WiFi’s MLB Season Preview
AL East
1. Boston Red Sox 98-64
2. Baltimore Orioles 90-72
3. Montreal Expos 83-79
4. New York Yankees 78-84
5. Toronto Blue Jays 65-97
The Red Sox are the clear favorites, led by a deep lineup with contact and lefty power their offense is sure to be one of the top run scoring units in the AL. Their rotation is deep one through five with Rosano leading as the clear Ace. Their bullpen is probably the one weak link as their closer leaves a lot to be desired. Baltimore looks to challenge for a wild card spot but probably doesn’t have enough to make a run at the Red Sox. Top pitching prospect Derek Papp looks to make a big impact as he starts the season with the big club. The offense has some nice pieces and there are reinforcements on the farm but it doesn’t have quite the punch as Boston. The Expos look to be headed through a transition period after years of competing at the top of the division. They are loaded with comp picks and talent that could help other clubs; this team has two questions: Does their general manager go full rebuild? (“You never go full rebuild”) and when does light tower power prospect 1B Vincente Arambula make his debut. The Yankees look headed to a full rebuild and will look to get as much value as possible for his remaining talent. The clock is ticking between value and droppage, will Masc be able to weigh max return vs. potential death drop. The Blue Jays figure to be……Jamie Moody and that is all.
AL Central
1. Kansas City Royals 96-66
2. Cleveland Guardians 95-67
3. Chicago White Sox 92-70
4. Minnesota Twins 77-85
5. Detroit Tigers 68-94
The Central figures to be a tight three team race, the two stalwarts (Royals and Guardians) and a new kid joining the party (White Sox). The Royals mix of pitching, defense, and speed always make them a threat. The key will be if perennial MVP candidate James Arrington can stay healthy and help carry their offense to victories. The Guardians are a deep offensive squad buoyed by a decent pen and lefty heavy staff. Matty’s team will always hang around but has disappointed when the lights are the brightest. The Guardians figure to challenge again this season with the main question being how long the window stays open. The White Sox made acquisitions to shift their rebuild into contend, Andy Park comes over from LA and looks to be the lefty masher to drive in their speed threat. Their main question is how quickly the kids develop and bring reinforcements for their push. The Twins are perpetually meh, no major additions and they don’t seem to have direction. Not having a direction is a recipe for drafting 12-15th and winning nothing, which is where they seem content to stay. The Tigers look to rebuild after years of contention. Father time caught up to their veterans and forced Erick to stack assets with an eye toward the future. This season is about development and the draft, which is ok in Motown.
AL West
1. Houston Astros 103-59
2. Los Angeles Angels 88-74
3. Texas Rangers 81-81
4. Las Vegas A’s 75-87
5. Seattle Mariners 60-102
The Houston Astros look like the deepest team in the AL and clear favorites to make it to the World Series. They have a dynamic offense with speed and power everywhere and one of the deepest rotations top to bottom in the league. Their bullpen is anchored by Matt Clemons who will look to continue after the strong season he had last year. They don’t appear to have much of a challenge and should have this division wrapped up by the trade deadline if not before. The Los Angeles Bi Polars of Anaheim have decided to end their rebuild and try to contend for the division, shipping six picks to Pittsburgh for two stud SP. While the pitching reinforcements should help, they simply don’t have near enough to challenge Houston and end up with a participation trophy and not draft picks. The Rangers have talent, enough? No not close but new GM Jason has pieces to work with. The question remains does it add or does he tear down the memories of war priest and mold his team in his image, only time will tell. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas except wins, those don’t seem to go anywhere near Vegas, especially this season. Mike Gold looks like a good player but they keep taking out a new line of credit to try and push only to be thwarted year after year. The tax man will come eventually and what stares them in the face is a lengthy rebuild. The Mariners are in a rebuild I think, they look to be zapped of talent and staring at a race for the #1 pick, 60 wins may be gracious, so here’s hoping the sun soon shines on the Space Needle, even if this writer is skeptical.
NL East
1. New York Mets 101-61
2. Washington Nationals 95-67
3. Philadelphia Phillies 84-78
4. Atlanta Braves 74-88
5. Florida Marlins 56-106
The defending champs look again to be the class of the NL. With an offense lead by superstar Edmund Velde they look destined to score a bunch of runs. On the pitching side perennial Cy Young candidate Peter Millikin looks to anchor a stellar rotation. Late Season addition Dan Nutall will now have a full season in Flushing to make an impact which should only made their offense more potent. Always a bridesmaid never a bride, the Nationals run of competitiveness has been the stuff of legends. If Peter had a Dan, he might have more division titles. There is no denying the strong organization in our nation’s capital when it comes to drafting and development. This Nationals team looks like strong playoff contenders once again, they just don’t have enough for the new bully on the block. Philadelphia and Atlanta look like two teams headed in opposite directions. The Phillies are clinging to relevance adding key free agent acquisition Bill Rowland from Montreal, they are led by a top flight rotation. The offense and pen are where they will struggle and ultimately come up short. Atlanta is in the midst of putting the finishing touches on another burn it down Seth Rollins rebuild. The kids are growing up and Stang should challenge Deck shortly, if the Braves have enough pitching. The Marlins look to be headed for a rebuild, devoid of talent and in a tough division, wins will be difficult to come by. There’s always hoping for a strong draft class Marlin’s fan.
NL Central
1. Pittsburgh Pirates 98-64
2. Milwaukee Brewers 91-71
3. St. Louis Cardinals 81-81
4. Chicago Cubs 72-90
5. Cincinnati Reds 52-110
The Central looks to be the Pirates to look as Mzy continues to do magic with his budget restrictions and remain competitive. A team predicated on pitching and a well-rounded offense are the staples of this Pirates team. Zach Hamilton will continue to drive in runs and pester opposing pitching staff while Mike Glock looks to shoot down any other teams hopes. The Brewers made me look like a fool last season so they will once again disappoint and lose in the wild card game. Talent everywhere but they seem to be missing something to get them over the hump. The Cardinals once again seem to be middling, destined for 3rd and nothing else. The Cubs appear better than last season as rookies Burnham and Coyler look to make an impact after a crosstown trade. If they continue to draft well the Cubs could make an impact in the near future in this division. Lastly the Reds, a team without much talent and even less of a hope this season. This team winning more than 60 games makes less sense than a Kyrie Irving hot take.
NL West
1. San Francisco Giants 100-62
2. Colorado Rockies 91-71
3. San Diego Padres 87-75
4. Los Angeles Dodgers 68-94
5. Arizona Diamondbacks 54-98
How the West was one, the Giants look like clear favorites here again. The development system by the Bay has been fantastic and another prospect in James Eversole looks to make a big impact in San Fran. A diverse offense and talent heavy rotation leads them to a division victory again. The Rockies and Padres look to fight for 2nd a chance at the wild card. The Rockies have more of a punchers chance given their ability to score runs but neither looks to put a real scare into the Giants. Down by the Hollywood sign times are a-changing the sell off has begun and looks to continue as they look to retool. They don’t appear to be much of a threat in the division and the focus should be more on adding picks than winning games. Same old, same old in the desert where the farm Is deep but full of question marks. Will they develop and ever be good? Maybe…. Will they bust out and leave fans in a perpetual season of sadness? More than likely.
AL MVP
1. OF Josh Stewart HOU
2. OF James Arrington KCR
3. OF Buster Sledge BOS
NL MVP
1. OF Edmund Velde NYM
2. 2B Chuemon Yanda SFG
3. 1B Zack Hamilton
AL Cy Young
1. SP Joel Ramos HOU
2. SP Irwin Winter LAA
3. SP Scott McIan CHW
NL Cy Young
1. SP Brent Zimny SFG
2. SP Peter Millikin NYM
3. SP Mike Glock PIT
AL ROY
1. SP Derek Papp BAL
2. OF Pedro Zegarra LAA
3. SP Kyle Munoz CLE
NL ROY
1. SP Matthew Vanne PIT
2. SP James Eversole SFG
3. 1B Ethan Burnham CHC
Wild Card:
over 
over 
ALDS
over
over 
NLDS
over
over 
ALCS
over
NLCS
over
World Series
over
AL East
1. Boston Red Sox 98-64
2. Baltimore Orioles 90-72
3. Montreal Expos 83-79
4. New York Yankees 78-84
5. Toronto Blue Jays 65-97
The Red Sox are the clear favorites, led by a deep lineup with contact and lefty power their offense is sure to be one of the top run scoring units in the AL. Their rotation is deep one through five with Rosano leading as the clear Ace. Their bullpen is probably the one weak link as their closer leaves a lot to be desired. Baltimore looks to challenge for a wild card spot but probably doesn’t have enough to make a run at the Red Sox. Top pitching prospect Derek Papp looks to make a big impact as he starts the season with the big club. The offense has some nice pieces and there are reinforcements on the farm but it doesn’t have quite the punch as Boston. The Expos look to be headed through a transition period after years of competing at the top of the division. They are loaded with comp picks and talent that could help other clubs; this team has two questions: Does their general manager go full rebuild? (“You never go full rebuild”) and when does light tower power prospect 1B Vincente Arambula make his debut. The Yankees look headed to a full rebuild and will look to get as much value as possible for his remaining talent. The clock is ticking between value and droppage, will Masc be able to weigh max return vs. potential death drop. The Blue Jays figure to be……Jamie Moody and that is all.
AL Central
1. Kansas City Royals 96-66
2. Cleveland Guardians 95-67
3. Chicago White Sox 92-70
4. Minnesota Twins 77-85
5. Detroit Tigers 68-94
The Central figures to be a tight three team race, the two stalwarts (Royals and Guardians) and a new kid joining the party (White Sox). The Royals mix of pitching, defense, and speed always make them a threat. The key will be if perennial MVP candidate James Arrington can stay healthy and help carry their offense to victories. The Guardians are a deep offensive squad buoyed by a decent pen and lefty heavy staff. Matty’s team will always hang around but has disappointed when the lights are the brightest. The Guardians figure to challenge again this season with the main question being how long the window stays open. The White Sox made acquisitions to shift their rebuild into contend, Andy Park comes over from LA and looks to be the lefty masher to drive in their speed threat. Their main question is how quickly the kids develop and bring reinforcements for their push. The Twins are perpetually meh, no major additions and they don’t seem to have direction. Not having a direction is a recipe for drafting 12-15th and winning nothing, which is where they seem content to stay. The Tigers look to rebuild after years of contention. Father time caught up to their veterans and forced Erick to stack assets with an eye toward the future. This season is about development and the draft, which is ok in Motown.
AL West
1. Houston Astros 103-59
2. Los Angeles Angels 88-74
3. Texas Rangers 81-81
4. Las Vegas A’s 75-87
5. Seattle Mariners 60-102
The Houston Astros look like the deepest team in the AL and clear favorites to make it to the World Series. They have a dynamic offense with speed and power everywhere and one of the deepest rotations top to bottom in the league. Their bullpen is anchored by Matt Clemons who will look to continue after the strong season he had last year. They don’t appear to have much of a challenge and should have this division wrapped up by the trade deadline if not before. The Los Angeles Bi Polars of Anaheim have decided to end their rebuild and try to contend for the division, shipping six picks to Pittsburgh for two stud SP. While the pitching reinforcements should help, they simply don’t have near enough to challenge Houston and end up with a participation trophy and not draft picks. The Rangers have talent, enough? No not close but new GM Jason has pieces to work with. The question remains does it add or does he tear down the memories of war priest and mold his team in his image, only time will tell. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas except wins, those don’t seem to go anywhere near Vegas, especially this season. Mike Gold looks like a good player but they keep taking out a new line of credit to try and push only to be thwarted year after year. The tax man will come eventually and what stares them in the face is a lengthy rebuild. The Mariners are in a rebuild I think, they look to be zapped of talent and staring at a race for the #1 pick, 60 wins may be gracious, so here’s hoping the sun soon shines on the Space Needle, even if this writer is skeptical.
NL East
1. New York Mets 101-61
2. Washington Nationals 95-67
3. Philadelphia Phillies 84-78
4. Atlanta Braves 74-88
5. Florida Marlins 56-106
The defending champs look again to be the class of the NL. With an offense lead by superstar Edmund Velde they look destined to score a bunch of runs. On the pitching side perennial Cy Young candidate Peter Millikin looks to anchor a stellar rotation. Late Season addition Dan Nutall will now have a full season in Flushing to make an impact which should only made their offense more potent. Always a bridesmaid never a bride, the Nationals run of competitiveness has been the stuff of legends. If Peter had a Dan, he might have more division titles. There is no denying the strong organization in our nation’s capital when it comes to drafting and development. This Nationals team looks like strong playoff contenders once again, they just don’t have enough for the new bully on the block. Philadelphia and Atlanta look like two teams headed in opposite directions. The Phillies are clinging to relevance adding key free agent acquisition Bill Rowland from Montreal, they are led by a top flight rotation. The offense and pen are where they will struggle and ultimately come up short. Atlanta is in the midst of putting the finishing touches on another burn it down Seth Rollins rebuild. The kids are growing up and Stang should challenge Deck shortly, if the Braves have enough pitching. The Marlins look to be headed for a rebuild, devoid of talent and in a tough division, wins will be difficult to come by. There’s always hoping for a strong draft class Marlin’s fan.
NL Central
1. Pittsburgh Pirates 98-64
2. Milwaukee Brewers 91-71
3. St. Louis Cardinals 81-81
4. Chicago Cubs 72-90
5. Cincinnati Reds 52-110
The Central looks to be the Pirates to look as Mzy continues to do magic with his budget restrictions and remain competitive. A team predicated on pitching and a well-rounded offense are the staples of this Pirates team. Zach Hamilton will continue to drive in runs and pester opposing pitching staff while Mike Glock looks to shoot down any other teams hopes. The Brewers made me look like a fool last season so they will once again disappoint and lose in the wild card game. Talent everywhere but they seem to be missing something to get them over the hump. The Cardinals once again seem to be middling, destined for 3rd and nothing else. The Cubs appear better than last season as rookies Burnham and Coyler look to make an impact after a crosstown trade. If they continue to draft well the Cubs could make an impact in the near future in this division. Lastly the Reds, a team without much talent and even less of a hope this season. This team winning more than 60 games makes less sense than a Kyrie Irving hot take.
NL West
1. San Francisco Giants 100-62
2. Colorado Rockies 91-71
3. San Diego Padres 87-75
4. Los Angeles Dodgers 68-94
5. Arizona Diamondbacks 54-98
How the West was one, the Giants look like clear favorites here again. The development system by the Bay has been fantastic and another prospect in James Eversole looks to make a big impact in San Fran. A diverse offense and talent heavy rotation leads them to a division victory again. The Rockies and Padres look to fight for 2nd a chance at the wild card. The Rockies have more of a punchers chance given their ability to score runs but neither looks to put a real scare into the Giants. Down by the Hollywood sign times are a-changing the sell off has begun and looks to continue as they look to retool. They don’t appear to be much of a threat in the division and the focus should be more on adding picks than winning games. Same old, same old in the desert where the farm Is deep but full of question marks. Will they develop and ever be good? Maybe…. Will they bust out and leave fans in a perpetual season of sadness? More than likely.
AL MVP
1. OF Josh Stewart HOU
2. OF James Arrington KCR
3. OF Buster Sledge BOS
NL MVP
1. OF Edmund Velde NYM
2. 2B Chuemon Yanda SFG
3. 1B Zack Hamilton
AL Cy Young
1. SP Joel Ramos HOU
2. SP Irwin Winter LAA
3. SP Scott McIan CHW
NL Cy Young
1. SP Brent Zimny SFG
2. SP Peter Millikin NYM
3. SP Mike Glock PIT
AL ROY
1. SP Derek Papp BAL
2. OF Pedro Zegarra LAA
3. SP Kyle Munoz CLE
NL ROY
1. SP Matthew Vanne PIT
2. SP James Eversole SFG
3. 1B Ethan Burnham CHC
Wild Card:
over over ALDS
over over NLDS
over over ALCS
over NLCS
over World Series
over
2092-2129
World Championships: 2100, 2127, 2128
AL Pennants: 2100, 2127, 2128
Division Titles: 2100, 2101, 2114, 2127, 2128
WC: 2103, 2112, 2122, 2125, 2126
Best Record:105-57 (2100, 2127)
Overall Record: 2,955-3,040 .493 winning percentage