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2010 MLB Preview: AL Central

Anthony Stalter — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:00:57 +0000

In order to help get you ready for the MLB season, we’re doing division-by-division rankings with quick overviews on how each club could fair in 2010. Next to each team, you’ll also find a corresponding number written in parenthesis, which indicates where we believe that club falls in a league-wide power ranking. Be sure to check back throughout the next two weeks leading up to the season, as we will be updating our content daily. Enjoy.

Next up is the AL Central.

1. Chicago White Sox (9)
Some folks will think that this is too high for the White Sox – that they should be behind the Twins and out of the top 10 in terms of the overall power rankings. Some folks will say that Jake Peavy won’t be healthy all season and that the Chi Sox will once again falter as they try to live station to station on offense. Well, I say the folks that disagree with my opinion are friggin idiots. Harsh? Yeah, but it also needed to be said. I realize that I’m taking a risk by moving the Sox to the head of the AL Central, but really, it’s hard to argue that this division isn’t a crapshoot anyway. Every team has question marks heading into the season but at the end of the day, pitching makes or breaks a team. I realize Peavy missed all of last year due to injury, but the Sox were second in the AL in pitching last season with a 4.14 ERA without him. If he stays healthy, Peavy will only add to Chicago’s solid rotation (which also features Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd and Freddy Garcia) and the addition of J.J. Putz should bolster the bullpen as well. Outside of injuries, the only thing that could potentially hold Chicago back this year is its offense. What do you mean that’s kind of a big deal? I’m banking that youngster Gordon Beckham develops quickly and that Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios return to form. I also think the Sox will get key contributions from the additions GM Kenny Williams made this offseason in Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre and Mark Teahen. I’m not expecting the Sox to magically transform into the Yankees of the AL Central, but I do believe they have enough offense to get by while their pitching carries them to a playoff berth.

2. Minnesota Twins (10)
Boo! Hiss! Why do you have the Twins behind the White Sox, moron? Minnesota fans aren’t going to appreciate this – especially considering they’re still all hopped up on the Joe Mauer contract juice. But the pitching staff scares the bejeuses out of me. I’m well aware of what Mauer and Justin Morneau can do with 42 inches of lumber and I think the offseason addition of Jim Thome was great. But does this team have enough starting pitching to make a run? Based on the starters’ performances thus far in spring training, the answer to that question is “yes.” Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, Carl Pavano and even Francisco Liriano have all looked good thus far but the Twins will need consistency out of this group throughout the entire season. Plus, Jon Rauch (or Heath Bell or Jason Frasor) has to step in for Joe Nathan, who was lost for the season after deciding to undergo Tommy John surgery. Even though Rauch has looked good himself this spring, Nathan left some pretty big shoes to fill. Another factor that I can’t shake is that the club is moving out of the Metrodome this year into the brand new outdoor Target Field. The Twins have gone 102-61 at home over the last two years and just 73-89 on the road. While it may sound trivial, they had a distinct advantage inside the dome – a distinct advantage they no longer have. That said, after I spent an entire paragraph doubting them, I do believe that the Twins have enough talent to run away with the Central. If the success that the starters have had this spring carries over into the regular season, then they should win the division. And if Rauch pitches as well as he did last season and in spring training this year, then he’ll ease the pain of the club not having Nathan. But something tells me that the Twins take a step back this year – the excitement about Mauer’s new contract be damned.

3. Detroit Tigers (16)
It’s hard to get a read on the Tigers. Are they a team moving forward or are they a team that’s ready to blow itself up and start rebuilding? Justin Verlander is a serious Cy Young candidate and Miguel Cabrera is a serious MVP candidate now that he has vowed to stay sober. (He was actually a serious MVP candidate when he was hitting the bottle the night before games, but being sober only helps things.) But here’s where my concern comes in with the Tigers: If things go bad in the first half, will the front office hold a fire sale at the deadline? No club in baseball has been hit harder by the downturn in the economy like Detroit has and I could see the Tigers creating financial relief for themselves by clearing some big contracts off the books – including Cabrera’s. That said, it’s not hard to see why Detroit fans are excited about the Tigers’ chances this year. Behind Verlander is 21-year-old phenom Rick Porcello and then promising, hard-throwing right-hander Max Scherzer, who was acquired in the Edwin Jackson deal. The Tigers also overpaid to watch Johnny Damon’s power decrease dramatically now that he won’t be hitting in Tornado alley, but fans seem excited about what he can bring to a lineup (i.e. patience at the plate, speed) and a clubhouse (i.e. orange slices and Capri Sun). As I wrote in the write up for the White Sox, the AL Central will be a crapshoot again this year. All three teams at the top of the division – the Sox, Twins and Tigers – have a legitimate shot at winning the Central and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Detroit wears the crown at the end of the year. But after they parted with Curtis Granderson in a cost cutting move this offseason, I worry about whether or not the front office is committed to winning. The Damon deal suggests that they are, but we’ll see what their intentions are around the trade deadline.

4. Kansas City Royals (25)
There’s just nothing to say about the Royals that hasn’t been said for the past 10 years. They’re so bland that sometimes you forget they’re even there. “Hey, who do the Sox play today?” “The Royals.” “Who? Christ, they’re still in the league?!” The problems that the Royals have from top to bottom are a mile long. They lack the basic fundamentals on the field, including but not limited to: base running, situational hitting and overall defense. This is also an organization that refuses to spend and what’s worse is that they have a brutal scouting department. So basically, it’s the worst of both worlds. That said, there is some hope on the horizon. Zach Greinke gives fans a legitimate reason to show up at the ballpark every fifth day and Billy Butler gives fans a legitimate reason to return from the concession stand when the Royals are up to bat. There’s also a lot of excitement surrounding 19-year-old Cuban defector Noel Arguelles and there is still one or two people left that believe Alex Gordon will develop too. But outside of that, the Royals (who?) will battle the Indians for fourth place in the division once again this season.

5. Cleveland Indians (28)
It just seems like yesterday that, after years of rebuilding, the Tribe had set themselves up with a solid core of players that would help them win for years to come. Then, after just one trip to the ALCS (2007), the club is now back in rebuilding mode. Cleveland fans must be thinking to themselves, “All right – who’s the jokester? Seriously guys, where’s CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez? I’m not kidding around – they were supposed to help us compete for a decade and now somebody has misplaced them.” If enough things break right, the Indians could actually finish near the middle of the pack this year. But a lot has to happen. Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona have to have solid seasons and Chris Perez has to fill Kerry Wood’s (out until early May with a strained right latissimus dorsi muscle, which can also be found in dolphins I think) shoes. Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner also have to bounce back from injuries and some of the young pups like Matt LaPorta and Asdrubal Cabrera have to contribute as well. All in all, the Tribe probably won’t be as bad as many think, but obviously expectations should be kept low seeing as how they are in rebuilding mode. “Rebuilding mode? Again? Are you serious?! Come on!”

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Hot Stove Rumors: Lackey, Guerrero & Doumit

Anthony Stalter — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:45:51 +0000

The Red Sox are interested in John Lackey
According to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, the Red Sox met with John Lackey’s agent at the GM meetings last week in Chicago. Lackey, 31, went 11-8 this season with a 3.83 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 139 strikeouts but he also battled elbow issues.

The Rangers are showing interest in Vladimir Guerrero
Already stacked with hitters, the Rangers have shown interest in free agent DH Vlad Guerrero according to FOXSports.com. If Texas can afford him, Vlad would be an ideal fit just based on his .394 batting average in 50 career games at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

The Pirates may be open to trading Ryan Doumit
According to FOXSports.com, the Pirates are considering trading catcher Ryan Doumit, who hit .250 last season with 10 home runs and 38 RBI in 280 at-bats. He is set to earn $3.55 million in 2010 and $5.1 million in 2011 and could draw interest from several teams.

Mariners interested in Harden?
According to the Seattle Times, the Mariners have interest in Rich Harden, who went 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.34 WHIP for the Cubs last season. Despite battling injuries, he was successful in five seasons in the AL with the A’s.

Thome returning to Chicago?
According to the Chicago Tribune, Jim Thome said that he would love to return to the White Sox, who traded him to the Dodgers at the deadline last season. Thome is a Peoria, Illinois native.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Mikey’s MLB power rankings

Mike Farley — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:27:13 +0000

We are now in September, which means pennant races are becoming reality and every game is more meaningful. The Yankees are still red-hot, but at some point we have to wonder if they can keep it up when October rolls around—peaking in August is not necessarily what you hope for, but it has put some distance between the Yanks and Sox.
The rankings have not changed much, but have changed nonetheless:

1. New York Yankees (86-49)—Last night, Roy Halladay put out a fire that saw the Yanks win six straight after our previous rankings were released.

2. St. Louis Cardinals (80-56)—Holliday and Pujols homered again. But just like the Yanks, can those two continue their tear into October? Oh, and the Cards’ pitching staff isn’t too shabby either.

3. Los Angeles Angels (79-54)—A 3.5 game lead over Texas is not what Mike Scioscia was hoping for at this point.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers (80-56)—Can we talk about Manny Ramirez, or can we ask where he’s been since returning from suspension? In fact, Man-Ram has 16 homers in 83 games. Last year, he had 17 in 53 after coming over from Boston. Hmmmm. Oh, but how ‘bout Thome and Ramirez back in the same lineup.

5. Philadelphia Phillies (77-55)—Cliff Lee being rocked again is not a good sign, but the Phils still lead the Braves by 7.5 games.

6. Boston Red Sox (78-56)—Seven-plus behind the Yanks, and only two games ahead of Texas for the wild card. Red Sox nation must keep the Rolaids nearby.

7. Texas Rangers (76-58)—Did anyone else read that article in ESPN the Magazine about how Nolan Ryan is grooming his pitchers to be tougher? Now that’s a concept, as the complete game had become a lost art.

8. Colorado Rockies (75-60)—A sweep last weekend by the Giants put a hurtin’ on the Rockies, but they are hanging tough, leading the wild card race by a game.

9. San Francisco Giants (74-61)—You can’t count the Giants out with their pitching staff, but they have needed a slugger in the lineup ever since they released Barry Bonds.

10. Detroit Tigers (73-61)—There is now some distance between the Tigers and Twins, and even more between the Tigers and White Sox, who appear to have given up hope. The question is, can this team beat the Yankees, their most likely opponent in October, in a short series?

Dodgers acquire Garland, Thome for stretch run

Anthony Stalter — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:17:26 +0000

On the same day that the Giants signed starter Brad Penny and the Rockies added starter Jose Contreras, the Dodgers one-upped their division rivals by acquiring starter Jon Garland from the Diamondbacks and slugger Jim Thome from the White Sox.

From MLB.com:

In return, the White Sox will receive Minor League infielder Justin Fuller. The D-backs will receive a player to be named, who, according to several Dodgers, will be Tony Abreu, but Abreu needs to first clear waivers. Abreu once was considered a top infield prospect, but his progress was stalled by three years of injuries.

The right-handed Garland, 29, moves into a rotation that has struggled to find a fifth starter all season and has been further weakened by the loss of Hiroki Kuroda, who was hit on the head by a line drive. Garland is expected to take the place of knuckleball specialist Charlie Haeger, with Vicente Padilla holding the spot for Kuroda, who could return to the rotation as soon as Sunday.

Thome, 12th on the all-time list with 564 career home runs, will give the Dodgers the left-handed threat that Matt Stairs provides the Phillies, who beat the Dodgers with a home run off the bench in the playoffs last year.

Coupled with their addition of Ronnie Belliard over the weekend, the Dodgers have set themselves up for a World Series run with these two moves. After the Rockies got within two games of the division lead in the NL West last week, L.A. clearly isn’t taking any chances as they head into the final month of the season. These moves fortify the back of the rotation, their bench, and their overall position depth.

Top 10 MLB active free passes

Mike Farley — Sat, 16 May 2009 12:18:39 +0000

There are some batters that no pitcher wants to face, especially in a crucial situation with runners on base, or with first base open. But some guys are intentionally walked with regularity, and in some cases, even with the bases loaded to give up one run instead of four. Here is the current Top 10 among active players in intentional walks. Pitchers, proceed at your own risk…..

1. Ken Griffey, Seattle Mariners (244)—Of course this guy has always been a feared slugger, but he had a career high 25 intentionals in 1993, and the year he slugged 56 homers with 147 RBI on his way to winning the AL MVP (1997), Griffey was intentionally walked 23 times. Yikes. But before we get all excited about that, consider that Barry Bonds was given the free pass 120 times in 2004, a league record that surely will never be broken.

2. Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels (240)—He’s topped 20 seven times and 30 once. Is he that feared or are pitchers tired of looking at that crap on Vlad’s helmet?

3. Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers (199)—‘Roids, no ‘roids, hormones, no hormones, whatever. This is the one guy in baseball I am never pitching to if I don’t have to.

4. Carlos Delgado, New York Mets (186)—As a Mets fan, I’m just glad my team doesn’t have to face this guy. There is always the potential to hit one 600 feet the opposite way.

5. Todd Helton, Colorado Rockies (172)—You don’t give a guy like Helton anything to hit, not with a .329 lifetime batting average, as well as an average of 30 homers and 109 RBI per season.

6. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (160)—Oh yeah, screw what I said about Manny. I forgot about Albert. He’s only 29 years old and should easily hit 700 homers or more. THIS is the guy I don’t ever pitch to if it’s not necessary.

7. Jim Thome, Chicago White Sox (159)—It’s interesting to note that in the ‘90’s Thome and Ramirez typically had single digits in free passes. That’s because if you put them on, you still had to face Albert Belle or Eddie Murray.

8. Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves (143)—It’s kind of funny that Chipper’s intentional walks are declining as he’s becoming a better and better hitter.

9. Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners (129)—This one baffles me. Why put a guy on who averages 40 steals per season?

10. Gary Sheffield, New York Mets (128)—A nice, long career, and sheer intimidation at the plate, even today at age 40.

Source: Baseball Reference

Top 10 active RBI leaders

Mike Farley — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:36:46 +0000

You want a telling statistic in baseball? How about the good ol’ run batted in (RBI)? This is a stat usually dominated by home run hitters, but it’s also a good indicator of productivity at the plate. The guys on this list have been doing it over time, as well, whether they have been chemically enhanced or not, and to qualify, they must be currently on a major league roster:

1. Ken Griffey, Seattle Mariners (1774)—I can’t think of a classier player in the last 20 years. And how about these numbers….from 1996 to 1999, the last four years of Griffey’s first tenure with Seattle, he had 567 RBI. That’s an AVERAGE of 142 per season. Just sick.

2. Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers (1738)—For all the fun we poke at Man Ram for being a goofy, lazy, eccentric superstar, we always temper our joking with “but the guy sure can rake.” You want sick numbers? From 1995 when Manny began playing regularly (okay, it was technically 1994 but that season was cut way short) through 2008, he has averaged 111 RBI per season. Think about that.

3. Gary Sheffield, New York Mets (1634)—It’s hard to believe this guy has been in the big leagues longer than Griffey. And unlike some of the other guys on this list, Sheffield’s 1634 RBI is more about longevity, as his career high is only 132.

4. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (1606)—A-Rod is almost a lock to pass 2000 RBI, and when you hear the other three names that have done that, it will blow your mind….Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Cap Anson.

5. Carlos Delgado, New York Mets (1504)—Another guy with a nice, long career, and he’s topped 100 RBI nine times….so far.

6. Jim Thome, Chicago White Sox (1498)—38 years old and he’s still mashing. I know I’ve written this before, but it’s hard to believe the Indians had Thome and Man Ram in the lineup as well as Albert Belle and Eddie Murray, and didn’t win like five titles.

7. Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves (1378)—Come to think of it, it’s hard to believe the Braves didn’t win more than one World Series after winning fourteen straight division crowns. But don’t blame Chipper.

8. Garret Anderson, Atlanta Braves (1292)—He’s lost some pop the last few seasons, but still a solid, productive player.

9. Jason Giambi, Oakland Athletics (1285)—He juiced, he admitted it, and everyone still loves this guy. Maybe that’s because he didn’t lie about it. And Giambi’s 32 homers and 96 RBI last year at the age of 37 proves he didn’t need the juice to begin with.

10. Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels (1271)—Another freak of nature type hitter who has averaged 117 RBI per season over the course of his career. And Vlad is still only 34.

P.S. Did anyone else notice there are no Red Sox players on this list?

Source: Baseball Reference

Top 10 active OPS (On base plus slugging percentage)

Mike Farley — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:40:08 +0000

Those of you gearing up for your fantasy baseball drafts might pay attention to OPS a little more than most folks. That is “on base plus slugging percentage,” measuring a player’s offensive worth more than almost any other statistic. Here is a list of the Top 10 active OPS leaders, minus players like Barry Bonds who are technically still active but not on a major league roster at this time:

1. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (1.0489)—Albert is a freak of nature, averaging 42 homers and 128 RBI with a .334 batting average in his first eight seasons in the big leagues. Last year, he battled early elbow problems and wound up winning the NL MVP. This guy is just money year in and year out, and he’s only 29.

2. Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers (1.0044)—That sound you just heard was a combination of two things—a collective sigh of relief in La La land and the thud of millions of dollars landing in Manny’s bank account after finally signing a deal with the Dodgers this week. Like him or not, the Dodgers probably just bought a division title.

3. Todd Helton, Colorado Rockies (1.0020)—I’m not accusing anyone of anything but it’s intriguing to me that Helton hit 49 homers in 2001, the same year Barry Bonds hit 73. And his numbers have been steadily declining ever since. I’m just sayin’, it sort of reeks of Brady Anderson.

4. Frank Thomas, Oakland Athletics (.9740)—The Big Hurt has averaged 36 homers, 119 RBI and batted .301 over nineteen seasons. Are you kidding me? Dude is a lock for the Hall of Fame.

5. Lance Berkman, Houston Astros (.9730)—Berkman hasn’t matched his highs of 45 home runs and 136 RBI in 2006, but he always strikes fear in opposing pitchers.

6. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (.9671)—It’s been a rough month for A-Rod, first with steroid allegations and now with a hip injury that will sideline him for several weeks. But dude is still king of the regular season in the batter’s box.

7. Jim Thome, Chicago White Sox (.9663)—For almost 20 years, Jim Thome has been one of the best left-handed power hitters in the game. And his .279 career batting average isn’t exactly shabby either. Not great, but not shabby.

8. Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels (.9634)—Check out these career averages—36 homers, 117 RBI and .323 batting average. How has Vlad only won one MVP award? Oh, I know—Montreal.

9. Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves (.9554)—Chipper is about as steady as they come, and he seems to be getting better with age. It’s too bad that hardly anyone goes to that ballpark in Atlanta.

10. Jason Giambi, Oakland Athletics (.9421)—Yeah, okay, we know Giambi used banned substances to aid his performance. But dude is still a pretty good hitter even off the juice.

Source: Baseaball Reference