Does all this player analysis for fantasy baseball lead to better projections of real life team performances? I do not know, but I am willing to put my guesses to paper and allow that judgment to be made.
I have included a comment next to each team to explain why I believe each team will finish where. Most are really based on non-fantasy considerations. I think.
Let the games begin!
| AL EAST | NOTE |
|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | Better defense wins out |
| New York Yankees | Poor defense leads to a second-place finish |
| Toronto Blue Jays | All Pitching/Good defense can't go any further |
| Tampa Bay Rays | They'll be better. Elliot Johnson making the team negates the Longoria fumbling |
| Baltimore Orioles | Worse than the Giants? |
| AL CENTRAL | NOTE |
| Cleveland Indians | Thank God for the Tigers bullpen |
| Detroit Tigers | Blake Street Bombers 2008 Edition |
| Kansas City Royals | Hillman will synergize with the Gordon and Butler breakouts |
| Minnesota Twins | A good hitting core with a deeper staff has them in 4th. |
| Chicago White Sox | A scary back-end rotation with it's best power hitter leading off. |
| AL WEST | NOTE |
| Seattle Mariners | If a couple arms step-up in the bullpen, this won't be close |
| Los Angeles Angels | Not enough starters and the offense is still weak on power |
| Texas Rangers | An exciting club in 2008. Would kill for the White Sox rotation. |
| Oakland A's | Fire sales and Play-off contention in the same year? I'll bet against that |
| NL EAST | NOTE |
| New York Mets | #s 1-4 in the starting rotation too good |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Not enough starting pitching |
| Atlanta Braves | Despite the black hole in CF, the offense is very good. |
| Washington Nationals | No pitching even if Lastings Milledge makes the Mets rue dumping him |
| Florida Marlins | Thank God for the Giants and Orioles |
| NL CENTRAL | NOTE |
| Chicago Cubs | Too much bullpen strength |
| Milwaukee Brewers | Not enough bullpen strength |
| Cincinnati Reds | Have you seen the three teams below them? |
| Houston Astros | Too much offense to finish behind the Cards and Pirates |
| St Louis Cardinals | Still better than the Pirates |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Thank God for the Giants, Orioles and Marlins |
| NL WEST | NOTE |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | Offense improvement over last season will make this less of a race then others think |
| Colorado Rockies | Too much offense and defense |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | The rotation is not great and Juan Pierre will play |
| San Diego Padres | Not enough offense |
| San Francisco Giants | Thank God for Cain and Lincecum |