MLB Preview 2013 Tampa Bay Rays

MLB Preview 2013

Tampa Bay Rays

Manager:Joe Maddon (8th Season)

Last Season:(90-72) (No Playoffs)

(Finished 5GB of Division Winner, Finished 3GB of Playoff Spot)

2013

Lineup

C Jose Molina (Age:37)

(14th Season, 2nd with Rays)

(2012 Stats(Rays): 102 Games  56 Hits  .223 Average  8 HR  32 RBI  20 Walks  .286 OBP  3 Stolen Bases

The worn out Jose Molina is where we have to start and he is the first of many old or not very effective hitters in this Rays lineup. Despite some good defense and even a career high 8 home runs in 2012 I don’t see Molina holding the starting catcher job very long this year as he paves the way for a new younger Rays catcher of the future. Molina at age 37 doesn’t have very much left in the tank and I would expect the Rays to use Jose Lobatonn in addition with Molina here for most of the season as you can expect with a 37 year old catcher who can’t start everyday.

1B James Loney (Age:28)

(8th Season, 1st with Rays)

(2012 Stats(Dodgers/Red Sox): 144 Games  108 Hits  .249 Average  6 HR  41 RBI  28 Walks  .293 OBP  0 Stolen Bases

As the glorious return of Carlos Pena to Tampa last year failed pretty badly the Rays now hope they have their 1B for years now in James Loney. Loney was a pretty productive player last year for the Dodgers who also hoped he was their future at 1B but when the mega deal that sent Gonzalez and others to LA was presented Loney was shipped to Boston where he spent the rest of the year. While not very productive in Boston I loved the Rays making the move to grab him as I think he can be a very effective part of a lineup that really needs help this season. Loney features a decent hitting attack but is extremely ineffective against lefties which the Rays may need to address. It’s tough to tell with Loney who has been highly rated in the past but I think he will be an effective piece of the Rays lineup this season.

2B Kelly Johnson (Age:30)

(8th Season, 1st with Rays)

(2012 Stats(Blue Jays): 142 Games  114 Hits  .225 Average  16 HR  55 RBI  62 Walks  .313 OBP  14 Stolen Bases

Once again not a very big name player and more of a platoon player than anything, Kelly Johnson ,as a late signing, will likely be the 2B for the Rays through this season. Basically a speedy on base guy, Johnson can give about 100 hits a season which he has done consistently and provides some nice speed which you know the Rays always love. Like most other guys in this lineup Johnson is not a permanent solution as he reaches his 30s but on a 1 year deal at 2B, I liked the decision here and he should give 100 hits and about 12 or 13 homers.

SS Yunel Escobar (Age:30)

(7th Season, 1st with Rays)

(2012 Stats(Blue Jays): 145 Games  141 Hits  .253 Average  9 HR  51 RBI  35 Walks  .300 OBP  5 Stolen Bases

The Rays middle infield this season will be the exact middle infield that the Blue Jays had last season as teammates Johnson and Escobar move south to Tampa. Unlike Johnson I’m not really a big fan of what the Rays did here signing Escobar while he did have a decent season last year he has been known to carry some baggage as shown last year when he was suspended or the homophobic slur on his eyeblack and has been known to be a hothead at times over his career. If Escobar, as he turns 30, can put up about 130 hits and a .250 average along with staying under control I don’t mind the signing but once again a platoon player he is the not the future here and basically is yet another bridge player on this team, not a huge impact is felt from him or the last 3 players.

3B Evan Longoria (Age:27)

(6th Season, 6th with Rays)

(2012 Stats(Rays): 74 Games  79 Hits  .289 Average  17 HR  55 RBI  33 Walks  .369 OBP  2 Stolen Bases

(STAR)

Year after year the Rays have to be so happy they have a player as consistently excellent as Evan Longoria and he has quickly become one of my favorite MLB players with how much hard work he puts out and he is way too often the savior of this terrible Rays lineup. Last season was the greatest example as the Rays went on a terrible collapse when he went down with injuries and once he made his return the Rays went on an absolute tear and came so close to the playoffs. Longoria has been nothing but extraordinary since his entrance into the league and once again I expect him to be near MVP level this year but the question as always will be who will stand up and perform with him especially now with the departure of BJ Upton.

LF Sam Fuld (Age:31)

(6th Season, 3rd with Rays)

(2012 Stats(Rays): 44 Games  25 Hits  .255 Average  0 HR  5 RBI  8 Walks  .318 OBP  7 Stolen Bases

I know the Rays will likely start Matt Joyce here and Fuld will likely start in the minors but I love this guys speed and hustle and he should get this spot eventually this season. While last season Fuld was mostly sidelined, for the past 2 years Fuld has been an incredible playmaker, all over Top 10 Plays and has shown incredible promise for this Rays team. If Fuld can get right especially with his hitting in the minors there’s no way he doesn’t deserve a starting spot somewhere in this Rays outfield which looks to be very weak with Upton’s departure. As for the start of the season you will likely see Joyce or Jennings here all I know is the Rays outfield will be a complete mess of confusion towards the beginning of this season.

CF Wil Myers (Age:22)

(1st MLB Season, 1st with Rays)

(2012 STATS WITH AAA IN ROYALS SYSTEM): 134 Games  164 Hits  .314 Average  37 HR  109 RBI  61 Walks  .387 OBP  6 Stolen Bases

(PLAYER TO WATCH)

It’s likely certain that Wil Myers won’t start the season with the team as they want to push back his free agency but watch out when he comes up there could be fireworks in Tampa, Just look at the stats this guy put up in the Royals system last year, many have compared him to Mike Trout the new star of the Angels. Thinking of the added advantages this guy could give the Rays, he could give him them an incredible 2nd big hitter on this team to pair with Longoria and it’s a guy like this the Rays have been waiting years for now. I expect Myers to arrive with this team in May and become an instant star in CF but until then you will likely see utility player Desmond Jennings at this position with not much effect hopefully pushing the team to bring this guy up faster.

RF Ben Zobrist (Age:31)

(8th Season, 8th with Rays)

(2012 Stats(Rays): 157 Games  151 Hits  .270 Average  20 HR  74 RBI  97 Walks  .377 OBP  14 Stolen Bases

Ben Zobrist is what I call a superutility guy and he has been the best at playing almost anywhere his whole career. As much as I hate the amount of utility guys on this team Zobrist deserves huge credit as he has basically been the 2nd best hitter here with Longoria over the past few seasons. Zobrist gives you just about everything you could ask for hits, good average, great fielding at almost every position, some power, and just gets on base with almost 100 walks an incredible stat. Zobrist deserves a spot on this team and has been so effective especially last year, the Rays need to hope he can be an all around great guy once again especially to hold off as they wait for Myers to arrive.

DH Luke Scott vs RHP/Ryan Roberts vs LHP

Luke Scott is a very unlikable player but probably the best option here vs RHP, I love the addition of Ryan Roberts here though with much better power production I would like to see the Rays maybe even use him full time at DH this season either way the Rays won’t get a ton out of this position this season

Bench

C Jose Lobatonn, 1B Shelly Duncan, IF Sean Rodriguez, OF Matt Joyce, OF Desmond Jennings

Lineup Roundup

The lineup for years has held this team from the World Series in 08 and the playoffs the last few season but this may be the season the Rays can breakthrough on the offensive side. Basically throughout you have mediocre hitters like Escobar and Johnson who can add some decent contribution to the team. The real 2 questions here that decide how far the Rays can go this season is can Longoria have a big return and I think there’s no question that he can especially after his giant performance towards the end of the season and there is no question he is a clutch key player here in Tampa. The 2nd and bigger question is can somebody finally step up as a 2nd star in this lineup? Zobrist has proved to be a nice complement to Longoria but is far from a star and so it all lays to how big Myers can be in his first MLB season. I expect Myers to be gigantic when he arrives and finally become the 2nd star here. While I love this team as a whole this season this lineup will need to finally put up some big runs in a more competitive season.

PITCHING ROTATION

David Price (Age:27)

(6th Season, 6th with Rays) (2012 AL CY YOUNG WINNER)

(2012 Stats(Rays):31 Starts  211 IP  2.56 ERA  (20-5)  205 Strikeouts  1.10 WHIP

Jeremy Hellickson (Age:25)

(4th Season, 4th with Rays)

(2012 Stats(Rays):31 Starts  177 IP  3.10 ERA  (10-11)  124 Strikeouts  1.25 WHIP

Matt Moore (Age:23)

(3rd Season, 3rd with Rays)

(2012 Stats(Rays):31 Starts  177 IP  3.81 ERA  (11-11)  175 Strikeouts  1.35 WHIP

Alex Cobb (Age:25)

(3rd Season, 3rd with Rays)

(2012 Stats(Rays):23 Starts  136 IP  4.03 ERA  (11-9)  106 Strikeouts  1.25 WHIP

Jeff Niemann (Age:29)

(6th Season, 6th with Rays)

(2012 Stats(Rays):8 Starts  38 IP  3.08 ERA  (2-3)  34 Strikeouts  1.11 WHIP

Starter Rundown

There is no rotation that has more potential to be completely lockdown and dominate for years than the Rays and I just love the group of homegrown incredible young talent that the Rays have here. It all starts with David Price who is just unbelievable there’s no words to describe how amazing his stuff is just look at his stats from last season, he goes into this year the 2nd or 3rd best pitcher in the MLB easily. With an incredible anchor to the rotation like Price it’s stunning how much young talent they have behind him also but without their clear #2 starter James Shields who was shipped out for Myers, they will need to find a clear number 2 for this rotation. Hellickson seems like the choice an innings eater who pitched a lot last season but was very inconsistent at times. Behind that you have two incredible young talents in Moore who I think is going to be great and Cobb. This rotation has the potential to do amazing things and could once again be the best rotation in baseball but that necessary loss of Shields does kind of concern me. While there may be some young mistakes I love the healthy, big arms this rotation has and they have a clear pitching advantage over all the other AL East teams.

Bullpen

Closer  Fernando Rodney (Delivery Man of the Year)

RHP Joel Peralta, LHP Jake McGee, RHP Kyle Farnsworth, RHP Robert Hernandez, LHP Cesar Romos, RHP Jamey Wright

How you can basically sum up this bullpen is some decent veterans headlined by Rodney who had an incredible breakout performance last year and won the award given for the best Closer in the league as he shut down some key games with his outstanding heat. Behind Rodney you have some other solid veterans who can give some good relief such as Peralta, who has proven to be a valuable bullpen asset along with Farnsworth who used to close for this team and can be very effective in a setup role. Besides that this bullpen is pretty decent and should be able to get this Rays team through the year pretty effective it’s not to the level of the Oriole’s bullpen but I love the guy they are sending out closing again.

Major Losses

1B Carlos Pena (Astros)

IF Jeff Keppinger (White Sox)

OF Ben Francisco (Indians)

OF BJ Upton (Braves)

P JP Howell (Dodgers)

The Rays actually did lose some good players this offseason and even though a few have been Rays icons the past few years none of them should come back to hurt them very much. Pena for years was an incredible force in the Ray’s lineup especially back in 08 but once he left and returned once again he was never really as effective as he once was, it was a no brainer to move on from him. The one loss that you maybe can question is BJ Upton who for the past few years has shown signs of brilliance along with terrible showings of immaturity but the Rays felt they did not want to pay him. In the end I don’t think the loss will hurt them very much especially with Myers coming in but they could feel his loss early on this season.

FINAL WORD

The Rays year after year are right there with the Yankees to win the division but too often is the inefficiency of their lineup which leaves them back a step even with their incredible rotation. The lineup should be average once again with Longoria hopefully back to full healthy form he should once again be a monster especially in Tropicana Field but along with him nothing is certain in that lineup. The additions of Escobar and Johnson in the middle infield could work out as nice minor moves but the real question is how the outfield can respond to Upton leaving. Hopefully Fuld can return to the level he was playing at 2 years ago and take back his spot in LF and that the Rays stubborn determination to keep Myers away from free agency longer won’t delay his arrival too long. The best case scenario is that Myers arrives mid April and has a Mike Trout like year to complement Longoria and the Rays lineup starts to finally become a force that can match up with other AL East teams. The rotation and bullpen should once again be a dominate force over the others and Price is just so amazing that there should be no trouble there at all. In the end I think the Rays are still a small step back from their full potential and I just don’t see them clicking all the way just yet they should be big contenders once again but just barely miss the playoffs behind the Yankees and Orioles.

Final Prediction, 3rd in AL East (No Playoffs)

 

– Bobby Manning

MLB Preview 2013 Baltimore Orioles

MLB PREVIEW 2013

Baltimore Orioles

Manager:Buck Showalter (4th Season)

Last Season:(93-69) (AL 5th Seed)

(Beat Rangers 5-1 in WC Game, Lost to Yankees 3-2 in Divisional Round)

2013

Lineup

C Matt Wieters (Age:26) (5th Season, 5th with Orioles)

(2012 Stats(Orioles): 144 Games  131 Hits  .249 Average  23 HRs  83 RBI  60 Walks  .329 OBP  3 Stolen Bases

Matt Wieters after years of getting into form with the Orioles is finally starting to become a great presence in the lineup like the believed he would when they picked him up as a top prospect. What you can expect from Wieters once again this year is excellent power in a small Camden Yards and a great defensive catcher. What the Orioles always worry with Wieters is health but his 144 games last year was the best of his career. I expect Wieters to once again be a powerful asset for the Orioles in a lineup that will really have to produce.

1B Chris Davis (Age:26) (7th Season, 2nd with Orioles)

 

(2012 Stats(Orioles): 139 Games  139 Hits  .270 Average  33 HRs  85 RBI  37 Walks  .326 OBP  2 Stolen Bases

The biggest surprise out of the stunning performance of this Orioles team was the emergence of Chris Davis who was truly an incredible force in the O’s run last year. After years of minor leagues and being kind of a side player Davis exploded with power lasting blasting 30 plus homers and was even a huge defensive asset both in the outfield and at 1B. Davis was a giant boost to the Orioles defensively and provided another scary force in their lineup and may have been their most important player. It’s tough to say whether last year was a fluke but it is easy to say it won’t get better than that for Davis I still expect him to be a great help in the O’s lineup but only with about 23 homers and around 75 RBI still a tremendous asset just not as scary.

2B Brian Roberts (Age:35) (13th Season, 13th with Orioles)

(2012 Stats(Orioles): 17 Games  12 Hits  .182 Average  0 HR  5 RBI  5 Walks  .233 OBP  1 Stolen Base

I have always loved Brian Roberts great guy and tremendous player but the amount of injuries he has to deal with especially the past few years have been tough to watch. After a big return from injury last season Roberts once again could not get back on the field and missed all but about a few games last year. At the age of 35 and still so injury prone I don’t expect much more than for him to just start at 2B next year and hate to say it but not sure he will last very long. Orioles may want to start to look at other options for 2B this season but he heads to camp as starter.

SS JJ Hardy (Age:30) (9th Season, 3rd with Orioles)

(2012 Stats(Orioles): 158 Games  158 Hits  .238 Average  22 HR  68 RBI  38 Walks  .282 OBP  0 Stolen Bases

A constant trait you see throughout the Orioles lineup great power and reliable fielders and that’s what you have in JJ Hardy. Last season Hardy was once again the guys he’s always been a great 2 hitter with some power good hits about 20 home runs. This year I’d expect Hardy to once again be around the stats he had last year but if he wants to be the effective 2 hitter the O’s want him to be his average will have to move up from .230.

3B Manny Machado (Age:20) (2nd Season, 2nd with Orioles)

(2012 Stats(Orioles): 51 Games  50 Hits  .262 Average  7 HR  26 RBI  9 Walks  .294 OBP  2 Stolen Bases

(PLAYER TO WATCH FOR)

Interesting to see Machado this year now without Mark Reynolds he has full control of 3B for a full season in the MLB. A top prospect, Machado was an incredible help at 19 years old for the Orioles towards the end of the season and even into the playoffs, I love Machado and he is the kind of player that fits perfectly with this team and is a solid corner infielder with some great power. Most Orioles prospects have made great impacts in their early years and while he may show some young mistakes I think Machado will be a solid part of the Orioles lineup this year in his first full season.

LF Nate McLouth (Age:31) (9th Season, 2nd with Orioles)

 

(2012 Stats(Pirates/Orioles): 89 Games  64 Hits  .241  Average  7 HR  20 RBI  27 Walks  .314 OBP  12 Stolen Base

The small trade for Nate McLouth ended up being a key move for the Orioles in 2012. Basically a bench player in Pittsburgh McLouth made an instant impact in Baltimore and ended being a great leadoff guy that the Orioles were looking for. With McLouth you get a solid outfielder who hit for a nice leadoff average last year and had some good speed too. McLouth isn’t amazing but will be a solid leadoff hitter for the Orioles with I’m guessing about a .280 Average but if he shows inconsistency that he has in the past they should quickly look for other options at the leadoff spot.

CF Adam Jones (Age:27) (8 Season, 6th with Orioles)

(2012 Stats(Orioles): 162 Games  186 Hits  .287 Average  32 HR  82 RBI  34 Walks  .334 OBP  16 Stolen Bases

(STAR)
Adam Jones after several small key years where he showed great potential finally transformed into the star player I knew he could be last season. Just as the Orioles finally became contenders Adam Jones had the monster year that he has had the ability to have. Jones is that perfect mix of speed, power, and hitting skill that makes up the perfect baseball star and he is going to need to once again take control of the Orioles and prove himself as a great leader. I expect Jones to be amazing once again with around 30 home runs, close to a .300 average, and maybe even have a chance at AL MVP that’s how good he has the potential to be next year.

RF Nick Markakis (Age:29) (8th Season, 8th with Orioles)

(2012 Stats(Orioles): 104 Games  125 Hits  .298 Average  13 HR  54 RBI  42 Walks  .363 OBP  1 Stolen Base

(GREAT POTENTIAL)

I love Nick Markakis and with a similar career path as his teammate Adam Jones I expected him to finally have his huge career year last year and he was well on his way until a tough midseason injury sidelined him for most of the season. Markakis is one of the few players on this team who can give close to a solid .300 average along with clutch hitting when it is need and even a little power. I think Markakis finally has the huge career year I’ve been waiting for him to have this year with over 20 HR and another .300 year and once again being the solid right fielder he is. There are many great pieces in this lineup already and the return of this great on base guy is even better.

DH Wilson Betemit

Some good hitting from Betemit last year at DH and some fill in roles. He’ll be DH for most of the year look for some other people here also though.

Bench

C Taylor Teagarden, 3B Danny Valencia, IF Alexi Casilla, OF Nolan Reimold

Lineup Roundup

The Orioles finally blew into AL East race last year beating up on the Sox, Rays, Jays, and even threatened the Yankees in the end almost taking the division and eventually brought the Yanks to a playoff Game 5. I think the Orioles now have finally compiled a lineup that is as good if not better than any other team in the AL East and for that I love them once again being right there with the Yankees and Rays for the division title. The mix of hitting, power, and speed in this lineup is incredible and while it took years to compile it is well worth the wait because the Orioles are going to put on an offensive show this season. Markakis in his return from injury should be the high average guy and show some power in the 3 hole behind McLouth and Hardy who will really need to focus on getting on base this year. Hitting cleanup to no surprise will be Jones who like I said before will be unbelievable this year almost to an MVP level and protecting him you have two players in Wieters and Davis who can smash the ball. Finally the lineup will end Betemit, Machado, Roberts who can still provide some backup also. I love the lineup the Orioles will be sending out this year and they are going to be excellent and they will have to be with some terrible starting pitching that I will soon address.

PITCHING ROTATION

Jason Hammel (Age:30) (8th Season, 2nd with Orioles)

(2012 Stats(Orioles):20 Starts  3.43 ERA  (8-6)  113 Strikeouts  1.24 WHIP

Wei-Yin Chen (Age:27) (2nd Season, 2nd with Orioles)

(2012 Stats(Orioles):32 Starts  4.02 ERA  (12-11)  154 Strikeouts  1.26 WHIP

Chris Tillman (Age:24) (5th Season, 5th with Orioles)

(2012 Stats(Orioles):15 Starts  2.93 ERA  (9-3)  66 Strikeouts  1.05 WHIP

Miguel Gonzalez (Age:28)  (2nd Season, 2nd with Orioles)

(2012 Stats(Orioles):15 Starts  3.25 ERA  (9-4)  77 Strikeouts  1.21 WHIP

Starter Overview

After relying on old veteran pitchers to carry them through the playoffs last year such as Joe Saunders and Randy Wolf the youth of the Orioles is now moving into the rotation. The only 2 pieces of the Orioles rotation that really have much experience is their top two pitchers Hammel and Chen. I love Hammel and he looked great at certain times of last season but as a number 1 starter I’m not sure how successful he can be in that role. Wei Yin Chen is another interesting piece here in his first year in the MLB last year from Japan he was wildly inconsistent after an excellent start to the season. Chen has some great stuff and can be the star of this rotation but needs to bring his ERA down big time and start performing on a regular basis. Behind those two you have tons of youth with Tillman who did not start much last year but when he did he showed some excellent promise along with Gonzalez a late season call up who was a great addition to the rotation. You never know with all kinds of young guys like this and they will need to find a 5th starter possibly Jair Jurrgens or someone in the bullpen but this rotation will definitely have some growing pains this year. I don’t expect much out of this rotation especially with no clear ace again but luckily the Orioles have an amazing bullpen to back it up.

Bullpen

Closer Jim Johnson

RHP Pedro Strop, RHP Darren O’Day, LHP Troy Patton, RHP Luis Ayala, LHP Brian Matusz, RHP Tommy Hunter

The saving grace of the Orioles terrible rotation last season was their bullpen which I believe was up with the Reds as the best bullpen in the MLB last season. When you look back on it this bullpen locked down games in the end on a regular basis with Closer Jim Johnson emerging as one of the best in the MLB last season as the Orioles led the league in 1 run victories which is extremely difficult to accomplish especially with the offenses in the AL East. I love the group of pitcher the Orioles have here and while the rotation may not be that great guys such as Darren O’Day the sidearmer who was astronomical asset for them with a 2.28 ERA. Along with that you have many other failed starters who have found their spot in this bullpen and have performed big time such as Matusz and Hunter. This bullpen is once again one of the leagues best and may save the Orioles this season even with the mediocre starting rotation they have before.

Major Losses

DH Jim Thome

1B Nick Johnson

1B Mark Reynolds (Indians)

IF Omar Quintanilla (Mets)

IF Bill Hall (Angels)With

OF Endy Chavez (Royals)

P Joe Saunders (Mariners)

P Randy Wolf

Only pieces lost from last season are platoon players and veterans from their rotation last season that were no longer needed. Only significant loss was Mark Reynolds who went on an extreme power tear towards the end of the season but with Markakis returning and Davis moving back to 1B he was no longer needed here. None of these losses should hurt the O’s very much this season.

Final Word

Once again I expect the Orioles to be back in full throttle in the AL East with another fully loaded lineup and excellent bullpen. Their lineup looks to put up some big runs this season as they try to push into a playoff spot once again but the not really fixed pitching rotation does really concern in me in one sense. The two threats to the Orioles the Rays who have one of the leagues best rotations and the Yankees who have an ace and some veteran starters could be able to bash on the Orioles in some huge mismatches in their starter battles. Even the Blue Jays now have a rotation that could look to be very good and it could be their rotation which causes the Orioles to fall out of the race. With this reason the Orioles have to hope their lineup can put up big runs and with the excellent hitters such as Adam Jones and Markakis returning I think their hitters are devastating enough to make up for their pitching deficiencies. The Orioles also benefit from their bullpen which is easily the best in the AL East once again so this team is set to cause huge problems in the AL East once again and I would not be surprised at all if they can win this division with the great lineup they have. In the end I expect the Orioles to be there again all the way to the end and pick up a wild card spot for the 2nd straight year.

Prediction

Orioles (2nd in AL East) (1st Wild Card)

 

-Bobby Manning

MLB Preview 2013 New York Yankees

    MLB Preview 2013

NEW YORK YANKEES

Manager:Joe Girardi (6th Season)

Roster

Likely Starters

C Francisco Cervelli (Age:26)

(2012 Stats(Yankees):1 Walk 1 run in 3 Games Played)

With the departure of Russell Martin the catching position is now wide open for the Yankees. Guessing they’ll hand the job to their coveted catching prospect Cervelli who I know they love but also look for Chris Stewart to also try to take the catcher spot. Stewart may be the better option now but with the team likely going ahead with Cervelli for the future I’d imagine they would want to get him into the lineup now.

1B Mark Teixera (Age:32)

(2012 Stats(Yankees): 123 Games  113 Hits  .251 Average  24 HR  84 RBI  54 Walks  2 Stolen Bases

Once again you know what you are going to get out off Teixera power hitting and excellent fielding. The only concern I would imagine with Teixera as he starts to get up there in age like many of the Yankees players is that health became a concern once again for him last year. I’d expect about 20 HRs from him this year and excellent fielding and still is a scary power hitter in this lineup even as he now starts to get older.

2B Robinson Cano (Age:30)

(2012 Stats(Yankees): 161 Games 196 Hits .313 Average 33 HRs 94 RBI  61 Walks  3 Stolen Bases

Easy to say that Cano is and will once again be the best hitter and even best overall player on this team. His mix of power, average, and great fielding is unmatched by any 2B in the league and is an essential piece on this Yankees roster. Even better he stays on the field basically all year and if any player is a sure thing on this team it’s Cano but more players will need to start to follow more in his path for this offense to be more successful than it’s dreadful finish last year.

SS Derek Jeter (Age:38)

(2012 Stats (Yankees): 159 Games  216 Hits  .316 Average  15 HR  58 RBI  45 Walks  9 Stolen Bases

Many people asked whether or not Jeter had reached his end last year and whether he did something or not he answered back with an outstanding season and a huge no. It all fell apart for the Yankees in the playoffs last year when Jeter went down and he is the biggest question in Yankees camp only starting baseball activities a few weeks back. If Jeter does return healthy for Opening Day I think we will start to see the decline of Derek Jeter this season as he draws very near 40.

3B Kevin Youkilis (Age:33)

(2012 Stats(Red Sox/White Sox): 122 Games  103 Hits  .235 Average  19 HR  60 RBI  51 Walks  0 Stolen Bases

After a dramatic 2012 where Youk was drove out of Boston and a weird stint in Chicago here we are with Kevin Youkilis in pinstripes an unlikely scene. The only reason Youkilis is here, is the injury to Rodriguez that will likely sideline him for the season and last year was at times atrocious play from the usually great hitter. It’s tough to say whether we’ll see the past power of Youk or something mediocre but I would imagine he’ll give around what he gave last year probably 15 HRs 55 RBI and around a .250 average.

LF Brett Gardner (Age:29)

(2012 Stats(Yankees): 16 Games  10/31 Hitting with 2 RBI

It was a rough 2012 for the speedy Yanks OF missing of the year with multiple injuries now he returns to a job in LF that’s all his. In the past we’ve seen incredible stuff from Gardner with around 130 hits and around 40 stolen bases and I would expect him to be that once again this year. Gardner has some incredible talent and his return from injury is a huge boost for the Yankees going into this season.

CF Curtis Granderson (Age:31)

(2012 Stats(Yankees): 160 Games  138 Hits  .232 Average  43 HR  106 RBI  75 Walks  10 Stolen Bases

The Yankees finally saw the offensive explosion Granderson is capable with a complete power blast in 2012. While Granderson was great with his 43 HRs he has something to prove going into camp as he was from what I saw the biggest colprit of the Yankees pathetic offensive performance in the playoffs last year. Once again Granderson should give 35-40 HRs but really needs to get on base more with his blazing speed. He is much more capable of something better than a .230 average and needs to be in 2013 with an offense that may be even weaker.

RF Ichiro Suzuki (Age:39)

 

(2012 Stats(Mariners/Yankees): 162 Games  178 Hits  .283 Average  9 HR  55 RBI  22 Walks  29 Stolen Bases

With Nick Swisher gone Ichiro once again returns to RF for the Yankees and at age 39 it is so unbelievable what kind of production this guy still puts up. If Ichiro can field solidly and give anywhere near the 178 hits he had last year it will be a success in a likely bridge year in RF for the Yanks. Ichiro goes into this year likely the last of his Hall of Fame worthy career and the utter consistency he has shown year in and year out is stunning and if he can do it again it will be a tremendous boost.

DH

DH Travis Hafner vs RHP and Eduardo Nunez vs LHP

Bench

C Chris Stewart, 1B/OF Juan Rivera, OF Matt Diaz

Injured

3B Alex Rodriguez (60 Day DL)

OFFENSIVE OVERVIEW

The Yankees are drastically growing in age and most of their opening day roster is over 30 and with that you can get lots of inconsistencies hitting. Yankees will get some much needed speed with a full season of Ichiro, Granderson, and Gardner who have incredible stealing potential right there. The outfield seems to be in solid shape headed into this season but the questions still remain in the infield. As always you expect Cano to be the backbone of this team but around him the questions are everywhere, Will Jeter be ready and productive? Can Youkilis produce? Can Teixera stay healthy? are all very valid questions headed into this season. I think you will get the power from Teixera but on the other side you will see some struggle from Youkilis and that decline of Jeter will start to become evident this season. As for Catcher there are 2 choices a more offensive Stewart or a more defensive Cervelli and I would take the latter especially with him going forward as your future catcher. The Yankees offense does produce on a yearly basis and I think they should put up big runs once again this season as it will be even more important with the struggles I envision in their pitching staff.

PITCHING ROTATION

CC Sabathia (Age:32)

(2012 Stats(Yankees)3.38 ERA (15-6) 197 Strikeouts 1.14 WHIP

Huroki Kuroda (Age:38)

(2012 Stats(Yankees): 3.32 ERA  (16-11) 167 Strikeouts 1.17 WHIP

Andy Pettitte (Age:40)

(2012 Stats(Yankees): 2.87 ERA  (5-4) 69 Strikeouts 1.14 WHIP

Ivan Nova (Age:26)

(2012 Stats(Yankees): 5.02 ERA (12-8) 153 Strikeouts 1.47 WHIP

Phil Hughes (Age:26)

(2012 Stats(Yankees): 4.23 ERA (16-13) 165 Strikeouts 1.26 WHIP

STARTER OVERVIEW

Boy this starting staff for the Yankees is not very good at all and there could be some serious problems for the Yankees this year because of it. As you can imagine the no doubt ace of this team is CC Sabathia the guy is just a workhorse and you get constant good production out of him. You could start to see some decline in this staff this year especially with how bad the staff looks behind Sabathia. Yanks brought back Kuroda who at times showed great stuff last year but at the age of 38 he is wildly inconsistent and not really who you want at the 2 spot. Behind that it really gets bad with a 40 year old Andy Pettitte who gave some good production but at 40 years old you can’t expect much. Along with all that inconsistency you have Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes in the end with even more of the pitching you cannot count on and behind Sabathia this rotation could have the potential to be disastrously terrible this season. If that worst case scenario does happen also look for Sabathia who has had even more increased pressure with these bad rotations to start to decline a little bit also.

Bullpen

Closer Mariano Rivera

RHP David Robertson, LHP Boone Logan, RHP Joba Chamberlain, RHP David Aarsma, LHP Clay Rapada

If anywhere on the Yankees looks to be very solid it is these group of pitchers right here. The obvious concern with the Yankees bullpen is how Rivera will return after ACL surgery right there. I always try to doubt Mariano’s ability but he always proves me wrong and he should be a solid closer once again this year. Along with that you have the hard throwing Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson who has proved he can be an excellent setup man and even closer. This bullpen should be a huge asset for the Yankees this season especially if the starters have trouble performing.

Major Loses

C Russell Martin (Pirates)

3B Eric Chavez (Diamondbacks)

OF Nick Swisher (Indians)

OF Raul Ibanez (Mariners)

OF Andruw Jones (Japan)

P Freddy Garcia (Padres)

P Derek Lowe

P Rafael Soriano (Nationals)

FINAL WORD

You have to expect that the Yankees will be the in playoffs every year but there are just way too many glaring issues on this team. For the lineup I expect Cano and Granderson to be the monsters in the lineup they usually are with lots of power and home runs as usual. As for the rest of the infield Jeter should start to take his final decline as he reaches the end of his career and Teixera should once again have power but struggle with injuries. As for the pitching CC Sabathia should be a Cy Young candidate again but behind him I think the Yanks rotation will look atrocious and be a giant problem for this team. In the end the Yankees are an experienced team and full season of speed from Ichiro and Gardner should really help out I think missing the playoffs may be a possibility in a very competitive AL East this year but I think they get in with a Wild Card in the end. Only time will tell and we will see as the Yankees try to win the division once again thanks for reading.

 

– Bobby Manning