American League

Cleveland Indians

The Tribe started the season 30-15, and are currently at 39-33 after going through a rough patch during the end of May and beginning of June. The team is full of many surprising stories that explain their success.

The most popular is that of the bullpen, known as the “Bullpen Mafia”. The “Mafia” is made up of Frank Hermann, Chad Durbin, Tony Sipp, Rafael Perez, Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano, and closer Chris Perez. They recently had a scoreless inning streak of over 22 innings snapped on an error. Their success is key to that of the Indians.

The other pitchers who have impressed are Josh Tomlin and Carlos Carrasco. Both are very young, but are pitching like veterans. Tomlin is 8-4 and Carrasco is 7-3. Rookie pitcher Alex White was 1-0 before he went to the DL, and will surely be back in the rotation once he returns.

The hitting of the Tribe is part of what helps make the pitching so effective, and when the offense stops producing runs, it shows. During the recent June slump, the offense was shut out four times, and the pitchers were under pressure to try and be perfect. Their best hitter, Travis Hafner, has only played in 36 games this season, but in those he is hitting .341. When he is in the lineup, the entire team plays better. This includes Asdrubal Cabrera, who is a sure All Star at the shortstop position. He is hitting .296 with 12 home runs, and is frequently seen on SportsCenter’s Top Ten plays nearly every night.

The Indians are currently in first place in the AL Central, with a slim lead over the Detroit Tigers. They will need everyone, the pitching and the offense, to continue at their current pace if they want any chance of reaching the postseason.

Seattle Mariners

For the past few seasons, the Mariners were mainly known for two players: Felix Hernandez and Ichiro Suzuki. However, this season there is a new star and one who should be one in the near future. The star is rookie pitcher Michael Pineda and the future star is second baseman Dustin Ackley. Ackley made his debut this past week, but Mariners fans are already excited about what he can bring to the team.

Michael Pineda is currently the team’s best pitcher, even better than reigning Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez. Pineda has an ERA of 2.64, while Hernandez’s is at 3.34. He has a record of 7-4 with 85 strikeouts. He and Hernandez create a 1-2 punch that is tough for any team to face. Once they come out of the game, Mariners closer Brandon League is there to save the game. He currently has 20 saves on the season.

The Mariners are currently two games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West. The contribution of players such as Ichiro, Ackley, and Justin Smoak will be key if the Mariners want to reach the playoffs.

National League

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers are a team filled with talent, but have underachieved over the past few seasons. They finished last season at 77-85 but are on pace to finish much better this season. They are led on offense by Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Rickie Weeks. Their home run totals are 15, 20, and 14 respectively, and the lowest average out of the three is .291, which is held by Weeks.

The Brewers pitching staff features the three headed monster of Yovani Gallardo, 8-4 with an ERA of 4.11, Shaun Marcum, 7-2 with an ERA of 2.85, and Zach Greinke, 6-2 with an ERA of 5.23. They are all backed up by closer John Axford, who has 19 saves on the year.

The Brewers currently have the best home record in baseball at 26-10 and have a .5 game lead in the NL Central over the Cardinals. The six team NL Central is always a tough division to win, and the Brew Crew will need to take advantage of the recent injury of Albert Pujols, and gain some ground on the Cardinals.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The D’Backs currently have a .5 game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the NL West. They are definitely the NL’s biggest surprise as they finished last year at 65-97. They are a very young team, and their best player, Justin Upton, is only 23 years old.

Upton is hitting .305 on the year with 12 home runs and 39 RBI. The D’Backs lineup also features a 15 home run hitter in Chris Young, and another 12 home run hitter in Kelly Johnson. Other hitters in the lineup include Miguel Montero, who has 37 RBI, and Stephen Drew, who has 39 RBI.

The starting rotation features two dominant pitchers in Ian Kennedy, 7-2 with an ERA of 2.98, and Daniel Hudson, 8-5 with an ERA of 3.56. They also have a great closer, a common theme in this article, in J.J. Putz, who has 18 saves.

The NL West is always an unpredictable division, so the D’Backs will need to stay close to the Giants all year. They must also be aware of a late season surge by the Rockies or Dodgers, given that they are still in contention once September rolls around.

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* – Carlos Carrasco image source: Sully Baseball

In this post, the final in our division-by-division MLB predictions, we analyze whether the Rangers can repeat, or whether the A’s, Angels, or Mariners can rise up and knock Texas down a rung.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers lost Cliff Lee and Vladimir Guerrero to free agency, and signed Adrian Beltre to play third base. Josh Hamilton, the 2010 AL MVP, will move to left field in an attempt to keep him fresh. Julio Borbon will start in center and Nelson Cruz will play right. David Murphy will get the fourth outfielder spot, with Craig Gentry also vying for a spot on the roster.

Mitch Moreland will start at first base, with Mike Napoli and Michael Young getting some time as well. Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus will fill the middle infield spots. Michael Young and Andres Blanco will be the utility infielders, with Young getting most of the DH at bats.

Catcher is a log jam in Texas, with four players capable of making it as the teams starter. Mike Napoli and Yorvit Torrealba appear to be the front runners, with Matt Treanor and Taylor Teagarden also in the mix. Somebody has to go, and one could be trade bait before spring training is over.

The Rangers could use another starter, but appear to have the rotation settled with C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis 1-2, then Brandon Webb whenever he gets healthy (at least that’s the hope), and Matt Harrison, Tommy Hunter and Derek Holland bringing up the rear (with Alexi Ogando filling in for the injured Hunter to start out). Neftali Feliz will be the closer after an impressive season last year.

Ron Washington will have this team playing well again, and another post season run could be on the way.

Prediction: The Rangers will win another 90 games this year, and that could be enough, but the Angels will give them a battle.

Oakland Athletics

The Oakland A’s surprised a lot of people last year, finishing the season at 81-81. Bob Green, in his fourth season as manager, will try and get his team to perform at the same level again this year. Josh Willingham, who signed in the off season, will be the starting left fielder. CoCo Crisp will play center and David DeJesus will play right field. Daric Barton will start at first base and be counted on to have better numbers this year. Hideki Matsui, who signed a one year contract, will take over as DH for Jack Cust, who signed with Seattle.

Mark Ellis, Cliff Pennington and Kevin Kouzmanoff will fill out the rest of the infield from second to third. Non-Roster invitee Andy LaRoche could find a spot behind Kouzmanoff as a backup with Ryan Sweeney, Conor Jackson and Chris Carter also fighting for spots. Kurt Suzuki, who missed over 20 games last season, will look to continue to put up good numbers. Landon Powell will be his backup, but will get few opportunities, as Suzuki will see almost all of the playing time behind the dish.

The starting rotation is filled with young arms: Dallas Braden will get the opening day nod, followed by Brett Anderson, Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Brandon McCarthy. Rich Harden (out until at least mid April) will be given a chance in the rotation after he recovers. Adam Rosales  (due back in early May) will be given a chance to win a backup infield position.

It’s going to take every player having an above average season to win 81 games again this year. I don’t see that happening. The rotation is too young, the lineup lacks power, and Matsui is in the final stages of his career.

Prediction: If the A’s win 80 games again I will be surprised; 70-75 wins would be a more realistic goal.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Mike Scioscia and the Angels had a very disappointing year last season, finishing at 80-82, ten games behind the Rangers. Vernon Wells came over from Toronto, will play leftfield, and be counted on to put up the numbers he’s been accustomed to. The emergence of Peter Bourjos in center will allow Torii Hunter to move to right and keep him fresh as the season goes on. Kendry Morales (likely not ready for Opening Day), Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis will fill the infield from first to third.

Bobby Abreu will be the primary DH, and may get a few starts in the outfield. Brandon Wood will be the utility infielder, and Reggie Willits the fourth outfielder. Catcher Jeff Mathis will get a chance to start with the departure of Mike Napoli. If he can’t produce, Hank Conger will take over if he can shore up his defense this spring.

The rotation looks good, consisting of Jared Weaver, Dan Haren, Ervin Santana, Joel Pineiro and Scott Kazmir. Fernando Rodney will get the closers job. Scott Downs (currently out), who also came over from Toronto, will eventually serve as the set up man. Francisco Rodriguez, Michael Kohn and Rich Thompson could be used as set up men or closers if Rodney or Downs falter or suffer an injury.

The players are there for Scioscia, and if the main nucleus of starters can stay healthy, the Angels will give the Rangers a battle for first in the West.

Prediction: If the bottom of the starting rotation (i.e. Kazmir) can post respectable numbers, they could win 90-95 games, which would put them in first place in the division. For the first time in years, a Wild Card team could come from somewhere other than the A.L. East.

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners finished last in the West, with a record of 61-101, and are probably headed for another cellar finish this year. Eric Wedge, hired in the off season, will get a chance to try and turn things around in Seattle. The only bright spot for the Mariners last season was Felix Hernandez, the A.L. CY Young winner. He will be the team’s opening day starter, and lead the rotation which will also have Jason Vargas, Doug Fister and Erik Bedard. Michael Pineda, David Pauley, Luke French and Nate Robertson (out until May) will battle for the fifth spot in the rotation, and are insurance for oft-injured Bedard.

The infield will probably open with Justin Smoak, Brendan Ryan, Jack Wilson and Chone Figgins first to third. If Jack Wilson struggles at short, Ryan will move there, making room for top rookie of the year candidate Dustin Ackley to get some playing time.

Ichiro Suzuki will again bat leadoff and start in right field. Franklin Gutierrez will play center and either Michael Saunders or Milton Bradley will play left. Jack Cust, who signed in the off season, will be the DH. If Greg Halman could cut down on the strikeouts, he would be the team’s number four outfielder and possibly a starter. Gabe Gross and Adam Kennedy, both non-roster invitees, could make the roster with great springs but is unlikely. Miguel Olivo will be the starting catcher. Adam Moore and Josh Bard will use the spring to battle for the backup spot.

David Aardsma (possible April return) would be the closer, if not injured, so Brandon League will fill that role until Aardsma is ready. Manny Delcarmen, a non-roster invitee, could make the roster and help in the bullpen. The Mariners will be better this year, but any thoughts of playoffs should be ignored.

Prediction: The realistic outlook would be for the M’s to win 70-75 games, maybe giving them a run at getting out of the basement.

(All rosters are taken from mlb.com active rosters, depth charts and non-roster invitee lists as of 03-20-11)

Fox will broadcast their usual Saturday afternoon games, TBS will pick up on Sundays, and for the most part, you can expect ESPN to have games on Sunday and Monday evenings. (Mid-week, you might look for your local team networks and eventually, on Thursdays, the MLB Network will be back for their second season, though the schedule has yet to be released).

The MLB national TV schedule, which is always subject to change, is at the end of this post below.

Before getting to that, we provide the 11 “best” games during the first half of the season – at least so far as I can surmise in March.

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11 Best Early Season MLB Games on National TV

These are listed chronologically, not from best to worst or vice versa.

1. Yankees-Red Sox, April 4, 8pm EDT, ESPN2:

A baseball tradition unlike any other (cue Masters music — it’s that time of year too after all) — and on opening night, no less. You’ll probably see Sabathia vs. Beckett, Lackey or Lester. No further elaboration necessary.

2. Mariners-Rangers, April 10, 3pm, FOX (Regional):

Two major divisional challenges to the perennial champion Angels meet on the first weekend of the new season. Five days after the opener, the Mariners will be set to throw Cliff Lee or Felix Hernandez for certain in second 2010 start.

3. Rays-Red Sox, April 18, 130pm, TBS:

I cannot imagine the Red Sox have forgotten the upstart Rays ending their quest for back-to-back titles in the 2008 ALCS. Boston will probably also remember bold spring training predictions from Evan Longoria. These two teams now chase the Yankees, so every time they meet, it’s important.

4 & 5. Yankees-Angels or Mariners-White Sox, April 24, 4pm, FOX (Regional):

The Yankees and Angels have a lot of postseason history, with the Yanks finally topping Anaheim in the 2009 ALCS after losing to them in the 2002 and 2005 LDS – as well as constantly throughout the regular season this past decade.

The Mariners and White Sox have excellent and deep starting staffs, and both teams can potentially do damage in the 2010 AL.

6. Angels-Red Sox, May 3, 7pm, ESPN:

Look at the Angels recent history with New York and flip it versus Boston, all the way to the Halos finally besting the Red Sox in the 2009 ALDS — after losing to them in the same round in 2004, 2007 and 2008. These teams nearly always play stellar games. Former Angel icon John Lackey now pitching for Boston will up the intensity.

7. Twins-Yankees, May 16, 1pm, TBS:

The Yanks have stomped out Minnesota’s postseason dreams multiple times in the 21st century, including again in 2009. This will be their first series meeting in 2010.

8. Red Sox-Phillies, May 23, 1pm, TBS:

A matchup of two of the past three world champions based in big markets. A great regional interleague battle between two teams who’d love to unseat the Yankees come October.

9. Cardinals-Cubs, May 30, 220pm, TBS:

This is the only series these bitter rivals face off prior to the All-Star break. Few disagree that they are the two best teams in the NL Central as we look toward the 2010 campaign.

10. Angels-Mariners, June 5, 4pm, FOX (Regional):

Arguably the two best teams in the AL West match-up in the northwest. Chone Figgins, who played his entire eight year career with Anaheim, goes up against his former franchise.

11. Dodgers-Red Sox, June 19, 4pm, FOX (Regional):

Manny returns to Boston. That should say it all. Other than that, a great Interleague matchup between two legendary coastal clubs that just might meet in the Fall Classic.

MLB National TV Schedule (FOX, ESPN, TBS)

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* – Jake Peavy photo credit: Viva la Vidro

The Prez delivers (barely),
The Host Does Not,
And a Team To Watch in the Second Half.

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After a loooong pre-game show which at times was boring to everyone not from St. Louis, we were all ready to play some ball. However, there were some fun moments I made mental notes of while waiting out the 45-minute pre-game.

– I liked watching the player intros from the reserves that are truly happy to be there and might never be back. Not Jeter or Pujols, who get to do this every year, but guys who are just cracking into the limelight. My old buddy Zack Duke of Pittsburgh didn’t even get to play Tuesday night, so taking off his hat and smiling was his only big moment. Go Waco Midway Panthers! Although I must say Duke and the other reserves gotta feel like second-class citizens after getting introduced completely separate from the starters.

– I’ll always like looking at Sheryl Crow, who still looks hot despite being 47. Oh and she sings too.

– The wide stadium shots showed off the cool Arch and Courthouse design in the outfield grass. And there was some weird new MLB marketing things on banners I didn’t really pay attention to.

– And there’s the First Fan, President Barack Obama, who just gets cooler and cooler, even when he’s dorky. Before the game, he was shown joking around with Pujols and Prince Fielder. “Hey Albert what happened with the derby?” he teased. “In your home park, huh?”

Even though he’s the President, it’s awesome that he has the stones to tease the hulking Pujols and do it in a way that makes Pujols like him even more. In fact, Pujols bailed out Obama once it was time for the first pitch. Obama had said he was trying not to bounce it, and that’s exactly what would have happened if Pujols had not reached way in and scooped it up centimeters before it hit the dirt. (Here’s why you didn’t see the pitch live.)

Obama’s take on how he did: “I did not play organized baseball when I was a kid and so, you know, I think some of these natural moves aren’t so natural to me,” he said.

Here is the video of President Obama throwing out the first pitch at last night’s All Star game in St. Louis:

– Now to Pujols….After checking out in Round Two of the Derby on Monday, the King Cardinal looked to do a bit more in the “real” game. And once Obama left the stage, it was Pujols’ for the taking. I guess he didn’t get the memo.

His fielding error in the first inning allowed the A.L. to score a run. He made some nice plays in the field after that, but he did go 0-3 and his team did lose by that one run. He said he wasn’t affected by all the attention he was receiving

“I won’t use the word ‘stress,’” Pujols said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I wish it could be like this for the rest of my career. I enjoy it. I was so happy for (Ryan Franklin) and Yadi (Molina). And having it here, in our city, I knew our fans were going to receive us with open arms.”

Pujols is still the man, don’t get me wrong. He’s the best hitter in baseball and his career All-Star numbers are still great: 6 for 17 (.353) with three RBIs in eight All-Star Games (seven appearances and six starts).

Still, the experience of serving as centerpiece for the two-day festival left a lasting impression on the two-time NL MVP, who received the loudest and longest applause during pre-game introductions.

“It was almost getting to the point where I got a little bit emotional yesterday and today the way the fans received me, Franklin and Yadi,” Pujols said. “It was pretty special.”

It would have been even more special had he done more to help the NL win its first ASG in 13 tries! So home field advantage in the World Series will be with the AL once again. So as we start the second half, which team will represent the Junior Circuit in October? New York? Boston? How about Seattle?

Zuh?

Okay, the M’s won’t win it all, but they may be in the postseason conversation, which is amazing.

The Ms are being called this year’s Rays. After a 100 loss-season, new skipper Don Wakamatsu has them 4 games over .500, just 4 games behind the Angels in a weak AL West division. They have gotten good pitching surprises from closer David Aardsma (22 saves) and starter Jarrod Washburn (2.96 ERA). Eric Bedard has been good and is finally healthy. Russ Branyan (who?) is having a bounce-back year and should have been an All-Star with his 22 HRs, 49 RBI, and .280 BA.

The M’s that were All-Stars are Wakamatsu, who was in St. Louis as a bench coach, pitcher “King” Felix Hernandez, and 9-time All-Star Ichiro in the outfield. Ichiro went 1-3, Hernandez pitched a perfect sixth inning, and Wakamatsu’s team won.

Not a bad night, even if it belonged to a guy on the losing team.

* – Barack Obama / Albert Pujols photo credit: Chris Lee / St. Louis Post-Dispatch

* – Don Wakamatsu photo credit: AP via SeattlePI.com

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Scott Reister is a featured contributor to Midwest Sports Fans, as well as Dallas Sports Fans.

He is a Sports Anchor for the NBC affiliate in the Tri-Cities and Spokane, WA. To learn more about Scott, visit the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Local Sports page on KNDU.com.

To contact Scott: sreister@hotmail.com

After an abysmal start to the season and finding themselves down 5-3, two outs in the bottom of the ninth with no men on, those pesky ‘pirhanas’ found a wayspoiling Brandon Morrow’s first appearance in a closing role this season as the Twins defeated the Mariners 6-5 on Tuesday night.

Morrow easily navigated past the bats of Delmon Young and Joe Crede. Then, finding himself one out away from vicory, the strike zone seemed to shrink. Gomez got on board with a gutsy walk. Four pitches later Kubel was on board. Then Buscher in the same fashion. Then, Span knocked in Gomez with an infield hit you can only find in Minnesota. And finally, Alexi Casilla capped it off with a line drive to center field with yet another late inning clutch hit.

Hats off to the underappreciated play of the game: Carlos Gomez’s walk. For a guy who’s known best for his swing-and-hope plate approach seems to have worked on some plate discipline in the Winter and it paid off Tuesday night. Gomez’s walk sparked the ninth inning rally, though we were all looking for the Jason Kubel bomb, we finished off the Mariners in equally exciting fashion. (Side note – it was also Gomez who sparked our 5th inning rally leading off with a triple).

Who’s Hot? – Denard Span. Span’s been the ultimate lead-off hitter getting on base, making contact, and moving around the base paths with ease.

Who’s Not? – Jose Morales, Justin Morneau. Morales can’t get comfortable at the plate striking out several times last night. Its really a completely different lineup with Mauer out. Morneau needs to find his swing again, because zero production out of the 4-hole isn’t going to lead to many wins.

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In other news, Joe Mauer will be taking batting practices tonight with the Fort Myers Miracle. Mauer’s timetable for return seems to be around the late April / early May area.