Ryan’s 2015 MLB Predictions

It’s time for my annual pre-season baseball predictions!

Last year, I incorrectly predicted a lot of things. I had the Red Sox and Cardinals in the World Series, I had the Twins losing 105 games, and I only predicted 4 of the 10 playoff teams correctly (Tigers, Nationals, Cardinals, Dodgers). I even had the two teams that met in the World Series–the Giants and Royals–finishing with losing…

Ryan’s Pessimistic 2014 MLB Predictions

Baseball is nearly back!  Opening Day is always one of my most anticipated days of the year, regardless of how bleak the Twins’ chances look.  And this year, I think things look very, very bleak.  Just how bad?  Wait until you see my prediction for their final record.

Last year’s team featured historically bad hitting andhistorically bad pitching.  The front office addressed one of those two…

Let's keep this short and sweet shall we? (I have to go to class in 20 minutes.)

1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: A+

They should have won last year, but they didn't. Pujols will return to his former glory and Hamilton will enjoy having other superstars around him to prevent walks every chance that is presented. The Angels are the strongest team in baseball, if Mike Trout can perform even better than last year, there's no way they lose this division.

2. Oakland Athletics: A-

Young, upbeat, and somewhere in that organization they have Brad Pitt. The A's were a refreshing division winner last year, proving that money ball was right and you don't need the biggest names to win. I think they'll perform well again this season, but it'll be tough to steal the division away.

3. Texas Rangers: B+

The Rangers have suffered some rough loses to end the last three seasons. For the second year in a row, their big name free agent left the team for the Angels, and especially with Hamilton gone, it's a long way back for the Rangers. They still have some pop and arms, but a Rangers team without Michael Young is hardly a Rangers team at all.

4. Seattle Mariners: B-

The Mariners made some big offseason moves that they hope will put them in contention for a wild card spot. The biggest of these moves was making King Felix the highest paid pitcher in MLB history. Is he worth the money? Yes. Will that translate to wins in Seattle? For the time being, no. They're young and show promise in a few years, but not in 2013.

5. Houston Astros: D

Happy Thursday one and all. Here's a look at (in my opinion) the weakest division in baseball. It'll be interesting to see the effects of not having the Astros to beat up on.

1. Cincinnati Reds: A-

The Reds look to add to their win total from last season with the additions of Shin-Soo Choo and Jonathan Broxton. Playing Choo in centerfield, a place he doesn't have much experience, might be a risk, but I think he has the athleticism to be an acceptable defender. The biggest question is the effectiveness of Aroldis Chapman as a starter. I don't think moving him from the closing role is beneficial to the team, when they have five guys that are more than qualify to start as it is. I wouldn't be surprised to see Chapman return to the closing role before the end of the season.

2. Milwaukee Brewers: B-

The Brewers always stick around until the playoffs. You can't count them out this early because of Ryan Braun, but they still have a lot of questions. The departure of Greinke and Marcum leave holes in the rotation that could be filled by their deep farm system. The problem is whether or not they will be successful at this level. The bats will drive the Brew Crew, but pitching could determine if they make the playoffs.

3. Pittsburg Pirates: C+

Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates proved for a while last season they aren't to be laughed at. Young talent is present throughout, but not enough to make the Pirates contenders. Especially with AJ Burnett as your opening starter.

4. St. Louis Cardinals: C

The Cardinals have had good years in the past, and much like the Yankees, they always find themselves in the playoffs no matter who's on their roster. However, with Carpenter out for the year I can't imagine the Cardinals finding enough pitching depth to compete in the NL.

5. Chicago Cubs: ???