Not exactly daily, but I am back! Moving east to west, it's time for the AL Central 2011 predictions. This is based on about 2 minutes of research, a pint of Rogue Chocolate Stout, and a healthy fantasy baseball habit.
While the Tigers have the most pop on paper, I am signing up for the Twins to take it again. Morneau ought to be healthy and as long as Mauer's knees don't explode the Twins have the best all around team (in my opinion). The Sox are going to benefit from Adam Dunn in the line up, and no I am not just saying that because I drafted him for my fantasy team. In the end I see the following:
Twins 85 wins
Tigers 83 wins
Sox .500
Indians may get 70 wins
Royals may not get 70 wins
Is it me or is it a little sad that the Twins will win out with 85 wins and have the benefit of 36+ games against the Indians and Royals?
I was thinking of knocking off both this post and the one below. But out of respect for the dead (i.e., the Red Sox), I’ll just move on and start looking at who the Sox can get with the first pick in the 2012 draft…..
ReplyDeleteOn to the central.
I think those numbers are all about right heading into the season. I would put the Twins, Tigers and Sox as all likely to win about 87 games with each team having a solid chance to “put everything together” and make a run at 90. Whether it’s the Sox and that lineup and if that pitching can come together. DET and Cabreara, Vmart and company mashing while Verlander wins 20 and the rest of the staff holds up well. Or as dino notes, the twinkies staying healthy. One of these teams will make hay and feast on the tribe and royals, its just a matter of which one.
So wow. Way to go out on a limb there Longo. Put a gun to my head and something tells me that the White Sox are going to be good. I don’t know why. I can’t stand Ozzzie. And I want VMart to do well. I just think CHI finds a way to get it done.
The one potential thing that could come as a shock – there is a chance that the Twins fall way out of it. The M&M boys get hurt or struggle and they don’t have Thome to fall back on. And that pitching staff is shaky to me. That being said, for the past 10 years, I look at Minny every year and think they won’t be good. And yet the keep winning.