50 Things I Want to see in Major League Baseball in 2013

Football season is over and pitchers and catchers are beginning to report throughout Florida and Arizona. In a few days Spring Training games will begin and before you know it, March 31st will be here and the Rangers and Astros will be kicking off the 2013 MLB season. Now is the time that every team and all their fans are optimistic and filled with hope before the harsh realities of the season kick in. This year we get the added bonus of the World Baseball Classic. Whether or not you’re a fan of the tournament, it’s a good way to see how baseball is developing around the world and anything that can grow the game should be seen as a positive. As always, the season will somehow magically fly by and before one even realizes it, we’ll be wrapping up what will hopefully be a great World Series and tremendous season. With that in mind, and in no particular order, here are 100 things I want to see happen around baseball over the next eight-plus months.

50. Less talk about PEDs and more talk about VORP, ERA, and RBIs.

49. Giancarlo Stanton and Ricky Nolasco give Marlins fans a reason to come to the ballpark even if their ownership doesn’t.

48. No snow for the Rockies’ home opener on April 5th. (Or any other cold weather city for that matter)

47. Felix Hernandez to justify his enormous contract…and the Mariners to field a competitive team around him.

46. The Pittsburgh Pirates finish with a winning season.

45. The Kansas City Royals finish with a winning season.

44. Derek Jeter fully recovers from his ankle surgery and posts another 200-hit season.

43. Tim Lincecum shows 2012 was a fluke and returns to the Cy Young form he showed in 2008 and 2009.

42. Matt Kemp bust through the 40-40 barrier.

41. Buster Posey continue to evolve as the face of the San Francisco Giants, as well as Major League Baseball.

40. No somersaults from Aroldis Chapman…or anyone else for that matter.

39. Prince Fielder best his father, Cecil, and hit at least 52 home runs for the Tigers.

38. Continued good health for Johan Santana so we might get another glimpse at just how good he once was.

37. A return of playoff baseball in Canada.

36. Justin Upton, B.J. Upton, and Jason Heyward to be recognized as the best outfield in baseball, not just a great black outfield.

35. Another winning season for Tampa Bay, even when everyone always counts them out before the season begins.

34. Yonder Alonso becoming the next great Cuban player.

33. Chase Headley starting AND finishing the season with the Padres.

32. Yoenis Cespedes finishing with a 30-30 season.

31. A fifth straight 200-plus strikeout season for Yovani Gallardo.

30. CC Sabathia continuing on a Hall of Fame career path.

29. World Series games that start early enough for young children to watch and have their own dreams about World Series success.

28. Albert Pujols reversing his downward trend of the past two seasons and return to form as the best hitter in baseball.

27. Somehow come to grips with Kevin Youkilis in Yankee pinstripes.

26. Curtis Granderson to finish with more games played than strikeouts.

25. Let the Red Sox play well enough so we can all forget about Bobby Valentine.

24. Joakim Soria completely recover from Tommy John surgery.

23. A return to health, and dominance for Mariano Rivera.

22. 200-plus innings pitched for Stephen Strasburg…and at least that many strikeouts.

21. Jim Leyland letting Justin Verlander pitch a complete game on Opening Day.

20. Starlin Castro continue to outdo himself in the field and at the plate.

19. Kate Upton in the next MLB video game commercial.

18. One last chance for the Phillies to prove they are a team of veterans, not old men.

17. 150 games played for Justin Morneau.

16. Bryce Harper have the type of age 20 season that Mike Trout had last season.

15. Mike Trout to have the greatest age 21 season in the history of baseball.

14. One more rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” by Stan Musial on his harmonica on the jumbo screen at Busch Stadium on April 8.

13. April 15 continued to be recognized as the best day of the baseball season. And more recognition to those that came before Jackie Robinson to make what he did possible.

12. Andrew McCutchen continues his rise to the top of baseball and is named MVP, while leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to the playoffs.

11.  Ryan Braun continues on the track of a Hall of Fame career, despite another suspicion on the validity of his use of PEDs.

10. Zack Greinke pitches as well at Dodger Stadium as he did at Miller Park.

9. Miguel Cabrera continues to keep his weight under control and shows why he’s still the best pure hitter in baseball.

8. Another year of misery for the Cubs. (Apologies to all my friends that cheer for the baby bears.)

7. A season of three-run home runs in Baltimore, just to give Earl Weaver something to smile about up in Heaven.

6. The Nationals being able to pitch Stephen Strasburg in a decisive playoff game.

5. Hanley Ramirez to play for an entire season the way we all think he’s capable of playing.

4. Vin Scully call postseason baseball for the Dodgers and then return for the 2014 season.

3. A Dodgers-Nationals NLCS.

2. A Tigers-Blue Jays ALCS.

1. A champion team crowned in the nation’s capital.

My Trip to the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference

Most of you that will read this know I spent the last few days in Cleveland. You also know that while I was there visiting some very dear friends, I was also there for the 15th. annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference. For those don’t know:

The purpose of the JERRY MALLOY NEGRO LEAGUE CONFERENCE is to encourage the study and research of African American baseball and its influence on society, sports history, and racial barriers.  The Conference promotes activities to enhance scholarly, educational, and literary objectives.

This is America’s ORIGINAL Negro League Conference and the only symposium since 1998 dedicated exclusively to the examination of black baseball history. (Courtesy LarryLester42.com)

If you’ve known me for any length of time, you know Negro League baseball is one of the passions of my life. Ever since watching episode five of Ken Burns’ Baseball in 1994, I have been hooked on all things Negro League baseball. Over the years, I’ve built up a mini-library of Negro League books that I would stack up against anyone…or so I thought. In fact, I was quite proud of the knowledge I acquired over the years and liked to consider myself an “expert” when it came to black baseball in America.

All that changed this past weekend. It began simple enough with a meet and greet Thursday night at the Baseball Heritage Museum in downtown Cleveland. Everywhere I turned, all I saw was All-Stars. Larry Lester. Dick Clark. Leslie Heaphy. Now I realize that to most of you those names mean absolutely nothing. But in terms of Negro League baseball research and knowledge, that’s like seeing Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Willie Mays walking down the street. Add in author, photographer, and all-around talent Byron Motley, Ted Knorr, and Stephanie Liscio (to name just a very select few), and I felt like a kid in a candy shop. I also felt extremely out of place and suddenly lacking in Negro League knowledge.

To the credit of everyone in attendance, not a single person made me feel out of place or that I didn’t belong. In fact, before I even realized it, I was introducing myself to Lester, asking him which BBQ he preferred: Gate’s or Arthur Bryant’s. He instantly won my respect by answering, “I’m a Gate’s man.”

Over the next few days, I found myself bouncing all over the place talking with people with the same love and desire I have to learn and share knowledge about this amazing era in our country’s history. I heard some absolutely amazing stories about Buck Leonard from Tom Garrett. These just weren’t stories about Leonard from his playing days. These were stories Tom told me from time he actually spent with the “Black Lou Gehrig” before Leonard’s death in 1997.

Although talking to all these authors, researchers, and true experts of the subject was wonderful, the true highlight of the weekend was spending time and talking with four former players and one former owner. From the outside, one might have seen a group of ‘old people’ but in reality it was five wonderful souls transported back to their youth, laughing and joking, sharing stories and memories, all while holding court over all those in attendance. I’d like to send a special thank you to Gene Johnson, Mel Duncan, Ted Toles, Ernie Nimmons, and the beautiful and divine Minnie Forbes. These five (and hundreds like them) were bringing equality to America long before Martin Luther King Jr. marched in cities around the country.

Needless to say, this weekend had a pretty big impact on me. It has reignited my passion for this subject and made me realize this is what I want to do: read, research, write, present, and share to as many people as possible as much information as possible about these spectacular athletes and wonderful people and teams.

Finally, I just want to send out one last thank you to Larry, Dick, Leslie, Byron, Ted, Tom, Stephanie, and everyone else from this weekend. I hope I can show each of you in the coming years through my work just how much of an impact this weekend had on me.

The 2012 Kansas City Royals are Primed for a Breakout Season

The Kansas City Royals were at one time the class of the American League. They were established as a premiere team that was built with homegrown talent, sprinkled with free agents that made the team contenders year after year. However, for the last 15-plus years they turned into a laughing stock, basically a minor league feeder team for contenders looking year after year for a vital piece to a playoff puzzle.

That’s the sad reality of who the Kansas City Royals became. Since 1995, the Royals enjoyed just one winning season, 2003, and were almost certain locks to finish dead last in the AL Central before the season began. Luckily, both for the Royals’ organization and their fans, that is no longer the case.

2012 has brought with it a new, fresh attitude for the team. No longer are they expected to be playing for pride by July 1 or selling off good young talent at the trade deadline. No, the 2012 Royals have a legitimate shot at being significant. Not only that, they could and should compete for a playoff spot, not just in 2012 but for the foreseeable future. An atmosphere of winning has been building throughout the organization, and the Royals have the players in place to make their own mark in team history.

As is the case with most teams, success doesn’t start on the field. Rather it starts in the front office where GM Dayton Moore has started signing many of his young players to long-term deals, proving both he and the organization are willing to invest in the team now, not just five years from now.

Although knee surgery will keep him off the field for most of the 2012 season, catcher Salvador Perez was inked to a deal that could keep him in Kansas City through the 2019 season, a move that wouldn’t have been made by the front office even a few years ago. Also signed up long-term is shortstop Alcides Escobar, who could stay with the Royals through the 2017 season. Add in Billy Butler and Joakim Soria who are also under contract for a few more years and the Royals have a nice foundation going forward. The real test will come in trying to sign slugger Alex Gordon, along with fellow young stars Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer. Additionally, the Royals also boast one of the best minor league systems in the game, seemingly with no end in site of talented pitchers and position players ready to make it to the Majors in the next couple of seasons.

The position players are much further along than the pitching, and as was the case in 2011, Gordon and company will be expected to shoulder the load. There’s no reason to think they aren’t up to the challenge though. They were sixth in the American League in runs per game with 4.51 and fourth with a team batting average of .275. They don’t hit many home runs (129) but that number could increase dramatically as many of the young sluggers grow into their full major league potential.

Despite the lack of prodigious power, the Royals have a great balance of power and speed in their lineup.

Alcides Escobar is entering his third season as a full-time starting shortstop. He’s already shown flashes of greatness defensively that most knew he possessed. If he can continue improving his plate discipline, he has the ability to be a very good top-of-the-order hitter and steal 40-plus bases. For now, though, he’ll be at the bottom of the order until he can show he is a more disciplined hitter. Along with Escobar, Lorenzo Cain came to the Royals in the Zack Greinke trade before the start of last season. He spent most of the season at Omaha, but he looks to be the team’s starting center fielder, at least until Bubba Starling is ready to take his place. He could be a similar player to Escobar, only with the ability to hit many more home runs.

Alex Gordon finally began to show promise on the potential that caused the Royals to draft him second overall in the 2005 draft, ahead of Ryan Braun, Troy Tulowitzki, and Andrew McCutchen. He finished 2011 hitting .303 with 23 home runs and 87 RBI. With the talent around him continuing to improve, a 30-home run, 100 RBI season should be easily attainable for the former University of Nebraska player.

Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer, and Mike Moustakas may not get as many headlines as Gordon, but none are any less important to the Royals line-up than the left fielder. Butler can easily be relied upon to hit .295, 20 home runs, and drive in at least 90 runs. He’s a consistent enough hitter that the Royals should never go into a prolonged slump as a team. Hosmer took the league by storm last year after debuting in early May. His .293 average with 19 home runs and 78 RBI was good for third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Manager Ned Yost has been quoted several times that Hosmer is a “future perennial All-Star player.” Moustakas struggled in his rookie year, hitting .263 and not showing the power that he displayed coming up through the minor leagues. He’s struggled thus far in Spring Training as well, but he doesn’t need to be counted on to carry the offense, so hopefully he can relax and regain the form he showed in 2010 when he hit 36 home runs and drove in 124 runs in just 118 games between Double and Triple A.

Even with the addition of Jonathan Sanchez from the Giants in the Melky Cabrera trade, the Royals are still lacking a complete starting rotation. Neither Sanchez or Luke Hochevar are great top-of-the-rotation choices, but they’ll have to serve as such until some of the Royals’ prospects fulfill their potential or the team becomes active in the trade market again. Because of the potent line-up, the rotation, which also includes Bruce Chen, Felipe Paulino, and Danny Duffy, does not need to be dominant. Consistent quality starts from the group would be enough to get the Royals to their very good bullpen and outstanding closer, Joakim Soria.

Soria will be joined by former Dodgers’ closer, Jonathan Broxton, who will be looking to regain the form that saw him save 36 games for the Dodgers in 2009. Lefties Jose Mijares and Tim Collins will balance out the bullpen and along with Aaron Crow and Vin Mazzaro, the Royals should have a deep bullpen that can shorten games for the starting staff.

The Royals will have a chance early in the season to show whether or not they’ll be contenders in 2012. 10 of their first 16 games are against the Angels, Tigers, and Blue Jays, all of whom are expected to be in the hunt for the playoffs this year. Having a 10-game home stand in the middle of April should allow the team to start quickly, which would only add to the excitement in Kansas City and bolster the team’s chances of adding to the weakened pitching staff.

It is indeed a new day in the history of the Kansas City Royals. Will the team that is currently assembled reach the heights of the teams in the 1970s and 80s, culminating in a World Series championship in 1985?  For most baseball fans, the instant reaction would be “No way.” Given the overall decline of the AL Central in the past year, however, no one should be surprised if the Royals finish with a winning record in 2012 and even compete with the Detroit Tigers for the division crown.

Milwaukee Brewers: 10 Most Important Players for a Deep Playoff Run

Despite splitting a four game series in Pittsburgh, the Milwaukee Brewers are still the hottest team in baseball. With only 30 games remaining in the regular season, the Brewers hold a massive 10 game lead over division rival St. Louis.

Given they have such a substantial lead with so few games left on the schedule, it’s time for the fans to start planning their October calendar around postseason baseball in Milwaukee. This will mark the team’s second playoff appearance in the last 28 seasons, and if they hope to make a deeper run than 2008, they’ll need contributions from every player. But 10 stand out above the rest.

10. Nyjer Morgan

Nyjer Morgan and his alter ego, Tony Plush, have earned quite a following in his short stay so far with the Brewers. He’s arguably the most popular Brewers player not named Braun or Fielder. The trio will grace the upcoming cover of Sports Illustrated next week, the first time the Brewers have done so in over 20 years.

Morgan’s value to the team is felt on and off the field. Whether it be roaming center field, coming up with a clutch hit at the plate or morphing into Plush for an interview, he keeps the team loose and having fun while in the heat of a pennant race.

Although his role on the field will diminish once Carlos Gomez returns from the DL, Morgan will still be counted on at some point to drop down a bunt or steal a critical base.

9. Rickie Weeks

One might suspect that Rickie Weeks isn’t very valuable to the team since they’ve gone on an astounding hot streak since his ankle injury. That would be a gross underestimation of Weeks and his talents.

Weeks made his first All-Star game appearance this season and was on pace to set career highs in every major statistical category until the injury. Jerry Hairston, Josh Wilson, Craig Counsell and Felipe Lopez have all seen time at second trying to fill his void.

Whether he returns to the leadoff spot or bats lower in the order to protect Braun and Fielder, Weeks’ most important job will be to make sure the offense stays as consistent as possible to support the pitching staff.

8. Francisco Rodriguez

K-Rod has solidified the back end of the Brewers bullpen. Along with John Axford, he gives the Brewers a dynamite one-two punch to close out games.

Although there was some speculation at the time of his trade to Milwaukee that he wanted to close games, Rodriguez has been the ultimate team player and served his role well as primary set-up man.

As good as Axford has been this season, he doesn’t have the experience of postseason baseball like Rodriguez does. It will be critical for Rodriguez to serve as a mentor to Axford these last few weeks in order to prepare him as best he can for the pressure of postseason games.

7. Casey McGehee

2011 has been an utter disappointment for Casey McGehee. After back-to-back very good seasons in 2009 and 2010, McGehee has struggled mightily at the plate just to make his batting average somewhat respectable (.241). He has turned things around since the All-Star break, and he is a key reason as to why the Brewers have gone on their current hot streak.

Teams will do their best to pitch around Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder as much as possible, which means McGehee should have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs.

If he is successful, the Brewers’ offense should be able to dominate just about any pitching staff in the game. If he fails, the Brewers may have a very short stay in the playoffs.

6. Shaun Marcum

Shaun Marcum has been everything the Brewers hoped for when they traded away top prospect Brett Lawrie for him last winter. He is on pace for a career high in wins and should post the best ERA of his career as well.

Given his past of pitching in the AL East, Marcum would make a great candidate for a Game 1 starter, or Game 3 on the road. He shouldn’t be affected much by a pressure situation since there are few more stressful times in baseball than facing the Yankees or Red Sox line-ups.

5. Yovani Gallardo

Prior to the additions of Marcum and Zack Greinke, Yovani Gallardo was the team’s best pitcher. Despite the competition, he is pitching that way in 2011 as well. With his next victory, Gallardo will establish a new career high in wins (15). His ERA is also a career best this year and he has an outside shot of posting his third straight 200 strikeout season.

Gallardo pitched for the Brewers against the Phillies in the 2008 Playoffs, so he shouldn’t be overwhelmed by any situation he might face this October. Regardless of his spot in the postseason rotation, he should give the Brewers a great shot at winning the game he starts. He also can do more than his fair share at the plate should he be called on to do so.

4. Zack Greinke

Although he was roughed up in his last start this week in Pittsburgh, Zack Greinke has pitched very well for the Brewers this season, especially at Miller Park. Like Marcum and Gallardo, Greinke has a chance to post a career high win total. He should also strike out at least 200 batters, despite missing the first month of the season.

It seems as though Greinke is a completely different pitcher on the road than at home. For this reason, manager Ron Roenicke should do his very best to make sure Greinke starts as many games as possible at Miller Park. He is 9-0 with a 3.15 ERA and 93 strikeouts in just over 71 innings at home.

3. Ryan Braun

Ryan Braun is arguably the best hitter in all of baseball. In fact, he’s my choice for NL MVP this year. He seems to do his best work for the Brewers in the most crucial situations. He can get the big base hit, steal a base or make a superb catch in the outfield and usually he does all three in the course of a game.

Along with Prince Fielder, he gives the Brewers one of the most feared hitting duos in the game. The top of the order has been doing a great job getting on base lately, meaning Braun should have ample opportunities to drive in runs, while getting on base for Fielder.

There is no moment too big or overwhelming for Braun. Nothing seems to rattle him or get under his skin. He’s the Brewer most likely to get a hit in a clutch situation.

2. Prince Fielder

Prince Fielder is making the most of his impending free agency. He was the first player in the Majors to drive in 100 runs this year. He’ll hit at least 30 home runs for the fifth consecutive season, and he may hit .300 for the first time in his career.

Fielder will get every pitcher’s best effort except when they decide to pitch around him, which could be quite frequent if McGehee and the rest of the lineup is unable to produce around him. Fielder has become a much more disciplined hitter but he’s still able to hit any pitch 400 feet. He’s the unquestioned leader of the team and as long as he’s in a groove, the Brewers’ offense should be as well.

1. John Axford

While Axford’s selection may surprise some people, it really shouldn’t. Closing out a postseason baseball game is the hardest thing in the sport to do.

Axford has followed up a very good rookie season in 2010 with a dominant 2011. He’s converted 37 of 39 save opportunities, posted a 2.26 ERA in 61 games and struck out 72 in 59.2 innings. However, he’ll have to adjust to the intensity and demands of postseason baseball in order to really take his place among the game’s best closers.

Luckily, the Brewers have K-Rod to fall back on if Axford falters, but he has shown no signs of that this year. If the offense can do just enough to support the starters, Axford appears poised to take the ball in the ninth inning and shut down whatever offense he might face.

Ryan Braun Should Win the 2011 NL MVP Award

Coming into the 2011 season, Ryan Braun had already established himself as one of the best players in the game. In fact, Braun was off to the kind of start to a career that will one day see him enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Despite such a prodigious start to his career, many fans and media members questioned Braun’s abilities to improve. His power numbers had been consistently dropping since his rookie year, and some felt that he had reached his maximum potential despite being just 27 years old.

With his performance thus far in 2011, Braun has proven his doubters wrong as he is on pace to have a career year statistically while leading the Milwaukee Brewers to their first division title since 1982. Although he isn’t even the only candidate on his own team, Braun is the player that should win the 2011 NL MVP Award.

Braun is hitting .328, second only to the Mets Jose Reyes. His 25 home runs are tied for ninth best in the league and his 85 RBI places him fifth in the league in that category. He’s already stole 28 bases, which is a career high, and is tied for seventh in the league. He also leads the league in slugging (.586), OPS (.985), and runs scored (95).

Others that should garner votes for the award include perennial MVP candidate Albert Pujols, Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton and Braun’s teammate, Prince Fielder,

While each player is having a superb season, none match up to Braun when looking at the situation with a more critical eye.

Albert Pujols has rebounded quite well from a slow start and injury to his wrist earlier in the year. For any other player in the league 2011 would be considered a career year, however, despite leading the league in home runs, he is having an off year. Currently, he’s hitting .289, over 20 points less than his career low of .312 last year.

Additionally, as crazy as it sounds, Pujols isn’t as valuable to the Cardinals as one may think. The Cards remained quite competitive and atop the NL Central while he was out with the wrist injury but sit a full 10 games behind the Brewers as the teams enter play today. The first baseman is still a great player and will command an enormous contract this winter, but he isn’t the MVP this season.

Matt Kemp is having an outstanding season for the Dodgers. Unlike Pujols, who is having a down year, Kemp is in the middle of a career year. He has an outside chance of joining the 40-40 club and should hit well over .300, but how valuable is he really on a team that currently sits in last place in the NL West with a 59-69 record? There’s no denying his talents on the field, but he isn’t the MVP of the league.

Justin Upton is a very interesting and surprising entrant into the MVP race. Almost every fan and prognosticator picked the Diamondbacks to finish last in their division in Spring Training, but it appears more and more every day that they’ll win their division and be returning to the Playoffs in October. Upton is the central figure in the team’s success.

He’s hitting .298 with 25 home runs and 77 RBI, while stealing 19 bases, and scoring 81 runs. He is fulfilling his vast potential and establishing himself as one of the best young talents in the game. Although his numbers are great, Braun bests him in every one of those categories and is on the superior team. Add in the fact that while the Brewers don’t get much coverage nationally, they get more than the Diamondbacks do. Upton’s best hope to win would be to continue putting up his great numbers and hope Braun and Fielder split votes among the voters.

Speaking of Fielder, he may be Braun’s stiffest competition for the award. The duo has become the best one-two punch in baseball and along with a very good pitching staff have led the Brewers to a commanding lead in the NL Central.

Free agency is imminent for Fielder, and he has done his best to make himself very marketable for the offseason. He’s hitting .300 with 28 home runs and became the first person in baseball this season to have 100 RBI. He also leads the league with 24 intentional walks.

Fielder is seen by some as the face of the franchise, but it is Braun whom the team has invested in long-term. While Fielder is an RBI machine, Braun is just as proficient at knocking in runs, while setting the table himself for Fielder to knock in so many runs. While each may suffer next year apart from one another, this year they are the most feared combo in the game.

Braun has expanded his game to become a great all-around player and may very well win a Gold Glove this year. His power numbers are back to the level of his rookie season and he has a legitimate shot at winning his first batting crown.

Earlier this season he became just the ninth player in Major League history to hit 150 home runs and drive in 500-plus RBI in his first five seasons as a pro. He already has a Rookie of the Year trophy and four All-Star game appearances to his credit, but he is now poised to win his first MVP Award and be recognized among the game’s elite players.

Welcome to Baseball Dreaming

Hello, and welcome to Baseball Dreaming. My name is Jesse Motiff and to some, my name will be familiar. I’ve been in the baseball blogging biz for six years with various sites, including MLB blogs. I wanted to start a new blog that would allow me to talk not only about my beloved Milwaukee Brewers but also every Major League team and various trending topics in the game.

To say this is an exciting time to be a Brewers’ fan would be an extreme understatement. What’s not to love? They are the hottest team in baseball right now, they’ve run away with their division and the Phillies are now in their sights for best record in the National League. As great as the Phils have been the past couple seasons, they want no part of having to come to Miller Park four times for a best of seven series. It’s still a long shot for the Brewers to catch the Phillies, but with Jimmy Rollins now on the DL, nothing is out of the question.

The Playoffs are starting to take shape a bit, especially in the NL West and the Giants being absolutely devastated by injuries this year. As great as a run as they had last season, it just goes to show that injuries can doom a team, even if they are playing well. If they can somehow manage to make it past the Diamondbacks (who are a great story in their own right), no one will want to face them with that pitching staff.

Up until the recent hot streak by the Brewers, the Phils and Braves were the two best teams in the National League. The back-end of the Braves bullpen is scary good. If they can get a bit more consistency out of their offense, they will be very hard for anyone in the National League to beat.

The American League, as much as people outside of Boston and New York hate to admit it, looks to be all about the Red Sox and Yankees. While the Rangers and Tigers could conceivably pull off a first round upset, chances are the ALCS will be an all Northeast affair once again. The recent talk of Wandy Rodriguez to the Yankees is intriguing, but I don’t see it being a move that push the Yankees past the Sox in a short series. For once, Boston may actually be in the heads of New York, and I think the Sox will make it to the World Series this year.

As much as my heart is telling me that the Brewers will make it to the World Series and face the Red Sox, my head is telling me that there is no way a small market club like Milwaukee will make it a reality. Regardless of which team represents the National League, I don’t see anyone beating Boston this year. I think they’re just too strong in every aspect of the game, and I fully expect them to win their third World Series in eight years.

You can follow me on Twitter @jessemotiff or “like” me on Facebook by clicking here.