Offering Some Awards Predictions Before The Start Of A New Season

Tomorrow's Opening Day! All the analysts are posting their awards predictions and what not, so I decided, "hell, I'll give it a shot!" Here are my picks:

American League Most Valuable Player:

- Alex Rodriguez, 3B New York Yankees

Batting Line: .292, 44 HR, 120 RBI

A-Rod is primed for a bounce back. The guy with the best spring of anyone else on the team looked like a new man. Two years removed from serious hip surgery, Alex has said he's feeling "better than ever," and claims he's feeling more comfortable at the plate, saying he has more movement now that he can do his full workouts. Rodriguez certainly proved that this spring, and he's primed for a big year even though it'll be his age 36 season.

Others considered: 2B Robinson Cano - NYY, 1B Miguel Cabrera - DET, C Joe Mauer - MIN, 3B Evan Longoria - TB, OF Josh Hamilton - TEX

American League Cy Young Award:

- Jon Lester, LHP Boston Red Sox

Pitching Line: 20 - 6, 2.87 ERA

Jon Lester was destined for great things. The young lefty, who finished 19-9 last season, is primed for a breakout to include himself in the conversation of baseball's greatest pitchers. A consistently strong big-game pitcher, Lester, 27, will bring his game up to a whole new level this season when he leads the Red Sox deep into October.

Others considered: LHP CC Sabathia - NYY, RHP - Felix Hernandez - SEA, LHP David Price - TB, RHP Justin Verlander - DET, RHP Trevor Cahill - OAK

American League Rookie Of The Year:

- Ivan Nova, RHP New York Yankees

Pitching Line: 16-8, 3.63 ERA

Yeah, not what you expected right? You probably expected to see the likes of Jeremy Hellickson, Mike Moustakas, Desmond Jennings or Mark Trumbo here. Call me crazy, but I'm sticking behind this pick, and I'm not the only one (see Buster Olney's predictions). I've been a huge fan of Nova since he was a blip on the radar screen in the land of Yankee prospects. Nova, 24, dazzled this spring and proved to Yankee management that the fourth starter spot was going to be his. He's a horse. He's going to give the Yankees' innings (we'll see how he gets through a lineup this season), be mildly effective, and prove to be a solid mainstay in the rotation this season. If anything, I think he's the one to watch this season along with Derek Jeter (who's nearing 3,000 hits). Nova is going to be Super-Nova, and will prove to the Yankees that he's the man for the job in the rotation.

Others considered: RHP Jeremy Hellickson - TB, 3B Mike Moustakas - KC, OF Desmond Jennings - TB, 1B Mark Trumbo - LAA, C Jesus Montero - NYY, 2B Tsuyoshi Nishioka - MIN

National League Most Valuable Player:

- Albert Pujols, 1B St. Louis Cardinals

Batting Line: .324, 52 HR, 134 RBI

Do I really have to explain this one? Pujols, 31, is already a three-time NL MVP, and in a year where he's playing for a new contract at season's end, he's going to go all out for that $300 million mega-deal. Albert is Albert and that's that.

Others considered: SS Troy Tulowitzki - COL, OF Ryan Braun - MIL, C Buster Posey - SFG, 1B Ryan Howard - PHI, 1B Prince Fielder - MIL

National League Cy Young Award:

- Roy Halladay, RHP Philadelphia Phillies

Pitching Line: 30-0, 0.00 ERA

Real Pitching Line: 23-9, 2.62 ERA

Last year's Cy Young Award winner is going to go back-to-back. When the Toronto Blue Jays traded the best pitcher in the game out of baseball's toughest division (AL East) to the inferior league (NL), it was obvious that Halladay, 33, would prosper greatly. And greatly prosper he did, winning 21 games last season in his first year in Philly, while also throwing a Perfect Game during the regular season and a no-hitter in the playoffs - just the second ever. Already a two-time Cy Young winner, Halladay will add number three to his mantel.

Others considered: LHP Cliff Lee - PHI, LHP Cole Hamels - PHI, RHP Roy Oswalt - PHI, RHP Tim Lincecum - SFG, RHP Josh Johnson - FLA, LHP Clayton Kershaw - LAD, RHP Zack Grienke - MIL, RHP Matt Cain - SFG

National League Rookie Of The Year:

- Aroldis Chapman, LHP Cincinnati Reds

Pitching Line: 4-1, 2.13 ERA (if in bullpen)

Pitching Line: 14-7, 2.91 (if in rotation)

Last season, I went with an explosive young reliever to win the award and got it right (Neftali Feliz, AL), so why not continue on that trend this season? Chapman was downright throwing flames last season, hitting 105 mph on the radar gun in a game last season. Not only was he throwing heat, but the cuban defectee was close to un-hittable. While his role this season is still somewhat undetermined, it appears as though he'll begin the year in the Reds' bullpen as Francisco Cordero's set-up man, but could move to the rotation. For me, it came down to Chapman and San Francisco's young first base phenom Brandon Belt. However, because Belt soared through the minor leagues so quickly, I'm still unsure that he's ready. Just 23, Chapman's ready to open more eyes and wow spectators with that prized left arm.

Others considered: 1B Brandon Belt - SFG, 1B Freddie Freeman - ATL, OF Domonic Brown - PHI, 3B Matt Dominguez - FLA, 2B Brad Emaus - NYM

DIVISION WINNERS:

EAST - New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves

CENTRAL - Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds

WEST - Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies

WILD CARD - Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies

ALCS - Boston over New York

NLCS - Atlanta over Colorado

WORLD SERIES MATCH-UP:
Atlanta Braves vs. Boston Red Sox

Why? The most-improved team (Boston) vs. the team with one of baseball's best overall teams. Who wouldn't want to watch Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkillis & co. go up against Jason Heyward, Chipper Jones and Brian McCann in the Peach State?

Boston is the best team in the American League, by far (even though I think that the Yankees will still win the AL East). They made massive additions by signing Crawford and trading for Gonzalez to build upon an injury-barren, underachieving, playoff missed, 2010 team. Their rotation, led by Lester and Clay Buchholz, is tops in the American League. Together, they are the league's best, so it's hard to count them out of the World Series.

Atlanta will play its first season in a looooong time without long-time manager Bobby Cox. With former Marlins' manager Fredi Gonzalez at the helm, the Braves will look to build upon their 2010 success, as they made the playoffs for the first time in five years last year. With a healthy Chipper Jones, and the rookie butterflies out from under Heyward's belt, the Braves will look to be a heavy-weight favorite in the National League. Is it likely that they'll overtake Philadelphia for the NL East crown? No, but it's certainly possible and isn't as far out of reach as many think. They've got one of the best lineups in the NL and a great pitching staff to boot. It's hard to not like this team.

2011 WORLD CHAMPIONS:
Atlanta Braves

WHOA OH OH OH-OH, WHOA OH OH OH-OH!

Journal Entry: Day 14

Opening day is just two days away!!!!

Oh boy, baseball IS back. I'm so excited, I literally feel like I have something to do with my life on the weeknights again. Nothin' like sitting down and watching some good ol' Yankee baseball!

(turntable scratchback)

Enough with my lame life. WISE has been going great, today I'm planning to meet with Mr. Lombardi in the mac lab. I'm crossing my fingers hoping he's here today. What can I say, the guy's a busy man.

Other than that, we've got a lot of news going on in sports. Like I said, Opening Day is Thursday, but we've also got the NBA and NHL seasons coming to a close in the coming weeks. In baseball news, there's some surprises: Jesus Montero, the Yankees' catching prodigy was sent back down to Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre, Adam Wainwright, the ace of the St. Louis Cardinals, is missing the season with Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery, and the Arizona Diamondbacks' opening day starter? Mr. Yankee, Ian Kennedy himself. Those are just a few of the stories making headlines.

As for WISE, I'm talking with John Alfonzetti and Anthony Miniaci about helping me make my highlight reel. Talks are just starting and we're drawing up some ideas, but other than that there's nothing to complain about. Now I want to hear from you, the reader. You tell me, what two teams do you think will meet in the World Series this season? Leave your predictions in the comments below and I'll get back to you. Until next time.

Journal Entry: Day 13 and Super-Nova!

So this is my first post in about a week, sorry about that. I've had the creative juices flowing, and I've met with Dr. Hardy a few times in the past week. We discussed my final presentation and I'm thinking about possibly doing a Sportscenter-esque highlight reel type thing, if you know what I mean? No? Didn't think so. I'm thinking of making a highlight reel, complete with graphics, b-roll and everything, of all my work for WISE. That means video from MSG, photos, articles, everything and anything I can add into it. I talked to two friends of mine, John Alfonzetti and Anthony Miniaci, who said they would be more than welcome to help me make this highlight reel. John, who's a computer wiz, is a person I completely trust to help me out with this.

Other than that, things are going great so far.

Today the final two spots in the Yankees' starting rotation were announced: Ivan Nova, last year's breakout rookie, and Freddy Garcia (formerly of the White Sox) will round out the Yankees' rotation behind CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Phil Hughes.

Nova, who was solid over the spring, was destined to be a lock for the rotation, while Garcia, who had the worst spring of the rotation battlers, was questionable. Bartolo Colon, who competed with Nova and Garcia for the rotation spot, perhaps pitched the best and most effectively of the three. His work did not go unnoticed though, as he will be the long-man reliever out of the bullpen. The news comes a day after Sergio Mitre, who also competed for a rotation spot, was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers and when the Yankees signed veteran right-hander Kevin Millwood to a minor league deal to provide veteran insurance incase Nova, Garcia, or Colon stumbles.

I predicted that the two spots would go to Garcia and Nova and I think that it's the best move for the Yanks. Yes, Colon did have a great spring, but he hasn't pitched in the major leagues since 2009. He's very injury prone, and, while he had a good spring, eventually all good things come to an end. Garcia, on the other hand, started for the White Sox last year and was effective during his age 35 season. I feel that the Yankees are more confident in Garcia's ability to stay consistant rather than Colon's, just based on the fact that Garcia pitched last year.

As for Nova, I'm very happy he'll be starting for this team. It's time for a youth movement, and Nova will be the second home-grown player in the rotation (Hughes). I like the direction the Yankees are taking, allowing their prospects to play in the majors. It's not the way the Yankees used to operate, as they'd trade away every prospect. It's always better to grow your own players. Ivan Nova is going to open some eyes this year. This kid is gonna be a solid #4 for the Yankees.

With the pitching staff set, all that remains are the bench and back-up catcher roles. All should come in the remaining days of spring training as we await for opening day, just five days away.

Why the Yankees will win the AL East...

You probably read the title, had a sarcastic short laugh, and automatically said to yourself "pssh, homer."

Yes, we all know I'm a big Yankee fan, but listen up, I swear to you that that didn't factor into my prediction.

The New York Yankees will win the American League East.

I know, I know. I've already prepped myself for the "homer" tag. But that's besides the point.

Over the course of the 2010 off-season, we all expected Cliff Lee to sign with the Yankees to be their second ace alongside CC Sabathia in a rotation that would also include Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett and Ivan Nova. It would arguably be one of the best rotations in the game, and the Yankees would once again reign supreme as the game's most hated and toughest team.

But that fizzled out when Lee decided to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Instead, the off-season was filled with heated Derek Jeter negotiations, an unwanted signing of Rafael Soriano and disappointment.

The Yankees were left without any options. Banking on a swan song return by Andy Pettitte, the Yankees really had no other options to turn to. The pitching market was sparing thin this off-season and outside of *ducks* Carl Pavano *comes back up* there wasn't anyone who would be an effective pitcher in the American League East. The Yankees' rotation at that time was Sabathia, Burnett, Hughes and two empty slates.

crap...

Just when it looked like things couldn't get any worse for the Yankees by missing out on Lee, the rival Boston Red Sox went out and completed a blockbuster deal for All-Star power-hitting first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres and inked All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford, formerly of the Tampa Bay Rays, to a seven-year, $142 million contract. Knowing that their competition was getting more and more fierce, the Yankees basically begged for Pettitte to come back for one last season, but it wasn't meant to be. Pettitte decided to announce his retirement just a few weeks later, leaving the Yankees scrambling for starting pitching.

In a game where starting pitching is the name of the game, the Yankees were out of luck.

The Red Sox were stacked. A rotation led by Jon Lester which also included Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz, and Daisuke Matzusaka, to go along with a rebuffed lineup - which last year was second in runs scored in the league - that now included Gonzalez and Crawford seemed far more of a favorite to win the AL East in 2011 than the 2009 Champions.

How did the Yankees respond? They signed former closing pitcher Rafael Soriano, a good pick-up, but a move that GM Brian Cashman vocally made known he didn't want to make, to rebuff their bullpen in an effort to fix the "Bridge to Mariano Rivera".... for $36 million over 3-years, a contract many winced at. But how did they address their starting pitching? They signed Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon, two former All-Stars who have dealt with ineffectiveness and various injuries over the past few seasons, to minor league deals to fight out rookie Ivan Nova and journeyman Sergio Mitre for the last two spots in the rotation.

That's right. No Cliff Lee, so they signed two question marks.

Ivan Nova, you've got a believer in me.

Even the Yankees' lineup, which led the league in runs scored last year, has been underestimated this off-season, and for good reason. Can Derek Jeter bounce back from a career-worst season? Can Mark Teixeira get off to a hot start for once? Will Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano build on their All-Star 2010 seasons? How will Jorge Posada handle the transfer from catcher to designated hitter?

As of right now, even I'd pick the Red Sox as the favorite to win the AL East. But my gut tells me that the Yankees, who now have a ton of blue-chip prospects, could make a big splash prior to the trading deadline in July for a big-name, top-flight starting pitcher to bolster their rotation and lead them to the title.

Most are considering the Yankees the underdog in the East this year, but there's just one thing when it comes to predicting the AL East:

You can't count out the Yankees. They are the $200 million little train that could.

As it stands right now, Nova and Colon are the two leading candidates for the final two spots. I've been preaching since the beginning of the off-season for Nova to be in the rotation. This is a kid who is going to be a very serviceable major league pitcher. He had a fantastic season at Triple-A last season, and held his own during his cup of coffee in the major leagues. He has a chance to be a very good #3 or 4 pitcher in the majors. The Yankees are very high on him, and would love to see the 24-year old, homegrown prospect, be a part of their rotation for years to come. Nova could definitely be a difference maker this season for this team.

But that isn't why the Yankees are going to win the AL East.

No, the Yankees are going to win the AL East because the Red Sox have just as many question marks surrounding their team.

How will Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, and Jacoby Ellsbury play this year after missing a majority of last season with injuries? How will the whole team, which was decimated with injuries last season, respond? How will Adrian Gonzalez perform in the AL East after coming over from the National League? Will Jonathan Papelbon be consistent? How will Beckett, Lackey and Matzusaka perform this season after having sub-par years last season?

They're just as questionable.

Take care of that shoulder, Josh...

In my opinion, Matzusaka is no better than Nova. Over the past two seasons, he's dealt with various injuries and has lost velocity on his pitches. He hasn't been the pitcher the Red Sox paid over $100 million for out of Japan. Beckett, the former ace, went 6-6 last year with an ERA of 5.78 while dealing with shoulder injuries. Lackey, in his first season with the club, underperformed and finished 14-11. These three pitchers, aside from Lester and Buchholz, are just as questionable as Nova, Colon and Burnett.

That isn't to say the Yankees' bottom three are any better. Burnett will be looking to respond from a dismal 10-15 season, one in which he posted a 5.26 ERA and bombed in the postseason. Not only that, but he was inconsistent as well. Maybe inconsistent isn't a strong enough word. With Burnett you don't know what you're going to get each day. Nova is a rookie who hasn't really been battle tested. The only strike against him is that he can't get through a lineup twice, something that as he matures will work itself out. Colon hasn't pitched since 2009. That's self-explanatory in itself.

In this case though, I'll take the Yankees' "questionable 3" over the Red Sox.

Yes, the Red Sox three are far more experience than those of the Yankees, but they're also something else: injury prone.

A shoulder injury is a serious injury for a pitcher, and I have doubts that Beckett, who was also hit in the head and suffered a mild concussion during spring training, will return to form. If anything, he's just as questionable as Burnett. Matzusaka hasn't been effective in the last two years, and Lackey is Lackey: he doesn't have stuff that will scare you, and doesn't have stuff that will overpower you.

When it comes to the lineups of the two teams, they're pretty even. Russell Martin and Jarrod Saltalamacchia are pretty even at catcher. I'll give Gonzalez the upper hand at first base over Teixeira, seeing as the guy can absolutely crush the ball and that Tex is coming off a sub-par season. Second base is a no-brainer: Cano easily over Pedroia. I'll take Jeter at short over Marco Scutaro any day. The outfield stands at Brett Gardner/Curtis Granderson/Nick Swisher vs. Crawford/Ellsbury/J.D. Drew. It's pretty even, but I think Crawford is really the only threat in the outfield. David Ortiz slightly gets the win at DH over Posada, who has never DHed in a full season before.

But where the Yankees have the upper hand is in the bullpen.

Here's to hoping for Soriano not to flop for 36 million reasons.

While the Soriano signing was ill-advised by Cashman, it made the Yankees' bullpen perhaps the best in baseball. The Yankees also signed left-handed specialist Pedro Feliciano from the New York Mets. By having Joba Chamberlain/David Robertson, Soriano, and Mariano Rivera in the bullpen to finish out the final three innings, the Yankees have no-doubt shortened their game if they are leading. Nine inning games become six inning games for the opponent.

The Red Sox bullpen on the other hand, is inconsistent. Jonathan Papelbon was close to terrible last season, blowing many saves and close games. Hideki Okajima and co. were no better in the bullpen for the BoSox.

It's very close between these two teams. They are both powerhouses, but they are both questionable.

However, in the grand scheme of things, a strong bullpen looms large in a tight-division race where all the opponents (Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles) have improved.

The AL East is going to be the toughest division in baseball this year, but the Yankees will reign supreme.

Journal Entry: Day 12 and No More Football?

So on Thursday I met with my other mentor, Dr. Hardy.

Debz, Dr. H, Dr. Hardy is my guidance counselor. When I asked her if she'd be my mentor she was more than willing to help me out. This was my first meeting with her, seeing as all my other meetings were with Mr. Lombardi. We discussed what I'm doing right now and everything is going steadily as planned. I'm already aware that I'm going to pass WISE for the year, but it's the final presentation that I've got to get goin' on about. Other than that, it's all good in the hood.

Anyone hear this? The NFL is heading to a lockout. Failure, after failure, after failure, after failure to reach a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) the league is heading for a lockout. There will be no trades, free agency is up in the air, and there may not be a season next year. Several players, lead by Tom Brady (New England Patriots) and Eli Manning (New York Giants) are suing the NFL because of the lockout.

"We are locked out," union president and former player Kevin Mawae wrote in a text message to The Associated Press. "We were informed today that players are no longer welcome at team facilities. (ESPN)

"We're discouraged, we're frustrated, we're disappointed, but we are not giving up. We know that this will be resolved in the negotiation process," Pash said. "We will be prepared to come back here any time the union is ready to come back here." (ESPN)

So, will there be football?

Let's throw a poll up today. Leave your comments in the comments section below.

Who will win the Yankees' last two rotation spots?

Ivan Nova & Freddy Garcia

Ivan Nova & Bartolo Colon

Ivan Nova & Sergio Mitre

Freddy Garcia & Bartolo Colon

Freddy Garcia & Sergio Mitre

Sergio Mitre & Bartolo Colon

Journal Entry: Day 11

Yesterday I met with Dr. Hardy, my other mentor besides Mr. Lombardi. We talked, and on Monday we're going to have another meeting about getting this thing started. I'm still not sure what I want to write for the article. I'm thinking something baseball related, seeing as the season is almost upon us. We're what, four games in to spring training? So it's sure to be exciting. Anyway, things have been crazy busy lately and I've been slacking a little on getting a baseball post about preseason predictions and what not up. It'll be up soon enough, but I'll offer a little preview of what I think the standings will end as (no bias included) * indicates wild card:

2011 Standings Predictions

AL East

1. New York Yankees

2. Boston Red Sox*

3. Tampa Bay Rays

4. Baltimore Orioles

5. Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central

1. Chicago White Sox

2. Minnesota Twins

3. Detroit Tigers

4. Kansas City Royals

5. Cleveland Indians

AL West

1. Texas Rangers

2. Oakland Athletics

3. Los Angeles Angels

4. Seattle Mariners

NL East

1. Philadelphia Phillies

2. Atlanta Braves

3. New York Mets

4. Florida Marlins

5. Washington Nationals

NL Central

1. Milwaukee Brewers

2. Cincinnati Reds

3. Chicago Cubs

4. St. Louis Cardinals

5. Pittsburgh Pirates

6. Houston Astros

NL West

1. Colorado Rockies

2. San Francisco Giants*

3. San Diego Padres

4. Los Angeles Dodgers

5. Arizona Diamondbacks

Just my two cents.

Also, it's looking more and more - now with Francisco Cervelli's injury - that Jesus Montero will make the Yankees' roster as the back-up catcher. However, with Russell Martin still ailing from off-season knee surgery, I think he has a chance to be the starter. Check that out.

That's all for now.