MLB Recaps

It would be a reasonable assertion to state that any team retaining the services of the AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner would need a repeat performance in order to continue winning, but this is certainly not the case when it pertains to the 2012 Detroit Tigers. Pitcher Justin Verlander established himself as the premier starting pitcher in all of baseball last season, going 24-5 with a 2.40 earned run average and allowing only 174 hits and 57 walks in 251 innings pitched. Verlander has the capability to repeat his 2011 performance again, but it is not critical to the success of the Tigers – a season that is only 75% as good as last year’s will assure that Detroit will again head to the playoffs.

In the last three MLB seasons Verlander has a Read more »

Who is the best hitter on the Los Angeles Dodgers?

Normally, a player fresh off a .249 batting average over 600+ at-bats isn’t the kind of player that gets elected as a team’s best hitter, but Matt Kemp is different. As Dodgers fans will tell you, Kemp didn’t live up to expectations in 2010, but going into 2011 Kemp should be considered as the Dodgers’ most feared hitter.

How does Kemp compare to the other Los Angeles hitters?

Kemp isn’t the only player in the Dodgers lineup who can hit the ball. Andre Ethier and 33-year old Rafael Furcal both are respectable hitters in their own rights. Kemp and Ethier both can hit the ball deep, while Kemp and Furcal are known to swipe at least 25 bags a year. Ethier and Kemp will both do the majority of batting runs in, but no one on the team will hit .300 or above. The downside to Ethier is he isn’t particularly strong against lefties, and Furcal is always a risk to land on the disabled list.

Will Kemp compete for the home run title?

In 2010, Kemp hit 28 homeruns in a down year. If he rebounds in 2011, he may put up bigger numbers across the board, but his home run numbers won’t increase enough for him to be regarded as a home run title contender. Kemp may hit 30, but not much more

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Who is the best hitter on the Colorado Rockies?

Forget about Colorado’s lifer Todd Helton. Although he was once Colorado’s top hitter, he has been surpassed by both Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. But which one of the younger players is Colorado’s top player? Tulowitzki slightly nudges out Gonzalez, but not by much. One of best qualities of Tulowitzki is that he plays at his highest level late in the season, helping to make the playoff races in September that much tighter.

How does Tulowitzki compare to the other Colorado hitters?

When judging Colorado hitters, it must be done so carefully. The Colorado air often produces inflated numbers for players, which aren‘t replicated on the road. Tulowitzki performs better than Gonzalez on road trips, and appears to be less of a product of Coors Stadium. Both exhibit similar numbers, approximately 100 runs, 30 home runs, 100+ RBIs, and a batting average that teeters over the edge of .300. Gonzalez does however steal a few more bases per season than Tulowitzki.

Will Tulowitzki compete for the home run title?

Tulowitzki is about 10 home runs a season short of winning the home run title. He has a fly-ball trend rate which suggests he may be

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Who is the best hitter on the Chicago Cubs?

When looking at the Cubs lineup, it’s not too hard to sort out who their star offensive player is from the rest of the team. Years ago, it might have been Alfonso Soriano, but his best days are behind him. Now, Aramis Ramirez gets to reign as the Cubs most potent hitter. .

How does Ramirez compare to the other Chicago hitters?

Aramis Ramirez is pretty solid throughout most categories. He, along with Carlos Pena and Marlon Byrd, will be responsible for 70 runs each. Pena will hit the ball out of the park more than Ramirez, but both will drive in equal amount of runs. Ramirez is probable to significantly outperform Pena in batting average, but no one on the team will hit above .300.

Will Ramirez compete for the home run title?

No, he doesn’t have the power numbers to win the home run title. He will hit 25 or so home runs this season, maybe a few more or a

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The Washington Nationals made National headlines during the hot stove league with the signing of Jason Werth. Werth will be teamed with Ryan Zimmerman to form a very dangerous tandem in the middle of the order.

It is hard to say whom the best hitter of the two is. Considering Werth had the luxury the past few years to hit behind Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins, Zimmerman has had no such luxury. Adding to the argument for Zimmerman is the huge mostly empty ballpark he plays 82 games in a year, and the cast of average hitters hitting around him.

Zimmerman has managed to crank out at least 20 homeruns in every full season he has been in the league and carries a lifetime.288 batting average. He hit .308 for a very weak Nationals team last year.

Werth is a late bloomer, and the last few years has seemingly finally come into his own. 2010 was his best campaign to date, and his glove is ranked as gold glove caliber. His home run power should give Zimmerman serviceable protection, just don’t expect another 30

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The Phillies best hitter may be the least likely to play this year. That hitter is Chase Utley. Utley has a bad knee and it is more likely by the day that he will need to miss significant time due to injury. He has already received one shot to alleviate the swelling, but it has not responded to treatment.

The best hitter in his absence is easily Ryan Howard. How he performs with out Utley behind him could depend on the players hitting behind him. Domonic Brown was due to replace Jason Werth in right field and hit behind Howard, but his broken arm will keep him out a couple of months at least.

The key to this line-up could be unsung John Mayberry Junior. So far this spring he is hitting near .300 with 5 homeruns. His slugging percentage of .667 reflects his power, but those numbers could be a spring training illusion. Jerry Manuel’s recent comments about his

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Who is the best hitter on the Atlanta Braves?

After leaving Florida, Dan Uggla should be primed to take over the Braves roster as their best hitter. In Florida, Uggla was notoriously more proficient at hitting on the road than he was in his home stadium, Sun Life Stadium. In 2010, he hit for a batting average of .287, hit 33 home runs, and accounted for more than 100 runs batted in. The good news for Braves fans is that his production should remain largely consistent this year with last year’s performance.

How does Uggla compare to the other Atlanta hitters?

Martin Prado, Jason Heyward, and Brian McCann are the other hitters on the Braves worth mentioning. Heyward, Prado, and Uggla should all account for 90+ runs each, while Uggla should be the Braves’ run away home run threat. Uggla is the favorite to lead the teams in RBIs, being good for at least 100 a season. He isn’t much of a base runner, so Nate McLouth and Heyward will both be tops on the team in bases stolen. The other category Uggla falls short in when compared to his other teammates is batting average. As the team’s power hitter,

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It’s not difficult to find reasons for the Cleveland Indians’ precipitous fall from the brink of the World Series in 2007 to the back of the pack today, just 4 years later. It’s about pitching. In 2007, the team had the third-best ERA in the American League, when its rotation was fronted by workhorses C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, who won 19 and 18 games, respectively. Sabathia is gone now, of course, but Carmona is still around, and the Indians are hoping 2011 will bring a return to his past form.

Carmona will be the Indians’ number one start this year after last year recapturing the power sinker that helped carry the team to the ALCS in 2007. Carmona won 13 games with a 3.77 ERA after atrocious performances in 2008 and 2009 got him shipped back to the minor leagues in Arizona. The Indians’ hopes for a return to respectability this year hinge on Carmona, as they’ll need even more from

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The good news in Arizona is that GM Kevin Towers is the best at doing a lot with little, and skipper Kirk Gibson is a hard nosed tyrant that will demand the most accountability from his players. The bad news is that they are even needed.

There isn’t much to be cheery about in Diamond back camp this year, and that is evidenced by the almost down trodden tone both Towers and Gibson recently expressed. The rotation is comprised of former five spot pitchers, with the only notables being Ian Kennedy and near perfect game pitcher Armando Gallaraga. Zach Duke was brought in to compete for a job but recently broke two bones in his throwing hand and will miss four weeks.

The bullpen is headed by middle of the pack closer JJ Putz and meatball serving right-hander Juan Gutierrez.

Stephen Drew and Kelly Johnson are great middle of the order type infielders, but their range and ability in the field are below average. The battle for first base is basically between Russell Branyan of the eternal bulging disk, and youngster Juan Miranda. If healthy (and he is never healthy) Branyon provides at least a dangerous bat off of the bench, and at most 25 dingers at first base. Miranda on the other hand has given no indications that he can

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The Pittsburgh Pirates will likely not post their first winning season since 1992 this year. Sorry to be the barrer or bad news to those who are Pirates fans, but you already knew that. Whether they will improve on their 57-105 mark that they posted last season, well, if you are looking for moral victories, this may be one that you can aim for.

The Pirates had a terrible season last season and they didn’t exactly load up their roster with big off season moves this season. In addition, the Pirates are also in one of the most competitive divisions in all of baseball with the Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers and Reds, all of which got better in the off season. It’s going to be a long, long season for the Pirates faithful.

Looking at the Pirates potential starting five, you have Paul Maholm, the “ace” of the squad who went 9-15 with a 5.10 ERA last season. Your number two is Ross Ohlendorf, who was 1-11 last year, followed by Kevin Correia, James McDonald, Charlie Morton, none of whom finished with an above .500 record last season. In fact, the Pirates starting 5 combined for 26 win’s last season. On second though, maybe 57 win’s seems a bit lofty this season.

The bullpen is led by closer Joel Hanrahan, who had six saves last season. One of the best pitchers on the roster may in fact be the set up man, Evan

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