WGR 550 SportsRadio - Home of the Buffalo Sabres - 2008 Baseball Preview by Nick Mendola

Posted: Monday, 31 March 2008 4:03PM

2008 Baseball Preview by Nick Mendola

Nick Mendola

nick@wgr550.com

There are certain downright nerdy things that shouldn't be exclaimed from the hilltops (I only know of one hilltop in the area, for the record). Among those exclamations are the following, which are all true of me:

"I can eat an entire box of oatmeal in one sitting (sitting, sitting, sitting)!"

"I'm taller than Muggsy Bogues (Bogues, Bogues, Bogues)!"

"I'm really good at fantasy baseball (baseball, baseball, baseball)!"

It'd be a lie for me to attempt to convince anyone that my love for baseball isn't added by my enjoyment of the fantasy side of it, so for this year's baseball preview, I'll use the team's studs, sleepers and prospects (by prospects, I mean guys who should contribute this year) with the projections. We're going alphabetical before the predictions, so in the immortal words of Mike Robitaille, "Let's roll."

NL EAST

Atlanta Braves
STUD- Mark Teixeira, 1B - The Atlanta Braves freed the 27-year old from the baseball prison at Arlington, and he rewarded them by jacking 17 homers in 54 games. NL pitching is a friend.
SLEEPER- Kelly Johnson, 2B, OF- Will give you triples, steals and some power from the middle infield.
PROSPECT- Yunel Escobar, SS- Hit .326 in 90-plus games as a rookie. Only pure SS on the roster.

Florida Marlins
STUD- Hanley Ramirez, SS- Can do almost everything Jose Reyes can do, just in Florida.
SLEEPER- Dan Uggla, 2B- Quietly hit for a ton of middle infield power in 2007.
PROSPECT- Cameron Maybin, CF- The key piece in the Dontrelle Willis/Miguel Cabrera deal, should be a star down the road.

New York Mets
STUD- Jose Reyes, SS- The most exciting player in baseball will look to rebound from a rough finish to 2007.
SLEEPER- Ryan Church, RF- Will have a lot more protection in the order than he did in Washington.
PROSPECT- John Maine, P- Will continue to develop as a future No. 1 starter.

Philadelphia Phillies
STUD- Cole Hamels, P- My goodness can this kid fireball. A nasty pitcher you should covet.
SLEEPER- Shane Victorino, CF- The flyin' Hawaiian should continue to improve.
PROSPECT- Kyle Kendrick, P- The kid who was pranked into thinking he was traded to Japan. I didn't say he was quick.

Washington Nationals
STUD- Ryan Zimmerman, 3B- If he played in a bigger market, would get crazy love. As good as David Wright.
SLEEPER- Nick Johnson, 1B- Can't stay healthy, but has been what the Yankees once thought he'd be.
PROSPECT- Lastings Milledge, CF- Loved his energy in New York, can make clean start with Nats.

NL CENTRAL

Chicago Cubs
STUD- Carlos Zambrano, P- The most overlooked pitcher in baseball, should have a Cy Young or two by now.
SLEEPER- Ryan Theriot, SS- Speedy lead-off hitter with swipe bags and stretch singles into doubles.
PROSPECT- Carlos Marmol, P- Will eventually be the closer, but will get a load of holds at the bare minimum.

Cincinnati Reds
STUD- Aaron Harang, P- A bulldog for any staff, flies below the radar in Cincinnati.
SLEEPER- Ryan Freel, CF, 2B- Will give you all kinds of steals and extra base hits.
PROSPECT- Edinson Volquez, P- Acquired for Josh Hamilton, has tons and tons of "upside."

Houston Astros
STUD- Roy Oswalt, P- Walks too many batters, but is still a gritty thrower.
SLEEPER- Michael Bourn, CF- A burner who'll hit leadoff in front of names like Berkman, Lee and Tejada.
PROSPECT- J.R. Towles, C- One of Houston's best youngsters will learn under Brad Ausmus.

Milwaukee Brewers
STUD- Prince Fielder, 1B- Is vegetarian now, so make all your jokes and then watch him hit 40-plus bombs.
SLEEPER- Bill Hall, 3B- After a terrible reaction to a huge contract, should relax a bit more this year.
PROSPECT- Yovani Gallardo, P- They brought him up before they wanted to, but he's pretty much ready to be a No. 2.

Pittsburgh Pirates
STUD- Adam LaRoche, 1B- Had a terrible start in Pittsburgh, but recovered and will hit a ton in 2008.
SLEEPER- Jason Bay, RF- Had an awful 2007, and a bad Spring, but look out for the Canadian wonder boy to regain form.
PROSPECT- Nate McLouth, CF- The lead-off/centerfield battle between McLouth and Chris Duffy was supposed to be solved last year, wasn't it?

St. Louis Cardinals
STUD- Albert Pujols, 1B- He's still really, really, really good.
SLEEPER- How about the opposite of a sleeper? Rick Ankiel (OF) needs to live up to the hype after an inspiring 2007.
PROSPECT- Skip Schumaker, OF- Late bloomer hit .338 last year in 88 games.

NL WEST
Arizona Diamondbacks
STUD- Danny Haren, P- Arizona's No. 2 starter could be better than their No. 1 (Brandon Webb). Think about that.
SLEEPER- Randy Johnson, P- I don't think he's dead yet. Take a flier on the former mullet.
PROSPECT- Stephen Drew, SS- Still has a lot to figure out, but is developing faster than his older brother J.D. did.

Colorado Rockies
STUD- Matt Holliday, LF- The catalyst for 2007's World Series run has some support.
SLEEPER- Clint Barmes, 2B- Can be a baller if he doesn't fall down his stairs with bags of groceries.
PROSPECT- Jayson Nix, 2B- Could steal Barmes' chance to be a sleeper altogether.

Los Angeles Dodgers
STUD- Russell Martin, C- And by stud, I don't mean he dated Alyssa Milano last year. Good slugging, stealing backstop.
SLEEPER- Jonathan Broxton, P- Holds and maybe saves from a lights-out flame-thrower.
PROSPECT- Matt Kemp, RF- Can do all kinds of good things with a baseball bat.

San Diego Padres
STUD- Jake Peavy, P- Has absolutely filthy stuff, and will battle Haren and Webb for the NL Cy Young.
SLEEPER- Khalil Greene, SS- Gives a little of everything from the short-stop spot.
PROSPECT- Callix Crabbe 2B- Will try to steal playing time from Tad Iguchi.

San Francisco Giants
STUD- Matt Cain, P- His 7-16 record last year betrayed how well this youngster deals.
SLEEPER- Tim Lincecum, P- Is already hard-nosed, and is barely more than a baby.
PROSPECT- Almost the entire roster, but look-out for Brian Bocock at short, though Eugenio Velez will also contend for the spot.

AL WEST

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
STUD- Vladimir Guerrero, RF- Even with the signing of Torii Hunter, Vlad is still the heart of the Angels.
SLEEPER- Casey Kotchman, 1B, DH- Hits well, but had big ups and bigger downs in 2007.
PROSPECT- Erick Aybar, SS- Isn't starting yet, but the slick fielding youngster could provide numbers by the end of the year.

Oakland Athletics
STUD- Rich Harden, P- If he can finally stay healthy, the A's won't miss Danny Haren nearly as much as they should.
SLEEPER- Daric Barton, 1B- Walked thrice on opening day, and posted a .414 OBP in the minors last year.
PROSPECT- Dana Eveland, P- Could be a good holds guy. Also could continue awful throwing. Good pick, huh?

Seattle Mariners
STUD- Erik Bedard, P- Was hidden in Baltimore's awful 2007, and will give high numbers in strike-outs and wins.
SLEEPER- Kenji Johjima, C- One of the league's better offensive catchers is an absolute value in most leagues.
PROSPECT- Mark Lowe, P- Big righty could give you some holds.

Texas Rangers
STUD- Josh Hamilton, CF- The former No. 1 overall pick finally cleaned up from drugs and had a big '07 in Cincinnati.
SLEEPER- C.J. Wilson, P- Cooled off after a hot start last year, will close games for Texas.
PROSPECT- Kason Gabbard, P- Former Red Sox farmhand could have real potential on a weak Texas staff.

AL CENTRAL

Cleveland Indians
STUD- Grady Sizemore, CF- Everything, absolutely everything you want in a ball player, fantasy or reality.
SLEEPER- Jake Westbrook, P- Had a great post-season, and his new pitch led to almost a strike-out per inning in the Spring.
PROSPECT- Adam Miller, P- You've seen him in Buffalo, and the kid can pitch. Will start the year at DTP, so catch him while you can.

Chicago White Sox
STUD- Mark Buehrle, P- He's still really good. Random prediction — another no-no in 2008.
SLEEPER- Joe Crede, 3B- If he can hold off Fields (below) and stay healthy, could be a bargain.
PROSPECT- Josh Fields, 3B- Tons of power, needs to learn how to hit for average.

Detroit Tigers
STUD- Justin Verlander, P- It's no secret how good Verlander is, and with this batting order, could win 23-plus.
SLEEPER- Jeremy Bonderman, P- After a hot start to his career, cooled off considerably. Available in most leagues.
PROSPECT- Yorman Bazardo, P- The Tigers need a lot of help in the pen, and this kid would be a smart move.

Kansas City Royals
STUD- Alex Gordon, 3B- Took a long time to get going in Kansas City, but look out. Hometown boy can rake.
SLEEPER- Zach Greinke, P- If he can stay mentally sane — literally, he missed 2006 with social anxiety — he can pitch.
PROSPECT- Honestly, it's probably still Gordon, in just his second year on the job. DH Billy Butler's solid, too.

Minnesota Twins
STUD- Joe Mauer, C- Hits for average, has great speed for a backstop and has some pop, too.
SLEEPER- Michael Cuddyer, RF- Will shine after being lost in Torii Hunter, Morneau, Mauer shuffle.
PROSPECT- Delmon Young, LF- Can he behave himself in Minnesota? Still a work in progress.

AL EAST

Baltimore Orioles
STUD- Nick Markakis, RF- Unheralded star who provided speed and power for the O's.
SLEEPER- George Sherrill, P- Will close games in Baltimore after being nearly unhittable stuck behind J.J. Putz in Seattle.
PROSPECT- Brian Burres, P- No. 5 starter could be five times as good.

Boston Red Sox
STUD- Manny Ramirez, RF- Manny is still the guy, one of the game's best hitters. Ever.
SLEEPER- Hideki Okajima, P- Big-time set-up guy out of the pen, will get saves when Papelbon is out.
PROSPECT- Clay Buchholz, P- Hard to be a prospect with a no-no and a Penthouse model around.

New York Yankees
STUD- Alex Rodriguez, 3B- Shocking, right? Will again single-handedly win games for the Bronx Bombers.
SLEEPER- Melky Cabrera, RF- Between him and Robinson Cano, hard to tell who gets under-appreciated more.
PROSPECT- Ian Kennedy, P- Has the stuff to be a big-time pitcher, but with all throwers, what will New York's spotlight bring?

Tampa Bay Rays
STUD- Carl Crawford, LF- Will give you triples, steals and an inside-the-parker or two.
SLEEPER- Johnny Gomes, RF- Could put together even more power in 2008.
PROSPECT- Evan Longoria, 3B- Forgive the name, this kid has all the tools to be a household name.

Toronto Blue Jays
STUD- Roy Halladay, P- A workhorse in every sense of the word. Just nasty stuff for an A-plus starter.
SLEEPER- Dustin McGowan, P- Can he finally be the pitcher they drafted so high in 2000?
PROSPECT- Brandon League, P- Huge regression in 2007. Needs to find 2006 numbers (2.53 ERA 1.01 WHIP)

PREDICTIONS

AL EAST
1. Boston Red Sox
2. New York Yankees
3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. Baltimore Orioles

AL CENTRAL
1. Detroit Tigers
2. Cleveland Indians (wild card)
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Kansas City Royals
5. Minnesota Twins

AL WEST
1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Oakland Athletics
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Texas Rangers

ALDS: Red Sox over Indians, Tigers over Angels
ALCS: Red Sox over Tigers

NL EAST
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. New York Mets
3. Atlanta Braves
4. Washington Nationals
5. Florida Marlins

NL CENTRAL
1. Chicago Cubs
2. Milwaukee Brewers
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. St. Louis Cardinals
5. Houston Astros
6. Pittsburgh Pirates

NL WEST
1. Arizona Diamondbacks
2. Colorado Rockies (wild card)
3. San Diego Padres
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
5. San Francisco Giants

NLDS: Cubs over Rockies, Diamondbacks over Phillies
NLCS: Diamondbacks over Cubs

WORLD SERIES: Diamondbacks over Red Sox

There you have it. Last year, I thought my beloved Cubbies would win the Central, but didn't pick it, and they won. This year I think they'll win the NL, so I'm picking Arizona. Here's to the 100th anniversary of the Cubs' last world title.