New York Yankees at Boston, not suprisingly, accounts for two of those, on April 22 and July 8, from Fenway Park.  The Yankees have one other Sunday Night appearance, April 15 vs. the Angels.  The two-time defending American League Champion Texas Rangers host Chicago in the April 8 SNB opener.

The World Series Champion Cardinals also have three appearances (May 20 and July 15, in addition to Opening Night April 4).

ESPN’s first seven Sunday Night games will feature at least one playoff team and several of MLB’s biggest stars will be on display, including the Angels’ Pujols; the Yankees’ Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano; Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury; Texas’ Josh Hamilton; Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria; Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard and Chase Utley; St. Louis’ Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman; Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp; Atlanta’s Chipper Jones and Brian McCann; Chicago’s Paul Konerko; and Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman.

This season will also mark the debut of analyst Terry Francona, who joins play-by-play commentator Dan Shulman and analyst Orel Hershiser in the Sunday Night Baseball booth. Sunday Night games are also available via ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3 and ESPN Mobile TV.

ESPN Radio’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team will again be play-by-play commentator Jon Sciambi and analyst Chris Singleton.  ESPN Radio, entering its 15th season of MLB coverage, will also broadcast a game of the week each Saturday during the regular season, the State Farm Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, and every Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series game.

The Sunday Night Baseball schedule as selected to date follows (all telecasts begin at 8 p.m. ET).  Game selections for the remainder of the season will be made three weeks (June and July 1, 22 and 29) or two weeks (August and September) in advance.

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball Schedule
Date     Teams (all telecasts at 8 p.m. ET)
April 8     Chicago White Sox at Texas
April 15     L.A. Angels at N.Y. Yankees
April 22     Yankees at Boston
April 29     Tampa Bay at Texas
May 6     Philadelphia at Washington
May 13     Angels at Texas
May 20     St. Louis at L.A. Dodgers
May 27     Washington at Atlanta
June 3-July 1     TBD
July 8     Yankees at Boston
July 15     St. Louis at Cincinnati
July 22-Sept 23     TBD

Due to overwhelming response, here is an extended list, 11-20 top MILB players to follow.

A few things. A lot of these guys were considered for the top ten. The selection process is difficult because, whether you know it or not, there are numerous minor league players using Twitter. That led to adding an Honorable Ten list.

Reminder about how this was decided: frequency, interaction, humor, overall just compelling feed. Interacting with their fans/followers was big in deciding. Tweet frequency counted a lot as well. Humor matters. Every single guy that made these lists had a way with a joke or making fun of themselves. When their personalities shine through, the flow of the content is fun and interesting to read. For guys trying to make it to the big leagues, they experience a lot of transition and adversity. Every player named in the Twitter Ten and Next Ten shares a fascinating look into the unique life of baseball.

Starting with #11, a player whose use of Twitter gives him an important connection to fans. After being so protected by his team, that connection has been meaningful.

11. Bryce Harper @BHarper3407 – Washington Nationals
12. Cody Decker @Decker6 – San Diego Padres
13. Tyson Gillies @TysonGillies21 – Philadephia Phillies
14. Thomas Neal @TdaddyNeal – Cleveland Indians
15. Will Middlebrooks @16WMBrooks- Boston Red Sox
16. Mike Trout @Trouty20 – Anaheim Angels
17. LV Ware @LV_Ware – Atlanta Braves
18. Deck McGuire @deckmcguire – Toronto Blue Jays
19. Ryan Tatusko @RyanTatusko – Nationals
20. Michael Crouse @_crouse_ – Blue Jays

Honorable Ten Mentions:

1.Bryan Harper @BHarp45 – Nationals
2. Chris Swauger @cswag8 – St. Louis Cardinals
3. Matt den Dekker @UpperDekker – New York Mets
4. Bryan Longpre @BryanLongpre- Blue Jays
5. Jack Murphy @JackMurphy219 – Blue Jays
6. Justin Fitgerald @jfitgerald31 – Giants
7. Trent Mummey @trentmummey7 – Baltimore Orioles
8. C.J. Cron @CCron24 – Angels
9. Jordan Comadena @Funky2414 – Houston Astros
10. Kellin Deglan @keldegs – Texas Rangers

With the departure of Pujols, Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds, Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers (currently a free agent) and Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies are clearly the cream of the crop among NL first basemen; however, Fielder is a free agent and could possibly leave the NL and Howard is currently out with an achilles tendon injury.  Nevertheless, there are promising first basemen in the NL for 2012.  Here are some first basemen to keep an eye on:

Michael Morse

Morse is a classic example of a late bloomer.  Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2000, Morse made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2005.  Morse appeared in 98 games in the 2010 season with the Washington Nationals before finally winning a full-time starting job in 2011.

At the age of 29 in 2011, Morse hit .303 with 31 home runs and 95 RBIs.  He reached on base at a .360 clip while slugging .550 with a .910 OPS.  Although his 126 strikeouts and 36 walks may be a cause for concern to fantasy managers, his overall body of work in the 2011 season was impressive and cannot be ignored.  Morse is at an age where he may be in his athletic prime; therefore, the chances of him staying healthy and improving are too tempting not to pursue.

Lance Berkman

Berkman’s fantasy relevance experienced a revival in the 2011 season.  Over the past few seasons, the concern with Berkman has been his health.  When healthy, Berkman is still a productive fantasy hitter; however, he had not played in 140-plus games since 2008.

Despite playing mostly in the outfield in 2011, Berkman appeared in 145 games and hit .301 with 31 home runs and 94 RBIs.  This was Berkman’s first season of 30 or more home runs since 2007.  Berkman also reached on base at a .412 clip while posting a .959 OPS.  The results of Berkman’s marvelous season led to him finishing seventh in the NL MVP vote.

With the departure of Pujols, Berkman should be the Cardinals’ full-time first basemen in 2012.  While playing first base rather than the outfield should conceivably help Berkman stay healthier, nothing is guaranteed.  Health permitting, Berkman should have another great season for the Cardinals.  As was the case the past few years, the potential for injury is the only thing that possibly deflates Berkman’s fantasy value.  If you draft Berkman in 2012, be sure to have a backup plan.

Freddie Freeman

At the young age of 21, Freeman had an excellent 2011 season with the Atlanta Braves.  Freeman hit .282 with 21 home runs and 76 RBIs while also hitting 32 doubles.  Freeman hit .274 in his first 88 games and .292 in his last 69 games of the 2011 season.

In addition to more experience in 2012, Freeman’s numbers can also improve if teammates Dan Uggla and Jason Heyward return to form.  Heyward hit only .227 while struggling with injuries in the 2011 season.  Uggla hit .233 in 2011, but struggled with a .185 AVG at the All-Star break.  Uggla and Heyward can have a positive effect on Freeman’s numbers in 2012 and will play important roles in helping the Braves contend with the Phillies in the NL East.

Ike Davis

Although there is the possibility that the New York Mets may trade Davis, he is still a Met and still in the NL at this time.  Davis appeared in only 36 games in 2011, but he hit .302 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs.  If that pace were to be maintained over 162 games, it would amount to 31 home runs and 112 RBIs.

Granted, the 36-game sample size is too small to evaluate a player’s season; however, those who have seen Davis play know the quality of his talent.  I believe it would be very foolish of the Mets to trade Davis (unless they receive an offer they cannot refuse), and I believe Davis has the tools to be one of the best first basemen in baseball and in fantasy baseball.

Jim Thome

Berkman revived his fantasy relevance in 2011 with the Cardinals; Thome may have that same opportunity with the Phillies in 2012.  Despite receiving limited playing time in the past few seasons, Thome hit 23 home runs (362 at-bats) in 2009, 25 home runs (276 at-bats) in 2010 and 15 home runs (277 at-bats) in 2011.

In the 2008 season, Thome hit 34 home runs in 149 games (503 at-bats) with the Chicago White Sox.  Health permitting, it may be reasonable to project anywhere from 20 to 30 home runs for Thome in 2012.  There are several factors that work against Thome’s fantasy relevance in 2012, however.  First of all, Thome is in the twilight of his career and health is always a concern with an older player.  Secondly, how much playing time Thome receives is pure speculation at this point.

I believe Thome will see significant playing time because the Phillies signed him before they acquired Ty Wigginton.  I believe the Phillies acquired Thome first because they have plans to use him in the lineup.  Much of Thome’s fantasy value in 2012 will rest on the achilles tendon of Ryan Howard.  If Howard makes a healthy recovery and regains the starting job, Thome’s fantasy value will be shot.  If Howard suffers setbacks at all in his recovery, Thome could have a Berkman-like revival in 2012.

You should not gamble on Thome being your first base savior for your fantasy teams in 2012; however, drafting him late may be an opportunistic cheap source of home runs for your team.

Anthony Rizzo

It is not often you see praise written for a hitter who hit below the Mendoza line in 40-plus games of experience; however, Rizzo is a very promising hitter.  San Diego Padres fans who remember the sting of losing Adrian Gonzalez to free agency will feel much better if Rizzo plays to his potential.

In 2011 with the Tucson Padres (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League, Rizzo hit .331 with 26 home runs and 101 RBIs.  Rizzo reached base at a .404 clip while slugging .652 with a 1.056 OPS.  Although his MLB numbers were unimpressive in 2011, Rizzo hit the ball hard and just had the misfortune of hitting the ball to defensive players too frequently.  With some more experience in 2012 and a larger sample size of games, Rizzo should conceivably improve his numbers dramatically and play an important role in the Padres’ lineup.

Brandon Belt

Belt is a promising young first baseman who should see plenty of playing time with the San Francisco Giants.  In 2011, Belt and Aubrey Huff shared time at first base and in the outfield.  Whether playing at first base or in the outfield, Belt should see playing time in 2012; furthermore, Belt should have first base eligibility in your 2012 fantasy leagues (he played 26 games at first base in 2011).

Belt has already shown flashes of his potential at the MLB level; he merely needs more experience and consistency.  In 31 losses last season, Belt struggled with a .128 AVG, one home run and four RBIs; in 32 wins, Belt hit .323 with eight home runs and 14 RBIs.  If Belt can maintain some semblance of consistency in 2012, a .280 AVG and 20-plus home runs may be reasonable.

In addition to the six first basemen discussed here, there are others in the NL worth keeping an eye on.  The six discussed here are those who may have the best value for their average draft position (ADP) in 2012 if their stars are aligned (metaphorically speaking).  Pujols signing with the Angels should have no effect on how you view the talent pool at first base in mixed leagues or NL-only leagues.

Those of you in NL-only leagues should not hit the panic button and realize that there is plenty of promise at first base outside of Votto, Fielder and Howard.  Address as many needs as you can in your fantasy drafts and pay attention to news updates on first basemen.

Last, but not least:  on behalf of all of us at Baseball Digest, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

Christopher Wenrich is a senior fantasy baseball contributor for BaseballDigest.com and can be reached atphilliesmuse@yahoo.com.  You can follow him on Twitter @DuggerSports.

Pujols reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Angels on a reported, 10-yr, $250MM contract earlier today. The defending champion Cardinals had already lost their manager, Tony LaRussa, who retired after the Cardinals won the World Series, and now have lost their best player as well. 

Pujols was said to be seeking an average salary that would put him above the deal that Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees after the 2007 season. At the very least, Pujols wanted to top the cash earned by Mark Teixeira, the highest paid 1st baseman in baseball. While he didn’t reach A-Rod numbers, Pujols easily surpassed the $22.5MM Teixeira earns per season.

Pujols has put up monster numbers ever since he hit 37 home runs and drove in 130 runs in his 2001 debut season. He was the NL Rookie of the Year that season and made the first of nine All-Star appearances. In 11 seasons in St. Louis, Pujols slugged 445 home runs, averaged 121 RBI, and posted a 1.037 career OPS. He also won a pair of championship rings (2006 in addition to this past season) and won three NL MVP Awards.

The overwhelming feeling was that Pujols would return to St. Louis, especially after the Miami Marlins were told they were out of the running.  Angels’ owner Arte Moreno and new GM Jerry DiPoto played things quietly though and seized the opening. They weren’t done for the day either.

Shortly after the Pujols agreement, it was learned the Angels had come to terms with starting pitcher C.J. Wilson on a five year, $75MM free agent contract. Wilson was thought to be either returning to Texas or signing with their division rivals. Opting for the latter, Wilson joins a rotation that already boasts Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana, though there have been rumors that Santana could be moved.

Wilson began his career as a reliever before bouncing back and forth between starting and relieving roles. He became a full-time starter in 2010 and was 31-15, 3.14 over the past two seasons. Wilson was the number one starter on the Rangers, but is considered a number two or three starter by most observers.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Our featured bloggers that provided us with the in depth Report Card series that has just concluded are back to give everyone an in depth look at what the off season holds for the major league teams they cover.  A look at what each team needs, what each team has already gained and lost, and some of the youth in each team’s system will be examined in these articles.  You can find all of the author’s information at the bottom of the article.

Coming into 2012, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are in a rather unique position. Very few important pieces are leaving this team via free agency, and they were already an 86-win team over the previous season. The core of a fairly good team is already in place, and all of their good players are returning for 2012. But look a little deeper at this team, and you’ll find that the Angels already have a fair amount of payroll tied up in their veterans, and that the team doesn’t have a huge amount of room for improvement from within. To make the leap to the top of the AL West, and to overtake the two-time AL champion Texas Rangers, the Angels will have to have a creative offseason, and make a few moves to push the team forward.

First, it’s important to see which players are on their way out of Anaheim. With very few important free agents, and easy decisions on their arbitration-eligible players, it is easy to see who the crucial losses are for 2012. Joel Piniero, Russell Branyan, and Fernando Rodney are the three free agents who might be the biggest losses for the Angels, but in many ways, these losses can be considered addition by subtraction. Branyan was a mid-season pickup who contributed very little in his time with the team, failing to hit for his signature power. With Mark Trumbo and a hopefully healthy Kendrys Morales in the fold, Russ is very unlikely to return. Meanwhile, Joel Piniero provided 140 innings at the back of the Angel rotation, but wasn’t terribly effective in those innings, and he doesn’t look to be back either. Finally, Fernando Rodney was pretty awful since joining the Angels, logging exactly 100 major league innings at about replacement level. Rodney wasn’t exactly what the Angels had in mind when signed to stabilize the bullpen, and he’s certainly gone as well. All in all, the Angels are watching a pinch-hitter, a poor #4 starter, and an average-to-bad reliever walk, and no one in Anaheim is going to be too disappointed to watch any of them leave.

With these losses in mind, this Angel squad has several areas in which they can improve. Most importantly, the team can use more pitching both in the rotation and in the bullpen. The Halos are lucky to have two terrific arms at the top of the rotation in Jered Weaver (18 wins, 2.41 ERA) and Dan Haren (2.98 FIP, 5.82 K/BB), while Ervin Santana remains a solid #3 starter. But the back end of the rotation, especially with the loss of Piniero, could use an overhaul. If the Angels keep either Tyler Chatwood or Jerome Williams in the rotation, they’ll still need to add another starter before the season starts, and finding one who pitches better than Chatwood or Piniero would be ideal. As for the bullpen, while Jordan Walden was a revelation in 2011, and Scott Downs provides a solid setup arm, the team could use one or two more reliable arms in the bullpen before Mike Scioscia is truly comfortable at the ends of ballgames.

The Angels could also use improvement in several positions where they already have established regulars. Though the Angels appear committed to leaving Vernon Wells and Jeff Mathis in their spots at left field and catcher, the team could certainly improve by replacing either of these players. Bobby Abreu still gets on base, but an improvement at the DH slot is also a possibility. And though Alberto Callaspo has been a solid regular over the last couple of years, Angel fans yearn for the days of Troy Glaus at the hot corner, and the team could look to add more power at third base.

The Angels don’t have too many players who could be considered untouchable, or who should be deadly confident on their position with the team. Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana anchor the Angel rotation, and no one doubts the abilities of Jordan Walden or Scott Downs in the bullpen. Those players are as close to sure things as you’ll find in the majors. But as far as position players go, only Howie Kendrick (.285/.338/.464) and Torii Hunter (.262/.336/.429) look to be sure things out in the field. There’s probably too much money and effort invested into Bobby Abreu to knock him loose from the DH slot, and despite being one of the worst everyday players in the majors last year, Vernon Wells is probably guaranteed his spot in left field due to his track record and pedigree. And as much as it drives Angel fans crazy, Jeff Mathis appears to be entrenched behind the plate. No matter how badly he hits, Mike Scioscia appears committed to Mathis and his ability to defend and handle the pitching staff. So unless something changes, you can expect these guys to remain standing in their respective postions.

With Mike Trout banging down the door as a potential long-term center fielder, Peter Bourjos has been the subject of some trade talk, but Bourjos is an excellent young player, and the Angels would be well-advised to keep him in the fold unless they are overwhelmed with an offer. The Angel farm system isn’t exactly stocked full of high-profile prospects, so to add players, the team would be well-served in dealing major league talent. The Angels definitely have depth in their infield, with four solid players for three infield positions. Howie Kendrick should be locked in at second base, but Erick Aybar, Maicer Izturis, and Alberto Callaspo all are solid regulars, and only two can play every day on the left side of the infield. In addition, Mark Trumbo and Kendrys Morales are both solid 1B options – with Bobby Abreu dominating the DH slot, and Morales ready to return from his injury issues, either Trumbo or Morales might be a trade option for a team looking for punch at first.

The one young player poised to make the biggest impact in 2012 for the Angels has to be aforementioned super-prospect Mike Trout. Trout didn’t exactly set the world on fire during his audition in 2011, only managing a handful of homers and a terrible,VernonWells-esque .281 OBP in 40 games. But Trout was only 19 in his major league debut, and still has all the tools to be an elite player at the major league level: blinding speed, solid defensive chops, and the ability to hit for power and average. The Angels boosted Trout from Double-A directly to the majors, and I expect the team will try to give their young star a little seasoning in Triple-A before making him a regular part of theLos Angeleslineup. But once an injury comes up in the outfield, or if the phenom gets off to a blistering start inSaltLake, Trout will patrol the outfield grass at Angel Stadium in 2012. Expect Mike Trout to be a fixture in the Angel outfield for years to come.

All in all, the Angels have the makings of a solid team, if not one that is unquestioned masters of their four-team division. If they are going to challenge the Rangers and the rest of the AL, they’ll need to make changes and squeeze every possible advantage from the market, and complement their solid core by replacing their poor performers like Wells, Mathis, and Piniero with better options.

Bryan Grosnick
Contributor at RotoHardball.com
Contributor at CloserNews.com
@bgrosnick

These report cards were written by twenty nine talented individuals across the internet that keep a close eye on the team they cover.  It was the first of our “Featured Blogger” series.  The second part, an Off-Season Outlook, will be brought to you the remainder of this week.  The same writers will return in the Spring to provide a 2012 Season Preview about the teams.

This year’s Featured Bloggers are listed below along with their website and the link to their Report Card:

American League East
Baltimore Orioles - Austin Gisriel, Seamheads
Boston Red Sox – Michael Lynch, Seamheads
New York Yankees – William Tasker, The Flagrant Fan
Tampa Bay Rays – Yossi Feins, The Rays Rant
Toronto Blue Jays – Peter DeMarco, Some Thoughts On Baseball

American League Central
Chicago White Sox – Terry Keshner, Planet Back
Cleveland Indians – David Henderson, Tribe Cards
Detroit Tigers – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Kansas City Royals – Todd Fertig, I-70 Baseball
Minnesota Twins – Von Hendry, Seamheads

American League West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Bryan Grosnick, Roto Hardball
Oakland As – Jason Leary, Junk Ball
Seattle Mariners – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Texas Rangers – Dan Edmonson, Chicken Fried Baseball

National League East
Atlanta Braves – Andrew Martin, Baseball Historian
Florida Marlins – Eddie Gilley, Eddie Gilley Blogspot
New York Mets – AC Wayne, Mets Public Record
Philadelphia Phillies – Matthew Buesing, Fire And Ice Sports
Washington Nationals – Aaron Somers , District On Deck

National League Central
Chicago Cubs – Robert Harris, Blue Batting Helmet
Cincinnati Reds – Gary Schatz, Full Of Schatz
Houston Astros – Michael Barr, Fan Graphs
Milwaukee Brewers – Paul Heinz, Paul Heinz.com
Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Sendek, Analysis Around The Horn
St. Louis Cardinals – Daniel Shoptaw , C70 At The Bat

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks – Patrick Lagreid, Baseball On My Brain
Colorado Rockies – Michelle Hoag, Rockies Woman
Los Angeles Dodgers – Paul F Sullivan, Sully Baseball
San Diego Padres – Michael Metzger, Padres Trail
San Francisco Giants – Julian Levine, Giants Nirvana

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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BaseballDigest.com aims to keep up that tradition.  This season, we bring you a Report Card on each team in Major League Baseball from writers that cover that team directly.  At the bottom of each write up, you will find the writer’s name, website, and any other pertinent information.  

Despite coming off a disappointing 2010, the Angels were poised to contend for the AL West title in 2011. Having just acquired Vernon Wells and expecting a full year from Dan Haren, the team opened the season strong. The Angels had some early success, but the dominant Texas Rangers took control of the AL West in July and left the Angels resigned to 2^nd place in their division. Though they finished with a winning record, the Wild Card was out of reach thanks to the Rays and Red Sox. Even with a few strong performances and a winning team, the Angels finished out of the playoffs for the second straight season.

Rotation: B+
The Angel rotation wasn’t quite as good asPhiladelphia’s, but it was one of the better collections of starters in the American League. Led by the potent 1-2 punch of Jered Weaver and Dan Haren, the Halos’ staff won 62 games and kept a 3.59 ERA. Not only were Weaver and Haren stellar, but Ervin Santana notched a no-hitter as part of his solid 2011 season. Even afterthought Jerome Williams was a great story and an effective starting pitcher during the final month of the season.

Not everything was perfect, as veteran retread Joel Piniero and rookie Tyler Chatwood struggled in extended duty as the #4 and #5 starters for the Angels. Neither pitcher could strike anyone out, but at least both were able to soak up nearly 140 innings each at the back of the rotation, giving the Angels consistency.

Bullpen: C-
Rookie Jordan Walden emerged as an effective closer in his first full year in the majors, which was a big win forLos Angeles. Walden managed 32 saves, struck out over a batter an inning, and even got a fifth-place vote in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. He was far and away the best reliever in theLos Angelespen, though new setup man Scott Downs was also effective, posting a 1.34 ERA.

The rest of the bullpen was not nearly as good asDownsand Walden. Former relief ace Fernando Rodney was terrible and struggled with his control when he wasn’t injured, while free agent acquisition Hisanori Takahashi was only decent. All in all, the Angels bullpen was one of the poorer offerings in the majors last season, despite Walden’s breakout 2011.

BD Report Cards brought to you by Seamheads

Catchers: F
Put simply, the Angels had the worst-hitting catchers in the majors last year by many advanced and simple metrics. Jeff Mathis was the biggest offender among the Halos’ catching corps, as he was once again one of the worst hitters in baseball. Mathis managed only a .174/.225/.259 triple-slash (AVG/OBP/SLG) line. Hank Conger and Bobby Wilson both got their fair share of plate appearances, but they weren’t much better than Mathis with the stick. Worst of all, there’s no solid evidence that any of the Angels catchers were much better than average defensively.

Infield: B
While Howard Kendrick was the most potent offensive weapon on the team, rookie slugger Mark Trumbo made some noise and brought the lumber in his first season in the bigs. Trumbo replaced the injured Kendrys Morales and made enough of a name for himself to receive serious consideration in the Rookie of the Year balloting, where he finished second thanks to his prodigious power. Things weren’t all good, though: despite Trumbo’s team-high 29 HR, his on-base percentage was low enough to cause a bit of worry among fans

The rest of the infield was solid, as regulars Alberto Callaspo and Erick Aybar were above-average both with the bat and with the glove. Aybar netted a Gold Glove and stole 30 bases, and Callaspo was solid all-around. Even super-sub Maicer Izturis swung a league-average bat and provided doubles power. And Howie Kendrick provided a little power and consistent lineup presence. Nothing too flashy here, but the Angels had a solid and effective infield.

Outfield: C
It’d be fair to give the Angels a poor grade in the outfield simply for their off-season trade of Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera for new left fielder Vernon Wells. Yes, Wells hit 25 homers, but he also got on base only once in every four attempts, one of the worst rates for any everyday player. Bobby Abreu, nominally an outfielder but really a DH, also saw his effectiveness diminish, as his power waned even further from his prime. Torii Hunter had a bit of a down season defensively, but was his usual solid self in right, contributing solid power with 23 bombs.

Center field was the most interesting position on the diamond for the Angels. First, Peter Bourjos broke out, showing improved power and besting everyone on the team other than Kendrick and Trumbo in slugging percentage while providing elite defense. After Bourjos went down with an injury late in the season, the Angels called up top prospect Mike Trout from Double-A. Only 19, Trout struggled at the major league level but showed flashes of his blinding speed and powerful bat. While Trout still may take some time to develop in the minors in 2012, regular playing time inLos Angelesis not far away and his future looks very bright.

Top Offensive Player
No position player contributed more to the Angels success in 2011 than Howard Kendrick. Kendrick hit for some power (18 HR, 30 2B), posted a decent OBP (.338) and played solid defense en route to his first All-Star game selection. Kendrick even showed good versatility, picking up time at first base and in the outfield, in addition to his duties at the pivot.

Top Pitcher
Jered Weaver came in 2^nd place in the 2011 Cy Young balloting and had a microscopic 2.41 ERA to go with 18 wins, so he could be an easy choice for the best pitcher on the Angels’ staff. But Dan Haren might’ve actually been better, at least when it comes to the things a pitcher can control. Haren only struck out six fewer batters, walked about half as many hitters, and even had a much higher ground-ball rate than his higher-profile teammate. This all culminated in an FIP of 2.98, which beat out Weaver’s score of 3.20. We may need to call this one a tie.

Bryan Grosnick
Contributor at RotoHardball.com
Contributor at CloserNews.com
@bgrosnick

Epstein fired manager Mike Quade on Wednesday after just a little over one season in Chicago. The Sun-Times has the story.

Dodgers fans are ecstatic that the McCourts are selling. The LA Times has the full story.

The Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander was the most dominant pitcher in the game en route to 24 wins. Jose Bautista didn’t match his 54 home runs of a year ago, but had another 40+ home run season. Lance Berkman looked like his career was done in 2010, but he hit 30 home runs this season and is an NL MVP candidate. Jacoby Ellsbury was the king of the AL DL a year ago, but this season was a candidate for both the comeback player of the year and AL MVP awards.

Curtis Granderson had a bust out season, topping 40 home runs for the first time in his career. Teammate Derek Jeter picked up his 3,000th hit, while another, Mariano Rivera, broke the all-time record for career saves. Across town, Jose Reyes won his first batting title in what might be his last year as a Met.  Albert Pujols had an “off” year and still hit 35 dingers and Matt Kemp met and exceeded all expectations.  With all of that in mind, the finalists for the individual awards in each league should look something like this…

AL MVP – Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano (NY), Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Jose Bautista (TOR), Justin Verlander (DET)

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander (Det)

AL Rookie of the Year – Jeremy Hellickson (TB), Ivan Nova (NY), Eric Hosmer (KC), Mark Trumbo (LA), J.P. Arencibia (TOR)

AL Manager of the Year – Manny Acta (CLE), Jim Leyland (DET), Ron Washington (TEX), Joe Girardi (NY)

AL Comeback Player of the Year – Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Melky Cabrera (KC)

NL MVP – Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder (MIL), Matt Kemp (LA), Lance Berkman (STL), Justin Upton (AZ)

NL Cy Young – Ian Kennedy (AZ), Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (PHI), Clayton Kershaw (LA)

NL Manager of the Year – Kirk Gibson (AZ), Ron Roenicke (MIL), Clint Hurdle (PIT), Charlie Manuel (PHI)

NL Rookie of the Year – Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel (ATL), Danny Espinosa (WAS), Javy Guerra (LA)

NL Comeback Player of the Year – Carlos Beltran (NY,SF), Lance Berkman (STL)

But baseball isn’t about the individual, it’s about the teams.

Early on the Indians, Royals, and Pirates played beyond expectation. In fact the Indians held first place in the AL Central for 85 days. The three teams would eventually fade, but the Arizona Diamondbacks did just the opposite. They were six games under .500 in mid-May, but played at a torrid pace the rest of the season to win the division title. Meanwhile Boston and Atlanta entered the final month of the season as virtual locks to make the post-season only to be eliminated on the final night of the season.

The LA Dodgers and the Mets had ownership and money issues, the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds were huge disappointments, and the Baltimore Orioles, despite much promise, finished last in the AL East for the fourth straight year. In the end the Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, Brewers, and Diamondbacks captured their divisions while the Rays and Cardinals entered the playoffs as wild card entries.

What’s that? How did the Baseball Digest team do at predicting the post-season teams? Let’s take a look.

Well it appears, ahem, one person knew what they were talking about with the AL East. Yes, that would be me. Michael Maher, likewise, was the only one of our bunch who had the insight to pick the Tigers in the AL Central. He was also the only one to pick the Rays to win the AL wild card. Four out of seven dentist, er writers, chose the Rangers correctly in the AL West, while none of us had the Diamondbacks sniffing a title in the NL West.

Bill Ivie stuck his neck out picking the Braves to win the NL East, while everyone else selected the Phillies. Needless to say, his neck hurts. Bill’s beloved Cardinals didn’t win the NL Central as he had selected, but he was brought joy on the night of Game 162 when they made the post-season. Meanwhile Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb, Kirk Verner, and Matt Wilson all correctly chose the Brewers for the Central crown, but just like the NL West, no one got the NL wild card correct either. So the finally tally of correct predictions..drum roll please…four writers with 3 right each. Meanwhile Josh Landsburg, Mark Healey, and Bill Ivie…um, better luck next year. (In fairness, Bill did get 2 playoff teams correct, just in the wrong spots)

Michael Maher 3
Drew Sarver 3
Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb 3
Matt Wilson 3
Shai Kushner 2
Kirk Verner 2
Josh Landsburg 1
Mark Healey 1
Bill Ivie 0

Please check back after the league championship series for updated standings, and be sure to bookmark Baseball Digest to view all of our post-season coverage.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken Jr. will give the keynote address at the Hutch Award Luncheon on Feb. 1, 2012. Proceeds will benefit early cancer detection research at the Hutchinson Center .

This year’s Hutch Award nominees are:

• Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals
• Tony Campana, Chicago Cubs
• Michael Cuddyer, Minnesota Twins
• Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees
• Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
• Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Justin Masterson, Cleveland Indians
• Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
• Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox
• Josh Willingham, Oakland Athletics

The Hutch Award recipient will be selected this fall through a vote of all surviving former awardees. A total of 46 players have been honored since 1965, when Mickey Mantle accepted the inaugural award. Baseball’s Sandy Koufax, Carl Yastrzemski, Willie McCovey and Lou Brock all received the Hutch Award; in recent years Jamie Moyer, Craig Biggio, Jon Lester, Mark Teahen and Tim Hudson have joined their ranks.

The Hutch Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the honor, courage and dedication of legendary baseball player and manager Fred Hutchinson. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center – founded by Fred’s brother, Dr. Bill Hutchinson, after Fred succumbed to cancer at age 45 – is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the understanding, treatment and prevention of cancer and related diseases.

For more information about the Hutch Award, including a full list of past recipients, or to learn more about the luncheon, visit www.fhcrc.org/hutchaward.

The five chosen this time managed to play solidly through the July heat and into the final couple of weeks of their season.

Matt Moore, LHP, Durham Bulls, International League, Tampa Rays – For starters there’s that 0.88 ERA. Add to that his 8-1 record and that between July 22nd and August 12th he mowed hitters down in each of his five starts. Moore posted a 0.69 ERA for July,  striking out 49 batters in 30.2 innings. Highlight: His July 27th gem. Over 8 scoreless innings he allowed just 3 hits and struck out 13.

Gary Sanchez, C, Charleston Riverdogs, South Atlantic League, New York Yankees – Before going on the DL, Sanchez was putting together a productive season. In August he got 13 hits in 9 games, hitting.433 with 5 multi-hit games. Highlight: On August 3rd he hit two home runs and then did it again on August 10th.

Mike Trout, CF, Texas Travelers, Texas League, Anaheim Angels – Trout’s consistency through July and August was just more of the same. He hit .300 in July and is hitting .358 through the first two weeks of this month. He has a 9-game hitting streak going, with 13 hits accumulated. Highlight: On August 6th Trout went 3-3 with an RBI and a walk.

Greg Billo, RHP, Kane County Tigers, Midwest League, Kansas City Royals – While a pitcher’s record doesn’t always reflect his performances, in this case it does. Billo is 9-2 with a 0.75 ERA through the first two weeks of August. He finished July with a 1.19 ERA. In five starts he’s allowed just six earned runs. Billo has pitched deep into games, logging 55 innings in ten starts. Highlight: On August 10th he picked up the win against Peoria after pitching a seven-inning one-hitter.

Mason Williams, OF, Staten Island Yankees, New York Penn League – Through 10 games in August he has 18 hits, putting his average at .500. He finished July hitting .357, improving his average steadily throughout the season. Williams has struck out just once in his last five games. Highlight: On August 6th he got 3 hits, a walk, and stole two bases.

My eye on… Erik Arnesen, RHP, Harrisburg Senators, Eastern League, Washington Nationals: On August 14th against the Trenton Thunder, the big righty came back from a shaky first inning to pitch six scoreless innings . He struck out ten Thunder hitters by mixing speeds and attacking the strike zone. It was Arnesen’s 8th win of 2011.

As we enter the end of the season and look forward to the playoffs for some teams and towards 2012 for others, it is time that the rookies of this season start getting some recognition and find the spotlight falling on them.

Here are three offensive players and three pitchers in the American League that qualify for the Rookie Of The Year award.  If you are not watching these guys by now, it is time to start.

The offensive rookies in the American League are a bit more clear cut.  The Royals own Eric Hosmer is putting together a solid season with a balanced attack and showing Royals fans that first base is a position they can get behind.  Angels fans would tell you that first base is definitely the position of the future for them as well as Mark Trumbo is killing the ball in Anaheim.  Toronto, on the other hand, has a catcher that is showing the he can handle the bat as well, and J.P. Arencibia is getting noticed quickly.

The Odds On Favorite For Rookie Of The Year
Sorry Royals fans, it is hard to argue with what Mark Trumbo is doing for the Angels.  He leads the American League rookies in Games Played and At Bats but there is a reason for that.  His .261 batting average and .301 on base percentage leave some room for improvement, but his power numbers are nothing to sneeze at.  With 20 doubles, 22 home runs, 63 runs batted in, and a .495 slugging percentage have him well in place to grab the Jackie Robinson Award in the American League this year.

The Runner Up
Royals fans can relax a little bit as Eric Hosmer is not too far behind Trumbo.  Hosmer is posting a .282 batting average while knocking 10 home runs and driving in 47 runs batted in.  Add in 19 doubles and a total of 93 hits and you can bet that the future has arrived in Kansas City and the future looks bright.

He Deserves A Look
Toronto’s young backstop, J.P. Arencibia may not be hitting for a good average, his is only .216, but what he is hitting is going a long way.  He is second to Trumbo for the most home runs by a rookie in the American League with 18 and pairs that with 52 runs batted in.  The drop off from there is tremendous, however, as he only posts 13 doubles and 3 triples, leaving him with a .452 slugging percentage.  His on base percentage plunges below .300 and he is striking out at an alarming rate.  The Blue Jays have a solid power hitter on their hands, they just hope he can learn some patience.

If it seems the offensive rookies are a bit sparse in the American League, the pitching prospects across the league are enough to get any baseball fan excited about the future.  The Royals put their share of pitchers into any conversation with Aaron Crow, Danny Duffy, and Tim Collins.  Jeremy Hellickson and Ivan Nova are both posting double digit wins for the Rays and Yankees, respectively.  Jordan Walden, meanwhile, is closing games at a solid pace for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Up north in Seattle, Michael Pineda is racking up the innings, and strikeouts, at a rapid pace.

The Odds On Favorite For Rookie Of The Year
Speaking of Michael Pineda, he is running away with this category in 2011.  He leads all rookies with 130 innings pitched and 133 strikeouts.  He has only walked 43 batters and given up 12 home runs.  He is posting a 3.53 earned run average and has won 9 games for a team that is struggling to win games as it is.  Pineda is showing some dominance at times and not showing any signs of slowing down, at least until his pitching arm falls off.

The Runner Up
It is Jordan Walden of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim that is equally as impressive as Pineda.  Walden has posted 25 saves in 32 chances, posted a 3 wins, 3 losses record.  Over the course of 45 innings pitched, he has struck out 48 hitters and only walked 18.  With only one home run allowed and a 2.80 earned run average, the Angels have a closer they can count on for a long time to come.

He Deserves A Look
Call me old fashioned, but I still like a pitcher that wins games without giving up a ton of runs, even if he is not striking out everyone he faces.  For that reason, take a look at the Rays’ pitcher Jeremy Hellickson who has won 10 games  over 7 losses while posting a 3.15 earned run average.  He is going deep into games with 122.2 innings pitched and has struck out 79 hitters while walking 45.  He will not bring home any hardware, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.

Around the league there are pitchers and hitters that will look to capitalize on solid rookie seasons and avoid the Sophomore Slump.  While these players are showcasing themselves around the American League, it is important to take a look at one player that is not on this list that will mean something more to our i70baseball fans.  Here is our honorable mention.

i70baseball Honorable Mention
The honorable mention here goes to a player that is pitching impressively despite not being in a key role, which will keep him out of discussions based on stats.  Aaron Crow may be the closer of the future in Kansas City after pitching his way to an earned run average below 2.00 and striking out 49 hitters in 51.1 innings pitched.  Crow has allowed five home runs this season.  He has scattered 37 hits over his innings of work and taken the mound 43 times.  Crow will keep fans excited to see the bullpen doors swing open in Kansas City for many future seasons.

As the season comes to an end, keep an eye on these seven players and their impact on their teams and the league when the dust settles.  One of these players will take home a Jackie Robinson Award and etch their name into the history books.  The rest will attempt to build on a solid rookie campaign and make a career out of it.  Time will tell how well these names will become known.

Bill Ivie is the editor at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

Done Deals

Boston – Kansas City: The Red Sox have added to their depth by picking up Mike Aviles from the Royals for infielder Yamaico Navarro and pitcher Kendal Vez. In Aviles, the Red Sox get a player who can play 2B, SS, and 3B, all positions that have seen players banged up this season. He also swings a decent stick. Aviles fell victim to the youth movement in KC and was sent to the minors at one point this season. He could face a demotion again when Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie returns from the DL.

Texas – Baltimore: The Rangers spoke with a number of teams about relievers and were hoping to land the Padres’ Heath Bell.  But the asking price was too high for the pitchers that Texas most coveted. So instead, the Rangers went a cheaper route by sending corner infielder Chris Davis and pitcher Tommy Hunter to the Orioles for Koji Uehara.

It’s a low risk move for both teams. Uehera is good, but not outstanding. He’s a strikeout pitcher despite not having overpowering stuff, but also can’t be used on back-to-back days due to his tendency to get banged up. Davis has been a productive hitter in the minor leagues, but hasn’t been able to put it together in “The Show”. He strikes out way too much and can’t hit left-handed pitching. Unless the Orioles deal Derrek Lee, Davis will probably only see occassional playing time at DH and 1B.

Hunter is a #4 starter at best. He pitches to contact and isn’t going to blow anyone away.  The Rangers’ number one pick in 2007, Hunter got off to an 8-o, 2.31 start last season, but went 5-4, 5.07 in his final 14 starts plus one relief appearance. Hunter is also an injury risk and missed a good chunk of this season with a groin injury.

Detroit – Seattle: The Tigers wanted to shore up their starting rotation for the stretch run and feel they did so by picking up Doug Fister from the Mariners. Fister can’t be judged by the 3-12 record he amassed with a bad Mariners club. In 21 starts, Fister allowed less than a hit an inning and walked just two hitters per nine innings while he struck out 5.5 batters. He also allowed just four home runs and had a 2.8 WAR with the Mariners.

Reliever David Pauley accompanied Fister to give the Tigers some depth in their bullpen. In return, Seattle received pitcher Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells, third baseman Francisco Martinez and a player to be named later.

Furbush is a 25-yr old left-handed strikeout pitcher that was used as both a starter and reliever by the Tigers. No word yet if he’ll replace Fister in the rotation or Pauley in the pen. Wells is a fourth outfielder that can play all three outfield spots, but doesn’t hit much.  Martinez is a highly touted third baseman, but only the second best hot corner man in the Tigers organization. The 20-yr old Venezuelan is still developing his power, but had pretty good splits (.282/.319/.405) for Single-A Erie.

Arizona – Washington: The Diamondbacks added to their rotation by sending infielder Zach Walter, a former 9th round draft pick, to the Nationals for veteran starter Jason Marquis. The soon-to-be 33-yr old joins his sixth organization after 1+ seasons in the Nation’s capital. Marquis was 8-5, 3.95 in 20 starts this season and averaged six innings each time out. With a WHIP over 1.4 and 0.8 WAR, Marquis is a shaky back-end-of-the-rotation starter. He missed most of last season with elbow surgery.

Rumors

Ubaldo Jimenez: The Rockies have reportedly lowered their demands since they have yet to make a deal.  The Red Sox, Reds, and Indians are said to be negotiating the most, while the Yankees are still in play.

Hiroku Kuroda: The Dodgers right-hander really doesn’t want to leave LA, but has reportedly told the cash-strapped team that he’d be willing to accept a trade to the Rangers, Red Sox, or Yankees.

Josh Willingham and Ryan Ludwick: The A’s and Padres outfielders are still being talked about and are expected to be moved at some point this weekend. Right now it appears A’s GM Billy Beane is asking too much for Willingham.

Heath Bell: Unless the Padres lower their demands, the team’s closer won’t be going anywhere.

Denard Span: The Nationals have been working for days to try to land the Twins’ outfielder. A rumor spread earlier this afternoon that the Twins were trying to get the Yankees involved in a possible three-team deal.

Rafael Furcal: The shell-of-himself shortstop is close to being sent from the Dodgers to the Cardinals.

Update 7:20 PM

Hiroki Kuroda has refused to waive his no-trade clause and will remain an LA Dodger. The ramifications of Kuroda off the market is that the Rockies can now boost their asking price back up for Ubaldo Jimenez.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Second Round

Neither Oakland nor the Angels had a second round pick this season.  Those picks went to Tampa Bay (in compensation for signing FA Grant Balfour) and Toronto (in compensation for signing FA Scott Downs) respectively.

Seattle – Bradley Miller, SS, Clemson. Seattle may have addressed their future needs at shortstop.  Miller was a C0-Captain of the Clemson Baseball team in 2011; his season ended yesterday when UCONN knocked the Tigers out of the NCAA tournament.  He is a First-Team All-American, and hit .419 overall this past season (including playoffs).  He has a good eye and good speed on the basepaths.

Texas – Will Lamb, LHP, Clemson. The Rangers announced drafting Lamb as a left-handed pitcher, but he also can hit the ball with authority.  In 59 regular season games he hit .348, with 11 doubles, 4 triples, and 3 home runs.  As a pitcher, in 2011 he appeared in 10 games (4 starts) and got hit pretty good, posting a 5.11 ERA in those 24 innings pitched.  In fact, he only threw 98 innings total in 3 years of college ball.  Some reports call him very athletic, but he’s an interesting second round selection as he will be a project to unlock his pitching potential.

Third Round

Seattle – Kevin Cron, 1B, Mountain Pointe AZ High School, and Carter Capps, RHP, Mt Olive College. Kevin’s older brother C.J. went to Los Angeles with the #17 pick, and his father is a former major league player, so there is good potential here.  Like his brother, he plays first base but can also catch.  The younger Cron was ranked the #5 high school prospect in the state of Arizona this season.

Capps is a right-handed pitcher, the 2011 Division II National Pitcher of the Year, and runner-up for Division II National Player of the Year.  Capps threw 118 innings this past regular season, striking out 129 hitters while walking only 18.  Opponents hit .191 against him.  He is scheduled to play in the Cape Cod League this summer for Harwich, so assuming that plan stays in place Seattle will get an early evaluation on how he fares against Division I competition.  On paper he looks like a beast.

Oakland – B.A. Vollmuth, 3B, Southern Mississippi. Vollmuth was taken in the 32nd round three years ago (Houston) but opted for college instead.  At Southern Miss he has been a three-year starter, and this season led the team in HR.  Oakland’s power production from their corner infielders has lagged the past few years, so picking a slugging first baseman makes a lot of sense.  Vollmuth might be a tough signee; his history proves he is willing to walk away from the negotiating table, and the this story on his selection implies his signing bonus amount will weigh heavily on his decision to sign or return for his senior year.

Los Angeles of Anaheim – Nick Maronde, LHP, Florida. Maronde was a starter on last year’s Gator team but spent most of 2011 coming out of the bullpen (31 appearances, 1 start).  The Angels will definitely groom him as a starter.  He is reported to hit 96 on the gun with his fastball, and have good movement on his secondary pitches.  This past season he stuck out 59 hitters in 38 innings, and opponents hit .179 against him.

Texas – Kyle Castro, RHP, Pleasant Grove HS, CA. There’s not a lot of data available on this righty from Northern California.  This story from late May talks about how he fared during an early CIF playoff game against a rival high school.  He is a multi-sport athlete, so in keeping with Texas’ second round draft pick he is an athletically talented guy who some growing to do.

The 2011 MLB Draft concluded Wednesday with rounds 31-50.

Mike Metzger is a senior writer covering the AL West for BaseballDigest.com.

Texas.  The most obvious reason Texas came back to the pack is the loss of Josh Hamilton for 6 weeks.  Losing Nelson Cruz on May 3 did not help matters either.  Rangers went 15-21 without Hamilton and 7-9 without Cruz (those periods overlap).  The pitching looks consistent, posting a 4.07 xFIP in Mar/April and a 4.09 so far in May (through Tuesday).  But that’s heavily weighted to the starters; Ranger starters have a 3.88 xFIP this season, while their relief corps is second-worst in the league (4.61).  Losing two of their best hitters, and a struggling bullpen, has dragged Texas down to earth after a sizzling start.

Los Angeles. One could say the offense has been troublesome.  Mark Trumbo and Howie Kendrick are tied for the team lead in HR.  If you predicted that would be the case heading into the Memorial Day Weekend, stop by the office to pick up your prize. As compared to 2010, Angel power has dried up; they hit 32 HR in May of last year, but only 13 so far this season.  Further, as Jonah Keri pointed out last week, they are striking much more often than in years past, which may partially explain why a team with the fourth highest BABIP in baseball is 16th in runs scored.  The Los Angeles bullpen is one of only 4 (Texas is in this group too) with a negative WAR on the season.  The Angels are a half game behind Texas mostly because their starting pitching is third-best in the AL (again based on xFIP).  Their struggles appear to revolve around their offensive production and ineffective bullpen.

Seattle. Seattle’s season needs to be couched in terms of success instead of discussing.  A team not expected to hit has not hit; they are in a virtual dead hit with Minnesota for worst offense in the AL based on wOBA (MIN – .286; SEA – .287).  Their starting pitching appears to be for real.  The Mariners have the second-best starting corps in the league as measured by xFIP (only Oakland’s is better).  Michael Pineda has put early concerns he was not ready for the major leagues to rest and is currently a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year.  Surprisingly the Seattle defense has not been that good; they are currently second-worst in the league, a bit of a surprise for a team boasting Brendan Ryan and Franklin Gutierrez (although Gutierrez just returned from the DL last week).    Minnesota snapped the Mariner win streak at six last night, but the Mariners rode that streak to within 1.5 games of the divisional lead.

Oakland. They are almost an exact of the Mariners – their pitching is slightly better than Seattle’s, their defense slightly worse, their offense virtually the same (.291 wOBA).   .  The much publicized and discussed public tiff between former closer Brian Fuentes and manager Bob Geren aside, little offense and sparkling pitching is the formula from last year so no surprises there.   Last year the A’s were the second-best defensive team in the American League. I believe their troubles with the leather are why they are in last place in the AL West.

Summary. The season prepares to roll into June and no AL West team has distinguished itself from the rest of the field.  It’s the only division in baseball where each team has at least a 10% chance to make the playoffs as of today.  Which team is best able to address its flaw (Texas – bullpen; Anaheim – bullpen, offense; Seattle – offense, defense; Oakland – offense, defense) will win the division.  Today the Texas Rangers remain the odds-on favorite to win the division, but that can change at any moment.  After all, who predicted everyone in the division would be within 2 games of each other at the end of May?

All of these nicknames pay homage to perhaps the most impressive clutch player in baseball history.  While there is a debate about the overall truth of ”clutch’ performances, there is no doubt that “Mr. October”, Reggie Jackson, ranks as one of the greatest postseason players in history.

In an October 1980 issue of Baseball Digest, John Kuenster wrote about Reggie Jackson putting up Hall of Fame numbers. Click here to read the full article!

Born in Wyncote, Pennsylvania in 1946 to a former Negro League player, Jackson wasted little time making his mark on the baseball world. Drafted by the Kansas City Athletics as the second overall pick in the 1966 Amateur Draft, he spent parts of just two seasons in the minor leagues before reaching the major leagues on June 9th, 1967.  For the 1968 season, the Athletics moved to Oakland and Jackson became an every day player, slugging 29 homers.

For the player and the team, the pairing proved to turn things around permanently for the franchise.  Coming off a 6th place finish in their first season in Oakland, Jackson’s 1969 season was a breakout year, when he slugged 47 home runs and at one point kept pace with the record setting 61 home runs hit by Roger Maris in 1961.  The 1969 season was the first of seven times he finished in the top 10 for Most Valuable Player.

After a down year in 1970 when Jackson hit 23 homers, he embarked on a terrific five year stretch that changed baseball in the Oakland, California area.  Between 1971 and 1975, he led the American League in home runs twice, and averaged more than 30 home runs a year.  He earned Most Valuable Player honors for the 1973 season, which capped off a tremendous stretch of success that included five straight trips to the postseason, including three straight World Series victories.  Though he missed the 1972 World Series with a torn hamstring, his presence was felt in the subsequent Series, which earned him MVP honors.  For his career, Reggie Jackson had a .357 batting average in 5 World Series.

On the heels of their 1975 ALCS loss to the Boston Red Sox, the Athletics shipped Jackson(along with two other players) to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Don Baylor, Mike Torrez and Paul Mitchell. The Baltimore Era of Reggie Jackson was short lived, as the New York Yankees signed the outfielder to a five year deal worth nearly $3 million dollars in November of 1976.

Jackson’s impact on the Yankees lineup was immediate, as the team reached the playoffs in four of his five seasons in The Bronx. The back to back World Series wins in 1977 and 1978 were the first for the franchise in 15 years.  After homering in Games 4 and 5 of the 1977 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Yankee captain Thurmon Munson famously told reporters to speak with “Mr. October” during the series.  This came before the three homer game, which confirmed the name that would forever link the slugger among the greatest Yankees of all time.

Reggie Jackson’s best season in The Bronx was during the latter end of his tenure with the team. In 1980, Jackson slugged 41 home runs and hit .300, finishing second in the MVP voting.  His worst season as a Yankee came in 1981, which also happened to be his final season  with the team. Despite reaching the World Series for the third time in five years, Jackson clashed with George Steinbrenner and signed a five year deal with the California Angels during the off season to return to the west coast.

Though the Angels reached the ALCS twice with Jackson, he was unable to regain the mystique of “Mr. October” that he had garnered earlier in his career.  For his final season in the big leagues, 1987, Jackson signed with the Oakland Athletics.

Reggie Jackson retired with 563 home runs, good for 13th all-time. He also ranks first all-time in career strikeouts with 2,597. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993 on his first ballot, and wore a Yankee cap for his induction.  In addition to being a central figure  of The Bronx Zoo in the 1970′s and being the namesake for the “Reggie!” bar, Jackson has remained a part of American culture with appearances on various television programs and cameos in films.  He threw out the first ceremonial pitch at the new Yankee Stadium, and remains a special advisor to the New York Yankees.

Also Celebrating A Birthday:

Brooks Robinson(b.1937), spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the Baltimore Orioles and ranks as arguably the greatest third baseman in MLB history.  Robinson earned sixteen consecutive Gold Glove awards between 1960 and 1975 to go along with eighteen All-Star team selections.  In addition to his 1964 American League Most Valuable Player Award, he also earned series MVP honors for his role in the 1970 World Series and the All-Star Game MVP nod in 1966.  His number 5 was retired by the Baltimore Orioles at the end of his final season in 1977, and in 1983 he became one of just sixteen players to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Michael Maher is a senior writer for BaseballDigest.com and he can be reached at MinorLeagueSpotlight@Gmail.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @BD_Maher.

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Schedule

Of their 39 games through Wednesday, the Mariners have played seven different teams, including the aforementioned Indians.  They got swept in Cleveland, but are .500 against the rest of the league.  Against those six other teams, 3 are over (Oakland, Texas, Kansas City) and three under (Toronto, Detroit, Boston) the .500 mark.  Their early success is not a product of playing a weaker schedule relative to the rest of the league.  In fact, one could argue the American League is a shining example of parity so far in 2011; 10 of the 14 teams are within 3 games of .500 either way entering Thursday’s games.  So their schedule has not been overly favorable.

Offense/Pitching/Defense

Using Fangraphs team data, again through Wednesday’s action, I took a look at how the Mariners rank in these 3 areas as compared to the rest of the AL.  Offensively, Seattle’s .290 wOBA puts them just ahead of the hapless Minnesota Twins (.290). Oakland is just ahead of Seattle at .296.  Los Angeles sits sixth at .322, and Texas second with a .345 wOBA.  The Mariners struggle offensively.  That is not the main reason behind their success.

By UZR/150 they are the worst defensive team in the AL (-12.4).  Los Angeles is the best team in the West (6.3) and 4th best in the league.  Oakland and Texas struggle catching the ball almost as much as Seattle does (-7.5 and -4.1, good for 12th and 11th respectively in the AL).  Although the Mariner defense has not helped them stay competitive, relative to most of the division it has not significantly handicapped them either.

Both of baseball’s Western Divisions enjoy reputations for excellent pitching, and the xFIP numbers for the AL West support that notion.  Oakland has the best staff by this metric in the AL (3.56), with Seattle (3.74) and the Angels (3.83) third and fourth respectively.  Even Texas (4.01), with all their staff churn, has thrown the ball reasonably well.  Seattle’s excellent pitching makes sense; they have generated little offense and have shot themselves in the foot defensively on numerous occasions, so being able to pitch well has been essential.  It also helps to have Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda in the rotation.

Anything else we can look at?

Baserunning

Since they struggle getting men on base, they must be running those bases with above average skill.  The numbers bear this out. Bill James Online analyzes each team’s baserunning tendencies, breaking them down by base stealing and baserunning (first to third, first to home, second to home), then coming up with a combined number.  The Mariners don’t steal many bases, but they do run the bases efficiently.  Seattle is fourth in the AL (and 9th overall) in Baserunning, with 90% of that advantage coming from how they run the bases once aboard.  The Angels have a reputation for base running excellence, but Seattle deserves it so far in 2011.

• Going first to third % (times successful divided by opportunities presented): LAA 42.6, SEA 39.6, TEX 28.2, OAK 16.7
• Goind second-to-home % (times successful divided by opportunities presented):  SEA 61.8, OAK 60.7, TEX 60, LAA 56.8

When they do get men on base, they are aggressive about getting them around and in.  They have to be.  Seattle is maximizing their chances to score by taking the extra base whenever they can.

Summary

Seattle sits 3 games out of first largely due to superior pitching, which has made up for their league-worst defense and the third-fewest runs scored (117) in the league, and superior baserunning.  If their offense improves a bit – and as USS Mariner pointed out, they are currently hanging around without their everyday CF and dismal starts from Chone Figgins and Jack Cust – they will continue to surprise in the AL West.

I could not figure out why A’s manager Bob Geren would pull his starter, Tyson Ross, after seven innings Wednesday.  Ross had averaged barely 11 pitches an inning in his fourth career major league start, and second of 2011 in place of the injured Dallas Braden.  He had scattered 4 hits and struck out 3, yet Geren lifted him for Grant Balfour to start the eighth.

Ross pitched out of the Oakland bullpen this season prior to the Braden injury.  Before that, he appeared in 26 games in 2010, starting 2.  Perhaps Geren felt Ross hadn’t been stretched out enough to go deeper into the game.  In an odd statistical coincidence, he also threw 76 pitches in his first start this season, although he did not survive the fifth inning.

Two counterpoints came to mind.  First when building a bullpen pitcher’s endurance to become a starter, teams increase his pitch count from one start to the next.  It would stand to reason the A’s had a 85-90 pitch limit on Ross, which would have allowed him to at least start the eighth.  Second, Ross started in 64 of his 66 minor league appearances; it’s not like he’s a stranger to starting baseball games at the professional level, he just needed a little practice.

Not to mention he had a 4-hitter through seven, and had completely befuddled the Angels.

Of course, had the A’s won this game in regulation no one would care about Geren’s moves in the late innings.  Balfour threw a perfect eighth – so far so good – to set up closer Brian Fuentes for the ninth.  Fuentes, who played most of 2 seasons in Anaheim before being traded to Minnesota last August, had a rocky inning.  Eventually Bobby Abreu knocked in the tying run with a one-out double, although Fuentes escaped with the score only tied.

Oakland managed to re-take the lead in the top of the tenth, and Brad Ziegler worked a perfect bottom half of the inning to secure the win for the A’s.

After the game Geren specifically complimented Ross’ approach during the game.

‘He was going after hitters,’ A’s manager Bob Geren said. ‘That’s what we saw all spring, and that’s why we have such great expectations for him.’

Then why pull him after 76 pitches? His attacking game plan was clearly working, given the lack of offense Anaheim mustered against him. Let the kid keep going; he’s been groomed as a starter his whole professional career.

I suspect the driver behind lifting Ross for Balfour, then Fuentes, was days between appearances for those two pitchers (both had last pitched on Easter Sunday). I’m sure Geren wanted to give them some work before the off-day and the upcoming 3-game series with Texas.

I completely agree with looking how many days in a row someone has worked prior to bringing him into a game.  Not so much at using how many days off a bullpen hand has had.  Decisions on who to bring into a game should be made based on the game situation at the time.  Tyson Ross had the game well in hand and had been remarkably efficient while doing so.  He should have had an opportunity to keep pitching on Wednesday.

Geren’s decision did not hurt the team, as they were able to ultimately win.  The A’s got a little lucky.

Mike Metzger is a Senior Writer covering the AL West for BaseballDigest.com.  He can be emailed at metzgermg@yahoo.com, and followed on Twitter @metzgermg.  He also blogs about the Cardinals and Padres in his spare time.

Many fans have been perplexed by manager Mike Scioscia’s preference to send Jeff Mathis behind the plate with regularity, because of Mathis’ lack of production.  In 2010 he hit .195/.217/.278 in 218 plate appearances, which is awful, yet consistent when compared with the rest of his career.  Scioscia’s other primary option behind the plate, Mike Napoli, ended up playing most of the year at first after Kendrys Morales broke his leg in May.  Bobby Wilson, brought up full-time also after the Morales injury, was better than Mathis (.229/.288/.417) but not significantly so.

With Napoli now in Arlington, and Conger perceived as not ready, most observers resigned themselves to another year of futility from the Angels catching corps.  It has not worked out that way.  So far in 28 plate appearances (PA), Conger is batting .333/.429/.625.  Defensively, according to Bill James Fielding Plus/Minus data, he’s ranked 12th in pitcher handling (3 earned runs saved) and seventh in stolen bases.  By way of comparison Mathis is hitting .200/.216/.400, is also ranked 12th in pitcher handling (-3 earned runs saved) and seventh in stolen bases.

The conventional wisdom stated Mathis got playing time over Napoli because he was better defensively.  Small sample size bias aside, Conger so far is as good defensively as Mathis and significantly better with the lumber.  The rookie has forced Scioscia’s hand to give him more playing time.  While this is the right decision, it naturally has not set well with Mathis, who requested a closed door meeting with the manager over the weekend and would not reveal what he discussed.

More damning for Mathis, Conger is doing all his damage as a left-handed hitter.  Through Wednesday’s games, 26 of his 28 PA had been from the left side of the plate, and he has hit .304/.385/.609 in those opportunities.  Since most pitchers are right-handed, even platooning the two men favors Conger.

The two catchers have split the last six starts (Conger got April 15, 16, and 19; Mathis 17, 18,  and 20), which currently seems the best way to keep the peace.  There’s also probably concern amongst the coaches to not overexpose the 23-year old too early, and the  realization he will not hit at an Albert Pujols-like level the entire season (his .297/.360/.465 career minor league line is a much more reasonable expectation).

So long as Conger swings a better bat than the other options Los Angeles has at catcher, he will make it increasingly more difficult to keep him out of the every day lineup.  For a team widely expected to struggle scoring runs this season, the Rise of Hank Conger is a very pleasant development.  The days he is not the primary catcher for the Angels are numbered.

Mike Metzger is a Senior Writer covering the AL West for BaseballDigest.com.  He can be reached at metzgermg@yahoo.com, and followed on Twitter @metzgermg.  Mike blogs about the Padres and Cardinals in his spare time.

Replacing an injured player with someone who cannot play his position is not that uncommon a practice.  Most teams evaluate what their needs are without the injured player and promote accordingly.  The only unwritten rule most every team follows is replacing an injured pitcher with another pitcher, and an injured position player with another position player.  What is odd about this roster move, and continues to be odd a full week later, is how it left Texas with no experienced outfield depth in center.

Nelson Cruz, David Murphy, and Julio Borbon are the only three listed outfielders on the active roster.  Headed into Monday’s action they had played every inning of every game since Hamilton went down.  Mitch Moreland pinch-hit for Borbon in Sunday’s ninth inning, and would have played right in the bottom half of the frame had the Rangers tied it up.  That would have necessitated Murphy moving to center and Cruz to left.  Turns out, that’s the outfield Anaheim faced Monday night for eight innings (Borbon came on as a defensive sub in the ninth).

Except for Borbon, none of the Ranger outfielders have any real experience in center.  Should Julio get hurt that would leave a pretty big hole in the defense.  Murphy has played 43 career games there, Cruz 2, Moreland zero.  Further complicating matters are Borbon’s struggles with the bat; his current .194/.275/.306 line is ugly, and his career .281/.324/.357 line is not much better.

The top two CF in the Ranger system, Engel Beltre and Jake Skole, are not ready.  Beltre is hitting .220 in AA, and Skole, drafted in 2010, is just starting out. So what do the Rangers do?  It may be time to promote either Craig Gentry or Endy Chavez from AAA Round Rock.  There is risk with both those promotions.  Gentry is a CF by trade but has not hit much in the majors, despite hitting well in AAA.  Chavez has lots of major league experience in center, but is no improvement over Borbon at the plate (.270/.312/.367 career line), and has not played in the majors since 2009.

With no true CF on the bench, and Borbon struggling, the Rangers are using a below-average guy as their primary centerfielder, but their internal options to upgrade there are pretty limited.

Around the Division:

Seattle Mariners – Since opening with back-to-back wins, the Mariners have dropped 12 of 15.  One of the biggest problems for Seattle appears to be their bullpen, as evidenced Monday night when Josh Lueke and Chris Ray allowed 6 runs in the sixth enroute to an 8-3 loss.  According to Fangraphs, the Mariner relievers are not pitching as badly as the results would attest; their 4.28 xFIP places them seventh in the league.  Their ERA of 5.98 is second-worst in the AL, however.

Oakland A’s – Oakland acquired former Toronto reliever David Purcey Monday for minor league pitcher Danny Farquhar.  Purcey had been previously designated for assignment by Toronto.  Purcey replaces Dallas Braden on the roster; Braden went on the 15-day DL with shoulder stiffness.

Los Angeles Angels – Anaheim entered their current series with Texas tied atop the division, but got mowed down by CJ Wilson in Monday’s action, losing 7-1.

Mike Metzger is a Senior Writer covering the AL West for BaseballDigest.com.  He can be reached at metzgermg@yahoo.com or via Twitter @metzgermg.  Mike blogs about the Padres and Cardinals in his spare time.