Contender or Pretender?

[atlbraves11]

Oh and next team the Padres

[Absolutely Adequate]

Padres: Pretender. They'll probably make the playoffs because they play in a weak division, but their pitching is a Petco-mirage and their hitting is piss-poor. Their bullpen, which was so good last year, has collapsed.



New team: Twins

[Pogotheostrich]

Twins are a contender. The pitching is there, the hitting is there, the history is there. They will be in the playoff and any team with Santana in the playoffs is a contender.

[orakana]

I guess it all depends on what you think the Twins are a competitor for, they are definately a wild card option, and I think they'll get that. White Sox and Twins out of the Central, only 1 East team this year and Texas is already fading away in the West.

[Half Massed]

any others?

can the mets figure it out? can the recently coming together A's stay hot enough to threaten for the wild card? i think most others have been asked.

[orakana]

The Mets?

That's a big question mark there, they seem to have the players but at the same time they don't play to potential a lot of the time. I think they are a long the same lines as the Indians, make a run, get close, but just fall short.

Try this team -- Chicago Cubs

That should be an interesting team to decide on...

[This is the year]

Cubs- Pretender, unless they acquire another big bat. Patterson's been horrendous this year, and I'm not sold on Kerry Wood and Zambrano being effective and healthy for the rest of the year. DLee's stick will regress to the mean sooner or later, and without another solid offensive player or decent bullpen arms the wins won't be there.

Next up: Chicago White Sox

[max1889]

I'll go with Cubs as a CONTENDER. Although they have their work cut out for them, the return of Prior and Wood could bring back a spark and ignite them to play extremely well from here one out.

Next team: The Yankees (I think they are done)

[orakana]

That makes me laugh with the White Sox, lets pick a team that's not in the playoffs already. The odds of the White Sox not being there are very slim, although the Angles (California at the time) fell apart to let the M's in the playoffs in 95 so stranger things have happened.

[BronXBombers51]

Yankees are pretenders. I guess they could make a run at the playoffs but based on their expectation level, which is to win the World Series, they are most certainly pretenders. I can see them possibly heating up in August and September, but will still probably miss the playoffs.

chicago white sox