I know it is early but I don’t like the look of this Red Sox team. They had an epic collapse last year and I don’t see where they are improved at all heading into this season. A bunch of players had great years last season and it still wasn’t enough.
The Chicago Cubs will begin a new era under innovative general manager Theo Epstein when they open play at venerable Wrigley Field on Thursday night against the Washington Nationals.
There is a lot of hope in Dodger land these days since Magic Johnson bought the team and the Padres are being sold as well, but both teams have high hopes this season after disappointing ones last season.
First game of the year as St. Louis tried to defend its World Series title. The first and most obvious difference this season is that ALbert Pujols now plays for the Angels but this club enters the season with a lot more question marks than that.
In 2011, Justin Verlander became the first pitcher to win the MVP award in a long time. Verlander earned the pitchers version of the Triple Crown and edged out Jacoby Ellsbury and Jose Bautista. The 2012 Major League Baseball season is about to get started.
Ryan Braun won his first MVP award last year by beating Matt Kemp and Prince Fielder. The National League saw a couple big stars leave the league in the offseason, so the MVP race is a little more wide open. Albert Pujols was always a favorite to win the award, but he is now in the American League.
The 2005 4th round amateur draft pick had a heck of a season, setting the bar high as he put up Cy Young worthy numbers as a rookie a year ago. Unfortunately, with an abnormal number of pitchers in the sub 3 ERA range, he was not even in contention.
So , he settled for a very much deserved Rookie of the Year award though with his 2.95 ERA, and 1.15 WHIP in 189 innings pitched.
So, with that, it makes it even more intriguing that our No. 1 pick for this year’s NL ROY Award winner also comes from the sunshine state.
Matt Moore
Everyone knows this guy’s pedigree by now. Moor made his first Major League start last season on September 9th in the lone star state against a dominant Texas Rangers’ lineup. What did he do? The Ray’s future ace threw seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits, and struck out six, to just two walks. During his 2011 season prior to being called up, he made two stops. In AA he sported a 2.20 ERA, 11.52 K/9, and a FIP of 2.62 in 18 starts.
He after, moving up to Triple A, had an ERA of 1.37, K/9 of 13.50 in 9 starts and his FIP fell to 2.02.
Jesus Montero
The former Yankee farmhand was the centerpiece of the Michael Pineda deal that took place back in the off-season. This will finally free up Montero for some consistent playing time that he has long deserved. He has hit at least .280 every stop along the way in the minor leagues. In his short stint with the Yankees a year ago, he managed a .328 average with a .406 OBP. If he can find a way to cut down on the strikeouts, he will be a force in the middle of that Seattle order.
Danny Hultzen
Another Mariner, Hultzen was the second overall pick in last year’s first player draft. He will no doubt be on the fast track to the majors, and if he gets there early enough in the season, will be a major player for this award. His case will be aided by pitching in Safeco as it is a major pitcher’s park. He is a three pitch pitcher that employs a mid-90’s fastball with a devastating changeup that sits in the lower 80’s. His third pitch is a slider that needs some work, but with time will develop into a very solid third pitch for him at the Major League level.
Brad Peacock
The A’s picked this guy up when they dealt Gio Gonzalez to the Nationals in the off-season. He made a couple of starts a season ago, and picked up a couple of wins in the process. He came on quickly last season as before the year he hadn’t had a year with a sub 3 ERA, but after dominating AA and AAA was given a shot at the Major League level where he thrived.
Jarrod Parker
The A’s have another contender, and at one time this guy was one of the best prospects around. While injuries delayed Parker’s arrival to the big leagues, he will get there at some point during this season. Although he is with a new club this season following the trade of Trevor Cahill to the Diamondbacks, he should thrive in Oakland. Parker made his first major league start a season ago, throwing 5.2 shutout innings, and A’s fans will be delighted with their new boy.
*** We can’t find any Updated Odds at Presstime ***
ODDS TO WIN 2012 AMERICAN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD
The 2012 MLB season will open in the Land of the Rising Sun and the 2 game series in Japan will be dedicated to assisting in the rebuilding efforts across that nation that is still recovering from a massive earthquake last year.
2012 American League Pennant Race
Opening day of the 2012 MLB regular season is less than two weeks away marking the start of the 162-game race to the World Series playoffs.
The start of the 2012 MLB regular season is right around the corner as teams continue to gear-up for the 162-game race to the playoffs and shot at making it all the way to this year’s World Series.
Pitchers and catchers have begun reporting to their team’s spring training site which is a clear indication that the start of another Major League Baseball season is right around the corner.
The start of Major League Baseball’s spring training is right around the corner making it the perfect time to take a look at which teams have the best chance to win this season’s National League Pennant and earn a trip to the 2012 World Series.
Texas pounded out 15 hits and scored nine runs but, after a one-day delay due to rain, still could not seal the deal in Game 6 to bring home its first ever world title.
The Texas Rangers are just one win away from completing a mission that began right around this time last year when they lost the World Series to San Francisco.
A 2-0 World Series lead was in the St. Louis Cardinals’ grasp, as they led by a run entering the top of the ninth in Game 2, but the win slipped away.
After the Chris Carpenter silenced the Texas Rangers in Game 1 of the World Series, they’ll try to answer back with a playoff ace of their own tonight.
