2012 MLB Postseason Preview: Division Series

The quest for the World Series begins for the division winners, while it continues for the Wild Card survivor. This year's Division Series promises to be as exciting as the opening Wild Card playoff, with every game treated with greater intensity and purpose. Due to the late addition of the Wild Card round, the last three games, two if necessary, will be held at the ballpark of the team with the better record, thus lessening the need of travel and time. Here is a preview of all four Division Series. 

American League Division Series

New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles

Season Series: Series Tied 9-9

The return to the Cartoon Bird logo coincided with the Orioles' resurgence. After defeating the Rangers in the Wild Card playoff, the Orioles now have a chance to erase memories of Jeffrey Maier and his infamous catch in the 1996 ALCS. 

The Yankees are business as usual, making the postseason an unprecedented 17th time in 18 seasons, thanks to a potent offense (Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano) and superb pitching (CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Phil Hughes, Rafael Soriano). The Orioles' countered with power from both bat (Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Mark Reynolds) and arm (Joe Saunders, Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, Jim Johnson). They are both evenly matched offensively and defensively, so expect the series to go the distance between the two AL East rivals.

Oakland Athletics vs. Detroit Tigers

Season Series: Tigers won 4-3

The A's made it through their rookie pitchers, who combined to win a league-record 53 games. A sweep of Texas gave them the AL West on the final day, overachieving despite pre-season predictions of them finishing in last place. The Tigers blew hot and cold before clinching the AL Central for the second straight year despite winning only 88 games. 

The Tigers will again rely on the powerful bats of Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Austin Jackson and Delmon Young, while relying on the arms of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Jose Valverde. The Tigers were inconsistent all year and they need their top guns to beat Oakland's young pitching staff led by A.J. Griffin, Jarrod Parker and Grant Balfour. Oakland will also rely through Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Reddick and Seth Smith to lead the offense. While the Tigers have the experience advantage, the A's are also expected to go out fighting through grit and youth to win the series. 

National League Division Series

Washington Nationals vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Season Series: Nationals won 4-3

The Nationals made it through their pitching, though Stephen Strasburg won't be pitching in the postseason. The Cardinals romped past the Braves thanks to some lucky Braves errors and 'small ball' tactics. It will be experience vs. youth in this series.

Youth will be about the Nationals. Most of the players are appearing in their first postseason. Nevertheless, the power of Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, Ian Desmond and playoff veteran Jayson Werth, and the arms of Gio Gonzalez, World Series winner Edwin Jackson, Jordan Zimmermann and Tyler Clippard will be crucial for the Nats' success. The Cardinals will rely on most of their World Series-winning crew, led by last year's hero David Freese, along with Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina and new acquisition Carlos Beltran. Even with Chris Carpenter in less than full strength, their arms remain as potent, led by Kyle Lohse, Lance Lynn and Jason Motte. The series is expected to have an unpredictable ending, perhaps four or five games will decide the winner of the experience vs. youth battle. 

Cincinnati Reds vs. San Francisco Giants

Season Series: Reds won 4-3

The 2010 World Series champions are aching to get back on the big stage, but first they have to face a team that also has World Series aspirations. Both the Reds and the Giants made it through their offense and pitching, and these aspects will decide this series.

Even with Tim Lincecum struggling and Brian Wilson out, the Giants did prevail thanks to the equally potent arms of Matt Cain, Barry Zito, Madison Bumgarner and Sergio Romo. The Giants also had success offensively, thanks to the return of Buster Posey and the consistency of a pre-suspension Melky Cabrera. With Cabrera out, they need the likes of Pablo Sandoval, Angel Pagan and Joaquin Arias to fill the offensive void. As for the Reds, they will rely on the bats of Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and youngsters Zack Cozart and Todd Frazier, and the arms of Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, Bronson Arroyo and Aroldis Chapman. With an equal distribution of offense and pitching, expect this series to last four or five, and whoever starts quickly will win the series. 

Baseball in Review: June-July

Two-thirds of the baseball season is complete, so we look back at Major League Baseball's best and worst. After four months of slugging and striking, we've now reached the boiling point, where postseason races intensify and the race for October heightens.

Most Surprising Teams: AL

Forget their early season slip-up. The New York Yankees are playing like the Yankees of old, a seemingly invincible monster with 27 World Series championships bagged. And they got better with a former AL batting champion in Ichiro Suzuki. The Yankees, however, would have to deal without Brett Gardner and Mariano Rivera, their two supporting stars lost to injury for an extended period. Still, it is exciting to see Derek Jeter climb the hitting charts, Alex Rodriguez climb the home run charts, and CC Sabathia climb the wins and strikeouts charts, as their legacies continue to be enhanced in the Bronx. Honorable mention goes to the Chicago White Sox, thanks to the resurgent bat of Adam Dunn, and reliables such as Paul Konerko, A.J. Pierzynski and new White Sox addition Kevin Youkilis.

Most Surprising Teams: NL

While Washington kept winning despite the rash of injuries, June and July belonged to the Cincinnati Reds. They proved their dominance by winning ten straight games to end July, all without All-Star first baseman Joey Votto on the lineup. Johnny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo and Mat Latos supplied strong pitching, while Aroldis Chapman excelled in the closer's role. Brandon Philips, Jay Bruce and rookie Zack Cozart providing superb offensive support. Honorable mention goes to the San Francisco Giants, who enjoyed a superb June and July to go from the middle of pack to at least the top of the NL West. The All-Star Game saw Giants Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey, Matt Cain and MVP Melky Cabrera orchestrate the NL's shutout of the AL, and the momentum continued the rest of the month, as San Francisco locked themselves in a power struggle with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Most Disappointing Teams: AL

Obviously, Boston continues to be the biggest AL disappointment, but Seattle appears to be the team that is on a new direction. Ichiro Suzuki is aging fast, and the Mariners, after a 116-win 2001 season and years of excellent hitting from Ichiro, has hit a roadblock. And just before a mid-July series with the Yankees, they decided to trade Ichiro to the Bronx. And while Ichiro stayed in Safeco for the series, he did go to the Yankee clubhouse and wear the iconic interlocking 'NY' cap for the first time. It was a sad departure, but for Seattle fans, they are happy to start over. Honorable mention goes to the Minnesota Twins, who found themselves struggling despite the on-field returns of Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, their key components during their runs to the AL Central title. 

Most Disappointing Teams: NL

Also going nowhere are the Philadelphia Phillies. After five straight win-loss improvements, they basically went from a top contender to a bottom feeder in the NL East. Injuries to Chase Utley and Ryan Howard were the primary culprits to their sudden fall from grace, but it also had to do with subpar pitching from Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Jonathan Papelbon, the lack of capable offensive power, and poor defense. They decided to start over as they traded Hunter Pence to San Francisco, Shane Victorino to the Dodgers, and Jim Thome to Baltimore. It is clear that Philly's NL East dominance is fading, and a new identity is needed. Honorable mention goes to Miami, as the Marlins' struggles continue on the field, and following trades of Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez to Detroit, Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers, and Gaby Sanchez to Pittsburgh, the Marlins, like the Phillies, are looking to rebuild for 2013.

Most Valuable Player: AL

The Angels, despite their high-profile signings of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, caught a big fish through its minor league system. Mike Trout debuted with the Angels last year, but in 2012 he was undoubtedly a rookie of the year candidate, thus we name him too as the AL Best Rookie for June and July. In June he batted .372 with three homers, 42 hits and 16 RBI, and in July he improved to .392 with 10 homers, 38 hits and 23 RBI. Trout's overall season numbers of .348 led the majors at the end of July, and he was the reason why the Angels leaped back into contention in the AL West. 

Most Valuable Player: NL

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the same position as they were a year ago, posting a winning record at the end of July. Andrew McCutchen was the key during those periods. In June, McCutchen had a .370 batting average, and posted seven homers, 26 RBI and 40 hits. In July he continued his torrid stretch by norming seven homers, 15 RBI and 41 hits for a .446 average. That stretch raised his season batting average to .373, leading the NL in the category. They failed to end the futility record last year with McCutchen struggling towards the end, so his bat will be the key for the Pirates as they look to end a streak of 19 straight losing seasons. 

Best Rookie: AL

(see AL Best Player Mike Trout)

Best Rookie: NL

Once again, Bryce Harper takes the nod in the NL. The wonder kid continued his hot hitting spree by norming a .274 batting average, though he struggled in July norming just .222. Still, his bat contributed to his elevation to the top of the batting order, and with it, the Nationals kept winning despite a rash of injuries that come along with it. Harper made history as the youngest All-Star position player ever at age 19, although his night in Kansas City was forgettable as he bobbled a routine fly ball from Mike Napoli in the game, and finished 0-1 with a strikeout and a walk. The NL Rookie of the Year should be a runaway for Harper, provided he stayed out of the injury list and perform excellently.

Best Pitcher: AL

Jered Weaver had his stuff going during the no-hitter against Minnesota in May, but in June and July, he was as devastating as ever. He went undefeated through eight games, posting ERAs of 0.71 and 2.23 respectively, all towards lowering his season ERA to an AL-leading 2.29. Weaver's pitching is also the key reason why the Angels surged back to contention in the AL West, and if all goes right for Weaver and the Angels, they may as well break the two-year stranglehold of the Texas Rangers in the AL West. 

Best Pitcher: NL

R.A. Dickey made the All-Star team this year because of his success in the month of June, going 5-0 with a no-decision and a 0.93 ERA. Perhaps it's the mystique of the knuckleball that baffled opposing batters, or because Dickey's ammunition seems to be working to perfection. Whatever the reason, Dickey is enjoying a breakout year at age 37, an age where players are entering the twilight zone. Although his ERA went up to 5.13 and had a 2-1 record with three NDs, Dickey's 14-2 mark continues to lead the NL, and the Mets will need his arms more in an effort to make it back to the postseason. 

MLB 2012 Season Preview: NL Central

The Major League Baseball season gets underway on April 4. But before all the fireworks, the seventh-inning stretches, the awe-strucking homers, the captivating steals, hustle plays, and pitching performances commence, we preview all 30 teams by division. Next up, the National League Central.

Houston Astros

Record: 56-106 (6th in NL Central)

Missed Postseason

By any means, the 106 losses the Astros endured in 2011 was essentially ridiculous and uninspiring. The ownership situation, along with poor pitching, lack of run support, injuries, and trades, doomed the Astros from the start. And now with new owner Jim Crane taking over, along with the announced move to the AL West in 2013, the Astros hope to leave the NL Central after the season on a bright note.

The pitching last season was a disaster. Only Wandy Rodriguez and closer Mark Melancon managed to have a .500 season; the rest below that mark. The Astros hope that their starting rotation of J.A. Happ, Bud Norris and Jordan Lyles improve from last year's dismal numbers, newly-acquired Livan Hernandez to make an impact, and Brett Myers to fill the shoes of Melancon, traded to Boston in the offseason.

With the midseason trades of Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence, and Carlos Lee's bat becoming more of a liability, the Astros need some offensive help from newly-acquired Jed Lowrie, future star Jose Altuve, and holdovers Chris Johnson, Brett Wallace and J.D. Martinez. However the rest of the Astros' lineup remains unproven, so let's see if the young bats will develop during the season.

Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 96-66 (NL Central Champions)

Lost 4-2 to the Cardinals in the Championship Series

Last season felt like 1982 all over again. The Brewers won the Central division and the division series, but they couldn't overcome NLCS MVP David Freese's homers in Game 6. Worse, they witnessed Prince Fielder move to Detroit and NL MVP Ryan Braun test positive for a banned drug. Fortunately Braun was spared from a 50-game suspension. Now the Brewers are hard-pressed to defend their NL Central title after Fielder decided to slam homers in Comerica Park instead of Miller Park.

The Brewers' offense remains potent, with Braun, Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks the main power sources. Small ball hitting and baserunning will remain a forte for Nyjer Morgan, Carlos Gomez and Jonathan Lucroy. It remains to be seen whether newly-acquired Aramis Ramirez will be a good fit for the homer-happy Brewers.

The pitching department has also improved from last season, as Yovani Gallardo, Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and Randy Wolf provided quality starts between them. Francisco Rodriguez played well as a setup man after being traded mid-season, while John Axford emerged as an elite closer, with 43 straight converted saves. The Brewers hope the trend will continue this season, provided they stay healthy, they may help in the team's search for a repeat NL Central title.

St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 90-72 (2nd in NL Central; Won NL Wildcard)

2011 World Series Champions

The Cardinals' wild ride to the World Series title began on the last day, when Atlanta lost at Philadelphia. Then Chris Carpenter shut down the Phillies in Game 5 of the NLDS, after which David Freese buried both the Brewers and the Rangers in impressive fashion, winning both NLCS and World Series MVP, and led the Cards to the World Series title. It was a fitting retirement gift for manager Tony La Russa, who departed a winner.

Unfortunately, the ride wouldn't last long, as the team's heart and soul in Albert Pujols decided to move to the Angels. This was a huge loss for the Cardinals, who will now have to defend their trophy without their long-time icon.

David Freese emerged as a postseason hero, and is now tasked to carry that momentum into the new season. Lance Berkman had a comeback to remember last season, and now looks to build upon that success. The Cardinals' bats will remain formidable, with Yadier Molina, Matt Holliday, Rafael Furcal and Allen Craig leading the corps. Newly-acquired Carlos Beltran won't essentially replace Pujols, but will have his moments.

Chris Carpenter may not start the season with neck problems, but when healthy, he provides impressive quality starts. Same goes to Adam Wainwright, who was out last year, but will likewise return in full health midseason. Other reliable arms will be Kyle Lohse, Jaime Garcia, setup man Fernando Salas, and closer Jason Motte. Health and performance will play a huge role in the Cardinals' title defense, so watch out.

Chicago Cubs

Record: 71-91 (5th in NL Central)

Missed Postseason

Theo Epstein moves on. After bringing an 86-year title drought to an end in Boston, he now looks to end a much longer drought: 103 years and counting for the Cubs. Not an easy task for the youthful GM.

Dale Sveum will patrol the dugout this season, inheriting a seemingly intact roster trying to end a long, dry spell. With Aramis Ramirez gone, All-Star Starlin Castro will now be tasked to lead the Cubs offense. Also leading the offense will be the ever-reliable bats of Marlon Byrd, Reed Johnson, and newly-acquired David DeJesus.

Matt Garza remains the lead pitcher for the Cubs, despite a less-than stellar 2011. However, the Cubs need more from fellow starters Ryan Dempster, Randy Wells, and newly-acquired Paul Maholm and Travis Wood, if they were to contend for a postseason berth. Carlos Marmol was a reliable closer last season, and hopes to stay that way in 2012. The Cubs only hope that Epstein's blueprint will pay dividends in the years to come.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 72-90 (4th in NL Central)

Missed Postseason

The Pirates were on top of the NL Central on some occasions in 2011, but failed to sustain that momentum, and for the 19th consecutive year, they finished with a losing record.

Andrew McCutchen broke out in 2011, earning an All-Star nod while helping the Pirates contend for a short while. They also reloaded with the addition of Casey McGehee, Clint Barmes, Nate McLouth, and Rod Barajas, while hoping to maximize the talents of Neil Walker and Jose Tabata. Their offense seems to be clicking last year, if not for that late-season tailspin. Clint Hurdle hopes to have a consistent year from his lineup.

In the pitching front, the arrivals of A.J. Burnett and Erik Bedard should shore up the Pirates' bullpen dilemmas. Both hope to redeem themselves from last year's lackluster performance. With a starting rotation of Burnett, Bedard, Jeff Karstens, Kevin Correia and Charlie Morton, and closer Joel Hanrahan, the Pirates have a strong bullpen hoping to rebound from last year's collapse. If Clint Hurdle's squad makes some consistent noise, they may have a chance to end a 19-year losing record streak. 

Cincinnati Reds

Record: 79-83 (3rd in NL Central)

Missed Postseason

The Reds failed to live to expectations in 2011, finishing third in the NL Central after winning the division the year before. Though Joey Votto continued to be consistent, and Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips emerged, poor defense and pitching doomed the Reds. Now in Year 3 of the Dusty Baker era, the Reds look to return to form.

Votto, Bruce and Phillips will provide the three-headed monster at bat with their hitting prowess. The Reds' other reliables at bat will be Miguel Cairo, Ryan Hanigan, Scott Rolen, Drew Stubbs, Chris Heisey, and newly-acquired Wilson Valdez and Ryan Ludwick. The Reds offense will remain as potent as it can be, and they hope they can use it as an advantage. 

Sadly, reliable new closer Ryan Madson will be out for the year due to Tommy John surgery, so the Reds need to audition a temporary closer. As for the starters, they will have holdovers Bronson Arroyo, Mike Leake and Johnny Cueto plus new addition Mat Latos to lead the rotation. Dusty Baker hopes to bring the best out of their starting rotation, which failed to provide support for their prolific offense last season.