Baseball Todd's 2002 Predictions
Slugger Sammy Sosa could lead the Chicago Cubs to a wild card berth in the National League playoffs this season, according to Baseball Todd. |
Center fielder Bernie Williams will probably play in yet another World Series this fall for the New York Yankees, according to Baseball Todd. |
In the 2002 World Series?
Last year, Baseball Todd predicted that the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees would meet in the 2001 World Series. While Baseball Todd got half the equation correct in the Bronx Bombers, he failed in his quest to see the Redbirds make the Fall Classic. In fact, he predicted the Cards to win the whole shebang.
Instead, it was the Arizona Diamondbacks that won the first World Series ever played in November - a classic seven-game matchup that came down to the final at-bat. It was one of the greatest World Series ever played. But, being the guru that he is, Baseball Todd was disappointed that his crystal ball proved to be non-prophetic.
This year, he predicts again that the Yankees and the Cardinals will meet in the 2002 World Series. Will he be right this time? Who knows until the final pitch is hurled among the autumn leaves - smack dab in the middle of the college football season. Baseball Todd hopes he's right for the sake of his integrity.
Let's start with prognosticating the race among AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST foes. The Yankees are looking good here. They lost Tino Martinez to the Cards, but gained perhaps an even bigger and better bat from Oakland in Jason Giambi, the former MVP who hit .342 with 38 homers and 120 RBI for the A's in 2001. He will add to an already intimidating lineup featuring shortstop Derek Jeter (.311, 110 runs), catcher Jorge Posada (22 HR, 95 RBI), and center fielder Bernie Williams (.307). Add veteran third baseman Robin Ventura from the Mets, and you've got a formidable team. Roger Clemens won his sixth Cy Young Award in 2001 after going 20-3 for the Yanks. Mike Mussina (17-11) and Andy Pettitte (15-10) give New York reason to smile, with bullpen closer Mariano Rivera (50 saves) ready to put out any fires.
Boston will counter with a team ready to come back from disappointment. They stayed in the division title race despite injuries to key players in 2001 like shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, catcher Jason Varitek, and ace starter Pedro Martinez. Those three need to come back strong. Johnny Damon (.256, 108 runs) comes to Beantown from Oakland to provide strong leadoff potential while Dustin Hermanson from St. Louis (14-13) and John Burkett from Atlanta (12-12) add depth to the rotation. Manny Ramirez (.306, 41 HR, 125 RBI) will be a big-time run producer as usual for the Red Sox.
With no proven aces on the mound, the Toronto Blue Jays will be hard pressed to keep up with New York and Boston. First baseman Carlos Delgado slumped to .279 in 2001 but still produced 39 homers and 102 RBI. He needs to bounce back to his former standards while Jose Cruz, Jr., in left (.274, 34 HR, 88 RBI, 32 stolen bases) needs to maintain his production to give the Blue Jays any chance of staying in the race. Tampa Bay features Ben Grieve (.264, 72 RBI) in right field and not much else for Devil Ray fans to cheer for. The Baltimore Orioles are Ripken-less this year and have nothing to cheer for.
I like how the AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL race will shape up. I think the Chicago White Sox look the strongest on paper, but it will depend how well former MVP Frank Thomas bounces back from the torn triceps muscle he suffered in 2001. Lefty Mark Buehrle (16-8) was a surprise on the mound for the Chisox while Keith Foulke (42 saves) was equally as surprising out of the bullpen. Carlos Lee in left field had 84 RBI and could get better. Magglio Ordonez in right (.305, 31 HR, 113 RBI) provides a big bat to protect Thomas, who has bounced back before after having a sub-par campaign.
Don't count out the Minnesota Twins or the Cleveland Indians. The Twins are young and hungry and anxious to prove Bud Selig was an absolute moron for wanting to get rid of the team through contraction during the off-season. Minnesota has Joe Mays (17-13) and Brad Radke (15-11) for starters. Shortstop Cristian Guzman (.302), third baseman Corey Koskie (.276, 103 RBI), and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz (.306) are keys to the lineup. I hope the Twins do well just for the sake of making Selig look like the idiot and buffoon that he truly is! Cleveland lost Roberto Alomar and Juan Gonzalez during the winter. But, they still have slugger Jim Thome at first base (49 HR, 124 RBI) and starter Bartolo Colon (14-12, 201 Ks) on the mound. They still have the goods.
Kansas City might make a charge if they can get everything to mesh and perhaps get lucky. First baseman Mike Sweeney (.304, 29 HR, 99 RBI) is consistent driving in runs while center fielder Carlos Beltran (.306, 24 HR, 101) is a big stick, too. Reliever Roberto Hernandez (28 saves) should be able to hold enough leads if the starters can get them. But, that's the hitch; KC doesn't have any proven starters. Let's see how they do. As for the Detroit Tigers, left fielder Bobby Higginson (.272) is the only thing keeping Motor City Fans from jumping off the carnival rides in Comerica Park.
The AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST won't be a runaway for the Seattle Mariners. They are good, but I think their 116 wins a year ago were a bit fluky. After all, they didn't make it to the World Series. Still, they should be a dominant team with MVP and Rookie of the Year Ichiro Suzuki (.350, 242 hits) in right field, Mike Cameron (110 RBI) in center, and John Olerud (.302) at first base. Second baseman Bret Boone (.331, 37 HR, 141 RBI) will be expected to keep up his handiwork with the bat. Three good starters in Freddy Garcia (18-6), Jamie Moyer (20-6), and Paul Abbott (17-4) will keep Seattle at the forefront of the pack.
Oakland still has a chance to make some noise - despite the departure of Giambi to the Yankees. They have three awesome starters, too. Mike Mulder (21-8), Tim Hudson (18-9), and Barry Zito (17-8) give opponents trouble most every trip to the rubber. Third baseman Eric Chavez (32 HR, 114 RBI) and shortstop Miguel Tejada (31 HR, 113 RBI) are a potent left side of the infield for the A's. Dave Justice (18 HR with the Yankees) and Jermiane Dye (106 RBI with the Royals and A's) are two veterans with proven production.
The Texas Rangers still don't get it. Yeah, they got a decent starter in Chan Ho Park (15-11 with the Dodgers) during the winter. But, they still need a whole lot more on the mound. Hitting isn't a problem, though. Alex Rodriguez (52 HR) is a monster at shortstop. Rafael Palmiero (47 HR) is just 53 taters shy of 500 for his career. Juan Gonzalez (.325, 35 HR, 140 RBI with the Indians) returns to his old stomping grounds. Texas could have done without John Rocker and Carl Everett, though. They add nothing but trouble to the clubhouse and both are volatile personalities.
As for the Anaheim Angels (I still want to call them California), Kevin Appier (11-10 with the Mets) and Aaron Sele (15-5 with Seattle) are nice additions on the mound. Troy Glaus (41 HR) provides punch at third base while Garret Anderson (123 RBI) has nice numbers in center field. I don't think the Angels have a prayer this year, though.
Now, let's shift gears from the Junior Circuit to the Senior Circuit. It's been a Brave world the last several years in the NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST division. In 2002, bet on the Mets to wrestle away Atlanta's hold on the division title. The New York Mets added Roberto Alomar (.336, 113 runs, 100 RBI with Cleveland) and Mo Vaughn in the off season. Alomar's gold glove and solid bat will be big news in the Big Apple. Vaughn should rebound nicely from his torn biceps muscle which shelved him last year in Anaheim and regain his MVP form from his days in Boston. Catcher Mike Piazza (.300, 36 HR, 94 RBI) is still solid behind the plate. Roger Cedeno (.293) comes over from Detroit and Shawn Estes (9-8) from San Francisco to bolster the team. Al Leiter (11-11) is the top holdover starter while Armando Benitez (43 saves) anchors the bullpen.
The Atlanta Braves are just getting old, plain and simple. They're still good, so don't get me wrong. But, how long can they keep it up? Maybe not much longer. Former MVP Chipper Jones (.330, 38 HR, 102 RBI) is still a stud and Andruw Jones (34 HR, 104 RBI) can catch anything in center. It will be interesting to see how the enigmatic Gary Sheffield (.311, 36 HR, 100 RBI with the Dodgers) gets along in Atlanta. Tom Glavine (16-7) and Greg Maddux (17-11) still can throw gas - hopefully.
I think the Phillies are headed in the right direction. Third baseman Scott Rolen (25 HR, 107 RBI) and right fielder Bobby Abreu (31 HR, 110 RBI) are exciting. But, Philadelphia is probably another year away from making a serious bid for postseason play. The Florida Marlins are in the same boat with Philly. Ryan Dempster (15-12) and Brad Penny (10-10) are nice young arms to build a team around. As for the Montreal Expos, I feel sorry for them. This will be their last season ever and basically they will be a traveling store front, offering opposing teams a chance to window shop for next season's dispersal draft. Vladimir Guerrero (.307, 34 HR, 108 RBI, 37 SB) will be high on everyone's Christmas list. Unlike the Twins, I don't think Montreal will offer any kind of challenge. Shame on you, Bud Selig, for doing this to a team that's been around since 1969. The majors ought to target you for contraction!!
I think the most competitive division in 2002 will be the NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL. The Cardinals will be the class of the division, but not far behind will be the Chicago Cubs (my NL wild card pick) and the Houston Astros. Fans in St. Louis are excited about getting Jason Isringhausen (34 saves for Oakland) and Tino Martinez (34 HR, 113 RBI for the Yanks) over the winter. Rookie of the Year Albert Pujols (.329, 37 HR, 130 RBI) is awesome with the stick and versatile in the field. Jim Edmonds hit .304 with 30 homers and 110 ribbies in center last year. Darryl Kile (16-11) and Matt Morris (22-8) will be looked upon for repeat stellar performances on the hill.
The Cubs now have a supporting cast around Sammy Sosa (.328, 64 HR, 160 RBI). Moises Alou (.331, 27 HR, 108 RBI with Houston) was "recruited" to the Windy City by Sosa. Fred McGriff (31 HR, 102 RBI with Tampa Bay and the Cubs) will get a whole year to hit in Wrigley Field. Jon Lieber (20-6) might win another score of contests and Kerry Wood (12-6, 217 Ks) is primed to return to his awesome form. I like the Cubs a lot!
The Houston Astros are loaded, too. Jeff Bagwell (39 HR, 126 runs, 130 RBI) is planted at first base. Lance Berkman (.331, 34 HR, 126 RBI) in left field causes serious problems for opposing hurlers. Wade Miller (16-8) and Shane Reynolds (14-11) were great as starters last year as was Billy Wagner (39 saves) in the bullpen. Don't be surprised to see St. Louis, Chicago, and Houston stage one of the most exciting division races we've seen in quite some time.
As for the Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, and Pittsburgh Pirates, they will not contend but will try to make things interesting. Milwaukee features 6-foot-7 first baseman Richie Sexson (45 HR, 125 RBI). Cincy hopes Ken Griffey, Jr. (22 HR, 65 RBI) rebounds from an injury-plagued year. And Pittsburgh, with young sluggers Aramis Ramirez (34 HR, 112 RBI) and Brian Giles (.309, 37 HR, 95 RBI), won't be boring to watch. They just won't make much noise in the postseason.
The Arizona Diamondbacks should have no problem repeating in the NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST. Arizona sports twin powers Randy Johnson (21-6, 2.49 ERA, 372 strikeouts in 249 innings) and Curt Schilling (22-6, 2.98 ERA, 293 Ks) on the mound. Both were 1-2 in the Cy Young Award race, with Johnson winning his fourth one. Luis Gonzalez (.325, 57 HR, 142 RBI) may not repeat what he did in 2001, but he will have a good year barring injury. This means trouble for the Giants, who may witness Barry Bonds (73 HR) hit his 500th homer this season but may have to wait yet another year to make the postseason. Reggie Sanders (33 HR, 90 RBI for Arizona) transfers within the division and Rich Aurilia (.324, 206 hits, 37 HR) tries to maintain his status quo.
The Colorado Rockies have two of the best sluggers in the game - Todd Helton (.336, 49 HR, 146 RBI) and Larry Walker (.350, 38 HR, 123 RBI). Both are Triple Crown threats. Unfortunately, Colorado's pitchers can make any opposing batter look like a Triple Crown threat in Coors Field. Pitching (or lack thereof) will be Colorado's downfall once again. Los Angeles has Shawn Green (49 HR, 125 RBI) and hopes Kevin Brown (10-4) can make a serious comeback from elbow surgery. In San Diego, fans mourn the retirement of future Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. They will be rooting hard for Ryan Klesko (30 HR, 113 RBI) and Phil Nevin (.306, 41 HR, 126 RBI) to keep things competitive.
There you have it - my 2002 major league baseball predictions! For your enjoyment, I have also included below the pre-season picks of Baseball Digest, The Sporting News, and Street and Smith's. Tell me what you think about my picks by signing my guestbook. Or, send me an e-mail (click on the @ below) and tell me if you think I'm off my rocker. Good luck to your team in 2002!
DIGEST |
AND SMITH'S |
NEWS |
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To look at the 2001 predictions CLICK HERE
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