For the third straight year, the Detroit Tigers advanced to the ALCS -- this time losing to the Boston Red Sox. They did this with the strength of their rotation, (156 GS by the top five and an AL record 1,428 strikeouts) and some lineup thump from Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. The Tigers made …
If ever there was a lost season for a team, it was 2013 for the Milwaukee Brewers. Yovani Gallardo underperformed and Aramis Ramirez missed half a season. Then the bright star of Jean Segura came crashing down after the break and Rickie Weeks finally fell off the planet altogether. But there was something else that …
After suffering through baseball’s worst record from 2011–2013, the Astros and their fan base need something to look forward to. During the past three years, they are 118 games worse by record than baseball's best team, the Texas Rangers (280-206). To make matters worse, the Astros are 33 games worse over this time frame than …
The 2014 Cleveland Indians have potential in several areas, although most of their players will come off the draft boards a little later on Draft Day. There are, of course, a few above average players, like Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana, but for the most part, the remainder of the team will be lineup fillers …
The 2014 Cincinnati Reds had two of the top OBP men in the league in Joey Votto and Shin-Soo Choo, a rotation with no starter’s ERA over 3.80 and a lights-out closer in Aroldis Chapman. However, the Reds did very little in the offseason to change the roster. Their biggest "move" was losing leadoff man …
This 2014 Chicago White Sox club is a team in transition. After years of contending with veteran players -- especially on offense -- the White Sox will likely field their youngest team in years. The White Sox made several trades both at the deadline and in the offseason that have changed the major league roster …
What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, the Royals were on a lot of sleeper lists as the team to watch out for. Armed with a young nucleus, whose lineup was potentially lethal, the team seemed to be just a few pitchers away from becoming serious contenders. When the Royals traded …
Before we delve into the 2014 Tampa Bay Rays, let's discuss last year's club. Another year with a Bottom-Five payroll and another year with a Top-10 finish in the standings. Yaaaaawn. This whole "small market" thing has to be getting boring for Rays GM Andrew Friedman. By focusing on building his organization through the draft …
Last week, I got a digital copy of my favorite Fantasy Baseball magazine, “The Fantasy Baseball Guide 2014" and once again, I come away incredibly impressed. As I've mentioned in the past, like an old character actor dropping names at a party, I worked on several Fantasy Baseball magazines in my 14 years writing about …
Let’s face it -- unless you’re talking about the Lovable Losers’ past, you’re talking #CubbiesIn2017. The talk in fake circles last season was Anthony Rizzo leading the Baby Bears with 23 home runs, to the tune of a underwhelming .233 batting average and .323 on-base percentage. Similarly, Jeff Samardzija fanned 214 batters, but only won …
The last two offseasons for the Toronto Blue Jays have been stark in contrast. Last year was all splash, with GM Alex Anthopolous active in both the trade and free-agent markets. This year, the team was content to stand pat while letting a few contracts walk out the door. True to their nature, the Canadian …
The 2013 Washington Nationals epitomized the plexiglass principle, giving back 12 of their 98 wins from the previous season. Fans and Fantasy owners alike suffered whiplash from the inevitable regression, ill-timed injuries, and the inability to catch a break. Meanwhile, the young stars who were supposed to make up for it had their own problems. …
