Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

Opening day is now just a few weeks away, so I thought I'd get the annual row of predictions underway--feel free to post your own if yours differ; it would be cool to see numerous viewpoints represented.

American League: * denotes Wild Card

East------------------Central-------------West
Boston-------------------------Detroit----------------------Texas
Tampa Bay *------------------Cleveland------------------Oakland
Baltimore*--------------------Chicago --------------------Los Angeles
New York----------------------Kansas City----------------Seattle
Toronto------------------------Minnesota------------------Houston

MVP--Miguel Cabrera
Cy Young--Felix Hernandez
ROTY--Jose Abreu, Chicago

National League:

East----------------Central------------West
Washington------------------St. Louis-----------------Los Angeles
Atlanta*----------------------Pittsburgh*--------------San Francisco
Philadelphia-----------------Cincinnati---------------Arizona
New York--------------------Chicago------------------Colorado
Miami-------------------------Milwaukee--------------San Diego

MVP--Andrew McCutchen
Cy Young--Clayton Kershaw
ROTY--Archie Bradley, Arizona

World Series--Boston beats Pittsburgh in 5

Boston over St. Louis in 6.

Frank will send the BoneCracker packing and the Strat-World will never be the same. Yes I am driving my tractor drunk again.

I am pretty sure you meant 2014 predictions (not to be a smart ass).

I have to ask, I. Strether, are you a Boston fan?

I like many of your predictions, though there is not much difference between your predictions and last year's results. I like that you predict the Pirates to go to the series, I wouldn't mind seeing them or the Nationals going from the N.L. I also like how you predict the Indians to finish in second place. I think if my hometown Cleveland Indians do finish in 2nd place they will once again win a wild card.

Can Miguel Cabrera win another MVP? He has to slow down a little bit doesn't he? Look at how Albert Pujols has fallen off. I am NOT saying that will happen to Cabrera yet, but it is hard to be a MVP type player year in and year out.

I realize I am not offering many predictions, I can only say I will be rooting for the Indians first and foremost. I do like many of the NL teams like ; The Pirates, Nationals, and Dodgers. I also root for Oakland because of Billy Beane and Coco Crisp.

Radagast Brown wrote:I am pretty sure you meant 2014 predictions (not to be a smart ass).

I have to ask, I. Strether, are you a Boston fan?

I like many of your predictions, though there is not much difference between your predictions and last year's results. I like that you predict the Pirates to go to the series, I wouldn't mind seeing them or the Nationals going from the N.L. I also like how you predict the Indians to finish in second place. I think if my hometown Cleveland Indians do finish in 2nd place they will once again win a wild card.

Can Miguel Cabrera win another MVP? He has to slow down a little bit doesn't he? Look at how Albert Pujols has fallen off. I am NOT saying that will happen to Cabrera yet, but it is hard to be a MVP type player year in and year out.

I realize I am not offering many predictions, I can only say I will be rooting for the Indians first and foremost. I do like many of the NL teams like ; The Pirates, Nationals, and Dodgers. I also root for Oakland because of Billy Beane and Coco Crisp.

No, Radagast, I am definitely not a Boston fan, although I have great respect for their organization. I am a lifelong--and, for many years, long suffering--Giants fan, although I fear they will come up short this year. Yes, there are some similarities in my predictions to last year, but I base my predictions on analysis, not on attempts at differentiation or originality. There are however significant differences you may have missed:
--In the NL East, I have Washington leapfrogging Atlanta to win the division, and I have Philadelphia surpassing the Mets
--In the NL Central, I have Chicago moving up to 4th place (a triumph at last for Theo Epstein?)
--in the NL West, I have my Giants moving from 4th to 2nd, although they will miss the playoffs
--In the AL East, I have Baltimore securing the second Wild Card spot, snaking it from last year's winner, Oakland (who won't recover from losing Parker)
--In the AL Central, I have the Chicago White Sox (Great offseason) moving up to 3rd place from last years last place
--In the AL West, I have Texas taking the division over last years division winner Oakland, whom I have missing the playoffs

So, as you see, my predictions aren't as close to last years standings as you may have thought. As to Miguel Cabrera, he will only be 31 this April (3 years younger than Pujols), he is arguably the best righthanded hitter of the last 40 years, and as long as Detroit keeps winning, Miguel keeps crushing, and MVP voters keep showing preference for oldtime offensive production over WAR and defensive statistics, Miggy will keep winning MVP's over Trout...at least for one or two years.

Anyway, you really should give the forum your full predictions--I'd really like to see them. It would be interesting to see if your predictions show some similarity to last year's standings (as mine did) or radically differ from them altogether.

Many (including myself) believe that Pujols faked his birth certificate and is actually 3-5 years older than his listed age. In fact, look at his career line and plug in the older ages and tell me it doesn't make a lot of sense

I predict the teams with really big payrolls will, on average, do better than anyone else. Sucks to be a mid- or small-market team fan.

Tampa over Dodgers

D: TB, Det, Oak, Was, StL, LA

WCs: Bos, KC, Atl, SF

mvps: Trout, Goldschmidt

CYs: Price, Kershaw,

Moys: Yost, Gonzalez

Dodger victory in 2014!

STEVE F wrote:Dodger victory in 2014!

The Dodgers will be very tough this year (the best in the West), but they do have some question marks. Their 4th and 5th starters are questionable, as they have to draw two from the dubious pool of Haren, Maholm, Billingsley, and Beckett (ugh). Juan Uribe is a subpar 3rd baseman (offensively and defensively). And Alex Guerrero is an unproven question mark (with some detractors) at Second. That being said, their awesome Front Three and two-headed head case monster of Ramirez and Puig should get them to the playoffs.