The Pre Opening Day NL Central Standings Prediction Thread

DewsSox79

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Lets do a pre selection and than we will do another one on opening day.

Discuss why you are picking who you are picking ETC
 

ChiSoxCity

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Cardinals win the NL Central again because they have the best pitching staff in the division.

2. Bucko's
3. Cubs
4. Brewers
5. Reds



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JZsportsfan

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1. Cardinals- because they are the Cardinals
2. Cubs - I know a lot has to go right for the Cubs to truly make a run this year. I think a lot does go right and they win about 86 games
3. Pirates- I think the Pirates will struggle a little this year after losing Martin. I think they win about 85 games
4. Brewers- Struggled most of the season last year outside of their superub April- 1/2 of May. Really didn't add much this offseason and have no prospects to really boost them
5. Reds- Reds are in a 1-2 year rebuild. Too many big contracts, SP is going to be a huge question heading into the season
 

Mr. Cub

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1. Cardinals- because they are the Cardinals
2. Cubs - I know a lot has to go right for the Cubs to truly make a run this year. I think a lot does go right and they win about 86 games
3. Pirates- I think the Pirates will struggle a little this year after losing Martin. I think they win about 85 games
4. Brewers- Struggled most of the season last year outside of their superub April- 1/2 of May. Really didn't add much this offseason and have no prospects to really boost them
5. Reds- Reds are in a 1-2 year rebuild. Too many big contracts, SP is going to be a huge question heading into the season

This about how I would put them, too. Even maybe a flip flop of the Cubs/Pirates... Depending how shit goes.
 

Zvbxrpl

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1) Cards
2) Brews
3) Cubs (80 wins)
4) Pirates
5) Reds
 

DewsSox79

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cards
pirates
reds....still have a lineup if healthy and sp is just average.
cubs......will battle the reds closely for 3rd
brewers....just nothing there. gallardo dealt makes it worse


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Samurai Mike

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Cards
Pirates
Cubs
Brewers
Reds

I do think the Cubs and Pirates will be close but think the Pirates will pull it off. I'd say 80-85 wins for the Cubs this year. The Reds will be good again soon but like it was said earlier they are in a mini rebuild.
 

Bear Pride

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I'm going with:

1) Cubs
Cards - a one game playoff

3) Brewers - a little better finish then last year.

4) Pirates - Losing Martin proves to be bigger than they think.

5) Reds - Rebuilding

:cubs: Feel free to hold me to this shiznet biotches!
 

ChiSoxCity

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I'm going with:

1) Cubs
Cards - a one game playoff

3) Brewers - a little better finish then last year.

4) Pirates - Losing Martin proves to be bigger than they think.

5) Reds - Rebuilding

:cubs: Feel free to hold me to this shiznet biotches!

Can I get some spaghetti with that?


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Boobaby1

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Cardinals 89-73
Pirates 87-75
Cubs 85-77
Red 77-85
Brewers 73-89

The Central will beat up on each other this year, and I don't see any team getting to 90 wins.

The top three could all be shuffled IMO, but the Cubs would have to have a really good chunk of things to go right with the prospects. I think the Cubs will plant a foothold this year, and from here on out, will start to be the favorites to win the division along with the Cardinals who are now coming back to the Cubs in the standings.

Pittsburgh still has one of the best young outfields in the game, they also have good pitching and pitching prospects ready to come up. They will be the Centrals version of the Tampa Rays from a few years back.

With the Reds and Brewers losing key pitching, it is hard to not drop them way down, as they both appear to be the bottom feeders for awhile.
 

TC in Mississippi

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Predicting baseball divisions is a fools game (that I do like clockwork anyway) and predicting them in January is almost silly still:

1. Cardinals

- picking against St. Louis makes no sense as they always seem to find a way. Heyward was a huge pickup solidifying the middle of their lineup. They're still not as deep a team as they've been in their best years but they weren't last year either and won the division with 90 wins. They have to avoid injuries and Wainright and Wacha need to be healthy. Signing James Shields would buy them some breathing room.

2. Pirates

Losing Martin will hurt them, but maybe not as much as some expect. His offense was going drop off in 2015 no matter where he played and His strength in pitch framing is also the strength of his replacement Francisco Cervelli. A key addition for them was Antonio Bastardo that should help shore up a sometimes shaky bullpen. I see them as just a notch below the Cardinals once again but frankly both are pretty close as they were with 88 and 90 wins in 2014.

3. Cubs

Realistically this is where you have to rank this team based on some very good off season additions in Lester, Montero, Fowler, Lastella and of course the anticipation of Kris Bryant. You have to look at this team as entering the season without Javy Baez or you'd have to consider him a negative. Not saying he won't be on the club or even help it's just that you can't project improvement at this point given where he was at and a disappointing winter ball showing. I expect Soler to have made some adjustments and improve, Alcantara to see a lot of AB wherever he plays and to show improvement and this prediction is contingent on Kris Bryant being on being an above average player from day one. The rotation is solid if unspectacular and the bullpen fits that description as well. If Jason Motte is healthy he could be a big addition. Lots of ifs here but not enough to not say that a 10 win improvement is likely. Should stay close to the top two teams and maybe close enough to make moves to compete with them. Still you can't call the better than either with a straight face.

4. Reds

- You can look at the Reds as either being in the last year of a rapidly closing window or right at the beginning of some kind of rebuild. If you project the former its on the basis of a healthy and resurgent Jay Bruce, ditto on Joey Votto and expect a true Ace level season out of Johnny Cueto. It's possible all those things happen and they still aren't much better than than their 76 wins in 2014. 80 wins is probably their ceiling and given that they look like sellers at the deadline it's hard to see much better.

5. Brewers

- Hard to see a plan here. They collapsed in 2014 and have gotten worse. Possible additions of Jonathan Papelbon and/or James Shields wouldn't seem to be game changer answers.

Bottom line is this looks to be a competitive division with real talent on the top 4 teams. The Cubs, Cardinals an Pirates all have payroll flexibility to improve at the deadline although the Cubs would appear to have the prospect edge in trades if they're inclined to use them. The Cardinals seem more susceptible to injury concerns than either the Cubs or Pirates at this point but you can't really even guess at that aspect. Hard to see how these predictions change much as we get closer but last minute trades, injuries or signings like Shields could make an impact.
 

chibears55

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right now im going to go with a 3 team race for the top spot...

cardinals , cubs, and pirates..

cardinals are getting older with some of their key starters and im hoping that slows them down a bit as the season goes on...
matt holliday 36 jhonny peralta 33 yadier Molina 33 adam wainright 34 john lackey 36

pirates goes as far as their offense takes them, so any slight fall back from their offense will put them right back into the pack especially since their rotation is a bit shakey after losing volquez...

cubs go as far as their young hitters take them.. they have a very talented offense who if they just hit the way their capable of could score a lot of runs
they struggle, the offense will stuggle..

the pitching is very good and can hold their own, but not sure if it strong enough to win too many low scoring games

Bryant, soler, and baez will be a big key as to how good this cubs team will be in 2015


im going with all 3 of these teams right now as capable of finishing over .500 and winning 80 somtn games, the one that avoids the long losing streak and wins more head to head will take the division..

brewers and reds are falling at this point, neither done anything this off season to improve over last season...
 

JZsportsfan

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cards
pirates
reds....still have a lineup if healthy and sp is just average.
cubs......will battle the reds closely for 3rd
brewers....just nothing there. gallardo dealt makes it worse


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The Reds are quite a bit worse than last year and barely beat out the Cubs who got quite a bit better. They lost their #2 and #3 and replaced them with 2 guys who are back end projections, with about 30 career starts. Doubt their SP is average now.

Brewers have about the same team as last year, but yeah not a whole lot there.
 

Jntg4

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1) Cubs 162-0
2) Cardinals
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4) Pirates
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CSF77

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Cards, Bucks, Cubs, Reds, Brews.

I'll put the Cubs in the 86-81 win range.
 

brett05

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Cardinals win the NL Central again because they have the best pitching staff in the division.

2. Bucko's
3. Cubs
4. Brewers
5. Reds



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Second this vote
 

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