Tampa Bay will win 88 games this season

[splitterpfj]

So says PECOTA. That's a huge jump in a year, but they have enough young talent to fit two teams in the top ten farm systems right now. I'll say they have their best season to date, but I don't think I buy into this much improvement until next year.

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/02/26/leap.year0303/index.html?eref=si_mlb

[brains and braun]

Does PECOTA remember that they play in the NL East? Not exactly the easiest division. That said, I wouldn't mind the Rays approaching or surpassing the Yanks won total.

[piccione88]

I cant see them winnings 88 games, I could see a 78 win season, and that should be enough for a third place finish. The Rays have the potential to be an offensive juggernaut this year. The pitching on the other hand is still suspect. THeir bullpen is absolutley horrid, and outside of Kazmir, and SHields, their rotation is pretty bad.

 

Next year, if Price, Mcgee, and Davis are ready, I believe 88 wins will be possible. With the pitching staff they have now though, it is not going to happen.

[homer]

Yeah, I think PECOTA is one year early on that prediction - although maybe losing Young is addition by subtraction.

[T B0NE 10]

I could see them having a better year than the Yankees and finishing 2nd.

 

Man Id love that.

 

The Yankees just seem too old and to overpaid.

 

Giambi, Abreu, Mussina, Pavano, Posada?

[piccione88]

What does being overpaid, have to do with where you finish in the standings? Pavano obviously is a non-factor, but Abreu, and Posada esspecially are still very good players. The Yankees gave up 4.8 runs a game last year, while the Rays gave up 5.83, there is no way the Rays staff improves that much this year, to knock off the Yankees, Red Sox, or even finish with a winning record.

[DHonks]

Does PECOTA remember that they play in the NL East?

 

brains and braun, since when?

 

not to nitpick, just thought that was a funny typo

[brains and braun]

Thanks DHonks. Didn't realize I'd typed that. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif That would be even more difficult, in my opinion.

[TooLiveBrew]

Giambi, Abreu, Mussina, Pavano, Posada?

Jeter, A-Rod, Wang, Hughes, Chamberlin, Kennedy, Cano, Cabrera? Sure, the Yanks have some overpaid vets, but Stein's been operating that way for decades now. The Yanks are younger than Boston overall this season, iirc.

 

I'd be hard-pressed to think the Rays will be a more potent team than the Brewers all while playing in a much tougher division.

 

THeir bullpen is absolutley horrid, and outside of Kazmir, and SHields, their rotation is pretty bad.

But they have some young arms MLB-ready or near-MLB-ready, and seem willing to plug them in sooner rather than later.

[joepepsi]

The Blue Jays have a really solid. Their pythagorean record last year was 87-75. Their pitching is better than the Yankees. With a healthy season by Wells, Overbay, and Rolen could have an top third offense in the league. Rios could assert himself as a star this year. They're slow as molasses and don't have a lot of depth, but with good health they have a reasonable chance to finish second.

 

If they make it to the Wild Card ESPN will be sure to give the credit to the hard nose, gritty style of David Eckstein.

[TooLiveBrew]

Their pitching is better than the Yankees.

Last year it was, not so sure about 2008.

[JohnBriggs12]

The Blue Jays are an interesting team. I could see them being really good or pretty average. They have some older guys. Will Rolen stay healthy? For that matter will Eckstein? What about ageless Thomas and Stairs? Do those guys have anything left? I've never been a huge fan of Overbay. He needs to bounce back. He wasn't very good last year. Wells wasn't very good last year at all either. Overbay's 31 and Wells in 29. They should be in prime.

 

Their rotation is very solid but it needs to be. I don't think their offense is better than middle of the pack.

[endaround]

Wells is a very streaky player. Overbay hit .240 last year. Unless he fell of a cliff, he should bounce back and hit closer to his average of .280.

[joepepsi]

Overbay missed 40 games and was injured most of the year, iirc. I think the AL has 4 or 5 teams (depending if you put the Yankees in this group) who are better than any team in either league: Red Sox, Indians, Tigers, Angels, (and Yankees). The next group are 3 teams that could compete for the playoffs in the NL, are competitive, but would have to have everything go right to make the AL playoffs: Toronto, Seattle, Minnesota. Toronto is the best of that group. They have a pretty solid player at every position but no real star.

[joepepsi]

Well, Scot Rolen broke his finger over the weekend. Imagine that, Rolen starting the season on the DL! Both he and BJ Ryan will probably miss all of April, so the Blue Jays' good fortune still seems elusive. That's what you get when you trade a good fielding, slugging 3B for a good fielding, constantly injured 3B.

[endaround]

Yeah that was stupid of St Louis! Oh wait you thought Glaus was healthy....

[joepepsi]

Yeah that was stupid of St Louis! Oh wait you thought Glaus was healthy....

Oops, guess I missed that! Does he still have turf toe?

 

[TooLiveBrew]

Well, Scot Rolen broke his finger over the weekend.

 

Wow. Just... wow.

[splitterpfj]

I just thought I'd pull this thread back from the preseason.

 

I believe the Rays are actually ahead of this pace so far.

[pitchleague]

I thought I had posted in this thread back in March of how I thought only about .500 for the Rays. Guess not.

 

I think the Rays are a great story and I really hope they continue to play well--this year and several more. They changed their logo and uniforms and I was all, "ugh, those are ugly. I miss the green." But it seems to have really revitalized the club, eliminating the memories of all those years of losing in those Devil Ray unis. Psychology is an amazing thing. Personally, I really like the new uniforms once I've seen them in action. They look a lot classier than I originally thought.

 

Such nice young arms and good young hitters. If they stay together, they could be an AL East force for the a good 5 year stretch. They might not win anything over the Sox and Yanks and their free-spending ways but they'll be a lot more competitive and fun to watch.

 

That whole division is interesting now. Sox and Yanks spend like mad. Jays spend, too, but not as much. Orioles are rebuilding and trying to go with a youth movement. Rays are moving on up. So much more fun to watch a division when all it's teams are interesting to watch.

(yeah, I know the O's stink, but they could be right back up there in a few years again.)

[TooLiveBrew]

They changed their logo and uniforms and I was all, "ugh, those are ugly. I miss the green." But it seems to have really revitalized the club, eliminating the memories of all those years of losing in those Devil Ray unis. Psychology is an amazing thing.

But isn't the revitalization more due to...

Such nice young arms and good young hitters.

The crazy thing to me is that new stadium in the works (earliest ETA 2012). That thing looks amazing.

http://fredtopeka.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/57_cgi-ballpark-shot-_-low-sml.jpg

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

That looks like a really sweet stadium.

[TooLiveBrew]

Yeah, it's supposed to have a retractable GLASS (!) roof. I can't wait 'til that one gets built.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

All I care is that they beat the Cubs a few more times!

[rluzinski]

But it seems to have really revitalized the club, eliminating the memories of all those years of losing in those Devil Ray unis. Psychology is an amazing thing.

 

Wow, I didn't know PECOTA took into account a team's uniform.