2014 MLB Predictions

[AnythingChicago]

It's never too early!

2014 MLB Predictions

AL East

1. Boston Red Sox (96-66) - Sox don't pull a Giants and grab a second straight division crown

2. Tampa Bay Rays (94-68) - Tampa is impressive once again and earns the second wild card

3. New York Yankees (92-70) - Beltrán and McCann aren't enough for New York to overcome a subpar pitching staff

4. Baltimore Orioles (76-86) - The run of success at Camden Yards may have finally ended, as Baltimore lacks pitching to support an explosive offense

5. Toronto Blue Jays (75-87) - Same ole Jays

AL Central

1. Detroit Tigers (87-75) - Tigers win a mediocre AL Central once again, this time without Fielder

2. Kansas City Royals (85-77) - Royals come oh so close, but can't earn a playoff berth. Still, things are looking up in KC

3. Cleveland Indians (80-82) - Cleveland doesn't have the pitching to contend

4. Minnesota Twins (69-93) - Although not a good season, 2014 is better than recent years thanks to Suzuki and Mauer

5. Chicago White Sox (62-100) - This team is awful in every way possible

AL West

1. Texas Rangers (99-63) - Fielder, Choo, Beltré, and Co. smash homers out of the Ballpark at Arlington all season long

2. Oakland Athletics (97-65) - Another 90-some win season for the A's, but can they finally win a playoff series?

3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (81-81) - Unfortunately, LAA isn't quite bad enough in 2014 to justify selling away any big names

4. Seattle Mariners (77-85) - Canó and who? Seattle can't contend even with a former Yankee star at the helm

5. Houston Astros (58-104) - 'Stros procure the worst record in baseball once again

NL East

1. Atlanta Braves (90-72) - Braves squeak by the Nats to win another NL East title

2. Washington Nationals (87-75) - First-time manager Matt Williams proves to be too inexperienced to lead a good Nationals team to the playoffs

3. Miami Marlins (77-85) - Maybe the year's biggest surprise is a young and talented Miami team

4. Philadelphia Phillies (74-88) - Too old! Philly suffers from injury setbacks all season

5. New York Mets (74-88) - Even Curtis Granderson can't render the Mets a winning team

NL Central

1. St. Louis Cardinals (97-65) - St. Louis asserts themselves as World Series favorites once again

2. Pittsburgh Pirates (95-67) - Buccos prove that 2013 wasn't just a fluke

3. Cincinnati Reds (86-76) - Streaky Reds miss out on playoffs altogether

4. Milwaukee Brewers (78-84) - Khris Davis outhits Baltimore's Chris Davis, but the Brew Crew still finish sub-.500

5. Chicago Cubs (72-90) - Incompetent Cubs leave fans saying "maybe next year" for the 105th straight season

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (93-69) - Dodgers carry over success from the second half of the 2013 season to edge 'Zona for the division banner

2. Arizona Diamondbacks (91-71) - D-Backs win close games all year long thanks to a stellar 'pen and qualify for the wild card playoff

3. San Francisco Giants (85-77) - San Fran improves on last year's mess, but miss the playoffs for the second straight season

4. San Diego Padres (81-81) - An all-around solid Friars club save par for the season

5. Colorado Rockies (75-87) - Ya know, this team could be really good if they only had some decent pitchers

Playoffs

AL Wild Card

Athletics over Rays (A's finally win a win-or-go-home game)

NL Wild Card

Pirates over Diamondbacks (Pirates ride the PNC Park crowd to create a rematch of the 2013 NLDS)

AL Divisional

Athletics over Rangers (3-2) - The A's win another win-or-go-home game and send division rival Rangers home packing; Prince Fielder fails to show up in the playoffs once again

Red Sox over Tigers (3-0) - Sox destroy a Tigers team that had been feasting on weak AL Central opponents all season long

NL Divisional

Pirates over Cardinals (3-2) - Not this time! Pirates avenge 2013 NLDS defeat and send every U.S. city except St. Louis into jubilant revelry

Dodgers over Braves (3-1) - Dodgers take care of Braves for second straight season in this second NLDS rematch

AL Championship

Red Sox over Athletics (4-3) - Oakland couldn't possibly win three straight win-or-go-homes, as they lose Game 7 to Boston in Fenway, allowing the Sox to make their second straight World Series appearance

NL Championship

Pirates over Dodgers (4-2) - Pittsburgh takes care of LA to qualify for the World Series for the first time in 35 years

2014 World Series

Pirates over Red Sox (4-2) - Pittsburgh wins its first World Series since 1979 by defeating defending champion Red Sox; the Pirates win their fourth World Series title in their four appearances dating back to 1960

[tigerslionspistonshabs]

Reminds me that I`ll have to dig up last years predictions, which I know I did terrible on considering I picked the Sox to finish last in the AL East lol.

Really depends on where David Price lands. If the Rays keep him, they could contend for the AL East title. If he's traded, he makes whatever team he goes to that much better. So, I'm going to assume he stays.

AL EAST

1. Boston- 98-64. A very strong, well rounded team.

2. Tampa Bay- 95-67

3. NY Yankees- 90-72. Some improvements, but the pitching staff gets them no where.

4. Baltimore- 81-81. Didn't improve upon last year.

5. Toronto- 76-86. I picked the Jays to do some damage last year and they again fell short. No significant upgrades.

AL CENTRAL

1. Detroit- 86-76. I`m really hoping they add another quality starter, but they`ve still got what it takes to win a mediocre division.

2. Kansas City- 83-79. A very underrated, young team. They`ll keep pace with Detroit all year.

3. Cleveland- 80-82. Once again, they`ll play well all year, lead the division until August and inevitably collapse.

4. Minnesota- 70-92. Another year in the rebuilding phase.

5. Chicago White Sox- 66-96.

AL WEST

1. Texas- 101-61. This team has both the heavy hitters and a superior pitching staff. They`ll be scary.

2. Oakland- 92-70. The A`s snatch the second wild card.

3. LA Angels- 86-76. Still can`t get over the hump they`ve been stuck on the last couple of seasons. But, if Mark Mulder gets called up, they win the Series.

4. Seattle- 82-80. The Mariners are definitely trending upward, but play in a very tough division where at least 3 teams are far superior.

5. Houston- 58-104.

NL EAST

1. Washington- 91-71

2. Atlanta- 87-75

3. NY Mets- 76-86

4. Philadelphia- 72-90

5. Miami- 70-92

NL CENTRAL

1. St. Louis- 100-62

2. Pittsburgh- 93-69. The Pirates keep the momentum going from last season.

3. Cincinnati- 90-72

4. Milwaukee- 77-85

5. Chicago Cubs- 75-87

NL WEST

1. LA Dodgers- 96-66.

2. San Francisco- 93-69. The Giants make everyone forget last season and get right back to where they were in 2012.

3. Arizona- 88-74. A solid team, but I feel they're still a season away.

4. San Diego- 80-82

5. Colorado- 78-85

PLAYOFFS

AL Wild Card

A`s over Rays in David Price`s last game as a Ray.

NL Wild Card

San Francisco over Pittsburgh

ALDS

Detroit over Boston 3-2 (Hey, a guy can dream)

Texas over Oakland 3-2

NLDS

St. Louis over San Francisco 3-1

Washington over LA Dodgers 3-2

ALCS

Texas over Detroit 4-2. (It kills me to write this. But the golden lining is Prince Fielder is completely shut down by Detroit)

NLCS

St. Louis over Washington 4-1

WS

Texas over St. Louis 4-3.

[YessSir32]

AL EAST:

1. Boston- The Red Sox win it again in a closer race than last year

2. Tampa Bay- The Rays contend yet again and get a wild card spot

3. New York- The pitching and weak infield will ultimately be the demise of this team

4. Baltimore- They manage to hang around .500 all year, the magic never appears

5. Toronto- Kept most of the team together, shouldn't do anything

AL CENTRAL:

1. Detroit- I'm one of the few that thinks this team is better than last year and can potentially push 100 wins

2. Kansas City- Royals show they can do some damage and fall show just short of a wild card berth

3. Cleveland- They'll look to be in the division race and fall off the face of the earth again

4. Minnesota- Another mediocre season by Twin standards but show positive signs of rebuilding

5. Chicago- This team is a mess... I'm hoping Avisail Garcia can become something

AL WEST:

1. Texas- Homers fly out of Arlington as the Rangers push 100 wins

2. Oakland- They win about 90 games yet again with the same core of players

3. Anaheim- Barely over .500 again and they consider tearing it all dowm

4. Seattle- They trend upwards, but not only Cano can push them over the hump

5. Houston- Once again will be the worst team in baseball

NL EAST:

1. Washington- The Nationals rebound from last season and live up to last year's potential

2. Atlanta- Braves contend all year and fall just short of what will be a deep NL wild card race

3. New York- The Mets manage to finish around .500

4. Miami- They'll have a win total in the upper 70s and appear to be trending upwards

5. Philadelphia- Old age will lose quite a few games for the Phillies

NL CENTRAL:

1. St. Louis- They finish the season as NL favorites yet again

2. Pittsburgh- 2013 was no fluke as they clinch another wild card

3. Cincinnati- Cannot keep up with St. Louis and Pittsburgh, but also fall short of second wild card

4. Chicago- Hey! Fourth place!

5. Milwaukee- Nothing clicks for the Brew Crew in 2014

NL WEST:

1. Los Angeles- Very talented team and as expected win the West

2. Arizona- D-Backs have a Baltimore-esque season and grab the second wild card

3. San Francisco- Appear to contend in the first half of the season, then fall off

4. San Diego- A decent Padre team pushes a .500 record

5. Colorado- The pitching alone could cost this team 85 wins

AL WC:

Tampa Bay over Oakland- The A's lose yet another elimination game

NL WC:

Arizona over Atlanta- D-Backs continue to shock the world

ALDS:

Detroit over Boston (3-1)- Tigers pitching repeats last year, but offense shows up as well

Texas over Tampa Bay (3-0)- Rangers' offense is too much for Tampa staff

NLDS:

Los Angeles over Washington (3-2)- A back and forth series falls LA's way

Arizona over St. Louis (3-2)- Arizona upends the Cardinals thanks to a couple late inning rallies

ALCS:

Detroit over Texas (4-3)- The most entertaining series of the postseason ends as former Ranger, Joe Nathan, strikes out former Tiger, Prince Fielder to clinch a World Series berth for Detroit

NLCS:

Arizona over Los Angeles (4-3)- The cinderella story continues as the D-Backs resiliency is too much for LA

WS:

Detroit over Arizona (4-2)- The magic runs out as the Tigers are too much to handle for the young Arizona team

Maybe one of these years I pick the Tigers they may actually win it haha. Seriously though, I think the team is built for much more success in 2014 than in years past. Despite trading Fister, they still boast the best rotation in the AL with three CY Young contenders. They upgraded defensively at every single infield position, and defense is no longer a weakness. The offense relied on power surges last season while playing in one of the larger ballparks. If Jackson can rebound, Iglesias improves, and Kinsler and Davis do their thing, they can be pretty decent base-running wise. Veterans Martinez and Torii Hunter can very capable producing for at least another season. Not to mention, there's this jolly first baseman by the name of Miguel Cabrera as well.

[BBTV]

I think you're all being too generous to the Phillies. Even whoever picked them last.

I heard a neat nickname for GM Ruben Amaro - Ruin Tomorrow.

[FGM13]

AL east

Boston Red Sox- Still really really good.

(WC) Tampa Bay Rays- What else would you expect from the damn Rays?

New York Yankees- They're gonna be right behind Tampa.

Baltimore Orioles- No pitching.

Toronto Blue Jays- Just kill me.

AL central

Detroit Tigers- Ditto Red Sox.

Kansas Royals- Good young team.

Chicago White Sox- Much improved from last year.

Cleveland Indians- Set for regression.

Minnesota Twins- Still not great.

AL west

Texas Rangers- Improved during offseason

(WC)Los Angeles Angels- They've gotta get it together eventually.

Oakland A's- They won't keep up in the Wild West

Seattle Mariners- Cano and Felix can't do it all.

Houston Astros- Astros gonna Astro

NL east

Washington Nationals- Comeback year.

(WC)Atlanta Braves- Not as good as Washington.

New York Mets- Slowly improving.

Miami Marlins & Philadelphia Phillies- Tied for last.

NL central

St. Louis Cardinals- Really good team improved in offseason.

(WC)Cincinnati Reds- Grabs first wild card.

Pittsburgh Pirates- Miss out on second wild card with poor start to season.

Milwaukee Brewers- Falls ass-backwards into 4th place.

Chicago Cubs- They suck.

NL west

Los Angeles Dodgers- Favourites for a reason.

Arizona Diamondbacks- Just miss out on second wild card because Trumbo derps in the outfield.

San Fransisco Giants- Pitchers get their collective together.

Colorado Rockies- Pitching kills team.

San Diego Padres. Chase Headley sucks all season long and the Padres fall apart.

AL WC

Rays over Angels 4-3

NL WC

Reds over Braves 7-4

ALDS

Tigers over Rays 3-1

Rangers over Red Sox 3-2

NLDS

Cardinals over Reds 3-2

Nationals over Dodgers 3-1

ALCS

Tigers over Rangers 4-2

NLCS

Cardinals over Nationals 4-3

World Series

Cardinals over Tigers 4-2

[Mac the Knife]

Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Craig Biggio, and possibly Mike Piazza and Jeff Bagwell make the HOF.

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/newsstand/discussion/the_2013_hof_ballot_collecting_gizmo

[CubsFanBudMan]

All too easy...

Prediction? Pain.

[BigBubba]

The Blue Jays can't be THAT bad again, right?

Right?

[ninersdd]

The NL Champs have been Giants, Cards, Giants, Cards, so it's the Giants turn this year to win the pennant.

[AnythingChicago]

The NL Champs have been Giants, Cards, Giants, Cards, so it's the Giants turn this year to win the pennant.

Wishful thinking.

[HedleyLamarr]

Craig Kmbrell will throw a perfect inning of relief in his first Spring Training game, justifying Freddi Gonzalez's decision to not have him pitch a 2-inning save opportunity in an elimination situation in the playoffs.....

[TheGiantsFan]

2014 is an even year. Therefore, the Giants will win the World Series.

I will post my realistic (though a 2014 Giants title is pretty realistic) predictions come March.

[dbadefense1990]

The NL Champs have been Giants, Cards, Giants, Cards, so it's the Giants turn this year to win the pennant.

In other words. more boring baseball set by teams some of us on the CCSLC despise.

[The Six]

How are the Cards and Giants any more boring than other teams?

[FiddySicks]

Jealous Dodgers fan. Just ignore him.

[GriffinM6]

I absolutely loathe the Cardinals...

[dbadefense1990]

How are the Cards and Giants any more boring than other teams?

You've obviously ignored the whole legion of "St. Louis Cardinal Church of Latter Day Saints" fans we've had to put up with, along with the whole mantra of having to listen to the "Cardinal Way."

As for the Giants, the two lowest-rated World Series of all time involved San Francisco. Just tedious, forgettable baseball they play.

[McCall]

How are the Cards and Giants any more boring than other teams?

You've obviously ignored the whole legion of "St. Louis Cardinal Church of Latter Day Saints" fans we've had to put up with, along with the whole mantra of having to listen to the "Cardinal Way."

You mean the one delusionally created by those who dislike the Cardinals to justify their unprovoked attacks on those of us who do?

[CS85]

I like where this thread is headed.

[Funky Bunky]

It's way too early...