Key Losses--Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe
Lineup---Really, this lineup was nothing special last year, just got lightning in the bottle in the playoffs. And what did they do to get better? Really, nothing. I actually think they went backwards a little bit with this offense, but the maturation of Buster Posey could help with that gap. The infield will need a much better year from Pablo Sandoval to stay competitive, they but do have 2 professional hitters in Aubrey Huff and Freddy Sanchez on that side of the infield. Cody Ross was a very nice addition in the outfield during their playoff run, but I expect him to come back down to earth. Andres Torres is very good defensively, but leaves something to be desired, and Mark DeRosa, although a very sound hitter, is not the type of guy you want in your left field spot. I just don't think this is a very good offense, and think that they will really struggle to score runs.
Key Additions---Orlando Hudson, Jason Bartlett, Cameron Maybin, Brad Hawpe
Key Losses---Adrian Gonzalez, Miguel Tejada
Lineup---The loss of A-Gon obviously puts a huge strain on the rest of the lineup. Although the Padres did very well in the players they got back from the trade, you still have a very big hole to fill when you lose a player like Gonzalez. I do like that they signed Brad Hawpe to fill that hole, although he is nowhere close to being the player that they had. I also like what they did in the rest of the infield, adding Hudson and Bartlett to go along with youngster Chase Headley. They are taking a chance that one time top prospect Cameron Maybin can finally flourish, but he is going to track down a lot of balls in CF. Ryan Ludwick is a solid LF, but I am concerned with what they will get from Will Venable in RF. The nice thing about this team is they have some pitching depth which should be a bonus if they want to enhance their lineup at some point in the season.
Florida has been my unwavering #1 team in the nation since the preseason, but a close 2-1 series loss to the defending National Champion South Carolina Gamecocks drops them to #4. If these rankings voted on by a committee rather than a ruthless all-ruling dictator like myself, each of the top 4 teams would have received first place votes. Ultimately I'm going with the Commodores thanks to their road win over Arkansas, who was a top 25 team in their own right until last week.
Key Additions----Juan Uribe, Jon Garland, Marcus Thames
Key Losses---George Sherrill, Ryan Theriot, Scott Podsednik
Lineup---After a few years, the Manny Ramirez experiment is over in LA. Replacing him in LF is Marcus Thames, who finally should get a full time job to show what he can do. The other 2 outfield spots are good young players in Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Both of these guys have shown flashes of excellence at the major league level and have the potential to be very good major league players. If they can put it together at the same time this outfield could be very dangerous. James Loney has provided a solid bat at 1b, and should be a stalwart in the middle of this lineup. A big question is what this team can get from Rafael Furcal, who is still quite dangerous when healthy, however at his age is rarely healthy for a full season. Casey Blake provides a solid bat and good leadership at 3b and the addition of Juan Uribe bolsters the 2b position. I like how this lineup is put together, and think it should be good enough to contend in the division.
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#1 Florida evened the series with a 2-1 win against #6 South Carolina.
#4 Arizona State beat #15 Arizona 5-1 to tie the series at a game a piece.
#2 Vanderbilt took game two against Arkansas 4-1 to even the series.
**Rankings based on our Weekly Top 25**
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#6 South Carolina traveled to Gainesville and defeated #1 Florida in game one 9-2.
#15 Arizona took game one against #4 Arizona State 5-2.
#2 Vanderbilt traveled to fringe top 25 team Arkansas and dropped the first of a three game set 2-1.
**Rankings based on our Weekly Top 25**
Key Additions---Matt Lindstrom, Jason Giambi, Jose Lopez
Key Losses---Clint Barmes
Lineup---Carlos Gonzalez had a monster year last year, and given his age, you can only expect him to get better. He can do it all at the plate, but what I like probably the most is he gives you great defense in LF. Considering the big outfield in Coors, this is a very important part of his game. Dexter Fowler plays alongside him in CF, and although he doesn’t have a great stick, he provides defense in CF. Seth Smith is the RF, and should continue to grow as a hitter. The infield is led by Troy Tulowitzki, who is emerging as one of the top shortstops in the game. If he can stay healthy, he is an all star. The rest of the infield is average in my opinion. Ian Stewart needs to continue to build upon his success from last year to be a quality 3B. Todd Helton is not quite the hitter that he once was, but still provides leadership and good at bats for this team. With the 2 young guns in Tulo and Gonzalez in the middle of the lineup, this lineup will remain good enough to win for a long period of time. The question is, can the rest of the lineup carry them to a division title?
Key Additions---Melvin Mora, Zack Duke, Armando Galarraga, JJ Putz, Xavier Nady
Key Losses---Mark Reynolds, Adam LaRoche
Lineup---This team lost 2 of its big power guys in Reynolds and LaRoche, so they are going to need to have guys step up if they are going to hit the ball out of the park. But the good news is they have players that have the ability to do so. I like their outfield, if Xavier Nady can get healthy, he will be a nice compliment to Chris Young and Justin Upton. If nothing else, those 2 in Center and Right will provide great defense. Melvin Mora is being asked to replace Reynolds, and he should do a pretty good job at that. Stephen Drew is a very capable hitting shortstop, and should provide some pop from that position. I do have some concern with the right side of the infield, as I don’t believe that Juan Miranda or Kelly Johnson will provide much for the offense. At catcher, Miguel Montero has shown flashes of being an above average catcher, but needs to stay healthy if he is going to do it. I like the path this offense is on, and I think that they have a chance to be pretty productive.
Key Additions---Lance Berkman, Ryan Theriot
Key Losses---Brad Penny, Brendan Ryan
Lineup---As long as you have a starting lineup anchored by Albert Pujols, the best hitter in the game, you know you are going to score some runs. Albert is going to once again put up huge numbers despite the contract situation hanging over his head. My big concern is what the rest of the offense will do around him. Offensively, I do like their outfield. I believe Colby Rasmus will improve in center and you know you can count of Matt Holliday in LF. The addition of Berkman should provide a boost to their lineup, although it is anyone's guess if he can play right field. As much as I like this outfield offensively, I think defensively it could be one of the worst in the game. Outside of Pujols, the infield leaves a lot to be desired. They really don't have anyone that can hit for much of an average or power. Skip Schumaker, David Freese, and Ryan Theriot are names that don't scare anyone. And as good as Yadier Molina is behind the plate catching games, he hasn't provided much of a bat. Pujols will carry this lineup, but in the end it is not balanced enough to win a division.
Key Additions—Chris Snyder, Lyle Overbay
Key Losses---Octavio Dotel, Zack Duke
Lineup---Andrew McCutcheon is turning into a real superstar and will continue to develop into the leader of this team. He has all of the skills to be an all-star, and is without a doubt a 5 tool player. With Jose Tabata in LF and Garret Jones in RF, this outfield is at least good enough to put up some runs. The hope is that the infield will be led by 3B Pedro Alvarez, who showed signs of being a good player last year. It will be fun to see what he can do with a full season to work with. Lyle Overbay was a nice pick-up, as to me he has always been a bit undervalued as a 1B. He won’t put up great numbers, but year after year is fairly solid. Neil Walker showed that he can play and hit at 2B. Although this lineup is not near good enough to compete, they are making strides, and have a few pieces in McCutcheon, Alvarez, and Walker to get fans in Pittsburgh excited.
Key Additions---Zach Greinke, Shawn Marcum, Takashi Saito
Key Losses---Alcides Escobar, Trevor Hoffman
Lineup---The Brewers basically stood pat on offense, but that is not a bad thing. They were able to resign Corey Hart, who is a good protective bat behind their 2 big sluggers, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. Fielder is entering a contract year, and I expect him to put up huge numbers. Same goes for Braun, who is one of the better hitters and the league and can be expected to help carry this lineup. Rickie Weeks had a breakout year last year, and should continue to blossom into an all-star caliber 2B. He sets the table at the leadoff spot. They also have 3B Casey McGehee, who proved as a rookie he could drive in runs. I am a little concerned that they will be very light hitting at CF in Chris Gomez, SS with Yuniesky Betancourt, and C with Jonathan Lucroy, but think they have plenty of punch to make up for it with the rest of the lineup. I would say
Florida and Vanderbilt have been pillars of consistency this season but everyone behind them is still searching for their identity. Our new #3 Virginia will stake their claim as one of the nation's top teams following their series win against then #4 Florida State. Arizona State joins the top 5 for the first time this season, though NCAA sanctions will keep them out of post season play. Texas has been in and out of the top 5 a few times as the Horns have fluctuated anywhere from 4-8 throughout the season.
Next Weekend's Key Matchups:
#2 Vanderbilt @ Arkansas
#15 Arizona @ #4 Arizona State
#6 South Carolina @ #1 Florida
Key Additions—Clint Barmes, Bill Hall
Key Losses---Matt Lindstrom
Lineup---With the trade of Lance Berkman last season, this team has finally cut ties with the killer B’s of the past. So where does that leave them? I love their CF/RF combination of Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence. Pence is as underrated of a player out there, as he doesn’t look smooth but he can flat out play, both on offense and defense. And Bourn is a speedster which is much needed in the spacious outfield of Minute Maid Park. Carlos Lee still has a potent bat in LF, although I am sure the Astros would love to get rid of that salary. The revamped middle infield of Bill Hall and Clint Barmes is an upgrade over the past few years, and should provide some pop. I am not sold that they can be even average defensively though. The corners are a big question mark. It will be interesting to see what this team can
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#1 Florida continues to impress with a 7-3 win over #10 LSU securing the road series sweep.
#4 Florida State saves face and avoids the sweep with an extra inning win over #5 Virginia 12-11.
#16 Texas A&M 5-2 win on Sunday secured a huge series on the road against #3 Oklahoma.
**Rankings based on our Weekly Top 25***
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#1 Florida secured a series win with a 1-0 win over #10 LSU.
#5 Virginia defeated #4 Florida State in 11 innings for the second straight day, this time 5-4.
#16 Texas A&M evened up the series against #3 Oklahoma in impressive fashion 11-1.
**Rankings based on our Weekly Top 25***
Key Additions—None
Key Losses---Orlando Cabrera
Lineup---As good as this lineup was last year, I think they take a step back this year. I think Joey Votto is a great hitter, but it is unrealistic to expect the same type of year this year as he had last. Brandon Phillips is a very solid 2b, but the Reds need to find a permanent spot in the lineup (not cleanup.) Regardless of who the SS is, they will not provide much offense, and although an All-Star last year, Scott Rolen really faded as the season went on. At catcher, Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hannigan combined to have a tremendous year for the catching position, but that cannot be expected again. In the outfield, I do expect Drew Stubbs and Jay Bruce to continue to mature and become better hitters. They were arguably the Reds best hitters at the end of last year and I expect that continue. It will have to for this lineup to be as good as last year. My big problem is left field. Yes people will point to Jonny Gomes overall numbers last year and say he is good out there, but outside of the first 60 games he was terrible. And his defense is just awful. It amazes me
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This weekend's key matchups include #1 Florida @ #10 LSU where the Gators took game 1 5-4.
#4 Florida State traveled to #5 Virginia where the Seminoles lost in 11 innings, 4-3.
#3 Oklahoma is hosting #16 Texas A&M and the Sooners took the first game 1-0 in a pitchers duel.
Key Additions—Matt Garza, Carlos Pena
Key Losses---Derek Lee, Ryan Theriot
Lineup---While many will point to the addition of Carlos Pena as a big boost to their lineup, I just don’t see that big of an upgrade over Derek Lee. Remember, Pena hit below .200 last year, and although he had good power numbers, that is just an awful batting average. Unless he comes back strong, he isn’t the middle of the order bat that the Cubs need. A big key to this offense though will be Aramis Ramirez. When he is on, he is a very good stick, but he needs to start producing again. The outfield is well below average. Alfonso Soriano is aging, awful in left field, and his bat just isn’t what it used to be. And he has 4 yrs and 72 million left on that deal. Marlon Byrd and Koseke Fukudome are both subpar outfielders. The middle of the lineup is young but has a chance to be pretty good. I like Starling Castro, and
Key Additions—Jayson Werth, Adam LaRoche
Key Losses---Adam Dunn, Willie Harris
Lineup---The addition of Werth in the middle of the lineup turned a lot of heads this winter, but did it make them better? It depends on the way you look at it. On one hand, after the loss of Dunn, something needed to be done, so grabbing Werth was a good move. I like the set of talents he gives to a team and the leadership he is capable of. I will be interested to see what kind of player he is now that he has the pressure of needing to be one of the main guns. Plus, how will he respond on a team that isn’t one of the best. The loss of Dunn obviously hurts, so who will pick up that slack? Ryan Zimmerman is a perennial all star and will continue to perform as a hitter. Ian Desmond struggled a bit as a rookie, but the Nationals expect him to improve. The addition of Adam LaRoche does provide some left handed pop that was much needed in this lineup. Ivan Rodriguez is aging, and at this point pretty much an average catcher. While the outfield of Werth, Roger Bernadina, and Nyjer Morgan will not hit the ball out of the park, they are great defensively and have the ability to steal a lot of bags. If nothing else,
Key Additions---Cliff Lee
Key Losses---Jayson Werth, Jaime Moyer, Pedro Feliz
Lineup---Everyone wants to point to how good this rotation is going to be, but the signing of Lee took anyway any budget that was needed to improve this lineup. The loss of Werth, who provided a very good right handed bat in the middle of this lineup, will prove to be a very big loss. Not only was he a bat they needed, but was also a very good defender. Yes, they are solid at 3-4 with Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, but no one knows how healthy Utley is going to be. And although he posts great home runs numbers, Howard is not an all around great hitter. A big concern has to be Jimmy Rollins, who is aging and has posted 2 straight subpar years. His OBP last year was .320, which for a leadoff hitter just isn’t very good. I still like Shane Victorino, but his other 2 outfield mates in Raul Ibanez and Domonic Brown are either aging or unproven. Actually,
Key Additions---Chris Capuano, Chris Young
Key Losses—Pedro Feliciano, Rod Barajas
Lineup---By name recognition only, this lineup on paper would appear to be very strong. Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, Jose Reyes and David Wright. Wow. But then you dig in. Outside of David Wright, I don’t believe any of them can be counted on for a full season. When healthy, Reyes is an absolute spark plug at the top of the lineup. Jason Bay couldn’t stay healthy last year, and even when he has been in a Mets uniform he hasn’t been all that good. And what can they expect out of Beltran is anyone’s guess, although I do expect him to have a bounce back year. Ike Davis looked pretty good as a rookie at 1B, but Luis Castillo is well below average at 2nd base. The defense Angel Pagan brings cannot be overlooked, but
The top three teams in college baseball remain the same but after that, this week's top 25 is a whirling dervish of risers and fallers. Heading the Winners category is Virginia after they went on the road to sweep Clemson. LSU is another big winner as they jumped a list-high 6 spots with their sweep of Cal State Fullerton.
Aside from the two victims of the sweeps mentioned above, I have to put UCLA, TCU and Texas in the Loser category. The trio made up three fifths of my Preseason Top 25 but after weeks of inconsistent play I dropped them a combined 13 spots this week.
Key Additions---Javier Vazquez, Omar Infante
Key Losses---Dan Uggla, Cameron Maybin
Lineup---Hanley Ramirez will continue to be the best shortstop in baseball and absolute stud in the middle of this lineup. As long as he can get along with teammates and his manager, he will once again be an All-Star. The problem with this lineup is after him they will rely on their youngsters having big years. I am talking about their outfield of Logan Morrison, Chris Coghlan, and Mike Stanton. If these guys can step up they give you a very good outfield to complement Hanley. Unfortunately the rest of the infield is very weak. Wes Helms has never blossomed into a hitter, and although Omar Infante was an all-star last year, that was a weak selection from the start. In a division where pitching is very strong
Key Additions---Dan Uggla, George Sherrill
Key Losses---Bobby Cox, Billy Wagner, Troy Glaus, Derrek Lee
Lineup---The addition of Uggla helps offset the fact that they may not to get much offense from the 1b slot. He is right near the top as an offensive 2B can be, however he is subpar defensively. They may make up for that with having Alex Gonzalez at shortstop, he is aging, but he still gets it done on the defensive end and adds a little pop. Brian McCann is a perennial all-star so catcher is set. One big question mark is, what can they really expect from Chipper Jones? If healthy, he is a middle of the order bat, but
Key Additions---Adrian Beltre, Brandon Webb, Arthur Rhodes
Key Losses---Cliff Lee, Bengie Molina, Vlad Guerrero
Lineup---This is an offense that carried this team for a good portion of last year, and with the addition of Beltre it seems to be primed to do so again. However, I think the loss of Vlad Guerrero hurts this lineup, and I just don’t believe in their corner infielders. Mitch Moreland does not give you the production you want out of a 1B, and now that Adrian Beltre got his contract, can we really expect the year he had last year. I doubt that. But they are still very good up the middle with Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus making up the double play combination. If Josh Hamilton remains healthy he will again be a contender for the MVP. A thing to watch is what they end up doing with Michael Young. It is well known that
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This weekend's key matchups are underway with with #16 LSU taking game 1 against #9 Cal State Fullerton.
Danny Hultzen was once again dominant as #10 UVA knocked off ACC rival #12 Clemson.
#11 Arizona State was victorious over #25 Auburn.
**Rankings based on our Weekly Top 25**
Key Additions---Eric Wedge, Brendan Ryan
Key Losses---Milton Bradley, Casey Kotchman, Jose Lopez
Lineup---When outside of Ichiro Suzuki, you have a lineup that just isn't very good, and your key acquisition was Brendan Ryan, that is not a good sign. Actually, that is a bad sign for the Mariners. Chone Figgins is solid, although vastly overpaid, and their defensive outfield with Michael Saunders and Franklin Gutierrez to go along with Ichiro makes it very very good. But this team just doesn't have much pop or doesn't hit for a good average. Offensively, it is going to be a long year in Seattle. However,
Key Additions---Hideki Matsui, Rich Harden, Grant Balfour, Brian Fuentes
Key Losses---None
Lineup---This lineup got a minor overhaul with the addition of Matsui at DH, David DeJesus in LF and Kevin Kouzmanoff at 3B. However, although those are upgrades, it is not exactly a splash that will put this lineup in a position to be consistent. Coco Crisp is a solid leadoff hitter, but other than that, this lineup is very weak. They just don’t have a lot of pop with the projected lineup, and
Key Additions—Vernon Wells
Key Losses---Juan Rivera, Mike Napoli
Lineup---What got lost in the conversation when the Angels acquired Vernon Wells, was that they got better. Sure they took on a ton of money, but at the end of the day having Wells in your outfield makes you better. And having Wells play left field and moving Torii Hunter to right means that your outfield defense is much improved. However, that hinges completely on youngster Peter Bourjos. The kid can play defense, but
Key Additions---Tsuyoshi Nishioka
Key Losses---Orlando Hudson, JJ Hardy, Jesse Crain, Jon Rauch, Brian Fuentes
Lineup---While the Twins didn’t lose any big name stars in this lineup, they did lose their middle infield and both of whom were fairly large contributors. But this offense resolves around two main components, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. When healthy they are as good of a 3-4 combination there is. But my concern is health with these guys. Mauer is being held out a bit in spring training with nagging injuries, which can’t be a good sign moving forward. I would expect him to play through it, but
Florida lost a midweek game to rival Florida State then went on to sweep a borderline top 25 Miami (FL) team in impressive fashion while Oklahoma continues to roll and remain undefeated. UCLA dropped significantly in this week's poll as a result of their series loss at Nebraska where the cold weather froze the Bruins bats. All three games went into extra innings and while Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer and Adam Plutko were great, the bats couldn't get the job done.
Key Additions—Alcides Escobar, Jeff Francis, Melky Cabrera, Jeff Francoeur
Key Losses---Zack Greinke, Gil Meche, David DeJesus
Lineup---Let’s start at catcher, where I know you like veteran leadership, especially with so many young hitters, but to seriously continue to have Jason Kendall as your everyday catcher is a mockery. The lineup outside of him has a few names you recognize, and a few who haven’t quite lived up to their potential. What kind of year can they get from youngsters Billy Butler and Alex Gordon, and what can Melky Cabrera and Jeff Francoeur give you?
All three games in the #3 UCLA @ Nebraska series went into extra innings and despite strong showings by Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer and Adam Plutko, Nebraska won the Series 2-1.
South Carolina star closer Matt Price gave up 6 runs in less than an inning as Clemson evened up the series 1-1.
Key Additions---Victor Martinez, Brad Penny
Key Losses---Johnny Damon, Jeremy Bonderman, Armando Galaragga
Lineup---With all of the troubles that Miguel Cabrera has had over the past month, I am hesitant to think that he will continue to carry this lineup. However, I do have some thoughts that if he able to kick his habit that maybe, just maybe he will be better. And that is what this lineup needs. Even with the addition of Martinez,
Poor weather led to a plethora of postponements on the college front on Saturday, including our spotlight series of the weekend, intrastate rivals Clemson and South Carolina.
There were, however, some big games. #4 Oklahoma remained undefeated as they beat #19 California 5-3.
#9 Stanford evened up the series at #6 Texas 9-2, thanks in part to
Key Additions—Orlando Cabrera, Austin Kearns
Key Losses---Jhonny Peralta
Lineup---If this lineup would live up to their potential, with young guys such as Santana, LaPorta, and Brantley, and Grady Sizemore could come back and be the player he once was, the Indians could surprise some people. However while I love Santana,
Every weekend Prospect Junkies will be keeping tabs on the performances of the Top College Baseball Prospects and feeding their stats and our insights into one convenient place.
There are several key matchups this weekend, none more intense than Clemson at in state rival South Carolina. The National Champs knocked off Clemson last year in Omaha and they also took game one of this series.
#9 Stanford has it's 3rd straight tough road series after winning a series at Rice (2-1) and losing one at Vanderbilt. Their monster schedule continues
Key Additions---Adam Dunn,
Key Losses---Bobby Jenks, JJ Putz
Lineup---You will soon find out that I am a huge fan of Adam Dunn, so adding him to this lineup is a big boost. With Dunn and Konerko in the middle of this lineup, that is 2 solid run producers. While I still see some question marks in what AJ Pierzynski can bring you behind the plate, and what they will get out of Brent Morel at 3rd, all in all I like how this offense shapes up. Just imagine what would happen if
Key Additions--Frank Francisco, Rajai Davis, Juan Rivera
Key Losses---Shawn Marcum, Vernon Wells
Lineup---The emergence of Jose Bautista last year provided this lineup with some much needed pop, however I don't think anyone expects him to reach 54 home runs again. And although trading Vernon Wells helps in the long term by getting out of that contract, he is flat out a better player than Juan Rivera. With that being said,
Key Additions---Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon
Key Losses---Matt Garza, Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Rafael Soriano
Lineup---With the loss of 2 of their better hitters in Crawford and Pena, naturally there are many questions about this lineup. The big one is what to expect from stud prospect Desmond Jennings. Can he fill in for what Crawford did as the face of this franchise for so many years?? While Evan Longoria is still entrenched in the middle of this lineup, there are still many question marks
Key Additions---Russell Martin, Rafael Soriano
Key Losses---Andy Pettite
Lineup---The addition of Martin allows Posada to become a full time DH for this team, which should make him a better hitter throughout the year. I would have loved Adam Dunn on this team, but despite that they still have one of the most potent lineups in baseball. Despite aging, A-Rod and Jeter will continue to put up all-star numbers. Gardner is much improved and should help jump start this lineup. A big key will be
