The 2013 season - what teams are favored and what players will impress?

[9RoyHobbsRF]

THE 2013 SEASON - WHAT TEAMS ARE FAVORED AND WHAT PLAYERS WILL IMPRESS?

AL?

NL?

Astros in AL - at least one interleague series all season long

Trades?

New Managers?

Free Agent Signings?

Etc.

[Blue387]

It's too early to call but I think the Mets will improve in 2013.

Dickey, Harvey, Niese, Gee and Wheeler, with Santana somewhere in there. Wheeler is promising and will replace sub-replacement pitches such as Jeremy Hefner and Collin McHugh. The team has starting pitching but needs a better bullpen, better defense and some better hitting outside of Wright and Davis, who had 32 homers in 2012. But I really like Matt Harvey.



The Cincinnati Reds are also pretty good.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

I am curious if Orioles fans think 2012 was a fluke or will 2013 be another stellar year.

Likewise, will the Red Sox rebound to where we are used to seeing them or will they stay down.

Will the Angels make the playoffs?

[Cap78]

I am curious if Orioles fans think 2012 was a fluke or will 2013 be another stellar year.

Likewise, will the Red Sox rebound to where we are used to seeing them or will they stay down.

Will the Angels make the playoffs?

I fear the orioles were the 2011 dbacks...playing above their talent level...however, i think the division next year will be the weakest its been in years, making their chances better

[PlanetZoltan]

I dont anticipate the Red Sox to improve greatly for next season. They will be better, but I cant imagine they will contend for the division too much.

However, I dont think they will be the laughing stock of the league like they were this year.

[GiambiJuice]

It's too early to call but I think the Mets will improve in 2013.

Dickey, Harvey, Niese, Gee and Wheeler, with Santana somewhere in there. Wheeler is promising and will replace sub-replacement pitches such as Jeremy Hefner and Collin McHugh. The team has starting pitching but needs a better bullpen, better defense and some better hitting outside of Wright and Davis, who had 32 homers in 2012. But I really like Matt Harvey.



The Cincinnati Reds are also pretty good.

If Ike Davis is your second-best hitter...you're gonna be a terrible team. I know he hits home runs when he connects with the ball, but he needs to improve his contact rate to become a valuable offensive player.

[toomanyhatz]

You've got to figure if the Dodgers could finish 10 games over .500 with Dee Gordon leading off and Kemp injured for half the season, they've got to be the favorites in their division (especially if they're successful in signing a front line pitcher), though I'm through counting the Giants out. The Nats are for real, though I'm not sure the Orioles are. I think the East will no longer be the toughest division in the AL, the west will. EVERY team in the AL east (including the Yankees) is likely to regress. Both LA teams (though I still resist referring to the Angels that way) should have pretty deadly lineups once they're settled and playing together for a whole season.

Who will be the surprise team of '13? Early to say, but my bet's on the Padres. They're a few free agent signings away from being a contender, and with their financial problems lessened (not that they'll compete with the Dodgers on that level) they might just go for it.

Also- more Marlins/Rays fire sale.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

^ The Giants have won 2 of the last 3 world series and won't be favored to win their division?

[Blue387]

As I mentioned earlier, I think the Cincinnati Reds are a good, underrated team for 2013.

[Bothrops Atrox]

As I mentioned earlier, I think the Cincinnati Reds are a good, underrated team for 2013.

Assuming that Arroyo and Ludwick don't have two straight years in which they do not play baseball like Arroyo and Ludwick.

[Ben Grimm]

As I mentioned earlier, I think the Cincinnati Reds are a good, underrated team for 2013.

I think the Reds are a leadoff hitter away from being a very good team. I believe the combined OB% of their leadoff hitters this year was around .290 and that just doesn't cut it. The only teams worse than the Reds in team OB% were all sub-.500 in the NL. There's very little on the market to help them, but with Shin-Soo Choo entering his final year of arbitration (looks to be near $10M), he would be a really nice fit for Cincy IMO.

EDIT: Forgot about Billy Hamilton who could be their future TotR guy. But he's only played 50 games in AA and hasn't seen a AAA pitch, so I'm not sure how much he can be counted on in 2013.

[GiambiJuice]

As I mentioned earlier, I think the Cincinnati Reds are a good, underrated team for 2013.

Wow, you're really going out on a limb there :-) The team who won 97 games this year for the second-best record in MLB is going to be good???

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[dgarza]

I think the Reds are a leadoff hitter away from being a very good team. I believe the combined OB% of their leadoff hitters this year was around .290 and that just doesn't cut it.

That is major hole.

Their 4 main leadoff guys were awful leadoff batters:
Cozart : .223/.262
Phillips : .202/.254
Stubbs : .159/.237
Heisey : .208/.269
Team total : .208/.254 - 37 BBs

[dgarza]

As a reaction to Roger Clemens being on the HOF ballot, we will see Jack Morris give an induction speak in July.

[JR Hart]

^ The Giants have won 2 of the last 3 world series and won't be favored to win their division?

We know they won't. They are very hard to figure out, as much as I'm a fan. Crawford and Belt are headed for stardom. The outfield is unsettled, with the exception of Pagan. Blanco and Scutero were postseason heroes, but haven't shown to be be star players in their careers. The Panda can hit and Buster is on a HOF track.

Cain and Madbum will be all-star caliber, but Vogelsong is old and Zito is inconsistant. Timmy got lit up as a starter and they may not keep him. Bullpens, however fantastic, are never guaranteed from year to year. Obviously, we have an A+ manager.

So I wouldn't be surprised with another championship, but neither would I be surprised with a mediocre season. Another big lefthanded bat would help.

It does seem however that putting on the black and orange produces miracles. Let's hope that it continues GO GIANTS!!