs in every playoff game. Plus their pitching is still inconsistent. (Some things never change...)

So, they will win 108 to 112 games, everyone in NYC will start dreaming of another World Series, and then they will run into better pitching at some point in the playoffs, the homer binge will dry up like last week's flowers, and that, as they say, will be that. This has happened consistently now for over a decade, but "hope springs eternal" et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Still, it will be fun watching Judge hit home runs, knowing that each one will add a million dollars a year to his next contract. 

For a while it looked like all three wild cards would come out of the East, but the Red Sox, Rays, and Blue Jays have started to come back to the pack, and now it will be 6-7 team horse race--including the the three East runners up, the Guardians, White Sox, Mariners, and Orioles (quelle surprise!) for the three slots.

Elsewhere, the Astros are a lock in the West and the Twins have to worry about both Cleveland and Chicago catching them in the Central. If that happens, throw Minnesota into the wild card mix.

And, yet again, the Angels have wasted a year of both Ohtani and Trout's prime. Two of the best players in the MLB have never even come close to sniffing the playoffs. I don't know who's running that franchise, but he should probably do us all a favor and start looking for a new job. 

NL

Those dreams of a Mets-Yankees World Series have withered like last week's flowers. Atlanta is hot on the Mets' tail, and based on past performances will catch them in mid August/early September. However, New York should still grab a wild card slot, and if Scherzer and DeGrom are healthy, can make some noise in the playoffs. Two very strong starters can take you a long way. You only have to look at the Nationals a couple of years ago, or, for you older folks, the Diamondbacks in 2001. In Philadelphia, the Phillies will have to content themselves with the prospect of a wild card.

In the Central, the Brewers and Cardinals will be neck and neck all the way to the end, with the loser having a strong shot at a wild card.

And in the West, once again the Dodgers are far and away the class of the division. Both the Giants and Padres have a chance at a wild card. 

Finally, the Diamondbacks aren't nearly as bad as last year. They aren't good, either. Next stop is mediocrity. Based on where they were, a .500 season would warrant a parade. But that will have to "wait until next year."

And Arizona's fans can content themselves watching all the former D-Back players in the playoffs with other teams. They should be used to it by now.

Signor Baseball's 2021 AL Preview

Since my favorite NBA team has decided to find as many new ways to blow a lead as is humanly possible, which means all of the games we record get deleted from the DVR without being viewed (we are not masochists, after all), I find myself with plenty of free time to analyze the American League.

East: the Yankees are loaded offensively. But they've been loaded offensively for years and have nothing much to show for it. And, if the recent past is any indication, when they need another arm, they invariably go out and get...another bat. However, they are, on paper at least, still the class of the East. And if they can get something approaching consistent pitching they might just run away with the division. Tampa will be right there if they don't, and are a good bet for a Wild Card.  Even without two top starters, Morton and Snell, the Rays are a solid team with a history of beating seemingly superior Yankee teams. Toronto also has a strong everyday lineup, but their pitching is a little too shaky. And, because of the CoVid pandemic, they're stuck playing "home" games down in Florida until at least early in May--and probably longer, what with mutations and many Americans dimwitted hesitancy to get vaccinated or wear masks. That dislocation has to be weird for everyone involved. Boston has Alex Cora back as manager and, as a result, will probably lead the league in sign stealing. The Red Sox pitching is also weak (a theme is emerging) and they just don't have the offense they once had. (They should have tried harder to keep Mookie Betts). And down the road in Baltimore, it will be a loooong season yet again. Repeat after me: great town, great fans, great ball park, bad Orioles. It feels like they are in the tenth year of a 3 year rebuild. People usually get fired for that sort of thing. And so it goes...

Central: should be a three team race for first. Minnesota, Chicago and Cleveland all have things to recommend them. And all have things that make you go hmmm. The White Sox have strengthened their rotation and have a couple of interesting young bats. And, of course, manager Tony La Russa, who actually invented baseball. Just ask him. The Twins are the defending division champions, which ought to count for something. However, their starting pitching looks like a collection of number 3 starters, discarded by other teams. That may be enough to win the Central, though. And in Cleveland, city of lights, city of mystery, the Indians lost their best everyday player and wish they had a collection of number 3 starters to plug in after Shane Bieber. Still, since neither Chicago or Minnesota is that good, the Indians have a shot. Which is more than can be said for Kansas City and Detroit. It wasn't that long ago that the Royals won a couple of pennants and a World Series. But it probably feels like centuries to their fans. If they can get anywhere near to 75 wins it will be surprising. Same goes for the Tigers. Apparently they have lots of young arms just waiting for a chance. Good luck with that. By the time they're ready, if they're ever ready, Miguel Cabrera will be in the Hall of Fame. 

West: miserable cheaters though they may be, the Astros are still the best team in this division. (see "Life Isn't Fair" part one trillion). And while they have lost a few key pieces along the way, they're just better than the A's and Angels. So, Houston in first, Los Angeles and Oakland battling it out for second and a possible Wild Card. It would be nice to see Mike Trout, Ohtani, and Pujols in the playoffs together just once. But I suspect that the Angels' pitching will have to really step up to get them there. Oakland lost some key players. This seems to happen nearly every year, usually for monetary reason. And yet the A's has been weaving serviceable tapestries out of scraps of burlap for years, so if L.A. doesn't get enough pitching, Oakland will slide past them into second. Maybe someday they'll get a new stadium, too. In Seattle, the Mariners have a very young, unproven team. This does not bode well for their season. Some of the youngsters will pan out, some will not. Such is life. And in Texas, the Rangers are officially in tear-it-down mode. Maybe by the time they're finally competitive again, Texas will have gotten rid of their 2 ridiculous Senators. Maybe not.

Signor Baseball's Somewhat Belated 2019 AL Preview

Signor Baseball has been plagued by a variety of nagging ailments (it is the years and the miles), an automobile accident (that was not his fault), and the knowledge that there are approximately 40 million Americans who are complete imbeciles. And, as a result, he has fallen a little behind in his prognosticating.

But, as the executioner says, the show must go on.

So, let's start in the East. If it's good enough for the sun, it's good enough for me. Once again the Yankees will hit many home runs and strike out many times. And once again their starting pitching will be precarious. New York might have the best bullpen in the Majors, but getting to it with a lead may prove problematical. Also, New York has already been hit with an outrageous injury bug. Starting to look like a MASH unit up in the Bronx. So, despite a very weak start, it looks like the Red Sox are the favorites--once again. Unless Tampa can continue to play .750 baseball, that is. But they can't do that...can they? I mean honestly, name two Rays. Go on. Snell and, uh, that other guy...Toronto isn't nearly strong enough to compete, though Vlad Guerrero Jr. may liven things up in the Great White North. Baltimore is a disaster zone. Nice town, good people, great ballpark, bad team. So, Boston, Yankees, maybe Tampa if they're for real, Toronto if they're not and the Orioles way, way back. One, possibly two Wild Cards.

Central: Cleveland, city of lights, city of mystery. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or as I like to call it, The Hall of You're Kidding Me, They're In and They're Not?! is in Cleveland. The Indians seem to win the Central every year, and 2019 should be no different. They have a solid everyday lineup and the best pitching in the division. And that's more than enough. The Twins have improved to the point where they can keep it relatively close, at least for awhile. Chicago is also better than they have been. So, Minnesota and the White Sox in whatever order pleases you, for second and third. The Royals have fallen on hard times. It wasn't that long ago that Kansas City was the class of this division, but now they will struggle to stay out of the cellar. They will be helped in this endeavor by Detroit. The Tigers have fallen on even harder times than the Royals. Sad. Sad. Sad. On the plus side, both teams are just a couple of players away--if those players are the spitting image of Willie Mays and Sandy Koufax.

West: Mike Trout is the best player in baseball. Mike Trout just signed a new contract with the Angels for close to half a billion dollars. Mike Trout will have a typically great year. The Angels will not win the West this year. That is how baseball, unlike, say, basketball, works. So, who will win the West? Probably Houston. They have a great lineup and good starting pitching--though it's not quite as good as it has been. Seattle and Oakland will battle for second, with a chance for a Wild Card. The aforementioned Angels of Anaheim, or whatever they call themselves now, will be lucky to play .500 ball. And poor old Texas is in tear it down and start again mode, and a fire sale of their more expensive players should begin sometime in late June, early July. Maybe a Wild card from this division.

Signor Baseball's 2017 AL Preview

The thing about Spring Training is, that while it might tell us a few things about the season ahead, it is completely unreliable about most things.

For instance, based on Spring Training 2017, you might think that the New York Yankees are going to win 120 games.

Ha ha ha.

AL East: For the aforementioned Yankees, too many unlikely things have to happen for them to really compete. No injuries to the pitching staff and big, full seasons from some young guys who have never played full seasons at this level. Of course, this could happen. But it's a long shot. Better to stick with the Red Sox and Blue Jays. Boston loses David Ortiz, and you never know how missing a dominant player and clubhouse personality will play out. However, their pitching should be improved and they have a lot of good hitters left. Toronto lost two big bats, but they'll still score plenty of runs and their pitching is strong enough to keep close to the Red Sox and in the running for a Wild Card. Down in Baltimore, the Orioles have a very good bullpen (when Buck Showalter remembers how to use them), which is good because their starters aren't impressive. They have a solid everyday lineup that can score runs in bunches. With those starters, they'll need them. One big question for the Orioles is whether or not Mark Trumbo can repeat his somewhat surprising homer barrage from last year. Unless everything miraculously falls into place, injury and young player wise, the Yankees look like a 4th place team and despite good starting pitching, the light hitting Tampa Rays once again pull up the rear.

AL Central: Looks like the Indians are a safe bet to repeat. Their pitching is superior and they've added a big bat in Edwin Encarnacion. Barring injury, Cleveland shouldn't have too much trouble winning the Central. Detroit is old and getting older, but premier players on the down slope are still often better than run of the mill players in their prime.  Verlander, Cabrera, Kinsler and Martinez are still potentially all-stars, and if the Indians slip a little the Tigers could sneak past them. Kansas City's pitching isn't nearly as dominant as it was a couple of years ago, and I can't see the Royals being anything more than competent. The Twins were awful last year. Minnesota should be better (they can't get much worse), and with the White Sox rebuilding, and liable to trade anyone of any value during the course of the season, the Twins could slip past Chicago and avoid last place. Little victories...

AL West: This has all the makings of a 3 team race to the bitter end, with the also-rans having a shot at a Wild Card slot. Houston, Seattle, and Texas seem very evenly matched.  None looks like a completely solid team. The Astros, with the addition of Brian McCann behind the plate, are incredibly strong up the middle. They are loaded with an excellent core of good, young, everyday talent. Their starters, however, once you get past Dallas Keuchel, are a big question mark.  The Mariners have better pitching than the Astros, but their everyday lineup is not as strong. Hamels and Darvish give the Rangers the best 1-2 starter punch in the division, but there's not much starting pitching beyond them. Their infield is solid, including Rougned "One Punch" Odor, and they will score a lot of runs, but their bullpen is just OK and their outfield is average at best. California, on the other hand, has the best all around player in the league, Mike Trout, and Albert Pujols, who even in the twilight of his career is still a potent hitter. But inferior pitching will doom the Angels to also ran status. And in Oakland, Billy Beane will eventually paste together another bargain basement contender with the A's. But not this year, alas.