1. Yovani Gallardo Will Win 20 Games
Ever since Yovani Gallardo became the Brewers' ace in 2009, he has been the most underrated pitcher in baseball. Since 2009 he has averaged almost 32 starts a season with 15 wins, 203 strike-outs, and an ERA ranging from 3.52-3.84. He has also been able to remain healthy throughout his young six year career besides a freak ACL injury in 2008. Yovani Gallardo is just entering the prime of his career and in order for the Brewers to be successful this season, he has to be a consistent pitcher a top the Brewers rotation. This will finally be Gallardo's break out season, and expect him to win 20 games for the very competitive Milwaukee Brewers.
2. Ryan Braun Will Win the N.L. MVP Award
Ryan Braun has been the best player in baseball over the last two seasons, and this season he will continue to produce at a high level. Over the past two seasons he has destroyed the ball, averaging 37 home runs, 112 RBIs, and an average well over .300. If it was not for all of the off the field drama, that happened before last season, Ryan Braun would have been the MVP for the second consecutive season. Ryan Braun will have another outstanding season for the Brewers, and if he is able to repeat the success he has had over the past two seasons, he will be the National League MVP.
3. Milwaukee Brewers Will Make the Playoffs
Throughout the last decade the Brewers have struggled to develop young pitching besides, Ben Sheets and Yovani Gallardo. This season the Brewers have decided to go with a younger and inexperience pitching rotation behind Gallardo, and this decision by Doug Melvin, has led to a lot of criticism from baseball fans. This is one of the smartest decisions Melvin has made in his tenure as Brewers GM because instead of over paying for veteran hurlers, they are allowing their highly touted pitching prospects to develop.
Instead of over paying for starting pitching, the Brewers have used the money to revamp their awful bullpen from last season, with the acquisitions of Burke Badenhop, Michael Gonzalez, and Tom Gorzelanny. Their bullpen was so bad last season, that they had 29 blown saves in 73 opportunities, with a 4.66 ERA, which was the worst in the majors. If the Brewers bullpen would have converted half of those blown saves, they would have made the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
With a young, but talented starting rotation, a revamped bullpen, and the best offense in the National League expect the Brewers to surprise everyone and win one of the National League Wild Cards.
Showing posts with label MVP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MVP. Show all posts
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Super Bowl Prediction
Ravens vs. 49ers
This Super Bowl is one of the more anticipate match ups in recent years because the Harbaugh brothers are facing each other, and this will be Ray Lewis' final game in his career. Both of these teams are similar to each other because they are run first teams with solid quarterbacks and offensive lines, they have outstanding defenses, decent special teams, and great head coaches. This will be a very close game, and it will come down to the last few minutes of regulation. The Ravens will win this game 24-21 with Ray Lewis winning the Super Bowl MVP Award because they will have more explosive plays, they have more experience than the 49ers do, and their passion to send Ray Lewis out on top will be to much for the 49ers to handle.
This Super Bowl is one of the more anticipate match ups in recent years because the Harbaugh brothers are facing each other, and this will be Ray Lewis' final game in his career. Both of these teams are similar to each other because they are run first teams with solid quarterbacks and offensive lines, they have outstanding defenses, decent special teams, and great head coaches. This will be a very close game, and it will come down to the last few minutes of regulation. The Ravens will win this game 24-21 with Ray Lewis winning the Super Bowl MVP Award because they will have more explosive plays, they have more experience than the 49ers do, and their passion to send Ray Lewis out on top will be to much for the 49ers to handle.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The American League MVP Award Race
This season there are many American League players who are having a great season. All of these players in my top five were selected to the All-Star Game, and they have a good chance of receiving many MVP Award votes. This race will come down to the last game of the season, and this is how I feel the race is shaping out through the first half of the season:
1st - Mike Trout - Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout has definitely been the first half MVP. He is hitting .341 with 12 homeruns, 40 RBI's, and a .397 on-base percentage. He ranks first in batting average and stolen bases (26), and he ranks in the top six in runs (57), slugging percentage (.562), and OPS (.959). Mike Trout has been a huge difference in the Angels lineup. Since being called up, the Angeles are 40-24, which is a huge improvement; because before he was called up they had a record of 8-14. Mike Trout has really energized the Angels, and he can best be compared to Ichiro when he was a rookie with the Mariners in 2001. He won the Rookie of the Year Award and MVP Award that season, and I expect Trout to do the same. Right now there is no question he has been the MVP in the first half of the season, and it will be his award to lose.
2nd- Josh Hamilton - Texas Rangers: Josh Hamilton is having another productive season. He is an All-Star again this year, and he is having a MVP caliber season. Hamilton is hitting .308 with 27 homeruns, 75 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .380. At the All-Star break he ranks first in homeruns, RBI's, slugging percentage (.635), and OPS (1.016). Josh Hamilton got off to a very hot start this season, but in the last month he has cooled off a lot. Even though he has been inconsistent throughout the first half of the season, he is still putting up MVP numbers. If he wants to win the A.L. MVP Award, he has to be more consistent throughout the rest of the season.
3rd - Robinson Cano - New York Yankees: Robinson Cano continues to show why he is one of the best players in the MLB today. He is having another great season, and has been the best offensive player on the Yankees this season. Cano is hitting .313 with 20 homeruns, 51 RBI's, and a .374 on-base percentage. He is ranked in the top ten in the American League, in average, homeruns, runs (57), slugging percentage (.578), and OPS (.953). Robinson Cano is a huge reason why the Yankees are having a good season this year. He will continue to make a strong case to be the American League MVP Award winner if he and the Yankees continue to play well in the second half of the season.
4th - Adam Jones - Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones is one of the only few reasons why the Orioles have been so good this season. If it wasn't for Adam Jones, the Orioles would not have a record anywhere near to what they currently have through the first half of the season. Adam Jones is having a breakout season, and he is hitting .289 with 20 homeruns, 44 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .330. He currently ranks in the top ten in homeruns and runs scored (54) in the American League. His stats might not be as good as some of the other MVP Award candidates, but because of the way he has carried the Orioles this season, it will definitely put him in the MVP Award picture.
5th - David Ortiz - Boston Red Sox: David Ortiz has been the only player on the Boston Red Sox who has had a great first half. At age 36, Ortiz is having another great offensive year. Ortiz is hitting .312 with 22 homeruns, 57 RBI's, and a .406 on-base percentage. He currently ranks in the top ten in batting average, homeruns and RBI's, and he ranks in the top five in runs (62), walks (51), slugging percentage (.607) and OPS (1.013). The Red Sox have struggled in the first half of the season, but they managed to end it with a .500 record at 43-43. If it wasn't for David Ortiz, who knows how bad the Red Sox would have been.
Players who are still in the MVP Award Race: Jose Bautista, Austin Jackson, Miguel Cabrera, and Mark Trumbo.
The American League has many players who are deserving of winning the MVP Award. I think there also will be some players who I didn't even list, that will make a strong case to be in the MVP Award conversation by the end of the season. Mike Trout is leading the race so far to be named the best player in the American League, and it should be interesting to see if he can win the MVP Award as a rookie.
1st - Mike Trout - Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout has definitely been the first half MVP. He is hitting .341 with 12 homeruns, 40 RBI's, and a .397 on-base percentage. He ranks first in batting average and stolen bases (26), and he ranks in the top six in runs (57), slugging percentage (.562), and OPS (.959). Mike Trout has been a huge difference in the Angels lineup. Since being called up, the Angeles are 40-24, which is a huge improvement; because before he was called up they had a record of 8-14. Mike Trout has really energized the Angels, and he can best be compared to Ichiro when he was a rookie with the Mariners in 2001. He won the Rookie of the Year Award and MVP Award that season, and I expect Trout to do the same. Right now there is no question he has been the MVP in the first half of the season, and it will be his award to lose.
2nd- Josh Hamilton - Texas Rangers: Josh Hamilton is having another productive season. He is an All-Star again this year, and he is having a MVP caliber season. Hamilton is hitting .308 with 27 homeruns, 75 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .380. At the All-Star break he ranks first in homeruns, RBI's, slugging percentage (.635), and OPS (1.016). Josh Hamilton got off to a very hot start this season, but in the last month he has cooled off a lot. Even though he has been inconsistent throughout the first half of the season, he is still putting up MVP numbers. If he wants to win the A.L. MVP Award, he has to be more consistent throughout the rest of the season.
3rd - Robinson Cano - New York Yankees: Robinson Cano continues to show why he is one of the best players in the MLB today. He is having another great season, and has been the best offensive player on the Yankees this season. Cano is hitting .313 with 20 homeruns, 51 RBI's, and a .374 on-base percentage. He is ranked in the top ten in the American League, in average, homeruns, runs (57), slugging percentage (.578), and OPS (.953). Robinson Cano is a huge reason why the Yankees are having a good season this year. He will continue to make a strong case to be the American League MVP Award winner if he and the Yankees continue to play well in the second half of the season.
4th - Adam Jones - Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones is one of the only few reasons why the Orioles have been so good this season. If it wasn't for Adam Jones, the Orioles would not have a record anywhere near to what they currently have through the first half of the season. Adam Jones is having a breakout season, and he is hitting .289 with 20 homeruns, 44 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .330. He currently ranks in the top ten in homeruns and runs scored (54) in the American League. His stats might not be as good as some of the other MVP Award candidates, but because of the way he has carried the Orioles this season, it will definitely put him in the MVP Award picture.
5th - David Ortiz - Boston Red Sox: David Ortiz has been the only player on the Boston Red Sox who has had a great first half. At age 36, Ortiz is having another great offensive year. Ortiz is hitting .312 with 22 homeruns, 57 RBI's, and a .406 on-base percentage. He currently ranks in the top ten in batting average, homeruns and RBI's, and he ranks in the top five in runs (62), walks (51), slugging percentage (.607) and OPS (1.013). The Red Sox have struggled in the first half of the season, but they managed to end it with a .500 record at 43-43. If it wasn't for David Ortiz, who knows how bad the Red Sox would have been.
Players who are still in the MVP Award Race: Jose Bautista, Austin Jackson, Miguel Cabrera, and Mark Trumbo.
The American League has many players who are deserving of winning the MVP Award. I think there also will be some players who I didn't even list, that will make a strong case to be in the MVP Award conversation by the end of the season. Mike Trout is leading the race so far to be named the best player in the American League, and it should be interesting to see if he can win the MVP Award as a rookie.
Friday, July 6, 2012
The National League MVP Award Race
The National League has multiple players who are in consideration for the MVP Award this season, that have been strong candidates in years past. There is also some players you never thought would be in the MVP race. The race should be interesting to see how it shapes up to be the rest of the season, but this is how I feel the race looks as of today:
1st - Joey Votto - Cincinnati Reds: Joey Votto is having the best first half of any player in the National League, and he is in the conversation for the MVP Award again this year. He is batting .345 with 14 homeruns, 47 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .464. Joey Votto ranks first in walks with 60, first in slugging percentage (.619), first in OPS (1.082), and fifth in batting average. He has proved that he is one of the best first basemen in all of baseball, and that he is a legitimate MVP candidate. As long as the Reds continue to stay in the playoff race and Joey Votto continues to be on fire, he will be leading the N.L. MVP race.
2nd - David Wright - New York Mets: David Wright finally looks like he is back to being one of the best third basemen in the league after last season when he was injured and missed 60 games. He and R.A. Dickey are the two reasons why the Mets are above .500 and competitive this season. Through 80 games this season, Wright is batting .350 with 11 homeruns, 59 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .439. David Wright currently ranks fourth in batting average, third in RBI's, fifth in runs (55), fourth in walks (48), and fourth in OPS (1.014). As long as the Mets remain in the playoff race, David Wright should remain above other players in the MVP race who are on team that are struggling this season. If David Wright can remain healthy, he will be a serious MVP candidate.
3rd - Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers: Ryan Braun could easily be ranked higher because he is on pace to have an even better season then he did last year, when he won the MVP Award. If it wasn't for all of the offseason drama and being falsely accused for using a banned substance, he would be a top the MVP list. Braun is batting .304, with 24 homeruns, 60 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .386. He is ranked first in homeruns, second in RBI's, ninth in runs (53), third in slugging percentage (.602), and sixth in OPS (.988). Braun will continue to produce no matter how bad the Brewers are, but if he wants to repeat as N.L. MVP he has to hope that the voters don't vote based on everything that happened this past offseason. The voters need to vote based on his stats and the facts because Braun has been a stong MVP candidate in the first half of the season.
4th - Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh Pirates: Andrew McCutchen is having a breakout season. He is a huge reason why the Pirates are in first place in the N.L. Central. He is batting .360 with 16 homeruns, 56 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .413. He ranks in first in batting average, second in OPS (1.023), and he ranks in the top ten in homeruns, RBI's, and runs (54). Andrew McCutchen has been the only real offense for the Pirates and he will be in the conversation for the MVP Award throughout the rest of the season.
5th - Carlos Beltran - St. Louis Cardinals: The aging veteran in Carlos Beltran has been a nice surprise this season for the Cardinals. Many people thought he could be a good player for the Cardinals but no one thought he would be in the MVP Award race. Beltran has a .306 batting average with 20 homeruns, 65 RBI's, and a on-base percentage of .392. He ranks second in homeruns, first in RBI's, and he is ranked in the top ten in batting average, walks (41), and OPS (.951) in the National League. Carlos Beltran has been a good player in the fist half of the season, but I don't think he will be a real contender for the MVP Award by the end of the season.
Players who are still in the MVP Award Race: Carlos Gonzalez, Melky Cabrera, Carlos Ruiz, and R.A. Dickey.
This season there are multiple players who have a great chance to win the MVP Award this year in the National League. It will be very interesting to see if voters will vote for Ryan Braun, and if Carlos Ruiz, who has had a great season so far, will get any MVP consideration. Any of my nine players listed have a chance to win the award, but some of these players won't get as much attention because of there team's lack of success this season.
Please follow me on Twitter @DanTheMan4295
1st - Joey Votto - Cincinnati Reds: Joey Votto is having the best first half of any player in the National League, and he is in the conversation for the MVP Award again this year. He is batting .345 with 14 homeruns, 47 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .464. Joey Votto ranks first in walks with 60, first in slugging percentage (.619), first in OPS (1.082), and fifth in batting average. He has proved that he is one of the best first basemen in all of baseball, and that he is a legitimate MVP candidate. As long as the Reds continue to stay in the playoff race and Joey Votto continues to be on fire, he will be leading the N.L. MVP race.
2nd - David Wright - New York Mets: David Wright finally looks like he is back to being one of the best third basemen in the league after last season when he was injured and missed 60 games. He and R.A. Dickey are the two reasons why the Mets are above .500 and competitive this season. Through 80 games this season, Wright is batting .350 with 11 homeruns, 59 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .439. David Wright currently ranks fourth in batting average, third in RBI's, fifth in runs (55), fourth in walks (48), and fourth in OPS (1.014). As long as the Mets remain in the playoff race, David Wright should remain above other players in the MVP race who are on team that are struggling this season. If David Wright can remain healthy, he will be a serious MVP candidate.
3rd - Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers: Ryan Braun could easily be ranked higher because he is on pace to have an even better season then he did last year, when he won the MVP Award. If it wasn't for all of the offseason drama and being falsely accused for using a banned substance, he would be a top the MVP list. Braun is batting .304, with 24 homeruns, 60 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .386. He is ranked first in homeruns, second in RBI's, ninth in runs (53), third in slugging percentage (.602), and sixth in OPS (.988). Braun will continue to produce no matter how bad the Brewers are, but if he wants to repeat as N.L. MVP he has to hope that the voters don't vote based on everything that happened this past offseason. The voters need to vote based on his stats and the facts because Braun has been a stong MVP candidate in the first half of the season.
4th - Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh Pirates: Andrew McCutchen is having a breakout season. He is a huge reason why the Pirates are in first place in the N.L. Central. He is batting .360 with 16 homeruns, 56 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .413. He ranks in first in batting average, second in OPS (1.023), and he ranks in the top ten in homeruns, RBI's, and runs (54). Andrew McCutchen has been the only real offense for the Pirates and he will be in the conversation for the MVP Award throughout the rest of the season.
5th - Carlos Beltran - St. Louis Cardinals: The aging veteran in Carlos Beltran has been a nice surprise this season for the Cardinals. Many people thought he could be a good player for the Cardinals but no one thought he would be in the MVP Award race. Beltran has a .306 batting average with 20 homeruns, 65 RBI's, and a on-base percentage of .392. He ranks second in homeruns, first in RBI's, and he is ranked in the top ten in batting average, walks (41), and OPS (.951) in the National League. Carlos Beltran has been a good player in the fist half of the season, but I don't think he will be a real contender for the MVP Award by the end of the season.
Players who are still in the MVP Award Race: Carlos Gonzalez, Melky Cabrera, Carlos Ruiz, and R.A. Dickey.
This season there are multiple players who have a great chance to win the MVP Award this year in the National League. It will be very interesting to see if voters will vote for Ryan Braun, and if Carlos Ruiz, who has had a great season so far, will get any MVP consideration. Any of my nine players listed have a chance to win the award, but some of these players won't get as much attention because of there team's lack of success this season.
Please follow me on Twitter @DanTheMan4295
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Heat vs. Thunder in the NBA Finals
Since the start of the 2011-2012 NBA season there has been many surprises, but the one thing that doesn't surprise anyone is that the Heat and Thunder are the last two teams remaining in the playoffs because they are two of the most talented teams in the NBA. The Thunder will win this series in seven games, but I wouldn't be surprised if they win the series in five or six games because the Thunder have more talent and a deeper bench than the Heat. Kevin Durant will dominate this series and show why he is the best player in the game, and why he deserved the MVP award. If the series goes only five or six games it will be because LeBron James will choke again in the finals, which wouldn't surprise anyone since he always chokes in the big games. If the Heat want to win they have to attack the basket and get Sergi Ibaka in foul trouble, and if they don't they will lose this series. The young and confident Thunder will beat the Heat to win the NBA Championships.
Please follow me on Twitter @DanTheMan4295
Please follow me on Twitter @DanTheMan4295
Monday, April 16, 2012
Brewers Struggle Out of the Gate
The Milwaukee Brewers have gotten off to a slow start this season. Through their first ten games the Brewers have a team average of only .228, which is 26th overall in the MLB, and an on base percentage of .299, which is 23rd overall in the MLB. Aramis Ramirez, who was signed to help replace the lost production from Prince Fielder, has gotten off to a very slow start, and hasn’t done anything. He is only averaging .114 to start the season. Aramis Ramirez throughout his career has averaged only .255 in April/March and .271 in May. The first two months of the season, Aramis Ramirez always starts slow and then he heats up in June where he is averaging .301. Throughout the rest of the season he is always averaging at least .280. The Brewers have faced some good teams to start, and their hitting will come around. Ryan Braun, the raining N.L. MVP, has picked up where he left of last year, and all the Brewers need is for Aramis Ramirez to heat up.
Please follow me on Twitter @DanTheMan4295
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