Fantasy Super Heros

4 guys who have started off the season hot and are probably available in your league:

Ike Davis- Davis is in his sophomore year starting at 1b for the Mets, and he has really taken off. Him and his .345 Ba is all the Mets really have to cheer about at this point in the season.

Brett Anderson- Anderson has an ERA just a tad above 1.50 and has gone at least 6 innings in all of his starts. He has always shown talent, but health has derailed his seasons in the past.

Michael Pineda- One of the biggest surprises so far, Pineda has flourished in the Mariners rotation, which he wasn't even suppose to be in. 3-1, 1.78 ERA for the MARINERS?! Holy Hell...

Darwin Barney- Blake DeWitt who? Cubbie fans are loving the tandom of Barney and Starlin in their lineup, with Barney hitting .329 and becoming a solid duo with Castro at the plate at Wrigley. Now if Starlin could learn to field a ground ball....

MLB 2011 Season Predictions

Baseball season is officially here. Here are my picks in the Awards, Trade Rumors to watch until July, and Division and World Series Picks.

AL MVP-Adrian Gonzalez BOS- He’s ready to explode at Fenway, especially with that short right field fence.

NL-Albert Pujols STL- Albert will set himself up for a big offseason with plenty of zeros coming his way.

ROY

AL-Kyle Drabek-TOR- A key piece in the Roy Halladay trade, Drabek has stuff likened to Mike Mussina.

NL Brandon Belt-Giants- SF was so impressed with this kid they moved Aubrey Huff to RF for him. Belt, along with Posey is a scary thought for NL West pitching for years to come.

CY Young AL-David Price- Man on a Mission

NL- Cliff Lee- Lee has to feed off opponents being worn out every night by the Phil's staff. Can 4 pitchers win 15+? It’s a realistic possibility.

Most Improved AL- Chone Figgins-Its hard to imagine Figgins will hit .259 again. I like a nice bounce back season with 50+ bases stolen and a batting average around .300

NL- Chipper Jones- I'm going to go with Chipper, seeing this Braves team has a legit chance to challenge Philly and Jones will provide that leadership and power in the middle of the order.

Players on the move?

Prince Fielder- With him becoming a Free agent next year, the Brew Crew loaded up with pitching to try and make a run. If they're out of contention in July, Prince is going to get shopped.

Aramis Ramirez- I really like the Cubs to contend for the division this year, but there might be a point when Jim Hendry decides to blow up the roster.

Grady Sizemore- Its hard to imagine the Indians trading this guy away, but injuries and a new contract coming up might scare the Indians.

Predictions

AL West Texas NL Giants

Central White Sox NL Cards

East Boston NL Phillies

Wild Card Yankees NL Braves

Champ Boston Braves

Pujols Possible Suitors

Well, the Lebron like sweeptakes for #5 begins this spring and will continue all the way to around early December for a total of 9 months. Here's a look at the suitors who could sign Albert next year, not named the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cubs- I think most people would be in agreement that the Cubs will be throwing the kitchen sink at this guy, especially to get him away from a division rival. Lots of contracts come off the books for the Cubbies and he would be the most anticipated athlete to come to Chicago since Cutler....o wait...lets go Jordan after his first retirement.

Nationals- The Nats got the dough, but can they convince Albert to come to a struggling franchise? A lot will depend on how they do this year, especially with the addition of Jayson Werth.

Mets- People are speculating already 30- plus million a year for Pujols. The Mets, i can see, can go closer to high 30's and possible 40.

Yanks- You can never really count these guys out. Even with Teixeira, they might find a taker for him or move him to DH.

MLB Breakout Players

Heading into spring training, here's some players to watch for this spring during camp and then during the dog days of summer.

Domonic Brown-PHI-OF- The favorite to take over Jayson Werth's spot in left field, Brown brings speed and power to the gaps to this already dangerous Phil's lineup. Brown might hit in the two spot, or possibly hit at No. 8 to jump start the bottom of the lineup.

Carlos Santana-CLE-C- When he came up last year, Carlos really adjusted nicely to the big leagues and proved he was the Indian's catcher of the future. The big question is whether he will be healthy enough after a devastating knee injury last year, but a full recovery is expected by opening day.

Brett Anderson-SP-Oak- Staying healthy was the issue last year for Brett. This year he goes into camp completely healthy and looks to show flashes of being a true ace this year. He might be a dark horse for Cy Young, but health is the main concern.

Logan Morrison-OF-FLA- Morrison will get overshadowed by fellow sophomore teammate Mike Stanton. Logan is a very patient hitter, who draws a ton of walks and runs the bases well. He and Stanton lead a young, talented OF for Florida.

MLB Off Season Assessment

Here's a quick run down of the winners and losers this winter:

Winners-

Red Sox- Clearly adding two bats like Crawford and Gonzalez to an already star-studded lineup makes them instant title contender.

Phillies- Words can't even describe how scary this rotation is, and come October, the Phils will have an ace on the mound every game for them. The only caution mark will be if they all can stay healthy.

White Sox- I got to give my Sox some love, as they return Paul Konerko and add Dunn to the middle of the lineup, plus adding some bullpen help to keep up with the Twins and Tigers in the AL central.

Losers-

Angels- The Halos basically missed out on every big name they went after, from Crawford, to Lee and also Beltre.

Yankees- The need to acquire Cliff Lee after the Bo Sox got two, big lefties in their lineup was immense. Missing out on him leaves C.C. as the only line of defense for the Bronx.

MLB Offseason Activity

Here are 6 big time free agents and their possible landing spots, plus 3 trades that could happen.

1. Adam Dunn- Future team: White Sox- Other Suitors; Cubs, Nationals, and Tigers.

With Paul Konerko likely gone, Kenny Williams and Jerry Reinsdorf won't hesitate to pay the left handed power hitter( who they've always wanted) the big bucks.

2. Carl Crawford-Angels-Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers.

After LA missed the playoffs last year, they will definitely be looking to upgrade their team, especially with an explosive leadoff hitter. Crawford fits in perfectly.

3. Cliff Lee-Yankees- Nationals, Cubs, Rangers- Unless Lee falls in love with Arlington or another city, i don't see how he turns down Sabathia-type money.

4. Paul Konerko-Red Sox- White Sox, Tigers, Diamondback, and Angels.

As much as i don't want to see Pauly go, i think he bolts to the Red Sox if they offer him ridiculous money. The Angels could get involved too if they lose out to Crawford.

5. Victor Martinez-Red Sox- Tigers, Rangers, White Sox.

I think this is almost a lock, as the Red Sox love him and he loves Boston back. The Chi Sox could get involved too if they lose both AJ and Pauly.

6. Adrian Beltre- A's- Red Sox Tigers and Angels-Beltre will want too much from Boston, but the A's will be waving that 4 year deal right in front of him.

Trades that may be on teams' radars:

Adrian Gonzalez to Cubs-Even with a winning record last year, the Padres will shop Gonzalez from now till July 31. This would be a great move for the Cubs, but is the asking price too much?

Justin Upton to Boston- The D'backs are shopping him, as they look to clean out house. There is still plenty of potential in this kid.

Zach Greinke to Rangers- With the Rangers probably losing out on Cliff Lee, the Royals will listen to offers for Zach, but its a steep cost.

World Series 2010

After 7 grueling months, 2 teams are left standing, fighting for the ultimate prize. I break down some key components and a prediction for the Rangers-Giants series.

Big Question- Is Cliff Lee hittable?- In only 3 starts this postseason, Lee has 34 strikeouts and only one BB. He has proven to be the most dominant pitcher in this year's postseason. Even more bad news for the Giants: He might start 3 game this series.

Mystery player- Cody Ross and Juan Uribe provided the offense the Giants needed in the NLCS. The Giants will need one of their big hitters to step up in order for them to compete this series. Will it be stand out rookie Buster Posey? Veterans Aubrey Huff or Pat Burrell? One thing that is certain is that they can't rely on Ross and Uribe again.

Key match up- Giant's starting pitchers vs Ranger's lineup- The Rangers lineup has been surging this entire postseason, as their contribution is coming from top to bottom. The pitching for San Francisco has been good also, as Lincecum and Matt Cain need to make a statement to this lineup in the opening games at home.

Prediction- Even with home field advantage, i see the Giants falling to the Rangers in 7. I think Texas finally gets that long awaited championship for new owner Nolan Ryan, and veteran and well deserving Micheal Young steps up to win MVP.

MLB 2011 Season Preview

In the following months, i will be previewing all the MLB teams for next year. I will go over top needs and changes for these teams, as well as possible transactions and prospects to look for. Baseball is a year round business, and the moves teams and GMs make will ultimately decide how they compete next year. Look for the first preview in mid-November.

MLB Season Awards

My Awards for the MLB Season

AL MVP- Josh Hamilton- Even though his season was cut short, he still put up triple crown numbers for half the year and finished the season with the batting average crown.

NL- Joey Votto- Votto bursted into the scene, as he challenged fellow NL Central rival Albert Pujols for most batting categories. Plus, getting the Big Red Machine to the playoffs helps too.

AL Cy Young- David Price- Felix Hernandez has been getting a lot of hype for this, but i go with Price. 19-6 and and ERA under 3 goes a long way for the 25 year old ace.

NL- Halladay- The Phillies got exactly what they wanted when they traded for him in the off season, as he had 9 complete game, 4 of which were shut outs, for the NL East Champions Phillies.

AL Rookie of the year- Austin Jackson- Jackson soared to a scorching hot start, but has cooled off considerably since. He has been a nice piece to take Curtis Granderson's spot, as 27 SB was tops for rookies in the AL.

NL- Buster Posey- All he's done is hit .305 with 18 HR, and taken over the catching duties as a true rookie.

AL Manager of the Year- Joe Maddon-He's got the young Rays back into the postseason, and trying to bring home the big one.

NL- Dusty Baker-Brought the usual NL central cellar team up from the dead, and developed a young, deep starting pitching staff.

AL Comeback player: Francisco Liriano- After a stud rookie year, Liriano hasn't been the same thanks to injury. This year, he won 14 games and lead the Twins against the Yanks in the first round.

NL- Jose Reyes- He rebounded nicely from an injury year last year, and was one of the bright spots on the Mets this year.

MLB Postseason Picks

The long season has finally ended, but now a new season starts for 8 teams, all with dreams and hopes set for 11 wins. My picks:

Rangers vs Rays: Best match up of the Divisional Series. Ranger's high powered offense meets a solid 1-4 rotation in the Rays. Rays in 5

Twins vs Yankees: Twins have been the hottest team in baseball, but can their pitching handle the Yank's bats? Yanks in 3

Yankees vs Rays: AL Foes meet once again to decide who represents the AL. Home field will be big for the Rays, as they'll need the crowd on their side. With that, i still see the Yankees finding a way to get it done. Yankees in 7

Reds vs Phillies: Reds haven't been talked about a lot lately, but i think they will give the Phils a run for their money. Phillies in 5

Braves vs Giants: Everyone is liking the Giants with their pitching, but i still think there might be a fault in it, especially in their bullpen. The Braves will need to come out swinging to get it done. Braves in 4

Braves vs Phillies: Phillies have the best rotation in the majors, which gives them a major advantage. But i see emotion playing a big part for the Braves, with this being Bobby Cox last year, and they get the skipper one more shot at the big one. Braves in 7

Braves vs Yankees: Its not the AL East vs NL East showdown everyone expected, but still should be a good one. Braves will be riding high after shocking the Phils. Yankees pitching will be key, as their starting pitching will need to go deep and spare the bullpen some innings. Yankees in 6

Why I'll be rooting for the Twins

Now, just from looking at the title you may be in shock, and some of you enraged. Even me, as a die-hard Sox fan my whole life, can't believe that I'm muttering these very words. But when you put down the facts and evidence, i somehow gather my conscience and stand by these words. The Twins are the hated rivals of the Sox, yet still they represent something the Sox want to be: AL Pennant contenders. No one wants to see the Yankees win another World Series title. The Rays would be nice, but the Twin story would be something. Young stars in Mauer and Morneau leading the way for a franchise that has been competitive for many years, but can never reach that final step. Pitching that is often overlooked and how they build their minor league teams is also part of the organization's success. Another big reason is big Jim Thome. He's been a class act for MLB all these years. This could possibly be his last season( although I think he will come back for 600 HR) and there is no better way for this great ambassador for baseball to end in a winning way. He has been a major reason why the Twins are now. Its just too bad the Sox let him go, or things would have been very different on the South side.

Postseason Picks

With a little less than a month left in the MLB season, there are still many tight divisional races going on. Heres who I expect to make it to October:

NL East Phillies

NL Central Reds

NL West Giants

Wild Card Braves

AL East Yanks

AL Central Twins

AL West Rangers

Wild Card Rays

World Series- Phillies vs Yankees

Nyjer Morgan

If Cub's fans thought Milton Bradley was bad, think again. Nyjer Morgan topped off his eventful two weeks with a straight out brawl against Marlin's pitcher Chris Volstad. This is 4 incidents for the young National's CF in only a span of 12 games. He also recently threw a ball into the stands in Philly, which hit a fan( which is under investigation) and ran over Cardinal's and Marlin's catchers, with the latter sparking the brawl for the next night. Even Morgan's manager called him out, saying his actions with the catcher was unnecessary. Morgan is looking at a maximum suspension of possibly 15 games but the more reasonable is 7-10 games. Morgan was thrown at in his first plate appearance on Wednesday due to running into the catcher the day before. He said he expected that, but when he was thrown at again, he felt that was it and he went at Volstad. Morgan landed a punch, but before he knew it, Gabby Sanchez and the rest of the Marlins were on top of him in a pile. The Nats brought Morgan in to provide speed and versatility, but Nyjer has provided some not-needed late season drama.

Winners and Losers of MLB Trade Deadline

Well, July 31st has finally past, and here is who came out on top and teams that did not improve their teams.

Winners-

Rangers- Added a elite pitcher in Cliff Lee and got really nice deals in Jorge Cantu and Christian Guzman.

Phillies- With Oswalt, they now have 3 dangerous pitchers, who will be tough to beat in a playoff series. Problem is, can they reach October?

Padres- Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick were under the radar moves, but were excellent deals to help San Diego reach the playoffs.

Losers-

Royals and Brewers- Both had a chance to rebuild with young talent and unload some over payed veterans, but both stood pat as the deadline came and went.

MLB Trade Deadline Heating Up

We are less than a week from the July 31st trade deadline. Here are 7 possible deals that I am hearing that could take place.

1. Edwin Jackson to Nationals, Adam Dunn to White Sox, young pitching to Arizona:

This has been reported by many sources and every team in the deal gets what they want.

2. Derek Lee to Angels: The Angels will not stop dealing, even after acquiring Dan Haren, as they get D-Lee to waive his no trade clause.

3. Miguel Tejada and Luke Scott to Detroit: The Tigers have been bit by the injury bug, and this would be a nice trade to keep them in the hunt.

4. Jorge Cantu to Rockies: Cantu has been linked to Rangers, but i think Rockies will slide under the radar and land him.

5. Lilly to Mets: Yankees have been interested in him, but i think he goes to the crosstown rivals.

6.-Corey Hart to Giants- Giants need an outfield bat and Brewers will sell this July, but not Prince Fielder.

7. Oswalt to Phillies- He has said he doesn't want to play for Phillies and would rather pitch for Cardinals, but i don't think the Cards have enough pieces and cash to land him.

Lou Pinella Retires

Recent reports earlier this month stated Pinella was on the verge of retirement, and today that was proven. The 2008 Manager of the Year is finally stepping away from the game, as the Cubs will try to rebuild with a new roster and manager this off season. Sweet Lou gave it a good run with the Cubs, but could never reach the standards all Cubs fans have: World Series Title. Some people say his timing is bad with this announcement, but i agree with him saying, " I want to give the Cubs plenty of time to plan and find a replacement." The season is basically over for the Cubbies, and all they have left to play for is for a spot on the roster next year and for Lou's legacy.

Here are some names I'm hearing for next year:

Joe Girardi- Some people say he would be crazy to leave the Yanks, but if he can't get a new contract with New York, he would jump to Chicago in an instance.

Ryne Sandberg- Manager at AAA and would be a fan favorite and hometown hero.

Alan Trammel- Managed the Tigers a couple years back and has been on the bench with Lou all these years.

Bob Brenly- The rumors will continue if he will come out of the booth and coach again.

Greg Maddux- A wild card, and has been an assistant to Jim Hendry.

MLB Mid-Season Awards

Here are my mid-season awards for MLB:

MVP

NL- Prado(ATL) Having a career year and surprsing star leadoff man has

Braves in 1st place.

AL- Cabrera(DET) Putting up Triple Crown type numbers.

LVP

NL-Ramirez(CUBS) Hitting a lowly .217 and a horrific OPS at .275.

AL-Figgins(SEA) Signed a big contract in the offseason and hasn't even come close to the hype.

ROY

NL-Heyward(ATL) Came out of spring training with a ton of upside, and he has displayed plenty of it.

AL-Boesch(DET)- Came out of nowhere and now could be third rookie to lead league in hitting( Ichiro & Jackie Robinson)

Cy Young

NL-Jimenez(COL) First one to 15 wins and counting.( He knows his ERA can't reach zero, right?)

AL-Lester(BOS) Overcame early season struggles and around the top of league for strikeouts.

Miscellaneous

Best Web Gem-Buehrle(SOX) Hands down awesome

Best Injury-Morales(LAA) I wonder if he wishes he didn't hit that home run after all.

Worst Promo night at the ballpark-Florida Marlins- vuvuzelas night, just imagine.

Best first MLB at-bat-Nava(BOS) Try hitting a grand slam, first pitch, at Fenway. Anyone jealous?

MLB Second Half

Sorry folks, not a lot of service in northern Minnesota.

After the N.L. finally won the all star game, its time to exam all the division races and the trade deadline.

The surprising Division leaders in the N.L( Reds, Braves,& Padres) have shocked the baseball world. I think the Braves will hold on to their lead, but the Reds and Padres will fall to the Cardinals and Rockies, respectively. The Wild Card will then come down to the Reds and Padres, plus possibly the Dodgers if they can add another starting pitcher. The Phillies will have to much ground to make up when they get fully healthy.

In the A.L, my picks are the Yankees, Tigers, and Rangers, with the Rays fighting the Angels for the Wild Card. The White Sox can contend if they add a bat, but i think starting pitching is a problem for them now that Peavy is out. Red Sox have way to many injuries and won't make a major splash before the trade deadline.

My mid season World Series pick is the Yankees vs the Rockies.

18 Big Names that might be on the move:

Adam Dunn

Dan Haren

Roy Oswalt

Prince Fielder

Ted Lilly

Jake Westbrook

Ricky Nolasco

David Dejesus

Matt Capps

Joakim Soria

Pudge Rodriguez

Derek Lee

Lance Berkman

Josh Willingham

Corey Hart

Jason Werth

Ryan Theriot

Dan Uggla

We could see upwards of 2/3 of these names on the move, or as low as only 5. It all depends how much the buyers are willing to part with.

Home Run Derby

First off, i had more yawns(7) than Home runs by the first two batters(3).

• I'm glad Big Papi finally got his first HR derby championship under his belt on his fourth try.
• Good to see the young gun Hanely Ramirez show off his power skills. He is known more for his glove and average than his power, but definitely showed it off today.
• $573,000,000 was awarded to The Boys and Girls Club of America by State Farm. Way to hit those gold balls boys!
• I can not wait till Bryce Harper gets into this event. If he does anything close to what he did at Tropicana Field( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liS3kGvQ9Bk) they may have to cancel the All-Star game.
• It's good to see the players out of their tense mode and interacting with each other and the fans. But come tomorrow, its all business as Home Field advantage is on the line.

What upcoming star do you want to see in a derby?

All Star Game

I personally can not wait for the upcoming All Star game. I think it will be a low scoring game that will come down to pitching and defense in the end. The NL has a strong staff featuring, Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay, Josh Johnson,and Tim Lincecum to name a couple. They also have plenty of power of the bench, including 3 first baseman,( Votto, Howard, Gonzalez) not to mention Albert Pujols as the starter.

On the AL side, the starters are solid all through the field. Jeter might actually hit last!( Hows that for an all star game lineup?) And keep a look out for the AL's big 4 lefty pitchers. Cliff Lee,( who will still represent the Mariners) Jon Lester, young ace David Price, and South Sider Matt Thornton.

Some snubs i thought were deserving:

• 2 South Siders- Alex Rios ( .305 14 HR 47 RBI) Paul Konerko ( .299 20 HR 63 RBI)
• LAA-Jered Weaver ( 8-4 2.97 ERA)
• SD- Matt Latos (10-2 2.45 ERA0
• Det- Brennan Boesch ( .345 .605 SLG0

One last note, I am glad to see more middle relief pitchers head to Anaheim. They deserve more respect and attenttion for the role they play for their teams. 3 were chosen this year, Arthur Rhodes(Cin) Matt Thornton (CWS) Evan Meek (PIT)

Leave comments or your snubs