[情報] The 10 best teams

看板MLB作者Westmoreland (Westy)時間14年前 (2012/01/03 14:50)推噓15(15推 0噓 5→)

留言20則, 18人參與討論串1/2 (看更多)

http://t.co/PogBvAE2 ESPN's Buster Olney 1. Tampa Bay Rays There's a lot that the Rays don't know about their 2012 lineup -- the identity of the first baseman, for example, or the designated hitter. They could use another catcher. But here's what the Rays do know: Barring injury, they will throw out a starting pitcher capable of dominance on most days. Dominance. This is not a rotation of 4 2/3 innings and four-run performances; this is a rotation that led the AL in starters' ERA last year despite inhabiting the same division as three of the nine highest-scoring lineups in the majors. Tampa Bay's starters led the American League in strikeouts, innings and WHIP, and held opponents to a .235 batting average. This is a rotation that has James Shields, David Price and AL Rookie of the Year Jeremy Hellickson. And into this mix the Rays will now add Matt Moore, who has the numbers and the ability of Stephen Strasburg but hasn't had the advance hype. It's worth reviewing all the numbers he put up in 2011, in the minors (155 innings) and majors (19.1, regular season and playoffs) combined: Innings: 174.1 Hits: 113 Walks: 52 Strikeouts: 233 ERA: 1.91 The Rays won't have a dynamic offense, but they will (as usual) have one of the best defenses, and they should benefit from having Evan Longoria healthy in the first half of the year -- he was greatly hampered last season -- as well as a full season of Desmond Jennings, who had an OPS- plus of 128 in 63 games last summer. Look, the limitations for the Rays are inherent within the confines of their relatively miniscule payroll. A major injury to one of their core position players -- Longoria or Ben Zobrist -- would be crushing. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will probably add more before the trade deadline than the Rays, as they usually do. But the Rays' starting pitching makes them extremely dangerous, and as we sit here on New Year's Day 2012, they are the best team in the majors. The coming weeks will get interesting for the Rays, writes Marc Topkin. 2. Philadelphia Phillies The Phillies won't have Ryan Howard until sometime in midseason, and given the streaky nature of his production, they really don't know how much they'll get out of him after he comes back. They would love to find an alternative to the oft-injured Placido Polanco. But as we saw in 2011, great pitching cures a lot of other ills, and the Phillies have the three monsters -- Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels -- and a new and established closer in Jonathan Papelbon. 3. Texas Rangers The Rangers probably have more depth than any other organization, and they will be needed this year as they sort through new rotation and bullpen alignments. Yu Darvish is not yet signed, but rival executives don't believe he has much leverage and will eventually work out a deal. 4. New York Yankees A year ago, the Yankees had major rotation questions, which prompted the rash signing of Rafael Soriano -- and New York went on to win a league- high 97 games. Ivan Nova is now established, and the Yankees feel good about the chances of Phil Hughes rebounding. The promotion of Jesus Montero into the big leagues should provide a boost for an offense that finished second in run production last year. And the Yankees continue to hoard the prospects of an improving farm system and wait for a deal for a big-time starting pitcher to develop. 5. Arizona Diamondbacks The Diamondbacks' signature now is depth -- in its rotation, in its lineup, in its bullpen, in its stash of young pitching prospects. It's an organization on the rise. 6. Boston Red Sox For all of its trouble, Boston should continue to be a strong regular- season team because of its extraordinary run production. How far the Red Sox advance, in the summer and perhaps into October, will depend largely on how Bobby Valentine's pitching staff comes together. Daniel Bard could be a major addition for the rotation, but an innings- eater for the rotation is needed. 7. St. Louis Cardinals They won the World Series after running down the Atlanta Braves for the wild card, and as hard as it is to imagine now that Albert Pujols has left, the Cardinals might actually be a better team in 2012. Adam Wainwright is back, the bullpen is settled, and the emergence of David Freese and the addition of Carlos Beltran should bolster the offense. 8. Detroit Tigers They are built around two superstars, Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera, who have a solid supporting cast -- catcher Alex Avila, closer Jose Valverde, designated hitter Victor Martinez and Brennan Boesch. It doesn't hurt, either, that the Tigers play in one of the weakest divisions in baseball. 9. Los Angeles Angels The Angels' rotation is spectacular, with Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, C.J. Wilson and Ervin Santana. But there are questions at the back end of the bullpen, and some scouts wonder if the right-handedness of the everyday lineup will eventually become a serious problem. Kendrys Morales could help balance the lineup, but it's unknown when or if he'll be back in the lineup. 10. San Francisco Giants The Giants continue to have an excellent rotation and bullpen, and Buster Posey is back at catcher. Best of the rest: The Nationals, who would jump into the top 10 if they signed Fielder. -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 118.160.196.80

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