My NFL Mock Draft

Here it is, the NFL draft, one of the milestones in the offseason that never ends for the NFL. The night where guys wearing $2,000 suits put on $30 hats for the cameras. I'm a fan of the draft, and how the NLF has handled the marketing of it. Comparing the NFL draft to the rest of the leagues draft days, the closest is the NBA, but it doesn't have the same feeling as the NFL draft. Anyways, here is my mock draft sure to go wrong, I will not take into account the possibility of trades, instead who teams should take at the spots if they stay where they are.

1. Kansas City Chiefs: T Eric Fisher Central Michigan University
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: DE Dion Jordan University of Oregon
3. Oakland Raiders: DT Shariff Floyd, University of Florida
4. Philadelphia Eagles: DT Star Lotulelei University of Utah
5. Detroit Lions: OT Luke Joeckel Texas A & M University
6. Cleveland Browns: CB Dee Miliner University of Alabama
7. Arizona Cardinals: OT Lane Johnson University of Oklahoma
8. Buffalo Bills: G Chance Warmack University of Alabama
9. New York Jets: OLB Barkevious Mingo Louisiana State University
10. Tennessee Titans: G Jonathan Cooper University of North Carolina
11. San Diego Chargers: DE Ezekiel Ansah Brigham Young University 
12. Miami Dolphins: CB Xavier Rhodes Florida State University
13. New York Jets: WR Tavon Austin West Virginia University
14. Carolina Panthers: DT Sheldon Richardson University of Missouri
15. New Orleans Saints: OLB Jarvis Jones University of Georgia
16. St Louis Rams: S Kenny Vaccaro University of Texas
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: WR Cordarelle Patterson University of Tennessee
18. Dallas Cowboys: DT Sylvester Williams University of North Carolina
19. New York Giants: DE Bjoern Warner Florida State University
20. Chicago Bears: OT DJ Fluker University of Alabama
21. Cincinnati Bengals: ILB Alec Ogletree University of Georgia
22. St Louis Rams: RB Eddie Lacy University of Alabama
23. Minnesota Vikings: WR Robert Woods University of Southern California
24. Indianapolis Colts: CB DJ Hayen University of Houston
25. Minnesota Vikings: ILB Manti Te'o University of Notre Dame
26. Green Bay Packers: T/G Jonathan Pugh Syracuse University
27. Houston Texans: WR DeAndre Hopkins Clemson University
28. Denver Broncos: DE Datone Jones University of California Los Angeles
29. New England Patriots: CB Desmond Trufant University of Washington
30. Atlanta Falcons: CB Robert Alford South East Louisiana
31. San Francisco 49ers: TE Zach Ertz Stanford University
32. Baltimore Ravens: ILB Kevin Minter Louisiana State University

MLB Standings and stats through three weeks

So, I've been working on a databasing project for class, and I had to do a set of stats that compiles, being a huge baseball fan, I chose baseball stats, to go with my predictions. So I've compiled the stats and run the numbers so far this year, and have come up with some conclusions from these stats. These stats will be put in standings order with BA/OBP/SLG/OPS stats, and maybe a word or two about my observations.

AL EAST:

BOSTON RED SOX:

12-6; Team ERA: 2.83 Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .255/.333/.402/.735

NEW YORK YANKEES:

10-7; Team ERA: 4.01; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .273/.339/.467/.806

BALTIMORE ORIOLES:

10-8; Team ERA: 4.13; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .265/.328/.445/.773

TAMPA BAY RAYS:

8-10; Team ERA: 4.00; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .222/.296/.351/.647

TORONTO BLUE JAYS:

8-11; Team ERA: 4.65; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .229/.293/.392/.685

AL CENTRAL

KANSAS CITY ROYALS:

10-7; Team ERA: 3.31; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .264/.314/.388/.702

MINNESOTA TWINS:

8-7; Team ERA: 3.95; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .240/.333/.354/.687

DETROIT TIGERS:

9-9; Team ERA: 3.81; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .272/.336/.377/.714

CLEVELAND INDIANS:

7-10; Team ERA: 4.65; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .252/.329/.452/.781

CHICAGO WHITE SOX:

7-11; Team ERA: 3.40; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .232/.271/.385/.656

AL WEST:

TEXAS RANGERS:

12-6; Team ERA: 2.68; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .249/.318/.424/.743

OAKLAND ATHLETICS:

12-7; Team ERA: 3.84; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .256/.341/.430/.771

LOS ANGELES ANGELS:

7-10; Team ERA: 4.58; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .280/.336/.428/.764

SEATTLE MARINERS:

7-13; Team ERA: 4.59; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .218/.285/.346/.631

HOUSTON ASTROS:

5-13; Team ERA: 5.40; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .250/.305/.407/.711

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NL EAST:

ATLANTA BRAVES:

13-5; Team ERA: 2.36; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .242/.321/.429/.750

WASHINGTON NATIONALS:

10-8; Team ERA: 4.16; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .244/.311/.427/.738

NEW YORK METS:

9-8; Team ERA: 4.44; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .268/.341/.459/.800

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES:

8-11; Team ERA: 4.75; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .244/.291/.373/.664

MIAMI MARLINS:

4-15; Team ERA: 4.37; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .208/.269/.279/.548

NL CENTRAL:

CINCINNATI REDS:

11-8; Team ERA: 3.62; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .262/.346/.418/.765

PITTSBURGH PIRATES:

10-8(Magic Number for .500 71); Team ERA: 3.60; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .226/.299/.352/.650

ST LOUIS CARDINALS:

10-8; Team ERA: 3.47; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .240/.296/.382/.677

MILWAUKEE BREWERS:

9-8; Team ERA: 4.70; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .260/.316/.417/.732

CHICAGO CUBS:

5-12; Team ERA: 3.97; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .237/.289/.416/.705

NL WEST:

COLORADO ROCKIES:

13-5; Team ERA: 3.85; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .289/.358/.492/.850

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS:

12-7; Team ERA: 4.32; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .270/.332/.370/.702

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS:

10-8; Team ERA 3.41; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .257/.317/.408/.725

LOS ANGELES DODGERS:

8-10; Team ERA: 3.26; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .261/.339/.367/.706

SAN DIEGO PADRES:

5-13; Team ERA: 4.55; Team BA/OBP/SLG/OPS: .251/.319/.381/.700

So, what does this all mean? Honestly, I'm not sure, but we'll see how things end up, here's the top and bottom 5 in multiple categories with their place in their division standings in parentheses:

Team ERA Top 5:

1. Atlanta Braves: 2.36(1st in NL East)
2. Texas Rangers: 2.68(1st in AL West)
3. Boston Red Sox: 2.83(1st in AL East)
4. Los Angeles Dodgers: 3.26(4th in NL West)
5. Kansas City Royals: 3.31(1st in AL Central)

Team ERA Bottom 5:

1. Houston Astros: 5.40(5th in AL West)
2. Philadelphia Pillies: 4.75(4th in NL East)
3. Milwaukee Brewers: 4.70(4th in NL Central)
4. Cleveland Indians: 4.65(4th in AL Central)
5. Toronto Blue Jays: 4.65(5th in AL East)

Team BA Top 5:

1. Colorado Rockies: .289(1st in NL West)
2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: .280(3rd in AL West)
3. New York Yankees: .273(2nd AL East)
4. Detroit Tigers: .272(3rd AL Central)
5. San Francisco Giants(2nd NL Central)

Team BA Bottom 5:

1. Miami Marlins: .208(5th NL East)
2. Seattle Mariners: .218(4th AL West)
3. Tampa Bay Rays: .222(4th AL East)
4. Pittsburgh Pirates: .226(2nd NL Central)
5. Toronto Blue Jays: .229(5th AL East)

Team OBP Top 5:

1. Colorado Rockies: .358(1st NL West)
2. Cincinnati Reds: .346(1st NL Central)
3. New York Mets: .341(3rd NL East)
4. Oakland Athletics: .341(2nd AL West)
5. Los Angeles Dodgers: .339(4th NL West)

Team OBP Bottom 5:

1. Miami Marlins: .269(5th NL East)
2. Chicago White Sox: .271(5th AL Central)
3. Seattle Mariners: .285(4th AL West)
4. Chicago Cubs: .289(5th NL Central)
5. Philadelphia Phillies: .291(4th NL East)

Team Slugging % Top 5:

1. Colorado Rockies: .492(1st NL West)
2. New York Yankees: .467(2nd AL East)
3. New York Mets: .459(3rd NL East)
4. Cleveland Indians: .452(4th AL Central)
5. Baltimore Orioles: .445(3rd AL East)

Team Slugging % Bottom 5:

1. Miami Marlins: .279(5th NL East)
2. Seattle Mariners: .346(4th AL West)
3. Tampa Bay Rays: .351(4th AL East)
4. Pittsburgh Pirates: .352(2nd NL Central)
5. Lost Angeles Dodgers: .367(4th NL West)

Team OPS Top 5:

1. Colorado Rockies: .850(1st NL West)
2. New York Yankees: .806(2nd AL East)
3. New York Mets: .800(3rd NL East)
4. Cleveland Indians: .781(4th AL Central)
5. Baltimore Orioles: .773(3rd AL East)

Team OPS Bottom 5:

1. Miami Marlins: .548(5th NL East)
2. Seattle Mariners: .631(4th AL West)
3. Tampa Bay Rays: .647(4th AL East)
4. Pittsburgh Pirates: .650(2nd NL Central)
5. Chicago White Sox: .656(5th AL Central)

Division Winners and awards

Hello again, so I didn't get a chance to post this over the weekend but I'm not cheating and waiting for opening day to make my picks, these were made a while ago.

National League Awards and Division Winners:

NL East: Washington Nationals, they're gonna win 100 games this year.

NL Central: Cincinnati Reds in a close race that will go down to the wire.

NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers, its going to be close between them and the Giants, but I'm taking the Dodgers in this one.

NL Wildcard teams: Giants and Pirates

NL Cy Young: Johnny Cueto, I have a feeling that Strasburg and Gonzalez are going to cancel each other out, split the votes for Cy Young.

NL MVP: Bryce Harper, this pick was made before he hit 2 homers in his first 2 at bats today, he's going to be one hell of a player.

NL Manager of the Year: Davey Johnson, this team wins 100 there's not even going to be a race.

NL Rookie of the Year: I honestly don't know, I'm going to do another one near the all star break and I'll have a pick then.

NL Pennant: Washington Nationals

American League Awards and Division Winners:

AL East: Toronto Blue Jays, going out on a limb and calling them the winners.

AL Central: Detroit Tigers, as much as it hurts me to predict this, I've gotta go with my brain, not my heart.

AL West: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, by a slim margin over the Athletics

AL Wildcard teams: Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals

AL Cy Young: Not as clear cut as some would think, I'm going out on a limb and taking Jake Peavy.

AL MVP: Mike Trout, he's got a ton of protection in that lineup.

AL Manager of the Year: John Gibbons

AL Rookie of the Year: As with NL, I have no idea, have to see at the all star break

AL Pennant: Angels

World Series Champion:Washington Nationals

Top managers on the hottest seats in each division:

1. Terry Collins-New York Mets; this one is more based on lack of options, Charlie Manuel is going first in this division, but probably by retirement at the end of the year.
2. Bud Black-San Diego Padres; he has had too many years of losing, even though it isn't his fault with mismanagement.
3. Ron Gardenhire-Minnesota Twins; He had quite a few years of success, but they haven't really competed in the last 5 years, I can't see them keeping him much longer if they're at the bottom of the division again.
4. Ron Roenicke-Milwaukee Brewers; more a case of lack of options
5. I don't have a possibility for the AL East, they're all set with their managers.
6. Eric Wedge-Seattle Mariners; Wedge has had a few years, and none of them have been successful

NL West

So here we go, the last of my division blogs, the NL West, the team that has provided the WS Champs 2 of the last 3 years, and is getting better. This division is led by the Giants, but up and comers the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Rockies and Padres, it'll be interesting to see how this division ends up. So here we go, the last predictions for a division, and then I'll make some awards predictions in another blog.

San Francisco Giants

2012 Record: 94-68, Won world series

Manager: Bruce Bochy

Projected Starting Pitchers: Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong, Barry Zito

Projected Starting Fielders: C Buster Posey, 1B Brandon Belt, 2B Marco Scutaro, SS Brandon Crawford, 3B Pablo Sandoval, LF Gregor Blanco, CF Angel Pagan, RF Hunter Pence

2012 Recap: Well, what can I say, they came back and won their second world series title in the last three years, and did it in convincing fashion. They had a lot of ups and downs at times, but remained in control of this division practically the entire season, but that is to be expected with this team. Matt Cain threw a perfect game, but other pitchers like Tim Lincecum struggled, even being removed from the rotation for the playoffs. Of course you can't help but mention Buster Posey's return from a gruesome injury in 2011 to return to his old form, and the downside of Melky Cabrera's 50 game suspension for PEDs.

2013 Outlook: Well, this is complicated, because for the most part they stayed put with their talent, didn't make many moves, and the Dodgers made strides to get better. I'm not saying that they'll completely drop out of first and not compete for the division, but I don't believe that they'll win it by 8 games the way they did last year. From what I can see, if everything goes well, they top 90 wins, but it will be a dogfight throughout the year for the division with the Dodgers.

2013 Projected Wins: 90

I guess he's trying to channel Greg Maddux by stealing his haircut?

Los Angeles Dodgers

2012 Record: 86-76

Manager: Don Mattingly

Projected Starting Pitchers: Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Josh Beckett, Zach Greinke, Chad Billingsley

Projected Starting Fielders: C AJ Ellis, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, 2B Mark Ellis, SS Luis Cruz, 3B Jerry Hairston, LF Carl Crawford, CF Matt Kemp, RF Andre Ethier

2012 Recap: Well this year started off with a bang, and a welcome one; an ownership group that includes Ervin Magic Johnson bought the team, ending the drama of the McCourts. To me, this team had an extra bounce in their step as soon as that was announced, and it ended up paying off on the field later in the year. They made a huge trade with the Boston Red Sox acquiring Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett, to bolster a good team. This team ended up being too far behind in the end to win the division, but laid the foundation for success in the future, and should see the results soon.

2013 Outlook: This team made moves to get better since the new ownership group took control, and now they'll be able to see it on the field, not just on paper. I like the trade for Beckett Gonzalez and Crawford better now that they're starting the year with the team, and healthy more then I did when it was first made. I still don't know about the Greinke trade however, he has been inconsistent from year to year, and I don't think he was worth the money that they gave him.

Projected 2013 Wins: 90

Arizona Diamondbacks

2012 Record: 81-81

Manager: Kirk Gibson

Projected Starting Pitchers: Ian Kennedy, Brandon McCarthy, Trevor Cahill, Wade Miley, Patrick Corbin

Projected Starting Fielders: C Miguel Montero, 1B Paul Goldschmidt, 2B Aaron Hill, SS Cliff Pennington, 3B Martin Prado, LF Jason Kubel, CF Gerardo Parra, RF Cody Ross

So, I don't know a ton about this team, so these will be short, they didn't make the playoffs and they struggled to make it to .500. The team is young but has a mixed bag of talent, both in the pitching staff and the fielders. Kirk Gibson isn't that bad of a manager from what I've seen, and the Diamondbacks have had a lot of patience with managers in the past, and I don't see him looking over his shoulder for at least one more year.

Projected 2013 Wins: 82

San Diego Padres

2012 Record: 76-86

Manager: Bud Black

Projected Starting Pitchers: Edison Volquez, Clayton Richard, Eric Stults, Jason Marquis, Tyson Ross

Projected Starting Fielders: C Nate Hundley, 1B Yonder Alonso, 2B Jed Gyorko, SS Evreth Cabrera, 3B Cody Ransom, LF Carlos Quentin, CF Cameron Maybin, RF Chris Denorfia

This is a team I know almost nothing about, except what I've seen in the past from these players. Last year, they did almost nothing, and everyone expected them to do nothing. Honestly, I don't know if they'll make it to 76 wins this year, and Bud Black should be looking over his shoulder in my opinion. I would put him on my shortlist of managers likely to lose their jobs this year if they don't compete.

Projected 2013 Wins: 72

Colorado Rockies

2012 Record: 64-98

Manager: Walt Weiss

Projected Starting Pitchers: Jhoulys Chacin, Jorge De La Rosa, Jeff Francis, Juan Nicasio, Jon Garland

Projected Starting Fielders: C Wilin Rosario, 1B Todd Helton, 2B Josh Rutledge, SS Troy Tulowitzki, 3B Chris Nelson, LF Carlos Gonzalez, CF Dexter Fowler, RF Michael Cuddyer

Here we go, the last team, and quite possibly one of the three worst teams in the league. The Rockies have been bad since they lost the world series in 2007 to the Red Sox, and don't appear to be getting better in my opinion. Their manager search in the offseason was interesting, it even included Jason Giambi interviewing, and saying that he would retire in order to manage. The manager job went to Walt Weiss a former player who was an extremely smart shortstop, so it will be interesting to see what happens this year.

NL Central Predictions

Hello again, we're now just 6 days from one of my favorite days of the year, Opening Day, and its almost time to finish these last couple predictions. In the next few days, I am going to do the NL West, and then a blog with final standings predictions and awards, even maybe top hot seat managers list. So I have to admit, I know more about this division in the NL then the other two, but what can I say, I live in Chicago, where the Cubs play, but we don't acknowledge their existence. But, putting those things aside, I will do my best as always to give a little information about these teams in this division, even if I don't know much about them.

Cincinnati Reds

2012 Record: 97-65

Manager: Dusty Baker(I know they all wear the team's uniform, but he really enjoys it)

Projected Starting Pitchers: Johnny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo(Didn't realize he was still in baseball), Matt Latos, Homer Bailey, Mike Leake

Projected Starting Fielders: C Ryan Hanigan, 1B Joey Votto, 2B Brandon Phillips, SS Zach Cozart, 3B Todd Frazier, LF Ryan Ludwick, CF Shin-Soo Choo, RF Jay Bruce

2012 Recap: Well, its hard to say anything but they did what they were expected to, and were one of the few teams that did so, they made the playoffs. They stayed on top of the division pretty much the whole year, and then unfortunately didn't make it out of the first round, but they lost to the world series champs. The good news for them is that they're young, but have been together for awhile, so they are able to handle the long playoff race, especially with an experienced manager like Dusty Baker at the helm.

2013 Outlook: Looking at the team, and the rest of the division, I can see them winning the division once again, the division is up and coming, but they aren't there yet. One thing that intrigues me with this team is Dusty Baker, all these years they've competed, but they haven't made the NLCS, let alone world series. How much longer will the organization let this keep going before looking into replacing him? They toyed with the idea of converting closer Aroldis Chapman into a closer, but for now it appears those plans have been shelved.

Projected 2013 Wins: 95

St Louis Cardinals

2012 Record: 88-74

Manager: Mike Matheny

Projected Starting Pitchers: Adam Wainwright, Jake Westbrook, Lance Lynn, Jaime Garcia, Shelby Miller

Projected Starting Fielders: C Yadier Molina, 1B Allen Craig, 2B Daniel Descalso, SS Pete Kozma(Got a cousin with the same last name), 3B Matt Carpenter, LF Matt Holliday, CF John Jay, RF Carlos Beltran

2012 Recap: The Cardinals were coming off of a world series title and an offseason where they lost their manager to retirement, and their 1B to free agency, and still did well. They battled for the division most of the year, but dealt with injuries all year that crippled their chances for the division title. This team won the wildcard playoff game on a questionable call, but a win is a win, and they beat the Nationals then fell to the Giants.

2013 Outlook: I have hope for this team to compete, but I don't know about winning the division, it depends on quite a few factors, as with any other team. Having been to Busch Stadium its a great atmosphere, and I think that it will give them a distinct home field advantage as well. One thing to watch for is the return of David Freese, and the still question mark return of Chris Carpenter, both players that can have a great impact on their success this year.

2013 Projected wins: 92

Milwaukee Brewers

2012 Record: 83-79

Manager: Ron Roenicke

Projected Starting Pitchers: Yovani Gallardo, Kyle Lohse, Marco Estrada, Wily Peralta, Chris Narveson

Projected Starting Fielders: C Jonathan Lucroy, 1B Alex Gonzalez, 2B Rickie Weeks, SS Jean Segura, 3B Aramis Ramirez, LF Ryan Braun, CF Carlos Gomez, RF Norichika Aoki

2012 Recap: This team was a mixed bag really, big expectations, with big distractions, adding up to them missing the playoffs last year. There was no shortage of distractions before the year started with the Ryan Braun fiasco, and it seemed to carryover into the season. All in all, they didn't have a horrible season, they competed for the division and wildcard, but came up short, it'll be interesting to see this year.

2013 Outlook: Well, this team will definitely have an easier time without the distractions from the Braun steroids fiasco going into the year, but I don't know if that will be enough. The fact is that the Cardinals and Reds are still on top of the division, and the Pirates are up and coming, so it will not be an easy division to compete in. That being said, I can see them being above .500 for the year, and giving the wildcard a run, but I don't see them winning the division this year.

2013 Projected Wins: 85

I know, I didn't mention him, but he's still one of the best

Pittsburgh Pirates

2012 Record: 79-83

Manager: Clint Hurdle

Projected Starting Pitchers: AJ Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez, James McDonald, Jonathan Sanchez, Jeff Locke

Projected Starting Fielders: C Russell Martin, 1B Garrett Jones, 2B Neil Walker, SS Clint Barmes, 3B Pedro Alvarez, LF Starling Marte, CF Andrew McCutchen, RF Travis Snider

2012 Recap: Its been 20+ years since they've been .500 and they're almost there finally. Really what more do you want me to say about them? No seriously, they almost made it this year, and were in the division race for the first half of the season, which is more then most would expect them to be at. The fact that they collapsed at the end should not be held against them, and it actually bodes well for them that they have been getting better the last few years.

2013 Outlook: As I said, they're close, and I believe that this is the year that they finally get over the hump, and finish above .500. They're a solid young team, with experience, which to me bodes well for them, they won't have the deer in the headlights look, but won't be dealing with old age like other teams. As I said with the Brewers, this division's solid so its going to be tough to make the playoffs, but competing and finishing above .500 should be their immediate goals.

Projected 2013 Wins: 85

I know, I didn't mention Roberto Clemente in here, but he's one of the great players of all time on and off the field.

Chicago Cubs

2012 Record: 61-101

Manager: Dale Sveum

Projected Starting Pitchers: Jeff Samardzija, Edwin Jackson, Travis Wood, Scott Feldman, Carlos Villanueva, Matt Garza(On DL, no word yet on exact return)

Projected Starting Fielders: C Wendy Castillo/Dioner Navarro(either one will play), 1B Anthony Rizzo, 2B Darwin Barney, SS Starlin Castro, 3B Luis Valbuena, LF Alfonso Soriano, CF David DeJesus, RF Nate Schierholtz

2012 Recap: This team finally made a major change in the front office, that many here in Chicago would argue that they sorely needed to make years ago, they fired GM Jim Hendry. Theo Epstein came in with his guys and have made moves to move payroll and get more young talent, which is great, but doesn't lend itself to winning. The results on the field spoke for themselves in the form of 101 losses, but as the saying goes, "wait til next year" as always with Cubs fans. There were some bright spots however, in the form of Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro, both quality young players, with major league experience.

2013 Outlook: Well, for some Cubs fans, next year is here, but I don't see them winning this year, or maybe for a couple more years, they're just not good enough yet. They're still trying to trade Alfonso Soriano, and have been for years, the problem being that most teams don't want to eat his salary, but who can blame them. Compounding the problem for the Cubs is the fact that the Astros are no longer in their division, so they can no longer count on a few extra wins over the worst team in baseball.

Projected 2013 Wins: 55

NL East Predictions

Hello again, well I've been busy lately, so I haven't been able to blog for a week, but now its time to go over the NL East, a division that was turned on its head last year.  This division last year got a major facelift in terms of the standings, and the perennial loser of the division won the division, the Nationals. There was some promise going into the year, but not much was expected of the Nationals, more from the Marlins and the Phillies, but how that changed.

Washington Nationals

2012 Record: 98-64

Manager: Davey Johnson

Projected Starting Pitchers: Steven Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman, Ross Detwiler, Dan Haren

Projected Starting Fielders: C Kurt Suzuki, 1B Adam Laroche, 2B Danny Espinosa, SS Ian Desmond, 3B Ryan Zimmerman, LF Bryce Harper, CF Denard Span, RF Jayson Werth

2012 Review: Well, everyone could've seen their rise coming, after all the high draft picks, they were bound to get talent, the question was only when? I personally didn't think that they'd be able to win the division just yet, too much young talent, with not enough experience, but I'm happy to say I was wrong. Strasburg was dominant at times, even with an innings limit that the organization put him on after Tommy John surgery in 2010, and I expect him to be better with a full season this year. Gio Gonzalez, besides having the best last name in any walk of life, had a surprising season, only in that he was able to put it all together and win 20+ games. The fact that they came within two games of winning 100 games, when they had been closer to losing 100+ games for years is nothing short of an amazing turnaround, and I expect them to continue their success.

2013 Outlook: More often then not, I would say that I don't expect a team like this to keep up the pace they had the prior year, after years of losing, but this team is different. The fact is, this team is young and unlike last year, they are going to likely have players like Strasburg and Harper for the entire year, instead of just half the season. This team is solid, and young, which means that they will likely have a lot of staying power, barring major injury problems, but I can't see them slipping much this year.

2013 Projected Wins: 95, but I could also see 100+

Atlanta Braves

2012 Record: 94-68

Manager: Fredi Gonzalez

Projected Starting Pitchers: Tim Hudson, Kraig Medlen, Paul Maholm, Mike Minor, Julio Teheran

Projected Starting Fielders: C Brian McCann, 1B Freddy Freeman, 2B Dan Uggla, SS Andrelton Simmons, 3B Juan Francisco, LF Justin Upton, CF BJ Upton, RF Jason Heyward

2012 Review: This team fought the whole season for the playoffs, and ended up on some questionable umpiring in the Wild Card play-in game, considering their record, it wasn't a bad year. I was glad to see them make the playoffs, with this having been Chipper Jones' last year, even if they only made the wildcard, they still won 94 games. While they didn't go far in the playoffs, this team will definitely be able to succeed in years to come, especially with the additions to this year's squad.

2013 Outlook: This is a good young team, with one major problem and another minor problem, the Washington Nationals, and the Philadelphia Phillies. They did get better with the additions of BJ and Justin Upton to add to the outfield, making it a dangerous outfield to run on with Jason Heyward in right. Some would say that giving up what they did was too much, but they also got immense talents, and gave young players a chance to perform this year. This division will be one to watch with them, the Nationals and the Phillies battling it out for the division and wildcard spots.

2013 Projected wins: 90

Philadelphia Phillies

2012 Record: 81-81

Manager: Charlie Manuel

Projected Starting Pitchers: Cole Hammels, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Kyle Kendrick, John Lannan

Projected Starting Fielders: C Erik Kratz, 1B Ryan Howard, 2B Chase Utley, SS Jimmy Rollins, 3B Michael Young, LF John Mayberry, CF Ben Revere, RF Domonic Brown

2012 Review: Simply put, this team was absolutely ravaged by injuries up and down the lineup last year, and that contributed greatly to finishing .500, and missing the playoffs. I was genuinely surprised however, because they still have arguably the best top 3 starting pitchers in the game, and we all know pitching and defense win ballgames.

2013 Outlook: This team definitely can expect to do better this year, as they are no longer dealing with the rash of injuries that they were going into last year. As I stated in the review, they still have arguably the best 3 starting pitchers in the game, and that will help them succeed this year, as in past years. I can see them competing, but they still have to deal with the youth of the Nationals and Braves, and that could be a problem.

2013 Projected Wins: 85

New York Mets

2012 Record: 74-88

Manager: Terry Collins

Projected Starting Pitchers: Jonathan Niese, Johan Santana, Shawn Marcum, Dillon Gee, Matt Harvey

Projected Starting Fielders: C John Buck, 1B Ike Davis, 2B David Murphy, SS Ruben Tejada, 3B David Wright(still in question, may miss opening day with back), LF Lucas Duda, CF Collin Cowgill, RF Marlon Byrd

2012 Review: Well, what can I say, once again, we've come across a team, that I really had no clue about, but I'm going to do my best to give my opinion on them. The Mets have been consistently bad the last decade, and they have tried to throw money at the problem with not a lot of success.

2013 Outlook: As I said, I have almost no clue about this team, and can only go off of what I see with the rest of the National League East, and what I see is not good. They are at best 4th in their own division, and probably closer to the bottom 5 in the league then the middle of the pack. I can't see them having more wins then last year.

Projected 2013 Wins: 70

Florida Marlins

2012 Record: 69-93

Manager: Mike Redmond

Projected Starting Pitchers: Ricky Nolasco, Nathan Eovaldi, Wade LeBlanc, Henderson Alvarez, Justin Turner

Projected Starting Fielders: C Rob Brantly, 1B Logan Morrison, 2B Donovan Solano, SS Aveiny Hevacharria, 3B Placido Polanco, LF Juan Pierre, CF Justin Ruggiano, RF Giancarlo Stanton

2012 Review: This team had a lot of high expectations going into last year, and they severely underachieved, and therefore fired Ozzie Guillen. I have to say, its not necessarily Ozzie Guillen's fault however, he doesn't control how badly his team underachieves, especially the stars. With all this teams' moves going into 2012, they really shouldn't have been this bad, but needless to say, they were spectacularly bad.

2013 Outlook: What can I say? This team had yet another firesale this offseason, and the owner Jeffrey Lurie didn't even try to soften the blow, he actually blamed the fans in part for lack of attendance. This team got spectacularly worse, they traded away all of their key players with the exception of Giancarlo Stanton, which was surprising that they left anyone making money on the team. This team is just going to get worse, which is sad considering how Jeffrey Lurie got the Florida people to pay for their new stadium, and he gets to count his millions if not billions.

2013 Projected Wins: 60, and I could see closer to 50

AL East predictions

Ok, so I've finally figured it out that this will take a lot less time if I go ahead and just blog on the last 4 divisions, so I'm going to do that starting with the AL East. This seriously is the division I hate the most out of most any sport, because ESPN fawns over them the most, and therefore I can't stand this division. However, I can put that aside, and blog on it with more then a little bit of knowledge, at least in my own mind.

New York Yankees

2012 Record: 95-67

Manager: Joe Girardi

Projected Starting Pitchers: CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte, Phillip Hughes, Ivan Nova

Projected Starting Fielders: C Francisco Cervelli, 1B Juan Rivera(Mark Texiera out 6-8 weeks), 2B Robinson Cano, SS Derek Jeter, 3B Kevin Youkilis(Could also play 1B), LF Ben Francisco, CF Brett Gardner, RF Ichiro Suzuki, DH Travis Hafner(Could potentially play 1B has done so in past).

2012 Recap: This team definitely battled last year, no questions asked, between injuries and the rest of the division, this was not an easy season for winning the division. They managed to hold off the surprising Orioles at the end, even though they made it interesting at the end, then had to turn around and face them in the division series. The ankle injury to Jeter definitely closed the door on another trip to the world series for the Yankees, but they battled eventually losing to the Tigers.

2013 Outlook: There is an 800lb gorilla in the room when you talk about this year's Yankees, the injuries already sustained to this team before opening day. If you look at it, you have a team with three major injuries, A Rod, Texeira and Granderson, with injuries until at least early May, this could effect the way they start the year. The start won't be as important as how they end, this is going to be a tough division, you have the Orioles who surprised everyone last year, the Red Sox who can't be as bad as last year, and the Blue Jays who got better, and thats without mentioning the Rays. I can see an 85 win season depending on how they deal with the absolute plague of injuries to start the year, and thats not including ones that will happen this year.

Projected 2013 wins: 88

Baltimore Orioles

2012 Record: 93-69

Manager: Buck Schowalter

Projected Starting Pitchers: Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, Chris Tillman, Miguel Gonzalez(Best last name there is), Brian Matusz

Projected Starting Fielders: C Matt Wieters, 1B Chris Davis, 2B Ryan Flaherty, SS JJ Hardy, 3B Manny Machado, LF Nolan Reimold, CF Adam Jones(didn't know pacman played both baseball and football), RF Nick Markakis, DH Wilson Betemit

2012 Recap: This team wasn't expected to do anything this past year, and definitely surprised a lot of observers, including myself, and I was glad to see them return to glory. Manny Machado was a difference maker for sure, he brought a lot of spark to the team that helped propel them to the second wild card spot. I personally would've put Buck Schowalter on the short list of managers that I would expect to lose their jobs going into last year, not candidates for manager of the year. Granted they lost in the divisional round to the Yankees, but compared to expectations, they definitely succeeded in 2012, and I can see them having success in the future.

2013 Outlook: This team will only get better, they are a young team, and they only can go up from where they are, and that includes their pitching. This team has a surplus of pitching, as one analyst for ESPN said in the offseason, they almost have too many quality starters. So the question is again, what happens with the rest of this division? As I said, this division is good top to bottom, and as much as I hate it, this division could have 3 teams in the playoffs this year easily.

Projected 2013 Wins: 85

Tampa Bay Rays

2012 Record: 90-72

Manager: Joe Maddon

Projected Starting Pitchers: David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore, Alex Cobb, Jeff Niemann

Projected Starting Fielders: C Jose Molina, 1B James Loney, 2B Bryan Roberts, SS Yunel Escobar, 3B Evan Longoria, LF Matt Joyce, CF Desmond Jennings, RF Ben Zobrist, DH Luke Scott

2012 Recap: In any other division, 90 wins would get you a playoff berth, but just by chance, they didn't make the playoffs this year, much like the 2006 White Sox. This team was consistent all year, with very few peaks and valleys, which to me means that they have what it takes to compete every year, and they do. They made one interesting move, by trading Upton to the Braves in the offseason, an offseason which was characteristically quiet for them, but they know how to draft thats for sure.

2013 Outlook: This team will definitely be in contention, but I have to hesitate on their record, because arguably, they got worse, and the rest of the division got better. By trading Upton, you lose your leadoff hitter, and with the moves that the other members of the division made to add to their talent, I can't see a huge win total from them. The fact is though that they still have solid pitching and defense, which some would say that they are the biggest keys to winning in baseball. Objectively speaking I'd like to say that they'll beat the Yankees for the division, but I can't say that with a lot of confidence goin into the year.

Projected 2013 Wins: 82

Toronto Blue Jays

2012 Record: 73-89

Manager: John Gibbons

Projected Starting Pitchers: RA Dickey, Brendan Morrow, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Ricky Romero

Projected Starting Fielders: C JP Arencibia, 1B Edwin Encarnacion, 2B Maicer Izturis, SS Jose Reyes, 3B Brett Lawrie, LF Melky Cabrera, CF Colby Rasmus, RF Jose Bautista, DH Adam Lind

2012 Recap: This team wasn't expected to do much, and quite frankly thats what they did. While they didn't finish dead last in their division, thanks in large part to the Red Sox woes, they really didn't fare much better then the Red Sox record wise. Historically, since their two world series wins in the early 90s, they really haven't done much, and have had a long string of managers since then, even some that have been there twice.  This offseason, they went out with the intention of competing, and made some surprising moves to get to that point, even rehiring John Gibbons after trading John Farrell to the Red Sox.

2013 Outlook: This team brings a mixed bag of expectations for me, they made moves to get better, but what says that they don't do the same as prior years, and underachieve. The fact is that they have a very potent pitching staff and lineup, but that doesn't mean that they will all gel this year, much like every other team. They did benefit from the latest firesale in Miami, in getting Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buerhle and others, all players that have been quality players in their careers. This team like the other four will have to compete in the extremely tough AL East, and I cannot see them finishing above .500 this year unless something crazy happens.

2013 Projected Wins: 79

Boston Red Sox

2012 Record: 69-93

Manager: John Farrell

Projected Starting Pitchers: John Lester, Clay Buchholtz, Felix Doubront, John Lackey, Ryan Dempster

Projected Starting Fielders: C Jerrod Saltalamacchia, 1B Mike Napoli, 2B Dustin Pedroia, SS Stephen Drew, 3B Will Middlebrooks, LF Johnny Gomes, CF Jacoby Elsbury, RF Shane Victorino, DH David Ortiz

2012 Recap: To say this team underachieved would be an understatement, they fell flat on their faces, and used Bobby Valentine as a fall guy for their failures. I'm not saying that it wasn't his fault, but I believe that he was used as a fall guy when they fell apart last season, without mentioning their aged lineup underperforming. The roster was plagued up and down with injuries more then anyone else in the division, and that could be caused by their aged lineup.

2013 Outlook: While the team got better, and got rid of their manager Bobby Valentine, this team didn't get much younger, and that's going to be their biggest problem this year and going forward. Granted, no team that wants to compete can go completely young in one season, they are still an old team, and therefore, they will struggle with the issues that come with an older team. Their pitching is solid, and should be able to carry this team for the most part due to now having their old pitching coach back, but I still can't see them competing as much as fans would like them to this year.

2013 Projected wins: 75

A's and Rangers

Hello again, so here here we go with the top two teams of the AL West last year, the Oakland Athletics and the Texas Rangers.  Talk about once again, a tale of two different teams with drastically different expectations last year, but with results that could be described as expected and unexpected for both.  The Oakland A's best known going into the year for the movie Moneyball, and a low payroll as always; and the Texas Rangers, perennial contenders who lost the division on the last day and lost in the wildcard game.

Oakland Athletics

2012 Record: 94-68

Manager: Bob Melvin

2013 Projected Starters: Brett Anderson, Bartolo Colon, Jarrod Parker, Tommy Milone, AJ Griffin

2013 Projected Fielders: C John Jaso, 1B Brandon Moss, 2B Adam Rosales, SS Hiroyuki Nakajima, 3B Josh Donaldson, LF Yoenis Cespedes, CF Coco Crisp, RF Josh Reddick, DH ??(Not currently listed on depth chart)

2012 Recap: As I said earlier, going into the season the only buzz about the team was about the movie Moneyball, but by the end of the year, everyone was talking about this team.  They dealt with a 50 game suspension for PEDs for Bartolo Colon, who is getting up there in years for sure, I honestly would've thought he'd be out of the game by now. By season's end they managed to chase down the Rangers for the AL West title and overtake them in the final 3 games of the season, leading them to a division series matchup with the Tigers.  Even though they lost in the division series to the Tigers, the fact is that compared to their expectations going into the year, it was a definite improvement. The question now becomes what happens this year?

2013 Outlook: I am not sure what to think of this team, they really didn't do much to improve their team in the offseason, but they never do. They have always had a very low payroll, hence the need to develop the "moneyball" system, to get more out of the players that they could afford. I like them to have a solid season, but I cannot see them making the playoffs with the Rangers and Angels in their division.

Projected 2013 Wins: 85

Texas Rangers

2012 Record: 93-69

Manager: Ron Washington

2013 Projected Starters: Matt Harrison, Yu Darvish, Derek Holland, Alexei Ogando, Martin Perez

2013 Projected Fielders: C AJ Pierzynski, 1B Mitch Moreland, 2B Ian Kinsler, SS Elvis Andrus(thank you very much), 3B Adrian Beltre, LF Dale Murphy, CF Chris Gentry, RF Nelson Cruz, DH Lance Berkman

2012 Recap: This team was coming off of two straight World Series losses, and most would've expected the same from this team, including myself. Don't get me wrong, every team would love to at least make it to the wildcard game, but when you couple this team's expectations with the loss of the division in the last few days, it was disappointing. This team dealt with injuries and mental problems in the form of Josh Hamilton after the death of a fan trying to get a ball he threw the fan after an inning. While I like Josh Hamilton, I think they may have dodged a bullet with his past problems in not resigning him this offseason, but thats another topic for another day.

2013 Outlook: This team will be able to compete but between them, the Angels and the Athletics, this will be an extremely tough division to win, and that could work against them. I like the move of adding Catcher AJ Pierzynski, because without a doubt he is one of the smartest players in MLB at any position. I look forward to seeing what this team can do this season with their lineup and their pitching, a reasonable expectation to me would be 90+ wins.

2013 Wins Projection: 93

Mariners and Angels

Hello again, as the song goes "And here I go again on my own, going down the only road I've ever known...." One of my favorite songs, and just happens to be stuck in my head right now. Tonight I tackle the Seattle Mariners, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, two teams that made me scratch my head last year, and probably will continue to. You have the Mariners who had no expectations, but have to turn it around sometime with the talent that they have on their roster. Then you have the Angels, a team that went out and spent big money last offseason, and definitely didn't live up to their expectations.

Seattle Mariners

2012 Record: 75-87

Manager: Eric Wedge

2013 Projected Starters: Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, Joe Saunders, Blake Beavan, Erasmo Ramirez

2013 Projected Fielders: C Jesus Montero, 1B Justin Smoak, 2B Dustin Ackley, SS Brendan Ryan, 3B Kyle Seager, LF Mikey Morse, CF Franklin Gutierrez, RF Michael Saunders, DH Kendrys Morales

2012 Review: Talk about a tale of two teams, not just one part of the season to the other, but one game to the next for the Mariners. In April they had a perfect game against them, and a couple months later they had a combined no hitter, you literally didn't know what you were going to get from them. Surprisingly they traded Ichiro Suzuki, the man who has been the face of the team since he came into the league, by trading him to the Yankees who they were playing that same day. They haven't been stellar in recent years, but their division is probably among the toughest in baseball, even 75 wins isn't that bad in this division.

2013 Outlook: I can't honestly see them getting much better with the Rangers A's and Angels still in their division, but they could add a few wins playing the Astros.  Felix Hernandez got a monster deal this offseason, but they noticed some elbow issues so that will be something to watch with this team, along with if they'll stay consistent instead of two different teams from one day to the next.  While I can't see them competing for the division just yet, I can see them right around .500 this year, with the possibility of them getting over the hump.

2013 Projected wins: 78

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

2012 Record: 89-73

Manager: Mike Scoscia

2013 Projected Starters: Jered Weaver, CJ Wilson, Jason Vargas, Tommy Hanson, Joe Blanton

2013 Projected Fielders: C Chris Ianetta, 1B Albert Pujols, 2B Howie Kendrick, SS Eric Aybar, 3B Alberto Callaspo, LF Mike Trout, CF Peter Bourjos, RF Josh Hamilton, DH Mark Trumbo

2012 Review: After the big splashes they made in the offseason, the Angels not making the playoffs is disappointing, even though they did win 89 games which most teams would be happy with. Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson certainly didn't produce to their expected numbers, or to their contract expectations, but thats not a usual trend for either player. I have to believe that they will bounce back, especially having Mike Trout the AL Rookie of the Year for the whole year, which people could argue that he should've been brought up earlier last year. 

2013 Outlook: This is easiest the hardest division to predict the winner in, because you have 3 teams that could win this division, and claim the two wildcard playoff spots in it. This team will be among the top teams once again, and having Trout for the whole season, plus Josh Hamilton, will do nothing but improve this team. However, the Hamilton could be a risky move, Pujols and Wilson certainly didn't produce to their expectations last year, and theres no telling whether or not Hamilton will do the same this year. 

2013 Projected wins: 95

MLB 2013 Predictions Part 3

So hello again, a couple of days ago, I blogged on the Indians and Royals, and now to finalize the AL Central, with the Minnesota Twins, and begin the AL West with the team coming into the American League, the Houston Astros.  As I previously said, both the Indians and Royals are going to be better, but I am not sold that this cold streak that the Twins have been on lately is going to continue for much longer.  The Houston Astros sadly are probably going to continue to be bottom feeders, because they're going into a tougher division then they had been in, and while they have lots of talent, they don't have enough just yet to pull themselves out of the basement of MLB. So here it is, my blog regarding the Minnesota Twins and the Houston Astros, all comments are welcome on my twitter @armyag3.

Minnesota Twins:

2012 record: 66-96

Manager: Ron Gardenhire(not Billy from Little Big League?) how does he still have a job?

Projected Starting Pitchers: Scott Diamond, Kevin Correia, Vance Worley, Liam Hendriks, Mike Pelfrey

Projected Starting Fielders: C Joe Mauer, 1B Justin Morneau, 2B Jamey Carroll, SS Pedro Florimon, 3B Trevor Plouffe, LF Josh Willingham, CF Darrin Mastroianni, RF Chris Parmelee, DH Ryan Doumit(Where's Kirby Puckett?)

2012 recap: Once again, they underachieved, due in no small part to devastating injuries, but how Ron Gardenhire still has his job is a mystery to me after so many subpar years lately. The fact is that they have underachieved both due to injuries and better competition in division for them, but they should eventually pull themselves out of this funk. Their lineup has been hit by devastating injuries to both Morneau and Mauer in recent years, and for their sake, I hope they get better soon, as much as I hated this team.

2013 Outlook: As I've said, this team cannot stay this bad as long as they have in recent years, their system is too good to have this continue. While I cannot see them making the playoffs yet this year, they're not going to threaten losing 100 games barring massive injury problems this year again.  Ron Gardenhire has to do something soon, even though he does have some friends in both ownership and the front office, I can't see him keeping his job much longer with more losing seasons. This team leaves me in a conundrum however, they'll be better, but so will the rest of the division, so its going to be tough to get out of the cellar.

2013 Projected Wins: 70, its a bit of a stretch with the division, but I could see it or more.

Houston Astros:

2012 Record: 55-107

Manager: Bo Porter

Projected Starting Pitchers: Lucas Harrell, Bud Norris, Jordan Lyles, Phillip Humber, Jarred Cosart

Projected Starting Fielders: C Jason Castro, 1B Brett Wallace, 2B Jose Altuve, SS Tyler Greene, 3B Matt Dominguez, LF J D Martinez, CF Justin Maxwell, RF Fernando Martinez, DH Carlos Pena(Only one question comes to mind from these starters....who the hell are these guys?)

2012 Review: So I'm not going to lie, but I really have no clue about this team, other than the obvious parts of this team, they have been the worst team in baseball for a few years. Last year they had the first overall draft pick in the MLB draft, and because of the lack of coverage of college baseball or high school baseball, I have no idea of who the guy was. I know this, he was a shortstop, and he came out of high school. Last year was another bad year for them, and it cost their manager their job yet again, something that has been happening quite often since they lost the 2005 world series to the White Sox. 

2013 Outlook: As I said, I really have no clue about this team, or quite frankly who any of their players are with the exception of Humber, Norris, and Pena, oh and I've heard of Altuve.  Now they're moving into the stacked AL West, which doesn't lend itself to much confidence in them getting better this year or for a few years. This move was one of those provisions that Bud Selig put in when their new owner officially purchased the team before last year, that they move into the AL. This team, is made up of a few nice pieces but I just can't see much success from them at this point in time, even with the addition of Phillip Humber, who threw a perfect game last year for the White Sox. Just a side note, Craig Biggio, who was up for the HOF in his first year this year, really should've been in the HOF this year, but thats another topic for another day.

2013 Predicted wins: 50, I could also see them getting closer to only winning 40 with the division they're in. 

The only two guys I know that I mentioned in this post, Phillip Humber, Craig Biggio