September 2013 MLB Predictions

[RealisticSwitch]

Since we are rapidly approaching the end of the baseball season, time to revise your spring predictions and tell us what the playoffs will look like come October.

AL East: The Red Sox manage to barely squeak by the Rays for the division title.

AL Central: Tigers have it sewn up by the middle of the month.

AL West: Rangers and Athletics once again have a tight race which leads to essentially a play-in game for the play-off spot.

AL Wild Card: The Rays easily take the first slot, and the Cinderellas of the American League are the Cleveland Indians, who play out of their minds the last few weeks to secure the final AL playoff spot.


NL East: The Braves coast to a division title playing the bat boys, ushers of Turner Field, and even a sack of straw with a face drawn on in Sharpie.

NL Central: The Pirates win the division, sending the great city of Pittsburgh into a frenzy.

NL West: The Dodgers leave the DBacks in the dust.

NL Wild Card: Both the Reds and the Cardinals make the playoffs.

 

[Mitchell]

I agree with what you said..

I'm a Braves fan, and have been for 30 years, even though I cant watch them that often.

I think their easy division title has been one of the biggest surprises in baseball, especially with BJ Upton's horrible season, and the season ending injury to Tim Hudson. At the beginning of the season.. I had thought that the Nats would win the East, and the Braves one of the NL Wild Cards. The Nats have really underachieved this year, and the Braves, I think, have played better than anyone could have imagined.

 

[RealisticSwitch]

Just so you know, Mitch, but MLB.tv has reduced the price of their service down to $49.99 for the rest of the season. It would allow you to watch all Braves games from your house.

 

[milagros317]

I like your prediction for the NL West.
And I don't care about the rest.

 

[RealisticSwitch]

I like your prediction for the NL West.
And I don't care about the rest.

Fair enough! The Dodgers have looked excellent, until, of course, they ran into the Boston Buzzsaw!

 

[Mitchell]

Thanks, Realistic, but I think I will pass. Next year, I hope to get the extra innings package for the whole season. I used to have it when I lived in PA.

 

[milagros317]

Fair enough! The Dodgers have looked excellent, until, of course, they ran into the Boston Buzzsaw!

I hope they get chance to play the Red Sox again in the World Series.
(The last time these two teams met in the World Series was 1916, in which year the Red Sox had a fabulous young left-handed pitcher named George Herman Ruth.)

 

[jhop220]

NL East: Atlanta obviously
NL Central: St. Louis will catch and bypass Pittsburgh
NL West: Yankees West aka LA Dodgers
Wildcards: Pittsburgh and Cincinnati

AL East: Tampa Bay
AL Central: Detroit
AL West: Texas
Wildcards: Boston and Cleveland

Atlanta will win the NLCS
Detroit will win the ALCS

Atlanta beats Detroit in 6 games to win the World Series.

 

[RealisticSwitch]

I hope they get chance to play the Red Sox again in the World Series.
(The last time these two teams met in the World Series was 1916, in which year the Red Sox had a fabulous young left-handed pitcher named George Herman Ruth.)

Was George Ruth related to Babe? . . . . .

NL East: Atlanta obviously
NL Central: St. Louis will catch and bypass Pittsburgh
NL West: Yankees West aka LA Dodgers
Wildcards: Pittsburgh and Cincinnati

AL East: Tampa Bay
AL Central: Detroit
AL West: Texas
Wildcards: Boston and Cleveland

Atlanta will win the NLCS
Detroit will win the ALCS

Atlanta beats Detroit in 6 games to win the World Series.

You think the Braves pitching can take them to the World Series? I like Teheran and Minor and all, but I worry they wouldn't have a strong enough #1. Plus, who knows when Heyward gets back. . .

Plus, it'll take quite a feat for the Tigers to make it to the World Series, with Verlander seemingly VERY mortal.

 

[milagros317]

Was George Ruth related to Babe? . . . . .

"Babe" was his nickname. His real name was George Herman Ruth.
He was an excellent pitcher and likely would have been a hall-of-fame pitcher with the Red Sox.
But after he was sold to the Yankees, they were smart enough to see that he hit so well it was worth converting him to an outfielder.

 

[Mitchell]

jhop, while I would love if your prediction of a Braves WS title came true, I think that even if they get to the WS, they will lose without the home field advantage, which of course the AL will have because they won the AS game. (Stupid, I think) I wish they would go back to the old way, of alternating WS home field each year.. or.. do it like the NBA and NHL do, where the team with the better record in the WS has home field advantage.

 

[tklbd]

jhop, while I would love if your prediction of a Braves WS title came true, I think that even if they get to the WS, they will lose without the home field advantage, which of course the AL will have because they won the AS game. (Stupid, I think) I wish they would go back to the old way, of alternating WS home field each year.. or.. do it like the NBA and NHL do, where the team with the better record in the WS has home field advantage.

Agree totally with your All Star Game thoughts, Mitch. Best record it should be!!! They do it for the playoffs, why not the World Series?? Remember, it got that way because of that stupid "tie game" in 2002!!! THANKS BUD!!! (Selig) Although I think "home field advantage" doesn't mean as much in baseball, as the other sports. And I think they could "fix" the All Star Game...so ties may never happen!!! What is it...like 12 pitchers per roster?? Why not "make" the managers use the first 3 pitchers, 2 innings each. (after all...the starters used to go 3) And then you still have 9 to use in the event of extra innings!!! I know...some may not be used if the game doesn't go extras...but also remember...the "tie" game "only" went 11 innings!!! And both sides were "out" of pitchers??!! Thanks again, Bud!! (Oh yeah, the game was also played at "his" home park) In 1967, the game went 15 innings, and ended 2-1 National. And neither side ran out of pitchers!!! Oh well...the good ole days of "non specialized" pitching...and 30 complete games...and 300+ innings pitched. But also before the days of true "Free Agency"!!! Just added that, because I'm sure someone may mention it.
OK...I rambled enough...that's my two cents!!!

 

[RealisticSwitch]

I agree 100% that putting any stock in the current All-Star game is meaningless. There is never the true "best of the best", as many players choose to rest and recuperate rather than play. Plus, most of the premier players are gone by the 4th inning, so there hasn't been much real competition, save for the last two years (I blame Leyland.)

Give home-field to the best teams like they do in the NFL pre-Super Bowl, and let the top record mean something (right now, you just need to win your division, even if you do it as a .500 team).

While I'm ranting, there should be more than just the Home Run Derby as well. I want to see baseball skills competitions.

- Let Jose Iglesias, Andrelton Simmons, and the other top defenders wow us with some of their best moves.

- Have a bullseye strapped to a golf cart that gets driven around the outfield, and players try to score points by hitting the target, showcasing their skills with the bat.

- We need a rookie vs. sophomore game, aka the Rising Stars game (An idea modified from MLB analyst for ESPN Keith Law)

- Pitching for accuracy, pitching for speed. "Hey, Aroldis Chapman and Craig Kimbrel? Can you hit 105 with your pitches?"


To sum up, the MLB All Star Week should be a celebration of the GAME of baseball, with no strings attached.

 

[Mitchell]

Thanks tkbld. It seems stupid to have an exhibition game determine something as important as WS home field.

We know this is a different team, and a different time, but.. in the previous five times the Braves made it to the WS, they had home field advantage three of those times, in 1992, 1995, and 1999. They lost two of the three Series.

In 1992 the Series turned on one bad pitch in Game Two. In 1999, while the Yankees were the defending champs, I also think the Braves were exhausted from the epic NLCS against the Metropolitans.

The one World Series Bobby Cox said he felt the Braves should have won that they didn't was 1996,. bashing the Yankees twice on the road, but then losing four straight, three straight in Atlanta. . If Mark Wohlers saves Game Four, and doesn't give up Leyritz's homer, I think the Braves would have been back to back champions.

Sorry to go off topic.

How the Braves do in the postseason depends on if they get best record. Right now, they, the Cards, and Pirates are bunched. If the Braves win best record, I think they have a good shot to get to the WS.

 

[RealisticSwitch]

Mitch, in your mind, how much does best record play into it? To me, it means they play the winner of the WC play-in game, but it seems like every season, the Wild Card teams make it further than they are supposed to. I don't see W/L record playing into it much, though I think it should.

 

[jhop220]

You think the Braves pitching can take them to the World Series? I like Teheran and Minor and all, but I worry they wouldn't have a strong enough #1. Plus, who knows when Heyward gets back. . .

Plus, it'll take quite a feat for the Tigers to make it to the World Series, with Verlander seemingly VERY mortal.

Medlin has turned it around since his abysmal start to the season. Wood (who was called up after Hudson's injury) has been a solid starter. Malholm is getting back from his injury and going to good. As you mentioned Tehrain and Minor are good as well.

Do you know which teams bullpen has the best ERA? That would be the Atlanta Braves at 2.38.

Who has the best closer in the majors? Again that would be the Atlanta Braves with Craig Kimbrell

While losing Heyward is not good...it isn't like they have some chump out there in his place. No, it is rookie phenom Evan Gattis. That lineup is crazy good even without Heyward.

As far as Detroit goes...Verlander may not be having the season many predicted, but there is this Scherzer dude who is getting it done. I don't see a better lineup in the AL than the Tigers.

 

[Mitchell]

Realistic, while I see your point, the reason I'm saying that this year is because of the Braves incredible record at home.

Trust me: I watched every single one of the Braves postseason games during their 14 in a row division title run. I KNOW the postseason is a crapshoot.

The Braves could lose in the first round.. or win the WS.. I don't know.

There are a lot of tough teams in the NL that I don't even want to play in the NLDS or NLCS. Dodgers, Cards, Pirates. Any of those teams scare me.

I give up with predicting. Look how many Wild Card teams have been World Champs. The Braves won 14 straight division titles from 1991 to 2005, but the Marlins, who never won anything more than the Wild Card, have more World Championships than the Braves, with two World Series wins. Who says any of this makes sense. Every team starts 0-0 in the postseason. Anything can happen.