Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Pineda Wins 5th Starter Job for NYY
25 year old pitcher Michael Pineda, who hasn't pitched in the bigs since 2011, has been announced the Yankee's #5 pitcher in the rotation. According to mlb.com, Pineda beat out David Phelps, Adam Warren, and Vidal Nuno for the spot. In 2011, his rookie season, Pineda was one of the best young pitchers in baseball, going 9-10 with a solid 3.74 ERA, while striking 173 in 171 innings. He made the American League All Star team that year as well. Before the 2012 season, Seattle, desperate for offense, traded Pineda to the Yankees in exchange for New York's best prospect, catcher Jesus Montero. And while the deal may seem like a bust for New York, Pineda will still get a chance in New York, while Montero has struggled mightily in Seattle, having a rough seasons in 2012 and 2013, and is now in the minors. But after missing the past 2 seasons with shoulder problems, Pineda has been dominating in spring training, posting a 1.20 ERA in 15 innings, and that is what got him the spot.
Spring Training Plus- 3/25/14
As Opening Day is 6 Days away, Team aces make final spring starts:
- Stephen Strasburg pitched against the Mets today; The Nats win was powered by Byrce Harper, who hit a 3 home run in the game.
- Multiple teams will leave their Complexes to play exibiton games in Major League parks.
-This year we will have 4 Opening Days!
(MARCH 22,MARCH 30, MARCH 31, APRIL 1)
-The Pirates scored 22 runs today, in a Spring Training full of high scores.
-MLB Daily premiers March 31st!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Baseball Bloggers wanted; act now!
Baseball is back; and with the 2014 Major League Baseball season ready to get underway, Pepper needs a 25th man! We are looking to add another Baseball blogger to help us over the Spring. If you are interested, we would ask to please state your name, email, and (website-if possible). We would ask for at least 2-3 quick posts a week. This will be the only time that Pepper will be hiring, so sign up now by using the Comments section, Contact form on our right sidebar or Tweet me @NikoMLB Thanks and let the games begin!
Sunday, March 23, 2014
2014 MLB Regular Season and Playoff Predictions!
AL East:
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. New York Yankees(Wild Card)
3. Boston Red Sox
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Toronto Blue Jays
Analysis: Tampa Bay has an amazing and young rotation full of guys ready to break out, and they also have a decent offense, so they surprisingly will win the division... If New York can stay healthy, those huge offseason additions will help lead them to the postseason... Defending champs Boston lost some key players in the offseason, and that rotation is always iffy, so they miss the playoffs... Baltimore definitely has gotten better, but they won't do anything in this division... Toronto should have a better year than last year, but they won't go anywhere with their awful pitching staff.
AL Central:
1. Detroit Tigers
2. Kansas City Royals
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Chicago White Sox
5. Minnesota Twins
Analysis: Detroit is still an elite team with the some of the best players in the game, so they hold on to the division title... I love the young and up-and-coming team that Kansas City has, and maybe as soon as next year, they will win the division... But in how tough the AL is this year, it will be hard for Kansas City and Cleveland to get into the postseason... Chicago and Minnesota won't do anything this year, but the future is bright with all of the prospects they have.
AL West:
1. Oakland Athletics
2. Los Angeles Angels(Wild Card)
3. Texas Rangers
4. Seattle Mariners
5. Houston Astros
Analysis: Oakland always finds ways to win, and with their offseason additions, they will win the division for the 3rd straight year... Los Angles has the best hitter in the planet in Mike Trout, and if Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton can regain their form, LA will make the playoffs... Texas added Shin-Soo Choo to their sensational offense, but aside from Yu Darvish, their pitching is weak... Seattle may have added Robinson Cano, but they're still not better than anyone of the teams ahead of them in their division... And stop criticizing Houston! The have the best farm system in baseball, and in 4 or 5 years, they could win the division.
NL East:
1. Washington Nationals
2. Atlanta Braves
3. New York Mets
4. Philadelphia Phillies
5. Miami Marlins
Analysis: Washington has the best young talent in the game, and they will be the best in this division for years to come... Atlanta's rotation has been raided with injuries, so it will be tough for them to make the playoffs... Not quite yet for the Mets, but with Matt Harvey back for next year, 2015 may finally be New York's year... The Phillies are full of old guys far past their prime, and with a bad farm system, the future is dim... Meanwhile, Miami's stocked with prospects, and in a few years they'll be in playoff conversation.
NL Central:
1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Pittsburgh Pirates(Wild Card)
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Chicago Cubs
Analysis: The Cardinals simply have no weaknesses on the roster, so they easily win this division... Pittsburgh will follow up their huge bounce back season in 2013 with another solid year in 2014 and will win a wild card... In any other division, Cincinnati would win a wild card, but they're still bot better than the Pirates... Milwaukee has a decent team, but not good enough to make the postseason... Chicago will once again be cellar-dwellars in 2014, but with a farm system full of great hitters including Javier Baez and Jorge Soler, they soon will return to be one of the top teams in the central.
NL West:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Arizona Diamondbacks(Wild Card)
3. San Francisco Giants
4. San Diego Padres
5. Colorado Rockies
Analysis: If they can stay healthy, the Dodgers will once again win the west... The D-Backs have a well rounded team with few weaknesses, but the will have to settle for a wild card... The Giants will need bounce back seasons from starters Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum if they want to make the playoffs, but that might not even be enough to overcome their feeble offense... The Padres have a strong pitching staff, but they'll fall short of the playoffs... The Rockies also have a pretty good team, but with their miserable starting rotation, they'll be in the cellar for 2014.
Playoffs:
Wild Card Games- Yankees OVER Angels and Diamondbacks OVER Pirates
Division Series- Rays OVER Yankeees, Athletics OVER Tigers and Cardinals OVER Diamondbacks, Dodgers OVER Nationals
Championship Series- Athletics OVER Rays and Cardinals OVER Dodgers
World Series- Cardinals OVER Athletics
Analysis: The A's are the surprise pick to make it all the way to the Fall Classic this year, but they won't beat St. Louis, who as I said, has no weaknesses, and is too strong for Oakland.
2014 World Series Champs: St. Louis Cardinals
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. New York Yankees(Wild Card)
3. Boston Red Sox
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Toronto Blue Jays
Analysis: Tampa Bay has an amazing and young rotation full of guys ready to break out, and they also have a decent offense, so they surprisingly will win the division... If New York can stay healthy, those huge offseason additions will help lead them to the postseason... Defending champs Boston lost some key players in the offseason, and that rotation is always iffy, so they miss the playoffs... Baltimore definitely has gotten better, but they won't do anything in this division... Toronto should have a better year than last year, but they won't go anywhere with their awful pitching staff.
AL Central:
1. Detroit Tigers
2. Kansas City Royals
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Chicago White Sox
5. Minnesota Twins
Analysis: Detroit is still an elite team with the some of the best players in the game, so they hold on to the division title... I love the young and up-and-coming team that Kansas City has, and maybe as soon as next year, they will win the division... But in how tough the AL is this year, it will be hard for Kansas City and Cleveland to get into the postseason... Chicago and Minnesota won't do anything this year, but the future is bright with all of the prospects they have.
AL West:
1. Oakland Athletics
2. Los Angeles Angels(Wild Card)
3. Texas Rangers
4. Seattle Mariners
5. Houston Astros
Analysis: Oakland always finds ways to win, and with their offseason additions, they will win the division for the 3rd straight year... Los Angles has the best hitter in the planet in Mike Trout, and if Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton can regain their form, LA will make the playoffs... Texas added Shin-Soo Choo to their sensational offense, but aside from Yu Darvish, their pitching is weak... Seattle may have added Robinson Cano, but they're still not better than anyone of the teams ahead of them in their division... And stop criticizing Houston! The have the best farm system in baseball, and in 4 or 5 years, they could win the division.
NL East:
1. Washington Nationals
2. Atlanta Braves
3. New York Mets
4. Philadelphia Phillies
5. Miami Marlins
Analysis: Washington has the best young talent in the game, and they will be the best in this division for years to come... Atlanta's rotation has been raided with injuries, so it will be tough for them to make the playoffs... Not quite yet for the Mets, but with Matt Harvey back for next year, 2015 may finally be New York's year... The Phillies are full of old guys far past their prime, and with a bad farm system, the future is dim... Meanwhile, Miami's stocked with prospects, and in a few years they'll be in playoff conversation.
NL Central:
1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Pittsburgh Pirates(Wild Card)
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Chicago Cubs
Analysis: The Cardinals simply have no weaknesses on the roster, so they easily win this division... Pittsburgh will follow up their huge bounce back season in 2013 with another solid year in 2014 and will win a wild card... In any other division, Cincinnati would win a wild card, but they're still bot better than the Pirates... Milwaukee has a decent team, but not good enough to make the postseason... Chicago will once again be cellar-dwellars in 2014, but with a farm system full of great hitters including Javier Baez and Jorge Soler, they soon will return to be one of the top teams in the central.
NL West:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Arizona Diamondbacks(Wild Card)
3. San Francisco Giants
4. San Diego Padres
5. Colorado Rockies
Analysis: If they can stay healthy, the Dodgers will once again win the west... The D-Backs have a well rounded team with few weaknesses, but the will have to settle for a wild card... The Giants will need bounce back seasons from starters Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum if they want to make the playoffs, but that might not even be enough to overcome their feeble offense... The Padres have a strong pitching staff, but they'll fall short of the playoffs... The Rockies also have a pretty good team, but with their miserable starting rotation, they'll be in the cellar for 2014.
Playoffs:
Wild Card Games- Yankees OVER Angels and Diamondbacks OVER Pirates
Division Series- Rays OVER Yankeees, Athletics OVER Tigers and Cardinals OVER Diamondbacks, Dodgers OVER Nationals
Championship Series- Athletics OVER Rays and Cardinals OVER Dodgers
World Series- Cardinals OVER Athletics
Analysis: The A's are the surprise pick to make it all the way to the Fall Classic this year, but they won't beat St. Louis, who as I said, has no weaknesses, and is too strong for Oakland.
2014 World Series Champs: St. Louis Cardinals
Dodgers sweep Australia
The Dodgers beat the D-Backs 7-5 last night; and beat the Snakes in Game 1 as well. Kershaw and Ryu were dominant in both games, and the Dodgers offense scored 10 runs combined. Th D-Backs are now 2 Games behind First Place, and now suffer an early deficit. The next Regular season MLB game will be on March 30th, with Padres vs Dodgers
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Opening Series Game 2 preview
LA Dodgers lineup:
Dee Gordon 2B
Yasiel Puig RF
Hanley Ramirez SS
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Andre Eithier CF
AJ Ellis C
Mike Baxter LF
Juan Uribe 3B
Arizona DBacks lineup:
AJ Pollock CF
Aaron Hill 2B
Paul Goldschmidt 1B
Martin Prado 3B
Miguel Montero C
Mark Trumbo LF
Gerardo Parra RF
Didi Gregorious SS
Pitching matchup:
Hyun-Jin Ryu Vs Trevor Cahill
Dee Gordon 2B
Yasiel Puig RF
Hanley Ramirez SS
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Andre Eithier CF
AJ Ellis C
Mike Baxter LF
Juan Uribe 3B
Arizona DBacks lineup:
AJ Pollock CF
Aaron Hill 2B
Paul Goldschmidt 1B
Martin Prado 3B
Miguel Montero C
Mark Trumbo LF
Gerardo Parra RF
Didi Gregorious SS
Pitching matchup:
Hyun-Jin Ryu Vs Trevor Cahill
Friday, March 21, 2014
Australlian Opening Series Lineups (G-1)
The Dodgers unveiled their 2014 Opening day lineup, which looks like this:
Yasiel Puig, RF
Justin Turner, 2B
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Andre Ethier, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Clayton Kershaw, LHP
Justin Turner, 2B
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Andre Ethier, CF
A.J. Ellis, C
Clayton Kershaw, LHP
(Courtesy ESPN)
Reaction: Really, Puig 1st? That should be interesting...
And for the Arizona Diamondbacks:
The starting lineup will be A.J. Pollock (CF), Aaron Hill(2B), Paul Goldschmidt (1B), Martin Prado (3B), Mark Trumbo (LF), Miguel Montero (C), Owings (SS), Gerardo Parra (RF) and Wade Miley (P).
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Reaction: The fact the Wade Miley is starting is enough of a surprise for me...
The Game will air at 4am est and 1am pacific on MLB Network.
Less than 24 hours till Opening Day...Preview
Wade Miley will face Clayton Kershaw in Game 1 of the Sydney Opening Series.
- Adrian Gonazlez is scheduled to play 1B even though he has an ailing back.
-Wade Miley was a last resort starter after Pat Corbin was scratched.
- First pitch is at 4 am EST and 1 am PST.
- Stay on Pepper for Lineups, First Pitch and Recaps.
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