Last season, we predicted that the Detroit Tigers’ best chance at the playoffs was slugging their way to a Wild Card, at best. Well, we were half-correct. The Tigers did indeed clinch a Wild Card berth, but not because of their hitting. Detroit’s bats ranked 24th in home runs and batting average, and 21st with 95 wRC+. Rather, it was the Tigers’ surprisingly improved pitching … [Read more...] about ESNY’s MLB Preview 2025: Detroit Tigers moving up the food chain
ESNY’s MLB Preview 2025: St. Louis Cardinals are stuck in the old days
That the St. Louis Cardinals finished above .500 in 2024 is nothing short of a miracle. Keep in mind, the team is on the cusp of some major changes. John Mozeliak, the Cards’ general manager since 2007, is retiring at season’s end. Former Rays and Red Sox executive Chaim Bloom is waiting in the wings. Oliver Marmol remains the manager despite having the baseball acumen of a … [Read more...] about ESNY’s MLB Preview 2025: St. Louis Cardinals are stuck in the old days
ESNY’s MLB Preview 2025: Will Kansas City Royals ascend to their throne?
The Kansas City Royals, in their own weird way, might be baseball’s ultimate small market team. Free agency signings are a rarity. Player development and small budgets are king. If that’s enough to clinch a playoff berth in the oh-so-soft-and-Midwestern AL Central, wonderful! Casseroles and keggers for everybody! Royals ownership must have celebrated accordingly last year, even … [Read more...] about ESNY’s MLB Preview 2025: Will Kansas City Royals ascend to their throne?
ESNY’s MLB Preview 2025: Chicago White Sox have nowhere to go
My preseason take on the Chicago White Sox last year was worse than my picking Michigan State in my 2016 March Madness Bracket. Every possible positive outcome just didn’t happen. A team that I thought could rally to a low-seeded Wild Card berth…did not. The White Sox didn’t even stumble or trip out of the starting gate. They didn’t even start running until over a month into … [Read more...] about ESNY’s MLB Preview 2025: Chicago White Sox have nowhere to go
ESNY’s MLB Preview 2025: Are the Chicago Cubs charging back?
The NL Central will be competitive in 2025 and the Chicago Cubs, ten years after breaking their World Series curse, are primed to strike. It was a quietly interesting offseason for the Northsiders. The Cubbies won 83 games and tied for second with the rival St. Louis Cardinals. Their pitching staff ranked 10th in baseball with a 3.78 staff ERA, compensating for a meager 101 … [Read more...] about ESNY’s MLB Preview 2025: Are the Chicago Cubs charging back?