NL East Predictions...

So what will the divisions final standings look like heading into October of 2008?

The Mets will win the division, we have the best pitching and best defense. And our offense is deadly when they are running on all cylinders.

The Phillies offense is great but, you have to be able to score more runs than your pitchers allow.. I dont know how they’re going to do that. Their pitching staff is horrible behind Kendrick, and Hamels..

I think the Braves are our biggest competition. They have a fairly good Pitching staff and they will get back some key pieces to their bullpen by mid-season. Lets also not overlook Chipper, Texiera, McCann, and Francouer… they can mash.

Mets win division..

NYM (98-64)
ATL (92-70) 6.0 GB
PHL (88-74) 10.0 GB
WSH (78-84) 20.0 GB
FLA (69-93) 29.0 GB

Your Thoughts?

Baseball Prospectus thinks Mets are the best..

This year, the Mets have been predicted to finish the 2008 season with a record of 96-66, by the web site www.baseballprospectus.com. And even better; the Braves are predicted to finish 2nd…10 games behind us (with the Phillies a distant 3rd at 12 back!)

So according to BP, the division standings will look like this after 162 games..

1st place: New York Mets 96-66
2nd place: Atlanta Braves 86-76
3rd place: Philledelphia Phillies 84-78

Hopefully BP is right, I'd love to see another blowout of the division, just like in 2006... but this time, we're gonna go deep into the playoffs, just ask Fred Wilpon..

Chipper Jones prediction

Over at Talking Chop, a Braves blog, they have this to say about Chipper Jones..

"I think Chipper is entering a post-outfield mid-30's renaissance in his career. He tasted what a batting title could be like last year and he'll be out to win it this year."......

"He's gotta be healthy this year - he's long overdue. While it's hard to avoid all types of injury -- and we hope Chipper won't find some new way to injure himself -- he's likely figured out by now how to condition himself properly so the "pulls" and "strains" that plagued him the last few years are less frequent. We know that a healthy Chipper is a key ingredient to an appearance for the Braves in the post season. He knows the lineup and the rotation we're going to have next year are going to be the best the Braves have had in a long time, and he's going to do everything he can to stay in there. Expect big things from Chipper Jones in 2008."

Their prediction for Larry is...

.342/.437/.608 with 34 HR, 118 RBI, 89 BB, 82 SO in 152 games played

Do you think that Chipper will have that good of a season?

I think he will have a good season but not as good as Talking Chop thinks.. I say:

.318/.418/.572 with 27 HR, 93 RBI, 63 BB, 59 SO in 131 games played.

Any predictions?

Mets vs. The Rest: 3B Edition

Many of you may not know that I have started a "Mets vs. The Rest" series of articles. This series of articles will be an in depth analysis of the National League East division. I will score each team kind of like the MVP voting system..

5 points for first place
4 points for second place
3 points for third place
2 points for fourth place
1 point for last place

Today, we will do 3B... Remember that the 2007 season statistics are listed.. not the projected 2008 statistics.

Starting Third Baseman...

Mets: David Wright .325 AVG 30 HR 107 RBI
Braves: Larry Jones .337 AVG 29 HR 102 RBI
Phillies: Greg Dobbs .272 AVG 10 HR 55 RBI
Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman .266 AVG 24 HR 91 RBI
Marlins: Jorge Cantu .252 AVG 1 HR 13 RBI

I dont know what these rankings would look like if Miguel Cabrera was not traded to Detroit... but he was so I don't have to worry about that. We all know that David Wright is the class of the league, no doubt about it and Fantasy Owners would LOVE to have Wright on their team. David puts up numbers year in and year out thats why he is number one on this list. Not to mention that he won a Gold Glove last year. Larry (Chipper) Jones is a HOF player. If not for his injury risk, he could still be a perennial MVP candidate. Ryan Zimmerman had a little bit of a "sophomore slump" in 2007, but don't think that he'll be an average MLB player, because he will be as good, if not better than our very own David Wright. Greg Dobbs of the Phillies is a very solid bench player, but I'm not too sure how he can perform everyday. From what I can gather, he will be in a platoon with Wes Helms. This is because Dobbs hits significantly better against right handed pitchers and vice versa with Helms. Jorge Cantu can be a solid player, but he needs to prove it, and he will get plenty of chances, but he's just not to flattering right now. The order goes like this... Wright, Jones, Zimmerman, Dobbs, Cantu.

Reserve Third Baseman...

Mets: Ruben Gotay .295 AVG 4 HR 24 RBI
Braves: Omar Infante .271 AVG 2 HR 17 RBI
Phillies: Wes Helms .246 AVG 5 HR 49 RBI
Nationals: Aaron Boone .286 AVG 5 HR 28 RBI
Marlins: Jose Castillo .244 AVG o HR 24 RBI

From first glance it looked like there was very solid depth at the reserve 3B position. I was right, there is... but most of these players hit better against either left handed pitchers or right handed pitchers, so they would have to be platoon players if they ever got the chance to play regularly. Last season, Aaron Boone had somewhat of a comeback year. His AVG shot up, and he walked at a more frequent pace. Look for him to provide the Nationals a spark off of the bench. Ruben Gotay is a versitle player who can play 2B, 3B, SS, and a little 1B. This makes him very valuable to the Mets. The thing is, he just cant hit from the right side of the plate. The same goes for Omar Infante, hes very versitle, and he can hit. Its a tie between him and Gotay. Wes Helms had a good season in 2006, but 2007 was just not his year. He stunk. He will be platooning with Greg Dobbs for the Starting spot, but look for him to have continue success against left handed pitchers. Jose Castillo wanted out of Pittsburgh, and he got it. Hes not in a much better place though, because he wound up in Miami. He will battle for the starting spot with Jorge Cantu. Just as Cantu, Castillo has a lot to prove. The order goes like this... Boone, Gotay, Infante, Helms, Castillo.

The Final Tally is...

Mets: 9
Nationals: 8
Braves: 8
Phillies: 4
Marlins: 2

The Marlins and Phillies are really in need of a 3B. They have super-prospect, Matt Dominguez, but he won't be up for a few more years. The Nationals and Mets are both set at the 3B position for years to come... and you have to wonder how good these guys are gonna become. Larry is getting old, but he can still rake.... Man I really need to watch some baseball...

Atlanta trades Aybar to Tampa

According to the Braves official web site, they have traded Willy Aybar and Chase Fontaine to the Rays for relief pitcher Jeff Ridgway. When Willy Aybar was acquired with Danys Baez from the Dodgers in July of 2006, Aybar was viewed as a versatile infielder with great potential. He injured his right hand during his first game in Atlanta and never lived up to expectations. Things got much worse last year, when he missed most of the season while battling substance abuse. I guess you can say that the Braves are trying to 'bolster" their bullpen, but they gave up a pretty good prospect in Chase Fontaine for a AAA reliever. Last year, Fontaine, the Braves' second-round selection in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, hit .288 with three homers in 95 games with Class A Rome. This earned the 22-year-old infielder a late-season promotion to High A Myrtle Beach, where he hit .205 in just 22 games.


This seems as just a minor deal but you never know... For more insight on the Braves farm system, click here.

Braves, Athletics reach agreement

According to Buster Onley, the Braves and Athletics have reached an agreement. The deal isJoey Devine and $5.325 milion for CF Mark Kotsay. Billy Beane essentially bought Joey Devine. Devine, a 24-year-old right-hander, was a first round pick in 2005, and has pitched 19.2 innings in the majors, compiling a 6.86 ERA. Last year, Kotsay played in 56 games in 2007 after having back surgery, hitting .214 with 15 extra-bases hits in 206 at-bats. In 2005, before Kotsay began having serious back trouble, he batted .280, with 51 extra-base hits and a .325 on-base percentage.



Yesterday, the Brewers and Mike Cameron reached an agreement that would pay the ex-Met $1.25MM via the signing bonus and will pay him about $4.22MM in base salary. Cameron missed out on $780K due to his 25 game suspension. This looks like a good signing for the Brew Crew, and good luck to Cameron, who I sorely miss.


...Added by DJ...

In other news, Bartolo Colon, who remains unsigned. Was on the verge of signing with the Mets last week, but the Mets backed off after taking a closer look at the condition of his right arm.

Mets vs. The Rest: 2B Edition

Many of you may not know that i have started a "Mets vs. The Rest" series of articles. This series of articles will be an in depth analysis of the NL East division. I will score each team kind of like the MVP voting system..

5 points for first place
4 points for second place
3 points for third place
2 points for fourth place
1 point for last place

Today, we will do 2B... Remember that the 2007 season statistics are listed.. not the projected 2008 statistics.

Starting Second Baseman...

Mets: Luis Castillo .301 AVG 1 HR 38 RBI 19 SB
Braves: Kelly Johnson .276 AFG 16 HR 68 RBI
Phillies: Chase Utley .332 AVG 22 HR 103 RBI
Nationals: Ronnie Belliard .290 AVG 11 HR 58 RBI
Marlins: Dan Uggla .245 AVG 31 HR 88 RBI

Obviously, Chase Utley is the cream of the crop when it comes to Second Baseman... but the rest of the NL East has pretty good players at the position too. Most notably Luis Castillo and Dan Uggla. Both players are productive in their own different ways.. Castillo is a table-setter and Uggla is a middle-of-the-order hitter. Kelly Johnson is a solid player but won't ever be a real legitimate threat. Belliard was a surprise last year, as he was not expected to produce at the level that he did. The order goes like this.. Chase Utley, Dan Uggla, Luis Castillo, Kelly Johnson, and Ronnie Belliard.

Mets: Damion Easley .280 AVG 10 HR 26 RBI
Braves: Omar Infante .271 AVG 2 HR 17 RBI
Phillies: Eric Bruntlett .246 AVG 0 HR 14 RBI
Nationals: Felipe Lopez .245 AVG 9 HR 50 RBI
Marlins: Jose Castillo .244 0 HR 24 RBI

This group of players is pretty even but Damion Easley looks like the leader of the pack. Omar Infante is a solid option off of the bench. Bruntlett is an ok option but he is just that. Jose Castillo and Felipe Lopez are former starters, but it seems that they both have lost a step and they have something to prove during this upcoming season. The order goes as this.. Easley, Infante, Lopez, Castillo, Bruntlett.

The Final Tally is...

Mets: 8
Phillies: 6
Braves: 6
Marlins: 6
Nationals: 4

In Reality, the Phillies are well ahead of the pack with Chase Utley at the helm. Luis Castillo is an average player but I think he is in decline. Dan Uggla might move to 3B but we'll see.

Mets vs. The Rest: 1B Edition

Many of you may not know that i have started a "Mets vs. The Rest" series of articles. This series of articles will be an in depth analysis of the NL East division. I will score each team kind of like the MVP voting system..

5 points for first place
4 points for second place
3 points for third place
2 points for fourth place
1 point for last place

Today, we will do 1B... Remember that the 2007 season statistics are listed.. not the projected 2008 statistics.

Starting First Baseman...

Mets: Carlos Delgado .258 AVG 24 HR 87 RBI
Braves: Mark Textiera .306 AVG 30 HR 105 RBI
Phillies: Ryan Howard .268 AVG 47 HR 136 RBI
Nationals: Dimitri Young .320 AVG 13 HR 74 RBI
Marlins: Mike Jacobs .265 AVG 17 HR 54 RBI

Wow. There are some good starting 1B in the NL East. Ryan Howard has to be ranked first here. No doubt about it he is one of the most powerful hitters that i have ever seen. Mark Textiera is the complete package with power, fielding, and average but he got trumped by Howard. Delgado had an awful first half of 2007 but his second half numbers could be a sign of whats to come for 2008. He comes in at 3rd place. Following him, is the NL Comeback Player of the year.. Dimitri Young. Last year, he was phenomenal, but this year will be different. Nick Johnson is coming back from surgery and he might take this starting slot. Mike Jacobs rounds out the pack due to his injury bug, and lack of producing against lefties. In most other divisions, he would be in the middle of the pack but the NL East is just stacked with first baseman. The final tally goes like this Howard, Textiera, Delgado, Young, Jacobs

Backup First Baseman...

Mets: Damion Easley .280 AVG 10 HR 26 RBI
Braves: Scott Thorman .216 AVG 11 HR 36 RBI
Phillies: Greg Dobbs .272 AVG 10 HR 55 RBI
Nationals: Nick Johnson .000 AVG 0 HR 0 RBI
Marlins: Jorge Cantu .252 AVG 1 HR 13 RBI

The Phillies dont really have good depth in the anywhere else in the infield, but at 1B they do. Greg Dobbs mashed last year in a limited role. He may be the starting 1B, but if not he is surely a pinch hitting threat and a great backup. I can still remember that Grand Slam that he hit against the Mets.. it made me almost break my hand on the wall.... Damion Easley is the super-utility guy for the Mets and I have a feeling that he and Marlon Anderson will be getting some playing time at 1B for the Mets when Carlos Delgado goes down with an injury or sits vs. a tough lefty. Scott Thorman was a serviceable starter in April but after that, he was very bad... but he can be a solid bat off the bench and a good backup against right handed pitchers. Nick Johnson will solidify himself as a middle of the order hitter as soon as he gets back to playing regularly. Johnson won't be the backup for long because he will take Dimitri Young's starting spot as soon as he is healthy. Jorge Cantu was once an All-Star caliber player with the Rays. Those days have since passed and he is now a backup with the Marlins. He might get alot of playing time with the Marlins but don't expect him to produce like its 2005. The order goes like this.. Dobbs, Johnson, Thorman, Easley, Cantu.

The Final Tally is

Phillies: 10
Braves: 7
Nationals: 6
Mets: 5
Marlins: 3

I do not think that the Mets have it worse off than the Nationals at 1B, but if Carlos Delgado proves to be a force again, it will really strengthen our lineup and establish us as one of the top runs producing teams in the league. The Phillies took this one hands down, but the 1B position definitely has a lot of depth in the NL East.

Mets vs. The Rest Rotation Edition

As we all know, the Phillies won the NL East Division last year... blah blah blah. Well now Mr Jimmy Rollins is right, they are the team to beat and thats what the Mets intend to do. Lets see how the Mets Starters look against the rest of the rotations in the NL East (2007 season stats are shown.) I will score each team kind of like the MVP voting system..

5 points for first place
4 points for second place
3 points for third place
2 points for fourth place
1 point for last place

#1 SP
Mets: Pedro Martinez 3-1 2.57 ERA
Braves: John Smoltz 14-8 3.11 ERA
Phillies: Cole Hamels 15-5 3.39 ERA
Nationals: Shawn Hill 4-5 3.42 ERA
Marlins: Scott Olsen 10-15 5.81 ERA

Three out of the five teams in the NL East have very god aces, the Nationals and Marlins being let out. In my opinion, John Smoltz has the advantage out of this group with Hamels coming in second, Pedro in third, Shawn Hill in fourth and Olsen rounding out the pack.

#2 SP
Mets: John Maine 15-10 3.91 ERA
Braves: Tim Hudson 16-10 3.33 ERA
Phillies: Brett Myers 5-7 4.33 ERA
Nationals: John Patterson 1-5 7.47 ERA
Marlins: Sergio Mitre 5-8 4.65 ERA

If it were the first half of last season, John Maine would get the nod over Tim Hudson, but Maine didn't perform quite as well down the stretch. Brett Myers was ok in the bullpen last year but he is a #3 on a good staff. Patterson was just horrid last season maybe he can rebound..and Mitre isn't much so the order goes like this.. Hudson, Maine, Myers, Mitre, Patterson

#3 SP
Mets: Oliver Perez 15-10 3.56 ERA
Braves: Tom Glavine 13-8 4.45 ERA
Phillies: Kyle Kendrick 10-4 3.87 ERA
Nationals: Jason Bergmann 6-6 4.45 ERA
Marlins: Andrew Miller 5-5 5.63 ERA

Once again the Braves are in the top two with Tom Glavine as their #3. In the beginning of last season he was our ACE so he has to get the nod here only because he is more proven than Perez and Kendrick. Andrew Miller is a future star and Bergmann is not much to write home about. The Order goes like this.. Glavine, Perez, Kendrick, Miller, Bergmann

#4 SP
Mets: Orlando Hernandez 9-5 3.72 ERA
Braves: Chuck James 11-10 4.24 ERA
Phillies: Jamie Moyer 14-12 5.01 ERA
Nationals: John Lannan 2-2 4.15 ERA
Marlins: Rick VandenHurk 4-6 6.83 ERA

I can't believe that Jamie Moyer actualy got 14 wins last season.. but thats besides the point. Orlando Hernandez is the better of the five but he needs to stay healthy and he might not even be in the starting rotation if the Mets acquire Johan Santana. John Lannan had some good starts during the strech last season and VandenHurk is nothing more than a future long reliver or #5. The order is Hernandez, James, Lannan, Moyer, and VandenHurk.

#5 SP
Mets: Mike Pelfrey 3-8 5.57 ERA
Braves: Mike Hampton 0-0 0.00 ERA
Phillies: Adam Eaton 10-10 6.29 ERA
Nationals: Matt Chico 7-9 4.63 ERA
Marlins: Ricky Nolasco 1-2 5.48 ERA


I really want to put Mike Pelfrey #1 because of his potential, but the experience of Hampton is halting me.. but he is coming off a major surgey and has not pitched in the big leagues since 05'. Matt Chico did a solid job for Manny Acta, and Nolasco is way better than hes numbers can perceive. Adam Eaton is just terrible and $21 million over 3 years is looking pretty bad... maybe he can bounce back. The order goes like this... Pelfrey, Chico, Hampton, Eaton, Nolasco. I put Eaton in front of Nolasco because Eaton is primed for a comeback but i could be wrong here.

Top Reserve
Mets: Phillip Humber 0-0 7.71 ERA
Braves: Jair Jurrjens 3-1 4.70 ERA
Phillies: J.D. Durbin 6-5 6.06 ERA
Nationals: Tyler Clippard 3-1 6.33 ERA
Marlins: Josh Johnson (recovering from injury) 0-0 0.00 ERA

This one was pretty tough. The Braves and Phillies both have solid depth at the SP Position, but the Braves come out on top. Jurrjens is loaded with potential to ba a #3 or #4 and to have him s your top reserve is and advantage. The Durbins, Chad and J. D., are solid back up options. Humber is primed for a better season because last year was his first full year back from Tommy John Surgery.. Josh Johnson would be the #1 on the Marlins rotation if he was healthy but he isn't and we all know what Tyler Clippard can do.. he pitched against us when he was with the Yankees. He could crack the rotation out of Spring Training. The order goes like this.. Jurrjens, Clippard, Durbin, Johnson, and Humber. Johnson is put there simply becuase he has the potential to come back at 100% and be thier Ace.

So the total point score goes like this...

Braves: 27
Mets: 22
Phillies: 17
Nationals: 16
Marlins: 9

So based on this assumption, the Braves have the best starting pitching in the NL East with the Mets in second, Phillies third, Nationals a close 4th, and the Marlins in dead last. Do you agree with these rankings?