Category Archives: 2018 MLB Team Previews

2018 MLB Season Preview: New York Mets

The New York Mets didn’t make any big money additions this offseason. They opted to spend frugally and sign some veterans to team-friendly contracts.

The Mets starting rotation hasn’t been able to stay healthy. They had a stockpile of young starters, but they keep falling apart. Nearly every starter has had Tommy John at this point. That surgery is rarely a career-ender, but Matt Harvey keeps finding new ways to get injured. Hopefully they all have healthy and productive seasons.

The NL East have two of the worst teams in the Majors. Can the Mets pad their win total enough to steal a Wild Card spot?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the New York Mets.

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins have yo-yo’d between being competitive and ‘on-the-cusp’ the last few seasons. Everything lined up and their young players made advancements in their progression. They won 85 games and earned the second Wild Card spot in the American League.

Most teams sat on their wallets this offseason, but the Twins made an effort to add some veteran pitching to their team to surround all the youth. They were able to find some deals and signed Lance Lynn late in the offseason for a fraction of his going price.

Can Byron Buxton and Jose Berrios build on last season’s breakout performances?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Minnesota Twins.

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Milwaukee Brewers

The NL Central is a tough division to navigate for the Milwaukee Brewers when the Cubs and Cardinals are two of the best teams in the National League. They bolstered their offense this offseason with two big additions of outfielders Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain.

Milwaukee needed to add to their starting rotation this offseason, but they whiffed at adding any top-of-the-rotation starters. They just added a few veteran ‘fifth starters’ with no upside. 

The Brewers have a ton of speed and will have the green light to run, like last year. Milwaukee could ‘steal’ a few games if they can easily get runners in scoring position.

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Milwaukee Brewers.

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins were sold to a Derek Jeter-led group was made official late last year. He took over as CEO of the team and is in control of the baseball decisions. I’m sure it wasn’t totally his call, but he spent the entire offseason getting rid of payroll.

The Marlins are expected to call-up a lot of young talent to fill the large void the former plays left. Unfortunately, the farm system isn’t stocked with enough young blue chip talents to adequately step into those roles.

There are still a few Marlins players on the roster that could fetch a decent return. Will Jeter pull the trigger on deals to send JT Realmuto and others elsewhere?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Miami Marlins.

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers come into the season with a payroll of $178 million. That amount is due to rise soon with ace Clayton Kershaw in a contract opt-out year and a few young players due to hit arbitration in the coming years. The front office may need to make some hard decisions when it comes to money.

Those decisions are at least a year away, so the Dodgers just need to use their resources to improve this year’s team. They could be in the market for bullpen help as they get closer to the playoffs.

Can the Giants or Rockies catch them in the NL West? 

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Los Angels Dodgers.

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2018 March Madness: #6 Houston vs #11 San Diego State

It’s been a decade since Kelvin Sampson led a team to an NCAA Tournament berth. Houston is the fourth different school he will coach in the tournament. As crazy as it sounds, this team might be one of his best overall teams. 

San Diego State no longer has Steve Fisher on the sidelines, but his assistant has implemented the same philosophy. He used a strong emphasis on defense and led the Aztecs to recent success in the tournament. Can they do it without Fisher?

Can one of these teams be a bracket-buster in the next round?

Who do you think will win? 

Do you have #6 Houston Cougars or #11 San Diego State Aztecs?

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2018 March Madness: #7 Rhode Island vs #10 Oklahoma

Everyone was wondering if the NCAA Tournament would have the nation’s leading scorer in the field. It took a few minutes, but Oklahoma’s name was read off as an at-large team. Trae Young will be able to show off his incredible talents on the national stage.

The Atlantic 10 gets overlooked quite a bit, but there were some really good teams in the conference this season. Rhode Island was one of three or four A-10 teams worthy of a tournament bid.

Can Trae Young get the Sooners back on track and advance into the second round?

Who do you think will win? 

Do you have #7 Rhode Island Rams or #10 Oklahoma Sooners?

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2018 March Madness: #7 Arkansas vs #10 Butler

The Butler Bulldogs were among the bubble teams awaiting their fate during the Selection Show. They had a few Quadrant 1 wins, like when they beat Villanova, but they also lost some easy games down the stretch against Georgetown and St. John’s.

The Southeastern Conference secured eight spots in the field of 68. The conference had a great season. I didn’t expect them to receive so many bids. Arkansas didn’t have much to worry about on Sunday as they were a no-brainer choice for an at-large bid.

Can Arkansas play good enough perimeter defense to stop Butler’s dead-eye shooters?

Who do you think will win? 

Do you have #7 Arkansas Razorbacks or #10 Butler Bulldogs?

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2018 March Madness: #8 Creighton vs #9 Kansas State

We are here to help you fill out your brackets and finally beat your cubicle neighbor in your office pool this year.

We start out our picks with a game pairing a Big 12 team against an explosive Big East squad.

Kansas State is undersized, but efficient. They are also battle-tested by running through an underrated Big 12 conference.

Creighton faced their share of monsters in the Big East, but did have some easy wins down the stretch.

Who do you think will win? 

Do you have #8 Kansas State Wildcats or #9 Creighton Bluejays? 

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Los Angeles Angels

The Angels made the biggest move this offseason when they won the sweepstakes for the Japanese phenom, Shohei Otani. He will be in the six-man starting rotation and will be their designated hitter most games. It has been a long time since a starting pitcher could hit as well as Otani. You would probably have to go all the way back to some black-and-white footage.

The Angels have a lot of talent around superstar Mike Trout, but his teammates are getting long in the tooth. Ian Kinsler and Albert Pujols have both seen better days and newly-signed infielder Zack Cozart might end up being a bad signing.

Can the Angels make the postseason in 2018?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Los Angels Angels.

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Kansas City Royals

The Kansas Royals are no longer World Series contenders. They had a nice run with homegrown talent. They saw some of those guys leave for big money deals, but they still have a competitive squad coming into the season…but could look different by season’s end.

The Royals were able to keep one of their core homegrown talents that led them to a World Series title a few seasons ago. Mike Moustakas was hoping to land a huge contract after belting 38 homers last season. He turned down a qualifying offer, but found the landscape barren. Teams are saving their money for a talented free agent class next offseason. Moose came back for a deal that’s about half of the qualifying offer he turned down.

Will the Royals make any more moves towards a full rebuild?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Kansas City Royals.

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Houston Astros

The Houston Astros did everything right last season and won the World Series. They were arguably the best team from beginning to end.

Houston didn’t stand pat hoping the current squad was good enough to win another championship. They went out and traded for another arm (starter Gerrit Cole) to bolster what was already one of the best rotations in the Majors.

The AL West is always a competitive race. Nearly every team in the division made big moves this offseason. It will be hard for Houston to repeat last year’s success against an improved Angels and Mariners rosters.

Can the Astros repeat and win back-to-back rings?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Houston Astros.

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