Hey, the baseball season starts tomorrow! Here are the 2010 predictions from both Sports Illustrated and a quick-and-dirty Bill James formula [(2009 wins*2)+(2008 wins)/3].
| Sports Illustrated |
Baseballrelated.com |
| Prediction |
Player to Watch |
Prediction |
Player to Watch |
AL East
|
| 1. N.Y. Yankees (100-62) |
Javier Vazquez (RHP) |
1. N.Y. Yankees (98-64) |
Derek Jeter (SS), who I’m expecting to find himself distracted by his gigantic house in my old neck of the woods in Tampa. A lot of things can go wrong with a house that size, beginning with satellites crashing into it, having been attracted by its gravitational pull. |
| 2. Tampa Bay Rays (95-67) |
Jeff Niemann (RHP) |
2. Boston Red Sox (95-67) |
Kevin Youkilis (1B), because I like saying “Yooooook.” |
| 3. Boston Red Sox (93-69) |
Mike Cameron (CF) |
3. Tampa Bay Rays (88-74) |
Pansy the Wuss-Wuss Fish Who Can’t Keep It Up (mascot), for what should be obvious reasons. |
| 4. Baltimore Orioles (76-86) |
Nick Markakis (RF) |
4. Toronto Blue Jays (79-83) |
Marc Rzepczynski (LHP) — want to find out how to pronounce that. |
| 5. Toronto Blue Jays (64-98) |
Ricky Romero (LHP) |
5. Baltimore Orioles (65-97) |
Cesar Izturis (SS) — enjoy his salad, like him on “The Dog Whisperer.” |
| AL Central |
| 1. Minnesota Twins (88-74) |
Orlando Hudson (2B) |
1. Minnesota Twins (87-75) |
The Minnesota Weather (environment) now that the Twins are in an outdoor stadium. |
| 2. Detroit Tigers (82-80) |
Johnny Damon (LF) |
2. Chicago White Sox (82-80) |
Gordon Beckham (2B) — we know he can play soccer, but what about baseball? |
| 3. Chicago White Sox (79-83) |
Jake Peavy (RHP) |
3. Detroit Tigers (82-80) |
Johnny Damon (LF), of course, of course. |
| 4. Cleveland Indians (66-96) |
Fausto Carmona (RHP) |
4. Cleveland Indians (70-92) |
Fausto Carmona (RHP), who has obviously sold his soul to the devil in order to beat the Yankees, who are unfortunately in a different division. |
| 5. Kansas City Royals (65-97) |
Zack Greinke (RHP) |
5. Kansas City Royals (68-94) |
Zack Greinke (RHP) — surely some Kansas City-based agribusiness research facility is working on cloning technology as we speak that would allow the Royals to have a rotation of five Greinkes. |
| AL West |
| 1. L.A. Angels (89-73) |
Ervin Santana (RHP) |
1. L.A. Angels (98-64) |
Jered Weaver (RHP) — I have a co-worker named Jarad who is originally from the greater Anaheim area. What is it with Orange County and weird spellings of “Jared”? |
| 2. Texas Rangers (87-75) |
Josh Hamilton (RF) |
2. Texas Rangers (84-78) |
Jarrod Saltalamacchia (C) — always fun to see how they manage to cram his name onto the back of his jersey. |
| 3. Seattle Mariners (83-79) |
Milton Bradley (LF) |
3. Seattle Mariners (77-85) |
David Aardsma (RHP) — first in war, first in peace, first in alphabetical order. |
| 4. Oakland Athletics (79-83) |
Ben Sheets (RHP) |
4. Oakland Athletics (75-87) |
Coco Crisp (CF), who always makes me hungry for cereal. |
| NL East |
| 1. Philadelphia Phillies (100-62) |
Cole Hamels (LHP) |
1. Philadelphia Phillies (93-69) |
Placido Polanco (3B), who should be singing the National Anthem before every game — or am I thinking of Enrico Palazzo? |
| 2. Atlanta Braves (89-73) |
Billy Wagner (LHP) |
2. Florida Marlins (86-76) |
John Baker (C) — okay, that’s how he registers at hotels, but what’s his real name? |
| 3. Florida Marlins (82-80) |
Ricky Nolasco (RHP) |
3. Atlanta Braves (81-81) |
Jair Jurrjens (RHP) — hopefully he’s less annoying on the Braves than he was in The Phantom Menace. |
| 4. N.Y. Mets (79-83) |
Daniel Murphy (1B) |
4. N.Y. Mets (76-86) |
Angel Pagan (OF) — most oxymoronic name in baseball. |
| 5. Washington Nationals (67-95) |
Nyjer Morgan (CF) |
5. Washington Nationals (59-103) |
Nyjer Morgan (CF) — great XTC song: “Making Plans for Nyjer.” |
| NL Central |
| 1. St. Louis Cardinals (87-75) |
Colby Rasmus (CF) |
1. St. Louis Cardinals (89-73) |
Albert Pujols (1B) — how can you not watch Albert Pujols? |
| 2. Chicago Cubs (81-81) |
Geovany Soto (C) |
2. Chicago Cubs (88-74) |
Carlos Zambrano (RHP) — because I still can’t remember which one is Carlos and which one is Victor. |
| 3. Cincinnati Reds (79-83) |
Homer Bailey (RHP) |
3. Milwaukee Brewers (83-79) |
Trevor Hoffman (RHP) — has anyone yet done a polka version of “Hell’s Bells” in his honor? |
| 4. Milwaukee Brewers (77-85) |
Alcides Escobar (SS) |
4. Houston Astros (78-84) |
Roy Oswalt (RHP) — his brother Patton is very, very funny. |
| 5. Houston Astros (69-93) |
Brett Myers (RHP) |
5. Cincinnati Reds (77-85) |
Homer Bailey (RHP) — with a name like Homer, how did he end up as a pitcher and not a hitter? |
| 6. Pittsburgh Pirates (65-97) |
Andrew McCutchen (CF) |
6. Pittsburgh Pirates (64-98) |
The Primanti Sandwich (concession) — sadly, again this year, probably going to be the best thing that makes its home in PNC Park. |
| NL West |
| 1. Colorado Rockies (91-71) |
Todd Helton (1B) |
1. L.A. Dodgers (91-71) |
Manny Ramirez (LF) — because no doubt he’s going to make something interesting happen. |
| 2. L.A. Dodgers (87-75) |
Chad Billingsley (RHP) |
2. Colorado Rockies (86-76) |
Huston Street (RHP) — waiting to see if he gets a street named after him, and if it’ll be handled the same way it was handled when Eugenius H. Outerbridge had a bridge named after him. (Actually, there already is a “Street Road” in the Philadelphia area. Maybe he should go to the Phillies.) |
| 3. San Francisco Giants (83-79) |
Brian Wilson (RHP) |
3. San Francisco Giants (83-79) |
Barry Zito (LHP), who wears his pants cuffs high and will therefore be showing off the Giants’ awesome new striped socks. |
| 4. Arizona Diamondbacks (82-80) |
Mark Reynolds (3B) |
4. Arizona Diamondbacks (74-88) |
Augie Ojeda (IF) — I always wonder if his father’s name is Ojeda Daddy. |
| 5. San Diego Padres (66-96) |
Kyle Blanks (LF) |
5. San Diego Padres (71-91) |
Will Venable (RF) — waiting for him to be around long enough that he becomes Will Venerable. |
