Here is my fourth edition of my 2018 NFL Draft.
1. Cleveland Browns- Sam Darnold, Quarterback, USC: Although they did trade for Tyrod Taylor, he's not the long term answer for a team that needs a long term/possible franchise quarterback for the future. Darnold could be that due to his leadership, good throwing arm, clutch play as he's shown at the collegiate level, and his athleticism.
2. New York Giants- Josh Rosen, Quarterback, UCLA: Some mock drafts have Big Blue taking Saquon Barkley or Bradley Chubb here, but after the blockbuster Jets-Colts trade, something tells me Dave Gettleman plans on taking Eli Manning's successor. Rosen is perhaps the safest bet in this draft (in terms of quarterbacks) due to his accuracy and refined throwing mechanics, but he does have concussion problems though.
3. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts)- Josh Allen, Quarterback, Wyoming: After missing out on Kirk Cousins, the Jets pivot and make a blockbuster trade to move up to 3. With Darnold and Rosen off the board, Allen is the choice. Allen has the most upside among the quarterbacks due to his athleticism, arm strength, and size and draws comparisons to Carson Wentz.
4. Cleveland Browns (from Houston Texans)-Saquon Barkley, Running Back, Penn State: The Browns did sign Carlos Hyde in free agency, but there is still talk of the Browns taking Barkley first and a quarterback fourth. Barkley is the drafts best player and he can do pretty much everything.
5. Denver Broncos- Baker Mayfield, Quarterback, Oklahoma: Although they did sign Case Keenum, he's not the long-term answer at quarterback. The Broncos love Mayfield and he has a ton of potential with his gunslinger mentality although due to his height and off the court antics, is compared to Johnny Manziel.
6. Indianapolis Colts (from New York Jets)- Bradley Chubb, Defensive End, North Carolina State:
This was a home run trade for the Colts and it would become a grand slam if they land either Chubb or Barkley here. Chubb will be a great fit in the Colts 4-3 defense and he's a three-down back that would help them stop the likes of DeShaun Watson and Marcus Mariota within their division.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Quenton Nelson, Guard, Notre Dame: Secondary might be the bigger need, but they go with Nelson, who's best player available perhaps. Nelson seems like a sure thing and worthy of a top-ten pick and will help the Bucs on the interior of the offensive line and will serve good for Jameis Winston.
8. Chicago Bears- Denzel Ward, Cornerback, Ohio State: The Bears need secondary help as well as pass rush help and with Chubb gone, the Bears go with Ward here. Ward isn't the biggest cornerback in the draft but he can cover skills that are hard to come by in the league.
9. San Francisco 49ers- Minkah Fitzpatrick, Safety, Alabama: This would be a steal here for the 49ers, who improvised their secondary this offseason by signing Richard Sherman. Fitzpatrick's versatility makes him special and he's perhaps the best defensive player in this draft.
10. Oakland Raiders- Tremaine Edmunds, Linebacker, Virginia Tech: The Raiders biggest need is at linebacker and Edmunds would be a solid pick. Edmunds is nineteen years old and his athleticism would give the Silver And Black's defense a different look.
11. Miami Dolphins- Mason Rudolph, Quarterback, Oklahoma State: The Dolphins are a strong candidate to trade up for a quarterback, but I don't do trades in my mock drafts so here I have them selecting Rudolph. He's an experienced pocket passer with nice downfield touch. If they were to select a quarterback, it says a lot about how they feel about Ryan Tannehill.
12. Buffalo Bills (from Cincinnati Bengals)- Mike McGlinchey, Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame: After the trading of Cody Glenn, the Bills have a need on the offensive line. McGlinchey isn't that strong, but he's athletic and brings stability.
13. Washington Redskins- Derwin James, Strong Safety, Florida State: Perhaps the best defensive playmaker in the draft, James is the new NFL prototype as a safety capable of producing against the run or in both man and zone coverage. Florida State also used him as a pure edge rusher, where he regularly pressured the quarterback.
14. Green Bay Packers- Harold Landry, Linebacker, Boston College: With Ward off the board, the Packers go with Landry here to improve their pass rush. Landry did not have a great season in his final season at BC, but he should still be a solid pro.
15. Arizona Cardinals- Lamar Jackson, Quarterback, Louisville: The Cards are another trade up candidate, but here I have them selecting Jackson, who's a good decision maker and passer. The Cards know that Mike Glennon and Sam Bradford are not the long-term answers and Jackson would in theory be in a red-shirt situation here and a long-term foundation of Jackson and David Johnson is tough to pass up on.
16. Baltimore Ravens- Calvin Ridley, Wide Receiver, Alabama: The Ravens have lacked a big-threat receiver for years now and they get one here with Ridley, although they did sign John Brown and Michael Crabtree. Ridley brings a downfield, speedy option on the outside that would bring a different look to the Ravens offense.
17. Los Angeles Chargers- Da'Ron Payne, Defensive Tackle, Alabama: The Chargers pose what is arguably the best edge rushing duo in the league with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. Adding someone like Payne would only make that defensive line better.
18. Seattle Seahawks- Josh Jackson, Cornerback, Iowa: The Legion of Boom is dead. The Seahawks need youth and athleticism in their secondary and Jackson can provide that. Jackson is excellent in man-to-man coverage and comes off a season in which he led the nation in interceptions.
19. Dallas Cowboys- Vita Vea, Denfensive Tackle, Washington: Vea, a massive presence in the middle of a defensive line, will go a long way toward fixing that deficiency, while also providing enough quickness to penetrate into the backfield on some third downs.
20. Detroit Lions- Derrius Guice, Running Back, LSU: The Lions do have a need on the pass rush, but they also have a need at running back so they snag Guice here to improve their running game. Guice is getting some buzz and is moving up draft boards and he can prove to be a serviceable back.
21. Cincinnati Bengals (from Buffalo Bills)- Rashaan Evans, Linebacker, Alabama: The Bengals can use a linebacker now with Vontaze Burfict's suspension to start the season amid trade rumors. Evans brings an athletic presence who can fill multiple roles. He was more of an edge defender early in his career, and he pressured the quarterback on 67 of his 284 career rushes. However, he also showed well in a more traditional role over the last two years.
22. Buffalo Bills (from Kansas City Chiefs)- Courtland Sutton, Wide Receiver, SMU: With all the top quarterbacks off the board, the Bills go with Sutton to improve their receiving core. Sutton put together back-to-back seasons of 1,000 yards and 10 TDs, and he scored 32 times in all in his three seasons with the Mustangs.
23. Los Angeles Rams- Kolton Miller, Offensive Tackle, UCLA: Miller put together a great final season at the collegiate level and could end up becoming a starting tackle on this Rams team protecting Jared Goff. Miller is raw, but has the length and athleticism to succeed in the league.
24. Carolina Panthers- Will Hernandez, Guard, UTEP: No brainer pick here as the Panthers find their replacement for Andrew Norwell. Hernandez is big and powerful and he provides mobility.
25. Tennessee Titans- Leighton Vander Esch, Linebacker, Boise State: Vander Esch is rising up many peoples mocks drafts of late. The Titans have a need at linebacker with Avery Williamson departing in free agency and Vander Esch would be a nice replacement, who brings great athleticism, speed, and has incredible size and length.
26. Atlanta Falcons- Maurice Hurst, Defensive Tackle, Michigan: Hurst had a heart condition at the combine and that shouldn't drop him out of the first round as the Falcons find a replacement for Dontari Poe. Hurst doesn't have the size that teams are generally looking for in an interior defensive lineman, but his quickness more than makes up for that deficiency and makes him in particular a great threat rushing the passer on third downs.
27. New Orleans Saints- Arden Key, Defensive End/Linebacker, LSU: Key is a prospect trending down on mock boards. The premier pass-rusher dealt with injuries himself in 2017, but he's impressed against top SEC talent and should be a constant sack threat in the NFL if he can stay on the field and would be an interesting fit on a young Saints team.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers- Mike Gesicki, Tight End, Penn State: Gesicki is perhaps the best tight end in this draft class and would give Ben Rothlisberger yet another offensive weapon. Gesicki would be an upgrade at the position.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars- Christian Kirk, Wide Receiver, Texas A&M: Even after bringing back Marquise Lee and signing Donte Moncrief, the Jags have a need at receiver after losing Allen Robinson. Kirk provides stability for long plays although he is short, he would be a nice weapon for Blake Bortles.
30. Minnesota Vikings- Billy Price, Guard, Ohio State: Price would be a nice addition to a Vikings team that can use offensive line help to protect Kirk Cousins. Price would be a great target for them as a potential replacement for Joe Berger inside. Price would be one of the better starting centers in the league, so the Vikings have the option of sticking him at the pivot immediately and having Pat Elflein compete at a guard spot.
31. New England Patriots- Orlando Brown, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma: The Pats have a huge need at tackle now with Nate Solder's departure in free agency. Brown could be a steal here and it would be a very Belichick of him to take Brown here to protect Brady in his last few seasons in the league.
32. Philadelphia Eagles- Connor Williams, Offensive Tackle, Texas: The Eagles don't really have any needs. Williams is one of the better offensive lineman in this draft and the Eagles offensive line is aging so this would be a solid pick.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
2018 MLB Award Predictions
Here are my predictions on how the 2018 MLB awards will play out.
- American League
MVP: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: Judge probably should have won this award a year ago and probably would have won it if he didn't have the post-All Star break slump for six weeks and if the actual winner Jose Altuve didn't get hot while Judge was cold. Judge will benefit from Giancarlo Stanton being in this lineup and my gut tells me that he has a decrease in strike outs from a season ago and don't sleep on Judge's speed and defense.
Runner up: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
Cy Young: Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians: Kluber is the best pitcher in the American League right now and should be the favorite to repeat as the American League Cy Young. Kluber will get a ton of wins, strikeouts, complete games, shutouts, innings, and an outstanding ERA to get this award for the third time in his career.
Runner up: Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox
Rookie of the Year: Willie Calhoun, Texas Rangers: In a brief showcase in September after being acquired in the Yu Darvish trade last summer, Calhoun showed that he can flat out hit. He didn't use his rookie eligibility last year, so he's the pick here to take home these honors.
Runner up: Francisco Mejia, Cleveland Indians
Manager of the Year: Aaron Boone, New York Yankees: This feels like a safe bet pick here. Boone seems to be enjoying his job and is open to different ideas and will try some interesting things with the Yankees this season and he should do a great job in his managerial debut with his loaded team.
Runner up: AJ Hinch, Houston Astros
- National League
MVP: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals: I'm so tempted to call this a lock. Harper is in a contract year and will absolutely be motivated to get the big contract that he conveys. Harper will have his best season of his career and perhaps be baseballs best player this season and I won't be surprised if Trout vs Harper becomes a thing yet again.
Runner up: Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs
Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers: Kershaw is also in a contract year and will be motivated as well as trying to avoid injuries that have cost him perhaps the last two National League Cy Young awards. Kershaw is still the games best pitcher and he'll win this award despite some great competition.
Runner up: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
Rookie of the Year: Ronald Acuna, Atlanta Braves: Acuna will start the season in the minor leagues and will be called up some point this spring. He's bound to become a star in this game and will be a fixture in the Braves lineup for years to come.
Runner up: Scott Kingery, Philadelphia Phillies
Manager of the Year: Dave Martinez, Washington Nationals: Martinez was Joe Maddon's right hand man for years with the Rays and than with the Cubs and now is finally getting to get a chance to manage. He has a great team which benefits him and he'll do a great job in year one of his managerial career.
Runner up: Craig Counsel, Milwaukee Brewers
- American League
MVP: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: Judge probably should have won this award a year ago and probably would have won it if he didn't have the post-All Star break slump for six weeks and if the actual winner Jose Altuve didn't get hot while Judge was cold. Judge will benefit from Giancarlo Stanton being in this lineup and my gut tells me that he has a decrease in strike outs from a season ago and don't sleep on Judge's speed and defense.
Runner up: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
Cy Young: Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians: Kluber is the best pitcher in the American League right now and should be the favorite to repeat as the American League Cy Young. Kluber will get a ton of wins, strikeouts, complete games, shutouts, innings, and an outstanding ERA to get this award for the third time in his career.
Runner up: Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox
Rookie of the Year: Willie Calhoun, Texas Rangers: In a brief showcase in September after being acquired in the Yu Darvish trade last summer, Calhoun showed that he can flat out hit. He didn't use his rookie eligibility last year, so he's the pick here to take home these honors.
Runner up: Francisco Mejia, Cleveland Indians
Manager of the Year: Aaron Boone, New York Yankees: This feels like a safe bet pick here. Boone seems to be enjoying his job and is open to different ideas and will try some interesting things with the Yankees this season and he should do a great job in his managerial debut with his loaded team.
Runner up: AJ Hinch, Houston Astros
- National League
MVP: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals: I'm so tempted to call this a lock. Harper is in a contract year and will absolutely be motivated to get the big contract that he conveys. Harper will have his best season of his career and perhaps be baseballs best player this season and I won't be surprised if Trout vs Harper becomes a thing yet again.
Runner up: Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs
Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers: Kershaw is also in a contract year and will be motivated as well as trying to avoid injuries that have cost him perhaps the last two National League Cy Young awards. Kershaw is still the games best pitcher and he'll win this award despite some great competition.
Runner up: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
Rookie of the Year: Ronald Acuna, Atlanta Braves: Acuna will start the season in the minor leagues and will be called up some point this spring. He's bound to become a star in this game and will be a fixture in the Braves lineup for years to come.
Runner up: Scott Kingery, Philadelphia Phillies
Manager of the Year: Dave Martinez, Washington Nationals: Martinez was Joe Maddon's right hand man for years with the Rays and than with the Cubs and now is finally getting to get a chance to manage. He has a great team which benefits him and he'll do a great job in year one of his managerial career.
Runner up: Craig Counsel, Milwaukee Brewers
2018 MLB Season Predictions
Here are my predictions for the 2018 MLB season. Will the Astros repeat as champions? How will the Yankees fare with Giancarlo Stanton in that fearsome lineup now? How will Bryce Harper's possible last season in DC fare out? Find out here.
American League East
1. New York Yankees (97-65)
2. Boston Red Sox (93-69) (Wild Card)
3. Toronto Blue Jays (78-84)
4. Baltimore Orioles (74-88)
5. Tampa Bay Rays (72-90)
This division may not be as deep as it was the last few seasons. The New York Yankees are the favorites to win this division this season for a number of reasons. Reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton joins Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, and Didi Gregorius to form an amazing five-some in that loaded lineup. Bird will be out for the first two months of the season due to foot surgery, although that is a loss for them, they'll have Tyler Austin or Neil Walker play first for now. Don't sleep on the Yanks starting staff led by Luis Severino, who finished third in the AL Cy Young voting last season. Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, CC Sabathia, and Jordan Montgomery round out the rotation and when healthy that's a great five-some. The best unit on this team is the bullpen with a bunch of studs in Aroldis Chapman, David Robertson, Chad Green, Tommy Kahnle, and (when he's on his game) Dellin Betances. This Yankee team is loaded and destined for big things. The Boston Red Sox can't be ruled out in this division and it cannot be forgotten that they won the division a year ago meanwhile a bunch of their key players had disappointing seasons individually and have bounce back capability. Their offense will be better with the addition of JD Martinez to go with their young core of Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers. Their rotation (when healthy) is solid led by ace Chris Sale. Bounce back seasons from David Price, Rick Porcello, and Drew Pomeranz will help this team greatly. Their bullpen is solid as well led by closer Craig Kimbrel. Carson Smith is a solid reliever and so is Tyler Thornburg, who is starting the season on the DL. The Red Sox seem destined to host the American League Wild Card game. The Toronto Blue Jays had a bit of a makeover of their team by taking chances on either young guys to benefit from a change of scenery or veterans that can help them either this season or they can use as trade bait come July if they're out of contention. The offense should be solid led by Josh Donaldson, who is in a contract year and could be trade bait if things go south. New additions Randal Grichuk, Curtis Granderson, Yangervis Solarte, and Aledmys Diaz all are capable of helping them. The rotation cannot be slept on led by Marcus Stroman, who is capable of pitching like a top-10 pitcher. JA Happ and Marco Estrada are capable of pitching well on occasion as well. Their bullpen is mediocre, but have a solid closer in Roberto Osuna. Joe Bigiani and Aaron Sanchez are solid guys out of their bullpen although both of those guys can start too. The Blue Jays season could go either way depending on health and performance. The Baltimore Orioles are an interesting team this season for many of different seasons. Manny Machado and Adam Jones are in contract years and are two of the leaders on that team and of course in their lineup. Jonathan Schoop broke out last season and the O's lineup also features two rookies in Chance Sisco and Austin Hays. Their rotation isn't good although they recently signed Alex Cobb, who joins Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy to anchor that rotation. The O's bullpen cannot be slept on once closer Zach Britton comes back from injury and this bullpen also has Darren O'Day and Brad Brach in there. The O's seem destined for the bottom of the division and a trade deadline sell-off with guys like Machado, Jones, Britton, and Brach in contract years. The Tampa Bay Rays had an interesting offseason with the trading of some veterans and trading for some young guys with upside. Their offense will be subpar with the departures of Evan Longoria, Logan Morrison, and Steven Souza Jr and they'll be relying on new additions CJ Kron and Carlos Gomez to perform. The rotation isn't as good as it once was with the trading of Jake Odorizzi and the free agent departure of Alex Cobb. Chris Arhcer will anchor the rotation and guys like Blake Snell, Matt Andriese, and Nathan Eovaldi will be making starts for them. Their bullpen isn't good, but have a solid closer in Alex Colome and don't be shocked if Sergio Romo pitches well for them. The Rays, like the O's are destined for the bottom of the division with a trade deadline sell-off with guys like Archer, Colome, and maybe Romo and Miller if they perform well.
American League Central
1. Cleveland Indians (94-68)
2. Minnesota Twins (84-78)
3. Chicago White Sox (77-85)
4. Kansas City Royals (68-94)
5. Detroit Tigers (65-97)
This division is perhaps the weakest in the game due to the fact two of the three leagues worst teams reside in this division. The Cleveland Indians are favorites in this division yet again although they did lose some key pieces in free agency. The offense should still be solid led by Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez and it would be great if Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis stay healthy. The rotation is among the leagues best led by reigning Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. Carlos Corrasco, Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin, and Mike Clevenger round out the rotation. Danny Salazar may start the season on the DL due to shoulder inflammation and he may end up as a reliever or even trade bait eventually. The bullpen is still solid despite the free agent departure of Bryan Shaw. Cody Allen and Andrew Miller is a very good duo that will be relied on heavily. The Indians should win this division by a landslide again this season. The Minnesota Twins made the American League Wild Card game a season ago and they improved their team. Logan Morrison joins a great lineup led by Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, and Miguel Sano. This team was dealt a blow though with Jorge Polanco suspended for eighty games due to PED's. The rotation will be better with the additions of Lance Lynn and Jake Odorizzi, although the team did not land an ace in the offseason. Their bullpen should be better with the additions of Addison Reed and Fernando Rodney. The Twins seem destined to fall short of expectations due to the Polanco suspension, Ervin Santana's injury and possible regression, and the fact that some competition around has improved too. The Chicago White Sox are a franchise heading in the right direction, but still is in the midst of their rebuild. Jose Abreu leads the way offensively and have a bunch of youngsters in the lineup with Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, and Matt Davidson. Their rotation won't be good as a whole this year, but young prospect Michael Kopech will be called up at some point and will be an American League Rookie of the Year candidate. James Shields is still around and he could be trade bait come July. The bullpen isn't good after they traded their best three relievers last July. Joakim Soria is slated to be the White Sox closer and he may be trade bait this season. The Kansas City Royals are starting what is probably going to be a long rebuild. Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain are gone and Mike Moustakas was brought back as well as Alcides Escobar. Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon are still around and the Royal will rely on those guys plus youngsters in Hunter Doizer, Whit Merrifield, and Cheslor Cuthbert. The rotation is not good and Danny Duffy is their best starter. The bullpen is not as good as it was in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, but they have a solid closer in Kelvin Herrera. The Royals are destined for the bottom of the division as well as a trade deadline sell-off with guys like Moustakas, Duffy, and Herrera likely to be dealt and even possibly Perez. The Detroit Tigers are also starting a long rebuild process. The offense isn't even close to what it was in the past although Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez are still around. Jeimer Candelario is a young guy that's probably going to be in this rebuild for the long haul. The rotation outside of Michael Fulmer is among the games worst although they do have prospects down in the minors that will be impactful down the road. The bullpen isn't good either and Shane Greene is slated to be their closer. The Tigers will also be a trade deadline seller and guys like Fulmer, Francisco Liriano, Greene, Alex Wilson, Nicholas Castellanos, and even Cabrera and Martinez could be traded this summer.
American League West
1. Houston Astros (96-66)
2. Los Angeles Angels (88-74) (Wild Card)
3. Seattle Mariners (78-84)
4. Texas Rangers (76-86)
5. Oakland Athletics (74-88)
This division has a chance to be the best in the league this season and the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros are the favorites to repeat in this division. The Astros offense is among the leagues best led by reigning American League MVP Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer, and Alex Bregman. The rotation is very good led by Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel and they added Gerrit Cole this past winter. Postseason heroes Lance McCullers Jr and Charlie Morton are very good in the back end of the rotation as well. The bullpen was improved in the offseason with the additions of Hector Rendon and Joe Smith. The bullpen would be among the games best if Ken Giles, Chris Devinksi, and Joe Harris pitch to their capabilities. The Astros are destined to be among the games elite this season. The Los Angeles Angels are going to be one of the leagues most improved teams. Mike Trout will be an American League MVP candidate yet again and he has help in his lineup with Justin Upton, Ian Kinsler, Zach Cozart, and perhaps if Albert Pujols can turn back the clock too. We shall see if Shohai Ohtani turns out to be as good as advertised or not after a disappointing spring training both at the plate and on the pound. The rotation along with Ohtani features Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, and Tyler Skaggs and Richards has shown ace-like capability in the past. The bullpen is not very good though and their closer is slated to be either Jim Johnson or Blake Parker. The Angels led by Trout and the improved offense along with a healthy Richards, should take the Angels to the playoffs. The Seattle Mariners made some interesting offseason moves. Their offense will be solid led by Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager, Robinson Cano, and new acquisitions Ryon Healy and Dee Gordon. The Mariners failed to improve their rotation and they're relying on Felix Hernandez to turn back the clock and for James Paxton to stay healthy and pitch like he did in the beginning of last season. The bullpen took a blow as David Phelps was lost for the season with Tommy John surgery. Edwin Diaz is slated to be their closer and he was decent last season. The M's season can go either way whether it's playoffs or trade deadline sell-off this summer. The Texas Rangers had an interesting off season as well. Their offense will be their strength led by Adrian Beltre, Rougned Odor, and Joey Gallo. The rotation is subpar outside of Cole Hamels and they added guys like Doug Fster, Matt Moore, and Mike Minor who are nice starters, but have seen better days. Their bullpen is not good and it's unknown who their closer will be and it maybe Jake Diekman or Alex Claudio. The Rangers and Mariners are similar from a standpoint from that their season can go either way. The Athletics are going to be improved this season and could be the leagues best last place team. The offense will be improved with the addition of Stephen Piscotty to go with Khris Davis and youngsters Matt Chapman and Matt Olson. The rotation should be better with the possible improvements from Kendall Graveman and Sean Manaea. The bullpen isn't as good as it was before they traded away some guys last summer and Blake Treinen is slated to be their closer. The A's should be improved although they will likely deal some guys this summer.
National League East
1. Washington Nationals (96-66)
2. New York Mets (84-78)
3. Philadelphia Phillies (78-84)
4. Atlanta Braves (77-85)
5. Miami Marlins (60-102)
This division will be better than it was a season ago, but the Washington Nationals are the team to beat in this division yet again. Bryce Harper is in a contract year and will be very motivated this season and he along with his teammates in Trea Turner, Anthony Rendon, Daniel Murphy (who's going to start the season on the DL due to his offseason knee surgery), and Adam Eaton (who's coming off a torn ACL) are going to lead the way offensively. The rotation is solid led by the dynamic duo of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strausburg. Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Rorak are also solid starters in their rotation. Their bullpen is improved as well with the guys they traded for last summer and they are all back with closer Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson, and Brandon Kintzler. The New York Mets should be improved this season due to guys coming back from injuries and improvement from younger players. The offense should be better with a healthy Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce coming back, Michael Conforto coming off injury, and youngsters Brandon Nimmo and Amed Rosario improving. The rotation should be better with Noah Syndergaard back from injury, Jacob deGrom, and a motivated Matt Harvey leading the way. The bullpen should be better with the return of Jeurys Familia and the addition of Anthony Swarzak. The Philadelphia Phillies will be one of the more improved teams in baseball this season. The lineup is going to be great with youngsters Rhys Hoskins, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Scott Kingery and veteran offseason acquisition Carlos Santana. The rotation is improved with free agent signee Jake Arrieta joining Aaron Nola and Vince Velasquez to form a nice three-some. The bullpen is improved as well with the signings of Pat Nishek and Tommy Hunter to go with closer Hector Neris. The Phillies season could go either way whether it's a playoff push or one last year of shipping away cheap veterans, but will be a fun watch. The Atlanta Braves are another team on the rise in this division. The lineup will be better with the inevitable call-up of Ronald Acuna, who is a National Rookie of the Year favorite joining Freddie Freeman to form a nice duo. The rotation will probably be better later in the season if young prospect Kyle Wright gets promoted to The Show at some point to join Julio Terehan and Mike Foltynewicz. Their bullpen is below average though, but have a solid closer in Arodys Viczaino. The Braves are going to be fun to watch this season as well. The Miami Marlins are among the leagues worst teams after trading away some great players this past winter. JT Realmuto is still around and he could very well among the next to get moved as well as Starlin Castro, who they got back in the Giancarlo Stanton trade. Although youngsters Brian Anderson, Lewis Brinson and Magneuris Sierra will be bright spots for them. Their rotation is among the worst in the game and Jose Urena is slated to start Opening Day. Their bullpen is also bad although they have two solid arms in Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa, who are also trade bait. This is a mess in Miami that's going to take a long time to turn around.
National League Central
1. Chicago Cubs (95-67)
2. St. Louis Cardinals (88-74) (Wild Card)
3. Milwaukee Brewers (87-75) (Wild Card)
4. Pittsburgh Pirates (72-90)
5. Cincinnati Reds (71-91)
This division is solid on top and very bad at the bottom. The Chicago Cubs remain the favorites in this division for a number of reasons. The offense is still very good led by Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Wilson Contreras. The rotation will be better with the free agent signing of Yu Darvish to go with Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, and Kyle Hendricks in that rotation. The bullpen is improved too with the free agent signing of Brandon Morrow to go with Pedro Strop, Justin Wilson, and Carl Edwards Jr. The Cubs are bound to be one of the games elite teams again this season. The St. Louis Cardinals will be an improved team this season as well. Marcell Ozuna brings power to a lineup featuring Matt Carpenter, Paul DeJong, Tommy Pham, and Yadier Molina. Although Adam Wainwright is starting the season on the DL due to a strained left hamstring, the rotation should be solid with Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha, Luke Weaver, young prospect Jack Flaherty, and perhaps Alex Reyes coming off of Tommy John surgery unless he goes to the 'pen. Luke Gregerson is starting the season on the DL due to a strain left hamstring as well. Guys like Brett Cecil and Tyler Lyons will be heavily relied on in that bullpen. The Cards are a candidate to make a trade this summer which will help them become a playoff team this season and I believe that's the case. The Milwaukee Brewers were a surprise team a season ago and look to build on that. Their offense is improved with the additions of Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich to go with Travis Shaw, Ryan Braun, and Danny Santana. The rotation isn't very good and maybe they add somebody to go with Chase Anderson and Jimmy Nelson in that rotation. The bullpen is solid with a Corey Knebel closing games out and they also have Matt Albers, Boone Logan, and Jared Jeffress in their 'pen. The Brewers are a team bound to make deadline splashes which will help them to a Wild Card spot. The Pittsburgh Pirates are team enduring a rebuild after trading away Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole. Josh Harrison may be next out the door and along with Harrison, they have guys Corey Dickerson, Josh Bell, Gregory Polanco, and Starling Marte on offense. Their rotation consists of Ivan Nova, Jameson Taillon, and perhaps Tyler Glasnow could see some starts as well. Their bullpen isn't good and Felipe Rivero is slated to be their closer. The Cincinnati Reds are still in the middle of their rebuilding process. Joey Votto is still around and he leads the way for the Reds offense as well as Adam Duvall, Scott Schebler, and perhaps Nick Senzel will be up at some point for them. Their rotation is subpar although Luis Castillo has shown promise as well as Brandon Finnegan and Anthony DeSclafani, who will both start the season on the DL. Their bullpen is subpar, but have a decent closer in Rafael Iglesias. The Reds are again destined for the bottom of the division.
National League West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (97-65)
2. Arizona Diamondbacks (85-77)
3. Colorado Rockies (82-80)
4. San Francisco Giants (71-91)
5. San Diego Padres (70-92)
This division has a chance to be better as a whole, but I doubt that. The Los Angeles Dodgers should be the favorites here yet again. The offense should be great with Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, and Justin Turner leading the way although Turner will start the season on the DL due to a broken wrist. Clayton Kershaw is in a contract year for the Dodgers and will be motivated. Alex Wood, Kenta Maeda, and Rich Hill are among those with Kershaw in the rotation and don't forget about Julio Urias, who'll be back in May coming off shoulder surgery. The bullpen took a hit with the free agent loss of Brandon Morrow, but still have the games best closer in Kenley Jansen and have solid relievers in Tony Cingrani, Josh Fields, and trade acquisition Scott Alexander. The Dodgers are going to be great yet again this season. The Arizona Diamondbacks are among the decent teams in the National League. The offense will still be solid (despite losing JD Martinez) led by Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Lamb, and trade acquisition Steven Souza Jr. The rotation should be good led by Zach Greinke, Robbie Ray, and Taijuan Walker. The bullpen took a hit with the free agent departure of Fernando Rodney, but they do have Archie Bradley and Brad Boxberger who are capable of closing games. The D-Backs should be in the hunt all season long. The Colorado Rockies has a great season last year and it should be interesting to see if they replicate it. The offense will be among the games better ones led by Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon and it will be interesting if stud prospect Brendan Rodgers gets called up at some point. The rotation isn't great, but Jon Gray evolved into an ace last season. German Marquez exceeded expectations as a rookie early in the season, but fell off in the second half. The bullpen is improved with the signings of Wade Davis and Bryan Shaw. The Rockies feel like a regression candidate to me. The San Francisco Giants are a fascinating team to watch this season for a number of reasons. The offense should be better with the additions of Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen to go with Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, and Brandon Crawford. Madison Bumgarner broke his pinky finger so he'll miss the first two months of the season and that is a giant blow to this team. The rest of the rotation features the likes of Johnny Cueto, Ty Blach, and Jeff Samardzija, who is also starting the season on the DL due to a right pectoral muscle strain. Their bullpen isn't that great, but a Mark Melancon bounce back season is a possibility and Sam Dyson, Hunter Strickland, and Tony Watson are solid arms too. With Bumgarner missing time and guys aging on the roster, it feels like destiny that this team is going to realize it's time to start a rebuild and perhaps a Bumgarner trade cannot be ruled out if a godfather offer comes around. The San Diego Padres rebuild is coming closer to an end as some of their prospects are nearing the bigs and they actually made some moves this winter. Eric Hosmer was paid big bucks by the Padres and Chase Headley was brought back this past winter and they join Hunter Renfroe, Miguel Margot, and Austin Hedges in that lineup. The rotation is subpar as Clayton Richard is slated to start Opening Day. The bullpen is also subpar and Brad Hand is their lone reliever that's good and he'll be trade bait. This is a franchise heading in the right direction, but still a year or two away.
2018 MLB Playoffs
- American League Wild Card
(WC2) Los Angeles Angels vs (WC1) Boston Red Sox: This game is destined to be Chris Sale out-dueling Garrett Richards and Craig Kimbrel closing it out to propel the Red Sox to the Divisional Round to face their arch-rival.
Prediction: Red Sox
- National League Wild Card
(WC2) Milwaukee Brewers vs (WC1) St. Louis Cardinals: A division rivalry in a one-game playoff is always fun. This would be such a fun game for so many reasons besides the rivalry, but give me Carlos Martinez to lead the Cards behind the Busch Stadium crowd to propel the Cards to the Divisional Round.
Prediction: Cardinals
- American League Division Series
(WC1) Boston Red Sox vs (1) New York Yankees: The games best rivalry takes on in the postseason. The Yanks are just the better team this season led by the great offense and bullpen as they'll advance to the League Championship Series for the second straight season.
Prediction: Yankees in four games
(3) Cleveland Indians vs (2) Houston Astros: What most folks thought what the League Championship Series would be a year ago, will end up taking place here. This should be a great series but give me the duo of Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander to lead the way as the Astros go to the League Championship Series for the third time in four seasons.
Prediction: Astros in five games
- National League Division Series
(WC1) St. Louis Cardinals vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers: This should be a fun series with all the talent on both sides. Give me Clayton Kershaw to lead the way for the Dodgers to their third straight League Championship Series.
Prediction: Dodgers in four games
(3) Chicago Cubs vs (2) Washington Nationals: Here we have a rematch of last years epic Divisional Round series. Something tells me it's the same outcome from last season except you have Yu Darvish pitching the decisive game five victory.
Prediction: Cubs in five games
- American League Championship Series
(2) Houston Astros vs (1) New York Yankees: Here we have a rematch of last years League Championship Series. I think this one goes seven games as well except the improved and deep Yankees break through to their first World Series since 2009.
Prediction: Yankees in seven games
- National League Championship Series
(3) Chicago Cubs vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers: Here we also have a rematch of last years League Championship Series. This time I think it goes a little bit longer than last season and more competitive as well as Kershaw and the Dodgers advance to their second straight World Series.
Prediction: Dodgers in six games
- World Series
(N1) Los Angeles Dodgers vs (A1) New York Yankees: A Broadway versus Hollywood World Series is something baseball fans would love and these are two of the three best teams in the league. Both teams are deep just about everywhere and both teams will improve their rosters even more at the trade deadline in July. This was a hard call, but the Yankees with home field advantage will propel them to their twenty-eighth championship in franchise history and their first since 2009.
Prediction: Yankees in six games
American League East
1. New York Yankees (97-65)
2. Boston Red Sox (93-69) (Wild Card)
3. Toronto Blue Jays (78-84)
4. Baltimore Orioles (74-88)
5. Tampa Bay Rays (72-90)
This division may not be as deep as it was the last few seasons. The New York Yankees are the favorites to win this division this season for a number of reasons. Reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton joins Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, and Didi Gregorius to form an amazing five-some in that loaded lineup. Bird will be out for the first two months of the season due to foot surgery, although that is a loss for them, they'll have Tyler Austin or Neil Walker play first for now. Don't sleep on the Yanks starting staff led by Luis Severino, who finished third in the AL Cy Young voting last season. Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, CC Sabathia, and Jordan Montgomery round out the rotation and when healthy that's a great five-some. The best unit on this team is the bullpen with a bunch of studs in Aroldis Chapman, David Robertson, Chad Green, Tommy Kahnle, and (when he's on his game) Dellin Betances. This Yankee team is loaded and destined for big things. The Boston Red Sox can't be ruled out in this division and it cannot be forgotten that they won the division a year ago meanwhile a bunch of their key players had disappointing seasons individually and have bounce back capability. Their offense will be better with the addition of JD Martinez to go with their young core of Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers. Their rotation (when healthy) is solid led by ace Chris Sale. Bounce back seasons from David Price, Rick Porcello, and Drew Pomeranz will help this team greatly. Their bullpen is solid as well led by closer Craig Kimbrel. Carson Smith is a solid reliever and so is Tyler Thornburg, who is starting the season on the DL. The Red Sox seem destined to host the American League Wild Card game. The Toronto Blue Jays had a bit of a makeover of their team by taking chances on either young guys to benefit from a change of scenery or veterans that can help them either this season or they can use as trade bait come July if they're out of contention. The offense should be solid led by Josh Donaldson, who is in a contract year and could be trade bait if things go south. New additions Randal Grichuk, Curtis Granderson, Yangervis Solarte, and Aledmys Diaz all are capable of helping them. The rotation cannot be slept on led by Marcus Stroman, who is capable of pitching like a top-10 pitcher. JA Happ and Marco Estrada are capable of pitching well on occasion as well. Their bullpen is mediocre, but have a solid closer in Roberto Osuna. Joe Bigiani and Aaron Sanchez are solid guys out of their bullpen although both of those guys can start too. The Blue Jays season could go either way depending on health and performance. The Baltimore Orioles are an interesting team this season for many of different seasons. Manny Machado and Adam Jones are in contract years and are two of the leaders on that team and of course in their lineup. Jonathan Schoop broke out last season and the O's lineup also features two rookies in Chance Sisco and Austin Hays. Their rotation isn't good although they recently signed Alex Cobb, who joins Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy to anchor that rotation. The O's bullpen cannot be slept on once closer Zach Britton comes back from injury and this bullpen also has Darren O'Day and Brad Brach in there. The O's seem destined for the bottom of the division and a trade deadline sell-off with guys like Machado, Jones, Britton, and Brach in contract years. The Tampa Bay Rays had an interesting offseason with the trading of some veterans and trading for some young guys with upside. Their offense will be subpar with the departures of Evan Longoria, Logan Morrison, and Steven Souza Jr and they'll be relying on new additions CJ Kron and Carlos Gomez to perform. The rotation isn't as good as it once was with the trading of Jake Odorizzi and the free agent departure of Alex Cobb. Chris Arhcer will anchor the rotation and guys like Blake Snell, Matt Andriese, and Nathan Eovaldi will be making starts for them. Their bullpen isn't good, but have a solid closer in Alex Colome and don't be shocked if Sergio Romo pitches well for them. The Rays, like the O's are destined for the bottom of the division with a trade deadline sell-off with guys like Archer, Colome, and maybe Romo and Miller if they perform well.
American League Central
1. Cleveland Indians (94-68)
2. Minnesota Twins (84-78)
3. Chicago White Sox (77-85)
4. Kansas City Royals (68-94)
5. Detroit Tigers (65-97)
This division is perhaps the weakest in the game due to the fact two of the three leagues worst teams reside in this division. The Cleveland Indians are favorites in this division yet again although they did lose some key pieces in free agency. The offense should still be solid led by Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez and it would be great if Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis stay healthy. The rotation is among the leagues best led by reigning Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. Carlos Corrasco, Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin, and Mike Clevenger round out the rotation. Danny Salazar may start the season on the DL due to shoulder inflammation and he may end up as a reliever or even trade bait eventually. The bullpen is still solid despite the free agent departure of Bryan Shaw. Cody Allen and Andrew Miller is a very good duo that will be relied on heavily. The Indians should win this division by a landslide again this season. The Minnesota Twins made the American League Wild Card game a season ago and they improved their team. Logan Morrison joins a great lineup led by Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, and Miguel Sano. This team was dealt a blow though with Jorge Polanco suspended for eighty games due to PED's. The rotation will be better with the additions of Lance Lynn and Jake Odorizzi, although the team did not land an ace in the offseason. Their bullpen should be better with the additions of Addison Reed and Fernando Rodney. The Twins seem destined to fall short of expectations due to the Polanco suspension, Ervin Santana's injury and possible regression, and the fact that some competition around has improved too. The Chicago White Sox are a franchise heading in the right direction, but still is in the midst of their rebuild. Jose Abreu leads the way offensively and have a bunch of youngsters in the lineup with Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, and Matt Davidson. Their rotation won't be good as a whole this year, but young prospect Michael Kopech will be called up at some point and will be an American League Rookie of the Year candidate. James Shields is still around and he could be trade bait come July. The bullpen isn't good after they traded their best three relievers last July. Joakim Soria is slated to be the White Sox closer and he may be trade bait this season. The Kansas City Royals are starting what is probably going to be a long rebuild. Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain are gone and Mike Moustakas was brought back as well as Alcides Escobar. Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon are still around and the Royal will rely on those guys plus youngsters in Hunter Doizer, Whit Merrifield, and Cheslor Cuthbert. The rotation is not good and Danny Duffy is their best starter. The bullpen is not as good as it was in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, but they have a solid closer in Kelvin Herrera. The Royals are destined for the bottom of the division as well as a trade deadline sell-off with guys like Moustakas, Duffy, and Herrera likely to be dealt and even possibly Perez. The Detroit Tigers are also starting a long rebuild process. The offense isn't even close to what it was in the past although Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez are still around. Jeimer Candelario is a young guy that's probably going to be in this rebuild for the long haul. The rotation outside of Michael Fulmer is among the games worst although they do have prospects down in the minors that will be impactful down the road. The bullpen isn't good either and Shane Greene is slated to be their closer. The Tigers will also be a trade deadline seller and guys like Fulmer, Francisco Liriano, Greene, Alex Wilson, Nicholas Castellanos, and even Cabrera and Martinez could be traded this summer.
American League West
1. Houston Astros (96-66)
2. Los Angeles Angels (88-74) (Wild Card)
3. Seattle Mariners (78-84)
4. Texas Rangers (76-86)
5. Oakland Athletics (74-88)
This division has a chance to be the best in the league this season and the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros are the favorites to repeat in this division. The Astros offense is among the leagues best led by reigning American League MVP Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer, and Alex Bregman. The rotation is very good led by Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel and they added Gerrit Cole this past winter. Postseason heroes Lance McCullers Jr and Charlie Morton are very good in the back end of the rotation as well. The bullpen was improved in the offseason with the additions of Hector Rendon and Joe Smith. The bullpen would be among the games best if Ken Giles, Chris Devinksi, and Joe Harris pitch to their capabilities. The Astros are destined to be among the games elite this season. The Los Angeles Angels are going to be one of the leagues most improved teams. Mike Trout will be an American League MVP candidate yet again and he has help in his lineup with Justin Upton, Ian Kinsler, Zach Cozart, and perhaps if Albert Pujols can turn back the clock too. We shall see if Shohai Ohtani turns out to be as good as advertised or not after a disappointing spring training both at the plate and on the pound. The rotation along with Ohtani features Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, and Tyler Skaggs and Richards has shown ace-like capability in the past. The bullpen is not very good though and their closer is slated to be either Jim Johnson or Blake Parker. The Angels led by Trout and the improved offense along with a healthy Richards, should take the Angels to the playoffs. The Seattle Mariners made some interesting offseason moves. Their offense will be solid led by Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager, Robinson Cano, and new acquisitions Ryon Healy and Dee Gordon. The Mariners failed to improve their rotation and they're relying on Felix Hernandez to turn back the clock and for James Paxton to stay healthy and pitch like he did in the beginning of last season. The bullpen took a blow as David Phelps was lost for the season with Tommy John surgery. Edwin Diaz is slated to be their closer and he was decent last season. The M's season can go either way whether it's playoffs or trade deadline sell-off this summer. The Texas Rangers had an interesting off season as well. Their offense will be their strength led by Adrian Beltre, Rougned Odor, and Joey Gallo. The rotation is subpar outside of Cole Hamels and they added guys like Doug Fster, Matt Moore, and Mike Minor who are nice starters, but have seen better days. Their bullpen is not good and it's unknown who their closer will be and it maybe Jake Diekman or Alex Claudio. The Rangers and Mariners are similar from a standpoint from that their season can go either way. The Athletics are going to be improved this season and could be the leagues best last place team. The offense will be improved with the addition of Stephen Piscotty to go with Khris Davis and youngsters Matt Chapman and Matt Olson. The rotation should be better with the possible improvements from Kendall Graveman and Sean Manaea. The bullpen isn't as good as it was before they traded away some guys last summer and Blake Treinen is slated to be their closer. The A's should be improved although they will likely deal some guys this summer.
National League East
1. Washington Nationals (96-66)
2. New York Mets (84-78)
3. Philadelphia Phillies (78-84)
4. Atlanta Braves (77-85)
5. Miami Marlins (60-102)
This division will be better than it was a season ago, but the Washington Nationals are the team to beat in this division yet again. Bryce Harper is in a contract year and will be very motivated this season and he along with his teammates in Trea Turner, Anthony Rendon, Daniel Murphy (who's going to start the season on the DL due to his offseason knee surgery), and Adam Eaton (who's coming off a torn ACL) are going to lead the way offensively. The rotation is solid led by the dynamic duo of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strausburg. Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Rorak are also solid starters in their rotation. Their bullpen is improved as well with the guys they traded for last summer and they are all back with closer Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson, and Brandon Kintzler. The New York Mets should be improved this season due to guys coming back from injuries and improvement from younger players. The offense should be better with a healthy Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce coming back, Michael Conforto coming off injury, and youngsters Brandon Nimmo and Amed Rosario improving. The rotation should be better with Noah Syndergaard back from injury, Jacob deGrom, and a motivated Matt Harvey leading the way. The bullpen should be better with the return of Jeurys Familia and the addition of Anthony Swarzak. The Philadelphia Phillies will be one of the more improved teams in baseball this season. The lineup is going to be great with youngsters Rhys Hoskins, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Scott Kingery and veteran offseason acquisition Carlos Santana. The rotation is improved with free agent signee Jake Arrieta joining Aaron Nola and Vince Velasquez to form a nice three-some. The bullpen is improved as well with the signings of Pat Nishek and Tommy Hunter to go with closer Hector Neris. The Phillies season could go either way whether it's a playoff push or one last year of shipping away cheap veterans, but will be a fun watch. The Atlanta Braves are another team on the rise in this division. The lineup will be better with the inevitable call-up of Ronald Acuna, who is a National Rookie of the Year favorite joining Freddie Freeman to form a nice duo. The rotation will probably be better later in the season if young prospect Kyle Wright gets promoted to The Show at some point to join Julio Terehan and Mike Foltynewicz. Their bullpen is below average though, but have a solid closer in Arodys Viczaino. The Braves are going to be fun to watch this season as well. The Miami Marlins are among the leagues worst teams after trading away some great players this past winter. JT Realmuto is still around and he could very well among the next to get moved as well as Starlin Castro, who they got back in the Giancarlo Stanton trade. Although youngsters Brian Anderson, Lewis Brinson and Magneuris Sierra will be bright spots for them. Their rotation is among the worst in the game and Jose Urena is slated to start Opening Day. Their bullpen is also bad although they have two solid arms in Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa, who are also trade bait. This is a mess in Miami that's going to take a long time to turn around.
National League Central
1. Chicago Cubs (95-67)
2. St. Louis Cardinals (88-74) (Wild Card)
3. Milwaukee Brewers (87-75) (Wild Card)
4. Pittsburgh Pirates (72-90)
5. Cincinnati Reds (71-91)
This division is solid on top and very bad at the bottom. The Chicago Cubs remain the favorites in this division for a number of reasons. The offense is still very good led by Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Wilson Contreras. The rotation will be better with the free agent signing of Yu Darvish to go with Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, and Kyle Hendricks in that rotation. The bullpen is improved too with the free agent signing of Brandon Morrow to go with Pedro Strop, Justin Wilson, and Carl Edwards Jr. The Cubs are bound to be one of the games elite teams again this season. The St. Louis Cardinals will be an improved team this season as well. Marcell Ozuna brings power to a lineup featuring Matt Carpenter, Paul DeJong, Tommy Pham, and Yadier Molina. Although Adam Wainwright is starting the season on the DL due to a strained left hamstring, the rotation should be solid with Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha, Luke Weaver, young prospect Jack Flaherty, and perhaps Alex Reyes coming off of Tommy John surgery unless he goes to the 'pen. Luke Gregerson is starting the season on the DL due to a strain left hamstring as well. Guys like Brett Cecil and Tyler Lyons will be heavily relied on in that bullpen. The Cards are a candidate to make a trade this summer which will help them become a playoff team this season and I believe that's the case. The Milwaukee Brewers were a surprise team a season ago and look to build on that. Their offense is improved with the additions of Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich to go with Travis Shaw, Ryan Braun, and Danny Santana. The rotation isn't very good and maybe they add somebody to go with Chase Anderson and Jimmy Nelson in that rotation. The bullpen is solid with a Corey Knebel closing games out and they also have Matt Albers, Boone Logan, and Jared Jeffress in their 'pen. The Brewers are a team bound to make deadline splashes which will help them to a Wild Card spot. The Pittsburgh Pirates are team enduring a rebuild after trading away Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole. Josh Harrison may be next out the door and along with Harrison, they have guys Corey Dickerson, Josh Bell, Gregory Polanco, and Starling Marte on offense. Their rotation consists of Ivan Nova, Jameson Taillon, and perhaps Tyler Glasnow could see some starts as well. Their bullpen isn't good and Felipe Rivero is slated to be their closer. The Cincinnati Reds are still in the middle of their rebuilding process. Joey Votto is still around and he leads the way for the Reds offense as well as Adam Duvall, Scott Schebler, and perhaps Nick Senzel will be up at some point for them. Their rotation is subpar although Luis Castillo has shown promise as well as Brandon Finnegan and Anthony DeSclafani, who will both start the season on the DL. Their bullpen is subpar, but have a decent closer in Rafael Iglesias. The Reds are again destined for the bottom of the division.
National League West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (97-65)
2. Arizona Diamondbacks (85-77)
3. Colorado Rockies (82-80)
4. San Francisco Giants (71-91)
5. San Diego Padres (70-92)
This division has a chance to be better as a whole, but I doubt that. The Los Angeles Dodgers should be the favorites here yet again. The offense should be great with Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, and Justin Turner leading the way although Turner will start the season on the DL due to a broken wrist. Clayton Kershaw is in a contract year for the Dodgers and will be motivated. Alex Wood, Kenta Maeda, and Rich Hill are among those with Kershaw in the rotation and don't forget about Julio Urias, who'll be back in May coming off shoulder surgery. The bullpen took a hit with the free agent loss of Brandon Morrow, but still have the games best closer in Kenley Jansen and have solid relievers in Tony Cingrani, Josh Fields, and trade acquisition Scott Alexander. The Dodgers are going to be great yet again this season. The Arizona Diamondbacks are among the decent teams in the National League. The offense will still be solid (despite losing JD Martinez) led by Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Lamb, and trade acquisition Steven Souza Jr. The rotation should be good led by Zach Greinke, Robbie Ray, and Taijuan Walker. The bullpen took a hit with the free agent departure of Fernando Rodney, but they do have Archie Bradley and Brad Boxberger who are capable of closing games. The D-Backs should be in the hunt all season long. The Colorado Rockies has a great season last year and it should be interesting to see if they replicate it. The offense will be among the games better ones led by Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon and it will be interesting if stud prospect Brendan Rodgers gets called up at some point. The rotation isn't great, but Jon Gray evolved into an ace last season. German Marquez exceeded expectations as a rookie early in the season, but fell off in the second half. The bullpen is improved with the signings of Wade Davis and Bryan Shaw. The Rockies feel like a regression candidate to me. The San Francisco Giants are a fascinating team to watch this season for a number of reasons. The offense should be better with the additions of Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen to go with Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, and Brandon Crawford. Madison Bumgarner broke his pinky finger so he'll miss the first two months of the season and that is a giant blow to this team. The rest of the rotation features the likes of Johnny Cueto, Ty Blach, and Jeff Samardzija, who is also starting the season on the DL due to a right pectoral muscle strain. Their bullpen isn't that great, but a Mark Melancon bounce back season is a possibility and Sam Dyson, Hunter Strickland, and Tony Watson are solid arms too. With Bumgarner missing time and guys aging on the roster, it feels like destiny that this team is going to realize it's time to start a rebuild and perhaps a Bumgarner trade cannot be ruled out if a godfather offer comes around. The San Diego Padres rebuild is coming closer to an end as some of their prospects are nearing the bigs and they actually made some moves this winter. Eric Hosmer was paid big bucks by the Padres and Chase Headley was brought back this past winter and they join Hunter Renfroe, Miguel Margot, and Austin Hedges in that lineup. The rotation is subpar as Clayton Richard is slated to start Opening Day. The bullpen is also subpar and Brad Hand is their lone reliever that's good and he'll be trade bait. This is a franchise heading in the right direction, but still a year or two away.
2018 MLB Playoffs
- American League Wild Card
(WC2) Los Angeles Angels vs (WC1) Boston Red Sox: This game is destined to be Chris Sale out-dueling Garrett Richards and Craig Kimbrel closing it out to propel the Red Sox to the Divisional Round to face their arch-rival.
Prediction: Red Sox
- National League Wild Card
(WC2) Milwaukee Brewers vs (WC1) St. Louis Cardinals: A division rivalry in a one-game playoff is always fun. This would be such a fun game for so many reasons besides the rivalry, but give me Carlos Martinez to lead the Cards behind the Busch Stadium crowd to propel the Cards to the Divisional Round.
Prediction: Cardinals
- American League Division Series
(WC1) Boston Red Sox vs (1) New York Yankees: The games best rivalry takes on in the postseason. The Yanks are just the better team this season led by the great offense and bullpen as they'll advance to the League Championship Series for the second straight season.
Prediction: Yankees in four games
(3) Cleveland Indians vs (2) Houston Astros: What most folks thought what the League Championship Series would be a year ago, will end up taking place here. This should be a great series but give me the duo of Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander to lead the way as the Astros go to the League Championship Series for the third time in four seasons.
Prediction: Astros in five games
- National League Division Series
(WC1) St. Louis Cardinals vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers: This should be a fun series with all the talent on both sides. Give me Clayton Kershaw to lead the way for the Dodgers to their third straight League Championship Series.
Prediction: Dodgers in four games
(3) Chicago Cubs vs (2) Washington Nationals: Here we have a rematch of last years epic Divisional Round series. Something tells me it's the same outcome from last season except you have Yu Darvish pitching the decisive game five victory.
Prediction: Cubs in five games
- American League Championship Series
(2) Houston Astros vs (1) New York Yankees: Here we have a rematch of last years League Championship Series. I think this one goes seven games as well except the improved and deep Yankees break through to their first World Series since 2009.
Prediction: Yankees in seven games
- National League Championship Series
(3) Chicago Cubs vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers: Here we also have a rematch of last years League Championship Series. This time I think it goes a little bit longer than last season and more competitive as well as Kershaw and the Dodgers advance to their second straight World Series.
Prediction: Dodgers in six games
- World Series
(N1) Los Angeles Dodgers vs (A1) New York Yankees: A Broadway versus Hollywood World Series is something baseball fans would love and these are two of the three best teams in the league. Both teams are deep just about everywhere and both teams will improve their rosters even more at the trade deadline in July. This was a hard call, but the Yankees with home field advantage will propel them to their twenty-eighth championship in franchise history and their first since 2009.
Prediction: Yankees in six games
Monday, March 26, 2018
2017 MLB Re-Draft
Here I'm going to re-draft the (official) First Round of the 2017 MLB Draft. How many picks will be the same? How many picks will be different?
1. Minnesota Twins- Brendan McKay, Pitcher/First Baseman, Louisville: McKay has a ton of upside on the mound and at the dish. McKay is ranked as my 23rd best prospect, the 39th best prospect by Baseball America, the 21st ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 25th ranked prospect by MLB.com. McKay will be starting the Season in Short-A, but it won't be surprising if he's in AA by the end of this season.
Actual Pick: Royce Lewis, Shortstop/Outfielder, JSerra Catholic HS (CA)
2. Cincinnati Reds- Hunter Greene, Pitcher/Outfielder/Shortstop, Notre Dame HS (CA): Greene is slated to be a pitcher long term and he has ace upside. Greene is my 19th ranked prospect, the 29th ranked prospect by Baseball America, the 42nd ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 21st ranked prospect by MLB.com. Greene is likely to start the season in Class-A and don't be surprised if he's in AA by the end of the year.
Actual Pick: Greene
3. San Diego Padres- MacKenzie Gore, Pitcher, Whiteville HS (NC): Gore is one of the better pitching prospects in baseball and he's in all likelihood going to be an ace. Gore is my 18th ranked prospect, the 26th ranked prospect by Baseball America, the 33rd ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 19th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Gore should start the season in Class-A and maybe even Advanced-A and it won't be that shocking if he's the first player from this draft to reach the bigs.
Actual Pick: Gore
4. Tampa Bay Rays- Royce Lewis, Shortstop/Outfielder, JSerra Catholic HS (CA): Lewis is one of the prospects on the rise. Lewis is my 50th ranked prospect, the 24th ranked prospect by Baseball America, the 38th ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 20th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Lewis will start the season in Class-A and probably will be in AA by the end of the season.
Actual Pick: Brendan McKay, Pitcher/First Baseman, Louisville
5. Atlanta Braves- Kyle Wright, Pitcher, Vanderbilt: Wright is a fast rising prospect in the Braves system. Wright is my 32nd ranked prospect, the 34th ranked prospect by Baseball America, the 26th ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 30th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Wright is slated to start the season in AA and will likely see the bigs at some point.
Actual Pick: Wright
6. Oakland Athletics- Keston Hiura, Second Baseman/Outfielder, UC Irvine: Hiura is a fast rising prospect in the Brewers system and he can flat out hit. Hiura is my 36th ranked prospect, the 47th ranked prospect by Baseball America, the 24th ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 56th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Hiura is slated to start the season in Class-A and probably will finish the season in AA.
Actual Pick: Austin Beck, Outfielder, North Davidson HS (NC)
7. Arizona Diamondbacks- Alex Faedo, Pitcher, Florida: Faedo is a fast rising prospect in the Tigers system. Faedo is my 63rd ranked prospect, the 50th ranked prospect by Baseball America, and the 59th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Faedo is supposed to start the season in Advanced-A and it won't be shocking if he ends up in the bigs for September call-ups.
Actual Pick: Pavin Smith, First Baseman, Virginia
8. Philadelphia Phillies- Jo Adell, Outfielder, Ballard HS (KY): Adell is a prospect tending upwards that has a ton of upside although he probably won't be in the bigs for another two years. Adell is my 51st ranked prospect, the 46th ranked prospect by Baseball America, the 66th ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 62nd ranked prospect by MLB.com. Adell is slated to start the season in Rookie Ball, but should be in Class-A or even Advanced-A when the season ends.
Actual Pick: Adam Haseley, Outfielder, Virginia
9. Milwaukee Brewers- Heliot Ramos, Outfielder, Leadership Christian Academy (PR): Ramos is a prospect that can just flat out hit, just like the guy the Brewers took in this spot in the actual draft in Hiura, who is off the board in the re-draft. Ramos is my 65th ranked prospect, the 46th ranked prospect by Baseball America, and the 63rd ranked prospect by MLB.com. Ramos should start the season in Short-A and it won't be surprising to see him in Advanced-A at the end of the season.
Actual Pick: Keston Hiura, Second Baseman/Outfielder, UC Irvine
10. Los Angeles Angels- Shane Baz, Pitcher, Concordia Lutheran HS (TX): With Adell off the board, the Angels go with Baz here to bank on his potential and upside. Baz is my 70th ranked prospect and the 67th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Baz is slated to start this season in Rookie Ball, but probably finish the season in Class-A.
Actual Pick: Jo Adell, Outfielder, Ballard HS (KY)
11. Chicago White Sox- JB Bukauskas, Pitcher, North Carolina: Bukauskas is a fast rising pitcher in the Astros system with ace potential and is a strikeout machine. Bukauskas is my 77th ranked prospect, the 76th ranked prospect by Baseball America, and the 76th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Bukauskas will probably start the season in Short-A and he'll likely finish the season at as high as AA.
Actual Pick: Jake Burger, First Baseman/Third Baseman, Missouri State
12. Pittsburgh Pirates- Adam Haseley, Outfielder, Virginia: Haseley is one of the safer bets to pan out out of this draft class in terms of position players. Haseley is my 97th ranked prospect and the 95th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Haseley will start the season in Short-A and there's a chance he finishes the season in Advanced-A.
Actual Pick: Shane Baz, Pitcher, Concordia Lutheran HS (TX)
13. Miami Marlins- Pavin Smith, First Baseman, Virginia: Pavin is a very promising prospect that can flat out rake. Smith is is my 93rd ranked prospect and the 91st ranked prospect by MLB.com. Smith is projected to be in the big leagues by 2020 and is should start this season in Class-A.
Actual Pick: Trevor Rogers, Pitcher, Carlsbad HS (TX)
14. Kansas City Royals- Nate Pearson, Pitcher, UCF: Pearson is an under the radar prospect that isn't getting much attention. Pearson is ranked 76th in Fangraph's prospect rankings. He is slated to start the season in Short-A and it won't be surprising to see him as high as AA come September.
Actual Pick: Nick Pratto, First Baseman, Huntington Beach HS (CA):
15. Houston Astros- David Peterson, Pitcher, Oregon: With Bukauskas off the board, the Astros go with another stud pitcher in Peterson. I would be that Peterson will be a top-100 prospect by the end of this season. Peterson is slated to start this season at Short-A and it won't be surprising if he's in Advanced-A or even AA to finish the season.
Actual Pick: JB Bukauskas, Pitcher, North Carolina
16. New York Yankees- Logan Warmorth, Shortstop, North Carolina: Warmoth is very under the radar and is a safer bet to pan out due to his glove at short. Warmoth is slated to start the season at Short-A and there's a chance he finishes the season at Advanced-A.
Actual Pick: Clarke Schmidt, Pitcher, South Carolina
17. Seattle Mariners- Evan White, First Baseman/Outfielder, Kentucky: White played very well in his minor league debut last summer and into the fall. White should start the season in Class-A and if he hits like he's capable of, maybe he finds himself in AA.
Actual Pick: White
18. Detroit Tigers- Jeren Kendall, Outfielder, Vanderbilt: Kendall hit okay in his minor league debut
after being drafted. Kendall has a ton of upside still and will start this season in Class-A and could finish the year in AA if he improves enough.
Actual Pick: Alex Faedo, Pitcher, Florida
19. San Francisco Giants- Bubba Thompson, Outfielder, McGill-Toolen Catholic HS (CA): With Ramos off the board, the Giants take Thompson, who is a prospect that's going to take time to fully
develop, but has a ton of upside. Thompson is slated to start the season in Rookie Ball and there's a chance he finishes the season in Short-A, if not Class-A.
Actual Pick: Heliot Ramos, Outfielder, Leadership Christian Academy (PR)
20. New York Mets- Nick Pratto, First Baseman, Huntington Beach HS (CA): With Peterson off the board, the Mets take a position player with upside in Pratto, who may take some time to develop. Pratto will likely start the season in Rookie Ball and there's a chance he finishes the year in Class-A if he plays better than he did last year.
Actual Pick: David Peterson, Pitcher, Oregon
21. Baltimore Orioles- Tanner Houck, Pitcher, Missouri: Houck didn't have a good first impression in the minor leagues, but I would not give up on him yet. Houck is slated to start the season in Short-A and if he performs well, we may see him in Advanced-A by the time September rolls around.
Actual Pick: DL Hall, Pitcher, Valdosta HS (GA)
22. Toronto Blue Jays- Seth Romero, Pitcher, Houston: With Warmorth off the board, the Jays go with Romero, who has gotten himself in trouble not just in the past, but in spring training this year, but were banking on potential here. Romero is slated to start the season in Rookie Ball and assuming he stays out of trouble and pitches well, he can be as high as Advanced-A.
Actual Pick: Logan Warmorth, Shortstop, North Carolina
23. Los Angeles Dodgers- Clarke Schmidt, Pitcher, South Carolina: Schmidt is coming off of Tommy John and the Dodgers in theory here would be banking on him to return to forum. Schmidt will likely start in Rookie Ball and if he performs, he could finish the season in Class-A.
Actual Pick: Jeren Kendall, Outfielder, Vanderbilt
24. Boston Red Sox- Trevor Rogers, Pitcher, Carlsbad HS (TX): With Houck off the board, the Red Sox take Rogers, who did not pitch well in his minor league debut. Rogers will start the season in Rookie Ball and could finish the season in Class-A if things go well.
Actual Pick: Tanner Houck, Pitcher, Missouri
25. Washington Nationals- DL Hall, Pitcher, Valdosta HS (GA): With Romero off the board, the Nats go with another pitcher in Hall, who didn't pitch well in his minor league debut, but still has a ton of upside and potential. Hall is likely to start the season in Rookie Ball and could find himself in Class-A in September if things go better.
Actual Pick: Seth Romero, Pitcher, Houston
26. Texas Rangers- Austin Beck, Outfielder, North Davidson HS (NC): With Thompson off the board, the Rangers take Beck in the re-draft, who didn't play up to top-ten pick status in his minor league debut. Beck is slated to start the season in Rookie Ball and if he plays well enough, don't be surprised if he finishes the season in Class-A.
Actual Pick: Bubba Thompson, Outfielder, McGill-Toolen Catholic HS (CA):
27. Chicago Cubs- Brendon Little, Pitcher, State College of Florida-Manatee (JC): Little did not have a good run in his minor league debut sans a small sample size. Little is likely to start the season in Rookie Ball and could finish the season in Class-A.
Actual Pick: Little
1. Minnesota Twins- Brendan McKay, Pitcher/First Baseman, Louisville: McKay has a ton of upside on the mound and at the dish. McKay is ranked as my 23rd best prospect, the 39th best prospect by Baseball America, the 21st ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 25th ranked prospect by MLB.com. McKay will be starting the Season in Short-A, but it won't be surprising if he's in AA by the end of this season.
Actual Pick: Royce Lewis, Shortstop/Outfielder, JSerra Catholic HS (CA)
2. Cincinnati Reds- Hunter Greene, Pitcher/Outfielder/Shortstop, Notre Dame HS (CA): Greene is slated to be a pitcher long term and he has ace upside. Greene is my 19th ranked prospect, the 29th ranked prospect by Baseball America, the 42nd ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 21st ranked prospect by MLB.com. Greene is likely to start the season in Class-A and don't be surprised if he's in AA by the end of the year.
Actual Pick: Greene
3. San Diego Padres- MacKenzie Gore, Pitcher, Whiteville HS (NC): Gore is one of the better pitching prospects in baseball and he's in all likelihood going to be an ace. Gore is my 18th ranked prospect, the 26th ranked prospect by Baseball America, the 33rd ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 19th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Gore should start the season in Class-A and maybe even Advanced-A and it won't be that shocking if he's the first player from this draft to reach the bigs.
Actual Pick: Gore
4. Tampa Bay Rays- Royce Lewis, Shortstop/Outfielder, JSerra Catholic HS (CA): Lewis is one of the prospects on the rise. Lewis is my 50th ranked prospect, the 24th ranked prospect by Baseball America, the 38th ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 20th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Lewis will start the season in Class-A and probably will be in AA by the end of the season.
Actual Pick: Brendan McKay, Pitcher/First Baseman, Louisville
5. Atlanta Braves- Kyle Wright, Pitcher, Vanderbilt: Wright is a fast rising prospect in the Braves system. Wright is my 32nd ranked prospect, the 34th ranked prospect by Baseball America, the 26th ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 30th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Wright is slated to start the season in AA and will likely see the bigs at some point.
Actual Pick: Wright
6. Oakland Athletics- Keston Hiura, Second Baseman/Outfielder, UC Irvine: Hiura is a fast rising prospect in the Brewers system and he can flat out hit. Hiura is my 36th ranked prospect, the 47th ranked prospect by Baseball America, the 24th ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 56th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Hiura is slated to start the season in Class-A and probably will finish the season in AA.
Actual Pick: Austin Beck, Outfielder, North Davidson HS (NC)
7. Arizona Diamondbacks- Alex Faedo, Pitcher, Florida: Faedo is a fast rising prospect in the Tigers system. Faedo is my 63rd ranked prospect, the 50th ranked prospect by Baseball America, and the 59th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Faedo is supposed to start the season in Advanced-A and it won't be shocking if he ends up in the bigs for September call-ups.
Actual Pick: Pavin Smith, First Baseman, Virginia
8. Philadelphia Phillies- Jo Adell, Outfielder, Ballard HS (KY): Adell is a prospect tending upwards that has a ton of upside although he probably won't be in the bigs for another two years. Adell is my 51st ranked prospect, the 46th ranked prospect by Baseball America, the 66th ranked prospect by Fangraphs, and the 62nd ranked prospect by MLB.com. Adell is slated to start the season in Rookie Ball, but should be in Class-A or even Advanced-A when the season ends.
Actual Pick: Adam Haseley, Outfielder, Virginia
9. Milwaukee Brewers- Heliot Ramos, Outfielder, Leadership Christian Academy (PR): Ramos is a prospect that can just flat out hit, just like the guy the Brewers took in this spot in the actual draft in Hiura, who is off the board in the re-draft. Ramos is my 65th ranked prospect, the 46th ranked prospect by Baseball America, and the 63rd ranked prospect by MLB.com. Ramos should start the season in Short-A and it won't be surprising to see him in Advanced-A at the end of the season.
Actual Pick: Keston Hiura, Second Baseman/Outfielder, UC Irvine
10. Los Angeles Angels- Shane Baz, Pitcher, Concordia Lutheran HS (TX): With Adell off the board, the Angels go with Baz here to bank on his potential and upside. Baz is my 70th ranked prospect and the 67th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Baz is slated to start this season in Rookie Ball, but probably finish the season in Class-A.
Actual Pick: Jo Adell, Outfielder, Ballard HS (KY)
11. Chicago White Sox- JB Bukauskas, Pitcher, North Carolina: Bukauskas is a fast rising pitcher in the Astros system with ace potential and is a strikeout machine. Bukauskas is my 77th ranked prospect, the 76th ranked prospect by Baseball America, and the 76th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Bukauskas will probably start the season in Short-A and he'll likely finish the season at as high as AA.
Actual Pick: Jake Burger, First Baseman/Third Baseman, Missouri State
12. Pittsburgh Pirates- Adam Haseley, Outfielder, Virginia: Haseley is one of the safer bets to pan out out of this draft class in terms of position players. Haseley is my 97th ranked prospect and the 95th ranked prospect by MLB.com. Haseley will start the season in Short-A and there's a chance he finishes the season in Advanced-A.
Actual Pick: Shane Baz, Pitcher, Concordia Lutheran HS (TX)
13. Miami Marlins- Pavin Smith, First Baseman, Virginia: Pavin is a very promising prospect that can flat out rake. Smith is is my 93rd ranked prospect and the 91st ranked prospect by MLB.com. Smith is projected to be in the big leagues by 2020 and is should start this season in Class-A.
Actual Pick: Trevor Rogers, Pitcher, Carlsbad HS (TX)
14. Kansas City Royals- Nate Pearson, Pitcher, UCF: Pearson is an under the radar prospect that isn't getting much attention. Pearson is ranked 76th in Fangraph's prospect rankings. He is slated to start the season in Short-A and it won't be surprising to see him as high as AA come September.
Actual Pick: Nick Pratto, First Baseman, Huntington Beach HS (CA):
15. Houston Astros- David Peterson, Pitcher, Oregon: With Bukauskas off the board, the Astros go with another stud pitcher in Peterson. I would be that Peterson will be a top-100 prospect by the end of this season. Peterson is slated to start this season at Short-A and it won't be surprising if he's in Advanced-A or even AA to finish the season.
Actual Pick: JB Bukauskas, Pitcher, North Carolina
16. New York Yankees- Logan Warmorth, Shortstop, North Carolina: Warmoth is very under the radar and is a safer bet to pan out due to his glove at short. Warmoth is slated to start the season at Short-A and there's a chance he finishes the season at Advanced-A.
Actual Pick: Clarke Schmidt, Pitcher, South Carolina
17. Seattle Mariners- Evan White, First Baseman/Outfielder, Kentucky: White played very well in his minor league debut last summer and into the fall. White should start the season in Class-A and if he hits like he's capable of, maybe he finds himself in AA.
Actual Pick: White
18. Detroit Tigers- Jeren Kendall, Outfielder, Vanderbilt: Kendall hit okay in his minor league debut
after being drafted. Kendall has a ton of upside still and will start this season in Class-A and could finish the year in AA if he improves enough.
Actual Pick: Alex Faedo, Pitcher, Florida
19. San Francisco Giants- Bubba Thompson, Outfielder, McGill-Toolen Catholic HS (CA): With Ramos off the board, the Giants take Thompson, who is a prospect that's going to take time to fully
develop, but has a ton of upside. Thompson is slated to start the season in Rookie Ball and there's a chance he finishes the season in Short-A, if not Class-A.
Actual Pick: Heliot Ramos, Outfielder, Leadership Christian Academy (PR)
20. New York Mets- Nick Pratto, First Baseman, Huntington Beach HS (CA): With Peterson off the board, the Mets take a position player with upside in Pratto, who may take some time to develop. Pratto will likely start the season in Rookie Ball and there's a chance he finishes the year in Class-A if he plays better than he did last year.
Actual Pick: David Peterson, Pitcher, Oregon
21. Baltimore Orioles- Tanner Houck, Pitcher, Missouri: Houck didn't have a good first impression in the minor leagues, but I would not give up on him yet. Houck is slated to start the season in Short-A and if he performs well, we may see him in Advanced-A by the time September rolls around.
Actual Pick: DL Hall, Pitcher, Valdosta HS (GA)
22. Toronto Blue Jays- Seth Romero, Pitcher, Houston: With Warmorth off the board, the Jays go with Romero, who has gotten himself in trouble not just in the past, but in spring training this year, but were banking on potential here. Romero is slated to start the season in Rookie Ball and assuming he stays out of trouble and pitches well, he can be as high as Advanced-A.
Actual Pick: Logan Warmorth, Shortstop, North Carolina
23. Los Angeles Dodgers- Clarke Schmidt, Pitcher, South Carolina: Schmidt is coming off of Tommy John and the Dodgers in theory here would be banking on him to return to forum. Schmidt will likely start in Rookie Ball and if he performs, he could finish the season in Class-A.
Actual Pick: Jeren Kendall, Outfielder, Vanderbilt
24. Boston Red Sox- Trevor Rogers, Pitcher, Carlsbad HS (TX): With Houck off the board, the Red Sox take Rogers, who did not pitch well in his minor league debut. Rogers will start the season in Rookie Ball and could finish the season in Class-A if things go well.
Actual Pick: Tanner Houck, Pitcher, Missouri
25. Washington Nationals- DL Hall, Pitcher, Valdosta HS (GA): With Romero off the board, the Nats go with another pitcher in Hall, who didn't pitch well in his minor league debut, but still has a ton of upside and potential. Hall is likely to start the season in Rookie Ball and could find himself in Class-A in September if things go better.
Actual Pick: Seth Romero, Pitcher, Houston
26. Texas Rangers- Austin Beck, Outfielder, North Davidson HS (NC): With Thompson off the board, the Rangers take Beck in the re-draft, who didn't play up to top-ten pick status in his minor league debut. Beck is slated to start the season in Rookie Ball and if he plays well enough, don't be surprised if he finishes the season in Class-A.
Actual Pick: Bubba Thompson, Outfielder, McGill-Toolen Catholic HS (CA):
27. Chicago Cubs- Brendon Little, Pitcher, State College of Florida-Manatee (JC): Little did not have a good run in his minor league debut sans a small sample size. Little is likely to start the season in Rookie Ball and could finish the season in Class-A.
Actual Pick: Little
Saturday, March 24, 2018
2018 NCAA Tournament: Elite 8 Predictions
Here are my predictions for the Elite 8 for the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
Saturday, March 24th
(S11) Loyola-Chicago (31-5) vs (S9) Kansas State (25-11)- 6:09, TBS: The Ramblers are coming off yet another improbable win, this time over the Nevada Wolfpack. The Wildcats are coming off a great win over the Kentucky Wildcats. This is a coin flip game and I like the Ramblers, led by Clayton Cutser and Team Captain Sister Jean, to advance to the Final Four.
Prediction: Loyola-Chicago
(W9) Florida State (23-11) vs (W3) Michigan (31-7)- 8:49, TBS: The Seminoles are coming off a great upset win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Wolverines are coming off a dominant win over the the Texas A&M Aggies. This is an incredible run by the Seminoles and Leonard Hamilton has done a great job with this team, but the Wolverines are just the better team led by Mohamed Ali-Abdur Rahkman and Moritz Wagner.
Prediction: Michigan
Sunday, March 25th
(E3) Texas Tech (27-9) vs (E1) Villanova (33-4)- 2:20, CBS: The Red Raiders are coming off a good win over the Purdue Boiler Makers. The Wildcats are coming off a great win over the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Red Raiders can score with the Wildcats, but the Cats are just so much better led by Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges.
Prediction: Villanova
(MW2) Duke (29-7) vs (MW1) Kansas (30-7)- 5:05, CBS: This is such a marquee game we got here. The Blue Devils are coming off a narrow win over the Syracuse Orange. The Jayhawks are coming off a win over the Clemson Tigers. There is a ton of talent on both ends with Devonte Graham and Malik Newman for the Jayhawks and the outstanding five some of the Blue Devils with Marvin Bagley, Gary Trent, Wendel Carter, Trevon Duvall, and Grayson Allen. That five some is gojng to lead the way for the Blue Devils to the Final Four.
Prediction: Duke
Saturday, March 24th
(S11) Loyola-Chicago (31-5) vs (S9) Kansas State (25-11)- 6:09, TBS: The Ramblers are coming off yet another improbable win, this time over the Nevada Wolfpack. The Wildcats are coming off a great win over the Kentucky Wildcats. This is a coin flip game and I like the Ramblers, led by Clayton Cutser and Team Captain Sister Jean, to advance to the Final Four.
Prediction: Loyola-Chicago
(W9) Florida State (23-11) vs (W3) Michigan (31-7)- 8:49, TBS: The Seminoles are coming off a great upset win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Wolverines are coming off a dominant win over the the Texas A&M Aggies. This is an incredible run by the Seminoles and Leonard Hamilton has done a great job with this team, but the Wolverines are just the better team led by Mohamed Ali-Abdur Rahkman and Moritz Wagner.
Prediction: Michigan
Sunday, March 25th
(E3) Texas Tech (27-9) vs (E1) Villanova (33-4)- 2:20, CBS: The Red Raiders are coming off a good win over the Purdue Boiler Makers. The Wildcats are coming off a great win over the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Red Raiders can score with the Wildcats, but the Cats are just so much better led by Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges.
Prediction: Villanova
(MW2) Duke (29-7) vs (MW1) Kansas (30-7)- 5:05, CBS: This is such a marquee game we got here. The Blue Devils are coming off a narrow win over the Syracuse Orange. The Jayhawks are coming off a win over the Clemson Tigers. There is a ton of talent on both ends with Devonte Graham and Malik Newman for the Jayhawks and the outstanding five some of the Blue Devils with Marvin Bagley, Gary Trent, Wendel Carter, Trevon Duvall, and Grayson Allen. That five some is gojng to lead the way for the Blue Devils to the Final Four.
Prediction: Duke
2017 NBA Re-Draft
Here I'm going to re-draft the First Round of the 2017 NBA Draft. How many picks will be the same? How many picks will be different?
1. Philadelphia 76ers (from Brooklyn Nets via Boston Celtics)- Donovan Mitchell, Point Guard, Louisville: Mitchell is the selection here due to the fact that he looks like a franchise point guard to this point of the season. The Sixers would gladly take Mitchell to go with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
Actual Pick: Markelle Fultz, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Washington
2. Los Angeles Lakers- Lonzo Ball, Point Guard, UCLA: Ball got off to a slow start, but has picked it up over the last few months. The Lakers should be happy with his development and he's only going to get better.
Actual Pick: Ball
3. Boston Celtics (from Philadelphia 76ers)- Jason Tatum, Small Forward/Power Forward, Duke: Tatum started off his rookie campaign great, but has fallen off a bit. I believe the drop off is just a rookie wall and that Tatum will get better. The Celtics still don't pass up a player that's often compared to Paul Pierce.
Actual Pick: Tatum
4. Phoenix Suns- Josh Jackson, Small Forward, Kansas: Jackson got off to a slow start, but has picked it up of late and has played well on both ends. Jackson has potential to be a poor-mans Kawhi Leonard and I don't think the Suns would pass on that.
Actual Pick: Jackson
5. Sacramento Kings- De'Aaron Fox, Point Guard, Kentucky: Fox has been solid as a rookie thus far and still has room to grow as a point guard. The Kings don't pass on their point guard of the future.
Actual Pick: Fox
6. Orlando Magic- Kyle Kuzma, Power Forward, Utah: Kuzma started off the season great, but has fallen off a bit. Like Tatum, I believe Kuzma has hit a rookie wall and has room to grow as a player.
Actual Pick: Jonathan Issac, Small Forward, Florida State
7. Chicago Bulls- Lauri Markkanen, Power Forward, Arizona: Markkanen has been very good as a rookie and has a great three point stroke and can handle the ball very well too. The Bulls don't do-over this pick.
Actual Pick: Markkanen
8. New York Knicks- Dennis Smith Jr, Point Guard, North Carolina State: Smith has been solid for the most part of this season and can shoot the ball well and he's a solid passer. The Knicks finally find their future franchise point guard with Smith.
Actual Pick: Frank Ntlikina, Point Guard, France
9. Dallas Mavericks- Markelle Fultz, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Washington: Fultz has barely played this season due to a knee injury. Lets not give up on Fultz yet as Mark Cuban and the Mavs bank on his to play to his potential.
Actual Pick: Dennis Smith Jr, Point Guard, North Carolina State
10. Portland Trail Blazers (from Sacramento Kings)- Jonathan Issac, Small Forward, Florida State: The Blazers would be getting possible steal here with Issac, who missed a bulk of the season with an ankle injury. Issac still has room to grow as a player and he's shown some promise this season.
Actual Pick: Zach Collins, Center, Gonzaga
11. Charlotte Hornets- OG Anunoby, Small Forward, Indiana: Anunoby has been great for the Raptors this season and proved to be a steal. Anunoby would have been a lottery pick had he not gotten injured and in this re-draft, the Hornets take their small forward of the future.
Actual Pick: Malik Monk, Shooting Guard, Kentucky
12. Detroit Pistons- John Collins, Power Forward/Center, Wake Forest: Collins has been very good as a rookie for the Hawks and is looking like a keeper. He would have been a nice pairing with Andre Drummond up front and in theory, they don't make the Blake Griffin trade.
Actual Pick: Luke Kennard, Shooting Guard, Duke
13. Utah Jazz (from Denver Nuggets)- Malik Monk, Shooting Guard, Kentucky: With Mitchell off the board, the Jazz take another guard in Monk, who has recently fell out of the Hornets rotation. Maybe on a team like the Jazz with a good head coach in Quinn Snyder, Monk would thrive.
Actual Pick: Donovan Mitchell, Point Guard, Louisville
14. Miami Heat- Jordan Bell, Power Forward/Center, Oregon: Bell has been excellent for the Warriors this season and should be starting for them at center over Zaza Pachulia at this point. In this scenario, the Heat pick him and start him at power forward next to Hassan Whiteside.
Actual Pick: Bam Adebayo, Power Forward/Center, Kentucky
15. Sacramento Kings (from Portland Trail Blazers)- Bam Adebayo, Power Forward/Center, Kentucky: The Kings continue to add on to their collection of big men with the drafting of Adebayo. In this scenario, he comes off the bench like he does for the Heat.
Actual Pick: Justin Jackson, Small Forward, North Carolina
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Chicago Bulls)- Luke Kennard, Shooting Guard, Duke: Kennard is a solid three-point shooter for the Pistons this season. He'd be a solid bench piece for the Timberwolves if he got the playing time.
Actual Pick: Justin Patton, Center, Creighton
17. Milwaukee Bucks- Jarrett Allen, Center, Texas: Allen proved to be a steal by the Nets where they
selected him. Although the Bucks have a ton of centers, Allen would help the Bucks on both ends of the floor.
Actual Pick: DJ Wilson, Small Forward/Power Forward, Michigan
18. Indiana Pacers- Frank Ntlikina, Point Guard, France: Ntlikina has shown some promise with the Knicks, but I have him dropping to the Pacers due to the fact this draft proved to be deeper than we thought. The Pacers get a steal here and perhaps point guard of the future too.
Actual Pick: TJ Leaf, Power Forward, UCLA
19. Atlanta Hawks- Terrance Ferguson, Shooting Guard, Australia: Ferguson has been really good for the Thunder this season whether it's starting or coming off the bench. The Hawks snag him here to help themselves on the perimeter.
Actual Pick: John Collins, Power Forward/Center, Wake Forest
20. Sacramento Kings (from Memphis Grizzlies via Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers)- Josh Hart, Shooting Guard, Villanova: Hart has been solid for the Lakers this season and proved to be a steal at where they got him. He'd be a nice bench player for the rebuilding Kings.
Actual Pick: Harry Giles, Power Forward/Center, Duke
21. Oklahoma City Thunder- Zach Collins, Power Forward/Center, Gonzaga: Collins has showed some improvement as the seasons gone on after a slow start. Collins would be a nice big off the bench for the Thunder.
Actual Pick: Terrance Ferguson, Shooting Guard, Australia
22. Brooklyn Nets (from Washington Wizards)- TJ Leaf, Power Forward, UCLA: With Jarrett Allen off the board, the Nets take another big in Leaf. Leaf has shown versatility coming off the bench for a surprisingly good Pacers team this season.
Actual Pick: Jarrett Allen, Center, Texas
23. Toronto Raptors (from Los Angeles Clippers via Milwaukee Bucks)- Jonah Bolden, Power Forward, Serbia: Bolden showed a ton of promise not just in the Summer League but in overseas which makes him an interesting draft-and-stash prospect. Bolden would have made so much sense for the Raptors as a future bench player.
Actual Pick: OG Anunoby, Small Forward, Indiana
24. Denver Nuggets (from Utah Jazz)- Justin Patton, Center, Creighton: Patton hasn't played this season due to his offseason foot surgery. The Nuggets are a team that can afford chances at this point and Patton is worth a try here to see if he would come back and be a back up big for them.
Actual Pick: Tyler Lydon, Power Forward, Syracuse
25. Philadelphia 76ers (from Toronto Raptors via Orlando Magic)- Harry Giles, Power Forward/Center, Duke: The Sixers can afford to take chances this late in the draft and they try here with Giles, who hasn't played this season. Giles probably would have been a lottery pick if his injuries didn't hold him back.
Actual Pick: Anžejs Pasečņiks, Power Forward/Center, Spain
26. Portland Trail Blazers (from Cleveland Cavaliers)- Dillon Brooks, Small Forward, Oregon: Brooks has proven to be a nice player on a terrible Grizzlies team. Brooks would help the Blazers and would have possibly start for them down the road.
Actual Pick: Caleb Swanigan, Power Forward, Purdue
27. Los Angeles Lakers (from Boston Celtics via Brooklyn Nets)- Justin Jackson, Small Forward, North Carolina: Jackson hasn't found his shot yet although he has room to grow as a player. If he involves, he could have been a back up for Brandon Ingram.
Actual Pick: Kyle Kuzma, Power Forward, Utah
28. Utah Jazz (from Houston Rockets via Los Angeles Lakers)- Tyler Lydon, Power Forward, Syracuse: Lydon has been a nice bench player for the Nuggets this season, but has had ups and downs like all rookies do. Lydon could have been a nice bench piece for the Jazz as well.
Actual Pick: Tony Bradley, Power Forward/Center, North Carolina
29. San Antonio Spurs- Anžejs Pasečņiks, Power Forward/Center, Spain: This feels like a classic Spurs pick. An international big picked by the Spurs that probably turns into a steal from where he was selected.
Actual Pick: Derrick White, Point Guard, Colorado
30. Los Angeles Lakers (from Golden State Warriors via Utah Jazz)- Frank Mason III, Point Guard, Kansas: Mason probably will be higher if I do another redraft in a year from now. Mason would be a nice backup to Lonzo Ball.
Actual Pick: Josh Hart, Shooting Guard, Villanova
1. Philadelphia 76ers (from Brooklyn Nets via Boston Celtics)- Donovan Mitchell, Point Guard, Louisville: Mitchell is the selection here due to the fact that he looks like a franchise point guard to this point of the season. The Sixers would gladly take Mitchell to go with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
Actual Pick: Markelle Fultz, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Washington
2. Los Angeles Lakers- Lonzo Ball, Point Guard, UCLA: Ball got off to a slow start, but has picked it up over the last few months. The Lakers should be happy with his development and he's only going to get better.
Actual Pick: Ball
3. Boston Celtics (from Philadelphia 76ers)- Jason Tatum, Small Forward/Power Forward, Duke: Tatum started off his rookie campaign great, but has fallen off a bit. I believe the drop off is just a rookie wall and that Tatum will get better. The Celtics still don't pass up a player that's often compared to Paul Pierce.
Actual Pick: Tatum
4. Phoenix Suns- Josh Jackson, Small Forward, Kansas: Jackson got off to a slow start, but has picked it up of late and has played well on both ends. Jackson has potential to be a poor-mans Kawhi Leonard and I don't think the Suns would pass on that.
Actual Pick: Jackson
5. Sacramento Kings- De'Aaron Fox, Point Guard, Kentucky: Fox has been solid as a rookie thus far and still has room to grow as a point guard. The Kings don't pass on their point guard of the future.
Actual Pick: Fox
6. Orlando Magic- Kyle Kuzma, Power Forward, Utah: Kuzma started off the season great, but has fallen off a bit. Like Tatum, I believe Kuzma has hit a rookie wall and has room to grow as a player.
Actual Pick: Jonathan Issac, Small Forward, Florida State
7. Chicago Bulls- Lauri Markkanen, Power Forward, Arizona: Markkanen has been very good as a rookie and has a great three point stroke and can handle the ball very well too. The Bulls don't do-over this pick.
Actual Pick: Markkanen
8. New York Knicks- Dennis Smith Jr, Point Guard, North Carolina State: Smith has been solid for the most part of this season and can shoot the ball well and he's a solid passer. The Knicks finally find their future franchise point guard with Smith.
Actual Pick: Frank Ntlikina, Point Guard, France
9. Dallas Mavericks- Markelle Fultz, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Washington: Fultz has barely played this season due to a knee injury. Lets not give up on Fultz yet as Mark Cuban and the Mavs bank on his to play to his potential.
Actual Pick: Dennis Smith Jr, Point Guard, North Carolina State
10. Portland Trail Blazers (from Sacramento Kings)- Jonathan Issac, Small Forward, Florida State: The Blazers would be getting possible steal here with Issac, who missed a bulk of the season with an ankle injury. Issac still has room to grow as a player and he's shown some promise this season.
Actual Pick: Zach Collins, Center, Gonzaga
11. Charlotte Hornets- OG Anunoby, Small Forward, Indiana: Anunoby has been great for the Raptors this season and proved to be a steal. Anunoby would have been a lottery pick had he not gotten injured and in this re-draft, the Hornets take their small forward of the future.
Actual Pick: Malik Monk, Shooting Guard, Kentucky
12. Detroit Pistons- John Collins, Power Forward/Center, Wake Forest: Collins has been very good as a rookie for the Hawks and is looking like a keeper. He would have been a nice pairing with Andre Drummond up front and in theory, they don't make the Blake Griffin trade.
Actual Pick: Luke Kennard, Shooting Guard, Duke
13. Utah Jazz (from Denver Nuggets)- Malik Monk, Shooting Guard, Kentucky: With Mitchell off the board, the Jazz take another guard in Monk, who has recently fell out of the Hornets rotation. Maybe on a team like the Jazz with a good head coach in Quinn Snyder, Monk would thrive.
Actual Pick: Donovan Mitchell, Point Guard, Louisville
14. Miami Heat- Jordan Bell, Power Forward/Center, Oregon: Bell has been excellent for the Warriors this season and should be starting for them at center over Zaza Pachulia at this point. In this scenario, the Heat pick him and start him at power forward next to Hassan Whiteside.
Actual Pick: Bam Adebayo, Power Forward/Center, Kentucky
15. Sacramento Kings (from Portland Trail Blazers)- Bam Adebayo, Power Forward/Center, Kentucky: The Kings continue to add on to their collection of big men with the drafting of Adebayo. In this scenario, he comes off the bench like he does for the Heat.
Actual Pick: Justin Jackson, Small Forward, North Carolina
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Chicago Bulls)- Luke Kennard, Shooting Guard, Duke: Kennard is a solid three-point shooter for the Pistons this season. He'd be a solid bench piece for the Timberwolves if he got the playing time.
Actual Pick: Justin Patton, Center, Creighton
17. Milwaukee Bucks- Jarrett Allen, Center, Texas: Allen proved to be a steal by the Nets where they
selected him. Although the Bucks have a ton of centers, Allen would help the Bucks on both ends of the floor.
Actual Pick: DJ Wilson, Small Forward/Power Forward, Michigan
18. Indiana Pacers- Frank Ntlikina, Point Guard, France: Ntlikina has shown some promise with the Knicks, but I have him dropping to the Pacers due to the fact this draft proved to be deeper than we thought. The Pacers get a steal here and perhaps point guard of the future too.
Actual Pick: TJ Leaf, Power Forward, UCLA
19. Atlanta Hawks- Terrance Ferguson, Shooting Guard, Australia: Ferguson has been really good for the Thunder this season whether it's starting or coming off the bench. The Hawks snag him here to help themselves on the perimeter.
Actual Pick: John Collins, Power Forward/Center, Wake Forest
20. Sacramento Kings (from Memphis Grizzlies via Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers)- Josh Hart, Shooting Guard, Villanova: Hart has been solid for the Lakers this season and proved to be a steal at where they got him. He'd be a nice bench player for the rebuilding Kings.
Actual Pick: Harry Giles, Power Forward/Center, Duke
21. Oklahoma City Thunder- Zach Collins, Power Forward/Center, Gonzaga: Collins has showed some improvement as the seasons gone on after a slow start. Collins would be a nice big off the bench for the Thunder.
Actual Pick: Terrance Ferguson, Shooting Guard, Australia
22. Brooklyn Nets (from Washington Wizards)- TJ Leaf, Power Forward, UCLA: With Jarrett Allen off the board, the Nets take another big in Leaf. Leaf has shown versatility coming off the bench for a surprisingly good Pacers team this season.
Actual Pick: Jarrett Allen, Center, Texas
23. Toronto Raptors (from Los Angeles Clippers via Milwaukee Bucks)- Jonah Bolden, Power Forward, Serbia: Bolden showed a ton of promise not just in the Summer League but in overseas which makes him an interesting draft-and-stash prospect. Bolden would have made so much sense for the Raptors as a future bench player.
Actual Pick: OG Anunoby, Small Forward, Indiana
24. Denver Nuggets (from Utah Jazz)- Justin Patton, Center, Creighton: Patton hasn't played this season due to his offseason foot surgery. The Nuggets are a team that can afford chances at this point and Patton is worth a try here to see if he would come back and be a back up big for them.
Actual Pick: Tyler Lydon, Power Forward, Syracuse
25. Philadelphia 76ers (from Toronto Raptors via Orlando Magic)- Harry Giles, Power Forward/Center, Duke: The Sixers can afford to take chances this late in the draft and they try here with Giles, who hasn't played this season. Giles probably would have been a lottery pick if his injuries didn't hold him back.
Actual Pick: Anžejs Pasečņiks, Power Forward/Center, Spain
26. Portland Trail Blazers (from Cleveland Cavaliers)- Dillon Brooks, Small Forward, Oregon: Brooks has proven to be a nice player on a terrible Grizzlies team. Brooks would help the Blazers and would have possibly start for them down the road.
Actual Pick: Caleb Swanigan, Power Forward, Purdue
27. Los Angeles Lakers (from Boston Celtics via Brooklyn Nets)- Justin Jackson, Small Forward, North Carolina: Jackson hasn't found his shot yet although he has room to grow as a player. If he involves, he could have been a back up for Brandon Ingram.
Actual Pick: Kyle Kuzma, Power Forward, Utah
28. Utah Jazz (from Houston Rockets via Los Angeles Lakers)- Tyler Lydon, Power Forward, Syracuse: Lydon has been a nice bench player for the Nuggets this season, but has had ups and downs like all rookies do. Lydon could have been a nice bench piece for the Jazz as well.
Actual Pick: Tony Bradley, Power Forward/Center, North Carolina
29. San Antonio Spurs- Anžejs Pasečņiks, Power Forward/Center, Spain: This feels like a classic Spurs pick. An international big picked by the Spurs that probably turns into a steal from where he was selected.
Actual Pick: Derrick White, Point Guard, Colorado
30. Los Angeles Lakers (from Golden State Warriors via Utah Jazz)- Frank Mason III, Point Guard, Kansas: Mason probably will be higher if I do another redraft in a year from now. Mason would be a nice backup to Lonzo Ball.
Actual Pick: Josh Hart, Shooting Guard, Villanova
Friday, March 23, 2018
2017 NFL Re-Draft
Here I'm going to re-draft the First Round of the 2017 NFL Draft. How many picks will be the same? How many picks will be different?
1. Cleveland Browns- DeShaun Watson, Quarterback, Clemson: Watson's rookie season was cut short due to a torn ACL, but he proved that he's a franchise quarterback. He would have been the Rookie of the Year in all likelihood and who knows? Maybe the Texans would have made the playoffs. But that said, he's good at finding open guys and his mobility is excellent. The Browns certainly wouldn't pass up on Watson this time around.
Actual Pick: Myles Garrett, Defensive End, Texas A&M
2. Chicago Bears (from San Francisco 49ers)- Myles Garrett, Defensive End, Texas A&M: The Bears pass-rush isn't good and Garrett would have been a great fit on the Bears defense. Although the Bears took a quarterback in this spot, Garrett, who had a solid rookie season, would be too good to pass up here in this spot with his upside.
Actual Pick: Mitch Trubisky, Quarterback, North Carolina
3. San Francisco 49ers (from Chicago Bears)- Alvin Kamara, Running Back, Tennessee: Kamara was phenomenal in his rookie campaign for the Saints. Wouldn't Jimmy Garappolo love a do-it-all back to keep pressure off of him? The Niners wouldn't pass this opportunity up.
Actual Pick: Solomon Thomas, Defensive Tackle, Stanford
4. Jacksonville Jaguars- Leonard Fournette, Running Back, LSU: Fournette was great for the Jags in his rookie campaign and he's a big asset for Blake Bortles in their offense. The Jags definitely don't due-over this pick right now.
Actual Pick: Fournette
5. Tennessee Titans (from Los Angeles Rams)- Marshon Lattimore, Cornerback, Ohio State: The Titans did improve their secondary this offseason, but in this re-draft I have the Titans selecting Lattimore, who shown in his rookie campaign that he's a top flight cornerback. The Titans would not pass on Lattimore now.
Actual Pick: Corey Davis, Wide Receiver, Western Michigan
6. New York Jets, Jamal Adams, Safety, LSU: Adams had a solid rookie season and he's only going to get better. The Jets do not do this pick over as they've done a nice job thus for rebuilding the secondary.
Actual Pick: Adams
7. Los Angeles Chargers- Solomon Thomas, Defensive Tackle, Stanford: Instead with going a need pick, the Chargers go with best player available. That was Thomas, who had a nice rookie campaign and he would have been a nice addition to go with Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa in their pass rush.
Actual Pick: Mike Williams, Wide Receiver, Clemson
8. Carolina Panthers- JuJu Smith-Schuster, Wide Receiver, USC: Smith-Schuster proved to be a big steal for the Steelers and turned into a huge weapon for Ben Rothlisberger. Cam Newton probably wishes he had Smith-Schuster as he would have been the Panthers #1 receiver.
Actual Pick: Christian McCaffrey, Running Back, Stanford
9. Cincinnati Bengals- Ryan Ramczyk, Offensive Tackle, Wisconsin: Ramczyk turned out to be the best offensive lineman in this draft class (so far). In theory, the Bengals don't trade for Cody Glenn, so they wouldn't pass up on Ramczyk here.
Actual Pick: John Ross, Wide Receiver, Washington
10. Kansas City Chiefs (from Buffalo Bills)- Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback, Texas Tech: Mahomes only started one game this past season and showed some promise. He still projects to be an above average quarterback that the Chiefs wouldn't pass up on to be their franchise quarterback.
Actual Pick: Mahomes
11. New Orleans Saints- Tre'Davious White, Cornerback, LSU: With Lattimore off the board, the Saints go with White here, who had a solid rookie season of his own. White exceeded expectations in his rookie season and the Saints don't pass up on a possible top cornerback.
Actual Pick: Marshon Lattimore, Cornerback, Ohio State
12. Houston Texans (from Philadelphia Eagles via Cleveland Browns)- Kareem Hunt, Running Back, Toledo: Instead of going with a quarterback, they take the best player available in Hunt. Hunt led the league in rushing yards as a rookie, although he was hurt at the end of the season.
Actual Pick: DeShaun Watson, Quarterback, Clemson
13. Arizona Cardinals- Reuben Foster, Linebacker, Alabama: The Cards pass up on a quarterback here for another need pick. Foster had a nice rookie season for the Niners and projects to be a top five linebacker someday, which the Cards don't pass up.
Actual Pick: Hassan Reddick, Outside Linebacker, Temple
14. Philadelphia Eagles (from Minnesota Vikings)- Malik Hooker, Safety, Ohio State: Although Christian McCaffrey would be a fun pick, the Eagles have a ton of running backs so instead they go with Hooker, who would pair nicely with Malcolm Jenkins in the secondary. Hooker was having a solid rookie season until his season ended with a knee injury.
Actual Pick: Derek Barnett, Defensive End, Tennessee
15. Indianapolis Colts- Christian McCaffrey, Running Back, Stanford: As bad as the Colts defense needs young talent, the Colts also need some blue chippers on offense. McCaffrey would be a nice security blanket for Andrew Luck not only running the ball, but catching passes out of the backfield.
Actual Pick: Malik Hooker, Safety, Ohio State
16. Baltimore Ravens- Hassan Reddick, Outside Linebacker, Temple: Reddick did not live up to the first round hype for the Cards in his rookie season, but his athleticism stands out. Maybe the Ravens would have been a better fit for Reddick, who has room to grow as a player.
Actual Pick: Marlon Humphrey, Cornerback, Alabama
17. Washington Redskins- Corey Davis, Wide Receiver, Western Michigan: Davis's rookie season was somewhat disappointing, but that was due to injury. His speed and athleticism would give the Redskins offense a different look.
Actual Pick: Jonathan Allen, Defensive Tackle, Alabama
18. Tennessee Titans- Derek Barnett, Defensive End, Tennessee: Barnett's rookie season was overshadowed by the Eagles Super Bowl run as well as the other stand out rookies in this class. Barnett would be a nice addition to a Titan defense that's pass rush needs to improve.
Actual Pick: Adoree Jackson, Cornerback, USC
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Dalvin Cook, Running Back, Florida State: Cook was having a great rookie season before it was cut short due to a torn ACL. Cook would have helped a subpar Bucs running game.
Actual Pick: OJ Howard, Tight End, Alabama
20. Denver Broncos- Garrett Bolles, Offensive Tackle, Utah: Bolles was solid in his rookie season although he has a lot to work on. The Broncos don't do a do-over here due to Bolles's upside and because he has quick feet and solid discipline.
Actual Pick: Bolles
21. Detroit Lions- Jonathan Allen, Defensive Tackle, Alabama: Allen was having a fine rookie season before breaking his foot. The Lions have failed to replace Ndomokung Suh and Nick Fairley the last few seasons and Allen would have been a nice fit alongside Ziggy Ansah.
Actual Pick: Jarrad Davis, Linebacker, Florida
22. Miami Dolphins- TJ Watt, Outside Linebacker, Wisconsin: Watt had a solid rookie season for the Steelers and helped them tremendously. He certainly would have helped the Dolphins defense as well.
Actual Pick: Charles Davis, Defensive End, Missouri
23. New York Giants- Cam Robinson, Offensive Tackle, Alabama: In theory, the Giants don't sign Nate Solder, so they select Robinson here to help protect Eli Manning. Robinson had a solid season for the Jags as a rookie.
Actual Pick: Evan Ingram, Tight End, Ole Miss
24. Oakland Raiders- Marlon Humphrey, Cornerback, Alabama: Humphrey had gotten off to a slow start, but played very well later on in his rookie campaign. Humphrey projects to be a top twenty-five corner and the Raiders wouldn't pass on him as he would improve their defense.
Actual Pick: Gareon Conley, Cornerback, Ohio State
25. Cleveland Browns (from Houston Texans)- John Ross, Wide Receiver, Washington: Ross didn't have a good rookie season and that was due to injury for the most part. His speed and ability to be a deep threat would entice the Browns to pair him with Josh Gordon (in theory they don't trade for Jarvis Landry).
Actual Pick: Jabril Peppers, Safety, Michigan
26. Atlanta Falcons (from Seattle Seahawks)- Takkarist McKinney, Defensive End/Linebacker, UCLA: McKinney had a fine rookie season and fit in nicely in Dan Quinn's pass rush. The Falcons don't regret this pick.
Actual Pick: McKinney
27. Buffalo Bills (from Kansas City Chiefs)- Cameron Kupp, Wide Receiver, Eastern Washington: Kupp was a nice surprise on a Rams team that is on the rise and provided to be a great weapon for Jared Goff. He would have been a nice fit on a young Bills team.
Actual Pick: Tre'Davious White, Cornerback, LSU
28. Dallas Cowboys- Carl Lawson, Defensive End, Auburn: Lawson had a nice rookie season for the Bengals and proved to be a steal where the Bengals actually took him. Lawson would have been a nice fit for Rod Marinelli's defense.
Actual Pick: Taco Charlton, Defensive End, Michigan
29. Cleveland Browns (from Green Bay Packers)- Adoree Jackson, Cornerback, USC: Here the Browns select Jackson to improve their secondary. Jackson also excels in special teams as he returns kicks and punts.
Actual Pick: David Njoku, Tight End, Miami
30. Pittsburgh Steelers- Evan Ingram, Tight End, Ole Miss: Ingram proved to be a very good weapon for Eli Manning this past season when pretty much every decent receiver the Giants had gotten injured. Ingram in theory would replace Heath Miller in Ben Rothlisberger's offense.
Actual Pick: TJ Watt, Outside Linebacker, Wisconsin
31. San Francisco 49ers (from Atlanta Falcons via Seattle Seahawks)- Shaquill Griffin, Cornerback, UCF: Griffin had a fine rookie season for the Seahawks as they found a diamond in the ruff. Griffin would have been a nice fit in this Niners secondary.
Actual Pick: Reuben Foster, Linebacker, Alabama
32. New Orleans Saints (from New England Patriots)- Charles Davis, Defensive End, Missouri: As the Saints continue to rebuild their defense, they select Davis here to improve their pass rush. Davis would see more playing time on a young Saints defensive line than on a veteran Dolphins defensive line.
Actual Pick: Ryan Ramczyk, Offensive Tackle, Wisconsin
1. Cleveland Browns- DeShaun Watson, Quarterback, Clemson: Watson's rookie season was cut short due to a torn ACL, but he proved that he's a franchise quarterback. He would have been the Rookie of the Year in all likelihood and who knows? Maybe the Texans would have made the playoffs. But that said, he's good at finding open guys and his mobility is excellent. The Browns certainly wouldn't pass up on Watson this time around.
Actual Pick: Myles Garrett, Defensive End, Texas A&M
2. Chicago Bears (from San Francisco 49ers)- Myles Garrett, Defensive End, Texas A&M: The Bears pass-rush isn't good and Garrett would have been a great fit on the Bears defense. Although the Bears took a quarterback in this spot, Garrett, who had a solid rookie season, would be too good to pass up here in this spot with his upside.
Actual Pick: Mitch Trubisky, Quarterback, North Carolina
3. San Francisco 49ers (from Chicago Bears)- Alvin Kamara, Running Back, Tennessee: Kamara was phenomenal in his rookie campaign for the Saints. Wouldn't Jimmy Garappolo love a do-it-all back to keep pressure off of him? The Niners wouldn't pass this opportunity up.
Actual Pick: Solomon Thomas, Defensive Tackle, Stanford
4. Jacksonville Jaguars- Leonard Fournette, Running Back, LSU: Fournette was great for the Jags in his rookie campaign and he's a big asset for Blake Bortles in their offense. The Jags definitely don't due-over this pick right now.
Actual Pick: Fournette
5. Tennessee Titans (from Los Angeles Rams)- Marshon Lattimore, Cornerback, Ohio State: The Titans did improve their secondary this offseason, but in this re-draft I have the Titans selecting Lattimore, who shown in his rookie campaign that he's a top flight cornerback. The Titans would not pass on Lattimore now.
Actual Pick: Corey Davis, Wide Receiver, Western Michigan
6. New York Jets, Jamal Adams, Safety, LSU: Adams had a solid rookie season and he's only going to get better. The Jets do not do this pick over as they've done a nice job thus for rebuilding the secondary.
Actual Pick: Adams
7. Los Angeles Chargers- Solomon Thomas, Defensive Tackle, Stanford: Instead with going a need pick, the Chargers go with best player available. That was Thomas, who had a nice rookie campaign and he would have been a nice addition to go with Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa in their pass rush.
Actual Pick: Mike Williams, Wide Receiver, Clemson
8. Carolina Panthers- JuJu Smith-Schuster, Wide Receiver, USC: Smith-Schuster proved to be a big steal for the Steelers and turned into a huge weapon for Ben Rothlisberger. Cam Newton probably wishes he had Smith-Schuster as he would have been the Panthers #1 receiver.
Actual Pick: Christian McCaffrey, Running Back, Stanford
9. Cincinnati Bengals- Ryan Ramczyk, Offensive Tackle, Wisconsin: Ramczyk turned out to be the best offensive lineman in this draft class (so far). In theory, the Bengals don't trade for Cody Glenn, so they wouldn't pass up on Ramczyk here.
Actual Pick: John Ross, Wide Receiver, Washington
10. Kansas City Chiefs (from Buffalo Bills)- Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback, Texas Tech: Mahomes only started one game this past season and showed some promise. He still projects to be an above average quarterback that the Chiefs wouldn't pass up on to be their franchise quarterback.
Actual Pick: Mahomes
11. New Orleans Saints- Tre'Davious White, Cornerback, LSU: With Lattimore off the board, the Saints go with White here, who had a solid rookie season of his own. White exceeded expectations in his rookie season and the Saints don't pass up on a possible top cornerback.
Actual Pick: Marshon Lattimore, Cornerback, Ohio State
12. Houston Texans (from Philadelphia Eagles via Cleveland Browns)- Kareem Hunt, Running Back, Toledo: Instead of going with a quarterback, they take the best player available in Hunt. Hunt led the league in rushing yards as a rookie, although he was hurt at the end of the season.
Actual Pick: DeShaun Watson, Quarterback, Clemson
13. Arizona Cardinals- Reuben Foster, Linebacker, Alabama: The Cards pass up on a quarterback here for another need pick. Foster had a nice rookie season for the Niners and projects to be a top five linebacker someday, which the Cards don't pass up.
Actual Pick: Hassan Reddick, Outside Linebacker, Temple
14. Philadelphia Eagles (from Minnesota Vikings)- Malik Hooker, Safety, Ohio State: Although Christian McCaffrey would be a fun pick, the Eagles have a ton of running backs so instead they go with Hooker, who would pair nicely with Malcolm Jenkins in the secondary. Hooker was having a solid rookie season until his season ended with a knee injury.
Actual Pick: Derek Barnett, Defensive End, Tennessee
15. Indianapolis Colts- Christian McCaffrey, Running Back, Stanford: As bad as the Colts defense needs young talent, the Colts also need some blue chippers on offense. McCaffrey would be a nice security blanket for Andrew Luck not only running the ball, but catching passes out of the backfield.
Actual Pick: Malik Hooker, Safety, Ohio State
16. Baltimore Ravens- Hassan Reddick, Outside Linebacker, Temple: Reddick did not live up to the first round hype for the Cards in his rookie season, but his athleticism stands out. Maybe the Ravens would have been a better fit for Reddick, who has room to grow as a player.
Actual Pick: Marlon Humphrey, Cornerback, Alabama
17. Washington Redskins- Corey Davis, Wide Receiver, Western Michigan: Davis's rookie season was somewhat disappointing, but that was due to injury. His speed and athleticism would give the Redskins offense a different look.
Actual Pick: Jonathan Allen, Defensive Tackle, Alabama
18. Tennessee Titans- Derek Barnett, Defensive End, Tennessee: Barnett's rookie season was overshadowed by the Eagles Super Bowl run as well as the other stand out rookies in this class. Barnett would be a nice addition to a Titan defense that's pass rush needs to improve.
Actual Pick: Adoree Jackson, Cornerback, USC
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Dalvin Cook, Running Back, Florida State: Cook was having a great rookie season before it was cut short due to a torn ACL. Cook would have helped a subpar Bucs running game.
Actual Pick: OJ Howard, Tight End, Alabama
20. Denver Broncos- Garrett Bolles, Offensive Tackle, Utah: Bolles was solid in his rookie season although he has a lot to work on. The Broncos don't do a do-over here due to Bolles's upside and because he has quick feet and solid discipline.
Actual Pick: Bolles
21. Detroit Lions- Jonathan Allen, Defensive Tackle, Alabama: Allen was having a fine rookie season before breaking his foot. The Lions have failed to replace Ndomokung Suh and Nick Fairley the last few seasons and Allen would have been a nice fit alongside Ziggy Ansah.
Actual Pick: Jarrad Davis, Linebacker, Florida
22. Miami Dolphins- TJ Watt, Outside Linebacker, Wisconsin: Watt had a solid rookie season for the Steelers and helped them tremendously. He certainly would have helped the Dolphins defense as well.
Actual Pick: Charles Davis, Defensive End, Missouri
23. New York Giants- Cam Robinson, Offensive Tackle, Alabama: In theory, the Giants don't sign Nate Solder, so they select Robinson here to help protect Eli Manning. Robinson had a solid season for the Jags as a rookie.
Actual Pick: Evan Ingram, Tight End, Ole Miss
24. Oakland Raiders- Marlon Humphrey, Cornerback, Alabama: Humphrey had gotten off to a slow start, but played very well later on in his rookie campaign. Humphrey projects to be a top twenty-five corner and the Raiders wouldn't pass on him as he would improve their defense.
Actual Pick: Gareon Conley, Cornerback, Ohio State
25. Cleveland Browns (from Houston Texans)- John Ross, Wide Receiver, Washington: Ross didn't have a good rookie season and that was due to injury for the most part. His speed and ability to be a deep threat would entice the Browns to pair him with Josh Gordon (in theory they don't trade for Jarvis Landry).
Actual Pick: Jabril Peppers, Safety, Michigan
26. Atlanta Falcons (from Seattle Seahawks)- Takkarist McKinney, Defensive End/Linebacker, UCLA: McKinney had a fine rookie season and fit in nicely in Dan Quinn's pass rush. The Falcons don't regret this pick.
Actual Pick: McKinney
27. Buffalo Bills (from Kansas City Chiefs)- Cameron Kupp, Wide Receiver, Eastern Washington: Kupp was a nice surprise on a Rams team that is on the rise and provided to be a great weapon for Jared Goff. He would have been a nice fit on a young Bills team.
Actual Pick: Tre'Davious White, Cornerback, LSU
28. Dallas Cowboys- Carl Lawson, Defensive End, Auburn: Lawson had a nice rookie season for the Bengals and proved to be a steal where the Bengals actually took him. Lawson would have been a nice fit for Rod Marinelli's defense.
Actual Pick: Taco Charlton, Defensive End, Michigan
29. Cleveland Browns (from Green Bay Packers)- Adoree Jackson, Cornerback, USC: Here the Browns select Jackson to improve their secondary. Jackson also excels in special teams as he returns kicks and punts.
Actual Pick: David Njoku, Tight End, Miami
30. Pittsburgh Steelers- Evan Ingram, Tight End, Ole Miss: Ingram proved to be a very good weapon for Eli Manning this past season when pretty much every decent receiver the Giants had gotten injured. Ingram in theory would replace Heath Miller in Ben Rothlisberger's offense.
Actual Pick: TJ Watt, Outside Linebacker, Wisconsin
31. San Francisco 49ers (from Atlanta Falcons via Seattle Seahawks)- Shaquill Griffin, Cornerback, UCF: Griffin had a fine rookie season for the Seahawks as they found a diamond in the ruff. Griffin would have been a nice fit in this Niners secondary.
Actual Pick: Reuben Foster, Linebacker, Alabama
32. New Orleans Saints (from New England Patriots)- Charles Davis, Defensive End, Missouri: As the Saints continue to rebuild their defense, they select Davis here to improve their pass rush. Davis would see more playing time on a young Saints defensive line than on a veteran Dolphins defensive line.
Actual Pick: Ryan Ramczyk, Offensive Tackle, Wisconsin
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