Streaking Nationals come to Citizens Bank Park on a roll

Embed from Getty Images

Red-hot Juan Soto leads the streaking Nats into South Philly

The Philadelphia Phillies (47-43) and Washington Nationals (47-42) return to play following four days off for the 2019 MLB All-Star Game break with a Friday night contest at Citizens Bank Park.

These two NL East Division rivals currently control the two National League Wildcard playoff positions in the league standings. However, for nearly two months they have been travelling in opposite directions.

On May 29, the Phillies were 33-22 and held a 3.5 game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East standings. That same day, the Nats were 24-32 and 9.5 games behind the Phillies.

But since May 24, Washington has forged a 28-11 mark. That is the best record in all of Major League Baseball since that date.

Meanwhile, the Phillies have slumped to a 14-21 record since their May 20 high-water at 11 games over the .500 mark. That is the same record in that time frame as the last place Miami Marlins have fashioned. Only the 13-22 record of the New York Mets over that period has been worse in the division.

All of that – the Phillies hot start, the Nationals recent hot stretch – is now in the rear view mirror. The ultimate story of the 2019 season for these two division rivals is going to be written over the next two and a half months. If the Phillies want to begin to turn their season back around, it has to begin this weekend.

For more than three weeks, the Phillies have faced nothing but NL East Division rivals on the schedule. The club has gone just 9-13 in those games. That stretch ends with this three-game weekend tilt with the Nationals.

The Phillies are going to come out of the stretch with a losing record. But winning this series would still mark a big step forward. It would also move them past the Nationals in the standings heading into a very tough four-game series to open next week with the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers.

Both teams have a middle-of-the-road offensive attack. The Nationals rank 14th in all of baseball with their average of 4.94 runs scored per game. The Phillies are right behind, their 4.91 runs per game ranking 15th among the 30 MLB ball clubs.

There is a big difference on the mound. Washington’s pitching staff ranks 5th in the National League with a .247 batting average against, and their .720 OPS against is 3rd in the league. Their pitchers collectively rank 4th in MLB in strikeouts.

Mickey Moniak beginning to look like a worthy top draft pick

Embed from Getty Images

Moniak was the top overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft

During their recent half-decade plummet to the bottom of the National League standings, the Philadelphia Phillies found themselves picking at a high position in the annual MLB Amateur Draft on a regular basis.

The Phillies had such a horrendous season in 2015 that their 63-99 record proved to be the worst in all of Major League Baseball. That set the club up with the #1 overall pick of the 2016 MLB Draft.

This was going to be far from a slam-dunk selection. Sure, the draft has yielded some true impact players with that first overall pick. Since the turn of the century, that top pick has produced stars in Joe Mauer, David Price, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Gerrit Cole, and  Carlos Correa.

However, there have been as many misses as hits. Players selected #1 overall since the year 2000 also include Bryan Bullington (2002), Delmon Young (2003), Matt Bush (2004), Mark Appel (2013), and Brady Aiken (2014). Some were injury casualties. Some simply never developed as hoped.

Others made an impact, but it would be hard to say that they justified a first overall draft selection: Luke Hochevar (2006) and Tim Beckham (2008) fall into this category.

Even Justin Upton, taken first overall in 2005, has to be considered an overall disappointment when considering he was the top draft pick. Dansby Swanson, the top selection in the 2015 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, is just emerging this year as an impact player after being traded to the Atlanta Braves.

In June of 2016, Matt Klentak was overseeing his first draft as the general manager of the Phillies. Johnny Almaraz was the club’s head of amateur scouting at the time. When MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred stepped to the podium to announce the selection, he called the name of Mickey Moniak, an outfielder from La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, California.

For Nationals it's win now, or possibly lose two superstars

Embed from Getty Images

The Nats already lost Harper, could Rendon be next star to go?

The Washington Nationals, who play host to the Phillies in a four-game series this week, have spent the better part of the last seven seasons dominating the National League East Division standings.

In 2012, the Nationals ended the Phillies five-year grip on the division by capturing the franchise’ first-ever NL East crown. Their direct predecessors, the Montreal Expos, were considered to have finished in first place back in 1994, but that was the strike-ended season that was never completed.

From 2012-18, the Nationals registered a winning season each year. They captured division titles four times in that span: 2012, 2014, and 2016-17. In each of the other three years, the Nats finished in second place.

The club was always in the hunt for a playoff berth until suddenly falling into a deep funk from June 10 through September 6. They struggled all summer at 32-46 during that stretch, falling from first place to finish 10 back of the Atlanta Braves in the east and nine games out of a Wildcard.

In the off-season, the Nationals lost the player who had arguably become the face of the franchise over those seven seasons. Bryce Harper left the team at age 26 to sign as a free agent with the rival Phillies.

The Nationals brain trust believed that it could cover for the loss of Harper. They had a pair of exciting young Dominican outfielders ready to make an impact on an everyday basis in now 20-year-old Juan Soto, who was the runner-up for the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year Award, and 22-year-old Victor Robles.

But when the season opened, things didn’t go as planned in our nation’s capital. Injuries and inconsistent play resulted in a horrendous first two months. The Nationals woke up on Friday, May 24 back home after getting swept in four games at Citi Field by the division-rival New York Mets. They were a disheartening 19-31, and were already 10 games off the pace in the NL East.

Since that time, the Nationals have begun to regain some of their lost mojo. They have fashioned a 14-7 record over the last three weeks, and though still 8.5 out in the division, the Nationals are now just six games behind the Phillies in the race for the final NL Wildcard spot. Of course, there are also five other teams ahead of them in chasing that spot.

Struggling Phillies open mid-June series with resurgent Nationals

Embed from Getty Images

Many fans in both towns now conflicted over Werth and Harper

The struggling Philadelphia Phillies (39-32) continue with their road show, this time opening a four-game series with the rejuvenated Washington Nationals (33-38) on Monday night in our Nation’s Capital.

The Phillies are coming off a humbling Father’s Day experience in which they were dismantled by the division-leading Atlanta Braves in a 15-1 rout. They enter D.C. having now dropped five of their last seven games, and 10 of 16 going back to May 29.

After suffering through a horrendous 19-31 start that buried them in fourth place, 10 games out, the Nationals have begun to right their ship. The club has gone 14-7 since that point. Still in fourth place, but they are just six games behind the Phillies for the final NL Wildcard spot, and would love to cut into that deficit this week.

They enter the series fresh off their own 15-run experience. Only in their case, the Nats were the team scoring all the runs in a 15-5 win at home yesterday over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Nationals offensive attack ranks seventh in the National League in both runs scored and OPS, and they are third in stolen bases. On the mound their pitchers are tied for sixth in batting average against and seventh in OPS against, and the staff ranks first in strikeouts.

A big reason they are at the top of those strikeout rankings can be found in their starting rotation, and the Phillies will see the Nationals best this week. Washington will throw lefty Patrick Corbin in the opener, young Erick Fedde in the second game, and then finish up the series with Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg for the final two games.

These two teams have already met three times this season. They split a two-gamer in Washington back in early April. The Nationals then took two of three in Philly a week later, but saw the Phillies take two of three at Citizens Bank Park in early May. They will meet yet again in a four-gamer right after the MLB All-Star break back in Philadelphia, but then do not see one another until the first day of Fall, on September 23.

Of course, there is added intensity when these two clubs meet, at least from the Washington fans perspective, with star right fielder Bryce Harper having left town. In eight games between the two clubs this year, Harper has slashed .321/.472/.643 with two homers, three doubles, eight walks, seven RBIs, and six runs scored.

Harper was the Nationals pick at first overall in the 2010 MLB Draft and played his first seven seasons with them, winning the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year Award and the 2015 National League Most Valuable Player Award, and making the NL All-Star squad six times.

2019 MLB preview and predictions

Embed from Getty Images

Paul Goldschmidt powers up the Saint Louis Cardinals for 2019

With the 2019 Grapefruit and Cactus League schedules drawing to a close this week, all eyes are now squarely focused on Opening Day. All 30 teams in Major League Baseball will be playing in the regular season on Thursday.

How will superstars such as Bryce Harper with the Philadelphia Phillies, Manny Machado with the San Diego Padres, and Paul Goldschmidt with the Saint Louis Cardinals fare in their new homes? Which teams will become surprise contenders? Which major injuries will derail a team’s postseason hopes?

Each new MLB campaign comes with its own unique storylines. This year will be no different. Over the coming six months there will be excitement, drama, heartbreak, and controversy as each club plays out its 162-game schedule.

For years now I’ve been looking into my own personal crystal ball to make predictions for MLB’s division winners and individual award winners as well as my picks for the postseason.

A year ago in my 2018 MLB Preview and Predictions piece, I got four of the six divisions correct. I missed out on the Milwaukee Brewers edging my Chicago Cubs pick for the NL Central, as well as the Atlanta Braves, who I had for third place in the NL East.

My NL Wildcards were those Brewers and the Colorado Rockies. So the Braves were the only NL playoff team that I missed. In the AL, I had the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels as those Wildcard teams. Right divison, wrong team, as the Oakland Athletics actually captured an AL Wildcard spot instead of those Halos.

For the Fall Classic, I predicted that the defending champion Houston Astros would repeat by downing the Cubs in five games in a match-up between the two previous World Series titlists.

Those Cubs would end up losing a thrilling 2-1 NL Wildcard Game to the Rockies at Wrigley Field. The Astros returned to the ALCS, but were eliminated in five games by the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox.

Since I am writing for a Phillies-centric site, a bit of a disclaimer: this piece is not Phillies-centric. There will be plenty of times here at Phillies Nation where we cover the wider story of Major League Baseball. As for our favorite home nine, well, you are going to have to look elsewhere if you want to find a “homer” World Series prediction. At least this year.

Now time to reveal my predictions for the upcoming 2019 season. As always, I would love to hear your own picks in the comments section or on social media. Play ball!

2018 MLB Preview and Predictions

The Boys of Summer are set to begin the 2018 season

The crack of a bat ripping a line drive. The pop of a fastball into a catcher's mitt. Fireworks exploding. Hot dogs steaming.

It's that time again folks. The start of another season in Major League Baseball.

For the first time in 50 years, all MLB teams will experience Opening Day on the same date. That comes this Thursday, March 28, when 15 games will take place scattered at various times throughout the day and night.

Those first games will begin a regular season that will stretch out over more than six months, leading to the drama of the MLB playoffs as Fall arrives.

Which teams are most likely to reach those playoffs? Which players will stand out over the course of the 162-game MLB regular season?

Each year, I give you my picks for the final standings across each of MLB's six divisions, as well as my playoff predictions. I also make picks for some of baseball's most important awards.

A year ago in my 2017 MLB Preview and Predictions piece, I correctly picked the winners in five of those six divisional races. The biggest letdown from those picks was for the San Francisco Giants to edge out the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. The Giants collapsed to a last place finish after winning three World Series crowns in the previous seven seasons.

I had the Washington Nationals beating the Boston Red Sox in seven dramatic games a year ago. As we know now, it was the Houston Astros beating the Dodgers in six to capture their first-ever world championship.

So now it's time to make my team picks and my awards predictions for the upcoming 2018 MLB season. Would love to hear your own picks in the comments section below this piece. Here we go again, baseball fans.

2018 NATIONAL LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Kris Bryant, Chicago

Contenders: Corey Seager LAD, Bryce Harper WAS, Nolan Arenado COL, Paul Goldschmidt ARZ

CY YOUNG AWARD: Stephen Strasburg, Washington

Contenders: Clayton Kershaw LAD, Max Scherzer WAS, Noah Syndergaard NYM

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Lewis Brinson, Miami
Contenders: Jack Flaherty STL, Ronald Acuna ATL, Scott Kingery PHI, Nick Senzel CIN

MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Craig Counsell, Milwaukee
Contenders: Joe Maddon CHC, Dave Roberts LAD, Dave Martinez WAS, Gabe Kapler PHI

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Noah Syndergaard
Contenders: Adam Eaton WAS, Mark Melancon SF, Homer Bailey CIN

NLDS Prediction: Washington Nationals over Chicago Cubs

Nationals fans believe that this will be their year - so do I

This isn't necessarily a now-or-never situation for the Washington Nationals, as some pundits have claimed.

The Nats are likely to again be favorites to win the NL East crown in 2018, and will have the talent again to be a serious championship contender.

However, it is getting to be time for the Nationals to prove that they can actually win a postseason series, let alone make a deep October run.

This is the sixth consecutive season of contention in our nation's capital. Washington captured the NL East crown in four of those six seasons, and finished second in the other two. This is their fourth shot at postseason play.

In their three previous October series, the Nationals dropped a hard-fought NLDS. In 2012 it was a 3-2 series defeat at the hands of the Saint Louis Cardinals.

The Nats won the opener of that series, and held a 7-5 lead with two outs in the top of the 9th in the decisive Game Five before a Cardinals rally killed their dreams.

In 2014, the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants took out the Nats in four games. Each of the three defeats came by a single run: 3-2 and 2-1 in the first two games, and then a 3-2 defeat in Game Four where the Giants clinching run scored via a wild pitch.

Last season, Washington was a clear favorite against the LA Dodgers. A 3-2 loss to Clayton Kershaw in the opener was nothing to be ashamed of, and the Nats bounced back to capture the next two games.

Then in Game Four, the Dodgers tied the series with a two-out, nobody on rally in the bottom of the 8th in which a Chase Utley RBI single drove in the winning run of a 6-5 game.

In Game Five, Max Scherzer was tossing a gem, shutting out the Dodgers for six innings. But in the 7th, LA erupted for four runs, ultimately holding on for a 4-3 victory that again eliminated the Nationals.

This history matters, because if the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs get out to a series lead, or even take it to a decisive game, that history of playoff losing could work on the Nationals collective heads.

Anthony Rendon deserves NL All-Star 'Final Vote'

Nat's Anthony Rendon deserves NL All-Star Final Vote 

The Washington Nationals have led the National League East Division for all but three days this season. 

To the victors traditionally go the spoils, and one of those spoils is that a number of Nationals players have been selected for the NL All-Star team.

In fan voting, three Washington stars have already been selected. Outfielder Bryce Harper will start in the NL outfield. The 24-year old superstar finished with over 3.6 million votes, more than any other player in Major League Baseball.

Second baseman Daniel Murphy will be appearing in his second consecutive All-Star Game. It will be the third career all-star honors for last year’s NL MVP runner-up.

First baseman Ryan Zimmerman is enjoying the best season of his 13-year big league career. He was voted to his second All-Star team. His only previous honor came way back in the 2009.

The Nationals also had two pitchers named to the NL roster, starters Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.

Even with that fine representation, there is still one more member of the Nationals lineup also deserving of the honor, third baseman Anthony Rendon.

Rendon has been named as one of five candidates for what MLB promotes as a “Final Vote” process. Fans can go online and vote for their choice until Thursday, July 6 at 4:00pm EDT.

MLB Spotlight Series: Washington Nationals at Los Angeles Dodgers

The top two National League ball clubs in my current MLB Power Ranking are about to clash. The Washington Nationals visit Dodger Stadium this week to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This will be a rematch of last year’s NLDS, won by the Dodgers in the full five games. The Nats held a 2-1 lead in that series, but LA won a pair of taught thrillers to capture the series.

Skipper Dusty Baker‘s Washington squad sits on top of the NL East Division with a 35-20 record, best in the league. Manager Dave Roberts and the Dodgers are 35-23, a half-game behind the Colorado Rockies in the NL West Division standings.

The Nats have captured the NL East crown three times in the last five seasons. The Dodgers have won four consecutive NL West titles. Consequently, these have been two of the best teams in baseball for years now.

The pitching matchups for the series are as follows:

Monday – Gio Gonzalez (Was) vs Hyun-Jin Ryu (LA)

Tuesday – Max Scherzer (Was) vs Brandon McCarthy (LA)

Wednesday – Stephen Strasburg (Was) vs Clayton Kershaw (LA)

The Nationals jumped out to a 21-9 start, then lost eight of 12 games. But coming into this series, Washington has won 10 of 13 to open up a 10.5 game lead in the division.

The Dodgers were struggling to stay above the .500 mark for the first month of the season. But LA has taken 27 of 40 games since April 22, and has spent four days in first place over the last week.

Nationals / Expos All-Time 25-Man Roster

The Washington Nationals emerged for the 2005 season after the relocation of the original Montreal Expos franchise.

Major League Baseball expanded by four teams and split into a divisional format beginning in 1969. 

The Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots (now the Milwaukee Brewers) went to the American League. The Expos and San Diego Padres were  assigned to the National League.

The Montreal team was named after the successful World’s Fair “Expo 67” held there in 1967 during the Canadian Centennial celebration.

After a decade of losing, a young core of players emerged in the late 1970’s to turn the team into a contender for the first time. Then from 1979-94 the Expos were consistent winners.

There were 11 winning Expos campaigns and another two .500 seasons during that 16 year stretch. However, Montreal reached the MLB postseason only one time in its history.

Nationals Have Pitching to Deal

The Washington Nationals have great starting pitching depth and could move an arm or two to shore up a couple of other problem areas.

The NL East Division champion Washington Nationals had until yesterday afternoon to decide whether or not to exercise the 2017 contract option on left-handed starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez.

Picking up the $12 million option on the 31-year-old southpaw would have been a slam dunk for almost every team in Major League Baseball. 

Gonzalez went 11-11 this past season with a 4.57 ERA and 1.342 WHIP. He also allowed 179 hits over 177.1 innings with a 171/59 K:BB ratio.

Those are certainly not “ace” numbers. And they also don’t measure up to the strong five-year stretch that Gonzalez registered from 2010-14.

And it’s not as if the Nats don’t have other options. While most teams are searching high and low for quality starting pitching options, Washington has an embarrassment of riches on the mound.

Nationals, Strasburg Dodged a Bullet - Maybe

On Wednesday night, the NL East Division-leading Washington Nationals appeared to be getting even better for the stretch drive as they welcomed back ace right-hander Stephen Strasburg from a nearly month-long stay on the Disabled List.

But just 2.1 innings and 42 pitches into his first start back against the division rival Atlanta Braves in front of a small midweek crowd of 19,894 at Nationals Park, something went wrong. Horribly wrong.

After Dansby Swanson doubled to lead off the top of the 3rd, Strasburg struck out opposing hurler Mike Foltynewicz, who had fouled a bunt attempt on a 1-2 pitch. Then it happened.

Matt Snyder at CBS Sports described it in this way:

Strasburg was actually throwing hard and looking pretty great. He then uncorked a wild pitch, appeared to react in pain and then had a discussion with an athletic trainer. That discussion ended with Strasburg leaving the game, and he appeared to be heading directly down the clubhouse. He was covering the bottom part of his face with his glove, which generally indicates and extreme level of frustration.

Nationals fans, and frankly true baseball fans everywhere, expressed genuine concern for the All-Star who has already undergone one Tommy John surgery in his career.

A 2nd TJ surgery was the early speculation by nearly everyone who had seen or heard about the injury

MLB 2014: National League East

He is the most outwardly competitive star player that the game has seen since 'Charlie Hustle', Pete Rose himself, retired back in the late 1980's.

He has been a phenom, a young stud destined for baseball superstardom, since he was a teenager and appeared on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" at age 16.

He is Bryce Harper, the leftfielder for the Washington Nationals, and the things that his talent and competitiveness can accomplish on the diamond are the main reasons that the Nats won the NL East in 2012, when he was chosen as the National League Rookie of the Year. They are the same reasons to pick Washington to get back to that lofty perch this season.

Harper will play the entire 2014 season still at just age 21, an age when many are still in college, and when most players are still trying to fight their way on to a big league roster. But he already is nearly two years into his MLB career.

His 22 homers, 18 steals, and 98 runs scored helped to earn him that 2012 ROY. His numbers were not nearly as impressive a year ago, but it was not due to any jinx of a sophomore slump. Harper crashed into a wall in May after getting off to a torrid start. He was never the same, losing nearly a month and 100 plate appearances.

Now back for more, he is bigger and stronger entering the 2014 season. If he manages to stay healthy, something that may always be a challenge given that he plays the game as if his hair is on fire, there is no reason that he cannot approach NL MVP-caliber numbers.

Here are my predictions for the National League East in 2014:

1) Washington Nationals
The Nats franchise was born as the old Montreal Expos in a 1969 expansion, and played their first 36 seasons north of the border before moving to the U.S. nation's capital for the 2005 season. They became an NL power in the late-70's and into the early-80's, when they won their first NL East crown in 1981. But that was to be their only sustained success. Ever since losing out on a possible 2nd great season due to the baseball strike of 1994, the old Expos were never able to get competitive, and it ultimately cost Montreal it's franchise. The Nationals continued to struggle after the move south, but emerged to win the franchise 2nd NL East crown in 2012. Now loaded with strong young players, they have to be considered at least divisional co-favorites for 2014. The above mentioned budding superstar that is Bryce Harper is one reason. He plays left in an outfield that also included speedy Denard Span in center, and veteran Jayson Werth in right. They have speed, power, and play excellent defense, and when healthy are among the handful of best all-around outfields in the game. The infield is no slouch either. The corners are manned by Adam LaRoche at 1st and Ryan Zimmerman at 3rd, a pair of true talented veteran professionals and leaders. Ian Desmond is a budding star at shortstop. At 2nd base, young Anthony Rendon will try to finally establish himself as a regular by holding off Danny Espinosa. Most of the bench production will come from the Epinosa/Rendon combo, as well as Nate McLouth and Kevin Frandsen. The Nats pitching is strong as well. The rotation is strong and deep, led by the quartet of Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, and Doug Fister. There is plenty of rotation depth if injuries hit, with arms such as Tanner Roark, Taylor Jordan, Ross Detwiler, and Craig Stammen. Rafael Soriano is a solid, proven closer, and he has Tyler Clippar, Drew Storen, and Jerry Blevins to support him. The Nats should be able to hold off the Braves in a tough NL East battle in 2014.

2) Atlanta Braves
Before the season even began, the Braves suffered the kinds of losses to their pitching rotation that would decimate most clubs and completely derail their seasons. But Atlanta has always had pitching depth, and 2014 is no different. The losses will make things more challenging, but there is plenty of talent remaining to keep them both a divisional and Wildcard contender. With both Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy gone for the season due to Tommy John surgeries, the club signed free agent Ervin Santana. He will join a group that still includes exciting young Julio Teheran, tough lefty Mike Minor, talented opportunist Alex Wood, and either David Hale or Aaron Harang. Minor is battling minor (no pun intended) problems and began on the DL as well, but will be back no later than May 1st. The bullpen is led by perhaps the best closer in baseball in fireballer Craig Kimbrel. He is supported by the talented group of Luis Avilan, David Carpenter, and Jordan Walden. Johnny Venters should be back from his own TJ surgery at some point in June. The Atlanta everyday lineup has a chance to be special, even with the loss of team leader Brian McCann to free agency. 1st baseman Freddie Freeman emerged as an NL MVP candidate last year, and new catcher Evan Gattis as one of the league's most feared sluggers. Steady Chris Johnson at 3rd, exciting young shortstop Andrelton Simmons, and veteran slugger Dan Uggla at 2nd round out the infield. The outfield features the Upton brothers, Justin in left and B.J. in center, along with Jason Heyward in rightfield. Most of the bench appearances will come from Ryan Doumit, Jordan Schafer, and Ramiro Pena. The pitching losses make repeating as division champs a challenge, but this team is talented enough still to make that happen. Any more losses, however, and they may have to fight to hold on to 2nd.

3) Philadelphia Phillies
For more than a decade from 2001-2011, the Fightin' Phils were contenders in the N.L. East division, and they actually won the division crown in 5 straight seasons from 2007-2011, including a World Series title in 2008 and a franchise-record 102-win season in 2011. But some players began leaving as free agents, others got injured and/or got old, and the team collapsed, first to the .500 mark in 2012, and then to last year's 4th place finish at 16 games under the .500 mark. It was the first time since 2000 that the Phillies finished that low, their first losing record since 2002. One of their once-vaunted group of Ace pitchers, Roy Halladay, began to lose it a year ago, and retired this off-season. So can there possibly any hope for this still aging, still hobbled group to somehow regroup for one more run? There is indeed hope, but much has to go exactly right. It starts with the trio of infield bats that carried the team for much of their successful years: 1st baseman Ryan Howard, 2nd baseman Chase Utley, and shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Howard will play 2014 at 34 years of age, while Utley and JRoll each play it at 35. Utley bounced back in 2013 to show he can still be a dangerous run-producer. Howard and Rollins don't have to equate their 2006 & 2007 NL MVP campaigns, but they do need to prove that they can again also be dangerous run-producers. Also playing it old is longtime catcher Carlos 'Chooch' Ruiz, now 35 years old himself and coming off a season in which he was suspended for PED usage. 3rd base is now manned by young Cody Asche, trying to hold off top organizational prospect Maikel Franco at the hot corner. In the outfield, the Phils signed 36-year old Marlon Byrd to man rightfield, but they do have a pair of young talents in centerfielder Ben Revere and leftfielder Domonic Brown. The bench depth comes from John Mayberry Jr, Tony Gwynn Jr, Carlos Hernandez, Darin Ruf, and Freddie Galvis. On the mound, the Phils signed veteran free agent A.J. Burnett to eat up Halladay's old innings, and he deepens the Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels-led rotation that also includes longtime organizational man Kyle Kendrick and journeyman Roberto Hernandez. Jonathan Papelbon remains a strong closer. He will be supported by a bullpen that has a lot to prove, including arms such as Mike Adams, Antonio Bastardo, Jake Diekman, and Justin DeFratus. The Phillies need a turn-back-the-clock season from their veteran bats, as well as production in their bullpen. Right answers, they unexpectedly contend. Wrong ones, they slip towards the bottom, and some of the longtime pillars may end up being dealt away as it all finally gets blown up.

4) Miami Marlins
The franchise was born as the Florida Marlins in MLB's 1993 expansion, and took on the more appropriate local "Miami" designation for the 2012 season. They have won a pair of World Series, in 1997 and 2003, both from Wildcard playoff positions. So while they have that pair of championships, and the subsequent pair of NL pennants, they have never won the N.L. East outright. They have also never tasted sustained success, as ownership blew up both Series winners immediately upon winning, never wanting to carry the high payroll that fielding a consistent winner would require. Thus the fans of the Fish have enjoyed 3 straight winning seasons just once in their history, and have never finished closer than within 6 games of a division crown. The current group may finally be building towards that sustained success. They have a pair of crown jewel building blocks in powerful rightfielder Giancarlo Stanton and pitcher Jose Fernandez, last year's NL Rookie of the Year. Centerfielder Marcel Ozuna and leftfielder Christian Yelich are two more young talents who may be longterm pieces to a winning puzzle. The club signed catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to bring his championship experience and leadership. It's the infield where this team still needs major work before it can contend. Right now the corners of Garrett Jones at 1st and Casey McGehee at 3rd can only be considered stop-gaps. The middle infield of 2nd baseman Derek Dietrich and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria has to prove itself. Most of the bench work will come from a mix of Reed Johnson, Donovan Solano, Greg Dobbs, Jeff Baker, and Jeff Mathis. Following up Fernandez in the rotation are a group of interesting arms in Nate Eovaldi, Henderson Alvarez, Jacob Turner, and Tom Koehler, with Brad Hand and Kevin Slowey looking for an opportunity as well. In the pen, Steve Cishek is a solid closer, and is setup by A.J. Ramos, Carlos Marmol, Mike Dunn, and Dan Jennings. The Fish could easily finish in the basement this season. But they could also start to get production from more than Stanton and Fernandez, and bolt towards 3rd place.

5) New York Mets
The Mets have been a mess for the last five years, and there does not seem to be much hope that 2014 will be the season for a turnaround. However, they have some excellent young pitching coming with which they could build the foundation for sustained success in the 2nd half of this decade. The franchise was part of one of baseball's earliest expansions, and that first team all the way back in 1962 went 40-120, the worst regular season record in MLB history. They experienced the 'Miracle Mets' World Series title in 1969, went back to the Series again surprisingly in 1973, but never became a true sustained contender until the mid-80's. That team culminated in a pair of N.L. East crowns in 1986 and 1988, and an incredible comeback win of the 1986 World Series. They again rose to contention from 1999-2001, reaching the 2000 World Series, and from 2005-08, but that last group fell far and fast. They have fallen, and they can't get up. 3rd baseman David Wright remains the veteran leader and face of the franchise, as well as just having won the 'Face of MLB' title. He is joined in the infield by shortstop Ruben Tejada, 2nd baseman Daniel Murphy, and 1st baseman Ike Davis, the latter of whom has been a major developmental disappointment. Catcher Travis d'Arnaud is finally healthy after years as a top prospect, and may be ready to take over behind the dish long term. The outfield features former Yankee star Curtis Granderson in left, defensive whiz Juan Lagares in center, and Chris Young in right. The bulk of the bench production should come from Lucas Duda, Josh Satin, and Omar Quintanilla. The Mets rotation was devastated by the loss of Ace youngster Matt Harvey to Tommy John surgery, and they will have to wait until 2015 to get him back on track. For now, a mix of ageless veteran Bartolo Colon, talented young Zack Wheeler, and organizational men like Jon Niese, Dillon Gee, and Jenrry Mejia will have to hold down the fort. There is talent there, and there is more coming from the minor leagues in the next year or so. It is a group that with Harvey's return and the debut of a couple more of the prospects should rapidly improve by 2016 at the latest. The pen is led by Jose Valverde, with closer Bobby Parnell just suffering a possibly season-ending injury. Jeurys Familia, Carlos Torres, and Gonzalez German set him up. Veteran John Lannan is around for rotation depth and long relief. The Mets just seem too dysfunctional as a mix right now to win. But when the young kid pitchers all get on track in the major leagues over the next couple years, watch out.

MLB 2013 Predictions

As much as it pains me to say it, the best team in the National League East Division is no longer my beloved Philadelphia Phillies. In fact, the Fightin' Phils no longer have the best starting pitching rotation either.

Just two years removed from Philly winning a franchise record 102 games behind their "Four Aces" rotation, a Washington Nationals team that finished below .500 that same year has passed them on both counts.

The Nationals are my pick to not only win the NL East, but to capture the National League Pennant as well as win the franchise' first-ever World Series crown. There are a number of reasons for that pick, which I will get into in a bit. But don't count those aging Phillies out either. They may no longer be favorites, but they are most certainly at the very least a Wildcard playoff contender.

Let's begin, however, with the American League. A year ago in the AL, I chose as my division winners the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers, and said the Wildcards would come from among the Red Sox, Rays, and the Angels. Not too bad, as the Yanks and Tigers did indeed win their divisions, and the Rangers made the playoffs. 

What I never saw coming the the AL in 2012, you never saw coming either - the Orioles and the Athletics. The O's took a Wildcard, and the A's won the AL West, and neither teams was predicted by many to even have a .500 season in them. The Rays and Angels did each have strong seasons, falling just short of the playoffs, but the Red Sox collapsed completely.

At this point, I am a little bit worried about what I see coming in 2013 for the American League. Worried, because it seems pretty clear to me what should happen. I'm calling the Divisional winners as the Toronto Blue Jays (east), Detroit Tigers (central), and Los Angeles Angels (west), and the Wildcards as the Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas Rangers.

No disrespect to either the A's or the Orioles, but I just do not see their runs continuing, though both teams have enough talent to finish above .500 and make life miserable again for the front-runners. But I believe the overall talent of the other clubs will be enough over 162 games.

In particular, I think the Detroit Tigers should once again be the favorites to return to the World Series by successfully defending their Central division crown and A.L. Pennant. With Justin Verlander fronting a rotation that includes Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, Doug Fister, and a potential breakout from Rick Porcello, the Detroit rotation is in the top 3 of the league.

A year ago the Tigers offense was almost exclusively made up of the dynamic 1-2 punch of MVP and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and his cleanup protector, Prince Fielder. This year the Tigers add veteran outfielder Torii Hunter and returning DH Victor Martinez, making them deeper and more dangerous.

The Blue Jays made the biggest off-season splash, and it rightly puts the pressure on them to take an Eastern crown. Last year's NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey fronts a rotation that includes talented Brandon Morrow, Mark Buehrle, and Josh Johnson. The offense has Jose Bautista, Jose Reyes, Edwin Encarnacion, Melky Cabrera, and one of the game's best youngsters in 3rd baseman Brett Lawrie.

For the 2nd straight off-season, the Angels signed the biggest name offensive player available. Now Albert Pujols, Mark Trumbo, and 2012 Rookie of the Year Mike Trout are joined by Josh Hamilton. The Halos rotation needs top guy Jered Weaver to stay healthy and productive, and could use a bounce-back by C.J. Wilson. They have a strong, deep bullpen that could help any rotation issues.

The wheels fell off a year ago for the Red Sox. They may be about to fall off for their main rivals, the Yankees, in 2013. A pair of darhorse teams reside in the Central, where both the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians have renewed spirit and improved rosters. Yet to be seen is just how much better those clubs will really be on the field.

Now on to the National League, where 4 of the last 5 World Series winners have come out of, and where the winner should again come from this season. My personal crystal ball is not as clear here as it seemed to feel with the AL clubs, and so it will take some sorting out to pick the winners.

In the West division, the San Francisco Giants have won 2 of the last 3 World Series crowns, have the NL MVP in catcher Buster Posey, and return an imposing rotation fronted by Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum, and Ryan Vogelsong. They have a deep, veteran bullpen. The offense again leaves much to be desired on paper, but Posey has proven run producers around him in Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan, and World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have spent a ton of money since taking on new ownership last year that features former Lakers icon Magic Johnson. They brought in the top arm on the FA market in righty Zack Greinke to go with ace lefty Clayton Kershaw. But this is also a team with a number of high-priced players that have been either physically or emotionally fragile in the past. If they want the Division crown, they have to prove they are better than the Giants on the field.

In the Central division, the Reds and Cardinals again appear the class of the race. Shin-Soo Choo should further deepen the batting order which already included MVP candidate 1st baseman Joey Votto, veteran 2nd baseman Brandon Phillips, slugger Jay Bruce, and young left-side infielders Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart. The rotation is sneaky good with Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, Bronson Arroyo, and Homer Bailey. 

Perhaps the biggest decision in the entire National League will be made in the next week or so, as the Reds decide what to do with fireballing Cuban Aroldis Chapman. It says here he should be the closer, where he would simply dominate. But if they feel he can hold up in the rotation, that may be best, and there is bullpen depth to make up for his loss there.

The Cardinals are always good, and will be again. With Matt Holliday, Carlos Beltran, David Freese, and Allen Craig at the dish, and Adam Wainwright fronting a rotation that should be bolstered soon by the arrival of top prospect Shelby Miller, they may be just a little short to actually beat out Cincy.

The NL East could be one of the most fascinating in the game in 2013 among the top 3 teams, with my call being the Washington Nationals to successfully defend their Division crown, and with the Phillies and Braves to battle for 2nd place and for a Wildcard spot in the playoffs.

The Nationals have the top rotation in all of baseball in Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, Dan Haren, Gio Gonzalez, and Ross Detwiler. They have solid veteran run producers in Jayson Werth, Ryan Zimmerman, and Adam LaRoche. And they have the NL Rookie of the Year, one of the best young talents the game has ever seen, in left fielder Bryce Harper. They are strong up the middle with center fielder Denard Span, shortstop Ian Kinsler, and 2nd baseman Danny Espinosa.

Another factor that cannot be overlooked with the Nationals is that this is likely manager Davey Johnson's final year at the helm in their dugout. One of the best in the business, he will definitely be motivated to go out on top. And this is a team that is built to win. They have depth and flexibility with their backup players and in their bullpen, rotation, and minor leagues.

The Atlanta Braves are advertised as having one of the best outfields in all of baseball after the big off-season splash of adding the Upton brothers, B.J. and Justin. They will play center and left, with Jason Heyward in right. Two strong youngsters in 1st baseman Freddie Freeman and shortstop Andrelton Simmons, slugging 2nd baseman Dan Uggla, and all-star catcher Brian McCann give the Braves a lot of weapons if healthy and productive.

On the mound, Atlanta leans on veteran Tim Hudson to front a talented group of kids including Kris Medlen, Mike Minor, Brandon Beachy and Julio Teheran. Veteran Paul Maholm has also done well since coming in trade. Their bullpen is as talented, led by the games top closer in young Craig Kimbrell. He is set-up by a variety of tough left-right combos including Jonny Venters, Eric O'Flaherty, and Jordan Walden.

I am picking the Divisional winners as the Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, and Cincinnati Reds. My Wildcard picks are the Braves and the team whose post-season hopes I simply am not yet ready to completely let go of: my hometown Philadelphia Phillies.

Why do I think the Phils' can return to the playoffs? It starts with what remains a strong rotation. Cole Hamels is now the ace, being paid like it, and getting the Opening Day nod. Cliff Lee has a terrible win-loss record last year and all-star caliber stats in every other way. Roy Halladay is one of the greatest pitchers of the last decade. I have confidence that he will find a way to overcome his struggles and remain effective. Kyle Kendrick has gotten better and better, and is a prime breakout candidate.

The lineup was crippled a year ago by the loss of the big right-side infield combo of 1st baseman Ryan Howard and 2nd baseman Chase Utley effectively missing the entire first half of the season. Once they returned and began clicking, the Phils made a run to finish at the .500 mark. Both men look healthy this spring, and those will be a pair of huge bats in the lineup from Day 1. 

A pair of newcomers, veteran Michael Young and young Ben Revere bring talent to the 3rd base and center field spots. Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Ruiz (after serving an April suspension) return with leadership and productive abilities. But perhaps the biggest revelation in the lineup could be right fielder Domonic Brown, who this spring seems to finally be living up to his hype and promise. With Howard, Utley, Young, and Brown making a difference, the Phils lineup is much stronger than a year ago.

The Phillies have one of the game's top 1-2 bullpen punches now in closer Jonathan Papelbon and primary setup man Mike Adams. With Antonio Bastardo, Chad Durbin, and a cast of big, strong, young arms supporting them, the Phillies bullpen should prove to be a strength this time around for manager Charlie Manuel.

So there you have it, my crystal ball for the teams of Major League Baseball in 2013: Toronto, Detroit, and LA to win the AL Division races, Texas and Tampa Bay to take the Wildcards there. Washington, Cincinnati, and San Francisco to win the NL Divsion races, with Atlanta and the Phillies to take the Wildcards in the senior circuit. And the Washington Nationals to defeat the Detroit Tigers in the World Series.