Extremely Early 2010 MLB Projected Standings

[cpebbles]

POOCA (Pulled Out Of Cpebbles' Ass) projections for 2010 have the Angels at 88 wins and the Mariners staying at 85. I'm not crazy about Anaheim's offseason, of course, but how did this team get so underrated so fast?

[JL21]

POOCA (Pulled Out Of Cpebbles' Ass) projections for 2010 have the Angels at 88 wins and the Mariners staying at 85. I'm not crazy about Anaheim's offseason, of course, but how did this team get so underrated so fast?

It's the name recognition that they lost- Vlad, Lackey, and Figgins have been a huge part of their current run, even if they weren't such a gigantic part of their 2009 team.

[jim]

POOCA (Pulled Out Of Cpebbles' Ass) projections for 2010 have the Angels at 88 wins and the Mariners staying at 85. I'm not crazy about Anaheim's offseason, of course, but how did this team get so underrated so fast?

It's the name recognition that they lost- Vlad, Lackey, and Figgins have been a huge part of their current run, even if they weren't such a gigantic part of their 2009 team.

Vlad ok, and they replaced him with Matsui. Lackey though started 27 games and gave them 176 innings, and Figgins hit leadoff and gave them an OBA of .395. Piniero for Lackey ... loss there. Brendan Wood for Figgins ... we will see.

I think they definitely took a step or maybe three back this off season, but I'm such a big fan of Scioscia that I refuse to believe they will go from 1st to last. They have a good core coming back, a good farm system but probably nobody ready to come in opening day and fill a hole.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The Reds don't have nearly enough pitching to compete. Maybe if 90% of their innings pitch to a best case scenario, but that's just not gonna happen.

[Eephus Speed]

Re: Angels: Vlad only had 407 PA, and he wasn't as productive as Matsui. Kazmir pitched just 36 innings with the Angels. 13 different pitchers made starts for them last year. 5 pitchers I've never heard of combined for 36 starts, nearly 200 IP and an ERA around 6.

Re: Reds: Even without Volquez, they've got a decent rotation, as well as a bunch of relievers who were quite successful last year. Not to mention a good defense. And then there's the Bruce-Votto duo to go along with Rolen, Phillips, Stubbs et. al. I think they're just about as likely as Chicago to contend.

[lukethedrifter]

I think these projections should be presented on a graph with overlapping- or not- color coded bell curves representing each teams respectives odds for # of wins.

[st.lewis11]

POOCA (Pulled Out Of Cpebbles' Ass) projections for 2010 have the Angels at 88 wins and the Mariners staying at 85. I'm not crazy about Anaheim's offseason, of course, but how did this team get so underrated so fast?

It's the name recognition that they lost- Vlad, Lackey, and Figgins have been a huge part of their current run, even if they weren't such a gigantic part of their 2009 team.

Vlad ok, and they replaced him with Matsui. Lackey though started 27 games and gave them 176 innings, and Figgins hit leadoff and gave them an OBA of .395. Piniero for Lackey ... loss there. Brendan Wood for Figgins ... we will see.

I think they definitely took a step or maybe three back this off season, but I'm such a big fan of Scioscia that I refuse to believe they will go from 1st to last. They have a good core coming back, a good farm system but probably nobody ready to come in opening day and fill a hole.

I'm wondering if the Angels' bullpen is what's bringing their projections down; their relievers last season went through some awful stretches....although I'd think that the likes of Fuentes, Shields, & Rodney would look "good on paper".

[jim]

POOCA (Pulled Out Of Cpebbles' Ass) projections for 2010 have the Angels at 88 wins and the Mariners staying at 85. I'm not crazy about Anaheim's offseason, of course, but how did this team get so underrated so fast?

It's the name recognition that they lost- Vlad, Lackey, and Figgins have been a huge part of their current run, even if they weren't such a gigantic part of their 2009 team.

Vlad ok, and they replaced him with Matsui. Lackey though started 27 games and gave them 176 innings, and Figgins hit leadoff and gave them an OBA of .395. Piniero for Lackey ... loss there. Brendan Wood for Figgins ... we will see.

I think they definitely took a step or maybe three back this off season, but I'm such a big fan of Scioscia that I refuse to believe they will go from 1st to last. They have a good core coming back, a good farm system but probably nobody ready to come in opening day and fill a hole.

I'm wondering if the Angels' bullpen is what's bringing their projections down; their relievers last season went through some awful stretches....although I'd think that the likes of Fuentes, Shields, & Rodney would look "good on paper".

No kidding. I'm replaying the Angels on DMB right now and the middle relief is just brutal. They could improve by 2 wins by just not sucking.

[greenback44]

For 2009 the Angels get killed in second- and third-order win percentage, basically the stuff that feeds WAR. The A's are the reverse. Seems like a perennial problem that the projection computers have for both teams.

[jim]

For 2009 the Angels get killed in second- and third-order win percentage, basically the stuff that feeds WAR. The A's are the reverse. Seems like a perennial problem that the projection computers have for both teams.

I think it's interesting too that the A's would probably be considered the team more likely to follow the numbers more closely.