2005 Predictions: Enjoy Them Today, Once the Action Starts, Who Knows?
Batter Up April 3rd, 2005
The American League West has become the premier division in the league.
Every team in the West has a chance to win the division this season. Every team in the West has a manager that makes an impact on the game. Every team in the West has a general manager that understands how to build a winning ball club.
So, who’s the frontrunner to win the division as the season opens up?The Angels are stronger in every aspect of the game than their division opponents. If the Angels stay healthy, and that is always the question in baseball, the Halos should win.
Every time the Angel’s 2004 AL MVP Vladimir Guerrero puts the bat on the ball, something exciting happens. He is the one player the Angels can ill afford to lose.
Anaheim’s starting pitching is solid. The bullpen isn’t as strong as last year because Francisco Rodriguez still has to learn how to be a closer.
Seattle is my surprise team. New Mariners Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre give manager Mike Hargrove two legitimate power bats who will light up the scoreboard away from spacious Safeco Field.
The Mariner pitching isn’t as shaky as everyone thinks. 42 year old Jamie Moyer has one more good year left in him, Gil Meche, Bobby Madritsch, and Joel Piniero will surprise people over the course of the season.
Waiting in the wings is 19 year old phenom Felix Hernandez who will join the rotation by mid season.
It will be difficult for Ichiro to top last year’s 262 hit season, but somewhere in his future he will break Joe Dimaggio’s 56 game hitting streak.
The A’s play the game correctly for manager Ken Macha. Best news: The players respond to Macha’s no nonsense approach to baseball overcoming the inevitable growing pains the revamped A’s will face.
Barry Zito has to return to his Cy Young form, nothing short of that will be acceptable on a staff that needs his leadership. Rich Harden has a chance to be an all star. The rest of the starting rotation will be a work in progress all season.
The bull pen will be a strength. Getting career years from Kiko Calero, Juan Cruz, and the underrated Justin Duchscherer will be a necessity. Rookie Huston street will be fine getting key outs in the middle of the game.
Texas hits the ball and when they get tired they hit the ball some more. Unfortunately for the Rangers they have to pitch the ball.
Texas still has a weak starting rotation and there is concern that the bull pen, the strength of the 2004 staff, is not healthy heading into the season.
The AL Central will be a close race all year.
Minnesota still has the best pitching led by Cy Young winner Johan Santana and Brad Radke. The Twins, like the A’s and Angels, play the game with few mental mistakes.
Cleveland has a great offense.The Tribe has improved its starting pitching. If pitchers Kevin Millwood, CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, and Jake Westbrook are consistent all year Cleveland has enough to win this division.
The White Sox will be much better. In fact, if El Duque, Jon Garland, and Jose Contreras somehow combine to win 36 to 40 games, Chicago will be in the mix. I like the Sox bull pen, it’s as deep as any in the league.
Detroit will get close to .500, while Kansas City will be looking for a new manager by August.
The Yankees are the best team in the league. If they are having any trouble at midseason you know George will buy whatever players they need.
The Red Sox will struggle only because their starting pitching is shaky this year. Pitchers Curt Schilling, David Wells, and Wade Miller all will see significant time on the DL. You can’t beat the Yankees unless all the pieces are in place.
The Orioles, Blue Jays and Devil Rays are getting better, but playing in the AL east ends any chance for the playoffs by June.
The NL shapes up like this:
Marlins win the East. Even with Tim Hudson in Atlanta, seeing Raul Mondesi and Brian Jordan in the outfield will not make Bobby Cox smile.
Cards take the Central. Hitters Larry Walker, Albert Pujols, and Scott Rolen are enough.
Padres sneak in to take the West in a close race with the Giants. Barry Bonds’s absence costs the Giants the division, but they grab the wild card. Are the Dodgers still in the league? Arizona is much improved, if things break correctly for the Snakes they stay in the race all summer.
Yanks over the Marlins in the series.
0 comments
HI Marty,
I think the AL west teams will beat up on each other all season long. I expect all four to be relatively close in the W/L columns. I agree that the Angels should win the division if they remain relatively healthy — if not they are not that deep to hold off challenges from below.
I am more optimistic about Oakland and more pessimistic about Seattle than you are. I expect them to be 2-3. I agree with you about Texas,
But again, nobody will run away or totally stink it up in this division.
Marty; I have no reason to quarrel with your predictions. Making them is a hazardous undertaking, quarreling with them is equally dangerous. I have two gut feelings. One, the A’s are going to have more pitching problems than anticipated by some, and, two, Minnesota is more likely to get into the World Series than either the Yankees or the Red Sox.
You will note that I have said nothing about the National League, and since I have little standing to talk about the American League, you may disregard my opinions with impunity.
Ed
Why Minnesota? And tell me what’s not to like about the Yankees?
Marty
Why Minnesota? In the first place it’s a gut impression and you know what you can do with them. However; Morneau, Santana, Nathan, Mauer, if healthy; they are good enough to win 90 or more games the past three years; they play in the AL Central; post-season play is notorious for producing ultimate winners who can’t make it over the 162 game stretch; good bullpen;
What don’t I like about the Yankees? Giambi, Williams, an aging pitching staff even though Johnson pitches as though a 25 year old. And a whole bunch of wishful thinking on my part. They better hope Rivera isn’t on the way down.
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