New York Giants Draft Preview

I can't wait anymore!  I need the draft!  The funny thing is, much like Christmas or other holidays or events, sometimes the lead-up is better than the actual thing itself.  I love hearing, watching and reading stuff about the draft.  All the analysis and speculation, I could eat it with a spoon.  Yum-yum.  I'm going to miss all of it when the draft is over. 

Last week I talked about what the Jets could do, and what I think they should do, in the upcoming draft.  Now it's time for my New York "football" Giants. 

Much like the Jets, there are several names being linked to the Giants.  And also like the Jets, the Giants brass isn't giving much indication as to whom they might pick.  Oy vey.  Let's go over what the experts are saying.

Before I get to that, let me first vent.  I'm sure I'm not the only fan who thinks this, but it seems the Giants never get talked about.  Unless it's local radio or local writers, New York is never a blip on the NFL radar.  That makes me mad, especially since they've won 2 super bowls in the last 8 years.  Hell, even when they won those super bowls, it went like this: "And the Giants have won the super bowl!  Now on to anything else."  So with that being the case, it's hard to find any in-depth details about what New York might be thinking or wanting to do in the draft. 

The majority of experts have OL Brandon Scherff linked to the Giants.  Offensive line is obviously a huge need, so this should be a good pick.  I say "should" because most people believe he projects as a guard instead of a tackle, which is what New York needs most.  A couple of years ago they drafted Justin Pugh.  Pugh was also a college tackle who projected as an NFL guard, but the Giants played him at tackle anyway.  Seeing as how he hasn't played very well in his first two seasons, maybe he really should have been moved to guard .  Why in the world would New York draft a similar player, and possibly have similar headaches?  They shouldn't.  I don't care how much of a "mauler" Scherff might be.  They need a true tackle who can eventually (sooner rather than later) supplant Will Beatty as the left tackle.  I don't know if the 9th pick is too early to take a guy like Andrus Peat or Ereck Flowers, but they seem like better options to me.

Another name that's mentioned more often than not is DL Danny Shelton.  He's a big boy (almost 340lbs) that could be a great run stopper at the next level.  However, lately I've heard people saying that they fear his conditioning could be an issue.  Sounds kind of funny talking about conditioning with a 340lb man, but it could really be a problem.  I've also heard that he doesn't give his all on every play, sometimes disappearing when facing top quality linemen.  Another problem.  I don't love guys that can't get self-motivated.  We'll see what happens with him.  Some mock drafts have him in the top 10, while others have him slipping into the 20's.

It doesn't appear to be the case, but I wonder if the Giants have any interest in some of this year's pass rushers.  There's a chance Vic Beasley or Shane Ray could be available at #9, but I don't think they'd fit New York's scheme.  I wouldn't mind seeing a blitzing outside linebacker wearing blue again (we need another Lawrence Taylor), but I don't think any of these guys fit that mold.  Beasley intrigues me, but apparently his run defense is on the poor side, and in a 4-3 defense, your linebackers have to be able to give run support. 

I'm also curious where the Giants have the wide receivers ranked on their big boards.  If by some crazy chance Amari Cooper were to slip to them, would they pull the trigger?  I don't see how they wouldn't.  What about Kevin White?  He only had one really productive year, but has good size and speed.  Would he be worth the pick?  And what about the running backs?  I really like Melvin Gordon and moderately like Todd Gurley, but think the 9th pick is too high for a running back.  If they really want one of them, I'd hope they would trade back.  I'm sure that won't happen, though, because Jerry Reese isn't very active during the draft, or really ever for that matter. 

If I were the Giants, I would put in several phone calls to find out what it would cost to get into the top 3 or 4 picks in an attempt to land DE/LB Dante Fowler Jr.  I think he's going to be a beast.  Like I said, though, Reese doesn't usually make any moves, so I can just about guarantee that won't happen.  What most likely will happen is New York grabs an offensive lineman.  Which one?  No idea.  As I mentioned before, it'll hopefully be one of the true tackles like Peat or Flowers. 

All I know is that I can't wait for tomorrow night.  Bring it on!

Check back next week for my Jets and Giants draft recaps. 

NY Jets Draft Preview

My head is still spinning after looking at 4 million mock drafts.  (Deep breath)  Ok, I think I can continue.  If there's one thing I took from all that research, it's that I have no frigging idea what player is going to what team.  I can't remember a year where just about every draft slot was so wide open.  I want to say that it's a guarantee that Jameis Winston is going to the Buccaneers at number 1, but then I'm hearing reports that Tampa Bay may actually like Marcus Mariota more.  Ahhhh!  Stop the madness!

The teams I root for are no better, because there are different picks for the Jets and Giants in almost every mock I read, plus neither team is divulging much information about whom they might take.  So I guess it's up to me to pick for them.  Today I'm going to talk about the Jets, who hold the 6th overall pick.  Let's go Eskimo! 

The Jets have been linked to Marcus Mariota since the dawn of man, or since the end of the season.  All the same questions, over and over.  "Will Mariota fall to New York?"  "Will the Jets move up to get him?"  "Will I have a turkey burger for lunch?"  To me, the answers should be no, no and hell yes!  In all seriousness, I don't want the Jets moving up for Mariota, or drafting him 6th should he fall.  I'm certainly not an NFL scout, but the fact that this guy played in Oregon's crazy up-tempo offense scares me.  Plus he seems to be on the slender side, and for a quarterback that can run, that could be a recipe for disaster.  Just ask RGIII.  On top of all that, I just watched Gruden's QB Camp on ESPN, and Mariota said that he doesn't like the lime-light.  There's nothing but lime-light in New York!  This doesn't sound like a fit.  Don't do it Jets.  Also, there's still a small part of me that thinks Geno Smith can still be a competent QB in this league.  He's got a strong arm and is mobile.  He just needs to cut down on his mental errors.  Having said all that, if the Jets are adamant on drafting a QB, I would go after a guy like Bryce Petty in the second round.  He's got good size and a good arm. 

Two other names that are being linked to the Jets more often than not, are Amari Cooper (WR) and Shane Ray (DE/LB).  I love Cooper.  No, really.  We started going steady last week.  He's the full package: good size, good hands, good speed and good route runner.  I don't really remember a receiver coming out being this polished.  In order for New York to nab him, though, he'd have to slip past Oakland and Washington.  It sound like the Raiders are a very real possibility to draft him, so this might not happen for the Jets.  And to be honest, as nice as he'd look in green and white, I'd prefer to see New York grab an edge rusher, because they haven't had a pure pass rusher in quite awhile.  That's why Shane Ray's name keeps being mentioned in all these mock drafts.  It sounds as though he's very quick, but doesn't have great strength.  Like many of the top-tier edge rushers in this draft, he has good instincts and a good motor, but lacks the ideal strength to take on bigger tackles, and considering this is the NFL, all tackles are pretty big.  I have to admit, I'm not sold on this guy.  You can't only rely on speed in this league.

Someone I do like, despite his positive drug tests, is Randy Gregory.  He's on the lean side, much like Ray and other top DE/LB prospects, but apparently has good upper body strength.  If someone like that can put on a little weight and maintain his speed, he could become a high quality player.  The positive marijuana test certainly sends up a red flag, but when people like ESPN's Todd McShay are saying that he's the best pass rusher in the draft, that's hard to pass up.  Besides, he wouldn't be the first NFL player to get caught smoking pot.

Another guy that I would jump on if he were to fall, is Dante Fowler (DE/LB) from Florida.  He appears to be one of the best all-around players in the draft, and would be the pass-rusher the Jets desperately need.  It doesn't seem likely that he falls past the Jaguars at number 3, though.  But if he did.....

Other areas of need for the Jets are at offensive line and running back.  A guy like Brandon Scherff could most likely be had at 6, but I think that would be a bit of a reach.  For either position (OL or RB), I would either wait til the second round or move back in the 1st.  Maybe they trade back into the 1st round and grab Melvin Gordon.  That'd be fun.

Now the real question is what will the Jets actually end up doing?  In all honesty, I don't know, and that's not a cop-out.  The new GM, Mike Maccagnan, has been pretty aggressive thus far in his tenure, so that leads me to believe he has something cooking for draft day.  I'm envisioning a trade back into the 1st round rather than a trade up for the likes of Mariota.  However, if most of the mock drafts are accurate, then Shane Ray will likely be hugging Roger Goodell as New York's 1st round pick, leading me to say, "ugh".

Next week I'll tackle the Giants draft preview.  Be sure to check it out.  It's going to be awesome.  Really. 

2015 NBA Playoff Predictions

Bring on the playoffs.  The regular season has come to an exciting finish, but now the real fun begins.  The playoffs seedings are set, and all the teams know what lies ahead of them.  Before I get into my predictions, I'd first like to say that I got all but 1 of my game calls right in my last post, regarding teams winning or losing.  The one I got wrong was the Spurs losing to the Pelicans, which completely threw off my Western Conference seedings.  Definitely didn't see that happening, and now they have an unbelievable match-up with the Clippers in round 1!  Now let's roll!

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) ATLANTA vs (8) BROOKLYN

Atlanta won the season series, 4-0

Atlanta won by double digits in all but the last game (which Paul Millsap didn't play in).  Brooklyn isn't a very good team, but some of their guys have been playing well as of late, including Brook Lopez, Deron Williams and Thaddeous Young.  That being said, they're still not very good. 

Atlanta shocked the hell out of me this year.  I had them being a below .500 team, definitely not having the 2nd best record in all of basketball.  They really are a solid all-around team, though.  Good point guard, good wing players and good big men.  They shouldn't have any sort of a problem with the Nets.

Atlanta 4-0

(2) CLEVELAND vs (7) CELTICS

Season series tied, 2-2

The first Boston win came when Kyrie Irving didn't play, and the second when Cleveland rested its best players.  Despite their current 6 game winning streak, that doesn't bode well for the Celtics.  This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for them, so I'm sure they're just as surprised as you and me that they're in the playoffs.

Cleveland, on the other hand, has been one of the best teams in the NBA since getting off to such a horrible start.  They began the season 19-19, then LeBron James missed 8 games due to injuries and, frankly, just needing rest.  When he returned, the Cavs went a ridiculous 34-10.  Good luck, Boston.

Cleveland 4-0

(3) CHICAGO vs (6) MILWAUKEE

Chicago won the season series, 3-1

The Bucks may have only finished at .500, but that's following a 15-67 record the season before.  You may not like Jason Kidd, (I know I don't), but the man can coach.  The Bucks 26 game turnaround is the best this year, thus making them the most improved team in the NBA.  But.....

Chicago is better.  The Bulls once again had to play a good chunk of the season without Derek Rose (51 games played).  His inconsistency in the lineup definitely hurts them, but Tom Thibodeau is a great coach.  Plus, the addition of Pau Gasol and emergence of Jimmy Butler have made the Bulls a legitimate team once again.

Just for fun, keep an eye on "the battle of turnovers" between Derek Rose (3.2 per game) and Michael Carter-Williams (3.8 per game). 

Chicago 4-1

(4) TORONTO vs (5) WASHINGTON

Toronto won the season series, 3-0

I really think this series will come down to the health of Kyle Lowry.  If his last game is any indication, then he's ready to roll (26 pts, 7 ast, 4 reb, 3 stl), but if his back acts up, that will certainly be in Washington's favor.

Neither of these teams excites me.  Lowry and DeMar DeRozan make for a good combo, but John Wall doesn't have that true compliment player on his team  Bradley Beal can get hot, but not consistently.  As much as I liked Washington coming into the year, Wall can't advance them on his own.

I'll give the Wizards a couple of sneaky wins.

Toronto 4-2

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) GOLDEN STATE vs (8) NEW ORLEANS

Golden State won the season series, 3-1

Yes, Golden State is the best team in the NBA.  Yes, New Orleans barely got into the playoffs.  But so help me, I think we're going to have a good series on our hands.

The Warriors are sporting the potential MVP in Steph Curry, potential Defensive POY in Draymond Green, and Curry's "splash brother", Klay Thompson.  I get it, they're good.  But New Orleans isn't lacking in talent, either.  They have (most likely) future MVP Anthony Davis, Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon.

I also think rebounding is very much in the Pelican's favor.  Next to Davis is Omer Asik.  He didn't quite have the year I expected, but still averaged a smidge under 10 rebounds per game.  He and Davis should be able to out-rebound Green and Andrew Bogut. 

I'm telling you right now, if New Orleans can guard well against the 3, they have a legitimate shot at not only making Golden State sweat, but getting past them.  Having said that, I'm almost certain that the Warriors will now sweep the Pelicans.  :)

Going out on a big limb, here:

Golden State 4-3 (I didn't have the stones to predict New Orleans)

(2) HOUSTON vs (7) DALLAS

Houston won the season series, 3-1

Despite losing 3 out of 4, Dallas played Houston very tough.  They also only had to face Dwight Howard once, and that was in the last matchup with Howard only playing 18 minutes.  His return is interesting, because it can either take pressure off James Harden (another MVP candidate), or screw him up.  I heard that when Howard first returned, he told Harden to keep playing the way he was.  That had better be the case for Houston's sake.  Also, the team takes a hit by not having Patrick Beverley.  His wrist injury puts Jason Terry as the starting point guard, which isn't great.  Well, all he really has to do is get the ball to James Harden and get out of the way.  Nevermind.  Houston's fine.

I have to say, I'm pretty surprised Dallas did so well this season.  Dirk Nowitzki's numbers are down all across the board, though I suppose I should cut the almost 37 year old some slack, because, you know, he's almost 37.  But speaking of numbers being down, what the hell happened to Rajon Rondo!?  He's been terrible since being traded to Dallas.  Despite that, the Mavericks do have some decent talent with Monte Ellis, Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler.  Those guys, plus Dirk, should keep the games close, but only close.  I'll give Dallas one game, because Harden has to have at least 1 bad outing.

Houston 4-1

(3) LOS ANGELES vs (6) SAN ANTONIO

Season series tied, 2-2

The Western Conference is so good, that the 55-27 Spurs are the 6th seed.  That makes for a fantastic matchup with the Clippers.  I certainly didn't expect to see these 2 teams meeting in the 1st round, but I'll take it.   

If there's 1 thing I've learned about San Antonio, it's don't bet against them.  That's exactly what I did last year, and it bit me in the butt.  So this year...I'm going to do the exact same thing.  Come on people, they have to have a falloff at some point!  Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili's numbers are all down this year.  If the Spurs are going to win, Kawhi Leonard is going to have to do a lot of the heavy lifting.  And he can, and most likely will, have a good series, but it won't be enough.

Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are studs for the Clippers.  Then they have J.J. Reddick, Matt Barnes and Jamal Crawford to compliment them.  I was all in on the Clippers last year, and I think I might be again.  They have so much friggin' talent, they just have to put it all together.  If they can get past San Antonio, the rest of the West has to be put on notice.

Los Angeles 4-3

(4) PORTLAND vs (5) MEMPHIS

Memphis won the season series, 4-0

I'm shocked at that.  I know Memphis is good, especially on defense, but to sweep Portland is pretty impressive.  This series for the Trail Blazers really hinges on Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge.  They're extremely thin everywhere else, mainly because of injuries.  And if guys like Nicolas Batum and Arron Afflalo are out or miss any time, then they're not just thin, they're emaciated.

Memphis, on the other hand, got great news, because not only did Marc Gasol play in the season finale, he utterly dominated (33 pts, 13 reb).  It seems safe to say his ankle injury is behind him.  Mike Conley (ankle), however, hasn't played in the last 4 games, and while it was probably to rest him for the playoffs, it's still something to keep an eye on.  Even if Conley were to miss time, the combination of Gasol and Zach Randolph will probably be too much for Portland to handle.  It's not looking promising for them.

Memphis 4-0

Let's see how my picks pan out.  Be sure to check back after the 1st round for my conference semi-final predictions.  Enjoy the games!

Playoffs on the line for several NBA teams, plus Knicks can't do ANYTHING right

Let me start with the Knicks and just get them out of the way.  Before yesterday, they were only able to string back-to-back wins together three times this season.  Three!  By beating the Eastern Conference #1 seed Atlanta Hawks, they guaranteed themselves to not be the worst team in the league, and I couldn't be more pissed.  It's not bad enough that the team was totally unwatchable, but now the fans can't even celebrate having the best odds of landing the number 1 pick.  New York is sitting at 17 wins with their final game coming against the Detroit Pistons, which is a winnable game.  Minnesota has 16 wins, and tangles with the Oklahoma City Thunder tomorrow, a game, mind you, that Oklahoma City has to win to keep their playoff hopes alive.  Check and mate.  And to add injury to insult, if the Knicks had at least tied Minnesota for the worst record, they still would have landed the most ping-pong balls, because they lost both games to the Timberwolves this year.  Ridiculous.

Despite the fact that New York has pissed me off most of the season, there isn't all bad news with them not being the worst team in the NBA.  Since 1990, the team with the worst record has won the draft lottery only 3 times.  Plus, since there isn't a "can't miss" prospect in this draft, it could take a little pressure off the Knicks by letting the draft come to them.  However, if New York does land the first pick, I'd jump on Karl-Anthony Towns.  He's a defensive big man who shoots 81% from the free throw line.  That's a winning combo for the next level.  Hmm, kind of sounds like a former Knick (cough, Patrick Ewing, cough). 

Ok, no more Knicks talk, my blood pressure is just starting to stabilize.  There are a few teams still battling for the playoffs: Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Brooklyn and Indiana.  Let me start with the Eastern Conference. 

Brooklyn should be able to squeeze into the post-season, and here's why.  They have 1 game left, and it's against the Orlando Magic (25-56).  The Pacers have 2 games left, against the Washington Wizards (46-34), and the Memphis Grizzlies (54-27).  Doesn't look very promising for Indiana, but you never know.  Something to keep in mind is that Brooklyn owns the tie-breaker if they should end with the same record. 

The Western Conference 8th seed will be determined on Wednesday.  The New Orleans Pelicans play the San Antonio Spurs (55-26), while the Oklahoma City Thunder play the Minnesota Timberwolves (16-65).  Need I say more?  Congrats to the Thunder, now go play Golden State (66-15). 

Speaking of the Western Conference, there are a bunch of seeds still up for grabs.  The Spurs, Clippers and Rockets are all vying for the 2nd seed.  If the Spurs win, they're the #2 seed.  Houston needs to win and have the Spurs lose, while the Clippers need both Houston and San Antonio to lose.  It's technically a bit more complicated than that, but I've always been an abridge sort of guy. 

Now, the real question is how do I think this will all play out?  Glad you asked. 

Eastern Conference

Brooklyn will beat Orlando

Indiana will beat Washington, but lose to Memphis.

Washington is locked into the 5th spot, so they may wind up resting their players. 
Memphis, on the other hand, can either be the 5th or 6th seed.  They need help from other teams to grab 5, but they have to first win their own game, so I think they'll be playing hard. 

Brooklyn gets in.

Western Conference

Los Angeles (Clippers) beat Phoenix (Tonight)

Oklahoma City annihilates Minnesota

San Antonio beats New Orleans

Houston beats Utah

-Oklahoma City makes it to the post-season with their win and New Orleans' loss. 
-San Antonio grabs the 2 seed
-Los Angeles ends up 3rd
-Houston finishes 5th
-Memphis stays at 6

There you have it.  Should be a very exciting ending to a pretty good NBA regular season.  I'll be posting again later this week with my playoff predictions, so get excited, America!

2015 MLB National League Preview/Predictions - Bonus Playoff Predictions

And now, part 2 of my dramatic 2 part baseball preview.

 

NL EAST

Nationals

Marlins

Mets

Braves

Phillies

Washington is a no-brainer.  They might even be the best team in the entire major leagues.

Second place was a tough call.  I gave a slight edge to the Marlins because I think they'll have a more potent offense than the Mets, and also the fact that Zach Wheeler was lost for the year to Tommy John surgery.  New York should still be a decent team due to their rotation, just not playoff-worthy.  If Jose Fernandez can come back healthy for Miami, then they'll make a legitimate push for a wild card spot, that's how good I think their offense can be.

The Braves and Phillies weren't very good last year, but I can only really see Atlanta with the potential to improve.  They have a decent rotation with Julio Teheran, Alex Wood and Shelby Miller.  I don't see that being enough to compete for the division, but maybe enough to float around .500. 

NL CENTRAL

Cardinals

Pirates

Cubs

Reds

Brewers

It's hard to bet against the Cardinals, so I won't.  However, this won't be a walk in the park for them.  Pittsburgh will be good again, and this Division should come down to the wire.  St. Louis has an edge with their starting rotation, anchored by Adam Wainwright.  As for the Pirates, if Gregory Polanco can live up to the hype, then the Pirates might sport one of the best outfields in baseball.  This will be fun to watch.

Hey Cubs fans, you may finally have something to celebrate!  Much like the Astros, the Cubbies will have some of their top prospects all on the field this season.  Jorge Soler, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant (hopefully by mid April) will bring youth, promise and excitement to Chicago.  On top of that, they added Jon Lester to their rotation, and most importantly, hired Joe Madden as their manager.  Get excited, Chicago.

The Brewers surprised me last year by finishing above .500.  Can you say "fluke"?  I can.  Fluke.  Not gonna' happen this year.  The Reds surprised me too, by finishing below .500.  I won't say fluke on this, but I don't think it'll happen again this season.  If Joey Votto can bounce back, then Cincy should be competing for third place with the Cubs.

NL WEST

Dodgers

Padres

Giants

Rockies

Diamondbacks

The Dodgers lost a couple of guys, but should still have enough talent to take the Division because, you know, they still have that Clayton Kershaw guy.  Oh, and that Zach Greinke fella', too. 

San Diego went nuts this off-season bringing in Justin Upton, Wil Myers, Matt Kemp, Will Middlebrooks and James Shields.  Adding those guys to the roster doesn't automatically mean more wins, but I feel pretty good about it, especially because they have a solid pitching staff and a pitcher-friendly ball park.

The Giants are the reigning World Champions, but I don't see a repeat happening.  Their starting pitching used to be a strength, but now might be a weakness.  Matt Cain, Tim Hudson and Tim Lincecum are all shells of themselves, leaving Madison Bumgarner as the lone ace of the staff.  Their offense should be able to put up some runs, but not enough to overcome the rotation.

Colorado and Arizona were putrid last year, and that could carry over to this season.  The Rockies could be decent if they get the same production from Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson as last year, but more importantly if Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki stay healthy.  That, however, is a huge if.  As for Arizona...well my parents always said, "if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all".  Sorry, Diamondback fans. 


(red = losing team, green = winning team)

AL WILDCARD

Astros vs Indians 

NL WILDCARD

Pirates vs Padres


ALDS

Red Sox vs Indians
Tigers  vs Mariners 

NLDS

Nationals vs Pirates
Cardinals vs Dodgers

ALCS

Red Sox vs Tigers

NLCS

Nationals vs Cardinals  

WORLD SERIES

Nationals vs Red Sox  

I hope I'm wrong, and Boston doesn't even make the playoffs, but I just have a gut feeling that they're destined for the World Series.  Last year I picked the Nationals to win it all and they let me down.  I'm back on them this year, though.  Too much talent to pass up.  

It'll be interesting to see how my picks pan out.  In the meantime, enjoy the start of the season. 

2015 MLB American League Preview/Predictions

It's that time of year again, folks.  The baseball season starts on Sunday, and you know what that means...

Last year's predictions didn't go so well for me.  I only got 8 regular season calls correct.  That's 8 out of 30.  Not so good.  And on top of that, I managed to get every single playoff series wrong.  Feel free to click those links for a good laugh.

But hell, I'm a glutton for punishment.  So without further ado, here are this year's American League predictions. 


AL EAST

Red Sox

Orioles

Yankees

Blue Jays

Rays

All tough calls.  Last year the Orioles racked up 96 wins, but I can't see that happening again.  I'm sure they'll still be a gritty team under Showalter, just not 96 wins gritty.

The Red Sox spent a boat-load of money on hitters, but didn't really address their pitching.  I have them winning the division solely based on their offense, because I think it'll be one of the best in baseball.

Ah, my beloved Yankees.  So old.  So broken down.  So mediocre.  I'm hearing a lot of people saying that if they stay healthy they can be relevant.  I'm not sold.  Last year New York as a team hit for a .245 average, good for 20th in all of baseball.  Guys like Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira looked way past their prime.  Geez, Teixeira can't even stay on the field!  If the Yankees are going to have any shot this year, it has to be because of the pitching staff.  And even then, you're relying on CC Sabathia bouncing back and Masahiro Tanaka staying healthy.  Too many if's for my liking.

I think Toronto and Tampa Bay will both finish below .500 for the season.  Toronto should be able to hit, but their #1 pitcher is Drew Hutchinson.  I don't know who he is either, and that's a problem.  Tampa is the opposite, because they should be able to pitch, I just don't know if they can hit.  Plus, they don't have the magic of Joe Madden this year.

AL CENTRAL

Tigers

Indians

 Royals

White Sox

Twins

This might end up being the best Divisional race come September.  I can easily see Cleveland, Detroit or Kansas City winning this thing.  I think the deciding factor will be the rest of the rotation behind each team's ace.  I'm not in love with the depth on any of the teams, but I think Detroit has the best potential for a good 1-2 combo with David Price and Anibal Sanchez.  However, they could be done in if they stick with a shaky Joe Nathan as their closer.  Look for him to lose the job at some point this season.

The White Sox have one of the best young hitters in the game right now in Jose Abreu, but he's not enough to catapult Chicago up the standings.  And the Twins are the Twins.  They haven't won more than 70 games in a season in 4 years, and I'm sorry to say, I don't see it happening this season either.  Oh what the hell, I'm feeling good, I'll give them 71!

AL WEST

Mariners

Astros (What the f*#$?!)

Athletics

Angels

Rangers

"Holy guacamole, the man has lost his mind!!"  I'm sure you're thinking the same thing as the voices in my head.  But I'm sorry, I just have a funny feeling about those Astors this year.  When I looked at the lineups and rotations for all of the AL West teams, the Astros look strong all around.  I gave the nod to Seattle because they have Felix Hernandez and a few good hitters, and also they were decent last year, so I'll give the slight nod to experience.

The Athletics seem to be competitive every year, and this year should be no exception.  They added a couple of decent bats in Billy Butler and Ben Zobrist, but I don't think it was enough to launch them into first place.  The depth of their rotation will be a huge factor as to how well they do, also. 

In my opinion, the Angels completely over-achieved last season.  Mike Trout is without a doubt the best player in baseball.  He's phenomenal.  But this isn't the NBA.  He can't carry this team by himself.  Except for Garrett Richards and Matt Shoemaker, their rotation is aging and declining (CJ Wilson, Jered Weaver).  Albert Pujols is washed up and Josh Hamilton is constantly hurt and right now battling a drug issue again.  I'm sorry, I just don't see how they're going to be good.

I was wayyyy off on the Rangers last year, so I won't let it happen again.  Unless Prince Fielder and Shin Soo Choo revert to their 2012 selves, this team won't compete.  Let's not forget that Yu Darvish is done for the year.  That stings.

Finally, the Astros.  They are chock full o' potential, and I might be a season or two early in predicting them to be good, but shoot, I like the way their team looks on paper.  First of all, their rotation is legit with Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh.  And now they have several of their former top prospects in the staring lineup, such as Jon Singleton and George Springer.  Adding them to a roster that already has Jose Altuve (.341 avg - 56 stolen bases) and Chris Carter (37 homeruns), should make for a pretty good season.  At least I think so.

Check back in tomorrow for my National League predictions and to continue to be blown away by my psychic gifts.