2021 Pre-Season Profile: Los Angeles Dodgers

 #3

The Los Angeles Dodgers finally broke through and took the top prize in 2020 for the first time since 1988.  Is this the start of a new dynasty in LA?

2020 Predictions

#1 - 1st in NL West, win World Series

MIH - Corey Seager

MIP - Julio Urias

PTW - Dustin May

2020 Result

#1 - 43-17, 1st in NL West, won World Series

I will once again brag that I correctly predicted the World Series matchup and result!  The Dodgers have been one of the most talented teams in the league for awhile now, but finally they took the top prize.  They seem to only ever get better and stronger and deeper.

Additions / Subtractions

Even after winning the World Series, the Dodgers couldn't be content.  They had to get better, especially after seeing the crazy moves made by the division rival Padres.  Enter 2020 Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer.  If any team didn't need another starting pitcher, it was the Dodgers.  Now they have the most elite rotations in memory with Trevor Bauer, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Dustin May, David Price, and Tony Gonsolin all in a position to get starts throughout the season.  In terms of the lineup, they re-signed third baseman Justin Turner while they let second baseman Kike Hernandez sign elsewhere, clearing room for former top prospect Gavin Lux to start every day.

Most Important Hitter

Will Smith

The Dodgers lineup is loaded with at least three potential MVP candidates in Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, and Corey Seager.  However, the key to their lineup might be catcher Will Smith, not necessarily for what he brings offensively but what he brings behind the plate.  Smith is entering his third full season in the big leagues, and he has always been able to hit.  His work defensively will be much more crucial as he looks to be the everyday catcher in 2021, especially considering the dream team pitching staff that is throwing to him.

Most Important Pitcher

Kenley Jansen

The starting rotation is deep and elite.  The bullpen is just as deep, but there are definite questions as to how elite they are at the back end.  Kenley Jansen has been the closer in LA for almost a decade.  His peak was in 2017 where he had 41 saves, a 1.32 ERA, and earned both Cy Young and MVP votes.  The last three seasons have been borderline average for Jansen, so much so that there has been talk of hi keeping his closer job.  Now the 33 year old is looking for a bounce back season to keep his job and keep the rest the back end of that bullpen elite.

Prospect to Watch

Keibert Ruiz

Along with bringing in some top talents through trades and free agency, the Dodgers have been incredibly good at building from within in recent years.  Whether it is Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Will Smith, Walker Buehler, or Julio Urias, the Dodgers constantly develop talent into stars and rarely trade away their top prospects.  Not many of the top prospects are projected to help the big club this season (and with the veteran depth they have, that's no surprise).  The one most likely to have an impact in the majors is top catching prospect Keibert Ruiz.  Ruiz is one that the Dodgers have been protecting the last few seasons in the big trades they have pulled off.  Now he will either be the trade chip they need to make another big splash or provide some depth behind the plate behind Will Smith and Austin Barnes.

2021 Prediction

1st in NL West, lose in NLCS

Are the Dodgers the most talented roster in the league?  Yes.  Are they the defending champions?  Yes.  Are they the favorites to repeat?  Yes.  With all that said, only twice in the 21st century have the defending champs even made the World Series the next year (2001 Yankees, 2009 Phillies).  No one has repeated as champs since the 1998-2000 Yankees won three in a row.  The last seven seasons have even had seven different champions.  The Dodgers have the talent to have that kind of run, but it is extremely hard to do.  There is enough parody in baseball right now that I think the Dodgers fall short of the Fall Classic in 2021.  At the same time, this year might be the easiest year to repeat with their depth and the short season in 2020.

Fearless Prediction

This is the last year Clayton Kershaw wears Dodger blue.

Clayton Kershaw is going to go down as one of the greatest pitchers of all time.  He is entering a contract year as a 33 year old, and looking at a roster filled with megadeals and superstars looking for megadeals.  At some point the Dodgers have to run out of money, right?  They just paid Mookie Betts last year, they paid Trevor Bauer this year, they need to decide who will be their shortstop of the future and give him a big payday (whether it is Corey Seager or one of the other superstar free agent shortstops), young stars like Cody Bellinger and Walker Buehler will need to be paid soon, and they still have some other big contracts on the books like A.J. Pollock and David Price.  You have to think Kershaw will either need to take a huge hometown discount or move on to a team that needs a star, like Kershaw's hometown Rangers.

2021 Pre-Season Profile: Cincinnati Reds

 #19

The Cincinnati Reds went for it in 2020, but ended up losing in the first round of the playoffs.  Will 2021 be another step towards contention, or will they be taking a step back?

2020 Predictions

#7 - 1st in NL Central, lose in NLDS

MIH - Eugenio Suarez

MIP - Raisel Iglesias

PTW - Tony Santillan

2020 Results

#13 - 31-29, 2nd NL Central, lost in Wild Card Round

The Reds looked like they had the roster in 2020 to make a deep run.  Their lineup had some pop, and their rotation was elite, led by Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer.  Thanks to the expanded playoffs, they found themselves in the tournament, but didn't score a run in their Wild Card sweep by the Braves.

Additions / Subtractions

After one year of going for it, the Reds seemed to partially give up on their run before it ever started.  First, Trevor Bauer left in free agency (and the Reds never even attempted to bring him back).  Then they traded closer Raisel Iglesias to the Angels (they signed Sean Doolittle to fill the role).  Shortstop Freddy Galvis signed in Baltimore in free agency (and wasn't replaced by another veteran).  The offseason was also mired in rumors of whether aces Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray would also be traded.  For now, they are still on the roster showing the Reds weren't quite willing to sell the whole farm.

Most Important Hitter

Nick Senzel

One of the top Reds prospects from a couple years ago was Nick Senzel.  Now he is the starting centerfielder, but he has yet to fulfill any of the promise of his prospect status.  Right now, Senzel has a career .245 average and an 83 OPS+ in two seasons.  Hardly the production you expect out of a top prospect.  He needs to take a step or two forward to make this lineup truly work.

Most Important Pitcher

Luis Castillo

Luis Castillo is on his way to being one of the elite pitchers in the league.  As of right now, he is still a Red and the most impactful pitcher on their staff.  With Trevor Bauer's departure, the spotlight will now be on him to lead the staff.  This could be a breakout season for Castillo.  The question is if that production will be putting the Reds in contention or if he will be traded to help someone else.

Prospect to Watch

Jose Garcia

The Reds have four prospects in baseball's Top 100.  Jose Garcia is not one of them, but he has a golden opportunity that could lead to some great success for the 22 year old prospect.  The Reds lost their shortstop in free agency and never replaced him.  That forced them to find an internal solution, and Jose Garcia appears to be that solution to start the season.  Ranked the 6th best prospect in the Reds system, this Cuban defector shows a lot of promise to be an everyday shortstop in the league for quite some time.

2021 Prediction

3rd in NL Central

Like I said when I previewed the Cubs, the NL Central was wide open in 2020 and is wide open this season too even though it looks like a couple teams are heading in the wrong direction.  The Reds had one of the more curious offseasons.  It's like they wanted to do a full reset but couldn't find the right price for some of their more valuable assets.  So I guess they are forced to compete this year.  I see them having a little less turmoil and a little more depth than the Cubs which puts them in 3rd in the division.

Fearless Prediction

Over half of the Reds' Opening Day lineup will no longer be on the roster Opening Day 2022.

Like I said, the Reds tried to reset this offseason and couldn't.  Look for them to try and start unloading talent, maybe not mid-season but definitely next offseason.  Either that, or they reload since they still have a decent core.  I really don't understand what they are trying to do.

2019 Pre-Season Profile: Cleveland Indians

#11

The Cleveland Indians have owned the AL Central over the last several years.  Will their young core of hitters and top-notch starters bring about another playoff run in 2019?

2018 Predictions

1st in AL Central, lose in ALDS

Corey Kluber will be the AL starting pitcher in the All Star Game.

2018 Results

91-71, 1st in AL Central, lost in ALDS

Yes, the Indians won 90 games, but they won the AL Central more by default being the only team to finish with a record above .500.  They have had a similar formula the last few seasons: pitch well behind Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, and Carlos Carrasco while scoring runs behind emerging superstars Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor.  Ramirez and Lindor almost had 8 win seasons, while Kluber (who made the All Star Team but didn't start) has a 5.8 and Bauer had a 5.7 WAR.  All this success did not lead to any postseason success as they still carry such a long championship drought.

Additions / Subtractions

The Indians had one of the more intriguing offseasons in the league.  The front office looked at the roster they had put together and started to question how sustainable their payroll would be moving forward.  They traded away slugger Edwin Encarnacion to the Mariners to bring back former Indian Carlos Santana.  They traded away catcher Yan Gomes and slugger Yonder Alonso.  They traded corner infielder Yandy Diaz to the Rays for Jake Bauers, who has much more flexibility.  Their top outfielders from a year ago, Michael Brantley and Melky Cabrera, left through free agency and really weren't replaced.  Some late minor league acquisitions that will obviously have a big league impact eventually were Hanley Ramirez and Carlos Gonzalez, but they really tried to cut salary.  They even tried to do more, with constant rumors of Kluber or Bauer being traded, but that came to no avail.

Most Important Hitter

Bradley Zimmer

One of the reasons the Indians did not work harder to find some outfielders in they believe in Bradley Zimmer.  Entering his third season in the big leagues, this 26 year old centerfielder had established himself as the everyday starter last year before he injured his shoulder and ended his season.  He is not expected to be ready by Opening Day, but he is being counted on as being a key piece of what the Indians do this year.  They need him to break out to justify their lack of movement in replacing their outfield production from a year ago.

Most Important Pitcher

Brad Hand

The Indians have one of the best rotations in baseball, but they also have been touting an elite bullpen as well.  However, over the last several seasons they have watched pieces from their World SEries bullpen slowly leave.  Bryan Shaw left via free agency before last season, and this season saw the departure of closer Cody Allen and super reliever Andrew Miller.  None of the main pieces of their World Series super bullpen of 2016 are left.  This makes Brad Hand, their new closer, extremely important.  Hand was acquired at the Trade Deadline last season from the Padres for top propect Francisco Mejia, and he showed why they paid such a big price for him.  He is an elite bullpen arm, but now he will not have the company in the bullpen the Indians are used to surrounding their closer with.  Hand cannot have a bad season if the Indians want to be great this season.

Prospect to Watch

Yu Chang

The Indians only have two prospects listed in MLB's top 100, and one of them (Triston McKenzie) might make his debut this season depending on what happens with the Indians rotation throughout the season.  However, the player most likely to make a big league impact this season is Yu Chang.  This 23 year old infielder is the Indians 6th best prospect and played his entire 2018 season in AAA to decent success.  The reason he has a chance to make a big league impact this season is the fact that second baseman Jason Kipnis, shortstop Francisco Lindor, and third baseman Jose Ramirez all will probably start the season on the injured list (formerly the disabled list).  The Indians are finding ways to fill these holes temporarily with big league names, but if some of these injuries linger and some of the big leaguers struggle, Chang will get his opportunity to prove himself and show he can be a young utility infielder behind their cast of All Stars.

2019 Prediction

2nd in AL Central

Being ranked 11th on my list means I see the Indians as the last team to miss the playoffs.  They still have all their talent, but I get the feeling this window is closing quickly.  If the Indians are talking about trading some of their All Stars in their prime because they can't afford it, this success is fleeting.  Their division also shouldn't be the pushover it was last season too.  By pure talent, the Indians have to be in the conversation, but combine injuries with potential disgruntled aces and this could be the beginning of the end for this Indians run.

Fearless Prediction

This will be Francisco Lindor's last full season in Cleveland.

Lindor is entering his age 25 season and is already a 3 time All Star.  He is one of the best emerging young superstars in the game.  When he hits the free agent market after the 2021 season, he will be looking to get a contract similar to Machado, Harper, Arenado, or even Trout.  If this offseason showed anything, the Indians will not be able to afford that.  That means Lindor's time in Cleveland has an expiration date.  If he is not a long-term Indian, they might want to maximize his value on the trade market.  Especially if they miss the playoffs this season, the Indians might realize they need to move on from their current core sooner rather than later.

2016 Pre-Season Profile: Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians boasted one of the best starting rotations in 2015, but they were held back by an inferior offense.  Will 2016 bring some more pop to Cleveland?

Last Season

My 2015 Prediction: 4th in AL Central

2015 Result: 81-80, 3rd in AL Central

The Indians finished about where I thought they would finish last season.  The difference was I predicted the rest of the division to be a little stronger than they ended up being.  A team managed by Terry Francona will always compete, and the 2015 Cleveland Indians were no exception.

2016 Additions / Subtractions

This was a very quiet offseason for the Indians.  Very few players left, with the most notable being the underwhelming Michael Bourn.  Added to the roster were some solid veterans like Mike Napoli and Juan Uribe.  Both are good moves, but not game changers.

Most Important Hitter

Francisco Lindor

The biggest revelation of 2015 was the emergence of Francisco Lindor.  Of the big name shortstops to make their debuts in 2015, Lindor was not the first name to pop into your head.  Names like Correa and Seager come to mind first.  However, Lindor had the best season with surprising power and consistency at the plate.  Now, the Indians are counting on him to be the offensive superstar that can anchor their lineup for years to come.  Was last year an anomaly or a sign of things to come?

Most Important Pitcher

Carlos Carrasco

Like I said, the starting rotation is the strength of the team.  Corey Kluber is obviously the ace, however Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar made quite the 1-2-3 punch at the top of the rotation.  Carrasco is the Indians' most important pitcher more because of the rumors than his on-field performance.  Carrasco is a very wanted commodity for any contender looking for a starting pitcher.  With the depth the Indians have in their rotation, it will be interesting if or when Carrasco gets traded for the bat that will round out their lineup and make them a legitimate contender.

Player to Watch

Tyler Naquin

Tyler Naquin is not the highest rated prospect in the Indians' system, however he is most likely to make an impact on the Indian's 2016 season.  With the 80 game suspension handed down to Abraham Almonte, Naquin has an opportunity to start in centerfield on Opening Day.  If he plays well, he could carve out a spot for himself moving forward.

2016 Prediction

4th in AL Central

A lot of people like the Indians to be major contenders in 2016.  I don't see it.  They still have major question marks in their offense, especially since Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall are starting the season on the DL.  With Almonte suspended, none of the original projected starting outfielders will start the season.  There is no way Lindor will repeat his lofty production from last season.  This team will compete for sure, but will most likely end up around .500 yet again.

Fearless Prediction

Trevor Bauer will need Tommy John surgery by the end of the season.

One of the better young pitchers the Indians have is Trevor Bauer.  He has been notorious for this unorthodox warmups and delivery, as well as his refusal to change much of what he does.  Recently, it was announced that he will start the season in the bullpen after a poor Spring.  He is walking a very dangerous path that seems destined for a major arm injury.