Press "Enter" to skip to content

The Scout Sports Desk’s 2015 MLB Preview

American League
by Alex Kryah
The American League Central is going to be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. The top three teams in the division made important moves in the offseason to compete this year. The team that’s going to win is going to be the one that has the best balance of both.

That’s why I’m going with Cleveland. They have a really solid pitching staff and the addition of Brandon Moss gives Cleveland a real power threat they haven’t had since Travis Hafner.

Next will be Detroit. I would pick them to win the division if Cleveland didn’t have Terry Francona as their manager. It’s tough to bet against him. Detroit still has Miguel Cabrera and David Price, so they’ll probably earn a Wild Card spot.

The White Sox will be in third. As popular as they became this offseason, they still have a ton of places to improve. The backside of their rotation leaves a bit to be desired, they’re missing a couple more hitters to complement Abreu and Eaton and their bullpen still stinks like the Southside.

Kansas City will be in fourth. It’s tough to contend when you lose you ace in the offseason. Minnesota will finish last, again. But they’ll show some promise. They’re a year away from contending because of their farm system.

In the AL East, I think it’ll be a two horse race between Boston and Baltimore. Toronto and New York will look good at times, but I think they lack depth to contend all year. Tampa Bay lost every good piece they had aside from Longoria, so they’re going to finish last.

In the AL West, I honestly think this is the year Seattle pulls through. They were so close to the playoffs last year and I think they added great guys in Austin Jackson and Nelson Cruz. Los Angeles will finish in a close second with Oakland right behind them and Houston will be in last.

In the end, I think the champ is going to come from the National League. The Cardinals are going to take down the Mariners in five or six games. St. Louis is the most complete team in baseball and they simply know how to get it done in October.

In the end, I think the World Series winner is going to come from the National League. The St. Louis Cardinals are going to take down the Seattle Mariners in five or six games. St. Louis is the most complete team in baseball and they simply know how to get it done in October. And, it’s an odd numbered year, so San Francisco can’t win it.

Alex’s pick: St. Louis Cardinals

National League
by Garth Shanklink

There are questions everywhere in the National League Central this season. Clearly the Cardinals are at the top. Sure, they lost Shelby Miller, but is that really all that big a loss? Getting a bat like Jason Heyward in that lineup makes a scary offense that much scarier.

The Cubs got better, but will the spending off the field translate to wins on it? I don’t think Jon Lester is going to have as bad a year as his first start would suggest, but Chicago has some offensive issues and need Chris Bryant to do well. If he can provide a spark offensively and the back end of the Cubs’ rotation doesn’t completely implode, they should make a run at the title.

The Pirates didn’t really do anything in the offseason to improve much. Losing Martin could be a blow to the team’s pitching staff, as his ERA was nearly a half-run lower than Chris Stewart, the Pirates’ backup last season.

The Reds are going to make me sad this year, and I’ve accepted that. I’m not expecting all that much out of a team that thinks it’s a good idea to let Kevin Gregg anywhere near the eighth inning.

Milwaukee traded away Yovani Gallardo in the offseason and I don’t think they have enough starting pitching to replace him, even if Mike Fiers is as good as he was last year.

Meanwhile, the NL West looks to be the Dodgers’ race to lose. The Padres have gotten much, much better this offseason by adding Matt Kemp and Craig Kimbrel and the Giants are always finding ways to be involved in the postseason. I wouldn’t be stunned if any of those three teams win the division, but I give it to the Dodgers thanks to their pitching staff (not the bullpen though) and their lineup.

The NL East is Washington’s to lose. It’s not really even close. The Braves traded away most of their important pieces in the offseason as did the Phillies. The Mets have a couple talented young pitchers but I don’t trust their offense. And the Marlins can’t close a roof correctly, so I’m not keen on them in general.

It’ll be an interesting year in the National League, but in the end there can only be one winner. I think the Dodgers will face off against the Blue Jays in the World Series with the Dodgers coming out on top.

Garth’s pick: Los Angeles Dodgers

Copyright © 2023, The Scout, Bradley University. All rights reserved.
The Scout is published by members of the student body of Bradley University. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the University.