Take My Turban, Please

 

’m turning in my turban and crystal ball. I’m done with baseball prognostication. I officially suck. Every year I get excited by spring training rosters and scouting reports. Every year those rosters change faster than a lane-jumping Massachusetts driver. I’m 1 for 6 in predictions, which is roughly the batting average of a lot of MLB players who should be loading trucks instead of pretending to be professional athletes.

You have the right to make fun of me. Here’s what I predicted.

AL East:  Blue Jays, Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, and Rays. Yep, I had the Rays dead last and, natch, they are in first. The Yankees could still possibly slip past the Rays but that’s unlikely. About all I got right was predicting the Red Sox would do much better than naysayers predicted. Oh yeah, I also predicted that Gerrit Cole would not do well coming back from surgery and that Giancarlo Stanton would go on the IL. Cole probably has neck problems from watching home runs soar over the wall. It was a no-brainer to predict Stanton would get hurt again.

NL East: Mets, Phillies, Braves, Marlins, Nationals. I got the well-duh! bottom two, but the Mets have been putrid. I gave the Braves dark-horse status, so I was sort of on the right track with them. But I’m gobsmacked by how the Mets can spend so much money and stink like a New Jersey landfill.

AL Central: Tigers, Royals, Guardians, Twins, White Sox. You’re used to this by now. My pick for the basement is now in first place, though the Guardians are just a game back. My pick for second? In last place, just a few games ahead of the Tigers who played like an endangered species and traded their two most-talented pitchers (Skubal & Mize). I wish KC would change their name to the KC Blues and go back to being a farm team for the Yankees. Bobby Witt deserves better. For what it’s worth, it’s possible that no one in the pathetic AL Central will finish above .500!

NL Central: Cubs, Pirates, Brewers, Reds, Cardinals. The Cubs have had a fine year and Pete Crow-Armstrong should be the MVP, but the Brewers have the best record in MLB. The Pirates? Third in baseball’s second-worst division. With luck they can finish above .500 but there will be no playoff ball in the Steel(ers) City.

AL West: Mariners, A’s, Astros, Rangers, Angels. Okay, I’m totally done with the 10-games under .500 Mariners. They are as overrated as the Seattle’s Best Coffee. Who’s in first? The Astros, though the Rangers despite playing .486 baseball are just three games back. This tells you just how bad the AL West is. The A’s are only 4 games better than the Angels, who have down for so long it (always) looks like up to them. (Old blues song!) How could they have wasted Mike Trout’s career by being so inept?

NL West: Dodgers, Padres, Diamondbacks, Giants, Rockies.  Bingo! I’m five for five, though how hard was it to pick the Dodgers? They are so loaded that they ran away with the division even with Ohtani on the IL for much of the year. The Padres simply can’t keep up with the Billionaire Dodgers, who are odds-on favorites to win their third World Series in a row. They will be lucky to fend off the D’Backs who are a mere game behind for a Wild Card. Substantial change is needed in San Fran before they can compete, but they’re still miles ahead of Colorado, MLB’s worst team. I propose they change their name to The Rock’ems.

No World Series predictions from me. With my luck, the Guardians will wear the Crown!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make Sports Seasonal Again

Sports Outrage Roundup

 

 

We live in the Age of Outrage. I maintain some degree of equilibrium by ignoring as much of the noise as I can. I used to devour the news in various newspapers, magazines, TV broadcasts, and radio. One by one they melted away. We dumped cable because we were too busy to watch it. Magazines began to fold, but not in a good way, and newspapers melted away like creamsicles in 90-degree heat. Hearing loss led me to turn off NPR.

I’m not a total ignoramus. I read the Boston Globe thoroughly on Sundays and skim the Globe and New York Times on weekdays. I ignore Trump as nothing short of resignation or arrest would impress rather than depress me. Even sports have disappointed me. They have become a veritable Snide World of Sports. (Only those over a certain age will understand that pun!)

Texas Tech and quarterback Brendan Sorsby win the Dirtbag of the Year Award; Sorsby for trying to get an easy paycheck and Tech for not telling Sorsby to take a barefoot hike through rattlesnake country. Sorsby has already played at the University of Indiana and the University of Cincinnati. He sought to transfer again and engineered a $4-6 million Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) package from Texas Tech. This, though, he was facing charges of betting $90,000 on college football games, including some involving his own team.

Betting violates NCAA rules, though to be fair, the NCAA is as crooked as Sorsby. Cincinnati has countersued Sorsby for $1 million when he entered the portal to go to Tech. Surprisingly, Tech faces boycotts from schools scheduled to play them. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that several NFL teams have expressed interest in Sorsby if he is not be allowed to play for Texas Tech, though NFL bigwigs nixed a supplemental draft for his rights. A remaining complication is that a judge declared that he remains eligible to play for Tech. (If this doesn’t tell you that “college football” is an oxymoron and that some judges have dollar signs dancing in their heads, I can’t help you.)

What should happen is that Tech practices a few times and cuts Sorsby. If he’s not on the squad, NIL value disintegrates. Tech would probably need to negotiate a buyout (get-out-my-sight money and fire the AD responsible for this hot mess. In all likelihood, what will happen is the NCAA will tell other schools they must play Texas Tech. After all, in Texas, gridiron ball is BIG MONEY and actual education begs for pennies. 

 

 

The World Cup brings me joy, even though host cities are milking visitors as if they were cows about to explode. No matter what NFL image-makers claim, the World Cup is real football and gridiron a mere curiosity item. Not that FIFA, its governing body, is much of an improvement over the NCAA or NFL, but sometimes one must settle for small gains.

I may not be around to see it, but the gridiron obit is already being written. As the USA becomes more brown and yellow, soccer is the sport of the future. I’d love to see the NFL relegated to ESPN’s Night Owl programing after darts and duckpins for dollars. Use your own eyes and see how many kids are playing soccer and how few are willing to risk CET. In the immediate future, I foresee numerous colleges dumping gridiron programs because only handful of schools make money or can realistically compete against super conferences. High school gridiron makes even less economic sense when so many districts are under pressure to add teachers and programs. Imagine that. Spending money on education!  

 

 

I’m Sooo Bored. The Stanley Cup was lifted on June 14 and the NBA crowned the New York Knicks champions one night earlier. Major League Baseball is on the cusp of completing the first half of its season and probably won’t have a World Series winner until mid-November. Games have been added to the NFL season, the NBA, and the NHL. I find it impossible to maintain interest in all the noise happening at the same time. Why does it? Money, not athleticism is what’s on view. Oh please, please show that Liberty Mutual ad again.

What should happen but won’t: Sports should become seasonal again. MLB should go back to 154 games by eliminating Interleague play. The season should open April 15 and end the first week of September.

As for gridiron football, the NFL should return to a 12-game schedule with the regular season beginning September 15, and the Superbowl one week after the conference championships. As for college ball, absolutely no team with (or potentially with) a losing record can play a bowl game. I’m sure we can live without 6-6 Futile State in the Catheter Bowl against 5-7 Lameseville A & Ouch. The NBA and NHL must crown a champion before May 10.

Rob Weir

Did the Red Sox Err in Firing Alex Cora?

The answer to the above question is yes. I’m a Yankees fan, but even though Cora is a cheater who cost the Yankees a World Series bid in both 2017 when he skippered the Astros and again in 2018 with the Red Sox, but I’d trade Aaron Boone for Alex Cora any day of the week. What made Cora’s cheating all the more galling is that he’s a very good tactician who doesn’t need to cheat. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred chose to suspend Cora for the 2020 season. Personally, I believe he and several others who got off scot-free (hello Jose Altuve) damaged the reputation of the game and should have been banned for five years, but that wasn’t what MLB decided.

 

Move the clock forward. Over the weekend the Red Sox fired Cora and six of his coaches. Cheating had nothing to do with it. Red Sox Director of Baseball Operations–a title to Red Sox use instead of General Manager–Craig Breslow made the call. At the time the Red Sox were in last place with a 10-17 record. To paraphrase an old baseball adage, no team on a long winning streak is as good as they look, nor is any as bad as they look when losing. Maybe you fire a good manager toward the end of the year, but Cora was just 27 games into a 162-game season. By my math he had 135 games to right the ship!

 

Exactly who was calling for Cora’s head on a platter? The Red Sox infamously went 86 years (1918-2004) without a World Series championship. Think of it. Some sources will tell you that the Red Sox have won 9 World Series championships, but that’s funny accounting. There was no American League team in Boston until 1901 and they were called the Americans when they won in 1903. They weren’t the Red Sox until 1908, and didn’t play in Fenway Park until 1912. (Note: Early Boston teams called the Bees, the Doves, Red Caps, Red Stockings, Rustlers, and Beaneaters played in the National League and eventually became the Braves.) During the “live ball” era from 1920 on, the Red Sox won zero World Series championships.

 

The Red Sox had considerable success in the dead ball era, but it was not until the 21^st century it mastered the baseball as we know it today. If we think of a World Series title as the ultimate measure of a manager’s worthiness, there are just three Red Sox managers who can boast such success: Terry Francona (2004, 2007), John Farrell (2013), and Alex Cora (2018). Only Joe Cronin (1071 wins in 13 years) and Francona (744) won more games as a Red Sox manager than Cora’s 621 over 8 years. It hasn’t escaped notice that during his 12-year pitching career Breslow was 23-30.

 

What did in Alex Cora? Not another cheating scandal; it was a relative lack of success with a flawed roster and Breslow’s quick trigger as he seeks to shape the team in his own image.  Thus, he handed over the reins to AAA manager Chad Tracey, the theory being that he managed many of the younger Red Sox players in the minors. To repeat a point I’ve made elsewhere, very few MLB teams (over-) hype their prospects like the Red Sox. They gave big contract extensions to several youngsters before they even made the team. Roman Anthony makes sense, but Wilyer Abreu, Brayan Bello, Kristian Campbell, Jarren Duran, Marcello Mayer, and Ceddane Rafaela? Maybe they will become good players but other than flash some good leather, none of them has yet justified a multi-million contract. Whose idea was it to throw $90 million over five years to Masataka Yoshido? Or to trade Rafael Devers, one of the few players on the roster with power? Who thinks that 5’6” Caleb Durbin is the answer at third? Not the Braves, Yankees, or Brewers who had him in their systems.

 

Don’t get me wrong. Payton Tolle and Connelly Early look like legitimate Sox prospects. Nor should anyone think Garrett Crochet will have a 6.30 ERA by the end of the 2026 season.  Or that the Yankees will continue to win at a .643 clip over the next 134 games. The firing of Alex Cora is a portrait of administrative ineptitude, not of Alex Cora’s ability.

 

Rob Weir

The Beasts Return to the East

The last few years there was MLB buzz that teams in the East were no longer the powerhouses they used to be. The West Coast LA Dodgers open 2026 as the favorites to win another World Series, but competitive baseball has returned to the East.

 

  

National League East

The Mets, Phillies, and Braves are all capable of winning the East or securing a Wild Card playoff slot. My predictions are as much gut level as objective.

1. A lot of people picked the New York Mets to win the East last year, but they were a DNQ. This year I think they will win the NL East. Plucking Peralta from the Brewers cemented a promising pitching staff. Look for McLean to establish himself as an ace. Peterson isn’t flashy but he gets it done and Holmes has surprised as a reliever turned starter. An infield of Polanco, Semien. Lindor, and Bichette–all four of whom were came via free agency in the past few years– should be pretty good.  If you like irony, Semien has a .253 career batting average and has hit 253 career homers. He’s a metaphor for the consistency of the entire infield.

Remember last year when Soto was booed for his slow start. All he did thereafter was slash .263/43/105! Robert has thus far played like a guy who couldn’t wait to get out of Chicago.

What could go wrong? Devin Williams, now the closer, was so bad in that role with the Yankees that he was demoted. Memo: The pressure is just as great in Queens as it was in the Bronx. Benge is a rookie in right, so we need to see how that sugars off. Senga is the fifth starter and hasn’t exactly torn up the league in the four years since coming over from Japan. The Mets flunked the resiliency test last year. Could it happen again?

2. If there’s no urgency in the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse, there should be. The Phils have been perennial winners of the East but seldom go very far in the postseason. Father Time is lurking in their neighborhood. Six of their pitchers are over 30–three years over a pitcher’s prime–and key lineup players like Harper, Realmuto, Turner, (Adolis) Garcia, and Schwarber are edging toward their middle 30s. Don’t get me wrong; the aforementioned are very good, Schwarber smacks homers like they’re flies, and Harper is a genuine superstar, but baseball’s wear and tear makes injuries more likely after 30. Witness starter Wheeler’s current status on the IL. (Christopher) Sanchez was 13-5 last year and Luzardo 15-7. The Phils hope Painter will be an ace.

What could go wrong: The best scenario is that Wheeler returns midseason, but that’s not a given. Nola was supposed to be elite pitcher, but with the exception of two superb years, he’s blown hot and cold. Walker is very hittable. The Phils are putting Crawford, a rookie, in center and a youngster, (Byrson) Scott at short. Can they handle the pressure?

3. Atlanta Braves: Last year everything that could go wrong did. This year the Braves should hang around and, should the Phillies stumble, Atlanta could grab a Wild Card. Sale remains a superb hurler and if Strider (currently on the IL) returns to his 2023 breakout year, that’s a great 1-2 punch. They will need help, though. If top prospect Caminiti is ready, that will help and a few more arms are on the cusp. The Braves have a habit of churning out good pitchers. Olson is a very productive hitter, Harris II is usually good for 20 homers a year, Yastrzemski was a useful pickup from Kansas City, and a healthy Acuna Jr. has star potential.

What could go wrong? If Albies doesn’t play to his potential and Riley has a mediocre year, there are big holes in the lineup. DH Murphy and SS Kim are on the IL, and Profar is suspended for the entire year. Slumps and injuries could make ’26 a repeat of 2025. If the young arms aren’t ready, Lopez, Holmes, and Elder will have to pitch better than they ever have.

4/5. The Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins are in rebuild mode, a place where they seem stuck the past few years. The Nationals have veteran pitchers Littell and Mikolas on their staff, but are taking a leap of faith in making Beeter their closer. If he finds Homeplate that will be an improvement, but he could also hit the backstop! The lineup will be young and filled with names few beyond the DC Metro area know very well.  

On paper the Marlins have a somewhat stronger team with Alcantara, (Eury) Perez, Paddack, and Fairbanks pitching. The lineup resembles that of the Nats, though, and the names you might know (Stowers, Slater, (Agustin) Ramirez) are cast offs. Both teams will be young in a wait-and-see manner. I give the Nats a slight chance of avoiding the basement simply because no matter who owns the team, Miami tends to trade talent instead of developing it.

 

 

 

American League East

1. The Toronto Blue Jays came within two outs of winning the World Series last year. That was no fluke. The Jays have arrived and should be in the mix for years to come. Anyone hoping to catch them should make their move early while the Jays still have key players on the IL. The staff will eventually have Gausman, Cease, Bieber (IL), and superb young pitcher Yesavage (IL). The lineup is loaded: Guerrerro Jr., Okamoto, Clement in the infield, Kirk, a 5’8” catcher who hits like Yogi Berra, and an outfield that can shuffle Springer, Straw, Varsho, Barger, and Lukes.

What could go wrong?  Scherzer and/or Lauer will have to step up as the # 5 pitcher as Ponce is probably out for the season. Bet on Lauer. Hoffman and his 4.76 ERA doesn’t rank among the MLB’s best closers. The Jays didn’t lose much defensively with Bichette heading to the Mets, but they don’t have a real shortstop. Gimenez will give it a try, though he’s really a 2^nd baseman by trade. He also hit .201 last year! Toronto could be weak defensively.

2. Nothing would surprise me about the New York Yankees; they could win the division or fall as low as 4^th. I’m not entirely certain what management had in mind in the off-season, but New York basically starts 2026 with a team that looks like 2025. The only real moves were trading for pitcher Weathers, re-signing Bellinger, and biding goodbye to half their bullpen. In theory, the pitching staff will be superb, but that’s if Cole and Rodon come back at near full strength. Fried is a reluctant ace, but is very good. They may have unearthed a gem in Schlittler, and Lagrange is knocking on the door. The bullpen also looks pretty good now that Bird has regained confidence and has Doval, Cruz, Hill, and (maybe) Headrick around him. If anyone falters, there’s talent in the minors.

Rice is another great find and can both catch and anchor first. Chisholm Jr. is polarizing, but exciting. Grisham needs to hit like he did last year because Scranton has two guys who should be on the MLB roster: Dominguez and Jones. The Yankees right fielder is a guy whose name you might have heard:  Aaron Judge, who’s either the best or second-best player in baseball.

What could go wrong? Stanton had an amazing spring, but the odds are better than 50/50 he will end up on the IL. For the life of me I don’t understand why New York traded for Weathers. Volpe is on the IL, but manager Boone is nuts if he starts him over Caballero. McMahon is a superb glove at 3^rd but his bat is as shaky as a pool noodle. Likewise, watch Wells behind the plate. If Rice catches as often as he plays first, Wells will be traded. There’s also a lingering feeling that the Yankees might have a better team in Scranton (Gill, Cohen, Beck, (Elmer) Rodriguez, Cabrera, Shewmake, Dominguez, Jones) than in New York.

3. This year the Boston Red Sox should at least get a Wild Card. On paper their pitching is awesome: Crochet, Gray, Suarez, Bello, Early (with Tolle in the wings). The seemingly ageless Chapman can close it down if Whitlock, Weissert, and Slaten hold leads. Contreras hit in St. Louis and Sox hope he does so in Boston. Story brings experience to short and Anthony has emerged as a probable superstar. The Red Sox outfield with Anthony, Rafaela, Abreu, or Duran can flat out pick it. It might be the best defensive OF in MLB today. And let’s not underestimate revenge motivation from all the former Yankees the Sox pilfered: Gray, Whitlock, Weissert, Chapman, Narvaez, Seigler, Durbin, Kiner-Falefa.

What Could Go Wrong?  The Sox have some young players–Mayer, Durbin, Rafaela–they’re counting on. Mayer spat the bit last year and Rafaela has never hit .250 in the majors. They need to be better as the Red Sox don’t have a lot of power. The word on the street is that Gray melts under pressure and that Suarez’s soft tosses won’t play well in the AL East. Why is (Romy) Gonzalez (IL) so underrated? 

4. Back in 2021 many “experts” called the Baltimore Orioles the team of the future. Within a few years they debuted talent like Holliday, Henderson, Rutschman, and Mountcastle, to name guys still with the O’s. Of them, Mountcastle had a great year in ’21, when he launched 33 home runs, but hasn’t duplicated it. They’ve gotten very little out of Holliday; Rutschman has been good, but not the elite catcher he was projected to be. 

This year they brought in Bassitt to stabilize the staff and added power bats in Alonso and Ward, the latter a truly underrated player who spent time with the mostly awful Angels. Some have picked the Orioles as the dark horse to grab a Wildcard.

What could go wrong? I’ll say this, if the Orioles don’t upgrade their pitching, the O’s could drop to last. (Tyler) Rogers is good, though Bassitt could become their # 1 guy. Bradish is 29 and has spent much of his career in MiLB, Baz is 17-17 lifetime, and Elfin at 68-67 (mostly with the powerful Phillies) goes on my list of most disappointing highly touted prospects. Baltimore is a case study for an adage I’ve mentioned before: Until they show otherwise, prospects are suspects. The O’s will be better with Alonzo and Ward but, without luck, they are missing too many pieces.

5. Last year the Tampa Bay Rays even lacked a stadium. This year they’re back in the Trop, but it’s not good news to return to that awful tin can. The Rays seem to specialize in pesky players who can sting you but are unlikely to see the inside of Hall of Fame without a ticket. Rassmussen and McClanahan are good pitchers, but things fall apart pretty fast after that. Matz was once a hot prospect but is 61-62 for his injury-marred career. (Nick) Martinez has a similar profile. Closer Jax has exactly 27 saves of 5 years.

The Rays are why some analysts dismiss Batting averages. The Rays were 8^th in MLB for batting averages last year, but 15^th in runs scored and 16^th in home runs. See the problem? If Lux gets off the IL, he could add some power, but as the roster stands there’s not much firepower beyond Mullins and (Yandy) Diaz, one of the more productive catchers in the AL. In short, the Rays need more than a new ballpark.

 

Rob Weir

 

 

 

MLB Central Time

National League: 

 

 

1. Chicago Cubs:  Milwaukee caught lightning in a jar in 2025, but it’s hard to imagine that happening twice. On paper, the Cubs lineup and pitching is superior. Busch showed unexpected power, Crow-Armstrong is a star in the making, Happ should hit better this year, they added Bregman and Conforto, and Hoerner and Swanson are solid. Regulars Horton, Suzuki, and Austin are on the IL, but the Cubbies can cover until they come back. I’m not so sure about Boyd is a # 1 hurler, but Imanaga, Horton, and Taillon are good and they lifted Cabrera from Miami and stuck the Yankees with Weathers, the definition of a bum.

What could go wrong? The bullpen could implode without a real closer. They shuffle two catchers, one of whom hits for average but has no power and the other his opposite.

2. Pittsburgh Pirates: Last year I picked the Bucs to win the Central and they cratered. This year I’ll be slightly more cautious. Let’s start with the obvious. Skenes is the best pitcher in baseball not named Skubal. Chandler, their number one prospect, joins the staff fulltime this year. Keller has the stuff to be better. The lineup bulked up to give support to Reynolds. Lowe, Ozuna, and O’Hearn will help. Heralded prospect Griffin is knocking at the door.

What could go wrong? The big question is whether they’ve added enough. The 4,5 pitchers are suspect as is the relief staff. The lineup has holes that last year hit near the Mendoza Line. Do the Bucs break out or back up the van?

3. Milwaukee Brewers: Based on last year they get picked for a Wild Card, but I still shake my head at how the Brew Crew won 97 games last year. Woodruff is good, but not an ace; Misiorowski hasn’t been as good as his press clippings, Priester is on the IL, and both pitching prospects Harrison and Patrick are suspect until they prove otherwise. Megill is a fine closer. The Brewers mashed last year. Yelich and Chourio should again and perhaps (William) Contreas will also, but this is not the same lineup as last year.

What can go wrong? Quite a lot. They’ve got a hitter named Ortiz, but it’s Joey not David. Their outfield is thin and an injury to Chourio or Yelich would be devastating. In so-called small market terms, the Brewers lost more than they gained over the offseason, including Peralta, last year’s ace. Montas left as well, but no one will lose sleep over that. More harmful was the loss of Rule 5 players close to readiness.

4. Cincinnati Reds: Speaking of teams I don’t trust, I offer the Reds. De La Cruz should be a superstar. He’s faster than a congressman leaving for summer break, but he has a history starting hot and finishing in the just-okay middle. They did score big by signing Suarez, who belted 49 homers last year.  Abbott is a good starter and Pagan one of the better closers. Skipper Terry Francona is their X-factor.

What can go wrong? Other than Suarez at the plate and De La Cruz on the base paths, the lineup has a few guys who occasionally shine, but quite a few who don’t. The same is true of the pitching. They’d have to go full Milwaukee-2025 to be in the running.

5. St. Louis Cardinals: The Cards are in a rebuild and it’s probably going to be a long few years in St. Loo. Herrera hit the most homers of any current Cardinal at just 19. There won’t be many guys pitching you’ve heard of and the same goes for the everyday players. I won’t bother with what could go wrong. Count every loss under 90 as a moral victory.

American League:

 

 

1. It’s hard to argue against the Detroit Tigers. Skubal is amazing and Mize is a young arm who’d be their best were it not for Skubal. Valdez is pretty good too and one suspects Flaherty will rebound. Jansen is 38, but he’s still closing and doing it well. Torkelson isn’t flashy, but he hit 31 dingers in 2025. The Yankees should have never parted with Torres, and top prospects McGonigle and Keith should be ready to go. If either one falters the Striped Cats have Baez to step in. Greene hit 37 homers and drove in 111 last year.

What could go wrong? Sentiment aside, 43-year-old Verlander will pitch on experience but not much else. Toledo lefthander Miller might take his role sooner than later. The outfielders beyond Greene don’t hit a ton. More like 3 lb. weights. We might see prospect Max Clark sometime this summer.

2. Kansas City Royals: are capable, if the Tigers don’t seize the day. Witt might be the AL’s best shortstop and Perez its best catcher. Pasquantino is an up-and-coming slugger. If Lugo can bounce back from a down year and Wacha continues to eat innings, KC could surprise. Estevez will close the door on close games, as he did 42 times last year.

What could go wrong? Like the Tigers, the outfield is more hope than output. I expect to see (Starling) Marte take somebody’s job. For all its potential, only Bubic had a (barely) winning record among starters and their top prospects are in the low minors. I might also mention that KC was 2025’s sexy pick in the AL Central and went 82-80.

3. The Cleveland Guardians won the Central last year and few managers do as much with constant turnover as Vogt. The only guys who jump out at you in the lineup are (Jose) Ramirez and Hoskins (via the Brewers). How do they do it? Pitching, mainly, but they lost a starter (Means) over the winter plus four relievers. They still have (Gavin) Williams and Bibee, who underperformed in 2025. What could go wrong? Every year it’s an open question how Cleveland’s Scotch tape roster will perform. Vogt will get the best out of his players, but he will need luck this year as the talent is either inexperienced or mediocre. Luckily, they have one of the best pipelines of minor league talent. I doubt that everyone projected to be a starter will be so by midseason. Lefty Messick is their top pitching prospect but if he’s not ready, the staff will be challenged.

4. The Minnesota Twins have (Joe) Ryan as their ace and he’s a lot better than many people think. Other than Woods Richardson, though, the rest pushes the mediocrity needle to its far edge unless the prospects are Skenes clones. Buxton had a monster year at the plate last year, but ask me if I think he’ll duplicate it.

What could go wrong? I’ll admit it; I freaking hate the Twins. Every year they whine about being a small market team, though it’s a top-20 media locale of nearly four million and is owned by the filthy rich Pohland family. They seldom spend real money on talent and act as if they are saints for keeping the Twins in Minnesota. Memo: These guys just aren’t good enough.

5.  The Chicago White Sox lost more than 100 games last year. They will be better this year but there’s still a long road from here to respectability. The Sox will field a lot of pitchers who are more like household rumors than household names. They have Acuna and Sosa in the lineup, but it’s Luisangel and Lenyn, not Ronald or Sammy. Teel is on the IL but is a promising catcher. Murakami came over from Japan and is allegedly a powerful hitter with an iron glove. Hays, plucked from free agency is a good player. Benintendi hit 20 homers last year, but no one knows how. The Chi Sox allegedly have the second-best farm system in MLB. We’ll likely see some of those lads this summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MLB: How to Buy the West

 

 

 

Full confession: I don’t scout the West very much, so if there’s a kid who busts out to be a rookie of the year candidate, my apologies.

 

National League

 

1. The cream of the NL West, if not all of MLB is the Los Angeles Dodgers, the two-time defending World Series champion. They’re probably the best team in Japan as well, which is where they’ve cherrypicked talent lately. They are what a billion dollars in salary get you because when the Dodgers were bad, MLB made a sweetheart deal that allowed LA to hide salaries via deferred payments, write-offs, and tax-dodges.

            They have MLB’s best everyday player, Ohtani, who might be their second-best pitcher as well. Glasnow, Snell, and Yamamoto can also throw pretty well, and they scooped up Edwin Diaz in free agency to stabilize the bullpen and still have Tanner Scott. And who wouldn’t a daily lineup that includes Ohtani, Freeman, Betts, Rojas, Hernandez, Smith, and 2026’s prize free agent, Kyle Tucker?

 

Weaknesses? The bullpen before you get to Scott or Diaz is quite hittable. Sasaki impresses those who think speed is everything, but batters have figured him out. Plus, he’s on the IL. 

 

2. The San Diego Padres turned over their roster, but kept key pitchers like Cease, King, Darvish, and Musgrave. They might have the NL’s best relief pitcher in young Mason Miller, added innings guy Pivetta, and the rest of their staff is made up of Yankees castoffs such as Brito, Marinaccio, Peralta, and Vasquez. That’s not a bad thing, as New York has fallen into a bad habit of dumping useful players for bets on those who aren’t. San Diego may have done the same thing with signing Bueler, who looks gassed, and Castellanos the worst outfielder in MLB and a known clubhouse distraction. The lineup, though is formidable with bats such as Bogaerts, Machado, Tatis Jr. and Laureano. Their bullpen might be better than that of the Dodgers.

 

Weaknesses? There are weak spots after jettisoning Kim and Solano. Will catcher Fermin handle the staff as well as Higashioka?

 

3. I’m not sold on this pick, but I think the Arizona Diamondbacks will squeeze out third place based on very good pitching staff: Kelly (currently on the IL) , Burnes, Gallen, Pfadtt, and (hopefully) Eduardo Martinzez, who are on the IL. 

 

Weaknesses? Other than Carroll, Marte, and (they hope) the aging Arendo there aren’t many hitters who will ruin a good pitcher’s sleep. Last year, the D’Backs had the worst bullpen in baseball and adding the ruined arm of Loaisiga is unlikely to help.

 

4. The San Franciso Giants:  I could have jumped straight to weaknesses, but I should give a shout out to Ray and Webb, who are good pitchers, gold glove outfielder Bader, high OBP hitter Arraez who seems always to be on base, and Chapman or Devers who can knock him in.

 

Weaknesses: More holes than a hobo’s socks. They are slow, swing at too many bad pitches, and lack power. Plus, new manager Tony Vitello has only college baseball experience. He may turn out to be a good skipper, but I doubt that will be this year.

 

5. Would someone fold the deckchairs on the U.S.S. Colorado Rockies? They lost 119 games last year and could lose 120 this year. Other than Freeland, Lorenzen, and (I Need a New Agent) Kris Bryant you won’t have heard of any of the kids who will be playing for the Rockies this year. Best Case Scenario: By the end of the season a couple of hopeful prospects will have emerged but nobody seems to know if there’s any sort of plan, let alone a “grand” one.

 

 

 

 

American League:

 

1. I’m seldom sold on the Seattle Mariners, but they should have enough to prevail again in the flawed AL West. First, though, hats off to catcher Cal Raleigh who slammed 60 homers last year. He probably won’t duplicate that in 2026, but he has other decenthitters around him: Naylor, Julio Roriguez, Crawford, Canzone, Robles and newcomers Donovan and Refsnyder. The staff is anchored by Castillo and Woo.

 

Weaknesses: The Mariners tend to look great on paper but have too many players who have been less than the sum of their parts. Castillo is said to be an ace, but he’s 84-84 lifetime and has had a winning record in just three of his 9 years in MLB. Robles is the hitter equivalent, 9 years in the majors, but a .247 hitter based mainly on two great years and has never had more than 17 homers. I’ll go on record as saying that top prospect Colt Emerson will be an early call-up. The M’s should rock the AL West but don’t blame me if it’s merely a mild shake.

 

2. Here’s my wild prediction for 2026. The Athletics (playing in Sacramento but with no city designation) will finish second in the AL West. (Once they move into their very ugly domed stadium in Las Vegas, we need never care about them again!) The A’s have done a nice job of bringing along young hitters mixed with a few veterans. Four A’s hit 25 or more homers in 2025: Soderstrom (25), Rooker (30), Langeliers (31), and Kurtz (36).

 

Weaknesses? Here’s where my optimism could turn to foolishness. You’ll notice there are no pitchers mentioned. Their top three relievers (after trading Miller) had a total of seven saves between them and all five of their starters had ERAs well north of four. They are depending on Luis Severino to be their ace. He’s a guy the Yankees released and went 8-11 for the A’s last year. Look for young pitchers Gage Jump and Jack Perkins to breakout early, or this young A’s team will finish fourth, not second.

 

3. The Houston Astros are a shell of what they were are their apex, but they’re still a decent ballclub. Walker, Altuve, Pena, and Correa make up one of the best infields in the AL now that Correa has moved to third to allow Penna to take over short. Diaz is strong behind the plate and Hader is one of the best closers around. Brown is considered their number one starter given Javier’s fall off in 2025, and they have high hopes for Japanese starter Imai, though a lot of other clubs passed on him. If McCullers and Burrows pitch to their potential, the ‘Stros will have strong pitching.

 

Weaknesses? The outfield is a wing and a prayer. Put another way, put the three starters together and they don’t add up to one Kyle Tucker. Don’t be surprised if prospect Matthews and Cole displace a few incumbents in late spring. Walker is a fine defensive first baseman, but his inconsistent bat is why teams that needed one didn’t pursue him back in 2024.

 

4. If the A’s are a fantasy pick and the Astros don’t up their game, the rebuilding Texas Rangers could move up a slot or two. Eovaldi and de Grom are frontline starters. Everyday players include Nimmo (from the Mets), Aroldis Garcia, Seager, and Langford, the latter a young player with the ceiling of a star.

 

Weaknesses?  The Rangers are quite thin everywhere. Look for Higashioka to displace Jansen as catcher but overall, the Rangers simply can’t afford injuries to key players like de Grom, Altuve, or Langford. Even if they stay healthy, they’ll be several pieces short. Robert Garcia is their closer and had but nine last year. If he goes down, the ball goes to Beeks. (Really?) Walcott, still just 18, has raked this spring and might hit his way into the lineup.

 

5. Unless Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Great Pumpkin collectively work magic the Los Angeles (really Anaheim) Angels will be hard-pressed to improve on 2025’s 99-loss season. They redid their pitching staff, which shouldn’t have been hard, but gave up their third best hitter, Taylor Ward, to acquire Grayson Rodriguez who has a dead arm. Deters is their number 3 guy and he was in bullpen last year. Neither # 1 nor # 2 (Soriano and Kikkuchi) had winning records. If I asked you who was their best hitter, you’d be tempted to say Trout, except his line last year was .232/26/64. Adell’s 37 homers led the club.

 

Weaknesses? Everywhere. When a bust like Moncada is your new third baseman, you’re in trouble. Ditto When the two guys pegged to close games are vets who collectively had four last year. The Angels should do the kind thing and trade Trout to the Dodgers for a truckload of prospects.

 

 

MLB West

 

Could the postseason be an all-West Coast phenomenon in 2025? Probably not in the AL, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility in the NL. 

 

 

 

American League:

 

Three teams are vying for supremacy, but I think one will falter.

 

1. Texas Rangers slipped a year after winning the World Series, but look for them to right the skateboard. They live and die by pitching and have exciting young arms–Rocker and (Jack) Leiter– knocking at the door. If everyone else is healthy and kids live up to their hype, who can match them plus Corbin, Eovaldi, deGrom, and (Jon) Gray? Texas had run production problems last year but Pederson, (Aroldis) Garcia, Seager, Higashioka, and Semien should snap back to form. Many analysts see OF Wyatt Langford as MLB’s top prospect.

 

2. Seattle Mariners might finally snag a Wild Card. Their problem, as always, is that the Mariners always look better on paper than on the field. There is no reason for a team with Arozarena, (Joely) Rodriguez, Crawford, Solano, and Polanco not to hit, though they are not big power guys. Robles either hits or goes down as a hyped mediocrity. Several pitchers are on the IL right now, which puts a burden on young pitchers like Vargas, (Bryce) Miller, and Woo to produce. If they do and Castillo adds more W’s than L’s behind his stats, the M’s should be alright, though they have a history of disappointment.

 

3. Houston Astros won the division last year, but they deleted such talent as Bregman and Tucker. They still have Altuve, Pena, and added Walker, but if Rogers can’t hit outside of Colorado’s thin air and Paredo (from Tampa) doesn’t either, the Astros will be challenged to score runs. Their pitching­­–Valdez, (Hunter) Brown, (Luis) Garcia, McCullers, and Blanco–is strong and Hader is one of the best closers in baseball. Pick the ‘Stros  to surprise one way or another, either by being better or worse than expected.

 

4. Sacramento Athletics: Another team displaced and, like Tampa, calling a minor league park home. Let’s see, a team 16^th in batting and 24^th in ERA competing to stay out of the basement with one 19^th in batting and 25^th in ERA. Go with the A’s but don’t get too excited. What do Andujar, Medina, Sears, Severino, Urshela, and Waldichuk have in common? They were all dumped by the Yankees. Springs from the fellow homeless Rays will help. It’s hard to see the A’s putting up a lot of runs, so don’t be shocked if they flip their weak batting and pitching rankings.

 

5.  Los Angeles Angels: Trout will be 35 this year. Even if he claws back from several years of injuries he is destined to go down as one of baseball’s best players never to play in a World Series game. Angels ‘pitching could improve if Kochanowicz (25) and Soriano (27) come into their own, but don’t expect miracles from Cubs castoff Hendricks or Kikuchi whose career ERA in 4.57. Besides Trout, the offense offers Moncada, who has been around long enough to call a bust, Ward, and catcher O’Hoppe. Ouch!

 

National League:

 

Two Wild Cards could come from the NL West. The only sure thing is that the Dodgers will win the division. I wouldn’t bet against them to repeat as World Series champs.

 

 

1. Los Angeles Dodgers: This is what a billion dollar investment looks like: Freeman, Muncy, Betts, Edman, Conforto, (Will) Smith, (Toescar) Hernandez, and Ohtani. If the Dodgers ever let Ohtani pitch again, they’re nuts! Here is a partial list of possible starting pitching: Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow, May, Sasaki, Stone, Gonsolin, and Kershaw. They could trade for anything they need in a nanosecond. Only an earthquake that swallowed Dodgers Stadium could stop them from winning the Series again.

 

2. San Diego Padres: In a fair world the Padres would be a favorite to win the division. They have a fine pitching staff­–Cease, Darvish, King, Musgrove, Pivetta–and a terrific lineup of Bogaerts, Machado, Merrill, Sheets, and Tatis. Hayward has never lived up to his hype, though.

 

3. Arizona Diamondbacks: If the Holy Fathers slip, the Snakes could slither past them. The pitching is solid–Burnes, (Shelby) Miller, (Eduardo) Rodriguez, (Merrill) Kelly, and some youngsters in the pipes. Aside from Carroll you may not know the lineup but Marte, Gurriel, Perdomo, (Eugenio) Suarez, (Josh) Naylor, and the underrated Gilchuk are capable. Right now the pitching is okay but not dominant. Pick them for fourth if that doesn’t change.

 

4. San Francisco Giants: They play in my favorite MLB park and have a good team that suffers from being in MLB’s best division. Best case scenario is that one of their rookie hurlers (Roupp, Birdsong) catches fire and pushes Webb, Ray, converted reliever Hicks, and aging Verlander to surpass expectations. Ditto a potentially productive lineup of Adames, Chapman, Encarnacion, Flores, and Yastrzemski that’s good but probably not good enough to contend for a Wild Card.

 

5. Colorado Rockies: The future isn’t now. You’ve heard of Bryant, but probably not any other hitter. Likewise, you might know that Freeland is their ace. There are young arms waiting, assuming they don’t have to check into asylums from pitching in the Rockies’ mile-high gopher ball facility.

 

Rob Weir

MLB Central Time

 

 

 

It’s been a while since MLB Central teams have generated much excitement. The Cubs won the World Series in 2016 and the Royals in 2015, but the Cubs might have been an outlier. Could 2025 see some Central Division team go deep in the postseason? I rather doubt it.

 

AL Central

 

1. Detroit Tigers. KC is the safer pick, but I’m playing a hunch with Detroit. Unlike the Tigers of the 1980s/90s, they won’t slug their way to a title. Aside from (Riley) Greene, the hope that Keith will develop fast, and the frustrating Torres coming over from New York, Detroit’s lineup seems a bit thin. But they might not need to score in bunches with a staff anchored Skubal, Mize, Flaherty (good pickup), and hot prospect Jobe. I’m going with the great-pitching-wins theory.

 

2. Kansas City Royals. They have the best hitting in the Central: Witt, Renfroe, Pasquantino, India, Perez… The pitching is also decent: Lugo, Ragan, Wacha, Lorenzen. They also have two big question marks in the outfield and one in the closer role. They are good enough to win if the Tigers falter.

 

3. Minnesota Twins. A team that constantly disappoints. It’s a collection of hitters with one star, Correa, and others that are merely okay. That list includes Buxton, who has a terrific glove but overall is one of the most overhyped players in MLB. Lopez is a good pitcher and (Joe) Ryan occasionally turns in a nice performance, but there’s a reason why the Twins were 21^st in ERA last year.

 

4. Cleveland Guardians. Vogt is a smart young skipper and he’ll need to be to prevent Cleveland from taking a big step backward this year. It’s hard to see a repeat of last year’s 92-win season with a lineup whose only pop is Ramirez, now that (Josh) Naylor is in Phoenix–unless they think 42 year-old Santana will revert to his 2019 self. Kwan gets on base, but who else now that Gimenez is a Blue Jay? Lots of young pitchers in the pipeline but aside from Lively, no projected starter won more than 8 games last year.

 

5. Chicago White Sox. Call it a successful year it the ChiSox lose only 100 games. They have a strong minor league system but a lot of future talent will need to mature overnight to prevent a repeat of last year’s nightmare 121-loss season. What does it tell you when Benintendi led the team in two offensive categories and their best pitcher is now in a Red Sox uniform? Expect more roster turnover than wins.

 

 

 

NL Central:

 

1. Milwaukee Brewers: The only decent team in the Central, which is far from saying the Brew Crew is great. They will get production out of Hoskins, Chourio, Contreras, and Yelich. Peralta, Cortes, and Woodruff are decent if the latter has put his injuries behind him. Quintana will soak up innings. The aptly named Close is one of the best relievers in baseball.

2. Pittsburgh Pirates are another hunch team. Skenes is one of the best pitchers in baseball, Chandler and (Jared) Jones are highly regarded rookies, and Keller has yet to find his groove. If and two of the three clikc, the Bucs can make some noise. If they have to lean on Heaney, the Pirates will head for Davy Jones Locker. Reynolds is a pro hitter; (Oneail) Cruz, Kiner-Falefa, and Bart are decent players, and McCutcheon and Pham are seasoned vets. Finishing above .500 would be a major step forward. They may have to jettison Yankee castoffs in the bullpen to get there.

 

3. Chicago Cubs look like a reverse copy of the Pirates. The Cubs will hit with Happ, Hoerner, Suzuki, Swanson, (Justin) Turner, and newly acquired Tucker in the lineup. How far they go will depend on how well they pitch. Taillon seems to have found a home on the North Side. If Boyd can find the same level of comfort and touted rookie Horton becomes half the pitcher Skenes is, the Cubs could pass the Bucs and possibly grab a Wild Card. Pressly is an excellent closer.

 

4. Cincinnati Reds are the team I’m least certain of in all of baseball. On one hand, they have  a strong farm system; on the other, three youngsters they hoped would be starting pitchers are on the IL. This makes (Hunter) Greene or (Nick) Martinez the de facto ace and neither is a sure thing, nor is Singer a surefire #3. Luckily, in Stephenson and Trivino they have excellent catchers. De La Cruz is as fast as greased lightning but his bat cooled last year. Lux coming over from LA should help, as will Hays (from Baltimore) when he gets off the IL. Right now, the #2 bat is Candelario and that’s not ideal. The closer? Who knows? The wild card is the Francona factor. He excels in tough situations and his teams are always entertaining.

 

5. St. Louis Cardinals. They sure went from contenders to pretenders in a hurry. They are the opposite of what you’d think by looking at them on paper. They have proven pitchers like (Sonny) Gray, Mikolas, Matz, and closer Helsley yet were 16^th in ERA last year. The lineup doesn’t seem very strong once one gets past the scrappy Donovan, (Willson) Contreras, and disgruntled (and allegedly declining) Arenado, yet were 8^th in batting average. Most, including me, see them as repeating 2024’s 5^th place finish, yet… if they rebounded and were in contention, I’d be only mildly surprised. That could happen if a few pitchers (Mathews and Hence) make the jump from the minors to the majors.

 

Rob Weir

Baseball on the East Coast

 

Most of my readers are on the East Coast, so I thought I’d do a 2025 baseball preview by regions this year.

 

Let me start with this: The days of the American League fearing the Best of the East are questionable these days. If you are an overall sports fan, I suspect that the women’s NCAA championship and the NBA (in that order) will be more exciting than spring baseball. I don’t see a dominant team racing ahead of the pack. Here are my picks, with the codicil that that, on paper, three teams have a decent chance in the AL East.

 

1.  Boston Red Sox. They can win because of starting pitching headed by Crochet,  Buehler, and Bello. Duran looks to be a budding star, they stole a nice catcher (Narvaez) from the Yankees, and Bregman is likely to lead them in all offensive categories. They are young, speedy, and hungry.

 

            They could lose because Bello might be a fluke, Hendriks flunks as closer, Giolito is damaged goods, and neither Houck nor Crawford are legit. They could also lose because Casas is a lazy waste and it was a bad idea to make Devers angry. They could lose if the kids are not alright and if the bullpen explodes like the bovines busting out of Pamplona.

 

2. Baltimore Orioles. Normally they’d be the top pick but losing Corbin for 41 year-old Morton is a bad exchange, Henderson is on the IL, and heaven help them if the un-coachable Gary Sanchez catches more than a handful of games. Plucking O’Neill from the Red Sox was a good move. They have a good lineup, but not necessarily a fearful one. They could win with a good tailwind.

 

3. Toronto Blue Jays. I’m almost embarrassed to rank them this high as few teams in baseball disappoint as badly as the Jays. How can a team with Gausman, Berios, and Manoah rank 22^nd in ERA? At age 41, Scherzer should shut it down and wait for the Hall of Fame to call. Will Bichette, Varsho, or Springer produce? If not, the fabulous Guerrero will be wearing a different uniform next year.

 

4. New York Yankees. Any team that starts the year by losing MLB’s best pitcher (Cole) for the season and has Stroman as their #3 starter, the maddeningly inconsistent Rodon as # 1 is clearly in trouble. This core is old, slow, and poorly conditioned. Fried was a good signing but in short, the Yankees are a mess.

 

5. Tampa Bay Rays. They are a bigger mess still, though it’s not inconceivable that their solid pitching (9^th in ERA) could vault them over the Yankees. Except they were 27^th in batting and 29^th in runs scored. Other than (Brandon) Lowe I can’t think of any hitter you’d want from the Rays. To add insult to injury, they are homeless after a hurricane blew the top off of the Trop. They will play home games in the Yankees 11,000-seat minor league park and probably won’t fill it. Every year I say this: Move the Jays to Montreal; summer baseball in Florida is a flop.

 

 

National League East

 

 

 

Based on signing Juan Soto, the Mets are the sexy pick. I say the Mets might have trouble grabbing a Wild Card.

 

1. Philadelphia Phillies. They are clearly the strongest team in the East and are seeking redemption for being dumped in the first round of the playoffs. They have Harper, (Trea) Turner, Schwarber, Realmuto, Bohm, and Marsh to mash, and Wheeler, Nola, and Saurez to head the staff.

 

            They could lose if they don’t find a top closer or if Nola pulls another disappearing act, or if the…

 

2. Atlanta Braves knock them off. If Acuna has put his injuries and problems behind him, that’s a huge plus to go with Olson, Albies, Ozuna, and Profar. Other than Sale you might not be familiar with Braves pitching and losing Fried to the Yankees will hurt, but every year they seem to come up with great arms. That’s why they are #1 in MLB in ERA. Iglesias might be the most underrated closer in the game. Superior pitching is what takes you deep in the offseason. That’s why I’m not sold on the…

 

3. New York Mets. Soto, Alonso, Lindor, Nimmo, and company will produce lots of runs, but Holmes as a starter? No!  Montas? His initials should be IL. Diaz is a heart attack closer. This leaves the very serviceable Peterson and Manea to carry the pitching staff. Each is good, but do you fear them? If the Mets have any catching, it hasn’t announced itself yet.

 

4-5. Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals. Flip the order anyway you wish. The Nats were 23^rd in ERA last year and the Fish were 29^th. Miami was 14^th in average but 27^th in runs scored. Washington was 15^th in average and 25^th in runs. You probably only know 2-3 players from either roster. I tossed a coin and it came up with the Nationals finishing 4^th. I’m going with that  out of fear a second toss would come up Miami. But if Alcantara comes back from injury it could go that way. And who cares?