Top 10 teams heading into 2009. (MLB)

Drop The Leash 10

Rank em.

1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. New York Mets
5. Philadelphia Phillies
6. Chicago Cubs
7. Minnesota Twins
8. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
9. Los Angeles Dodgers
10. Cleveland Indians

Red Mosquito75

6 you put the cubs 6. they are a top 3 team they might finish 6 but now they are top 3

jervin007

I really don't think the yankees are the top team in baseball right now. Sure they made some nice additions, but they also lost big names and have an aging team. I would still put Tampa at the top as their team is young and just getting better. Its tough to say whether the sox or the yanks would be second. I do think that health is the key and if the either of those teams stay healthy then watch out. I also agree with the previous poster in saying the Cubs should be up higher on the list.

On a side note I would say the biggest sleeper team is Texas. They have a stacked farm system full of young stud pitchers and that should compliment a sick lineup as well. Don't forget Oakland either. They picked up Giambi, Holliday, Orlando Cabrera and Garciaparra in the offseason and have a lot of young arms that they acquired when trading away guys like Dan Haren.

I think that this year is going to be much more competitive all around in the MLB and can't wait.

Drop The Leash 10

jervin007 wrote:

I really don't think the yankees are the top team in baseball right now. Sure they made some nice additions, but they also lost big names and have an aging team. I would still put Tampa at the top as their team is young and just getting better. Its tough to say whether the sox or the yanks would be second. I do think that health is the key and if the either of those teams stay healthy then watch out. I also agree with the previous poster in saying the Cubs should be up higher on the list.

On a side note I would say the biggest sleeper team is Texas. They have a stacked farm system full of young stud pitchers and that should compliment a sick lineup as well. Don't forget Oakland either. They picked up Giambi, Holliday, Orlando Cabrera and Garciaparra in the offseason and have a lot of young arms that they acquired when trading away guys like Dan Haren.

I think that this year is going to be much more competitive all around in the MLB and can't wait.

lol i was about to mention texas and oakland. i dont think the cubs pitching matches up with alot of teams. they have some big names. but they have almost never styed healthy for a full season. and as much as i f*ckin hate the yankees. theyre a solid team. but without arod i dont know. when he gets back i think theyll get hot. or for our sake maybe theyll just suck :P

Red Mosquito75

ok of course the yankees are going to be there with the team they have. Red sox maybe....now the cubs pitching...that is why they should be higher it is young healthy even though marmol got rocked in wbc. they will be good. Who can play with them besides the mets and phillies in NL

jimed14

I don't like Texas as I don't like their pitching, at all ... that ballpark kills their arms, it always will. they have some REALLY young studs in the minors, but, they are a ways away. Their bullpen is very suspect.

Offense is pretty stacked, but when the dog days of August come along, they will fade (if they haven't before then).

Last year, I gave my "outside the box" prediction of Arizona vs Tampa in the World Series (it's on this board somewhere in the porch section) ... and if Manny didn't go to the Dodgers, I might have nailed that prediction ... Manny got the Dodgers at least 3 wins (they beat ARZ by 2 games in the West) and Haren, Webb and Johnson would have been a tough trio to face in the playoffs ...

note, I also predicted PJ would play the bay area before October 2008, so, I was way off on that one ...

I don't see a clear "outside the box" American league team this year ... the reason I was able to pick Tampa last year was their underrated pitching ... Oakand *could* be that team, but, I'm worried about Duchscherer ... if he can't give them 175+ good innings, I don't see them over taking the Angels in the west.

Who I do like to surprise are .... the Atlanta Braves.

Retooled their rotation with Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez (this is his year, I feel it) and Kawikami from Japan ... add in the potential for Tommy Hanson and I think they got 4 really good starters. EDIT - I forgot Jair Jurrjens, I think he has great potential this year. Decent bullpen. They do appear to have an issue scoring runs, but, hey, you got to go out on a limb right.

One thing that wouldn't completely suprise me this year is ... and I hate saying it ... if the Red Sox miss the playoffs. I love what they did with their bull pen ... but ... there are a LOT of questions marks going into the season ... A LOT.

Red Mosquito75

why is all this al talk

jimed14

pg305420 wrote:

why is all this al talk

uh, the Atlanta Braves are in the NL last time I checked. Perhaps you missed my post.

pjtradeking

I like the Braves alot as well. I think they made some SOLID moves to get some arms and make the bullpen MUCH better(26 blown save last year). I think Chipper, Mccann and Garret Anderson will be keys in the offense for sure. If the 3 of them can put up some decent numbers, I think that francouer, kelley johnson, and their new 1st baseman(his name escapes me at the moment) can have some success and make them a better offensive team than most people think. I LOVE the pitching moves they made, and are pretty good 1-5. they will also have Hudson and Glavine back in may or june(I think) and that makes gives them more starters to eat seome innings and keep the bullpen pretty strong late in the year. I am excite to see what they can do!!

Gary Carter

i have the yankees at 10 on my list seeing as how AFRAUD is out for a month or 2 and the bullpen would worry me if i was a yank$ fan. my sleeper team is the m's in the al and the marlins in the nl

mca47

I think your 10 is pretty accurate, but the positioning of them is a little off.
I also think the Cubs should be top 3.
You mention their pitching not being solid but their starting rotation is crazy good.
Zambrano
Harden
Dempster
Lilly
Sean Marshall/Chad Gaudin/ Aaron Heilman

And their pen is good.


Like others have said, they should start out top 3 but because they are the Cubs they'll likely end up around 6-7. :(

Evil Merlin Part Deux

pjtradeking wrote:

I like the Braves alot as well. I think they made some SOLID moves to get some arms and make the bullpen MUCH better(26 blown save last year). I think Chipper, Mccann and Garret Anderson will be keys in the offense for sure. If the 3 of them can put up some decent numbers, I think that francouer, kelley johnson, and their new 1st baseman(his name escapes me at the moment) can have some success and make them a better offensive team than most people think. I LOVE the pitching moves they made, and are pretty good 1-5. they will also have Hudson and Glavine back in may or june(I think) and that makes gives them more starters to eat seome innings and keep the bullpen pretty strong late in the year. I am excite to see what they can do!!

Casey Kotchman is the 1st Baseman I believe you're looking for. Been a solid player for the Angels. I have season tickets there and should definitely excel in Atlanta. He should get quite a few extra base hits there with the alley's.

I think he's far underrated as a first baseman, and doesn't get attention...probably because he's not cracking 35+ homers a year. But gold glove caliber defense and solid line drive hitting. Perfect fit for them. Atlanta isn't really a hitters park anyway, so this might be a great fit. Find guys that can move baserunners, and find the gaps and manufacture runs. If their pitching holds up, they're not going to need a power styled offense. Good call on the Braves. I wouldn't be surrised if they made the playoffs...but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if they finished 4th in the division as well. They're really hit and miss and hard to read.

gobrowns19

I see Oakland being up there....and for some reason I see Cleveland doing a bit better.

As a Tigers fan, IF everything goes well, I can see them squeaking into the top 10, maybe maybe higher. Should be interesting.

AtlantaJammer

Never count out the Pale Hose...

smithnic

There is absolutely no way to know right now. I think the Rays were a flash in the pan and won't duplicate last year though. I'm not that convinced that the Yanks are the best and I am not afraid of the Red Sox lineup, that's for sure. It's pretty wide open at this point.

jimed14

smithnic wrote:

There is absolutely no way to know right now. I think the Rays were a flash in the pan and won't duplicate last year though. I'm not that convinced that the Yanks are the best and I am not afraid of the Red Sox lineup, that's for sure. It's pretty wide open at this point.

I'm hearing this a lot about the Rays ... but, I disagree ... some of us DID know ... and it starts with pitching.

Shields, Kazmir, Garza and Sonnanstine is a solid top 4 ... David Price has ELECTRIC stuff and is waiting in the wings (my guess, minors through May, June - Sept stud) ... and they will probably go with Jeff Niemann as their #5 out of the gate, and guess what, he's good too.

Crawford was hurt most of last year but was a star in the playoffs when he came back healthy. Longoria is just taking off. Pena is a 35-40 HR thumper ... they picked up Pat the Bat (Burrell) ... Upton was sick in the playoffs, hope he's healthy from shoulder surgery ... and don't be surprised if Matt Joyce comes in and has a Longoria-lite 2nd half ...

only weakness, bull pen, but, seriously ... this team is really good and will be for a while.

jervin007

You;re right about the braves, their rotation in much improved and I hear Tommy Hanson is sick! I hear he is pitching really well in spring training. Neftali Feliz for Texas should also be great, but he might not even be up this year.

SPEEDY MCCREADY

The Cubs????

in the top 3????

those blithering idiots dont belong in the top 25........

The Cubs????
who havent won anything in 100 years????

Those Cubs?????

gobrowns19

jimed14 wrote:

smithnic wrote:

... and don't be surprised if Matt Joyce comes in and has a Longoria-lite 2nd half ...

FUCK! This wouldn't surprise me. I liked him very much in Detroit.

LONGRD

I'm still in my basketball mood, I usually just catch up with MLB midway through the season so I really don't know what's going until the All-Star break.

jervin007

Baseball is a year round thing for me. Can't emotionally invest myself in more than one sport. I do enjoy hockey though, hopefully the Bruins do well in the playoffs.

mfc2006

i predict that my beloved Astros will continue to play like shit like they are now in Spring Training and will be about 10-12 games back at the break. then they'll put together another ridiculous run to give chase to the wild card spot. the heart attack rate in Houston will rise yet again.

their lineup is solid. their pen is solid. beyond Oswalt, their starting pitching makes me cringe.

pjhawks

world f

---

champions and still no respect? gotta love picking the Mets ahead of the Phils. How many years do the Mets have to choke and the Phils beat them before people stop picking the Mets ahead of the Phils? Phils offense should be much better this year. No way Utley,Howard and Rollins don't have better seasons this year than last. Biggest issue for Phils will be health of the pitching staff. Hamels and Lidge picthed so many innings last year. If those two stay healthy Phils will be darn tough to beat.

Wobbie

The OP is fucking clueless! Where the hell are my:

GIANTS

SPEEDY MCCREADY

mfc2006 wrote:

i predict that my beloved Astros will continue to play like shit like they are now in Spring Training and will be about 10-12 games back at the break. then they'll put together another ridiculous run to give chase to the wild card spot. the heart attack rate in Houston will rise yet again.

their lineup is solid. their pen is solid. beyond Oswalt, their starting pitching makes me cringe.

seems like that has been the norm for the Astros the last few years....

look like they have no chance in hell at the all-star break....

then play 20 games over .500 after the break....

mfc2006

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

mfc2006 wrote:

i predict that my beloved Astros will continue to play like shit like they are now in Spring Training and will be about 10-12 games back at the break. then they'll put together another ridiculous run to give chase to the wild card spot. the heart attack rate in Houston will rise yet again.

their lineup is solid. their pen is solid. beyond Oswalt, their starting pitching makes me cringe.

seems like that has been the norm for the Astros the last few years....

look like they have no chance in hell at the all-star break....

then play 20 games over .500 after the break....

very true---
i don't know how astros fans would react if they came out of the gates strong. but we all seem to be ok if they play like crap b/c we know that they'll put together a freakish run in the 2nd half.

patrickredeyes

Drop The Leash 10 wrote:

Rank em.

1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. New York Mets
5. Philadelphia Phillies
6. Chicago Cubs
7. Minnesota Twins
8. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
9. Los Angeles Dodgers
10. Cleveland Indians

Are these your picks?

Gary Carter

pjhawks wrote:

world f

---

champions and still no respect? gotta love picking the Mets ahead of the Phils. How many years do the Mets have to choke and the Phils beat them before people stop picking the Mets ahead of the Phils? Phils offense should be much better this year. No way Utley,Howard and Rollins don't have better seasons this year than last. Biggest issue for Phils will be health of the pitching staff. Hamels and Lidge picthed so many innings last year. If those two stay healthy Phils will be darn tough to beat.

you wonder why people arent respecting the phils for. look at your last 3 sentences you wrote.just once i'd like everyone not to pick the mets, maybe we wont choke year after year. I LOVE MISERY, bring it on mets

soulsinging

gobrowns19 wrote:

I see Oakland being up there....and for some reason I see Cleveland doing a bit better.

As a Tigers fan, IF everything goes well, I can see them squeaking into the top 10, maybe maybe higher. Should be interesting.

I think the Tigers could be a sleeper team this season. Did you see they let Sheffield go? Thank God to that, he's been a millstone around the lineup for 2 seasons. I think this offense and defense could be 100 times better than last season just for not having to juggle everyone around just to work him into the lineup. There looks to be some welcome and long overdue consistency in the field this season. The big question is pitching. It looks like Willis is going to be a bust and Bonderman's already back on the DL. If they can get a solid, healthy rotation in place though, this could be the team to beat in the central once it all comes together. I can't wait!

beachdweller

San Francsico Giants will be the surprise team of 2009, they have power hitters in the infield corners, improved their bullpin, Lewis has all-star potential, and if Randy Johnson can pitch at least as good as last year, or even better like he did in the second half last year, in the pitcher friendly confines of Pac Bell Park, then the Giants are looking at a 95 win season, and complete ownership of the L A Dodgers.

jimed14

beachdweller wrote:

San Francsico Giants will be the surprise team of 2009, they have power hitters in the infield corners, improved their bullpin, Lewis has all-star potential, and if Randy Johnson can pitch at least as good as last year, or even better like he did in the second half last year, in the pitcher friendly confines of Pac Bell Park, then the Giants are looking at a 95 win season, and complete ownership of the L A Dodgers.

95 wins? c'mon.

The starting pitching is above average ... Lincecum's a stud, Cain and Johnson will be good ... Sanchez has potential (but, he did post an era over 5 last year) ... and Zito ... well, he should be a lefty specialist at best (worst signing in major league history). I do like the bullpen as well.

But, let's be honest, this team is still going to have a rough time scoring runs. This team may not have a 20 home run hitter. Power hitters in the infield corners??? Who are you talking about? Sandoval and ... Ishikawa? Ishikawa is a borderline starter in the majors and will be a below average power producer at 1b. Sandoval may to be the real deal average wise, he makes excellent contact ... but, let's remember, he's got all of what, 150 major league ABs, where he hit ... 3 home runs? He may struggle a bit the second time around the league (he only has 175 at bats TOTAL above A-ball).

Their outfield is below average offensively. The Giants bit hard on Rowand's Philly inflated stats and he just isn't that good with the stick in AT&T. Lewis and Winn are essentially the same guy, 10-12 Hrs, 15-20 Sbs.

I like Bengie Molina, but, I'm pretty sure I could give him a first base head start and beat him around the bases. The guy didn't even score 50 runs last year. And he hit nearly 20 HRs! On an already offensively challenged team, he slows up the basepaths far too much.

I like them to improve ... I like their pitching. But, with this offense, anything over a .500 season is gravy.