Every morning, the routine is the same. We wake up and peer out the window, fingers crossed, just hoping for a break in the dreariness of another Pittsburgh winter. We plan a few extra minutes to clear the new coating of snow and ice off of our cars before leaving for work, and in the meantime we stare at that covered grill and patio furniture in the garage- dreaming of summertime cook-outs. Staring out from the corner, a lonely lawnmower seems to be calling our name. We mumble a few encouraging words to the weed-whacker (“see you soon buddy..”) as we begin the long daily journey through the salt-covered roads of the region.
Luckily for all of us, there is an end to this madness. All 30 Major League Baseball teams are in full-swing in their springtime homes, preparing for the onset of Grapefruit and Cactus League games that start next week. The hot-stove battles are over, and on the sun-soaked fields of Spring Training the 2013 MLB season is taking shape. Once again we enter a new baseball season with lots of changes in store, as teams have cashed in all of their chips on new players and coaches. Almost every team has new names in their lineups and some teams have completely overhauled their rosters, giving fans in every city (except Houston, we’ll get back to them later) a reason to be optimistic for the new campaign. Even fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates have reason to believe that 2013 may bring good things for their beloved team.
Now that my preamble is out of the way, allow me to introduce you to my 2013 MLB Preview. This isn’t your typical pre-season analysis. If you are looking for an unbiased rundown of the upcoming season, a quick Google search will get you to where you need to be. With the media awards show season in full effect, we are going to hand out our own version of pre-season awards for the upcoming baseball season. There is no shortage of compelling stories this spring, and it should be a very fun year for fans around the Country.
We will kick off the “Yinzerific Preview” with the first Snedden Power Rankings of the 2013 season.
National League
1. San Francisco Giants – the defending World Series champions get the #1 ranking to start 2013.
2. Washington Nationals – the young Nats will be a force in 2013.
3. Cincinnati Reds – the Reds won 97 games in 2012 and add OF Shin-Soo Choo to a potent lineup.
4. Atlanta Braves – Adding the Upton brothers was big, and their bullpen is lights out.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers – the combination of Kershaw/Greinke is as good as any 1-2 punch in the NL.
6. St. Louis Cardinals – the loss of SP Chris Carpenter hurts, but the Redbirds offense will score a ton.
7. Arizona Diamondbacks – Adding Martin Prado and Cody Ross gives the D-Backs a solid clubhouse.
8. Philadelphia Phillies – the offense is still potent, and Halladay/Lee/Hamels lead a solid rotation.
9. Milwaukee Brewers – Miller Park is perfect for this team, but will the young pitching come through?
10. Pittsburgh Pirates – The Bucs have built a great young team, if the starters hold up – look out.
11. San Diego Padres – The Friars finished strong in 2012, 3B Chase Headley is a top 5 player in the NL.
12. Colorado Rockies – first-year manager Walt Weiss will need some magic to get this team over .500.
13. New York Mets – The Mets are a .500 squad at best, but help is on the way from their farm system.
14. Chicago Cubs – Adding SP Edwin Jackson will help the Cubbies avoid a 100-loss campaign.
15. Miami Marlins – a sad situation in south Florida, the Marlins start over from scratch once again.
American League
1. Los Angeles Angels – Pujols, Trout, Trumbo, and now Josh Hamilton anchor #1 offense in AL.
2. Detroit Tigers – Jim Leyland has his best Tigers team yet, all the pieces are in place.
3. Texas Rangers – losing Hamilton was a big blow, but youngsters Profar/Olt are ready.
4. Toronto Blue Jays – on paper they are a powerhouse. Will their chemistry work over the long haul?
5. Tampa Bay Rays – the rotation is lights out, a healthy Evan Longoria could put them over the top.
6. New York Yankees – offense is still there, but stamina could be an issue for an aging pitching staff.
7. Chicago White Sox – Chris Sale and Jake Peavy lead a solid rotation, and the veteran lineup is solid.
8. Baltimore Orioles – The O’s shocked the world and made the playoffs in 2012, can they do it again?
9. Oakland Athletics – The A’s develop young starting pitching better than anyone in baseball.
10. Boston Red Sox – transition year in Beantown, but if the veterans produce they could be in the race.
11. Kansas City Royals – Hosmer/Moustakas/Butler/Gordon are formidable, rotation has questions.
12. Cleveland Indians – This lineup could break the record for strikeouts in a season.
13. Seattle Mariners – Seattle has built a nice offense, but beyond King Felix the pitching is a question.
14. Minnesota Twins – The Twins are in store for a long season with this starting rotation.
15. Houston Astros – the 1962 Mets record of 120 losses in a season could be in jeopardy.
The biggest change in 2013 is the addition of the Houston Astros to the American League. The Astros are in the midst of a complete organizational overhaul that has left their roster resembling a AAA club. Houston is going to find life a bit challenging in the A.L. West – a division that includes two stacked teams in Texas and Anaheim and a playoff team in Oakland. The move to the American League also creates an issue for the Astros in terms of fielding an American league-style lineup. They signed 1B Carlos Pena to add some pop, but beyond his 25 homerun power he adds very little value to this team. Houston will continue to develop their farm system, with an eye on 2015 as a target year for finishing their turnover.
Biggest Trade Deadline Player Moved – OF Giancarlo Stanton, Miami
Now that Justin Upton is finally off of his perpetual trading block, the next major slugger that will be filling out new tax forms in 2013 is Stanton, the last remaining remnant of the botched Marlins 2012 squad. Stanton is a 23-year old blue chipper, a genuine middle of the lineup power hitter who has already posted consecutive 30+ homerun seasons. He has made it abundantly clear that he wants out of the disaster area that is Marlins Park after watching the team be systematically torn apart over the past six months. The Marlins will be reluctant to deal Stanton, who isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2017 season. With that said, Miami would be dumb to not at least test the waters of a potential trade. The chance to add Stanton to their team would entice many big league clubs, and Miami could receive a package that includes no less than three top prospects. Stanton could be the biggest target for contending teams this summer, and I believe Miami will in fact trade the 6-foot 5 masher for a massive return at the deadline. Expect the usual suspects (Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers) to be in on the sweepstakes, but look out for San Diego. The Padres are in need of a cleanup bat and they have the young talent to get a deal done. The Marlins and Padres have been frequent trade partners in the past, and Stanton’s California roots could be the icing on the cake.
Picking the Most Valuable Players in each league may be the toughest prediction of them all. After carefully analyzing all 30 rosters and plugging the entire season into my super-secret Snedden 3.0 Simulator (patent pending), I have selected both MVPs and both Cy Young Award winners for 2013.
National League MVP – OF Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
This is a definitive “homer” pick, but I truly feel that McCutchen is on the verge of finally putting together a full MVP-caliber season. After finishing third in voting last fall, 2013 will be all about “Cutch”. Should the Pirates give him the green light on the basepaths, he could end up posting a 30/30 campaign. His batting average will remain around the .320 mark and he will lead the league in hits. The 26-year old is just entering the prime hitting years of his career, and is armed with a brand-new six-year contract extension that will keep him in Pittsburgh through at least 2018.
National League Cy Young Award – Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants
The Giants have won two World Series titles in the past three years, and they have done so on the back of their starting rotation. Cain has been the workhorse of the staff, posting six consecutive seasons of 200+ IP and finishing in the top ten for the Cy Young Award in each of the past two. This will be the season that he finally breaks through as the top right-handed starter in the National League. The Giants will once again be at the top of the N.L. West, and Matt Cain will win 20 games, finish with an ERA under 2.50 and lead his team to another division title.
American League MVP – 2B Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
Few things are a given in the world of baseball. One of those things is the “contract season”. When a superstar player is in the final year of his contract, inevitably he will crank it up a notch. Cano is in that position in 2013, the final year of his deal with the Yankees. The 30-year old is the most dynamic player on the Yanks roster and should command a massive contract – either in New York or to the highest bidder – this winter. In 2013, Cano will showcase his skills in lieu of what is probably his final chance to score a big payday. Expect him to improve on his usual .310/30/100 campaign and take advantage of the launching pad known as Yankee Stadium to post a .330/40/120 line. The Yankees will need to ante up to keep their best player in pinstripes, and Cano will do everything in his power to ensure that they have to break open the Steinbrenner piggy bank in order to keep him around.
American League Cy Young Award – Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
He is the best pitcher of his generation, and in 2013 he will bring home his second Cy Young Award. Verlander is as automatic as they come in the pitching game, a workhorse who gives every inch of his soul to his club. The Tigers have a chance to be the best team in the American League, and Verlander will once again lead that charge for Manager Jim Leyland’s crew. The only question is how many games will he win? Could this be the season that Verlander cracks the elusive 25-win club? He will lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA and prove once again why he is a future Hall of Famer and the best hurler in the game today.
In the team category, we have two “unofficial” awards.
Most Disappointing Team – The Toronto Blue Jays
No franchise spent more resources in the offseason rebuilding their roster than the Jays. Unfortunately, outside of SP R.A. Dickey, they acquired a whole bunch of injury-prone players. They also have a major distraction on their hands in the form of OF Melky Cabrera, who has made a mockery of the game over the past twelve months. Unless this team wins 95+ games and takes the A.L. East title, it will be labeled a disappointment. I predict that Toronto improves on their 73-89 of 2012 but misses the playoffs and spends next winter dismantling what they have built.
Most Surprising Team – The San Diego Padres
The Padres were one of the best teams in baseball over the second half of 2012, and they have put together a young team that is tailor-made for humongous PetCo Park. Third baseman Chase Headley is the best player you have never heard of, and Manager Bud Black is fantastic at getting the most out of his roster. The Padres won’t win their division, but they will finish with a winning record and hang in the Wild Card race to the wire. Watch out for 1B Yonder Alonso too, who is primed to come into his own in 2013.
World Series Prediction
Detroit Tigers over San Francisco Giants in six games.
The Giants will come close to the title that would lock in their dynasty status, but Jim Leyland and the Tigers will put an end to that this fall. Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, and Victor Martinez will lead a great offense while newly-christened clubhouse leader Torii Hunter teaches young OFs Austin Jackson and Quintin Berry how to be major leaguers. Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer each win 20 games, while Anibal Sanchez wins 15 from the number three spot in the rotation.
That’s the story on the 2013 MLB season. I would love to hear your predictions for the upcoming summer, so send them to me at sneddenstake@yahoo.com. As we get close to the start of the season, I will share them all with our readers. Make sure to include your name and city, and have some fun with it. You might find yourself included in a future Sneddens Take column.
