Post by aaron_commissioner on Oct 20, 2017 12:38:55 GMT -8
5. Milwaukee Brewers
Half-full: Unintentionally, it seems I have left the two most interesting divisions in my previews for last. I think all of the remaining ten teams have an outside chance of winning the division title. That means, yes, I think the Brewers have a chance to come out above the Cubs. How? Through some shrewd trading, the Brewers have accumulated some very good young talent. Despite a low budget, they have talent across the board, aren't wasting much money, and have a very good minor league system.
Half-empty: That the Brewers are average across the board could be a positive, but it could be a negative. They lack any superstars and the youth and inexperience in their pitching corp could spell doom.
Player to watch: Archie Bradley. Bradley is young and talented, and needs to come through for this team to be successful. He had a very rough 2018. Another one of those would not be good for the team or for him, as he will soon be eligible for an extension.
4. Cincinnati Reds:
Half-full: A quick look at the Reds' minor league system requires a double take. Cincinnati is absolutely loaded with possibly the best system in baseball, and many of their youngsters could be ready for major league action this year. If the Reds are in the race at the deadline, they will have the ability to call up upgrades or trade for even bigger ones.
Half-empty: Besides the exciting young talent on the major league roster (which is still pre-peak), the roster looks average at best. If the higher powers in Cincinnati to continue to build towards the future, they could be content to let this team slide to a last place finish. The future is on the horizon, though, and it looks good.
Player to watch: Austin Brice. Perhaps the most talented player on the roster, Brice is only 26 years old and looks talented enough to compete for Cy Young Awards as soon as 2019. His 2018, however, was one to forget, so he will need to build upon his talent to see the results match.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
Half-full: The Pirates are World Series Champions! An incredible run in 2018 led the Pirates to the top title, and the team has changed very little. Pittsburgh was not dominant in any real aspect of their game, but rather saw success during the season and postseason through quality, above-average results from the offense, rotation, and bullpen, and when one unit let the team down, another would pick it up. With such resilience, don't count this team out of anything.
Half-empty: Surprised to see the defending champions projected to finish third in their division? Frankly, the Pirates were rarely dominant in 2018. They beat St. Louis for a wild card by only a few games, and played the most postseason games of any team. With such a low budget, I am surprised the Bucs did not do more this offseason to address impending departures of quality players and to retool for another run. Anything could happen, but the lack of activity is concerning in my eyes.
Player to watch: Gerrit Cole. Cole is in a contract year, and with Pittsburgh's budget, he has a chance to price himself out of their future plans with a solid year. However, 2018 was marred by injuries and subpar performance. Will 2019 be a bounceback at an opportune time?
2. St. Louis Cardinals
Half-full: The Cards are blessed with one of the largest budgets and fanbases, and they have taken advantage. They are home to some of the best young pitching, including Cy Young winner Carlos Martinez, and have spent a lot of money to boost their already strong offense. They were in the playoff race until the very end last year, and with money still to spare, don't be surprised if they don't allow a playoff miss to happen again.
Half-empty: St. Louis has a below average minor league system and some aging veterans on the roster. Another like last year would be a nightmare for the club, as it would waste the talent they have and the team is in no position to rebuild. They need to hope that Goldschmidt, J.D. Martinez, Fowler and Mike Leake are not near their decline, yet.
Player to watch: Alex Reyes. As good as Carlos Martinez is, Reyes is younger and might be more talented. If he can step up this year and build upon the talent he already has, the Cardinals may have one of the best one-two punches in baseball.
1. Chicago Cubs
Half-full: The Cubs clearly have the most talented roster in the division. Most of this talent is very young, and the Cubs' window for world titles looks nowhere near to closing. The team upgraded this offseason with the acquisition of Christian Yelich, and look poised to take the division.
Half-empty: Despite all of their talent, the Cubs seemed to underachieve last year. They won the division by a game and were quickly eliminated in the playoffs. Furthermore, the injury to Jon Lester leaves a hole in the rotation. Their bullpen is good, but not great, as well.
Player to watch: Willson Contreras will need to step up from his 1 WAR 2018 on both sides of the ball. His hitting needs to improve, and defensively he will have the task of keeping a pitching staff from holding the team back.
Half-full: Unintentionally, it seems I have left the two most interesting divisions in my previews for last. I think all of the remaining ten teams have an outside chance of winning the division title. That means, yes, I think the Brewers have a chance to come out above the Cubs. How? Through some shrewd trading, the Brewers have accumulated some very good young talent. Despite a low budget, they have talent across the board, aren't wasting much money, and have a very good minor league system.
Half-empty: That the Brewers are average across the board could be a positive, but it could be a negative. They lack any superstars and the youth and inexperience in their pitching corp could spell doom.
Player to watch: Archie Bradley. Bradley is young and talented, and needs to come through for this team to be successful. He had a very rough 2018. Another one of those would not be good for the team or for him, as he will soon be eligible for an extension.
4. Cincinnati Reds:
Half-full: A quick look at the Reds' minor league system requires a double take. Cincinnati is absolutely loaded with possibly the best system in baseball, and many of their youngsters could be ready for major league action this year. If the Reds are in the race at the deadline, they will have the ability to call up upgrades or trade for even bigger ones.
Half-empty: Besides the exciting young talent on the major league roster (which is still pre-peak), the roster looks average at best. If the higher powers in Cincinnati to continue to build towards the future, they could be content to let this team slide to a last place finish. The future is on the horizon, though, and it looks good.
Player to watch: Austin Brice. Perhaps the most talented player on the roster, Brice is only 26 years old and looks talented enough to compete for Cy Young Awards as soon as 2019. His 2018, however, was one to forget, so he will need to build upon his talent to see the results match.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
Half-full: The Pirates are World Series Champions! An incredible run in 2018 led the Pirates to the top title, and the team has changed very little. Pittsburgh was not dominant in any real aspect of their game, but rather saw success during the season and postseason through quality, above-average results from the offense, rotation, and bullpen, and when one unit let the team down, another would pick it up. With such resilience, don't count this team out of anything.
Half-empty: Surprised to see the defending champions projected to finish third in their division? Frankly, the Pirates were rarely dominant in 2018. They beat St. Louis for a wild card by only a few games, and played the most postseason games of any team. With such a low budget, I am surprised the Bucs did not do more this offseason to address impending departures of quality players and to retool for another run. Anything could happen, but the lack of activity is concerning in my eyes.
Player to watch: Gerrit Cole. Cole is in a contract year, and with Pittsburgh's budget, he has a chance to price himself out of their future plans with a solid year. However, 2018 was marred by injuries and subpar performance. Will 2019 be a bounceback at an opportune time?
2. St. Louis Cardinals
Half-full: The Cards are blessed with one of the largest budgets and fanbases, and they have taken advantage. They are home to some of the best young pitching, including Cy Young winner Carlos Martinez, and have spent a lot of money to boost their already strong offense. They were in the playoff race until the very end last year, and with money still to spare, don't be surprised if they don't allow a playoff miss to happen again.
Half-empty: St. Louis has a below average minor league system and some aging veterans on the roster. Another like last year would be a nightmare for the club, as it would waste the talent they have and the team is in no position to rebuild. They need to hope that Goldschmidt, J.D. Martinez, Fowler and Mike Leake are not near their decline, yet.
Player to watch: Alex Reyes. As good as Carlos Martinez is, Reyes is younger and might be more talented. If he can step up this year and build upon the talent he already has, the Cardinals may have one of the best one-two punches in baseball.
1. Chicago Cubs
Half-full: The Cubs clearly have the most talented roster in the division. Most of this talent is very young, and the Cubs' window for world titles looks nowhere near to closing. The team upgraded this offseason with the acquisition of Christian Yelich, and look poised to take the division.
Half-empty: Despite all of their talent, the Cubs seemed to underachieve last year. They won the division by a game and were quickly eliminated in the playoffs. Furthermore, the injury to Jon Lester leaves a hole in the rotation. Their bullpen is good, but not great, as well.
Player to watch: Willson Contreras will need to step up from his 1 WAR 2018 on both sides of the ball. His hitting needs to improve, and defensively he will have the task of keeping a pitching staff from holding the team back.