2023 Predictions

AL EAST

2. Baltimore Orioles 96-66
Boston Red Sox 90-72
New York Yankees 85-77
Washington Nationals 82-80
Montreal Expos 65-97

AL CENTRAL

3. Minnesota Twins 95-67
WC2- Toronto Blue Jays 92-70
Memphis Rhythm 70-92
Chicago White Sox 60-102

AL WEST

1. LA Dodgers 105-57
WC1- Oakland Athletics 102-60
Kansas City Royals 73-89
Calgary Mustangs 63-99

NL EAST

3. Orlando Century 90-72
Atlanta Braves 88-74
Florida Marlins 86-66
New York Mets 82-80
Tampa Bay Rays 60-102

NL CENTRAL

2. St. Louis Cardinals 93-69
WC2- Pittsburgh Pirates 89-73
New Orleans Crawfish 84-78
Chicago Cubs 74-88

NL WEST

1. Arizona Diamondbacks 97-65
WC1- Houston Astros 90-72
Colorado Rockies 85-77
Vancouver Lumberjacks 71-91

PLAYOFFS

WILD CARD ROUND

AL- Oakland over Toronto
NL- Pittsburgh over Houston

DIVISION SERIES

AL- Los Angeles over Oakland 3-2
AL- Minnesota over Baltimore 3-2
NL- Arizona over Pittsburgh 3-1
NL- St. Louis over Orlando 3-2

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AL- Los Angeles over Minnesota 4-2
NL- Arizona over St. Louis 4-1

WORLD SERIES

Los Angeles over Arizona 4-2

2022 Predictions

AL EAST-

2. Baltimore Orioles 93-69
WC2- New York Yankees 86-76
Boston Red Sox 83-79
Toronto Blue Jays 78-84
Montreal Expos 68-94

AL CENTRAL-

3. Minnesota Twins 90-72
Memphis Rythym 75-87
Kansas City Royals 69-93
Chicago White Sox 62-100

AL WEST-

1. Oakland Athletics 100-62
WC1- LA Dodgers 92-70
New Orleans Crawfish 85-77
Texas Rangers 70-92

NL EAST-

3. Washington Nationals 90-72
Atlanta Braves 87-75
New York Mets 85-77
Tampa Bay Rays 66-96
Florida Marlins 58-104

NL CENTRAL-

2. Orlando Century 94-68
WC2- Pittsburgh Pirates 90-72
Chicago Cubs 82-80
Vancouver Lumberjacks 63-99

NL WEST-

1. Colorado Rockies 95-67
WC1- Arizona Diamondbacks 92-70
St. Louis Cardinals 89-73
Houston Astros 74-88

WILDCARD-

AL- LAD over NYY
NL- ARI over PIT

DIVISION SERIES

AL- OAK over LAD 3-2
AL- MIN over BAL 3-2
NL- ORL over WAS 3-1
NL- ARI over COL 3-2

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AL- OAK over MIN 4-1
NL- ARI over ORL 4-3

WORLD SERIES

OAK over ARI 4-2

2020 Mock Draft

2020 Mock Draft

1st Round

1st- Baltimore Orioles- Barry Frey, SP, 82/95, Florida
2nd- Florida Marlins- Brian Hunt, OF, 64/95, High School
3rd- Milwaukee Brewers- Blaine Winston, SP, 69/93 Ole Miss
4th- Memphis Rhythm- Alex Cabanez, SP, 67/94, Arkansas
5th- Colorado Rockies- Brian Cottingham, SP, 68/92, St. John's
6th- LA Dodgers- Adam Gabbard, OF, 72/93, Minnesota
7th- Chicago White Sox- Nick Aldridge, C, 65/94, High School
8th- Washington Nationals- Benjamin Wood, SS, 74/93, Georgia
9th- LA Dodgers- Joel Roberts, C, 76/88, Florida State
10th- Boston Red Sox- Don Belgeri, OF, 63/93, High School
11th- LA Dodgers- Benji List, 3B, 73/93, Washington
12th- New York Mets- Sissel Haakenson, OF, 65/93, Florida Atlantic
13th- Texas Rangers- Eric Johnston, RP, 61/87, Washington
14th- New Orleans Crawfish- Alfredo Vilmarie, SP, 55/88, High School
15th- Arizona Diamondbacks- Spencer Goodman, RP, 56/88, High School
16th- Oakland Athletics- Ed Sipes, 2B, 63/91, Oregon State
17th- Pittsburgh Pirates- Todd Tipcony, RP, 61/92, High School
18th- LA Dodgers- Louie Sin, RP, 67/85, Winthrop
19th- LA Dodgers- James Czerwinski, SS, 67/87, High School
20th- Boston Red Sox- Roger Banovac, C, 68/87, South Carolina
21st- Atlanta Braves- Eric Collin, OF, 64/91, High School
22nd- New York Yankees- Ben MacLeish, 3B, 64/85, Cal State Fullerton
23rd- Chicago White Sox- Chris Parr, SP, 49/85, High School
24th- Oakland Athletics- Garrett Lindstedt, RP, 61/88, High School

2020 Predictions

AL EAST

2. New York Yankees 92-70
WC1- Boston Red Sox 87-75
Toronto Blue Jays 78-84
Baltimore Orioles 74-88

AL CENTRAL

3- Minnesota Twins 85-78
Memphis Rhythm 82-80
Kansas City Royals 77-85
Chicago White Sox 75-87

AL WEST

1. Oakland Athletics 95-67
WC2- Texas Rangers 86-76
New Orleans Crawfish 85-77
LA Dodgers 84-78

NL EAST

2- Atlanta Braves 93-69
New York Mets 84-78
Washington Nationals 81-81
Florida Marlins 72-90

NL CENTRAL

3- Pittsburgh Pirates 90-72
WC2- Orlando Century 86-76
Chicago Cubs 77-85
Milwaukee Brewers 68-94

NL WEST

1- Houston Astros 96-66
WC1- St. Louis Cardinals 90-72
Arizona Diamondbacks 85-77
Colorado Rockies 82-80

PLAYOFFS

WILD CARD ROUND

AL- Boston over Texas
NL- St. Louis over Orlando

DIVISION SERIES

AL- Oakland over Boston 3-1
AL- New York over Minnesota 3-1
NL- Houston over St. Louis 3-2
NL- Pittsburgh over Atlanta 3-2

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AL- Oakland over New York 4-3
NL- Houston over Pittsburgh 4-1

WORLD SERIES

Houston Astros over Oakland Athletics 4-1

2019 Predictions

2019 Predictions

AL EAST

2. Boston Red Sox 94-86
WC2- New York Yankees 87-75
Baltimore Orioles 70-92
Toronto Blue Jays 63-99

AL CENTRAL

3. Chicago White Sox 91-71
Kansas City Royals 85-77
Cleveland Indians 77-85
Minnesota Twins 68-94

AL WEST

1. Los Angeles Dodgers 98-64
WC1- Texas Rangers 88-74
Oakland Athletics 85-77
New Orleans Crawfish 78-84

NL EAST

3. New York Mets 88-74
Atlanta Braves 83-79
Washington Nationals 79-83
Florida Marlins 62-100

NL CENTRAL

2. Orlando Century 92-70
WC1- Chicago Cubs 90-72
Pittsburgh Pirates 80-82
Milwaukee Brewers 74-88

NL WEST

1. Arizona Diamondbacks 93-69
WC2- Houston Astros 87-75
Colorado Rockeis 83-79
Seattle Mariners 68-94

PLAYOFFS

WILD CARD ROUND

AL- New York over Texas
NL- Chicago over Houston

DIVISION SERIES

AL- Los Angeles over New York 3-1
AL- Boston over Chicago 3-2
NL- Chicago over Arizona 3-2
NL- Orlando over New York 3-1

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AL- Los Angeles over Boston 4-2
NL- Chicago over Orlando 4-3

WORLD SERIES

Chicago Cubs over Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3

AL Power Rankings

-Tom Kurkjian

Today we are going to look a bit further into the numbers to see who the best teams are in the AL. A formula was created by ranking each team in 17 different statistical categories and ranking how each team fared in each category. The season is still young and the rankings will probably fluctuate as we gather more data. But for now, here are your power rankings:

1. LAD - 3.71

2. KCR - 3.82

3. BOS - 4.65

4. CHW - 4.71

5. SFG - 4.94

6. NYY - 6.53

7. OAK - 6.65

8. BAL - 6.94

9. TOR - 7.00

10. CLV - 7.12

11. TEX - 10.35

12. MIN - 10.65

2018 Season Preview

AL EAST

2. New York Yankees 93-69
WC1- Boston Red Sox 90-72
Toronto Blue Jays 82-80
Baltimore Orioles 68-94

AL CENTRAL

3. Chicago White Sox 91-71
Kansas City Royals 85-77
Cleveland Indians 78-84
Minnesota Twins 60-102

AL WEST

1. Los Angeles Dodgers 97-65
WC2- Oakland Athletics 86-76
San Francisco Giants 76-86
Texas Rangers 74-88

NL EAST

3. New Yorks Mets 87-75
WC2- Atlanta Braves 86-76
Florida Marlins 79-83
Washington Nationals 72-90

NL CENTRAL

2. Orlando Century 88-74
Chicago Cubs 87-75
Milwaukee Brewers 82-80
Pittsburgh Pirates 78-84

NL WEST

1. Arizona Diamondbacks 95-67
WC1- Houston Astros 90-72
Colorado Rockies 70-92
Seattle Mariners 58-104

WILD CARD ROUND

AL- Boston over Oakland
NL- Houston over Atlanta

DIVISION SERIES

AL- Los Angeles over Boston 3-1
AL- Chicago over New York 3-2
NL- Houston over Arizona 3-2
NL- Orlando over New York 3-1

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

AL- Chicago over Los Angeles 4-3
NL- Houston over Orlando 4-3

WORLD SERIES

Houston over Chicago 4-2

A Bright Future Ahead

A Bright Future Ahead

Dallas, TX - After a tumultuous season in North Texas that saw the Rangers post the worst record the team has had in the last decade (67-95) and jettisoned virtually any semblance of major league talent that was on the 25 man roster, the team has made great moves by bringing back veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy and trading for Arizona's default staff ace Buck Farmer.

Surprising for the Rangers during the tail end of the season was the development of shortstop Willy Adames. Adames as you'll remember came to Texas from the Orlando Pride organization in a deal that sent third baseman Evan Longoria back to the Sunshine State. Adames looks to be invited to Spring Training in Arizona next month and is already penciled in to be the teams starting shortstop this season.

The team has also been optimistic and impressed by the quick development of 1B Jake Gatewood, 3B Nick Senzel, CF Rod Park, and 2B Roberto Baldoquin. It's not out of the realm of possibilities that any or all of the above could be making their debuts at some point this season.

Rangers Owner/CEO/GM BigTex sat down for a Q&A session with local Dallas media last night, here is a transcript from that interview.

(BigTex answering questions)

BT: I just wanted to start out this press conference/Q&A by saying that I appreciate everyone's time and effort when it comes to supporting this franchise. Last season didn't go the way we'd all hoped it would and that's my fault. Sometimes when you get into the habit of buying players it doesn't always go the way you think it will.

That said, I'll now take questions.

DMN: Tex, Yu Janich Dallas Morning News, Have you kept up with the players you dealt away in the middle of the season? Do you think you had a fair return and was the moves, in your head, justified?

BT: Well, I actually did keep up with most of the guys I dealt because I developed a relationship with the team. I think a lot of guys that we ended up dealing away were dealt at the right time as many of them hit major slumps upon their departure from the metroplex. I think Peterson and Kluber were successful for Boston and Miller was successful for the Mets. I think everyone else basically just shit the bed.

I think the returns we had were monumental and helped to change what was going to be a half-decade rebuild into a year or two max. We completely fleeced the Pride when we acquired Willy Adames.

CBSD: Tex, Sum Guiy, CBS News Dallas, We've heard that you've wrapped up Jonathan Lucroy to a multi-year deal and that you've brought in Farmer from Arizona, but are there any other moves you plan to make before Spring Training?

BT: Oh God yes, we're working on a lot of different options at this time. We're close to signing Doug Fister, Sean Nolin, Josh Outman, we've already come to terms with Matt Holiday, Trevor Plouffe, and Christian Bettencourt, we're working on spending a large portion of our un-used budget as we speak.

FWST: Tex, Bob McGloughlin, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, have you heard about the Dodgers uniform change? Have you seen them? What's your opinion on their change and do you foresee any changes for the Rangers in the near future?

BT: Well, I generally won't comment on what other teams do because, well, frankly, I don't give a shit. That said, the Dodgers uniforms are classics like the Yankees, Cowboys, or any other historic teams in history. Changing the uniform is tacky and the reasoning seemed a little "off" to me. How are you going to change the teams colors from blue (crips) to red (bloods) and say that the change was gang related?

As far as the Rangers go, no changes are in consideration for the near future, although we're considering going back to wearing jersey's that say "Rangers" at home, I'm not sure why it was ever changed to just having "Texas" on all the jersey's but I'm fairly sure that the asses in the seats know that they're in Texas.

DMN: Tex, Yu Janich again, what's your opinion on the Astros heartbreaking loss to the Dodgers in the World Series? The entire state of Texas was pulling for them.

BT: My opinion? Fuck them, they deserved to lose. I can promise you this, the entire state of Texas was NOT rooting for an Astros win in the World Series.

I have time for one more question.

FWST: Tex, Bob McGloughlin again, there's rumors out there that you're planning on moving the Rangers out of Texas, are these rumors true? If so, where are you planning to go? Are other cities making offers?

BT: I was dreading this question resurfacing. Look, I'm a straight shooter so truthfully, it's none of your damn business.. hahaha, I'm kidding. Look, when I was lured to the Metroplex several seasons ago, I was promised a new stadium that hasn't been built and likely won't be built. My team played in a jewel of a stadium in Southern California before I left on false promises. The league office has given me permission to find another home if I so desire, one that WILL build me a new stadium and thus far, there have been several offers on the table. Florida, Tennessee, California, hell even a couple other cities in Texas have been on the phone.

I'll just say this, I have no immediate plans to move the Rangers out of the Dallas/Fort Worth area but I'm going to need a little help from the politicians, voters, and taxpayers to make this thing work for the long haul.

Thank you.

A New Los Angeles

Briefing

The Los Angeles Dodgers are fresh off their first World Series win since 1988. This upcoming season would've marked 30 years into a gut-checking drought. Thankfully, The Xekutioner led Dodgers were able to snap that Championship-less streak and bring the Commissioner's Trophy BACK to Los Angeles. The city is still in a buzz as well as LA fans around the world but today we have other matter.

We recap the most recent press conference by Owner/General Manager, The Xekutioner, and his initiative into what is being called "A New Los Angeles". The recap includes the unveiling of a new logo, jerseys and baseball cap. Let's go ahead and take you back to a quite historic press conference here in Los Angeles.

Hunt for October- NL Edition

Unlike the American League races the National League races have been close all season. Outside of Arizona dominating the NL West, the NL East, Central, and Wild Card have been closer than FGM and Strat. The National League has not only been one of the closet races but has the most even teams. Florida, Atlanta, New York, Orlando, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Houston are all just a couple games within each other. With a large amount of competition the National League could be primed to grab their third World Series title in as many seasons.

NL EAST

Florida-

Florida has fared well since changing GMs at the Draft. Florida is 11-4 in September so far and has it's sights set on bringing home back to back division titles. For three straight sims Florida and Atlanta were tied with New York just 2 back. Now Florida has moved up some and taken a 1.5 game lead in to tonight's final sim. While Atlanta played an average sim Florida was able to take advantage of games against Colorado while at the same point winning huge series vs Orlando and Arizona. Now Florida looks to take last nights momentum in to tonight. The Marlins open on a 10 game home stand against Pittsburgh, Orlando, and Houston before closing out the Season at Wrigley in what could be a playoff matchup against the Cubs. For Florida to win they must shut down Pittsburgh and Houston while at the same point winning at least one series vs Chicago or Orlando. If they can do that Florida will be on it's way to the division title and number 2 seed.

Atlanta-

If there has been a team that has turned around their fortunes it is Atlanta. Atlanta at one point in the season not looking like a playoff team at all is now back in the playoff race once again. Despite three straight sims being tied with the Marlins for 1st and a strong sim last night, Florida has moved ahead. Atlanta though comes in to tonight 0.5 games up on Chicago for the Wild Card 1 Spot, and is up on Milwaukee by 1 game for the final playoff spot. Atlanta looks to build on a strong 9-5 night last night. Much like Florida, the path to the playoffs for Atlanta is much of the same. Atlanta can not get dominated in Arizona to start the first four game series of the sim. For the Wild Card Atlanta must split, for the division they must win atleast 3 of 4. Atlanta needs to take advantage of home games vs Houston and the final series at home vs Pittsburgh. But the series vs Milwaukee in the middle, in Milwaukee will be huge for both teams. I expect the winner of the Milwaukee/Atlanta series to make the playoffs while the other team will have work to do.

New York-

I think we all must take a moment to recognize the job Stache has done with New York this season. Their playoff path is slim but coming from where they were the last two seasons is definitely a strong achievement and potential GM of the Year nomination. New York comes in to tonight 6 games back of 1st in the division, and 4 games back of Chicago for the final playoff spot. The Mets actually have the easiest path forward but will have a huge first series. The Mets open the sim at home against the Brewers for 4 games. If the Mets want to get back in the race they will need to take atleast 3 of 4 against Milwaukee. A split will help but might not do enough. The Mets then take on 3 of the worst teams in the National League, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Colorado. The Mets must not only win all 3 series, but they need to sweep atleast 1 of those teams, and they can not wait until Colorado at the very end to do so. The Mets have a shot and and easy schedule, they need to take care of business though and hope everyone else beats up on each other.

NL Central

Orlando-

The National League Central has been the most entertaining to some. Orlando, Chicago and up and coming Milwaukee are all close. Orlando did nice work last night finishing the sim on a 5 game winning streak and moving ahead of Chicago by 1.5, and 2 over Milwaukee. But do not expect this division race to be over. This division has changed head many times since the start of the year and even last night we saw each team have a lead at some point. Orlando has a schedule to their advantage. They will play the league worst Colorado Rockies for 8 games. They will need to take advantage of them, even the slightest of slip ups will open the door for Milwaukee and Chicago. The Century will also have possible playoff matchups in Florida then at home to close out the season vs Arizona.

Chicago-

The defending World Champs are trying to not miss the playoffs and get a shot to defend that title. Chicago, like Orlando, and Milwaukee had a strong 9-5 sim last night. This put them 0.5 behind Atlanta for the top WC spot. The Cubs the first week of the sim will have to be on the road as well as the first part of the last week. The Cubs though will need to beat Houston and Colorado as both a very winnable games for the Cubs, but the real test will be when Chicago goes to Arizona for the 2nd to last series of the season in what could be a possible ALDS matchup if the Cubs get the Wild Card, ALCS if the Cubs capture the division. The Cubs will finish out the season against the Marlins in what could be an ALDS preview and last years NLCS rematch.

Milwaukee-

Another possible nomination for GM of the Year is Milwaukee's GM BrueCrue. He has led Milwaukee from 69 wins in 2015, to 80 wins last year, and now on the cusp of their first Playoff Appearance since 2011, and their first of BLM. Milwaukee has been right along with Chicago and Orlando the whole way matching them up at each turn. The Brewers have a shot tonight, like Orlando and Chicago to play two series against one of the worst teams in the NL, that being Seattle. Milwaukee needs to win both series and probably sweep one of them. They Brew Crew can possibly eliminate the Mets with a sweep or even just a series win in the first series of the sim. They will play Atlanta in their 2nd to last series which is why it is our NL Series to watch. Milwaukee vs Atlanta will be huge if both are right on the cusp of the Wild Cards.

NL West

Arizona-

Arizona has had the NL West locked up for some time. They have been for the most part coasting. But let's look more in depth. Arizona is 6-9 in September. Where have we seen this before? No Competition, bad September, I feel like I have seen this somewhere. Oh Well guess we will keep guessing. Arizona needs to finish this month out strong. A positive for Arizona, the play potential playoff/1st round matchups against the like or Atlanta, Orlando, and Chicago with a quick series against non playoff team Washington. Bad news for Arizona, they play 3 of 4 playoff teams who themselves are fighting for their playoff lives. Arizona needs to finish this sim out strong. If they show any weakness going in to tomorrow's playoffs based on tonight, it could be an early night.

Oh yeah I remember, LA has been the best team the last two years, had a bad September and been bounced in the 1st round. Chicago in 2015 had no competition and lost in the 1st round to a good Seattle team.

Houston-

This is much like San Francisco in the American League. Houston is hanging on for deer life hoping for a miracle and is about to play a harder schedule than San Francisco will play. Houston, the defending NL West, now not anymore champion is about to be bounced out of the playoffs. But let's say a miracle can happen. How do they do it. If is gonna start at home vs Chicago in a four game series. They are gonna need to take 3/4 from them. Then they go on the road to Atlanta and Florida, again somewhere along the way Houston will need to sweep one of them, most likely Atlanta and then take 3/4 from Florida. Then they will need to close out with a strong home sweep of Washington, anything less at that point and it's probably off to be guest commentators on MLB Network.

Final Predictions-

NLE- Florida
NLC- Orlando
NLW- Arizona
NLWC1- Atlanta
NLWC2- Chicago

Outside Looking In-

Milwaukee
New York
Houston

Hunt for October- AL Edition

As we move to the final sim tonight we see the AL race heating up. Back around the middle of August I said that the AL race was over, that the five teams, Chicago, LA, New York, Boston, and Oakland were for sure locks. Chicago and LA were primed for Division titles, Boston and New York would fight to the end for the AL East, and as the last three years Oakland would grab the Wild Card and turn all sights on knocking out LA for a 3rd straight season. But now things are changing. Kansas City is surging, Oakland is surging, and those teams we saw as locks are struggling. Even Toronto and San Francisco, while most likely they will not make it, they are making things interesting.

AL East

New York-

Coming in to last night it seemed that New York was surging to be a true contender in the AL. They had grown they lead over Boston and were playing like it was October. Then we saw New York hit a road block. The Yankees stumbled in last night's sim to a 6-9 record. Kansas City took 5 out of 6 vs New York last night. New York saw their lead shrink from five games to three, and even at one point during the sim Boston was back within 1. Tonight New York enters with a 3 game lead while playing three teams they could meet in the playoffs, Chicago, Oakland, and LA, then a series against rebuilding Texas to end the season. This will be a true test for New York. If they can escape this gauntlet they will be battle tested for the playoffs, but if they slump through, the Yankees could be in for a short October.

Boston-

Boston saw a large AL East lead slip away thanks to an 11-18 month of August. They now see what was once a large Wild Card lead held by the Yankees/Red Sox shrink to now being tied with the Kansas City Royals and having Oakland just 2.5 games back. Boston has gotten closer to New York thanks to their struggling start to September. Boston has rebounded to an 8-7 start to September. Tonight, if you ask me, they have a good shot to rebound back and take control of not only the ALE, but god forbid the ALWC. While New York plays a playoff packed final sim, Boston will play some re-builders. Boston first week will be home games vs Minnesota and Texas. They will need to take atleast 5 of 7 against them. But then the final week of the season gets tricky, but doable. Boston goes to a hot San Francisco team then ends the season on the road in Kansas City. If the Red Sox are fighting for the WC 1 seed this will be a huge series for them.

Toronto-

The Jays were not realitive at all until Sim 9. They Jays took that sim to jump Oakland and put them self within an ear shot of the Wild Card. The Jays though, fell back a step last night. A 6-9 Sim 10 has put Toronto 8.5 out of the AL East race and 5.5 out of the AL Wild Card Spot. The Jays come in to tonight facing three of the worst teams in baseball, and the best team in the American League. The Jays will play Minnesota at home before taking on Los Angeles in Toronto for a four game series. The Jays then close out the season in Cleveland and Baltimore. The Jays must split the series with LA and take advantage of the three other series vs weaker teams.

AL Central

Chicago-

There is no doubt that SMM has put himself not only in contention for a GM of the Year nomination, but he has put his team in to contention for an AL pennant. Coming in to last night Chicago had an un noticed 17-8 record in July and 19-9 record in August. Chicago also acquired Andrew McCutchen at the Trade Deadline. The Sox though hit the wall last night. The Sox hit around a bad 4-11 start to September. While they sit in a better position still than most division leaders right now (that aren't LA or Arizona) they have a team hot on their tail. Kansas City who had a strong sim last night has moved within 4 games. Chicago will need to do well at New York to start the sim to try to get the number 2 seed in the AL. Then with series vs BAL and in Texas they can build on their lead if they can take advantage of it before closing it out at home vs San Francisco. It is important to note though that San Francisco swept Chicago in San Fran to close out Sim 10.

Kansas City-

Kansas City is on a tear right now. An 18-10 August and now a 10-4 start to the month of September has moved Kansas City from way outside to 4 games out of the AL Central lead and tied for the AL Wild Card spot. Kansas City did itself a huge favor by taking 3 out of 4 from Oakland in Oakland last night, this was of course the last loss Oakland had before starting a 10 game win streak. Kansas City though may have one of the hardest final schedules of the year of potential playoff teams. Kansas City will open the sim in Los Angeles before heading in to a must win four game series in Texas. Kansas City is going to have to not only win the series in Texas but potentially have to sweep, because they close out the sim at home with a three game series vs Oakland, and a three game series vs Boston. That final week amount to a final playoff that could knock teams out of the playoffs in one swoop. Kansas City vs Oakland will be the series to watch this sim.

AL West

Los Angeles-

LA has clinched a playoff spot and the division and soon the number 1 overall seed in the American League. But LA has to do something they have failed to do the past two regular seasons.... FINISH. LA has struggled to end the last two seasons playing below average baseball in September which many believe has hurt them and led to the two 1st round exits. LA is 10-4 in September so far. They play 3 out of 4 teams that are fighting for playoff spots. This will be huge for LA as if they can get through this unscathed and playing great baseball that could propel LA in to September which some much needed momentum.

Oakland-

Oakland is once again getting hot in September. Oakland left last night on a 10 game winning streak and put themselves back in the Wild Card hunt now 2.5 games back. But damage has been done to Oakland that they are now trying to recover from. Oakland went 13-18 in August then opened last nights sim by losing their first four games moving their record to 13-22 before running a 10 game winning streak and pushing back up the standings. Oakland did this in 2015 when they went on a huge run to almost over take LA for the ALW and giving them momentum to then go beat LA in the ALDS. The Athletics were hot in September last year too again giving them momentum to beat LA and go on to when the American League Pennant. Oakland will play some teams this sim looking to improve on their playoff spots. They open in Oakland against a red hot Giants team who are on a 6 game winning streak before heading to the Bronx. The A's then travel to Kansas City for what will be the series of the year for them and finish at home vs Cleveland. The A's must put out the fire in San Fran and do well vs New York. Then expect the winner of the Kansas City/Oakland series to be atleast 1 of the Wild Card spots. Oakland can build its win total vs Cleveland.

San Francisco-

We put San Francisco on here for a couple of reasons. They have won 6 straight, they are going in to the final sim still in contention even though they are 6.5 games out of the Wild Card spot and they play a schedule full of playoff teams. The pathway to the playoffs are slim and treacherous for San Francisco. They must win the series vs Oakland if not sweep them. Then they must take 3/4 or sweep Cleveland. Boston and Chicago in the final week could put the steak in the heart for San Francisco but depending on how they do this sim this will be something to build on going in to 2018.

Final Predictions-

ALE- New York
ALC- Chicago
ALW- Los Angeles
ALWC1- Boston
ALWC2- Oakland

Outside Looking in-

Kansas City
San Francisco
Toronto

American League Central

American League Central:

Cleveland Indians

Projected W-L: 92-70

Lineup Rank: 1

Roto Rank: 1

Pen Rank: 1

The defending American League Champions are getting Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar back, and added Edwin freaking Encarnacion to the middle of the order...they have to be the obvious pick to win the pennant again, right? I would caution against wagering money on the Tribe. Despite their insane additions through health and free agency, they did rely on a lot of young players down the stretch. Jose Ramirez became a household name, Tyler Naquin was twitter famous, and Francisco Lindor was a star. A full body of work from these guys will be interesting. Additionally, they overused the bullpen at a pace that cannot continue for an entire season. Therefore, there will be SOME internal regression as well.  Lastly, while the rotation is dynamic when healthy, there is not a whole lot of organizational depth there should someone go down. That being said, I think the Indians still win a tightly contested three team race in the Central. It will take a few notable in season additions to get them to the promise land, however.

Kansas City Royals

Projected W-L: 89-73

Lineup Rank: 3

Roto Rank: 3

Pen Rank: 2

After the tragic death of their beloved teammate Yordano Ventura, and heading into the last certain year of their home grown core, the Royals will have a lot to play for this season. And despite the tragedy, I actually really like the moves they made. Trading Dyson and Davis for Karns and Soler might come off as head scratchers, but trading guys who are almost free agents for young, controllable talent actually makes a lot of sense. Another thing most people do not realize is that this team was a 500 team last year, and is getting three All Stars back off of their own disabled list. Moustakas, Cain, and Gordon will help to solidify that lineup, which, with the additions of Soler and Moss all of a sudden looks deeper than it did in either World Series year. I think the rotation quality will surprise a lot of people, and the additions of Hammel and Wood as well as the return of Vargas will take a lot of weight off of the younger guys. The big question though, is the back end of that bullpen. The long relievers are good, and Herrera is a stud, but how do the setup men like Soria, Strahm, and McCarthy perform? It will be intriguing to watch the Royals attempt to be a normal AL team, but they have all the pieces in place for another successful season. I think they capture a wild card.

Detroit Tigers

Projected W-L: 84-78

Lineup Rank: 2

Roto Rank: 2

Pen Rank: 4

The biggest takeaway from the 2016 season for Detroit is the re-emergence of their ace, Justin Verlander. His velocity is a huge indicator of his success, and reports from Detroit camp say that his velocity is already in midseason form. What the Tigers have behind Verlander is the question, though. Michael Fulmer was surprisingly effective, but he will see some sort of regression in the form of a sophomore slump. Anibal Sanchez and Jordan Zimmermann simply have to be better if this team has any shot at playing deep into October. They will be retaining the thump in their order, with Miggy, Upton, the Martinez’s, and that pesky Ian Kinsler, but outside of those names, this team is very unproven. The most notable hole is the bullpen, yet again. There is no one I would trust in a one run ballgame. Even if the aforementioned rotation is solid, how do they get the game to K-Rod? I think the Tigers will be in the mix, but will be hampered by a lack of pitching once more.

Chicago White Sox

Projected W-L: 68-94

Lineup Rank: 4

Roto Rank: 4

Pen Rank: 3

The White Sox obviously had a busy offseason, and acquired a lot of young talent for Chris Sale and Adam Eaton. They will hope that Quintana gets off to a strong start in order to flip him for a good price at the trade deadline. Jose Abreu is one of seven players to ever hit 30 home runs and collect 100 runs batted in during each of his first three seasons. The guy is a superstar. However, without Eaton frustrating opposing pitchers at the plate and on the bases in front of him, I am worried that his numbers will decline. He will have fewer options to drive in runs, and it will be easier to pitch around him. It is a shame that this great talent is withering on the south side. The Sox will be looking towards the next few seasons where Moncada, Rodon, Ynoa, Fulmer, Giolito...etc, will all come onto the scene. Fun fact- the Sox have a Geovany Soto and a Giovanni Soto in their organization.

Minnesota Twins

Projected W-L: 67-95

Lineup Rank: 5

Roto Rank: 5

Pen Rank: 5

Brian Dozier had a monster 2016, and I am surprised to see him on the Twins to begin 2017. Kepler was insanely hot for a while last summer, and he looks to perform in a full time starting role. The rotation has some guys who will be able to eat innings, but the bullpen is, well, pathetic. In regards to the 2017 season, all eyes will be on the development and maturity of Sano, Buxton, and Berrios.

American League East

A little paragraph about each team going into 2017. Did not dive into statistics, just glanced at the rosters. Main takeaway from this is to have my Projected W-L for each team on paper, to compare at season's end. The rankings for lineups, rotations, and bullpens are within each division specifically. Feel free to comment and rank the teams yourself. First up, the ALE.

American League East:

Boston Red Sox

Projected W-L: 95-67

Lineup Rank: 1

Roto Rank: 1

Pen Rank: 3

The Red Sox are coming off a great regular season, yet they have no postseason success to show for it. The loss of Big Papi looms large in Beantown, but this is still the division’s most formidable offense thanks to a great mix of young talent and veterans. Pablo is said to be in great shape, and Hanley Ramirez looked like he used to in Miami. Benintendi, Bogaerts, and Bradley burst onto the scene in 2016. Not to mention, Mookie Betts has developed into one of the most well rounded players in the entire MLB. They also have the lockdown closer and have made moves to strengthen the bullpen this offseason. However, the conversation with the Red Sox starts and ends with the rotation. Chris Sale is the obvious ace of the staff, but the former Cy Young winner David Price and current Cy Young winner Rick Porcello back him up in that ridiculous rotation. The rest is not too shabby either, as Pomeranz and the All-Star knuckleballer Wright are no easy tasks themselves. Boston wins the East by a comfortable margin, in my opinion.

Toronto Blue Jays

Projected W-L: 85-77

Lineup Rank: 2

Roto Rank: 3

Pen Rank: 4

Toronto has to be feeling pretty good despite the enormous loss of Edwin Encarnacion. We all hate Bautista, but everyone knows that he along with Morales, Tulo, Martin, and the beastly Josh Donaldson are going to put up impressive offensive numbers. Past those guys, I am still not sold on this team. This might sound weird considering the back to back ALCS runs, but there is no chance that Happ puts up the numbers he did last year again this season, and it will be interesting to see what type of years the back end guys such as Liriano and even Estrada put up. Aaron Sanchez is going to be great and Marcus Stroman is a gamer, but the bullpen outside of Osuna is lackluster. It is reasonable to believe that they will be in a lot of high scoring games. Toronto will be in the mix, but will fall short of the playoffs.

Baltimore Orioles

Projected W-L: 81-81

Lineup Rank: 3

Roto Rank: 5

Pen Rank: 1

Baltimore seems so predictable. Their top few pitchers can pitch really well on a game to game basis, but the back end of the rotation is very exploitable. Britton, Brach, and O’Day are dominant, and in my opinion they have the best bullpen in the division, and possibly the AL. As far as the lineup is concerned, I love the fact that they brought back Trumbo. The middle of that lineup looks formidable yet again. Adam Jones and Crush Davis still reign supreme out in bird land, and everyone knows the type of talent Manny Machado is. Due to the top heaviness of this 25 man roster, I do not believe that this team is well rounded enough to make a run to the postseason. The Orioles remain at or above 500 thanks to the long ball and the bullpen, but fail to make the playoffs.

New York Yankees

Projected W-L: 80-82

Lineup Rank: 5

Roto Rank: 4

Pen Rank: 2

The Yankees were a very interesting team in the 2016 season. The emergence of youngsters like Bird, Judge, and especially Sanchez will continue to be the headline as a new season approaches. The rotation and bullpen are very strong up front, thanks to the likes of Tanaka, Pineda, Chapman, and Betances. Past those names, I am not a fan of the staff. The bullpen got a high rating just because of how dominant those 8th and 9th inning guys are, but overall it looks primed to get abused in that AL East.It looks like the executives have attempted to piece the right mix of veteran players and young players together in the lineup, but I believe the vets are closer to washed up then they are to seasoned, and the young guns are still too unproven for me to believe they can win this division. For instance, the addition of Chris Carter seems like a good fit, but how will a big home run and strikeout guy fare with limited AB’s? The Yankees could flirt with 500, but I believe that thankfully we will have another year without them in the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Rays

Projected W-L: 73-89

Lineup Rank: 4

Roto Rank: 2

Pen Rank: 5

When healthy, this young rotation has a lot of potential. All five guys are ones that I would like to have on my team. If it was not for the monster in Boston, they would be the top rotation in the East. The back end of the bullpen led by Colome has some potential, but overall needs work. Kevin Kiermaier is incredibly gifted defensively, and while I like the rest of the top half of that lineup with the steady Longoria and Dickerson also in the mix, the lineup as a whole is such an island of misfit toys. There is a lot of hidden talent on this team, and if Joe Maddon were still around, I would be subscribing to the hype. Unfortunately I think the rest of the AL East will feast on the Rays, ultimately leading to a below 500 season.