2009 Season Predictions

by Sam Page on Apr 6, 2009 11:32 AM EDT

Happy, Opening Day! In commemoration of the big day, the Amazin' Avenue writers have submitted their preseason projections. We can't promise their veracity, but they're definitely better than these.

NL East

	Eric	James	Sam
1	Mets	Phillies	Mets
2	Phillies (Wild Card)	Mets (Wild Card)	Braves (Wild Card)
3	Braves	Braves	Phillies
4	Marlins	Marlins	Marlins
5	Nationals	Nationals	Nationals

Eric: The Phillies could very easily win the division, and even the Braves could take the NL East crown if they can get any kind of offense out of their outfield.

James: Ask me again in an hour and I might put the Mets ahead of the Phillies – it’s too close to call. The Mets rotation is really starting to worry me though.

Sam: The Phillies are overrated and the Mets finally have a bullpen. The Braves did everything I wanted Omar to do this offseason with the rotation.

NL Central

	Eric	James	Sam
1	Cubs	Cubs	Cubs
2	Cardinals	Cardinals	Cardinals
3	Reds	Reds	Brewers
4	Brewers	Brewers	Reds
5	Pirates	Pirates	Pirates
6	Astros	Astros	Astros

NL West

	Eric	James	Sam
1	Dodgers	Dodgers	Diamondbacks
2	Diamondbacks	Giants	Dodgers
3	Giants	Diamondbacks	Giants
4	Rockies	Rockies	Rockies
5	Padres	Padres	Padres

AL East

	Eric	James	Sam
1	Yankees	Yankees	Red Sox
2	Red Sox (Wild Card)	Red Sox (Wild Card)	Rays (Wild Card)
3	Rays	Rays	Yankees
4	Blue Jays	Blue Jays	Blue Jays
5	Orioles	Orioles	Orioles

AL Central

	Eric	James	Sam
1	Indians	Indians	Indians
2	Twins	White Sox	Twins
3	White Sox	Twins	Tigers
4	Tigers	Tigers	White Sox
5	Royals	Royals	Royals

AL West

	Eric	James	Sam
1	Angels	Angels	Athletics
2	Athletics	Athletics	Angels
3	Mariners	Mariners	Mariners
4	Rangers	Rangers	Rangers

Playoffs

	Eric	James	Sam
NLDS	Phillies and Mets	Phillies and Cubs	Braves and Mets
ALDS	Yankees and Red Sox	Yankees and Red Sox	Rays and Athletics
NLCS	Mets	Cubs	Mets
ALCS	Red Sox	Yankees	Athletics
WS	Red Sox	Yankees	Mets

Eric: The Cubs might never win another playoff series. ESPN is already salivating over another Yankees/Red Sox ALCS.

James: The Cubs won't win 97 games again but they're still very good. If the Mets don't win it all I'm fine with any team but the Phillies winning. I'm not sure I could stomach a W.F.Champtions repeat.

Sam: Ya Gotta Believe.

The Awards

	Eric	James	Sam
NL MVP	Albert Pujols	Albert Pujols	David Wright
AL MVP	Mark Teixeira	Grady Sizemore	Dustin Pedroia
NL CY	Derek Lowe	Dan Haren	Javier Vazquez
AL CY	CC Sabathia	Josh Beckett	Josh Beckett
NL ROY	Cameron Maybin	Cameron Maybin	Jordan Zimmermann
AL ROY	Pat Listach	Travis Snider	Matt Wieters

Eric: Derek Lowe > Oliver Perez, as if it needed saying again. Yea, I've got Yankees winning the AL MVP and Cy Young. With any luck I'll jinx 'em. I don't know squat about American League rookies so I just pretended it was 1992 and went with Listach.

James: Pujols is a lock for NL MVP if he stays healthy. David Wright and Jimmy Rollins are runners-up. I have a hunch that Rollins is going to have a terrific season, unfortunately. Haren had a career year in 2008, and at age 28 I see no reason why he can’t repeat it. Sizemore is the safe/boring pick for AL MVP, but Dustin Pedroia has a great shot at winning it again.

Sam: Am I really the only one who picked Wieters? I think if the Mets make the playoffs they give Wright a make-up MVP.

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Comments

I'm surprised everyone has the brewers so low

And seem to be down on the d-backs.

by Gina on Apr 6, 2009 11:38 AM EDT reply actions

They barely made the playoffs with C.C. and Sheets

It’s kind of hard to see them doing much with the holes they have in their rotation.
I agree with you on the D-backs. Haren and Webb should keep them in it in a weak division.

by Reg Dunlop on Apr 6, 2009 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions

They have holes

But they also have a lot of talent on offense that should be getting better, specifically the middle of the infield which has struggled with everything, and they have some pitching prospects who can replace some of what they lost, like Gallardo. I definitely don’t expect anyone in that division to come close to the cubs but I expect the Brewers to be better than the Reds, and probably even with the Cards, who are full of rotation and middle infield issues themselves.

by Gina on Apr 6, 2009 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions

I actually had the Diamondbacks in second in the West

But Sam can’t read so he put them in third for me. I’ve fixed that.

by Eric Simon on Apr 6, 2009 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

IMO

*The most unpredictable division is the AL Central.
*The NL East rivals the AL East as far as teams beating up on each other within one division.
*Predicting METS – CUBS for NLCS. Will be one of the most exciting NLCS’s in recent memory. Not willing to project farther than that. (Too scared).

" YES! BASEBALL IS BACK! YES! "

by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Apr 6, 2009 11:46 AM EDT reply actions

Listach will never pan out

His plate discipline is mediocre and he looks like the injury-prone type. Then again, he’ll more than definitely be better than that Lofton guy.

by Lunkwill Fook on Apr 6, 2009 11:49 AM EDT reply actions

Eric

No NL WC winner?

No one picks Santana for NL cy?

by mets81 on Apr 6, 2009 11:54 AM EDT reply actions

Uhh, the Phillies

Which should be obvious from the playoff matchups. Whoever assembled this post just left it out of the top part.

by Eric Simon on Apr 6, 2009 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions

As much as I hate the thought of it

a Mets-Phillies NLCS would be pretty epic, and it sorta feels like that’s where we’re headed, no? Imagine Mets-Phils and Red Sox-Yankees? ESPN would explode.

by cjmulrain on Apr 6, 2009 12:19 PM EDT reply actions

I'm guessing ESPN would explode with . . .

their distaste for all things New York. It would be the ultimate battle of the so-called gritty, gutty, teams with heart against the cold, unclutch, free-spending New York juggernauts. Steve Phillips could grace us with five reasons why the Mets don’t have the heart to take on guys like Vic Torino, and John Kruk could mumble something about intestinal fortitude.

Yep. ESPN would love the hell out of those series.

'Oh yes, I know all about that duty-of-a-citizen stuff. It doesn't go. There are exceptions to every rule, and this was one of them. When a man risks his liberty to come and root at a ball-game, you've got to hand it to him. He isn't a crook. He's a fan.'

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on Apr 6, 2009 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm making the bold assumption that they changed the rules

about two teams from the same division playing each other in the Division Series. I’m kind of glad.

"One of the nice things about baseball is that there are no rules you can't break." - Jim Bouton

by Prince on Apr 6, 2009 12:28 PM EDT reply actions

I think the rule is the same

but for our predictions, the teams listed in the “NLDS” and “ALDS” boxes are the ones we predict will win their respective Division Series. For example, my ALDS picks are Yankees def. Angels and Red Sox def. Indians.

by James Kannengieser on Apr 6, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Worst division?

Which is it?
It seems like other than the two east divisions the rest are pretty awful.

by Reg Dunlop on Apr 6, 2009 12:30 PM EDT reply actions

I say AL West

There’s really nothing redeeming about that division for me – I’m not as impressed as some by the A’s, and the Angels are gonna struggle to score runs even more than they have in the recent past. The AL Central doesn’t have any great teams, but I think the Indians and Twins would both run away with the West if they were in it, and I think the two worst teams in the entire AL might be Seattle and Texas.

by cjmulrain on Apr 6, 2009 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah I think the AL West is gonna be pretty awful

Even with Holliday the A’s are full of holes and question marks, and have already gotten hit by injuries. And I figured they would be the best team in the West and still end up somewhere in the mid 80s.

by Gina on Apr 6, 2009 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions