World Series Prediction

Yes, I have the Astros repeating, I actually have the Astros in 5 over the Washington Nationals. I only see the Nationals winning one game and that one game has Max Scherzer on the mound in game 1. The Astros are leaps and bounds better in terms of lineup, bullpen and starting pitching and I’m 100% confident in picking the Astros again. Last year I picked the Indians so I could be accidentally jinxing the Astros. But like I’ve said, I am very confident in this pick.

American League Playoff Picks

ALDS: 1 Red Sox vs Wild Card Angels

Here I don’t see much of a fight from the Angels, I think the Angels are going to get smacked around here. And really I see the starting rotation of the Red Sox becoming the stars here. This result could depend on the Angels finding a closer but I see the final end result staying the same. I think Sale, Porcello and Price in that order are enough to put the Angels out in 3 so I have Red Sox in 3

ALDS: 2 Astros vs 3 Indians

Now this is where it gets interesting. Two lineups filed with either All-Stars or future All-Stars, with the Astros lineup being slightly better in that regard. The Astros have a perfect blend of youth (Altuve, Springer, Correa) and experience (Reddick, Gonzalez, Gattis). The Indians have plenty of strength in the forms of Lindor and Ramirez but the losses of Jay Bruce and Carlos Santana, two seasoned veterans, may cause inconsistencies in the lineup. You don’t want inconsistencies to pop up with pitchers like Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander. I have the Astros in 4.

ALCS: 1 Red Sox vs 2 Astros

So who will face the (probably) Nationals in the World Series? Let’s start off with the fact that no matter what, this series will be 7 games long. This is essentially a mock Word Series, these teams are extremely good and extremely even as well. Great lineups, great bullpen and great starting rotation, it’s a battle of who can be the most perfect essentially. The Astros and the Red Sox in terms of starting lineup and defense are dead even. Both have excellent infields, especially in the middle infield (Pedey and Bogaerts vs Altuve and Correa) and they’re even in the outfield as well. But the Astros and their bullpen and starting rotation are just slightly better. The bullpen two some of Chris Devenski and Brad Peacock will, in my opinion, end up carrying the day and they will prove especially vital in a crucial game 7. The Astros in 7 to meet the Nationals

That Sean Manaea Guy Huh?

(Photo Credit to Fox Sports MLB, check out their Facebook!)

Yeah I’d say he’s pretty good too. Holy crap what a night the first no hitter in the season! Manaea had 10 K’s on the night vs the Boston Red Sox on what was a dominant performance. Not only that but he was #1 on the 5 hot pitchers on the waiver wire linked here: https://ultimatefanaticsblog.com/2018/04/08/5-great-pitchers-you-may-not-have-drafted/ 

Back at the time of posting, his ownership rate was 56.8% and to be fair, before the time of posting, he was on my personal team. Now his ownership rate is 80.5%, a 23.7% increase! Tonight, he scored 47 points with his complete game, 10 K no hitter. 47 points! Simply unreal!

Not only that, but he did it vs the Boston Red Sox, who came off of crushing the Angels and was on a major hot streak. Honestly, with this outing, you can plug and play with confidence. Hopefully he’s on your roster cause no he’s a hot commodity. Congratulations to Sean Manaea, For pushing your fantasy team and mine, and for the first no hitter of the season! Hopefully it’s the first of many.

Surprise! In the AL Wild Card

Honestly, this was something that I just thought of today. I’m going with an uncommon upset pick for who will win the AL Wild Card. I know I might be prone to the fact that they have had a hot start however I think they can carry through in the long run.

Wild Card: Angels vs Yankees

Yes you heard right, the Angels. And let me throw another curveball:

The Angels are beating the Yankees in the Wild Card

You heard it here first! In the matchup that pits Garrett Richards vs Luis Severino, I smell another choke job on the part of Severino, but I see Richards doing significantly better than last year’s Ervin Santana.  Richards throws in a curveball compared to Ervin Santana’s style of pitching. What makes Richards special is the ability to change direction on his fastball. Imagine a 99 MPH fastball coming at you, now imagine that fastball dipping and ducking. It’s a hard pitch to hit, especially for the Yankees and most teams who are fastball hitters. Richards also has a good changeup, which is essential to a 99 MPH fastball and he can throw in a slider and curveball for good measure. Garrett Richards plays into a Wild Card himself with his pitching style that should throw Yankees hitters off.

But what if this becomes a bullpen game? Even if the Angels provide a lot of offense, shouldn’t the Yankees come back and win thanks to their bullpen and their offense coming back? Nah not in this case. Let’s say Garrett Richards goes 7 innings and allows maybe 2 runs at the max. Who can finish in the Angels bullpen? Well you have Jim Johnson, who has a strong arm and is coming off a weak season and Bud Norris as valuable set up men. The Angels could possibly trade for a closer, this being their weakness in the bullpen. But I see the Angels doing just enough in the opening stages to run away. I think that with veteran leadership among the likes of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols should propel this dynamic squad to the top. At some point, Mike Trout has gotta have a playoff career.

Names like Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorius, Aroldis Chapman, David Robertson, Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez are all sexy. But as I explained, I smell an upset.

 

Who Wins the AL West?

Finally! our journey takes us the the last division in baseball. The AL West which is due to be a three team race in the long haul. Keep your eyes peeled for my AL playoff predictions and of course my final World Series Predictions. Also lemme know how good those 5 diamond in the rough pitchers were. I know I got Sean Manaea who was #1 on that list and he scored 27 points vs the Mariners. He’s playing the hot Red Sox next so pick up with caution.

Alight let’s dig in!

1. Houston Astros

Additions: Gerrit Cole, Hector Rondon

Departures: Colin Moran, Mike Fiers

Honestly they can do it again. If the team is relatively healthy I don’t see why not. Not only did they keep the majority of the World Series winning team but they improved it mightily. Hector Rondon should be a great set up man and another bolster to the bullpen while Gerrit Cole has gotten off to a hot start with his bag full O’ K’s. The 3 man of Keuchel, Verlander and Cole could be the kiss of death for any of these teams in the league, Combine that with their young stars like Correa, Altuve, Bregman and Springer and you got a team that has a very strong chance of repeating this year. Remember after the Cubs won the World Series in 2016 and we were talking dynasty. We here we’re doing the same thing, except this time, I think it’s legit. Astros take the division to say the least.

2. Los Angeles Angels

Additions: Shohei Ohtani, Zack, Cozart, Ian Kinsler

Departures: Yusmero Petit

No it wasn’t the Yankees who had the best offseason, no way it was the Angels, simply by landing future Rookie of the Year Shohei Ohtani. I know it’s early but if he has proven anything, he has proven that he’s here to stay and he’s the real deal without question. I mean come on if you can hit a home run, off of Corey Kluber, in only your second at bat against him, you’re a legit hitter in my book. Oh and he’s a damn good pitcher. But wait there’s more! The angels robbed the Tigers like a bank in securing veterans Justin Upton and Ian Kinsler who are still good players at this stage of their careers. They also snagged a 2017 All-Star in Zack Cozart who boosts the lineup and the defense. Finally! The Angels built some sort of a team around Mike Trout! Now let’s see what they can do with it.

3. Seattle Mariners

Additions: Dee Gordon, Ryon Healy, Juan Nicasio

Departures: Yonder Alonso, Yovani Gallardo

The signing of Dee Gordon doesn’t make much sense when you already have a high quality second baseman in Robinson Cano. Gordon will be playing CF which matches the amount of speed that he has to go on and chase that ball down when necessary. Gordon hasn’t played center field in his professional career yet so it should be interesting to see how he develops throughout the year. Don’t expect the Mariners to do much of anything since they didn’t make a significant upgrade to their rotation. Once they do that, then we can say that progress has been made but until then, they are stuck in sub mediocrity.

4. Oakland Athletics

Additions: Stephen Piscotty, Yusmero Petit

Departures: Ryon Healy

Giving up young power stud Ryon Healy to the Mariners isn’t an upgrade to a team that needs upgrades. They aren’t committed to a full rebuild just yet which is a bit concerning considering it’s another year of mediocrity. Their ace now is aforementioned Sean Manaea after the departure of Sonny Gray via trade. There isn’t much behind Mqanaea in terms of rotation but the pick up of Blake Treinen from the Nationals should save some wins for the A’s. He is the difference between 4th and 5th in the division. If the rotation and hitting core can back up the ace and the closer, maybe this team can sneak by the Mariners, but other than that I don’t see anything special here.

5. Texas Rangers

Additions: God (Bartolo Colon), Matt Moore

Departures: Miguel Gonzalez

Remember when the Texas Rangers choked to the Cardinals in the World Series? When was that 2013? Geez how the time has just flown by! Now the Texas Rangers are in the pit of sadness and they aren’t moving anytime soon. They bolstered their rotation a bit behind aging ace Cole Hamels but that won’t be enough in the long run. Their offense is below average and their rotation can’t close out the simplest of games (example 2017 Sam Dyson). Expect the Rangers to be basement dwellers for the season.

A.L Central Predictions!

After predicting and second guessing myself multiple times in predicting the National League, it’s time to jump into the American League. Specifically the American League Central Division which, like the N.L East, might be the most gimmie division in the Major Leagues. At #1, we got the:

1. Cleveland Indians

Additions: Yonder Alonso

Departures: Carlos Santana, Jay Bruce, Bryan Shaw

The Indians, like in the couple of years past, should take the AL Central with ease. The only concern the Indians have now is what happens in the playoffs. With their recent offseason, there is no denying that the Indians have significantly weakened, They lost two major run producers and a major setup man in the bullpen.That might bite them in the butt later on during the year when having a bullpen maters most.

2. Minnesota Twins

Additions: Michael Pineda, Addison Reed, Fernando Rodney

Departures: 0

Last year, the Twins completed arguably the biggest year to year turnaround. From a 100 plus loss season to a Wild Card team, the Twins are looking to move forward and possibly do better than last year, now that they know what to expect. The Twins added more pitching which was one of their weaknesses in years past and they added a closer, albeit a rather average one in Fernando Rodney. It’s still an improvement on the team last year. Expect the Twins to improve slightly this year, maybe win the Wild Card game. But they aren’t ready to take the division just yet.

3. Chicago White Sox

Additions: Welington Castillo, Joakim Soria, Miguel Gonzalez

Departures: 0

The White Sox have a good young core but they need at least a couple more years to mature and to gain new players as they continue to grow into a legit team. Yoan Moncada and Matt Davidson just being a few important parts of that young core. Adding a bullpen and a legit catcher in Castillo should be an improvement to the White Sox squad. All that’s left is an ace that can accompany Lucas Giolito and company. Not a full blown tank, but expect a .500 season for the Southsiders.

4. Detroit Tigers

Additions: Mike Fiers

Departures: Ian Kinsler

The trade of Justin Verlander has solidified what this Tigers franchise wants to do in the near future. Simply put, it’s rebuilding times for the Detroit Tigers. With their ace being Michael Fulmer, a young pitcher who has had a good career but has struggled with injuries as well and an aging Miguel Cabrera that signals the end of an era for the Tigers team that once made it to the World Series so long ago. Don’t expect anything special from the Tigers this season, at least not for a while.

5. Kansas City Royals

Additions: 0

Departures: Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Minor

And just like that, in one major sell off, the Royals are no more. The core that brought them to the World Series besides Salvador Perez is officially gone and within a few good year, they are right back to square one. The Royals will try to build off what they have on their roster for now, as it is a rebuilding season for Kansas City.

 

 

5 Great Pitchers You May Not Have Drafted

The first weekend of baseball usually won’t be like the rest of the season. Some of these players, like Mitch Haniger and Colin Moran, are having great starts to the season and the same goes for pitchers. Take it from a man that has won a fantasy league before. The league is won not by the draft, but from the WAIVER WIRE! Yes that’s right, the guys that weren’t drafted can impact the final result.

Again take it from me, I plucked Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Luis Severino from the waiver wire, they, and especially Judge, helped propel me to victory, especially in the playoffs.

This past week, there were actually some studs, like Kluber and Keuchel, who haven’t been performing to their usual standards. Now I’m not saying you should drop these guys, but these 5 guys are guys you should pick up right now, that should pay off in the very near future for your team. Now what qualifies as a sleeper in this post? Each player must have less than 60% ownership rate, according to the ESPN fantasy league ownership rating system. That means that if that percentage is less than 60%, then less than 60% of all fantasy leagues have that player on a team.

So with that being said, let’s dive right into it!

1. Sean Manaea- Oakland Athletics (ESPN Fantasy Own Rate- 56.8%)

Past 2 starts: 3/30 ( Loss) LAA- 7.1 IP (21 Pts) 4 K’s (4 pts) 1 ER ( -2 pts)= 22 pts, 4/4 TEX (Win) 8.0 IP, 7 K’s, 1 ER= 31 pts.

Manaea had two strong outings against two, to be fair, two teams that don’t have a very strong offense to show for. He also has his next start vs the Dodgers on Tuesday but this should play into his favor since the Dodgers have struggled with left handed pitching in recent years. Manaea is an expert at throwing strikes as well, throughout his two starts this year, he has allowed only one walk. There’s only two possible problems with Manaea, that certainly tainted his draft stock. First off, he plays for the Athletics, which just isn’t a good team, and his velocity isn’t all that impressive, but if you like his location and control, get him and get him now!

2. Ian Kennedy- Kansas City Royals ( ESPN Fantasy Own Rate: 7.4%)

Past 2 starts: 3/31 (No Decision) CWS 6.0 IP (18 pts) 5 K’s (5 Pts) 1 ER (-2 pts)- 21 pts, 4/7 (Win) CLE 6.0 IP 8 K’s 0 ER

Ian Kennedy dominated the Cleveland Indians offense on Saturday, that alone is reason enough to pluck him off the wire. Kennedy has also put up plenty of strikeouts in a short amount of time. He can strike batters out and he can give you at least 6 consistent innings. That is something you can’t take for granted going down the road. His next start is Thursday vs the Angels. Don’t be surprised if he drops off a little bit, but he is still a good streaming start as of now. Hopefully his excellent start will continue.

3. Mike Foltynewicz- Atlanta Braves (ESPN Fantasy Own Rate: 26.6%)

Past 2 starts: 3/30 (No Decision) PHI 5.0 IP (15 pts) 2 ER (-4 pts) 7 K’s (7pts)= 16 pts, 4/4 (Win) 5.1 IP 1 ER 8 K’s

Folty throughout the years has shown sparks of greatness but then has subsided to strains of mediocrity. It should be expected of him to have a much better season this year than in years past. Keep in mind he is hurling on a very hot Braves team that is sure to give him some run support in his next start vs the Nationals again this Tuesday. He quieted a strong Nationals lineup in his previous start, striking them out on command. If he can get anywhere close, and even if he can last a bit longer, like until the 6th inning, I’d see his value increasing steadily.

4. Tyler Skaggs- Los Angeles Angels (ESPN Fantasy Own Rate: 35.3 %)

Past 2 starts: 3/30 (Win, 5 pts) OAK 6.1 IP (19 pts) 0 ER 5 K’s (5 pts)= 29 pts, 4/4 (No Decision) CLE 4.2 IP 2 ER 5 K’s

There is a slight reason for concern in picking up Skaggs. He has had an injury history and it took him 103 pitches to get 14 outs in his past start against the Indians. Now even though he throws a lot and will be held back due to his injury history, Skaggs is still a pitcher that doesn’t allow a lot of runs.  Runs allowed knock off two points per run allowed in most fantasy scoring systems. skaggs and his ability to go strong for 5 to 6 innings, with a fairly decent Angels team, should be a good pickup for starts to come, especially for his upcoming start against the Texas Rangers.

5. Kyle Gibson- Minnesota Twins (ESPN Fantasy Own Rate: 22.4)

Past 2 starts: 3/31 (Win, 5 pts) BAL 6.0 IP (18 pts) 0 ER 6 K’s (6 pts)= 29 pts, 4/5 ( No Decision) SEA 4.1 IP 1 ER 3 K’s= 14 pts

In his first start of the season, Kyle Gibson carried a no hitter into the 7th inning vs the Orioles, until he was taken off the mound. Any performance over 25 points is certainly nothing to scoff at and it could have gone on longer. His second outing wasn’t as good, but it was still fairly decent. Sure you can judge him primarily off strikeouts but only allowing a single run in two games is quite the achievement. Gibson is due to take a step forward and hopefully pitch deeper into games if he can do what he has been doing and limit allowing home runs, which has dampened his stats throughout his career. He is facing the Astros this upcoming Wednesday, so stream with a sort of caution.

 

 

National League Final Predictions

Breaking News: I have just established an account on Reddit, be sure to talk some smack at: u/vinny7843

 

I’m sure that by reading my previous division prediction posts, as I have for the:

NL Central: https://ultimatefanaticsblog.com/2018/04/02/n-l-central-predictions/

NL East: https://ultimatefanaticsblog.com/2018/04/03/n-l-east-predictions/

NL West: https://ultimatefanaticsblog.com/2018/04/05/n-l-west-predictions/

That you could basically determine my playoff bracket

Wild Card: Brewers vs Diamondbacks

Might be a controversial pick here but I believe the Brewers pitching staff and their consistency should be enough to get them past the Rockies. The Brewers need to perform down the stretch, something they didn’t do last year. As for the Diamondbacks, they’ll have a fantastic year coming short of taking the division from the Dodgers once again. As for the game itself, I see the Diamondbacks running away with this one. I see the final score being 7-3.

NLDS: 1 Nationals vs 4 Diamondbacks

Nothing is better than playoff baseball! And this could shape up to be the most exciting series in the entire 2018 playoffs. The Nationals have a potent lineup and at this point, Captain Clutch (Daniel Murphy) will be sure to hit bombs through the course of this series. But will the Nationals rotation behind Max Scherzer and Strasberg hold up? Basically this series comes down to obviously the bullpen and Gio Gonzalez. If Gio can hold down the Diamondbacks offense, it may just be key to the Nationals clawing out alive. I see them taking the first two games, then of course the 3rd game is up in the air. I see the Nationals breaking the curse this year. I am predicting: 3-1 Nationals advance

NLDS: 2 Cubs vs 3 Dodgers

The rematch of the 2016 and 2017 NLCS is going to come early this year. Here, we have two teams that are mostly the same, except the Cubs took two of the better pitchers that the Dodgers had last year, those guys including Brendan Morrow and Yu Darvish. Given their roles on the Cubs squad, they can prove to become major difference-makers throughout the series. Both teams are great on offense, I think at this very moment the Cubs offense is slightly better than the Dodgers. In the end it comes down to the bullpen and the Cubs bolstered bullpen should end up carrying the day here. It will be loud and incredibly close. Expect a Game 5 matchup between Lester and Kershaw that is sure to be a massive pitchers duel that will go down in the history books. The Cubs pull through, barely. 3-2 Cubs advance 

NLCS: 2 Cubs vs 1 Nationals

So at the end of October, who will represent the National League? I know I’ll get hate for this and I’m starting to second guess myself as I type but this year I believe is the Nationals year. It will be a seven game series without a doubt. But I believe the Nationals are slightly better. Now this prediction is highly dependent on a few factors. One big factor is health. Are the star players, like Trea Turner, like Bryce Harper, going to be able to stay healthy. The Cubs recently have all been relatively healthy but things can change near the end of the year. The second factor is efficiency. Will the Cubs bullpen hold up vs the Nationals? Will star pitchers, like Scherzer and Strasburg, put in brilliant performances throughout the series? And finally, I don’t know about you, but I smell a midseason trade. Something tells me that this year, the Nationals might throw all the marbles in before the trade deadline. I see those three factors paying off for the Nationals and beating my Cubs in the NLCS. I mean if they were to lose, I’d rather see them lose in the NLCS than the World Series!

Keep an eye out for my American League and World series Predictions coming soon

N.L West Predictions!

The NL West last year was akin to the NL Central in 2015. Not only was there of course a division champion, but the two wild card spots were taken up by NL West teams, those being the Rockies and the Diamondbacks. So now let’s get into the rankings!

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Additions: Matt Kemp

Departures: Curtis Granderson, Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon Morrow, Brandon Mccarthy

The Dodgers didn’t do much of anything this offseason. But this is a move that makes sense. By shedding some money from the team payroll, they could have enough to not only give Kershaw an extension, but they could have enough to get a big signing in the 18-19 offseason. The Dodgers are simply planning ahead and I don’t see this strategy biting them in the butt too badly. The injury to Justin Turner might signal a slow start, but this team is still very deep and they are very capable of taking this strong division.

2. Arizona Diamndbacks

Additions: Brad Boxberger

Departures: Fernando Rodney, J.D. Martinez

Take it from a Rays fan here, Brad Boxberger is significantly better than Fernando Rodney. The D-Backs have bolstered their back end and look to be a playoff contender heading into the end of the year. The only question is their offense now that they lost J.D. Martinez. I believe they’ll hit less home runs, but with guys like A.J Pollack and Paul Goldschmidt, their offense won’t suffer too badly. The Diamondbacks will challenge the Dodgers for the title and will be very tough to beat come October.

3. Colorado Rockies

Additions: Wade Davis, Bryan Shaw

Departures: Tyler Chatwood, Pat Neshek

Give credit where it’s due as the Rockies bolstered their bullpen by signing World Series Champion Wade Davis. But at the same time, they weakened their bullpen, losing Tyler Chatwood and Pat Neshek in the process. They still have one of the best offenses in the Majors, but will it be enough to carry their poor rotation? Can the new bullpen be able to pull through in desperate times? Those questions will be answered quickly this year.

4 San Francisco Giants

Additions: Evan Longoria, Andrew McCutchen

Departures: Matt More, Denard Span

Spending money on aging veterans is a tough decision to come by. But when you’re the Giants and you lost 90+ games last year, something has to be done. Signing McCutchen and Longoria has made this team significantly better but don’t be too high on them just yet. Bumgarner is injured once again, Cueto is starting to get older and is coming off a crappy year. Let’s not forget Jeff Samardzija, who is just not very good anymore. The pitching is weak and the bullpen can’t vouch for them too much either so this should be an interesting year for the Giants.

5. San Diego Padres

Additions: Eric Hosmer, Chase Headley

Departures: Yanghervis Solarte, Jhoulys Chacin

Well at least the Padres did something by spending big money on Eric Hosmer. Hosmer s a great veteran World Series Champion who would be a good star player amongst a team of prospects. The Padres haven’t done much in a long time and hopefully one of these years, all of their rebuilding can pay off. If they can build around their ace Tyson Ross and Eric Hosmer, then there can be some kind of hope. Until then, they are stuck behind the big boys.

 

 

 

N.L East Predictions!

Predicting the N.L Central was rather easy and to the naked eye, these predictions should be easy as well. But as I start to go in depth, I’ve learned that there’s plenty that can go into this. But to start off, I’m going to go with the:

1. Washington Nationals

Additions: Matt Adams

Departures: Check back next year;)

This Nationals team, just like the Nationals teams in years past, is a pretty darn good team. But this team didn’t splash anyone huge and they should be looking to sign another bullpen arm to accompany Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle. This season is make or break for the Nationals. They have to break the D.C curse that has been cast upon them thanks to the Capitals. The Nationals desperately, desperately,need to at least make the NLCS to not only break the curse, but to have a prayer in keeping Bryce Harper, since next year he will be a free agent. They should take the division again, but the life of the team is on the line this year. If they choke in the playoffs again, then this division should be wide open.

2. Philadelphia Phillies

Additions: Jake Arrieta, Carlos Santana

Departures: No departures

Take this as my upset pick. This team can challenge for a wild card spot. Now I didn’t say they would take it, I think they may be right there or a bit short, but I think they will exceed expectations to say the least. Carlos Santana is a good signing that brings power and a great ability to get on base and postseason experience on a very long team. Jake Arrieta pretty much does the same thing. The offense and rotation now have building blocks to push onto as the years go by. The Phillies will be an interesting squad and I think they’ll have enough in the tank to make the wild card race very entertaining. Plus with the Eagles and the Villanova Wildcats, why not the Phillies?

3. New York Mets

Additions: Jay Bruce, Adrian Gonzalez, Jose Reyes

Departures: eh

This season hinges completely on the health of the starting rotation. Not only must they stay healthy, but they have to play very well. They resigned Jay Bruce and got Adrian Gonzalez, which I guess was the big splash of the offseason. The offense still isn’t enough to win games in case the pitching goes awry. That’s why last season was such a crapshoot for the Mets. Even if the starters are completely healthy, will they be as effective as they were in 2015? For this year at least, I’m betting against that notion.

4. Atlanta Braves

Additions: Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir

Departures: Matt Adams, Matt Kemp

Picking up those Dodgers starters should help out a rotation that has, well Julio Teheran, who had a down 2017 but should improve. Not much to mention from this squad, who under-performed significantly last year, due in part to the injury to Freddie Freeman midseason. Besides those two stars, this team is made up of sub par veterans and top notch prospects. If guys like Acuna and Swanson can perform well along with a couple of offseason splashes, who know what the Braves can do. But their uncertainty scares me, and that’s why i see a losing season in their near future.

5. Miami Marlins

Additions: Starlin Castro

Departures: Everyone that was somewhat relevant to the team, Stanton, Yelich, Gordon, Ozuna might as well disable the franchise huh?

I mean what the hell? Serioulsy? This offseason was completely unnecessary! All you needed was a good pitching signing but instead you give up your entire team? Again? I just don’t understand. Any fan support this franchise has had was officially killed off by Derek Jeter and company. Have fun digging ditches in the basement.