No Bias Baseball

Detroit Tigers
2007 Finish: 2nd in Central
NBB Prediction: 1st in Central

The Tigers may have done more than any team in baseball to prepare themselves for a title run this season, and is was mostly all due to the blockbuster trade with the Marlins. Their offense should carry them all season long.

On the Mound
Justin Verlander leads this pitching staff once again, and will look to build on his success from the past two seasons. One interesting thing that stuck out for me while looking at his numbers, is how much better of a strikeout pitcher he became last season. He went from being a .66 K/IP pitcher to a .91 K/IP pitcher, while his walk rates stayed about the same. This can also be seen as going from 6 K/9 to 8.19 K/9. This is evidence of him maturing as a pitcher. If he continues his upward trend, he can become one of the best strikeout guys in the league. Bonderman slates in as the #2 and he really isn't that impressive for a #2. Even if he goes back to his 2006 numbers, he is still nothing to brag to division rivals about. They really will need him to step up this season if they are going to be legitimate World Series contenders. Dontrelle Willis will have the opportunity to not be the #1 for the first time in a long time. Being out of that spotlight should help D-train focus on his pitching. Expect a better year out of him this season than last, but don't go expecting the 2005 version. Kenny Rogers will be back for the Tigers this season, after being out for most of 2007 with injuries. He isn't young, but if he is serviceable the Tigers will take it. He isn't going to strike anyone out, but he shouldn't give up too many runs, and can be a solid contributor in the back of the rotation. The rotation will be filled out by Nate Robertson. Nate is a dependable #5 starter who should eat somewhere close to 200 innings, which is all you can want from a #5. The Tigers bullpen isn't anything great, at least without Zumaya and Rodney, who are out with injuries. Todd Jones may be the least dependable closer in baseball and the supporting staff isn't that supportive. The bullpen could be the Achilles heel for this team. If Zumaya has discovered Rock Band, Tigers fans are hoping he likes to sing, as they need him in the pen.

At the Plate
Just thinking about this offense alone may cause bed-wetting from opposing AL Central pitchers. This is the most potent offense in all of baseball, and it's not even close in my eyes. By adding Miguel Cabrera to this lineup, you are adding one of the top-5 hitters in baseball to one of the best lineups in baseball already. M-Cab will give you a 30+ homerun season, and in the middle of this lineup he should see even better pitches than in previous years. I would not be surprised to see him hit 40+ homers this season, while getting on-base at a .450 clip. That is not only saying a lot about him, but also about the hitters around him. When you have proven hitters like Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield, and Ozzie Guillen surrounding him, they are bound to light up the scoreboard. That isn't even considering hitters like Placido Polanco who is going to give you a .800 OPS from the second base position. Did we mention they have Curtis Granderson as well. He may be starting the season on the DL, but once he gets back, they have a guy who 20+ homeruns, doubles, triples, and stolen bases last season. This team should score more runs than any other team in baseball, and that alone will make them contenders come October.

Cleveland Indians
2007 Finish: 1st in Central
NBB Prediction: 2nd in Central

Last season the Indians did their best impression of a World Series team, but fell short in the ALCS. They hope they can retain their division title from last season, but it will be a tough battle to keep it.

On the Mound
If the Indians are going to win the division, they are going to have to do it from the pitching mound. They are stronger than the Tigers in this regard, but they will need the back of the pen to improve from last season. Not much you can say about C.C. Sabathia, except for the guy is a gamer. He brings it every night and with an exciting mound presence. He was excellent for them last year, and they will need a repeat performance this year. Fausto Carmona really came out of nowhere last year to become one of the most integral players on the team. He finished with a outstanding ERA of 3.06 and was one win away from being a 20 game winner. This guy has the tools to be a #1, but has the luxury of being a #2. Compared to the 1-2 punch of the Tigers, you gotta think these two would win every day of the week. Jake Westbrook slots in as a solid #3 who can eat 200+ innings. The Indians will need improvement from Paul Byrd and Cliff Lee in the back of the rotation. Neither of these guys pitched particularly well in the regular season last, and both will need to this year if they plan on taking the division. The Indians bullpen is very good, outside of closer Joe Borowski, who really isn't too impressive.

At the Plate
The Indians lineup is not as good as the Tigers, but it is still a respectable one. The success of this lineup may result to the success of Travis Hafner. Pronk had a down year as his OBP dipped below .400 for the first time in 4 years. If he can return to his old 30+ homerun/.420 OBP form, he will make this Indians offense much more formidable. Victor Martinez has been a rock behind the plate, and should be a lock for 20+ homeruns and a .370 OBP. Grady Sizemore is turning into one of the best all-around centerfielders in the league. He can do it with his glove and his bat. Look for Mr. Sizemore to join the 30 HR/ 30 SB club this season. Adding in Garko, Perralta, and Blake, you find yourself a team with 6 players with the potential to hit 20+ homeruns. It will be interesting to see how Asdrubal Cabrera performs in his first full season as a starter at the MLB-level. Also, keep an eye out in left field to see who is getting the majority of the starts between David Dellucci and Jason Michaels. In all this offense should be competitive, but they don't have the firepower to keep up with the bats up in Michigan.

Chicago White Sox
2007 Finish: 4th in Central
NBB Prediction: 3rd in Central

The White Sox made some moves in the offseason to prepare themselves for a playoff run, but I think it was foolish. They aren't close to being a playoff team, and I think as the season plays out it will become evident.

On the Mound
Their rotation is mediocre, but has some potential. Vazquez has been one of the most reliable pitchers in baseball over the last seven years. You know you are going to get an ERA around fourand 200 innings. He is backed up by Mark Buehrle, who like Vazquez, has been a pretty dependable pitcher. He is going to give you 200 innings, and most likely an ERA below four. After these two guys is where the rotation starts to get a little dicey. Gavin Floyd is slotted as their #3, but he shouldn't even be a #5. He has done nothing to prove he belongs at the MLB level thus far. Jose Contreras has shown in the past that he has the talent to be succesful, but has not been able to find it over the last two seasons. If he continues his poor performance this season, I wouldn't expect him to make it to the end of the year. Danks is still young and still has time to bloom as a starter. He only has one year at the MLB level and will have the opportunity to prove himself this season. Their bullpen should be ok. Bobby Jenks is a solid closer and Dotel and Linebrink are good support. After these guys, the bullpen starts to get a little murky.

At the Plate
This White Sox lineup should be able to score some runs, as they will be lead by veteran 1B Paul Konerko. Konerko is gonna give you 30 homeruns every year. Nick Swisher will look to make the White Sox smart for trading to get him. He is a on base machine and he can hit for power. He will be a nice addition to this lineup. Jim Thome will be the DH and will be another power source for this team. He has the ability to crack 40 homers, and will be ready to knock in Swisher once he is on base. The key to the Sox offense this year may be the performance of Jermaine Dye. He still hit for power last season, but that is about all he did. If he can strikeout less and walk more, he will make this offense much, much better. Orlando Cabrera was brought in from the Angels to play shortstop for the Sox, and will add some offense. He will add some speed on the base paths, and also gets on base at a decent clip. This moves Juan Uribe over to second base. He should play good defense there and give some power. Pierzynski is behind the plate, and he won't provide much other than a bad haircut, a little power, and some good quotes. Joe Crede will start at third base, but isn't that impressive of a hitter. He has also been swirled in trade rumors, and may be the first man to go on this team.

Minnesota Twins
2007 Finish: 3rd in Central
NBB Prediction: 4th in Central

This team may the most sleeper potential of any team in the AL, but it would require for a lot of things to go right. Twins fans had to see two pitchers leave, in Garza and Santana, who they thought would be staples of their rotation for years to come.

On the Mound
Losing a pitcher like Santana is never easy for a pitching staff, but it was something the Twins management felt needed to be done. Liriano is expected to become the eventual ace of this staff, but his arm isn't fully ready and he will begin the season in the minors. This leaves the team with Livan Hernandez as their #1, which really isn't saying too much. Like the rest of their opening day rotation, he isn't more than a back of the rotation starter. He is followed up by Boof Bonser who has the potential to be a #3 type starter, but isn't there yet and is definitely being over-slotted as a #2. Kevin Slowey has yet to pitch to his potential, but the Twins fans are hoping that this is the time. Scott Baker may end up being the best pitcher of the staff by seasons end. He has plenty of ability, and should be able to build on a solid year last season. The Twins should once again have one of the best bullpens in all of baseball. Joe Nathan is a great way to start things off as a closer, and Neshek, Guerrier, and Rincon are as dependable as they come. The Twins have a large amount of young pitchers in the rotation, who could all wind up with stellar seasons, but there are most likely too many question marks for this to happen.

At the Plate
While the Twins traded away Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett, they did get back a hitting 2B in Harris and a future star in Delmon Young. Delmon may have finished 2nd in the ROY voting last season, but his numbers were not impressive at all. He needs to fix his plate presence and learn to take a pitch or two. Until this happens, he will never become the player he is capable of being. Justin Morneau is a beast over at first base and Joe Mauer has proven himself to be one of the best catchers in all of baseball. Michael Cuddyer is solid out in right field. With Cuddyer and Young in the same outfield, teams should basically never be trying to get that extra-base on the base paths. Outside of the guys previously mentioned, there aren't really any other good hitters. Lamb and Everett are like walking through an offensive graveyard on the left side of the infield. Carlos Gomez also isn't too valuable out in center, especially when you consider who is replacing. They should be alright offensively though, since they have players like Nick Punto coming off the bench...oh wait. This team will really need career years from nearly every player if they plan on playing after the regular season.

Kansas City Royals
2007 Finish: 5th in Central
NBB Prediction: 5th in Central

This might be the most boring team in baseball to watch this year. Not because they will be horrendous, but rather due to their offense or lack thereof. They should boast one of the best pitching staffs in the Central, but don't have any O to back it up.

On the Mound
The Royals rotation is by far their biggest strength. They have some quality pitching and it is a shame that they do not have any bats to help them out. Gil Meche may not be the best #1 in the league, but he is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. A bright point for Royals fans should be seeing his total innings pitched continually rise over the last four years, where last year he pitched 216 innings. He is backed up by Brian Bannister, who is turning into one of the better pitchers in the division. He will look to carry over his success from last season into an even better performance this year. Zack Grienke slots in as the #3 and he is quite the interesting pitcher to follow. He has some of the best raw stuff of any pitcher in all of baseball, but has never really seemed to put his mental game together. He made improvements last season and will look to build on that for this year. If he can ever live up to his abilities broadcasted in MVP Baseball 2005, he will win the Cy Young year after year. John Bale comes in as sort of a journeyman who has never really gotten a shot in the big leagues, despite putting up decent numbers in his limited opportunities. He will most likely get rocked, but it is always fun to root for a veteran like Bale. He turns 34 in May and to this date only has 118 innings at the major league level. Brett Tomko will round out this rotation. Tomko is nothing more than a 6th starter, who is being placed as a 5th. Do not expect much out of him, as he probably won't be in the rotation by seasons end. The Royals bullpen should also be a strong point for this team. Joakim Soria displayed his abilities as an outstanding closer last season. The team also beefed up the pen by signing veteran Ron Mahay. Gobble and Nunez should also be positive contributors, outside of these guys though they are not as comfortable.

At the Plate
This has been the one part of the Central preview I have been dreading writing, since it will be so painful to type. Jose Guillen was brought in this offseason, after a great season with the Mariners before getting injured. If he can return to his form prior to his injury, the team will have at least one live bat that they can count on. Sophmore slugger Alex Gordon will look to pick up where he left off in the second half of 2007. He was horrendous for the first half of the year, but managed to show a little power towards the end. There will also be a lot less pressure and media spotlight, as last year he was followed all year long as the "next George Brett". Mark Teahen will start out the season in left field, and he will give you a reliable bat. We would like to see him find some more power this season like he did in 2006, as his slugging went from .517 in 2006 to .410 in 2007. The real only other players on this team that has proven to hit for power is catcher John Buck. Buck won't get on base too much, but he will give the team an occasional stroke of power. Mark Grudzielanek will get on base at a decent clip, but that is about all he is going to contribute to the team. Pena will be a offensive hole at second base, much like Gload over at first. DeJesus will give you league average numbers out in center, but isn't anything too impressive.

Season Outlook
This should be a good race up top between the Tigers and Indians, but after that there really isn't too much to watch. The Tigers should take the division as long as their pitching is adequate. The Indians are much closer than many expect and could take the division, especially if Pronk delivers with a big year. The White Sox will finish in third. They will hit a lot of homeruns, and the back part of the rotation will give them all back. The Twins are going to go through some growing pains, but are setting the foundations for a good few years. The Royals pitching is there, but the hitting isn't even close. If they can somehow acquire a couple good hitters this team could go up as high as third place.

Bish	Wilson
21	21
22	22
23	23
24	24
25	25
26	26
27	27
28	28
29	29
30	30

Monday, April 14, 2008

Writers Wanted

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Power Rankings

Monday, March 31, 2008

Let the Games Begin

NBB Division Preview: AL Central

JP Flowin to the Bench

Podcast Archive

Mission

NBB Staff

Blog Archive

Links: