Old Time Family Baseball

And we have finally reached the end. For all 30 team recaps, click here.

Record: 92-70, 1st Place in the NL West, World Series Champions

Offensive Leaders: Aubrey Huff .891 OPS, Andres Torres 6.0 WAR

Pitching Leaders: Jonathan Sanchez 3.07 ERA, Tim Lincecum 5.1 WAR

Surprise: While Pat Burrell surprised the Giants with a few hits left in his bats, it was Andres Torres becoming a revelation at the age of 32 that was most surprising. Torres did a little of everything last year as he displayed a bit of pop (16 HR), some decent speed (26 SB), a good eye at the plate (.343 OBP) and a phenomenal glove (+21.2 UZR). He doesn’t have much of a track record for success in the Major Leagues, but as long as his fielding continues to amaze, he will have plenty of value on an otherwise aged and iron gloved Giants club. 

Disappointment: While Bengie Molina’s struggles gave way to Buster Posey’s triumphant entrance and Aaron Rowand’s problems were obscured by the emergence of Andres Torres, there was no one to help hide Pablo Sandoval. After hitting .330/.387/.556 in 2009, Sandoval saw his waistline expand while his batting line shrunk to .268/.323/.409. All of a sudden the Kung Fu Panda didn’t seem so cuddly and his hacktastic ways were no longer amusing. Sandoval was benched frequently down the stretch and the new, slimmer version will have a lot to prove in 2011 if he wants to keep his job.

Defining Moment: It’s hard to choose one moment amidst a team as colorful as this one—from Fear the Beard, to the Rally Thong, to a young and energetic rotation, the Giants rank closely with the 2004 Red Sox when judged on the basis of a clubhouse cast. Naturally, it was the soft spoken and aging shortstop that claimed the most memorable memorable of 2010 with his seventh inning game-winning home run off Cliff Lee in gave five of the World Series. It was the least likely player stepping up in the biggest moment, giving the San Francisco Giants their first World Series since moving to the Bay.

Outlook: 2011 will be a strange year for the Giants. Their aging lineup has not changed much, Miguel Tejada’s addition not withstanding, and it will be difficult for so many players to outperform their career averages for a second straight year. Their top prospect, Brandon Belt, should be able to hit his way into the lineup at some point, but the Giants were a below average offensive club last season and another year on Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, and Aaron Rowand’s speedometers won’t help. Brian Sabean better hope that Buster Posey doesn’t suffer a sophomore slump and that Pablo Sandoval can show flashes of his 2009 brilliance if the team hopes to score 700 runs in 2011.

Fortuantely, the Giants shouldn’t need to score much though, with Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain joined by Madison Bumgarner to form a three headed beast. While Jonathan Sanchez is a very good number four starter, he walks too many batters and benefited greatly from an above average LOB% in 2010 and should see a correction in ERA. The extra month of innings will be of concern for all the pitchers (except Zito who was left off the postseason roster), but barring injuries, the Giants should be in thick of a pennant race in 2011. The team is made for a playoff run, so if they can just make it back, they could capture baseball’s prized jewel once again.

For previous recaps, click here.

Record: 90-72, 1st Place in the AL West, American League Champions

Offensive Leaders: Josh Hamilton 1.044 OPS, 8.0 WAR

Pitching Leaders: CJ Wilson 3.35 ERA, CJ Wilson/Colby Lewis 4.4 WAR

Surprise: Colby Lewis’ years in Japan were absolutely transforming as he came back a new pitcher. After posting a career 6.71 ERA between 2002-2007 while playing for three separate clubs, Lewis returned to the States to go 12-13 with a 3.72 ERA. Lewis succeeded by striking out more batters than ever before while sharply cutting his walks and home run rate. Assuming that he can keep his gains next season, Lewis stands the best chance of repeating his success from 2010 as CJ Wilson walks too many and Tommy Hunter strikes out too few.

Disappointment: The Rangers catching corps were an absolute disgrace last season, posting the third worst total combined WAR. The Rangers finished in front of only the hopeless Mariners and hapless Pirates, teams that are not going to the World Series anytime soon. The Rangers tried nearly everyone and everything, giving at-bats to Jarrod Saltalamacchia (.400 OPS in 5 PA), Max Ramirez (.689 OPS in 85 PA), Taylor Teagarden (.597 OPS in 85 PA), and Matt Treanor (.595 OPS in 272 PA). That forced the Rangers to trade former top prospect Michael Main and reliever Chris Ray to the Giants for Bengie Molina who continued his decline while posting a .599 OPS in 190 PA with his new team. It did allow for an amusing reunion during the World Series, but the Rangers have added Mike Napoli and Yorvit Torrealba for 2011 and should be improved at the position.

Defining Moment: It’s quite possible that the Rangers would never have advanced to their first World Series had it not been for the mid-season acquisition of Cliff Lee. Lee was nearly sent to the Yankees, but the Mariners backed out of the deal either because of concern for David Adams’ health or because the Rangers stepped forward and included Justin Smoak in their package. While Lee struggled at times after joining the Rangers, he went into shutdown mode during the postseason. Save for his game one start against the Giants in the World Series (4.2 IP, 7 R, 6 ER), he was unstoppable in 31 innings, allowing only five runs. Lee gave the Rangers a legitimate ace and was the workhorse they needed to advance to the Fall Classic.

Outlook: While the Rangers remain the favorites in the AL West, the 2011 season will not be without difficulties. It’s unlikely that Tommy Hunter, CJ Wilson, and Colby Lewis will all be as effective as they were last season, and they lack the bonafide ace they had at the end of last season. There is a chance that Derek Holland or Neftali Felix could step into the rotation, but even still it’s doubtful their pitching staff will be as strong as the A’s. The addition of Adrian Beltre will give the Rangers one of the strongest defensive infields in baseball, and the addition of his bat certainly won’t hurt.

While most of last year’s supporting cast is returning, they will require Beltre and Josh Hamilton to hold down the middle of the lineup with Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler hopefully able to stay for a full year. Any improvements from Elvis Andrus and Julio Borbon would be gravy with Mitch Moreland, Mike Napoli and Yorvit Torrealba filling the rest of an above-average lineup.

The big question going into camp is what to do with Michael Young who formally requested a trade last week. At this point his glove no longer warrants a position other than 1B/DH, but his bat no longer can play as a starter at either of those positions. It will be difficult to unload the 3 years and $48 million left on his contract and the Rangers shouldn’t expect anything but some meager salary relief in return. A messy clubhouse situation is the last thing the Rangers need as they hope to repeat as AL Champs.

For previous recaps, click here.

Record: 80-82, 3rd place in the AL West (Coincedentally, also the same record as the other “Los Angeles” club.)

Offensive Leaders: Hideki Matsui .820 OPS, Torii Hunter 3.5 WAR

Pitching Leaders: Jered Weaver 3.01 ERA, 5.9 WAR

Surprise: Jered Weaver has always been a solid pitcher, but last year he elevated his game immensely. Weaver lead the Majors in strikeouts while setting a career high in innings pitched and rightfully received some Cy Young attention. It will be interesting to see if these are gains Weaver can keep as he cut his walk rate while increasing his K/9 rate by nearly 2. Weaver’s success seems to have come from scrapping his cutter in exchange for a two seam fastball, but whether batters will be able to adjust in 2011 remains to be seen.

Disappointment: You can stop searching for why the Angels failed to make the postseason for the first time since 2006 at Jeff Mathis and Brandon Wood who combinedfor 461 plate appearances. While Mathis’ .497 OPS and 36 OPS+ looks bad, at least he made up for it by playing stellar defense. And in comparison to the former top prospect Wood, Mathis looks like a bonafide slugger. Wood struck out 71 times in 243 plate appearances while drawing only six walks. When Wood hit the ball, it wasn’t even with much force leading to a .146/.174/.208 line, good for a 5 OPS+. I haven’t played competitive baseball in over ten years and I’m pretty sure I could find my way to an OPS+ of 5. How many other players put up an OPS+ of under 5 in Major League history while receiving over 225 plate appearances? Two.

Defining Moment: The Angels must have felt like there was a dark mark upon them when Kendry Morales broke his leg while celebrating a walk-off grand slam on May 29th. I was at the game when Morales beat the Mariners with the 10th inning blast and the fans joy quickly turned to confusion which turned to panic as the celebration on the field came to an instant stop. For a team that was already missing an offensive force, losing a player who hit 34 home runs and slugged .569 in 2009 was a death blow for the team.

Outlook: The Angels don’t seem willing to go after the big free agents that they appear to have interest in, losing out on Jayson Werth, Carl Crawford, and Adrian Beltre because they weren’t willing to bend to the market. While that may be best for the longterm health of the club, it’s not going to help in the short run when the Rangers have a strong lineup, and the Athletics pitching staff is one of the best in the league. The return of Kendry Morales will be like acquiring a top talent, but there are no big names on the farm ready to immediately fill in. Mike Trout is a five-tool player that has the potential to be the greatest Angels position player in the history of the franchise, but he’s a few years away.

For previous recaps, click here.

Record: 97-65, 1st Place in the NL East

Offensive Leaders: Jayson Werth .921 OPS, Chase Utley 5.2 WAR

Pitching Leaders: Roy Halladay 2.44 ERA, 6.6 WAR

Surprise: Carlos Ruiz’s mixture of a little pop, an average contact rate, and an above-average eye all combined into making him a quality Major League catcher over the past few seasons. Buoyed by a .335 BABIP compared to his previous career mark of .262, Ruiz put up a .302/.400/.447 line and was the third best catcher in baseball as ranked by WAR in 2010, even gathering an MVP vote. While Ruiz will probably see those numbers drop next season as his lucky hits no longer drop, it won’t change the fact that the Phillies still have a very strong contributor at a very difficult position.

Disappointment: Jimmy Rollins continued his descent from MVP caliber player to one barely worthy of a starting job as he turned in an injury riddled season that saw his OPS continue to tumble for the fourth straight year. Receiving only 394 plate appearances, Rollins put up a .243/.320/.374 line which were among his career worsts. Turning 32 in 2011, Rollins is no longer a safe bet to return to the player who averaged 18 home runs, 40 doubles, 12 triples and 39 steals a year between 2004-2008. With Jayson Werth’s departure from Philadelphia, Rollins will need to play a big role for the 2011 Phillies to succeed.

Defining Moment: Probably the easiest choice out of the 30 Major League clubs. Though Halladay gave us two strong candidates, his postseason no-hitter far outshines his regular season perfect game against the Marlins. Halladay was only the second pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter in the postseason, doing it against a strong Reds offense, and he even accomplished it in his first ever postseason start. Halladay was only a Jay Bruce walk away from his second perfect game of the season, but failed to pull a Johnny Vander Meer in his next start against the Giants. A World Series ring and back-to-back no-hitters seem to be Halladay’s final tasks he has yet to accomplish.

Outlook: The Phillies will enter 2011 as the strongest National League contender yet again, having put together a mini-dynasty over the last five seasons. Though they lost Jayson Werth to the Nationals, the Phillies should look to the woefully underused Domonic Brown (only 70 plate appearances after a July 28 call-up) to step forward and take his rightful place in the outfield. The team still has Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, two of the best in the game at their respective positions, as well as the Flyin’ Hawaiian himself in Shane Victorino. With a bounce back year from Jimmy Rollins, the Phils should have the closest replica of an American League lineup in the senior circuit.

Naturally though, all the attention will be paid to the starting rotation which stacks up pretty nicely with the Braves rotations of the mid-90s. Ruben Amaro surprised the world when he was able to snatch up Cliff Lee, making amends for trading him over last year’s offseason. The rotation is now four aces deep with Halladay, Lee, Hamels and Oswalt forming a Hydra-like beast whose only weakness is the possibility of injury. Should the Phillies remain healthy enough to get to the playoffs, it will be extremely difficult to defeat them with a rotation that is designed for a short postseason series. The Phillies system has been weakened with “win now” trades over the years, their payroll is stretching thin, and their starting core is beginning to age, so this may be the last truly great chance the Phillies have of winning another championship. 

For previous recaps, click here.

Record: 95-67, 2nd Place in the AL East, Wild Card

Offensive Leaders: Robinson Cano .914 OPS, 6.4 WAR

Pitching Leaders: CC Sabathia 3.18 ERA, 5.1 WAR

Surprise: Despite only posting a .762 OPS, Brett Gardner proved to the Yankees that they don’t necessarily need an expensive and aging power hitter to occupy their outfield corners. At 26, Gardner had his first full season in the Major Leagues and responded with a very strong 79/101 BB/K ratio leading to a .383 OBP and 47 steals in 56 attempts. Gardner was also a thief in the field with a Major League-leading 21.9 UZR to finish second on the team in WAR at 5.4. When you consider the amount of future Hall of Famers on the roster, it’s astonishing to think that the Yankees second best player was a rookie who hit only five home runs.

Disappointment: AJ Burnett absolutely imploded last season and had the worst season of his career while pitching in a Yankees rotation that could least afford it. Burnett saw his ERA rise from 4.04 in 2009 to 5.26 in 2010, while his strikeout rate dropped and he gave up more hits per nine innings than ever before. He wasn’t any better in a losing effort against the Rangers in the postseason, giving up five runs in six innings. He will only be 34 next season and could bounce back and the Yankees will a return to form if they want to keep pace in the AL East.

Defining Moment: Despite all his faults (of which there were many), no man shaped, molded, and represented the Yankees over the last 40 years more than George Steinbrenner. Though he no longer oversaw the day to day operations, the Yankees lost one of their own when he died on July 13th. Steinbrenner had elevated himself beyond the diamond, becoming a cultural icon in his time at the helm. Steinbrenner cooled in his more recent years, allowing people to overlook and forgive his earlier transgressions, but it’s important not to forget that he was a power-hungry man who fired people on a whim and bent the and rules of law and morality at will. He was also a man who put his profits back into the team, and brought back an era of Yankee domination that wasn’t seen since the days of Mickey Mantle. With his sons now in charge of the club, Steinbrenner is synonymous with the Yankees.

Outlook: As is always the case, the Yankees should be in the thick of the pennant race next season. After a tumultuous offseason that saw the Yankees and their captain at war over salary, the Yankees will go into 2011 with their statuesque shortstop back in the fold. There should be little concern over the second best offense returning from 2010, with Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Robinson Cano at the heart. They have an excellent supporting cast featuring Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson, and Brett Gardner,  Jorge Posada will be a full-time DH, and the Yankees are hoping for a comeback season from Jeter. The Yankees also brought in some inexpensive, yet useful bench options in players like Andruw Jones and Russell Martin, pieces that could push for starting time on other clubs.

The rotation is messy, though for all the noise coming out of New York, it is still one of the stronger ones in the game. Andy Pettitte may have retired following their failure to sign Cliff Lee, but the Yankees will go into 2011 with CC Sabathia at the front of the rotation and Phil Hughes expected to slot in at number two. AJ Burnett is the wild card—if he returns to something resembling his career form, the team should be fine, but if 2010 represented the beginning of the end, a real lack of starting depth will be exposed. Everyone expects the Yankees to acquire more pitching depth during the season, but they will go into 2011 with Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon, and Freddy Garcia among the pitchers battling for those last two spots. As uninspiring as that is, the rotation won’t need to go deep into games, as they’ll have newly signed reliever Rafael Soriano joining Joba Chamberlin (who had surprisingly strong peripherals last season) and the ageless Mariano Rivera in the bullpen. If the starters can last six decent innings, the Yankees will win a lot of games.

Though the Red Sox are currently the trendy pick in the East, the Yankees have a tremendous amount of talent that is currently being overlooked and the financial flexibility to make a major move.

For previous recaps, click here.

Record: 96-66, 1st Place in the AL East

Offensive Leaders: Evan Longoria .879 OPS, Longoria/Carl Crawford 6.9 WAR

Pitching Leaders: David Price 2.72 ERA, 4.3 WAR

Surprise: Despite twice being a top-10 prospect in baseball, it was still an unexpected and quite pleasant surprise that David Price was able to become a legitimate Cy Young candidate at the age of 24. Most top prospects to ever fulfill their potential, much less do it so quickly. In Price’s first full season in the Major Leagues, he posted a 2.72 ERA, finished second in the Cy Young balloting, was elected to his first All-Star game, was eighth in strikeouts, and sixth in walks. The Rays have a legitimate front of the rotation option who is not even arbitration eligible until 2013 which is a rare gift indeed.

Disappointment: No amount of home runs could make up for Carlos Pena’s inability to make contact last season. Pena’s average dropped to .196 as he struck out 158 times last season. Somehow, he still was able to get on base around the league average despite a 32.6% K rate (4th in baseball) and tumbling line drive rate. For a player who appeared to be washed out in 2005, it’s remarkable that he had a resurgence like he’s had over the last few years, but now must go to Chicago to make good. His career reminds me a lot of Tony Clark’s, and his last good season came at the age of 33.

Defining Moment: In a year in which six no-hitters were pitched, the Rays found a way to be involved in half of them. Dallas Braden drew first blood with his perfect game on Mother’s Day and that was followed by Edwin Jackson’s 149 pitch no-hitter on June 26. Considering that the Rays were victims of Mark Buehrle’s perfect game less than a year before, they became the de facto club when looking forward to no-hitters. 

Fortunately, Matt Garza stemmed the tide with one of his own on July 26. Garza walked only Brennan Boesch in the second inning and faced the minimum as the Rays defeated the Tigers 5-0. For a team that had been victimized so often, it was nice to see one of their own finally pull the trick. And though he wasn’t sporting the longer version of his goatee that day, perhaps he had cut a deal with an evil, Lovecraftian monster earlier in the season in exchange for the no-no. Evidence A: 

Outlook: With the departures of Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford, along with the trade of Matt Garza, no one is expecting the Rays to make much of an impact in a stronger than usual AL East next season. However, the team still has a very solid core group of players and made one of the shrewdest moves this offseason as they signed both Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez to heavily discounted contracts. While it will be difficult to keep up with the Red Sox and Yankees All-Star heavy lineups, the Rays will not be pushovers.

Damon and Ramirez are nice additions to Evan Longoria in the middle of the lineup, and the team will be strengthened by full seasons from Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Hellickson. Jake McGee could also assume closer duties this year and if BJ Upton finally puts it all together, the team could surprise. Even if the Rays do not compete in 2011, their farm system has been reloaded with the acquisition of a frontline starter in Chris Archer, and solid pieces at difficult to field positions in shortstop Hak-Ju Lee and catcher Robinson Chirinos.  With their stalwart rotation, deep minor league system, and star third baseman Evan Longoria around for quite some time, the Rays have a very good window for 2012-2014, so patience should be the word upon the lips of the Rays faithful.

For previous recaps, click here.

Record: 94-68, 1st Place in the AL Central

Offensive Leaders: Joe Mauer .871 OPS, Justin Morneau 5.3 WAR (Morneau posted a 1.055 OPS, and Jim Thome had a 1.039 OPS, but neither had enough qualifying at-bats.)

Pitching Leaders: Francisco Liriano 3.62 ERA, 6.0 WAR

Surprise: Having now reached the recaps for playoff teams, I’m discovering that the division winners are full of players who performed above expectations while having very few who fell below expectations. Not really surprising, but it’s a pattern. The Twins saw Francisco Liriano return to his pre-TJ surgery form; Carl Pavano had his best season since 2004 while growing a mustache that sparked a Midwestern love affair; Delmon Young set career highs in nearly every offensive category; Jim Thome posted a .627 SLG at the age of 39; and Danny Valencia hit seven home runs in half a season with the Twins after not hitting any in 202 AAA plate appearances. With Justin Morneau missing the entire second half of the season, the Twins needed all of those players to step up in order to make the playoffs.

Disappointment: After the Twins signed Nick Blackburn to a four year extension, his inability to strike batters out destroyed his 2010. Blackburn, who already didn’t have room for error, saw his walk rate raise slightly, and his strikeout rate dip, leading to a total protonic reversal. Blackburn was sent down in the middle of the season and needed a strong finish to lower his ERA from 6.66 to his final 5.42 mark. Thanks to the contract, Blackburn is probably first in line for the fifth starters spot next season, but his leash will be very short should he struggle.

Defining Moment: Though the Twins managed to win the division with ease, two glaring holes were exposed in the playoffs: One was that their group of finesse, contact-oriented pitchers could not succeed against the Yankees bats, and the second was the absence of the Justin Morneau’s MVP-caliber bat. While his injury allowed the Twins to get regular at-bats for Jim Thome and Jason Kubel, their lineup was too shorten and easily exploited in the postseason. When Morneau went down on July 7, the hope was that he would miss a few days. That was followed by a few weeks, followed by the hope that he would be ready for the postseason. It is now February 4, and he has yet to begin baseball activities. For the Twins to be able to repeat in the Central, they will need a healthy Morneau to balance the lineup and hopefully end their run of futility against the Yankees.  

Outlook: The Twins didn’t do much this offseason, hoping that the return of Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan would make up for it. After shipping off JJ Hardy for a pair of minor league arms, they will be handing over shortstop duties to Alexi Casilla, owner of an uninspiring .633 career OPS. They did import Tsuyoshi Nishioka who hit .346 in Japan last season, but there are concerns that he’s little more than Kaz Matsui II, with Keith Law opining that, at best, he could be “an everyday guy on a second-division club.” The Twins were able to retain Carl Pavano and Jim Thome, but while each are valuable, it will be difficult for them to reproduce their surprising 2010 campaigns.

The Twins fate will come down to their big three of Liriano, Mauer, and Morneau, not a bad group to rely on. With the White Sox improving in almost all aspects of their game, and the Tigers adding Victor Martinez, I struggle to see the Twins coming out on top.

For previous recaps, click here.

Record: 91-71, 2nd Place in the NL East, Wild Card winner

Offensive Leaders: Jason Heyward .849 OPS, Brian McCann 5.3 WAR

Pitching Leaders: Tim Hudson 2.83 ERA, Tommy Hanson 4.3 WAR

Surprise: I don’t care how good everyone thought Jason Heyward was going to be, only 11 other players in the history of the game had an OPS above .849 at the age of 20 or younger, and only 15 had an OPS+ higher than 131. Had Heyward not struggled with a thumb injury in the middle of the season, he would have come out looking even better. Though he lost out on the Rookie of the Year award to Buster Posey, when their careers are said and done, chances are good that Heyward will be the one with better numbers.

Disappointment: Nate McLouth was needed to be a major contributer to the Braves in 2010 and completely flopped. When McLouth is on, he provides plate vision, power, and a keen ability to steal bases, but all that was missing last season. McLouth hit .190/.298/.322 and even required a trip to the minor leagues to try and get his swing right. He has always been a player who has played above his tools, but there are no guarantees that he will bounce back next season. The Braves sorely missed another solid bat last year, and while the acquisition of Dan Uggla should provide some of that, the Braves need McLouth to return to his previous form to keep up with the Phillies.

Defining Moment: Despite the Braves return to the playoffs, and the myriad of big home runs from Jason Heyward on Opening Day, Brooks Conrad in a huge comeback against the Reds, and Rick Ankiel against the Giants, the defining moment came when their season ended. That’s because their loss to the Giants in the NLDS ended Bobby Cox’s baseball career, one that started in the minors back in 1960. Cox went on to win 2,504 games, five pennants, four Manager of the Year awards, and one World Series, while also setting the record for most ejections with 158. Cox may have blown his final game as a manager by leaving Derek Lowe in for too long, but at least he went out while showing faith in his players. It’s one of the reasons he was so universally loved and respected, with every team but the Marlins showering him with gifts, and the Giants even stopping their celebration to show their respect:

(Photo via Yahoo!)

It will be a strange sight not to see Bobby Cox on the bench next season.

Outlook: Though the Braves will have difficulty keeping up with the Phillies Fab Four, Atlanta fans have every reason to be excited. The Braves own rotation is no pushover with Tommy Hanson leading veterans Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, and Tim Hudson with Mike Minor, Brandon Beachy, and Julio Teheran on the horizon. The offense should be improved with the addition of Dan Uggla and the return of Chipper Jones, as they will joining Jason Heyward, Brian McCann and Martin Prado at the center of the lineup. Freddie Freeman will be the big name to watch for during spring training as he battles for the first base job, but most rookies do not adapt as well as Jason Heyward, so expectations should be checked. The bullpen, minus Billy Wagner, is strong, and they have another young arm in Craig Kimbrel who will probably inherit the new 9th inning duties.

A lot of things will need to break the Braves way in 2011, but if the team (including Chipper Jones, a gargantuan task) can stay healthy, they could surprise in the East. If not, the Braves should be one of the favorites for the NL Wild Card.

For previous recaps, click here.

Record: 91-71, 1st place in the NL Central

Offensive Leaders: Joey Votto 1.024 OPS, 7.4 WAR

Pitching Leaders: Johnny Cueto 3.64 ERA, 2.8 WAR

Surprise: Joey Votto has been surprising everyone since he made it to the Majors, but other than winning the MVP, it’s not really a shock that he was so good in 2010. And while Jay Bruce finally made strides towards fulfilling his potential, no one was more surprising than the Mike Leake. Though he tired down the stretch and was eventually removed from the rotation, Leake still managed to go 8-4 with a 4.23 ERA in 138.1 innings, after skipping the minor leagues entirely. By virtue of the strong Reds rotation (which feels strange to write after so many years of Eric Miltons and his ilk), he may not make the club out of spring training, but he had an ERA below 3 as late as June 21st, and his first half performance was a large reason that the Reds were able to take the division.

Disappointment: Whether the Reds should have seen it coming is another story, but Orlando Cabrera was brought in to provide some offensive and defensive stability at shortstop, but instead he limped to his worst offensive season as a Major Leaguer. Cabrera hit .263/.303/.354 across 537 plate appearances and was a huge drag on the Reds offense. Thankfully, as measured by UZR,  his defense returned from a disastrous 2009 to provide the Reds some value, but at 36 he no longer is worthy of a starting spot.

Defining Moment: For a team that won its first division title since 1995, nothing represented the team better than Jay Bruce’s division clinching walk off home run on September 28th. Bruce, the game’s best prospect going into 2008, stepped into a starring role and was representative of the young homegrown core that gave the Reds their postseason berth.

The Reds did have some dark days though, including the benches clearing brawl on August 10th when Jason LaRue’s career was ended when Johnny Cueto repeatedly kicked him in the head. 

Outlook: The NL Central may be greatly improved, but the Reds have an extremely strong chance of repeating. They have a young core of great hitters who can also pick it with the glove. MVP Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, and Drew Stubbs will anchor the offense and they have an extremely deep rotation with Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, Homer Bailey, Mike Leake and Travis Wood all competing for rotation spots. That completely ignores the possible addition of Aroldis Chapman, though his 105 mph fastball and control problems may keep him as a shutdown reliever. 

The Cardinals and Brewers won’t be easy to get by and unfortunately the Reds lack the financial flexibility to make necessary midseason moves. They do have some upper tier prospects, like Yonder Alonso and Zack Cozart, that could immediately contribute to another Major League team that are currently blocked in Cincinnati should Walt Jocketty want to deal them during the season. The AL Central is no longer a cake walk and the Reds are poised to make their Big Red Machine ancestors proud. 

For previous recaps, click here.

Record: 89-73, 3rd Place in the AL East

Offensive Leaders: Adrian Beltre .919 OPS, 7.1 WAR

Pitching Leaders: Clay Bucholz 2.33 ERA, Jon Lester 5.6 WAR

Surprise: Considering the amount of injuries the team suffered, a third place finish meant that most of the survivors were pleasant surprises. Adrian Beltre continued his fine fielding, but saw his OPS jump 230 points from 2009; Clay Bucholz posted a 2.33 ERA; Darnell McDonald, a 1997 first round pick, received his first real Major League exposure and came through with clutch hit after clutch hit; and even Jason Varitek had a dead cat bounce with his best OPS since 2007 in limited action. 

Disappointment: Josh Beckett, the team’s Opening Day starter and de facto big game pitcher, imploded in 2010 with a 5.78 ERA, leading to doubts about the status of the 2011 rotation. His average fastball velocity was the lowest of his career as he began to throw two-seam and cutters (as categorized by FanGraphs) more than ever. Whether that represents a change in approach by Beckett, or a change in how Pitchf/x recognizes pitches, his effectiveness will be the first thought on the Red Sox’s mind this spring. 

Defining Moment: Nothing epitomized the overachieving and depth chart shuffling nature of the 2010 Red Sox quite like Daniel Nava’s grand slam. Nava, who represented Plan G in the Red Sox outfield, became only the fourth player in Major League history to hit a grand slam in his first at bat. Nava may not have been able to live up to the mark he made upon his entrance, but it’s remarkable that he logged more time in left field than any other Red Sox. Consider that he began as an equipment manager at Santa Clara University, was originally cut from the Chico Outlaws of the Golden Baseball League before being brought back the next season, and was then bought by the Red Sox for his contract for $1 and it’s amazing that he’s still a baseball player at all. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that Nava will play a role on the Red Sox next season, but it would be silly to bet against him at this point.

Outlook: The Red Sox saw an opportunity and went World Series or bust this offseason, improving their club like no other. They emptied the farm system to get Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres, complete with a verbal agreement to sign him to a long-term deal, and almost got Carl Crawford into a car accident when they signed him to a 7 year, $142 MM contract. With Jacoby Ellsbury, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedoria expected to be healthy for the beginning of the season, bumping Mike Cameron to fourth outfielder status, the offense should be nearly unstoppable. While the Red Sox will take a step backwards defensively with the loss of Adrian Beltre, they have more than made up for it with the offensive additions.

The rotation, however, is a concern behind lefty ace Jon Lester. Clay Bucholz cannot be expected to maintain a mid-2’s ERA with a 6.2 K/9; and it’s unknown whether John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Josh Beckett are anything but high priced inning eaters at this time. Tim Wakefield will return to be a swingman, but at the age of 44, there is no guarantee that he would be healthy enough to take the ball every fifth day. The AL East is not an easy place to play, and the Yankees, Rays, and Blue Jays should be extremely difficult teams to beat, but the Red Sox currently have the best chance to win the division.