MLB 2014: City Of Champions Staff Predicts Pittsburgh Pirates Results & Rest Of Baseball Season

Mar 31, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher

(16) throws in the first inning of an opening day baseball game against the Colorado Rockies at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Svetz

AL East: Boston- The Red Sox are in a very a tough division, but that doesn’t mean they still aren’t the best. With almost the whole team back, and the continuing progression of Xander Bogaerts the Red Sox should just barely edge out the AL east crown.

AL Central: Detroit- It should be no surprise that I’m picking the Tigers. No other team in the AL is as balanced as the Tigers. Not too mention they have the returning Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and two-time MVP Miguel Cabrera leading the charge. This team has the most talent in the AL division and It should be expected that they win the division.

AL West: Los Angeles Angels- This might come as a surprise, truth is, picking the AL West was probably the toughest. With the Rangers putting a new player on the injury report daily and Oakland’s uncertain pitching rotation, I’ll say Trout makes big strides,  Josh Hamilton and David Freese have bounce back years and Jered Weaver stays healthy. The West is a 3 team race that’s turned into  more of a 2 team race, This year is the year the Angels finally put it together.

NL East: Atlanta Braves- While everyone may love the Nationals I’m going to pick the Braves. Yes, Atlanta has lost two of their starters this season and won’t have Mike Minor or Gavin Floyd till later in the year, but they bring back a great group of hitters led by first baseman Freddie Freeman who could end up in the MVP race if he stays healthy. I’m expecting bounce back years from B.J Upton and Justin Heyward as well as Evan Gattis who will improve on his great numbers from last year.

NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals- St. Louis brings back one of the top rosters in the NL and have incredible depth. This pick should be a no brainer.

NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers- Another pick that should come as no surprise. With an excellent rotation that is led by Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and a batting lineup led by rookie phantom Yasiel Puig, the Dodgers have too much talent not to get the division crown.

AL Wild Card: Yankees and Rays- These two teams should find a way to edge out the Indians, Royals and Orioles. The Rays boast a solid lineup and look for a comeback season from former top pitcher David Price, as he has recovered from his injury. The Yankees will need a few things to go right, mostly with the pitching. With the acquisitions they made New York should just sneak in.

NL Wild Card: Pirates and Nationals- The Pirates have a good group and some exciting prospects that should be enough to get in the playoffs for a second straight season. In the Nationals case, they have a top notch pitching staff and an excellent lineup that’s headlined by an ever improving Bryce Harper, they should just beat out the Reds and the Diamondbacks for the wild card spot.

Pirates Wins: 90-72 – The Pirates bring back most of their core from last season and have top players in Pedro Alvarez and the reigning NL MVP Andrew McCutchen leading the charge. Francisco Liriano and Jason Grilli should continue their great pitching campaigns, while young arm Gerrit Cole should continue to make strides this season. However, losing Garret Jones, Justin Morneau, Marlon Byrd and A.J. Burnett is very significant. The Pirates did sign some guys like Edison Volquez, but he hasn’t been good in years. Overall, despite questions I see the Pirates finding their way into the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

AL Cy Young: Yu Darvish– Darvish was one of the best pitchers last season posting a 2.83 ERA and leading the MLB in strikeouts with 277. The only thing holding Darvish back from the Cy Young last year was lack of wins. If Darvish can stay healthy and the Rangers can improve and be more competitive than last year, Darvish should walk away with this award, possibly unanimously.

NL Cy Young: Jose Fernandez– While I understand that Kershaw is the overall favorite to win it. I’m going to give you a different look. Jose Fernandez performed incredibly well last season posting a 2.19 ERA and 182 strikeouts. He also posted 12 wins on a dreadful marlins team. At 21 years old, Fernandez should keep the ERA in the same range and improve his strikeout rate to over 200. With the Marlins improving, Fernandez could be the dark horse candidate that steals Kershaw’s third Cy Young.

AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera- As much as I’d like to put Trout into this category, the MLB doesn’t really consider WAR in their MVP voting. Cabrera is the reigning MVP and is still in his prime. I have full confidence that Cabrera will once again take home the crown.

NL MVP: Andrew McCutchen– It may seem like a cop out, but McCutchen’s consistent nature makes me confident that his stats from last season will carry over, if not improve. “McClutch” is a legitimate superstar and should be treated as such.

AL Rookie of the Year: Xander Bogaerts- Bogaerts has been highly regarded for years as one of the best prospects in baseball. Last year, he received his chance to start and had a solid post season with an average of 296. and a slugging percentage of 481. With Bogaerts being given the starting short stop position outright it should be a given that he wins the AL Rookie of the year award.

NL Rookie of the Year: Archie Bradley– Many have claimed Bradley to be the best rookie pitching prospect right now. Bradley has an amazing curve that reaches the mid 80’s and has been dominant in the minors. While Bradley may start initially in the minors, look for the Diamondbacks to call him up after at least 5 starts and watch this guy crush the competition.

AL Manager of the Year: Mike Scioscia– A turnaround season for the Angels means well for Scioscia.

NL Manager of the Year: Matt Williams– No surprise with the Nationals expected to get on track this season.