This Will Be My Year

This post will be player predictions for big seasons in 2013. One player per position and the justification.

Starting Pitcher - Shaun Marcum

Marcum's ERA has hovered around 3.60 for the past three seasons. His main problem has been remaining healthy. He signed a contract to pitch for the Mets in 2013 his age 31 season. He doesn't throw hard, but he can locate and make pitches dance. Playing in Citi Field will yield about the same results as Miller Park, but if Marcum can stay healthy it won't matter. I predict he will lower his ERA to 3.23 and pitch close to 200 innings and could be a trade candidate for the Mets.

Relief Pitcher - Steve Cishek

Cishek is going to be 27 for the 2013 season and has already recorded two seasons of a sub 3.00 ERA. He is a sinker baller who doesn't allow many home runs in an already huge park. We saw how well Cishek performed for team USA in the WBC. I think this is the season where Cishek distinguishes himself as an elite closer in the game. He too might be traded by the trade deadline.

Catcher - Jesus Montero

Montero has been working on his defense abilities because a 23 year old should not be the designated hitter. According to many sources his defensive abilities have improved immensely. He was also really bummed out that the Yankees traded him to the Mariners as well, but I would too. Now Montero is in a rejuvenated lineup and he doesn't have to worry about his defense as much. You can expect Montero to be the star he is expected to be.

First Base - Freddie Freeman

Freeman is already pretty good but I think this is the year he becomes even better. He went though a sophomore slump in 2012. He maintained his power numbers he put up in 2011 and his on base percentage was close to identical, but his batting average dropped. This season the Braves added the two Upton brothers and they, along with Jason Heyward will be getting on base. With these guys on base Freeman won't be looking for walks, but swinging away... and getting hits and RBI's.

Second Base - Robinson Cano

Cano has been tearing it up for team Dominican Republic in this years WBC, not to mention he is also in the last year of his contact, and players tend to do best in the final year of their contract... for some reason. I still think Cano hasn't reached his peak and can hit for power, average, play great defense, and drive in runs. I think he reaches career highs in each category. .325 avg, 35 homers, 120  RBI's.

Third Base - Pablo Sandoval

We all saw Sandoval hit in the playoffs last season. This guy is beyond clutch. Just 19 batters out of 956 total batters hit a home run off of Justin Verlander in the 2012 regular season. Sandoval did it two times in the same night and then did it again. Sandoval has had some weight issues, but the Giants are working on that. Worst case scenario is Sandoval moves over to first base and they trade for a third baseman, but thats besides the point. Sandoval, with the 2012 MVP batting either in front of him or behind him, will rake this season. I'm talking .300+ avg, 30+ homers, and 100+ RBI's.

Short Stop - Derek Jeter

Jeter is a team player and he knows when to step up. Last year in the playoffs the guy was playing injured every day, and was still hitting great. He may not be as good defensively  but he will try harder and put the burden on his shoulders to get on base and score runs for a depleted Yankee offense. You can almost write it in permanent ink that Jeter will hit at least .290 and have a .340 on base percentage in 2013.

Left Field - Ryan Braun

What can I say, the guy is a beast. There will always be the discussion about whether or not he took performance enhancing drugs or not, but he is still the pride and joy of Milwaukee.  The guy has never hit lower than .285, never hit fewer than 25 home runs and never drove in fewer than 97 RBI's. Oh by the way hes been playing for 6 seasons and he will be 29 this year, the middle of his prime. You can pretty much say he is the best player in baseball and you can pencil him in for another MVP caliber season.

Center Field - Adam Jones

Finally Adam Jones is becomming the player that he was expected to be. He hit .287 and knocked out 32 homers in 2012. He can't improve much on the power, but he can improve on the average and his .334 on base percentage. A major part of Jones' success is Buck Showalter. Jones said he didn't want to sign the extension that he did, if Showalter was not going to be there. Buck encourages him to hustle and play hard. Jones if healthy can hit .295 and blast 30+ homers again.

Right Field - Hunter Pence

We all know Giancarlo Stanton is going to destroy pitching this season, that's why I didn't choose him. I picked Hunter Pence because he loves the team he plays for. He was a major part of the Giants in the playoffs last season. He didn't hit all that well down the stretch but he picked it up in October. Pence's defensive skills aren't top caliber, but he can hold his own in right field. I expect him to hit .280 with a .350 on base percentage and 25 homers in 2013.

Top 10 by Position

I have evaluated all the teams and now I will do my top 10 by position. The name of the player followed by their team. Both offense and defense are considered for the player's rank. I base the rankings on the player's past three seasons to get a large enough sample size, also accounting for age.

Catcher

1. Buster Posey - San Francisco Giants
2. Joe Mauer - Minnesota Twins
3. Yadiar Molina - St. Louis Cardinals
4. Miguel Montero - Arizona Diamond Backs
5. AJ Pierzynski - Texas Rangers
6. Matt Wieters - Baltimore Orioles
7. Carlos Santana - Cleveland Indians
8. JP Arencibia - Toronto Blue Jays
9. Jared Saltalmaccia - Boston Red Sox
10. Jesus Montero - Seattle Mariners

"I'm the hero San Francisco deserves." 

First Base

1. Joey Votto - Cincinnati Reds
2. Albert Pujols - Los Angeles Angels
3. Prince Fielder - Detroit Tigers
4. Adrian Gonzalez - Los Angeles Dodgers
5. Paul Konerko - Chicago White Sox
6. Mark Teixeira - New York Yankees
7. Ryan Howard - Philadelphia Phillies
8. Adam Laroach - Washington Nationals
9. Chris Davis - Baltimore Orioles
10. Justin Morneau - Minnesota Twins

"Hey Brandon, look at what I can do!"

Second Base

1. Robinson Cano - New York Yankees
2. Dustin Pedroia - Boston Red Sox
3. Brandon Phillips - Cincinnati Reds
4. Jason Kipnis - Cleveland Indians
5. Ian Kinsler - Texas Rangers
6. Aaron Hill - Arizona Diamond Backs
7. Jose Altuve - Houston Astros
8. Danny Espinosa - Washington Nationals
9. Marco Scuttaro - San Francisco Giants
10. David Murphy - New York Mets

"#Swag"

Third Base

1. Miguel Cabrera - Detroit Tigers
2. Adrian Beltre - Texas Rangers
3. David Wright - New York Mets
4. Evan Longoria - Tampa Bay Rays
5. Pablo Sandoval - San Francisco Giants
6. Aramis Ramirez - Milwaukee Brewers
7. Chase Headly - San Diego Padres
8. Ryan Zimmerman - Washington Nationals
9. Mike Moustakis - Kansas City Royals
10. Kevin Youkilis - New York Yankees

"You can call me King Cabrera"

Short Stop

1. Troy Tulowitzki - Colorado Rockies
2. Starlin Castro - Chicago Cubs
3. Jose Reyes - Toronto Blue Jays
4. Derek Jeter - New York Yankees
5. Hanley Ramirez - Los Angeles Dodgers
6. Elvis Andrus - Texas Rangers
7. Ian Desmond - Washington Nationals
8. JJ Hardy - Baltimore Orioles
9. Alexi Ramirez - Chicago White Sox
10. Erick Aybar - Los Angeles Angels

"I play for which team?"

Left Field

1. Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers
2. Josh Hamilton - Los Angeles Angels
3. Carlos Gonzalez - Colorado Rockies
4. Matt Holliday - St. Louis Cardinals
5. Michael Morse - Seattle Mariners
6. Justin Upton - Atlanta Braves
7. Alex Gordon - Kansas City Royals
8. Josh Willingham - Minnesota Twins
9. Jason Kubel - Arizona Diamond Backs
10. Bryce Harper - Washington Nationals

"Spittin seeds like I'm hittin homers."

Center Field

1. Matt Kemp - Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh Pirates
3. Mike Trout - Los Angeles Angels
4. Adam Jones - Baltimore Orioles
5. Curtis Granderson - New York Yankees
6. BJ Upton - Atlanta Braves
7. Shin-Soo Choo - Cincinnati Reds
8. Jacoby Ellsbury - Boston Red Sox
9. Angel Pagan - San Francisco Giants
10. Austin Jackson - Detroit Tigers

"What did Cano say?"

Right Field

1. Giancarlo Stanton - Miami Marlins
2. Jason Heyward - Atlanta Braves
3. Jay Bruce - Cincinnati Reds
4. Nick Swisher - Cleveland Indians
5. Andre Ethier - Los Angeles Dodgers
6. Jose Baustista - Toronto Blue Jays
7. Carlos Beltran - St. Lewis Cardinals
8. Hunter Pence - San Francisco Giants
9. Nick Markakis - Baltimore Orioles
10. Ichiro Suzuki - New York Yankees

"Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one on the field."

Designated Hitters - Top 5

1. David Ortiz - Boston Red Sox
2. Edwin Encarnacion - Toronto Blue Jays
3. Billy Butler - Kansas City Royals
4. Victor Martinez - Detroit Tigers
5. Kendrys Morales - Seattle Mariners

"Hitting singles is too mainstream" 

Starting Pitcher

1. Clayton Kershaw - Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Justin Verlander - Detroit Tigers
3. Felix Hernandez - Seattle Mariners
4. Jered Weaver - Los Angeles Angels
5. David Price - Tampa Bay Rays
6. RA Dickey - Toronto Blue Jays
7. Matt Cain - San Francisco Giants
8. Stephan Strasburg - Washington Nationals
9. CC Sabathia - New York Yankees
10. Cole Hamels - Philadelphia Phillies

"Koufax said he liked my stuff!"

Closers

1. Craig Kimbrel - Atlanta Braves
2. Aroldis Chapman - Cincinnati Reds
3. Mariano Rivera - New York Yankees
4. Fernando Rodney - Tampa Bay Rays
5. Johnathon Papelbon - Philadelphia Phillies
6. Sergio Romo - San Francisco Giants
7.  Kenley Jansen - Los Angeles Dodgers
8.  Rafael Soriano - Washington Nationals
9. Steve Cishek - Maimi Marlins
10. Jim Johnson - Baltimore Orioles

"Right handed Billy Wagner? How about non left handed Craig Kimbrel?"

Remember it isn't just the players that make a team good. It is how they play together and they players around them.

The Final Two

I've been watching the World Baseball Classic and Pre-Season Baseball, so these team evaluations took longer than I expected, but finally we made it, the final two teams, the White Sox and the Pirates. The White Sox and Pirates are in the same position, remaining the same team in a division getting stronger. The Tigers, Royals, and Indians are getting stronger and the Reds and the Cardinals are getting stronger, but these two teams are going to try to win in 2013.

No Paul, that is not food!

The White Sox lost a big piece of their offense in 2012, AJ Pierzynski had a career year and signed with the Texas Rangers. Adam Dunn was a big part of the White Sox offense in 2012 after a terrible year in 2011. Finally the White Sox's seasons with Paul Konerko are dwindling down, he may retire in a few years.

1. L De Aza CF       104 OPS+
2. R. Keppinger 2B  127 OPS+
3. L. Dunn DH         112 OPS+
4. R. Konerko 1B    128 OPS+
5. R. Rios RF           124 OPS+
6. R. Viciedo LF      96 OPS+
7. R. Ramirez SS       74 OPS+
8. R. Beckham 2B     79 OPS+
9. R. Flowers C         88 OPS+

The pitching rotation for the White Sox is much better than people think it is. Led by lanky lefty Chris Sale, the White Sox's pitching rotation is underrated. Former Padres ace Jake Peavy is part of the rotation as well and can match up with almost any other pitcher. The fifth spot is a fight between Dylan Axelrod and John Danks. I like Axelrod more, but Danks has more experience. 

1. L. Chris Sale 3.05 ERA
2. R. Jake Peavy 3.37 ERA
3. R. Gavin Floyd 4.29 ERA
4. R. Jose Quintana 3.76 ERA
5. R. Dylan Axelrod 5.47 ERA

Young closer with another one of my favorite baseball names, Addison Reed will pitch the 9th inning once again for the White Sox after a rough 4.75 ERA but 29 converted saves in 2012. Then the White Sox have the lefty-righty combination Matt and Matt: Matt Thornton and Matt Lindstrom. Thornton pitched to a 3.46 ERA and Lindstrom pitched to a 2.68 ERA in 2013. The 7th, 8th, and 9th innings seem to be secure for the White Sox. Jesse Crain and his 2.44 ERA will get some work in both the 7th and 8th innings to help secure wins for the South Siders in 2013.

I project 82 wins for the White Sox in 2013.

The Pirates were so close to a winning season in 2012, and I personally think they will get a winning record in 2013, but that comes at the end. The Pirates added Russel Martin to their team which is more of a defensive upgrade than an offensive upgrade, but he will improve both the lineup, defense, and pitching rotation.

1. R. Marte LF 104 OPS+
2. S. Walker 2B 114 OPS+
3. R. McCutchen CF 168 OPS+
4. L. Alvarez 3B 117 OPS+
5. L. Jones 1B 129 OPS+
6. R. Tabata RF 86 OPS+
7. R. Martin C 92 OPS+
8. R. Barmes SS 66 OPS+

The Pirates added AJ Burnett in the beginning of 2012 and he pitched great for the Pirates, exactly the ace they needed. Mid-season they added Wandy Rodriguez who was also great for them for half of the season. They also signed Francisco Liriano but he sustained an injury and may not be with the team for the first half of the season.

1. R. AJ Burnett 3.51 ERA
2. L. Wandy Rodriguez 3.76 ERA
3. R. James McDonald 4.21 ERA
4. R. Jeff Karstens 3.97 ERA
5. L. Francisco Liriano  5.40 ERA

The bullpen for the Pirates is without Joel Hanrahan because he is with the Red Sox due to a trade. Jason Grilli will take over as closer. He pitched to a 2.91 ERA in 2012 and will look to improve on that in 2013. In the trade that sent Hanrahan to Boston the Pirates acquired Mark Melancon. He was terrible in 2012, but pretty good in 2011. I think he can return to 2011 form while in Pittsburgh.

I project a winning season for the Pirates in 2013, 82 wins.

The Other California Teams

The Oakland Athletics and the San Diego Padres are often forgotten when you think of California baseball. The Athletics surprised everyone when they won the AL West in 2012 and the Padres did just as they were expected to do, poorly. Both teams are looking to do well in 2013, but one may fare better than the other: Take a guess on which one.

The Padres have a pretty good offense especially playing in the cavern of Petco Park. They are led by Chase Headley who won the silver slugger award for NL third baseman. Also Carlos Quentin is in the outfield slugging as always.

1. R. Maybin CF  85 OPS+
2. R. Forsyth 2B   106 OPS+
3. S. Headley 3B  144 OPS+
4. R. Quentin LF   145 OPS+
5. L. Alonso 1B    109 OPS+
6. R. Guzman LF  106 OPS+
7. L. Baker C        68 OPS+
8. R. Cabrera SS   84 OPS+

The pitching rotation for the Padres is led by Edison Volquez who had a 4.14 ERA over 184 innings. He is a bright spot in the Padres rotation. Freddy Garcia was signed by the Padres to a minor league deal. I expect he will get the 5th spot in the rotation.

1. R. Edison Volquez 4.14 ERA
2. L. Cory Luebke 3.29 ERA in 2011
3. L. Clayton Richard 3.99 ERA
4. R. Jason Marquis 5.22 ERA
5. R. Freddy Garcia 5.20 ERA

People suspected that the Padres' bullpen wouldn't be so good when Heath Bell left and signed with the Miami, but they actually performed very well. One of my favorite names in baseball, Huston Street is the closer and had a 1.85 ERA in 2012. Every season Luke Gregerson's ERA gets lower and lower and in 2012 his ERA dropped to 2.39, and lefty Joe Thatcher had some success after coming off injury.

I project 78 wins for the Padres in 2013

The Oakland Athletics have a team of people we never heard of, until 2012. Every player on that team did well and impressed a lot of people who doubted them, but the true star on the A's is Billy Beane. I'm not sure if he knew something about Josh Reddick, Yoennis Cespedes, and Coco Crisp or if he got lucky. Either way there are more new players on the A's in 2013 and they are looking to win.

1. S. Crisp CF        105 OPS+
2. R. Nakajima SS .833 OPS in Japan
3. L. Reddick RF    110 OPS+
4. R. Cespedes LF 137 OPS+
5. L. Moss 1B        160 OPS+
6. R. Norris C         73 OPS+
7. L. Smith DH        109 OPS+
8. S. Lowrie 3B        108 OPS+
9. S Weeks 2B          71 OPS+

The Athletics have a pitching rotation of young pitchers who all were successful in 2013. They each pitched well and shocked many by how well they handled the pressure down the stretch. They aren't household names by they are pretty damn good. A perfect addition for their team would be Kyle Lohse, but he may be too expensive.

1. R. Jarrod Parker   3.47 ERA
2. L. Brett Anderson 3.57 ERA 2011-2012
3. R. AJ Griffin          3.06 ERA
4. L. Tommy Milone  3.74 ERA
5. L. Travis Blackley  4.10 ERA

A new trend in Oakland began in 2012, that is Balfour Rage. When Australian born Grant Balfour entered games to the sounds of Metallica's song "One" the fans would go crazy. I've never seen a crowed become energized so quickly, but Balfour will be out for the beginning of the season. Ryan Cook and his 2.09 ERA will probably take over as closer until Balfour comes back. Sean Doolittle, the lefty in the pen pitched to a 3.04 ERA in 2012 and will play an important role in 2013.

I project 85 wins for the Athletics in 2013.

Highs and Lows

The Rockies are mile high and well, the Rays are at sea level. Both of these teams have the ability to succeed in 2013, but they might be repressed by the other teams in their division.

The Mile High Heros

The Rockies have one of the nicest 3-4 combos in baseball. That is Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki. They are two five tool players raking day in and day out, but there are six other players and the pitcher in that lineup.

1. S. Fowler CF      117 OPS+
2. R. Pacheco 3B    91 OPS+
3. L. Gonzalez RF   119 OPS+
4. R. Tulowitzki SS 111 OPS+
5. L. Helton 1B       87 OPS+
6. R. Cuddyer LF    99 OPS+
7. R. Rosario C       107 OPS+
8. S. Herrera 2B      69 OPS+

Pitching in the mile high city is not an easy task. Pitchers have been been plagued with high earned run averages for years. The Rockies have a rotation but is subject to change almost regularly due to repeated failure to succeed.

1. R. Jhoulys Chacin 4.48 ERA
2. R. Drew Pomeranz 4.93 ERA
3. L. Jorge de la Rosa 3.51 ERA in 2011
4. R. Tyler Chatwood  5.43 ERA
5. R. Christian Friedrich 6.17 ERA

In Colorado, games are closed by Rafael Betancort. He is one of the few pitchers who has success with the Rockies. He has posted a sub 3.00 ERA his passed two seasons and in 2012 recorded 31 saves. Rex Brothers is also in the pen. He has had some success in Coloardo, but that is basically all for the Rockies in terms of pitching.

I project 71 wins for the Rockies in 2013

David Price and his dog Astro. Astro has been in many commercials. 

The Tampa Bay Rays have a unique way of winning games. They do it on limited budgets. The only big name in their 2013 lineup is Evan Longoria. BJ Upton is with the Braves and Calros Pena is with the Astros. Longoria will be along side Matt Joyce and Ben Zobrist to produce runs in 2013. You should expect to see super prospect Wil Myers sometime during the season.

1. R. Jennings CF    97 OPS+
2. L. Fuld LF          83 OPS+    
3. R. Longoria 3B  149 OPS+
4. L. Joyce RF        116 OPS+
5. S. Zobrist 2B       138 OPS+
6. L. Scott DH         101 OPS+
7. R. Escobar SS      75 OPS+
8. L. Loney 1B         73 OPS+
9. R. Jimenez C        83 OPS+

The Rays have an excellent pitching rotation, even with the trade of James Sheilds to the Royals. They are led by AL Cy Young Award winner David Price. Also there are high hopes and high expectations for Matt Moore in his second season.

1. L. David Price 2.56 ERA
2. R. Jeremy Hellickson 3.10 ERA
3. L. Matt Moore 3.81 ERA
4. R. Alex Cobb 4.03 ERA
5. R. Roberto Hernandez (Fausto Carmona) 5.25 ERA in 2011

Fernando Rodney didn't get enough Cy Young Award consideration. He pitched 74 innings with a 0.60 ERA. That is a crazy number and he record 48 saves. The Rays definitely have a good closer for the 2013 season. Usually the Rays find a few guys and they end up doing well out of the bullpen every year. It is the same way this year with the exceptions of Kyle Farnsworth and Jake McGee. Farnsworth had success with the Rays in 2011 and spotted a 4.00 ERA in 2012, but McGee sported a 1.95 ERA in 2013 dominating the American League.

I project 84 wins for the Rays in 2013.



 

2011 World Series

The 2011 World Series was one of the most entertaining I have ever watched. The Texas Rangers' powerful offense and the St. Louis Cardinals' devoted fans and star players battled it out in seven games, along the way there were walk off wins and key hits, but what will be the key for these teams in 2013?

The Texas Rangers lost most of their key players from the glory days of 2011, but the bad part is, they replaced them with sub par players. Josh Hamilton signed with the Angels, Mike Napoli signed with the Red Sox, and Michael Young was traded to the Phillies. The Rangers have Jurickson Profar, Lance Berkman, and AJ Pierzynski to replace those three sluggers. The Rangers were very reluctant to put Elvis Andrus in the deal for Justin Upton, so that is why they missed out on the big hitter they need. The main concern is where everyone will play, there has been talk about moving Kinsler to first.

1. R. Andrus SS    91 OPS+
2. S. Profar 2B     .820 OPS in AA
3. R. Beltre 3B      137 OPS+
4. R. Cruz RF        101 OPS+
5. S. Berkman DH 126 OPS+
6. R. Kinsler 1B     95 OPS+
7. L. Pierzynski C   118 OPS+
8. L. Murphy LF     124 OPS+
9. L. Borbon CF     73 OPS+

The Rangers are anchored by Yu Darvish who didn't do as well as expected, but still pretty well. The rotation in Texas is rough, but they will have to push through it.

1. R. Yu Darvish 3.90 ERA
2. R. Colby Lewis 3.43 ERA
3. L. Matt Harrison 3.29 ERA
4. L. Derek Holland  4.67 ERA
5. R. Alexi Ogando 3.27 ERA in bullpen

The bullpen for the Rangers lost super set up man Mike Adams to free agency and Koji Uehara also to free agency. They did sign Joakim Soria to either close or set up for Joe Nathan. Also I expect Neftali Feliz to go back to the bullpen where he has had success previously.

I project 76 wins for the Rangers in 2013.

Both Pujols and Hamilton departed for Anaheim 

The Cardinals made it to the NLCS in 2013 after winning the wild card game and defeating the Nationals in a five game NLDS. They did all of that without Albert Pujols, which shocked many, and they are looking to shock many again in 2013.

1. L. Jay CF         113 OPS+
2. L. Descalso 2B 72 OPS+
3. R. Holliday LF  138 OPS+
4. S. Beltran RF    128 OPS+
5. R. Molina C      137 OPS+
6. R. Craig 1B      137 OPS+
7. R. Freese 3B     129 OPS+
8. R. Kozma SS     no recent stats

Chris Carpenter is out for the entire year and very well could be at the end of his career. The rotation is led by Adam Wainwright, but is without Kyle Lohse. Nobody in the rotation really blows you away theoretically, but Trevor Rosenthal can blow you away with his fast ball.

1. R. Adam Wainwight 3.94 ERA
2. L. Jamie Garcia 3.92 ERA
3. R. Lance Lynn  3.78 ERA
4. R. Jake Westbrook 3.97 ERA
5. R. Trevor Rosenthal 2.78 ERA in bullpen

The Cardinals' have a pretty good bullpen. Jason Motte closes the door in the ninth inning. Lefies Marc Rzepczynski aka every announcers nightmare and Randy Choate are the lefties in the pen. Also in the pen is Shelby Miller and Mitchell Boggs, but expect Miller to compete for the fifth starter spot.

I project 83 wins for the cardinals in 2013.

In a Land Far Far Away...

Seattle and Miami are geographically the two teams furthest apart from one another and their 2013 off seasons are far apart as well. The Miami Marlins traded almost all of their team while the Seattle Mariners are making a push to make the playoffs.

Beware the Giancarlo. He's Better than Mike

The Marlins were the favorite for the National League West in the beginning of 2012, but that idea quickly dissipated as they began trading parts of their team. As the season went on, more and more players were being traded and then in the off season the Marlins made the huge trade with the Blue Jays which upset people in the MLB front office and many team owners. It's not the first time the Marlins have done this, and it will definitely effect the decisions of the free agents in future years.

1. L. Pierre CF           95 OPS+
2. R. Polanco 3B        71 OPS+
3. R. Stanton RF        158 OPS+
4. L. Morrison 1B      91 OPS+
5. R. Mathis C           71 OPS+
6. L. Coghlan LF       81 OPS+ in 2011
7. R. Hechavarria SS 74 OPS+
8. L. Dobbs 2B         89 OPS+

The Marlins' pitching rotation was regarded as one of the better ones in baseball, but now it is not even average. I don't know who they may choose to be the 5th starter, but here is how it looks as of now:

1. R. Henderson Alverez 4.85 ERA
2. R. Rickey Nolasco 4.48 ERA
3. R. Nathan Eovaldi 4.30 ERA
4. R. Jacob Turner 4.42 ERA

In the bullpen is underrated reliever/closer Steve Cishek. He had an ERA around 2.60 for the past two seasons. He may be the next one to be traded. Also Ryan Webb, Jon Rauch, and Wade LeBlanc are in the pen for the Marlins.

I project 59 wins for the Marlins, possibly even fewer if they continue to trade parts of their team.

The Mariners made some beautiful additions to their team this off season, especially their lineup. The biggest acquisition was Michael Morse. He will play the outfield and most likely bat third in the upgraded Mariners lineup. The 3-4-5 combo for the Mariners all start with the letter 'M' comment what you think their nickname should be. Also the fences are coming in at Safeco Field. So all the players are happy to hear that.

1. R. Guttierez CF 107 OPS+
2. L. Ackley 2B     79 OPS+
3. R. Morse RF      112 OPS+
4. S. Morales DH   121 OPS+
5. R. Montero C     95 OPS+
6. L. Ibanez LF       104 OPS+
7. S. Smoak 1B      87 OPS+
8. R. Ryan SS         61 OPS+
9. R. Andino 3B      61 OPS+

The Royal Emblem

The top of the Mariner Monarch is now getting paid as if he were royalty. King Felix signed a huge contract extension, the greatest in value for any pitcher in fact. Felix Hernandez does deserve that money. He brings the fans into that ballpark and has already proved what he can do at such a young age. But there is more to the rotation, here they are:

1. R. Felix Hernandez 3.06 ERA
2. R. Hisashi Iwakuma 3.16 ERA
3. L. Joe Saunders 4.07 ERA
4. R. Blake Bleavan 4.43 ERA
5. R. Hector Noesi 5.82 ERA

Todd Wilhelmsen impressed everyone in 2012 as he took on the closer's role and pitched to a 2.50 ERA. The bullpen for the Mariners isn't too deep, but Charlie Furbush and an improved Oliver Perez are in the bullpen. If the Mariners begin to seem as if they might make the playoffs expect the bullpen to be the first thing they look to improve. Francisco Rodriguez would be a great fit for what the Mariners need right now.

I project 82 wins for the Mariners in 2013.