My Midseason Report - AL Preseason Prediction Update

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Hey guys, Drew back here. Just as any of baseball's best may occasionally get in a slump, I have recently been stuck in my very own. To bust out of my blogging funk, I decided to come back to my preseason predictions since today is an approximate halfway point of the season (more or less). I must say, I impressed myself with some of my early thoughts, but others definitely made me look silly. And don't worry: you will get to see both the good and the bad. I'll kick this off updating my American League picks, and will do the National League separately.

If you wish to re-read my initial thoughts and predictions on the league, feel free to take a look:

AL East, AL Central, AL West, Award Predictions, Playoffs

AL East 

My Preseason Standings Prediction - 
Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays

Predicted Division MVP - Josh Donaldson
Predicted Division Cy Young - Alex Cobb
Playoff Teams - Boston, Toronto (Wild Card)

Current Standings (as of July 5th) -
New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox

Division MVP - Josh Donaldson
Division Cy Young - Chris Archer
Playoff Teams - New York, Baltimore (Wild Card)

There is nothing set in stone for this year's weakest division at this point, with each team within at least 6 games of first place. The Red Sox have won seven of their previous ten games, and despite being in last right now this race is far from over. I nailed the hammer on the head with my prediction of Donaldson as division MVP; who recently was revealed to have the most fan votes of any player in All Star ballot history! Manny Machado has also been arguably as good, if not better than Donaldson, but I'll go with Donaldson as MVP considering some of the terrible predictions soon to follow.

I have to be honest here: I completely botched the Alex Rodriguez situation. In March, I wrote "And no, there's absolutely no reason to believe that 39 year old injury prone Alex Rodriguez will make any sort of difference, let alone be relevant next year". Alex has been impressive on and off the field, handling everything more maturely than he ever has. He's been a borderline All Star in my book, but I'm not surprised that he fell short of making the cut. The fact that I have somewhat relinquished my previous distaste for him shows how far he's come over the past year.

AL Central

My Preseason Standings Prediction - 
Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins

Predicted Division MVP - Jose Abreu
Predicted Division Cy Young - Chris Sale
Playoff Teams - Chicago

Current Standings (as of July 5th) -
Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox

Division MVP - Omar Infante (just kidding: Jason Kipnis)
Division Cy Young - Chris Sale
Playoff Teams - Kansas City, Minnesota (Wild Card)

The Royals have made a lot of enemies since their fans ran up the vote tallies for the All Star Game, but luckily only 4 players will be in the American League's starting lineup. The four that made the team are certainly debatable; I personally would've went elsewhere for each position, but I am content with the results. I expected last year's pennant winning squad to make a run for the playoffs and just fall short, but it appears that I may have been wrong there.

What I was more wrong on than just about anything else was my White Sox pick. I probably got a bit too excited over their spending spree, but I know I certainly wasn't alone. They filled a lot of holes on their roster last winter, but it clearly hasn't worked as well as planned. Their one shining light has been Chris Sale, who is a candidate to start the All Star Game coming soon in Cincinnati.

AL West

My Preseason Standings Prediction - 
Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics

Predicted Division MVP - Mike Trout
Predicted Division Cy Young - Felix Hernandez
Playoff Teams - Los Angeles, Seattle (Wild Card)

Current Standings (as of July 5th) -
Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics

Division MVP - Mike Trout
Division Cy Young - Dallas Keuchel
Playoff Teams - Houston, Los Angeles (Wild Card)

Boy, has Houston been a revelation or what? I am proud to have said they would improve substantially in 2015, but I wasn't gutsy enough to place them ahead of the heavily favored Angels and Mariners. In fact, I even picked the Mariners to go to the World Series (more on that later). With the way Carlos Correa has sparked that offense, I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if they hold on and win the division.

The Angels have been a disaster internally that is waiting to implode, considering their respected GM Jerry Dipoto recently stepped down after turmoil between he, manager Mike Scioscia, and owner Arte Moreno. And to all those people thinking Billy Beane had a plan for 2015, you appear to be wrong. Luckily, I wasn't one of those people. The organization may be in better hands in the years to come, but this team has been unimpressive, to say the least.

Award Predictions

AL MVP - Mike Trout
AL Cy Young - Chris Sale
AL Rookie of the Year - Rusney Castillo
AL Manager of the Year - Lloyd McClendon
AL Comeback Player of the Year - Chris Davis

I took a safe approach with my MVP and Cy Young choices, and both Trout and Sale have at least merited consideration for the nonexistent midseason award. My Rookie of the Year pick was a wash, and I fully expect Carlos Correa to come home with the trophy by season's end. McClendon has not been half as impressive as I guessed, and the Manager of the Year should definitely be given to my Dark Horse candidate, AJ Hinch (Astros). Finally, I made a gut call saying that Chris Davis would come back with a monster 2015, but it's evident that Prince Fielder and Alex Rodriguez have made better cases for the award.

Preseason Playoff Picks

Wild Card Game - Toronto vs. Seattle
My Pick - Seattle

Division Series - Chicago vs. Boston
My Pick - Chicago in 5

Division Series - Seattle vs. Los Angeles
My Pick - Seattle in 4

Championship Series - Seattle vs. Chicago
My Pick - Seattle in 6

Pennant Winner - Seattle

At this point of the season, the only team of these five that is slated to make the playoffs are the Angels, who would currently be fighting in the Wild Card game versus either the Twins or Orioles. And Seattle? Yeah, I was on that bandwagon too, and I can admit that I was wrong. Very wrong. Robinson Cano has not been half of what I expected him to be as he is settling into the rain capital of the US, while Nelson Cruz started off beyond expectations but since has gone cold. Besides Felix Hernandez, the remainder of their rotation has been inconsistent at best (although Mike Montgomery has recently impressed), and their bullpen is in shambles.

I'm going to stand by my choices, even though the path to having things work out this way would take a lot of maneuvering over the next three months. Every American League team is within 6.5 games of making the Wild Card Game, and the parity is unbelievable, as I did expect early on. Baseball has been more fun to watch than it has been in a while in my opinion, and I'll gladly be wrong with all of my picks if it makes for exhilarating performances by unforeseen teams. Between the surprise Twins, Astros, and even my Yankees, I've had a lot of fun with the 2015 season.

I'll be back with my take on the National League soon. See Ya!

2015 MLB Award Predictions

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Hey guys, Drew back here. This is it; the grand finale to my 2015 Season Preview! I've had an absolute blast reviewing each team and making my predictions for the playoffs and World Series, and I hope you've enjoyed reading them. I know I'm not Buster Olney or any of the high profile sports writers, but I'm going to college to improve at sports writing and it really is great practice and extra experience that may help put me over the top one day. The final piece to this puzzle is my choices for each of the 5 major awards in both leagues: MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and Manager of the Year. Some of these awards give you a good chance to correctly predict, but there are certainly some choices that may be way off track. We'll begin with the American League, but first, if you haven't seen any of the rest of my Season Preview, be sure to give it a look:

AL East          NL East

AL Central          NL Central

AL West          NL West

Playoffs & World Series

American League

MVP - Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

It's a truly comforting feeling to know that Derek Jeter left baseball last year with a few excellent young role models that may be able to one day be revered in the same way. Trout, Andrew McCutchen, Clayton Kershaw, and Giancarlo Stanton appear to have the potential to be future ambassadors for the game much like guys like Jeter, Ripken Jr., and Gwynn have in the past. Let's not forget that they are arguably the four best players in the game as well. It's amazing that the widely accepted "Best Player in Baseball" is overrated; he won his first MVP Award in his worst of 3 big league seasons. He will be working on improving on lowering his strikeout rate in 2015, which should result in somewhat of a bounce back year.

Other Predicted Finalists: Jose Abreu (Chicago - AL), Miguel Cabrera (Detroit)

Cabrera still can not be counted out, although I did predict a regression for his Tigers in 2015. I kept both Cabrera, Abreu, and the National League's Carlos Gomez in my fantasy league I play with my friends, and I have a lot of confidence in them. Abreu may not hit for as much power as he did last year, but he seems to be a natural talent with fantastic overall upside.

Dark Horse: Josh Donaldson (Toronto)

I mentioned in my AL East preview that I could have chosen any of the three Blue Jays sluggers (Bautista, Encarnacion, or Donaldson) for this position. However, I can't wait to see Donaldson's first year in Toronto, as he has become one of my favorite all around third basemen in the game, on and off the field. It can be argued that Bautista and Encarnacion have hit their peak already, but Donaldson still may have room to improve. Watch out.

Cy Young - Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox

Sale has gotten off to a rocky start in 2015, fracturing his right foot a month ago. He is going to be ready to pitch the 5th game of the Sox season, although he would've been the undisputed Opening Day starter after his past contributions to the team. Health is a primary factor for the unorthodox lefty, but I think he will pitch enough to take this award rather easily.

Other Predicted Finalists: Felix Hernandez (Seattle), David Price (Detroit)

King Felix is starting to get to that age where we have seen some of baseball's top starters decline. Justin Verlander, Tim Lincecum, and C.C. Sabathia have not aged gracefully, and some may question how much longer he will be at the top of his game given the massive workload he's compiled thus far. I predicted the Mariners to go to the World Series though, so clearly I don't believe those talks one bit. Price is a good bet also for the Cy in a contract season, but his value could be hurt if he's traded.

Dark Horse: Masahiro Tanaka (New York - AL)

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Everyone is worried about this guy. Tanaka is returning from a UCL injury in his pitching elbow that could have required Tommy John Surgery, and any poor movement could potentially bring his 2015 campaign to a close. But he has been absolutely electric during Spring Training, showing signs of his brilliant rookie season, and until he does get hurt I think he's as good as any of the aforementioned pitchers.

Rookie of the Year - Rusney Castillo, Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox will have to clear up their outfield mess in order for this prediction to come true, but I believe Rusney's performance may have the ability to do that on its own. Mookie Betts is no longer eligible for this award, or else he would be the favorite, but I think Castillo will be vital to their 2015 success.

Other Predicted Finalists: Aaron Sanchez (Toronto), Andrew Heaney (Los Angeles - AL)

Sanchez was my original pick for the award, but the injury of Marcus Stroman threw that up in the air. He could be a breakout pitcher, without question, however, his role could be as a starter, reliever, or both. Until his place in the Jays pitching staff is secure, I have to give his one to Castillo.

Dark Horse: Alex Meyer (Minnesota)

Minnesota got their hands on one of the best young hurlers around in Meyer, and if he makes his long awaited debut he could provide some added competition to the rest of the rookie pack. He is also possibly the coolest substitute teacher in the country.

Comeback Player of the Year - Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles

"Crush" Davis did about anything but live up to his nickname in 2014. Sure, he still managed to hit 26 balls out of the ballpark, but that's really all he was able to produce after his insane MVP caliber 2013. This year, his suspension for non prescribed Adderall use is up, and he now has a prescription for something similar to use this upcoming year. He's looking sharp in Spring Training, and while I don't see him hit 53 home runs again (or else he would have been my dark horse MVP choice), he should bat much better than .196.

Other Predicted Finalists: Shin-Soo Choo (Texas), Prince Fielder (Texas)

I initially went with Prince for this award, but resorted to Davis as a last second decision. We are yet to see how his neck will play out over the course of a full season, and even despite the injury his performance was beginning to decline as it was. Fielder should have a nice comeback season, and I wouldn't be shocked to see him take this award home in the end, but Davis will be better.

Dark Horse: Alex Rodriguez (New York - AL)

I wanted to get a few extra page views on this one, I guess. Who knows though; A-Rod has looked solid in his work so far. He won't be an everyday player until Teixeira and Beltran go down with injuries as expected, but he will most likely be the Yankees DH every day. I can't stand the drama involved with his name, but he does still have one of the nicest swings in the game, and it could be of some help this year.

Manager of the Year - Lloyd McClendon, Seattle Mariners

Going along with my World Series pick, I have their manager taking the prize here. McClendon helped manage the Mariners to a 16 win improvement in his first year, and he seems to have learned a considerable amount since his initial tenure with the Pirates.

Other Predicted Finalists: John Farrell (Boston), Robin Ventura (Chicago - AL)

Buck Showalter is the best manager in the league, but I still have a hard time seeing Baltimore succeed. Instead, I went with two managers with teams bound to improve in 2015.

Dark Horse: AJ Hinch (Houston)

Hinch wasn't very helpful to the Diamondbacks in his first career stint as manager between 2009 and 2010, but that was half a decade ago. This young Astros team has a lot of potential, and if he moves the pieces well enough he could be in the running for some hardware when the season concludes.

National League

MVP - Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins

Hit in the face? No problem. I believe there is a lot more to this kid's game than we have seen, and as established as he is, let us not forget he is still just 25 years old. He hasn't won this one yet, but this could be the first of many.

Other Predicted Finalists: Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh), Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado)

Tulo will have a hard time winning MVP with his team's underwhelming potential, but he's one of those types of players who can turn his entire franchise around. It all comes down to him staying on the field, and having missed 222 games over the past three years, there isn't a strong likelihood of this. But maybe this year he won't face those same problems, and we will see one of the better seasons ever played by a shortstop. By the way, Mr. McCutchen, I love the new hair.

Dark Horse: Bryce Harper (Washington)

May I please have the attention of all of those who have written off this player? Bryce Harper is 22 years old, and has not come close to his "prime" seasons yet. This offseason, he has appeared to have gained at least 20 lbs. of muscle, and looks ripped and ready to go. His downfall is that he plays the game at well over a hundred miles per hour, and while it's exciting to watch, it's dangerous for him in the long run. One of these years, he's going to explode, and it very well may be as early as this year.

Cy Young - Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

There isn't a whole lot else to say about Kershaw, so I'll leave it at that. Until someone gets the nerve to beat him out for this award, he's got the best chance of anyone in this post to add to his trophy room next year.

Other Predicted Finalists: Max Scherzer (Washington), Matt Harvey (New York - NL)

That isn't to say that there aren't any good candidates that could also win. Max Scherzer has looked impressive in Spring Training, and moving to the NL could pay enormous dividends for him. After all, the Nationals are my World Series pick!

Dark Horse: Jordan Zimmermann (Washington)

Speaking of Nationals, Zimmermann is going into a contract year, and although he hasn't quite hit his peak yet, you can tell he's an absolute gamer. He's the type of guy who never wants to be counted out, so it would be more than a fair chance to see him contend for this award as well for the league's best rotation.

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Rookie of the Year - Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs

It really is a crime that this kid may not break the club because of contract issues. But it won't be long before he makes his anticipated MLB debut, and I'd be willing to put money on him hitting at least 25 home runs with a chance at much more. Spring Training statistics aren't something to get in the habit of believing in, but his 9 home runs are something all baseball fans have to take note of. I consider him a lock for this award, but there are some other players that may give him a run for his money.

Other Predicted Finalists: Joc Pederson (Los Angeles - NL), Jorge Soler (Chicago - NL)

Joc Pederson is going to face some pressure filling the shoes of long time franchise player turned rival Matt Kemp, but the ascent of Bryant may help alleviate some of that. He will be playing in the shadow of a prospect people have been hyping up for years, and I wouldn't be surprised if he did just as well in his first year. The Dodgers clearly believe in him, and he's been their best hitter this Spring as well.

Dark Horse: Noah Syndergaard (New York - NL)

If the Mets want to have a 5th pitcher in their franchise history to take home Rookie of the Year honors, they may wish to wait until next year to call up highly coveted righty Noah Syndergaard. "Thor" is scary good, and even he could surpass Bryant and Pederson by year's end if he pitches enough. I would not be surprised to see him in the big leagues for a portion of 2015, but I don't think he will pitch quite the amount necessary to beat out the every day studs. If he does, then he could run the table here as well.

Comeback Player of the Year - Matt Harvey, New York Mets

Well, if it isn't "The Dark Knight". What Kris Bryant is bringing to Spring with his bat, Matt Harvey has brought with his repaired arm. He's allowed 2 earned runs in 14.1 innings, striking out 12 in the process. It was a shame to go without him in baseball last year after he had to have Tommy John Surgery, but he appears to take the world back by storm. People have already been comparing him to Clayton Kershaw, and if anyone is to steal some of the Dodgers lefty's shine, it's him. If you haven't read Harvey's piece on "The Player's Tribune" about his year off recovering from surgery, I highly suggest you do so.

Other Predicted Finalists: Joey Votto (Cincinnati), Carlos Gonzalez (Colorado)

Both of these players have been dangerous in two different ways their entire careers. CarGo and Votto are two of the best all around players in the game when they're on the field, but being on the field has proven to be very difficult in recent years. If either of them can rebound from down 2014 seasons, Matt Harvey may have to watch his back.

Dark Horse: Matt Cain (San Francisco)

I would really like to see Cain produce something close to his past statistics next year. The Giants could use a reliable starter to back Madison Bumgarner, especially since so many of their pitchers threw more innings than usual in their championship season. If Cain can come back strong, the Giants may be able to sneak back into the playoffs.

Manager of the Year - Clint Hurdle (Pittsburgh)

Hurdle has won this one before in 2013, and has been a large part of the party occurring in Pittsburgh the past two years. However, they haven't been able to top off the year with a World Series berth, and this could be an intriguing season for them to make a case. He really knows how to identify with this team, and I would love to see him bring the Pirates farther than they've been since before I was born.

Other Predicted Finalists: Joe Maddon (Chicago - NL), Mike Matheny (St. Louis)

Joe Maddon may be slightly overrated in my book, but that doesn't make him a bad manager. I love the enthusiasm and personality he brings to the table; it really feels like he knows how to make his team rally around him. I didn't pick the Cubs to make the playoffs in 2015, but I do expect them to significantly improve, which could give Maddon a shot at this one as well.

Dark Horse: Mike Redmond (Miami)

The Miami Marlins may be the surprise team of 2015 out of the National League, and Mike Redmond will be a huge difference maker of that statement coming true. Even with the expected success of the Nationals, it wouldn't surprise me to see the fish take a stab at a pennant win if all goes as planned.

That will do it for my 2015 MLB Predictions! Thank you to every last one of you readers out there for interacting and checking out what I have to say. As always, please feel free to share your opinions in the comments below; that's what these types of posts are all about! Don't be afraid to disagree, because I certainly may not have all the right answers.

See Ya!

2015 American League Central Preview + Predictions!

Hey guys, Drew back here! We now return with the second installment of my 2015 MLB Season Preview; this time highlighting perhaps a revamped, competitive AL Central division! If you would like to see the rest of my predictions, click here.

2015 AL Central Standings Prediction:

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1 - Chicago White Sox
X-Factors: Adam LaRoche, Carlos Rodon

Once again, I'm going with a team that made significant strides this past offseason. The White Sox finished 16 games below .500 last year, but they seemed to improve at just the right places over the course of the winter. Melky Cabrera should be able to contribute extra base hits at the top of the lineup with possible breakout center fielder Adam Eaton. Adam LaRoche should support young superstar Jose Abreu and receive plenty of great pitches to hit in the process. It's clear that it's difficult to win without strong pitching in today's game, and I don't know if there's many "Top 3's" in the American League with as much potential as Chris Sale, Jeff Samardzija, and Jose Quintana have. Quintana has been consistently underrated and improving since his debut in 2013, and Sale has the skills to make a run for the Cy Young award, even despite fracturing his foot last week. This is a winnable division, and Chicago's balanced lineup, defense, starting and relief pitching should make them an easy contender in 2015. Key word: should.

2 - Kansas City Royals
X-Factors: Alex Rios, Yordano Ventura, Lorenzo Cain

The Royals made the World Series last year. Can we please acknowledge that? I personally thought I wouldn't be seeing Kansas City win the pennant for quite some time, but their run was truly magical last year. But just like people are going to automatically sign Madison Bumgarner up as the 2015 Cy Young winner, they will also think that the Royals could repeat their historic 2014. Without James Shields, Nori Aoki, and Billy Butler, I don't see how that's possible. Shields led the team not only as the best pitcher, but also in the clubhouse, and newly acquired Edinson Volquez will be filling his spot in the rotation. No disrespect to Volquez, but he's no Shields. Unless Lorenzo Cain and Yordano Ventura take their postseason performances into the regular season and dominate, I see the Royals falling just a bit short of the playoffs. The American League has gotten stronger as a whole, and I think in the right ways too, which could cause this young team to sputter off the tracks and struggle at times. Ned Yost is a good manager, and I don't think last year was a total fluke, but I have a hard time seeing them beat any of the teams I ranked ahead of them this spring.

3 - Detroit Tigers
X-Factors: Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez, Bruce Rondon

This may act as a surprise to most readers here, as the Tigers have been a consistent player in October over the past decade. They have won the Central the past four years, but this offseason they lost their ace Max Scherzer and rising star Rick Porcello. Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, the team's two biggest offensive components; are going into 2015 with health questions. David Price is in the final year of his contract, and if the team spirals early due to injuries he may not even be with the team by the end of the season. Their bullpen has always been a problem for Detroit despite all of their efforts to improve, but Bruce Rondon will be returning and hopefully playing a big role in revitalizing that spot. However, Cabrera and Martinez are still two of the best hitters in the league even while hurt, and Yoenis Cespedes, Ian Kinsler, and JD Martinez will most likely help lead the team into the playoff picture. It all comes down to Justin Verlander's recovery from his core injuries, and if he can take a step back towards his prime seasons the Tigers will be a force to reckon with in 2015.

My biggest problem with the AL Central (and the West for that matter) is that almost every team has a chance of winning the division. I think the only team in this division that can be excluded from the playoff race is Minnesota, who are still a few years away. Because each team in the division plays each other 18 times a year, the teams may suffer worse overall records and it may only allow one team to make the playoffs. It is possible for the Red Sox or Orioles to win wild card spots next year, leaving out possibly better teams from the Central. We'll have to wait and see how it plays out.

4 - Cleveland Indians
X-Factors: Brandon Moss, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Kipnis

Many people are considering the Indians as one of the best possible rebound teams this upcoming season. Coming off a season in which ace Corey Kluber earned a Cy Young Award out of almost nowhere, the Tribe still managed to barely miss the playoffs. Their pitching staff is young but talented, and Carlos Carrasco is this year's Danny Salazar in terms of "the ultimate fantasy baseball sleeper of the year". I just don't see the offense coming together enough for the team to succeed, no matter how dominant the pitching is. Nick Swisher is coming off of multiple knee surgeries, Jason Kipnis had finger surgery and suffered oblique problems throughout 2014, and newly acquired asset Brandon Moss underwent right hip surgery as well. There are far too many things that need to go right for the Indians to surpass the White Sox, Royals, and Tigers to make the playoffs. Is it impossible? Not with Terry Francona calling the shots, but it sure doesn't seem right.

5 - Minnesota Twins
X-Factors: Oswaldo Arcia, Alex Meyer, Byron Buxton

Once again, I don't see much of an improvement with what the Twins have assembled at this moment. I don't think they're an awful team in any way, but I just don't see them stacking up to the rest of the division. Youth is the focus of the organization at the moment, and it should be at least another year before the hype of mega prospects Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, and Alex Meyer rises. The new addition of Torii Hunter was smart not only because he still is a good hitter but also because he can mentor some of the young outfielders on the team. Kirby Puckett taught Hunter a lot about life in and out of baseball, and his influence may have sparked what has been a magnificent career. Their pitching rotation is headed by former Yankee Phil Hughes, who had an underrated 2014 and could possibly build on that next season as he is still only 28 years old. But no matter how you shake it, this team needs a miracle season to be found at the top of the standings come October.

Division MVP: Jose Abreu
Division Cy Young: Chris Sale
Playoff Teams: Chicago

This division really could swing in any direction over the course of the season. Nobody saw the Royals steamroll of the American League coming, and really any of these teams could do much of the same this year. I picked the White Sox to not only win the division, but I chose their stars as division MVP and Cy Young too. All the new faces in Chicago could cause chemistry issues at first, but I still feel most confident about their chances over anyone else. I would not be shocked to see Cleveland make a late season run, as they have seemed to do over the past couple seasons, nor would I be surprised if Detroit dominates. But the injuries are unavoidable, and these teams have one too many questions for me to logically see them contending for the pennant.

Agree, disagree, or both? Feel free to comment below with your thoughts on what should be one of the most interesting divisions in 2015!

See Ya!

Gypsy Queen Retail Rush!

Hey everyone, Drew back here. So, last weekend, I took a trip to the mall, to go see Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I must say that it was a really good movie, and if you haven't gone to see it yet, you really should make some time for it! Also, in my mall we have a Target, one of the greatest homes of retail wax. I've bought an awful lot there in the past, but try not to anymore. But, from what I've seen, retail 2011 Topps Gypsy Queen has been a major "hit"... literally. Hobby boxes are finding missing autos, and I wonder if the retail cards had anything to do with that! With that in mind, I purchased 4 single packs and a rack "value" pack with 3 packs and a bonus pack of green parallels. Let's see how I did:

This has been my first taste of this product of yet, and I easily chose it over 2011 Bowman, in my mind the most boring product of the year, year in and year out. That product is only fun when you pull anything of Bryce Harper. Other than that, I would choose literally anything to get away from Bowman. 

The base cards in this product are very sweet, and have never been done before, so its pretty fresh. The pictures has used a sort of photoshop trick to them, which makes them almost look like a painting. Out of the base cards I pulled, I really liked the A-Rod card as well as the Babe Ruth card, even though he's pictured as a Red Sox. 

Something that has been used almost too much is the mini concept. In every pack, you get one mini card, and I got my share. The Drew Stubbs and George Sisler minis are the red back versions (pointless gimmick), and the rest are base minis.

 I pulled a lot of insert cards as well. The inserts are fairly different, as they divide a lot of guys in the product into different groups, such as: Wall Climbers, Sticky Fingers (what kind of name is that?), The Great Ones, Future Stars, and Home Run Heroes. I pulled at least one of each, and by far my favorite insert was the Thurman Munson "The Great Ones" card. Sure, the photo has been used a lot for his cards, but it still looks great!

The bonus 3 green paper parallel card pack didn't really disappoint, as I ended up pulling Ubaldo Jimenez, Andre Dawson, and Kevin Youkilis. I love the Dawson card, can care less about Ubaldo, and can't stand "Youk", so please note that if you're curious in trading for these. They aren't numbered but they look great!

In the packs I also pulled this Carlos Santana copper paper parallel numbered to 999, which was a pretty cool pull. It's for trade if anyone wants it.

Finally, I did indeed pull an auto, that of Chris Sale, reliever for the White Sox. Could've been a lot better, but then again, I could've not pulled an auto at all. My goal was to pull an auto and that's exactly what this is. He is 4-1 this season with a 3.40 ERA and 6 saves as the "next in line" closer for the Sox. He's been highly touted as a prospect, so I'll wait and see how the hype goes. But if anyone is interested, please shoot me an email to yanks1996wsc@gmail.com and offer me an auto in exchange.

That goes for all the non Yankees cards I pulled as well. If anyone is interest, send me an email. Other than that, everybody have a good Saturday!

See Ya!