2012 MLB Prediction Thread

The Game Room
1

Post your predictions for division winners/wild card teams! And go ahead and post playoff results and whatnot if you’re so inclined.

I refuse to make the first prediction.

2

Tigers win the AL Central. Blue Jays win the AL East.

3

AL

Yankees, Tigers and Angels win the divisions

Rangers and Rays wild cards

NL

Phillies, Brewers and Diamondbacks win the divisions

Braves and Marlins wild cards.

4

AL

Yankees, Tigers and Angels win the divisions

Rangers and Rays wild cards

NL

Phillies, Brewers and Diamondbacks win the divisions

Braves and Marlins wild cards

WS: A thrilling 7 gamer between the Yankees and Diamondbacks. The deciding game ends with an improbable comeback by the Yankees against Arizona’s closer. Mariano Rivera is named MVP and immediately retires.

5

I’ll go with:

AL East: Blue Jays
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Rangers
AL Wild Cards: Yankees and Angels

NL East: Braves
NL Central: Reds
NL West: Giants
NL Wild Cards: Cardinals and Diamondbacks

World Series: Tigers over Giants.

6

May as wel predict a few surprises:

AL East-Tampa Bay Rays
AL Central-Chicago White Sox
AL West-Texas Rangers

Wildcards, Anaheim Angels/Detroit Tigers

NL East-Miami Marlins
NL Central- Milwaukee Brewers
NL West-Colorado Rockies

Wildcards-Cincinnati Reds/Arizona Diamondbacks.

WS-Tampa Bay over Miami.

7

I thought this topic would garner more interest… last year we had a lot of controversy. Well, here are mine:

AL EAST

  1. Tampa Bay Rays (100-62): I’m all in on this team. If you gave me the choice between Price/Shields/Moore and Halladay/Lee/Hamels… well, I take the latter three, but I’d at least think about it for thirty seconds. Their fourth starter was the AL Rookie of the Year. Their fifth starter would go opening day for some teams in this league.

  2. Boston Red Sox (95-67): It took a freaking epic collapse for this team to miss the playoffs last year – a set of circumstances unlikely to be repeated – and the team doesn’t look much different this year.

  3. New York Yankees (94-68): And I think they could go lower (record-wise). The offense depends too heavily on the senior citizen demographic, and the Yankees rotation is the weakest of the top three teams in this division.

  4. Toronto Blue Jays (83-79): Do Blue Jays fans ever wonder what life would be like in the AL Central?

  5. Baltimore Orioles (68-94): Awful pitching – just awful. And in this division, playing 76 games against the four teams above, I think they’ll be lucky not to lose 100.

AL CENTRAL

  1. Detroit Tigers (92-70): By default. I mean, they’ll hit the crap out of the ball. And Verlander is great. But I’m not sold on the pitching staff as a whole. It should be fun having flashbacks to Little League during every ground ball, though.

  2. Kansas City Royals (84-78): Wishful thinking pick. I don’t actually like them much more than the Indians (see below), but I’m rooting for them just because I’ve always kind of liked the team.

  3. Cleveland Indians (81-81): Everyone says they’re going to be good. I’m not sure I get why. The rotation is middling and I just checked - their four projected starting corner players combined for fewer than 40 home runs last year. I don’t get it.

  4. Minnesota Twins (75-87): With the understanding that good seasons out of Mauer and Morneau change this pick altogether. That’s a depressing rotation they’re running out there, though, isn’t it?

  5. Chicago White Sox (72-90): Meh.

AL WEST

  1. Texas Rangers (95-67): Lots of people down on the Rangers this year, but I’m a fan. Big lineup, capable starters 1-5, lots of games against the Mariners and As. What’s not to like?

  2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in California Somewhat South of Canada in Eastern Hemisphere (91-71): The top of the rotation is great. But the bullpen is scary – I don’t know what to make of Jordan Walden and there are not one but two Mets castoffs lurking out there. And the lineup, after Pujols and Kendrick and maybe Kendrys Morales? Torii Hunter? Vernon Wells? Still? Chris Ianetta? Alberto Callaspo?

  3. Seattle Mariners (70-92): A very bad team with Felix Hernandez.

  4. Oakland Athletics (63-99): A very bad team without Felix Hernandez. I watched both of those opening games from Japan. Coco Crisp was batting third for this team. They are not going to win a lot of games.

NL EAST

  1. Miami Marlins (95-67): Judge me, I don’t care. I like this team. I like Josh Johnson to stay healthy and win 21. I like Anibal Sanchez in general. I like Gaby Sanchez and Logan Morrison to take baby steps. And I really, really don’t like the Phillies or the Braves. So there.

  2. Philadelphia Phillies (90-72): I don’t think Ryan Howard or Chase Utley are going to do much, I think Jimmy Rollins is due to get old, and I don’t think the Big Three are enough to overcome it.

  3. Washington Nationals (81-81): I actually do think Jayson Werth’ll have a good year.

  4. New York Mets (69-93): Get to know these names: Ike Davis, Lucas Duda. They will be the next players to get really good as Mets then leave for better teams while Jason Fucking Bay and Untouchable Mike Pelfrey stick around, I guess for all eternity. In real life the Mets will finish in last place, though there will be teams that are worse.

  5. Atlanta Braves (62-100): Because I hate them. I also hope they all get head lice, especially Chipper Jones. Seriously, what kind of grown man still calls himself “Chipper?” I hate the Braves so much… flames. Flames on the side of my head.

NL CENTRAL

  1. Milwaukee Brewers (88-74): Seriously, I have no idea with this division. Grienke/Marcum/Gallardo is pretty great, right? Let’s say the Brewers win.

  2. St. Louis Cardinals (87-75): Although now that he’s out of Queens, Carlos Beltran will probably win the MVP. Let’s just move on.

  3. Cincinatti Reds (84-78): I don’t believe. Mat Latos can win the Cy Young, if you want, but the rest of this rotation is wildly uninspiring.

  4. Pittsburgh Pirates (78-74): I’d be more optimistic if I thought Erik Bedard would make it through the season. There are actually some fun position players here. Unfortunately, I think an inability to make any kind of in-season moves to get better will doom them to fourth (at best) in a winnable division.

  5. Chicago Cubs (78-74): Rebuilding, and a long way to go.

  6. Houston Astros (59-103): I can’t figure out how this team is going to manage even 59 wins. Chemical weapons? Wearing the other team’s uniform to confuse the fielders?

NL WEST

  1. Arizona Diamondbacks (92-70): I think this is a very good, well rounded team, and will win the division easily and comfortably.

  2. San Francisco Giants (86-76): What the hell did Brandon Belt ever do to Giants’ management, that they’re exiling him to AAA so they can play Aubrey Huff? Great pitching, but there’s a limit to how far that takes you when your offense is this bad.

  3. Los Angeles Dodgers (84-78): I don’t think they’ll be bad at all. If I had any guts I’d pick them to finish ahead of the Giants.

  4. Colorado Rockies (80-82): Jamie Moyer was, on the day I was born, probably at practice for his high school team.

  5. San Diego Padres (65-97): Sorry about your career, Yonder Alonso. Have fun at PETCO.

8

Playoffs

WILD CARD ROUND
Yankees over Red Sox
Phillies over Cardinals

DIVISIONAL ROUND
Yankees over Rangers
Rays over Tigers
Phillies over Marlins
Diamondbacks over Brewers

CHAMPIONSHIPS
Rays over Yankees
Diamondbacks over Phillies

WORLD SERIES
Rays over Diamondbacks

Awards

NL MVP: Justin Upton, ARI
NL CY YOUNG: Zach Grienke, MIL
NL ROY: Trevor Bauer, ARI

AL MVP: Robinson Cano, NYY
AL CY YOUNG: Justin Verlander, DET
AL ROY: Matt Moore, TB