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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How Custom Sun Shades Protect Your Vehicle’s Interior

With all the money you put into your vehicle, from purchasing it to making repairs, you want your investment to last as long as possible. Most important is scheduling routine maintenance to upkeep the major components of your car. However, don’t forget to take care of the interior of your vehicle, as well. Protecting the inside will keep it looking and feeling new for you to enjoy or to get more value out of the car when you sell it. It’s easy, too. You can start by using custom sun shades.

What Are the Benefits of Sun Shades?

Sun shades most commonly cover the front windshield of the car, though you can also find ones for the back windshield and door windows. They block the sun’s rays from heating the interior of your car so you and other passengers don’t enter a hot, stuffy vehicle or get burned from touching a scorching surface. They also prevent fading and cracking that too much exposure to sunlight can cause and provide some privacy from passersby.

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2018 March Madness: #16 Seed Play-in Game (LIU-Brooklyn vs Radford)

The #16 seed Play-in Games are fun games to watch. The small school’s fanbase travels and they make a lot of noise.

The LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds aren’t strangers to the play-in game atmosphere. They have been here before, but failed to leave with a win.

It’s been awhile since Radford made the field of 68, but they are also looking for their first-ever NCAA tournament win.

The winner of this game will face the Villanova Wildcats.

Who do you think will win? 

Who do you have: LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds or Radford Highlanders?

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2018 March Madness: #16 Seed Play-in Game (NC Central vs Texas Southern)

The two #16 seed Play-in Games are two exciting contests to kickoff the NCAA Tournament. They pit teams that probably have no business being in the tournament, but they made some upsets in their conference tournament. There’s a place for teams like that in the field of 68.

North Carolina Central and Texas Southern are lead by coaches that have NCAA Tournament experience. Neither team was favored to win their conference tournaments, but the MEAC and SWAC both get representation.

The winner of this game will face the Xavier Musketeers.

Who do you think will win? 

Who do you have: North Carolina Central Eagles or Texas Southern Tigers?

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2018 March Madness: #5 Clemson vs #12 New Mexico State

The ACC got a lot of teams in the NCAA Tournament this season. It’s hard to differentiate any team after Virginia as they just traded wins and losses among each other. Clemson was near Virginia’s level, but suffered an injury to their second-leading scorer.

There’s a trend of first-year coaches getting their teams in the tournament this season. Chris Jans was a smart hire by the Aggies. He’s was an assistant at Wichita State for years. He was able to learn under Gregg Marshall, who is one of the nation’s best college basketball coaches. 

Who do you think will win? 

Do you have #5 Clemson Tigers or #12 New Mexico State Aggies?

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2018 March Madness: #5 West Virginia vs #12 Murray State

Murray State had a great season and is probably the best Ohio Valley squad to play in the NCAA Tournament in recent memory. The conference has had some tournament upsets in the past, so the Racers could be a dangerous team.

West Virginia tied Texas Tech for second place in the Big 12 regular season. They made it to the ACC Tournament final, but lost to Kansas.

The Mountaineers are a touch match-up for most teams, let alone against a smaller conference team. Does Murray State have a chance for an upset?

Who do you think will win? 

Do you have #5 West Virginia Mountaineers or #12 Murray State Racers?

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2018 March Madness: #5 Ohio State vs #12 South Dakota State

The Buckeyes were a team put together with duct tape, but turned into something indestructible. It’s truly a rags to riches story for the program.

South Dakota State doesn’t get a lot of press as they play in lightly-populated state in a small conference. They should get more respect as they have a Summit League championship contending team every single year.

Ohio State is the better overall team, but South Dakota State may have the better overall player in this game. Can the Jackrabbits upset the Buckeyes?

Who do you think will win? 

Do you have #5 Ohio State Buckeyes or #12 South Dakota State Jackrabbits?

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2018 March Madness: #5 Kentucky vs #12 Davidson

This is an interesting match-up. The team that comes out of this contest alive will be a tough out in this NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky missed out on a lot of the five-star recruits this past recruiting season, but they still managed to suit up a very good team. They are young and inconsistent at times, but they are long and can disrupt inside-scoring attempts.

Davidson was a long-shot to receive an at-large big and needed to win the Atlantic 10 Tournament. They cemented their spot by beating St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island on back-to-back days. Can they keep the upset train rolling?

Who do you think will win? 

Do you have #5 Kentucky Wildcats or #12 Davidson Wildcats?

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2018 March Madness: #11 Seed Play-in Game (Arizona State vs Syracuse)

Arizona State looked like a title contender early this season, but there’s a reason why they play more than a dozen games. The Sun Devils looked pedestrian once the Pac-12 conference schedule was underway.

Syracuse was probably the last team in the field; I refuse to believe otherwise. You could make the case for other teams to have leapfrogged them for an at-large bid. The Orange were among a middling group in ACC standings. Many teams split home-and-away games with each other, so it’s hard to separate any of them from the pack.

Can either one of these teams be a real threat to the TCU Horned Frogs in the first round?

Who do you think will win? 

Who do you have: Arizona State Sun Devils or Syracuse Orange?

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