Here is a preview on the NL Wild Card game and prediction on the final score!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
2013 MLB - AL Wild Card Prediction
Here are predictions on how we at Sports Unbiased believe the AL Wild Card race will shake out!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
MLB 2013: Top Ten Players 25 Years or Younger
Check out my listing for top ten players 25 or younger!
Friday, August 9, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
MLB Trade Deadline 2013: July 19, 2013
Check out all the latest new on the trade deadline!
http://sportsunbiased.com/mlb/10624/mlb-trade-deadline-2013-july-19-2013/comment-page-1/#comment-575
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
MLB Mid-season Awards 2013
This week at Sports Unbiased, we gave out MLB awards to each deserving player/manger. Check it out!
http://sportsunbiased.com/mlb/9572/mlb-mid-season-awards-2013/
Thursday, June 13, 2013
MLB Power Rankings
We are a little over a third of the way through the Major League Baseball season. We know the Astros and Marlins are the biggest pretenders in the league as they are each going to approach 100+ losses. The Twins, White Sox, Mets, Brewers, and Cubs are most likely not going to compete. These teams just have too much ground to try and make up.
That highlights the Cardinals, Red Sox, Reds, Yankees, Athletics, Braves, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Tigers, Orioles, and yes, the Pirates as our contenders come September.
The Cardinals are the current NL Central division leaders (42-22), as we could see three teams reach the postseason from that division this year with the Reds at 39-26 and Pirates right behind at 38-26.
The Yankees and Red Sox are battling for first in the AL East, believe it or not, while the Braves and Tigers are in complete control of their respective divisions as of today.
Then there are teams like the Nationals, Phillies, Padres, Rockies, Dodgers, Royals, Indians, Rays, Giants, Angels, Blue Jays, and Mariners that will go one way or the other in the next month.
Please check out Sports Unbiased for the rest of this story! Here's a link:
http://sportsunbiased.com/mlb/7968/mlb-power-rankings-2013-30-team-rankings/
Friday, June 7, 2013
Yasiel Puig's Energy has Revived the Dodgers
For most of the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have seemed as lifeless as can be. They have been sitting in the basement in the NL West for most of the season, dealing with notable injuries to OF Matt Kemp, SP Zack Greinke, SS Hanley Ramirez, and SP Chad Billingsley. Most of their roster has under-performed, highlighted by OF Andre Ethier, who certainly isn’t earning his $14 million salary with his .230 batting average. There has been no signs of a revitalization in LA with the current roster. That’s why the Dodgers were forced to turn to their farm system for some kind of boost.
Check out Sports Unbiased for the rest of the story!
http://sportsunbiased.com/mlb/7706/yasiel-puigs-energy-has-revived-the-dodgers/
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Friday, May 31, 2013
Could Clayton Kershaw Become the First $200 Million Pitcher?
The Dodgers hope to lock up Kershaw for a long time.
Is this really hard to believe? Kershaw already has a Cy Young under his belt. He has a career record of 66-40 with a 2.71 ERA. He also already has three 200+ strikeout seasons in his young career. The 25-year-old southpaw has already developed a fantastic career and should be in for a big payday in his future. But are his numbers really worth a $200 million dollar contract?
Trust me, the Dodgers believe so. And we all know they aren't afraid to give that kind of money to him. Currently, Kershaw has 2 years still left on his deal, but is eligible for arbitration next year, so the chances of him getting the aforementioned deal will be sometime next year.
I think he deserves the money. Not only because of his numbers, but because he is the clear cut number 1 in this starting rotation. Yes they have Zack Greinke, and yes they have Hyun-Jin Ryu, but neither of them are Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw is just now entering his prime believe it or not, so it is the Dodgers job to make sure his best seasons occur in a Dodger Uniform. They can't afford to lose him to free agency, and chances are they won't let it happen.
So how many years should he get? King Felix got 7 and Verlander got 5, but both are older than Clayton.
My bet is on a 8 year deal that will be worth between $200 and $210 million.
And will be worth money well spent.
What do you think? Leave your comments and opinions below!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Domonic Brown Emerging as Best Phillies Bat?
Brown was recently named NL player of the week.
The Phillies certainly have had their struggles on offense this season. Injuries have also played a role as Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Carlos Ruiz have all spent time on the sidelines. Despite the early struggles for an offense that is averaging less than 3.5 runs per game, the Phillies have discovered the improved bat of 25 year old outfielder Domonic Brown.
Brown is currently hitting .257 with 11 homers and 30 RBI's (both leading the club). His bat has come alive of late, hitting .348 with two doubles, a triple, two homers, and seven RBI's in his last 6 games. This feat earned him NL player of the week and raised many eyebrows, making many believe his potential is finally showing.
Why is Brown's potential starting to show all of a sudden? He has been given the chance to earn his spot in the majors during parts of the last three seasons. So why now? Manager Charlie Manuel has finally given him the chance to just go out there and play. The past three seasons consisted of Brown not knowing when he entered the ballpark if he was going to play or not, which most likely had an effect on the mindset of the young prospect. However, 2013 has been a different story as Brown has played in all but one game this season, and clearly it has led to some production that many thought he could reach at this point in his career.
At this point, Brown is carrying this offense and could possibly be moved up
In the lineup. Charlie Manuel recently stated that he will "tell me through his play when he is ready to make that move". Dom also commented, stating that "guys like Utley and Howard earned their way into the middle of the lineup early in their careers. For me I'm just trying to do the same".
If he continues his high quality play, he could see that aforementioned move in the near future, and he may also start to be considered the best bat in the Phillies lineup at this point.
Monday, May 20, 2013
MLB Quarterly Awards
Possible Award Winners when 2013 is all said and done.
These are my award winners up to this point in the 2013 regular season. This is based on what they are doing right NOW.
AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera -Without question the best hitter in the league right now. He is on pace to put up better numbers this year than what he did in his triple crown season last year. Watch this reigning MVP whenever you can because he is truly a gifted hitter sitting in the middle of his prime right now.
NL MVP: Paul Goldschmidt - Like I previously stated in one of my posts, this guy is an emerging superstar. He has a tremendous amount of power (12 HR and 35 RBI), and hits lefties as good as anyone in the league. He has been the centerpiece to the D-Backs success so far this season.
AL Cy Young: Matt Moore - Moore has dominated just about every start he has made this season. That's why he is off to an 8-0 start and most likely on his way to his first all-star game come July. This was a toss up with Clay Buchholz, but I went with Moore since Buchholz has more of a potent offense to work with.
NL Cy Young: Jordan Zimmerman - When you think about Nationals starting pitching, the names that would come to most minds first would be Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez. So far, Jordan Zimmerman has been better than both. He has a hard fastball that can top 95 mph, and he can keep you off balance with that nasty hook he has. That's why he is 7-1 and keeping the so far disappointing Nats above .500.
AL Manager of the Year: John Farrell - Many expect the Red Sox to have a disappointing year because of the whole Bobby-V fiasco last year and the lack of strong starting pitching, most notably Lester and Buchholz, who have struggled the past couple years. Well, that hasn't been the case as the Sox have one of the best records in baseball led by the unbeaten starters Lester and Buchholz (both 6-0). Think former pitching coach/new manager John Farrell had something to do with that?
NL Manager of the Year: Clint Hurdle - The Pirates are 8 games over .500 to start the year, led mostly by their strong bullpen and star hitter Andrew Mccutchen, who is having another stellar season. However, it seems like the Pirates have gotten off to these great starts the last couple years, only to crumble near the finish line. Let's see if Hurdle can keep his team focused for a full 162 this season.
Hope you guys enjoyed! Please leave your comments, opinions, and disagreements below!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Phillies Walkoff; Win 2 of 3 in Series Against Reds
Freddy Galvis sends the Phillies fans home happy Sunday.
It looked like the Phillies were in for another long day at the plate. They couldn't get anything going yesterday because of Bronson Arroyo's dominating performance and failed to get to Homer Bailey today, as he pitched 7 innings of shutout baseball.
The Reds would get on the board early today with Jay Bruce's 5th homer to dead center to make it 1-0. They would tack on to the lead in the 6th with Todd Frazier's right field double to drive in Joey Votto.
That would be all the Reds could get off of Jonathan Pettibone, who was very effective today, but failed to receive any run support. Pettibone posted 7 innings of two run baseball, allowing seven hits and striking out four batters.
The game was certainly looking like it was in the hands of Cincinnati in the 8th with a 2-0 lead and that strong bullpen filled with many power arms. However, the Phillies would battle back with a clutch two out hit in the 8th frame by Chase Utley to score Ben Revere, cutting the lead to 2-1.
But the Reds wouldn't blow the game in the 9th with Aroldis Chapman in for the save opportunity right? Right? After walking Delmon Young to start the inning, pinch runner Cliff Lee would come in to pinch run. However, he would get picked off to make the first out of the inning. It looked like a rally was now out of hand for a Phillies offense that went 16 innings without a run until the later frames of this game.
Then came the improbable. Erik Kratz lined a 3-2 fastball pitch into the seats to tie the game at 2. Next batter up was Freddy Galvis, who would serve the next pitch down the left field foul pole line to give the Phillies the win in walk-off fashion.
Hopefully this exciting win can give the Phils some momentum to get back to .500 on the year.
As for the Reds, they will look to get back on track tomorrow night when they open up a three game set with the New York Mets.
Sunday Power Rankings: The Top 10 Teams as of May 19th
MLB Power Rankings
The Rangers Lead the Majors with 28 Wins as of Sunday.
1) Rangers (28-15)- They have won 8 of their last 10 games and are 13-5 at home this season. The offense is not missing Josh Hamilton so far, averaging almost 5 runs per game. Yu Darvish could be in line for a 20 win season with all that support.
2) Cardinals (27-15)- Their pitching over the last couple of weeks has led them to one of the best records in baseball. They did have to place SP Jaime Garcia on the DL Saturday (5-2; 3.58 ERA), but the rest of the staff is still throwing well, which includes Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, and Shelby Miller, all with 5+ wins.
3) Yankees (27-16)- This is what big market teams do. They go out and fill holes due to injuries to star players. It has worked out for the Yankees, as they went out and got guys like Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner, and Lyle Overbay, who were given an opportunity to succeed and have so far. Watch out for the Yankees as their notable players inch back to returning to the field later in the season.
4) Indians (24-17)- After a slow start, Francona has the team rolling. They have scored a lot of runs in their recent wins, led by hot batters Jason Kipnis, Mark Reynolds, Ryan Raburn, and Carlos Santana. However, their upcoming schedule is tough with their next three series against the Tigers, Red Sox and Reds. Let's see if they can keep it rolling.
5) Reds (26-17)- This just might be the best offense in the league. It seems like Choo and Votto are always on base, both top 5 in OBP, and Brandon Phillips gets them in, as he leads the National League with 36 RBI's. Adding Jay Bruce into that mix when he has it going makes this lineup even scarier. The game is also most likely over when Aroldis Chapman gets in. He. Is. Filthy.
6) Red Sox (26-17)- Have won their last 4 after a little rough patch. Big Papi has brought a huge boost to the lineup since his return from the DL. Buchholz and Lester are both throwing the ball well and are still undefeated to this point.
7) Diamondbacks (25-18)- Also winners of their last 4, the D-backs have gotten the job done so far mostly with solid pitching. A name you will want to get familiar with is Paul Goldschmidt. He is an emerging superstar (.335/12 HR/35 RBI).
8) Giants (24-19)- Hard to believe the defending champs actually have this many wins. Starters Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain have struggled to start the year, but this team just seems to always find a way to win. They take professional at-bats and work hard to win ballgames. Expect their starting pitching to pick it up.
9) Braves (24-18)- After a strong start, the Braves have certainly cooled off. They will most likely be a streaky team this year, due to their hit- or- miss offense. They are going to hit their homers and put runs on the board, but they will also strikeout and go into cold spells. The pitching will have to step up to avoid some of those long losing streaks later in the season.
10) Pirates (25-18)- The offense has been steady for the most part led by star hitter Andrew Mccutchen and breakout second year player Starling Marte, who are both off to stellar starts. Their bullpen has been outstanding, which features Mark Melancon, who has an ERA under 1.00 in 22 appearances, and closer Jason Grilli, who has converted all 16 of his save opportunities.
Friday, April 5, 2013
NL East Preview: Miami Marlins
Marlins park will most likely be one lonely stadium in 2013
Key Additions: Juan Pierre, Kevin Slowey, Placido Polanco, Casey Kotchman, Henderson Alvarez
Key Subtractions: Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Carlos Zambrano, Carlos Lee, Emilio Bonifacio, Heath Bell
Analysis: Judging by the Marlins offseason, they believe it is time to go into a complete rebuilding mode. 2012 was supposed to be a year of promise for Miami. Many considered them to be contenders for a NL East crown. Instead, they finished in the basement with a 69-83 record. The disappointing season opted the front office to trade big name players Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, and Mark Buehrle to the Toronto Blue Jays. Heath Bell was also traded to the D-backs due to his struggles in the closer's role last season. The city of Miami certainly has to be concerned and confused with the direction this team is going, most notably by star power hitter Giancarlo Stanton. He voiced his confusion over the blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays and was understandably angry with it. He is playing with very few notable guys on the roster right now. The Marlins just don't have any positives right now that don't involve Stanton. The rebuilding process needs to start now and create some of those positives before the Marlins lose fan support all together. As for 2013, it will most likely be a struggle for the Marlins to even avoid losing 100 games. Expect another last place finish.
Projected Finish: 56-106; 5th place
Thanks for reading! My MLB week in review will be coming up soon to recap Opening Week. I will also try to mix in some things here and there throughout the weeks. Once again thanks for reading I really appreciate it.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
NL East Preview: New York Mets
Cornerstone 3B David Wright will most likely be in for a bumpy ride in 2013.
Key Additions: Shaun Marcum, Brandon Hicks, John Buck, Travis D'Arnaud
Key Subtractions: R.A. Dickey, Mike Pelfrey, Jon Rauch, Scott Hairston, Andres Torres, Ronny Cedeno, Kelly Shoppach, Jason Bay (?)
Analysis: Well, the first order of business was taken care of in December with the 8- year extension of David Wright. Then the Mets did a little house cleaning, most notably with the release of Jason Bay, who was nothing short of a disaster in New York. And then the Mets decided to trade 38- year old 2012 Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey and receive back C Travis D'Arnaud, who has the potential to become a future All-Star. They also brought in Shaun Marcum, who has been a 12- game winner 3 different times in his career. So the Mets did do some nice things to start the offseason. They have gotten younger and look like they will be a team on the rise in the future highlighted by guys like Wright, D'Arnaud, P Matt Harvey, and SS Ruben Tejada. So why do I think they will continue to struggle in 2013? Their pitching staff will be the main culprit. Johan Santana has a shot at 10 wins, but he is getting older and has a shoulder injury history so I don't even expect him to reach 30 starts. Pitchers Dillon Gee and Jon Niese are just middle-of-the road right now and will need to improve for this rotation to be considered a real threat. My sleeper in this rotation is Matt Harvey. He is a young, power pitcher who has the potential for 15+ wins and 200 strikeouts. I just don't know if he is ready to take that step in 2013. They do have a scrappy lineup and will put up some runs. SS Ruben Tejada, 3B David Wright, and 1B Ike Davis will lead a Mets offense that hit .250 last year. The biggest problem is the bullpen. Frank Francisco is the slated closer who had an ERA over 5.00 last year. There also isn't any depth in the bullpen. The only other notable guys are Brandon Lyon and Bobby Parnell. In other words, expect the Mets bullpen to struggle and blow a lot of games. This Mets team has some pieces for the future, but don't expect them to shine bright in 2013.
Projected 2013 Finish: 75-87; 4th Place
Last up: The Miami Marlins. Thanks so much for reading! Fell free to leave comments on what I could improve or what my next division or topic should be!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
NL East Preview: Atlanta Braves
Key Additions: Justin Upton, B.J. Upton, Chris Johnson, Jordan Walden, Gerald Laird
Key Subtractions: Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, Michael Bourn, David Ross, Eric Hinske, Peter Moylan, Chad Durbin, Martin Prado
Analysis: The Braves are a team built to become legitimate World Series contenders in 2013. They bolstered their outfield in the offseason with the addition of Upton brothers. Both of them have all the potential in the world to become .280+ hitters with 25+ home runs a season. If they develop some kind of "Brotherly Rivalry" and try to outdo each other, it is going to be scary to see what they can do for a Braves offense that ranked 11th in the NL in team batting average last year. And that's not to mention Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, both age 23, who should get to 20+ homers and 80+ RBI's. He probably won't fill Chipper Jones shoes, but Chris Johnson should still serve as a viable 3B option for the Braves. He has had a .300+ OBP every year in his career except for 2011 (Still .291). The Braves still also have a strong bullpen, highlighted by Craig Kimbrel, who is flat-out filthy. He has to be a lock for at least 35 saves. Will Kris Medlen emerge as the No. 1 pitcher for this pitching staff? Seems like that is what the Braves are banking on. The right-hander went 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 12 starts down the stretch for the Braves. Atlanta would love if he could turn into the perennial ace of the staff with guys like an aging Tim Hudson, and Mike Minor and Paul Maholm, who both have ERA's over 4.00 for their careers. The pitching staff is one of the few question marks I have for the Braves in 2013. Will Brian McCann return to All-Star form? He has had back- to- back injury-riddled seasons, failing to play 130+ games in both the 2011 and 2012 campaigns. What about Dan Uggla? He struggled in his strong suit last season, failing to hit 20 home runs for the first time ever. And will the Braves end up missing Tommy Hanson? I just don't know if that rotation is quite yet built to help Atlanta get to where they eventually want to get. It will be interesting to monitor during the season if the Braves go after a guy like Matt Garza to set up that chance of a World Series run. However, I just don't see the Braves outplaying the Nationals this year.
Projected Finish: 93-67; 2nd place
Sorry I was so late in posting this one! Busy with my own baseball tryouts this week. Please share me to others if you enjoy reading these. Comments are always welcome as well. Next up: New York Mets.
Monday, February 25, 2013
NL East Preview: Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
For the Phillies to make a post-season appearance in 2013, they will need solid seasons from Halladay (Left), Lee (Center), and Hamels (Right).
Key Additions: Michael Young, Ben Revere, Mike Adams, Delmon Young, John Lannan, Chad Durbin
Key Losses: Juan Pierre, Josh Lindblom, Vance Worley, Nate Schierholtz, Ty Wiggington, Placido Polanco, Brian Schneider
Analysis: The Philadelphia Phillies obviously did not live up to expectations in 2012. They were definitely bit by the injury bug. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley did not make their season debuts until June. Cliff Lee spent some time on the DL during the beginning of the season, and Roy Halladay also spent a month on the DL due to shoulder trouble. The injuries resulted in a disappointing first half record of 37-50. However, they were better in the second half, and finished with a somewhat respectable record of 81-81, given the number of injuries they faced. Given the .500 record they had in 2012, it is hard to not believe the Phils will bounce back in 2013. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, who hasn't played in an opening day game since 2010, will both start on Opening Day this year. Roy Halladay, who has already looked like the old Roy Halladay this spring, should bounce back and have a shot at 15 wins this year. He had an ERA over 4.00 for the first time since 2004 during the 2012 campaign. Cliff Lee had a strange year last year as well. He posted a 3.16 ERA and had 200+ strikeouts and 200+ innings, but had a record of 6-9 due to a lack of run support. The one guy the Phillies could count on in the rotation last year was Cole Hamels, who went 17-6 with a 3.05 ERA. I believe Hamels is now the perennial ace of this staff and is not only a lock for at least 15 wins, but he should be a serious Cy Young Candidate this year. The offense is also revamped. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley should be in for some good luck on the health front and play about 140+ games. The addition of Michael Young is also going to provide dividends. He is a pure professional and should bounce back with a .300 year. Ben Revere is also a great pickup. He will sure up center field with his great defensive play and speed, as well as provide a .300 OBP, something the Phillies have lacked in the lineup since the dismissal of Jayson Werth. Michael Adams should be a good setup man for Papelbon this year, an inning Phillies pitching struggled in last year. They blew 19 ties in 2012. There are two main concerns for the Phillies this year: The outfield and Health. Guys like Darin Ruf, John Mayberry, Delmon Young, Dominic Brown, and Laynce Nix will battle for the two remaining outfield spots. The Phillies are also an aging team and will have to avoid the injury bug in 2013 if they are going to aim north at around 90 wins. It can be done if they avoid key injuries. The Phillies still have solid players on this club and they will contend with teams like the Cardinals, Giants, and Braves for 1 of those 2 wild card slots. They can get there if the big three each hover around the 15 win mark.
Projected Finish: 90-73; 3rd in NL East
Once again, thanks for reading! Please leave comments about what you think and anything you think I can improve! See you next time. Coming up: The Atlanta Braves.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
NL East Preview
NL East Preview: Washington Nationals
Hey there baseball fans!
I'm Wesley Dotson and I'm new to blogging. I will use my new blog, "The Baseball Guy" to bring you my predictions on the upcoming MLB season, as well as MLB stories that develop during the year. I'm going to kick it off with previews of each division, and where I believe each team will finish in their respective divisions. This week, I will preview the National League East. So, without further ado, let's get started.
Washington Nationals
Key Additions: Dan Haren, Rafael Soriano, Denard Span
Key Subtractions: Michael Morse, Edwin Jackson, John Lannan, Tom Gorzalanny, Sean Burnett, Michael Gonzalez
Analysis: The Washington Nationals are a good, young team with a strong nucleus. Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez both figure to have a chance at 20 wins. This team is built on pitching and the addition of Dan Haren this offseason makes them even stronger. Rafael Soriano will patch up the back end and should finish with 30+ saves. The Nationals are also stacked in the batting order. Rookie of the Year Bryce Harper has all the potential in the world and I figure him to have a shot at a 20/20 (HR/SB) season this year. Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman should both return to their full form and play 150+ games in 2013. The addition of Denard Span is also huge as he should provide a top of the order presence this year. This team is going to score runs and will more than likely close you out with their strong pitching both in the rotation and in the bullpen. My only concern in the bullpen for the Nats is their lack of a late inning left-handed presence, but they are too balanced of a ball club to not win their second consecutive NL East crown in 2013.
Projected Finish: 96-66; 1st in NL East
I hope you enjoyed my first edition of NL East Preview. I will try to post every other day at the least. Next up is the Philadelphia Phillies. Hope you guys will continue to read! See you next time.
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