2015 MLB Team Preview: Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are cleaning house. They got rid of Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Evan Gattis, Kris Medlen and a handful of others. They made a decision to blow up the team.

On paper, Atlanta had a great lineup. Power hitters, on-base percentage darlings, strikeout pitchers and a dominant closer. That is a formula for dominance. The team never lived up to their potential. They ended up being one of the worst scoring teams in the Majors.

Fredi Gonzalez is still Atlanta’s skipper, but can he keep his job while the Braves try to rebuild?

Which players may end up on the trading block?

Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the Atlanta Braves.

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2015 MLB Team Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona comes into the season with new manager Chip Hale. They fired Kirk Gibson after he went 353-375 in four and a half seasons as skipper. The expectations are low for Hale as Arizona isn’t expected to immediately compete for the NL West crown.

The Diamondbacks were dealt with injuries to many of their top stars. Paul Goldschmidt and Mark Trumbo both missed time and pitchers Daniel Hudson and Patrick Corbin didn’t start a single game in 2014 due to both needing Tommy John surgery.

Can Arizona’s young talent speed up Arizona’s rebuilding process?

How will Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas transition to the Majors?

Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 50 First Baseman

First base is EXTREMELY deep this season. It’s a loaded position with a lot of power and many of the rankings are based on personal preferences. Players with upside usually take precedent over consistent players with little to no upside.

Can you handle a first baseman with power, but a sub-.225 batting average? Do you want to go safe with a player like Adrian Gonzalez or Freddie Freeman?

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

1. Miguel Cabrera – Detroit Tigers – Most have Miggy as a top-five fantasy first baseman, but I think they are selling the former MVP short. He dealt with injuries for most of last year and he still knocked 25 homers and hit .313. I believe he’ll have another season of at least 35 homers and .310+. I just couldn’t pick another first baseman if Miggy is still on the board.

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Which Wrestlers in NXT are Ready for WWE’s Main Roster?

Pro wrestling is cyclical. Major stars tend to have 10+ year runs at the top and then fade into the mid-card. WWE had issues in the past trying to build homegrown young talent able to take the next step when the time is right.

Triple H is semi-retired from competing in the ring and is now the Chief Creative Officer for the WWE. He decided to focus on talent development. They opened the WWE Performance Center and rebranded their developmental territory (Florida Championship Wrestling) into NXT. The results have spoken and it has exceeded all expectations.

Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins and Paige have all had success since graduating from NXT to WWE’s main roster. Which stars are ready to take the leap?

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2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 30 Catchers

It’s time to kick off our yearly preseason fantasy baseball rankings.

The catcher position is quite intriguing. Many of the top catchers are young. You still have guys like Yadier Molina, but the position has gotten younger. There are catchers you can get late in the draft that still have upside.

My rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.

1. Buster Posey – San Francisco Giants – Posey is possibly the most consistent fantasy catcher since Yadier Molina in his prime. I thought about mentioning Joe Mauer, but he had that one crazy power year. Posey gives you average, power and plenty at-bats to stack your roto categories. Enjoy him at catcher while you can. I have a feeling the Giants will move him to first base before he hits 30 years old.

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Hawks, Predators Lead the Way in Stanley Cup Online Betting

As the NHL regular season reaches the 60-game mark, the race for top spot is heating up, both in the NHL standings and Stanley Cup futures betting odds at the online sportsbooks.

The Chicago Blackhawks continue to lead the way as 6/1 favorites in Stanley Cup betting favorites at sportsbooks available through www.bettingsports.com. The Hawks’ odds have held steady since opening the regular season at 13/2, despite their struggles at times to keep pace in the competitive Central Division.

The Nashville Predators currently sit atop the Central, entering the final week of February with a 12-point lead over Chicago in the divisional standings. The Preds have seen their Stanley Cup betting stock rise since acquiring defenseman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli in a blockbuster trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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Baseball America’s 2015 Top 100 Prospects

Baseball America just released their yearly list of Major League Baseball’s top 100 prospects.

I’m a huge baseball fan and I love reading about prospects. I look forward to Baseball America’s list. I always buy Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook as well as the annual book by Baseball Prospectus.

If you play fantasy baseball, reading about baseball’s next generation is essential in both yearly draft leagues and keeper leagues.

Many of the top prospects will see time in the Majors at some point this season. General managers have fallen in love with draft picks since they implemented a luxury tax and revenue sharing.

He is Baseball America’s 2015 list of Top 100 Prospects.

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Will the Colts Draft a Running Back in the First Round?

Scouts and team executives from around the NFL are in Indianapolis this weekend for the start of the NFL Draft Combine. Prospects will get run through the car wash with interviews, weigh-ins and various drills.

The Colts are going into this draft with a huge question mark at running back. Two seasons ago, they traded a first round pick to Cleveland for Trent Richardson, but that hasn’t worked out…at all. They are now wrapped up in nasty situation in which Indy could try to void his contract.

This draft’s running back class is top heavy. Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Georgia’s Todd Gurley are on top of the list. Will Indy draft a running back in the first round?

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Will the Suns trade Goran Dragic?

The NBA trade deadline is Thursday and many teams are looking make some deals. There are a handful of teams that want improve their roster for the playoffs and the rest are basically trying to dump as many assets they can. Those assets are usually expiring contracts, but a few quality players do get moved at the deadline.

Goran Dragic, who won the Most Improved Player award last season (and even got a few MVP votes), looks to be on the move. He made it clear he won’t re-signing with the Phoenix Suns next year. Even though Phoenix is currently holding onto the 8th playoff spot in the West, they can’t afford to let him walk without getting anything in return.

Where will Dragic end up? What kind of deal will Phoenix get in return?

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2015 NFL Draft Combine: Ten Players to Watch

The 2015 NFL Draft Combine takes place at the end of next week. The yearly event in Indianapolis has turned into must-see television. The NFL Network does a fantastic job covering the combine.

We all know the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will most likely draft Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston with the first overall pick, but the rest of the draft is up for grabs.

All the top prospects for the 2015 NFL Draft will be there (with a few choosing to only workout at their college’s pro day) and many will see a change in their draft stock. A player can drastically change their round projection with an outstanding performance.

Here are ten players to keep an eye on during the 2015 NFL Draft Combine.

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Peyton Manning Ready to Play Another Season

Ever since Peyton Manning had major neck surgery, he’s taken the offseason to figure out if he’s healthy enough for another season. He’s been checked out by doctors and it appears he’s ready to play another season for the Denver Broncos.

Fans were worried about Peyton’s health after he struggled with velocity late in the season. I even wondered if he had enough left in the tank. It turned out that he was dealing with a significant thigh injury.

Denver has other issues going into next season. Many of Peyton’s targets are now free agents. Can Denver afford to sign them all?

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Toy Crazy: Mattel’s WWE Elite Series 34

I’m a self-confessed vintage toy nerd. I collect vintage wrestling action figures from the 80’s & 90’s. I started purchasing some vintage toys out of nostalgia. Well, WWE and Mattel sucked me into their new stuff. I now buy a few figures a month.

WWE Elite Series 30, Elite Series 31 & Elite Series 33 were all home runs (Elite Series 32…not so much). Well, Mattel released images of Elite 34 and they are definitely crazy awesome.

The WWE Superstars included in Elite 34 are Doink (Flashback), Hulk Hogan, Rusev, Paige, Bad News Barrett and John Cena.

Here are some pictures and a review of which accessories each figure will come with.

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