World Series Predictions

2012 World Series Predictions

by Badger of Predictem.com

Pitchers and catchers have been playing long toss and throwing bullpens for about a week now (at time of print, 2/27), and soon they’ll be playing exhibition games in Arizona and Florida, so that means it is time to take a look into Major League Baseball future bets for the 2012 season.

We’ll start by taking a look at the legitimate teams alive in the hunt for the ultimate prize, the 2012 World Series, and pick a short favorite, middle of the road and longshot to win it all.

All of the 2012 World Series future odds and can be found at the best baseball betting site on the Web with the lowest juice and best reduced odds … 5Dimes.

THE SHORT FAVORITES

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES +500
NEW YORK YANKEES +650
LOS ANGELES ANGELS +900
BOSTON RED SOX +1000
TEXAS RANGERS +1100
DETROIT TIGERS +1100

This list of the favorites is always a great look at the teams loaded for a title run.

The PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES are the top dawg in the eyes of 5Dimes, but with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and free-agent to-be Cole Hamels at the top of the rotation why wouldn’t they be the favorites. With closer Jonathan Papelbon signed in the offseason the back end of the Phillies bullpen should be more reliable too. First baseman Ryan Howard is still rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon and could miss time and struggle early, but the swap of a full season of Hunter Pence in place of Raul Ibanez should help take away some of the loss of offense with Howard’s injury.

Another season means another title run for the NEW YORK YANKEES, and this season they should be in the thick late into October once again. The 2012 version of the Yankees will look a lot like the 2011 one, offensively, with everyone from Curtis Granderson at the top to the fearsome trio of Mark Teixeira-Alex Rodriguez-Robinson Cano in the heart of the Pinstripes lineup. A Yanks rotation led by C.C. Sabathia and Ivan Nova will be joined by former-Mariner fireballer Michael Pineda (via trade) and steady vet Hiroki Kuroda (free agent from LA Dodgers), making it plenty good enough with a loaded lineup to challenge for another World Series trophy and top odds in the American League.

Of course the LOS ANGELES ANGELS seized the biggest prize this offseason by signing Albert Pujols. Then the Angels doubled-down by signing free agent lefty C.J. Wilson, to be their No. 3 starter, and they became the team built to win and win now. With Jared Weaver and Dan Haren in front of Wilson in the rotation the Angels can match arms with anyone in a playoff series, but offensively they will need youngsters Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick and Peter Bourjos to have breakout season’s for the Angels to compete into October.

If you mention the Empire then you are required to mention the Nation too, but the window of opportunity might be closing in on the BOSTON RED SOX. With Adrian Gonzales, Carl Crawford, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz the Red Sox offense is still a formidable unit, but the million-dollar question is their pitching. Josh Beckett is no longer the ace he once was, and Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka just doesn’t strike me as strong enough to win in October anymore.

After two straight heartbreaks in the two previous World Series, the TEXAS RANGERS have their shot at winning a third straight appearance set at 11-to-1 to start the season. With virtually the same offensive lineup from last year’s title chase led by Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli, the Rangers will once again rely on pitching coach Mike Maddux to get a rotation of Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and former closer Neftali Feliz back into late October. Import Yu Darvish is a wild card, and could give the Rangers a spark at the top of the rotation, but even then I still don’t think the pitching is strong enough to make three straight trips.

The final team in the list of short favorites is the red-hot one, as everyone is starting to consider the DETROIT TIGERS chances at a title shot a serious one. Of course, signing Prince Fielder to protect Miguel Cabrera in the lineup will do that. But to me the Tigers are too reliant on youngsters to make big improvements, guys like Ryan Raburn and Brennan Boesch in the lineup and Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello in the rotation. Ace Justin Verlander is due for a little of a regression after last year’s record breaking performance too, so while they are trending up, I still think they are a player and a pitcher away from the crown.

THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD TEAMS

MIAMI MARLINS +2000
TAMPA BAY RAYS +2300
ATLANTA BRAVES +2300
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS +2700

The MIAMI MARLINS will have a new name, new colors and logos, and a brand new stadium named, appropriately, Marlins Park. Also a new manager in Ozzie Guillen and a couple of new names up and down their roster. Adding free agent SS Jose Reyes to the top of a lineup that already had Hanley Ramirez and emerging talents like Logan Morrison, Mike Stanton and Gabby Sanchez makes it a dangerous one. The Marlins also addressed their starting pitching by singing Mark Buehrle and taking a flyer on Carlos Zambrano, then shored up the back end of the bullpen by inking Health Bell as the closer. All in all the Marlins are an interesting proposition this season, whether or not it can come together quickly in a new stadium with a new vibe certainly would be the “Hollywood” ending in 2012.

The TAMPA BAY RAYS had the storybook ending last season, so they are off the radar of most bettors stuck in the middle of the pack at 23-to-1. But with a team that improved quietly in the offseason, there’s no reason they should be listed this low. The rotation of Josh Shields, David Price, Jeremy Hellickson and Wade Davis will get better when Matt Moore joins it full time in 2012. Moore threw a two hitter in the playoffs last year, so don’t be surprised if he proves to be a huge “acquisition” for an already solid Rays staff. Offensively the Rays brought Carlos Pena back to the Tropicana Dome, and they also added Luke Scott (Baltimore) at DH too try and add pop to an inconsistent lineup.

How do the World Series Champion ST. LOUIS CARDINALS move on without longtime manager Tony LaRussa or franchise player Albert Pujols? Hire a disciple of LaRussa to replace him in the dugout in Mike Matheny, and hope that postseason hero David Freese can move up to replace Pujols in the lineup. If the Cards can resurrect anything out of Carlos Beltran like they did with Lance Berkman last year, the Redbirds could have enough offense to stay in the hunt. The return of Adam Wainwright will be a big deciding factor this season as well, but with just a year since surgery that’s a big if and one that worth about 27-to-1 at 5Dimes.

The final contender in my pack of middle candidates is the ATLANTA BRAVES, a team that was an unbelievable collapse away from being the “it” team in last year’s playoffs that suddenly became the champion Cardinals instead. Staying healthy appears to be the Braves biggest obstacle, as their young bullpen studs Craig Kimbrel, Jonny Venters and Eric O’Flaherty all wore out at the end of last season. Starters Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson wore out too, and veteran innings-eater Derek Lowe left in free agency, so youngsters like Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor will need to take big steps to fill bigger roles in 2012. Atlanta will likely have rookie Tyler Pastornicky at shortstop, but otherwise the offense has a nice balance of speed (Michael Bourn) and pop (Chipper Jones, Dan Uggla, Jason Heyward) in order to contend down to the final day of the season … again.

A COUPLE LONGSHOTS

MILWAUKEE BREWERS +3500
COLORADO ROCKIES +3800

This might be exactly where the MILWAUKEE BREWERS want to be … a long shot. Of course everyone is going to point to the loss of Prince Fielder as the death of the Brewers, but there’s still plenty to like. Milwaukee’s infield actually got better in the offseason on the left side by acquiring Alex Gonzales at SS and Aramis Ramirez at third. Ramirez will hit cleanup behind MVP Ryan Braun to protect him, and with Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart still in Brew-town there should still be plenty of pop left in the offense. The entire rotation returns intact, led by Yovani Gallardo and Zach Greinke, and the bullpen is back-loaded with John Axford and Francisco Rodriguez to shorten games to seven innings. The Brewers will contend and could be the perfect off the radar long shot in 2012.

The COLORADO ROCKIES were the only other team I considered as a long shot, because in order to be a good long shot bet the team still has to have a decent shot at winning it all. While their starting pitching is so thin and guys like Jorge De La Rosa and Jeremy Guthrie don’t exactly strike you as a World Series-esque kind of starters, the Rockies did add firepower on offense with Michael Cuddyer, Marco Scutaro, Ramon Hernandez and Casey Blake joining the Rockies studs Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzales. Will the Rockies pitching somehow find a way to stay in the competitive NL West race till the end? Stranger things have happened.

MY WORLD SERIES PREDICTIONS

Short Favorite – Los Angeles Angels (+900) – I liked the Angels staff before they added C.J. Wilson, now its tops in the AL. Plus, if you add Pujols to any of the league’s 30 teams that team is instantly a contender. Make room on the bandwagon, I’m getting on the Angels for my short pick.

Middle of the Road – Tampa Bay Rays (+2300) – I really liked the Marlins here too, but the Rays have proven it over the years and also have better value. Tampa’s rotation is filthy, and with enough offensive firepower to compete I like their chances in both 5-game and 7-game playoff series.

Longshot Pick – Milwaukee Brewers (+3500) – See if you notice a theme to my picks … I really like the Brewers starting pitching. Scoring runs was never a problem for Milwaukee before, and even if it is now that Fielder is gone, the pitching and bullpen is still strong enough to get them into October when anything can happen.

The best World Series futures odds can be found at 5Dimes.

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