MLB Second Half Q&A

On WEEI the other day, two hosts were asking one another ten questions about the second half of the MLB 2012 season. They had some good answers, but I thought I'd share my thoughts as well.

1. Which team out of the playoff race gets in?

I'm so tempted to say the Athletics or the Mets. But I can't. I've gotta go with the White Sox. Yes I know they've won only four of eleven games in the White Sox - Tigers season series. However, Detroit seems to be at the pique of their dominance for the year. With the emergence of Kevin Youkilis at the hot corner, fan-favorite Paul Konerko at first, and the MLB home run leader in Adam Dunn, the Sox are poised for a playoff push.

2. Which team in the playoff race is out?

The expected answer would be the Pirates, but they look so strong. Sadly, I'll say the Baltimore Orioles. They start off every season with such promise. Hey, they still have a chance to get over .500 this season, but their time has not come yet. They've got the ability to win the close games, but they're third to last in batting average in the MLB, and in their last ten games, they're slipping, they have a 5-6 record. I don't see them contending.

3. Who will be the first manager fired?

The man at the helm of the 36-60 Colorado Rockies. The only team with a worse record than them are the Astros, but this is just awful. The Rockies were playoff contenders only a little over a year ago, in the World Series five years ago, but now they don't seem to be contenders for a winning percentage over .400 anytime soon. Jim Tracy, the Rockies skipper can only seem to be able to talk about the negatives in the clubhouse. Colorado has had no trouble firing other managers who had once been successful, for example, Clint Hurdle. Don't expect Tracy to make it through August.

4. Should Stephen Strasburg be shut down?

Yes. At the beginning of the season, the Nationals imposed a 160 inning limit on Strasburg. He was coming off Tommy John's surgery and they wanted to be careful. I thought about this one, going back and forth like a tennis match, but came at the conclusion of yes. He's at 110 innings right now, so it's still a little bit away, but he'll reach it eventually. He should be shut down because we're talking about the face of their franchise. You're not guaranteed a playoff spot next year and they need to be so careful and so meticulous with the way they treat Strasburg, or they may lose him for good.

5. How many combined wins will Jon Lester and Josh Beckett get?

Let's see. Both of them have records of 5-8. That's ten combined so far. I'll say they'll finish at twenty-one combined. Beckett always seems to have the offense going for his starts and I can't help but feel like Lester will turn it around, although I'm skeptical with Beckett. I think Lester will get seven of the eleven. At least. I hope.

6. Will Boston's coaching staff change by the end of the season?

I'm gonna say yes. The one who gets the boot will likely be Bob McClure, the pitching coach. He clearly hasn't had the success that John Farrell and Dave Wallace have had. The bullpen is great, but the rotation is just awful. He better be careful or else he's gonna be gone quickly. Also, if Bobby Valentine doesn't guide Boston to a playoff spot, I don't know if he'll be back in April 2013.

7. Who will have better offensive stats by the end, Kevin Youkilis or Will Middlebrooks?

I'll narrow this down to batting average, home runs, RBIs, and on-base percentage. Let's review the numbers so far. Batting average: Youkilis is at .250. Middlebrooks at .293. Advantage Will. Home runs: Youkilis has 9. Middlebrooks has 11. Advantage Will. RBIs: Youkilis has 34. Middlebrooks has 42. Advantage Will. Youkilis is at .338. Middlebrooks is at .323. Advantage Kevin. I'm clearly gonna go with Middlebrooks, not because he has advantages, but because Youkilis just sprained his ankle. Advantage Will.

8. Over/under. Adrian Gonzalez will have 18.5 home runs at the end of the season.

Over. He's got nine right now. It's hard to think that he can't hit at least ten more. Especially because of his recent surge. He's been hitting to the opposite field lately and we're seeing what he was last year. His batting average could also be over .300 due to that recent hitting streak and he's at fifty-eight RBIs. I wouldn't be surprised if he finishes with a .300 average, 20 home runs, and 100 RBIs or over. Definitely over. How could you say under?

9. How many games will Carl Crawford play in 2012?

Forty. He's played eight games so far and there are sixty-five games left. He won't play everyday to be safe that he doesn't blow out his elbow. He may even get hurt soon and be limited to ten, but I think he'll play forty and have a small impact on Boston. He feels the pressure to play and that could be his motivation to get  forty.

10. What will be the final record of the Boston Red Sox?

They're at 49-49 right now. 65 games left. They have a chance to finish 114-49, but they probably won't. Three of their four upcoming series' are against strong contenders for the postseason. New York, Detroit, and Texas (Twins are the fourth). 46 of their last 65 games are against teams over .500. They don't always beat the weaker teams. I think they can take down division teams like the Rays, Jays, and O's, but the Yankees will give 'em tough times. They've proven that they can beat Texas and win some close games. Detroit and Anaheim might be hard, but they might catch the A's when they've cooled down. Factor it all in and I think the Red Sox will finish with a record of, drumroll please, 89-73. That's what I think. I think they're due to get hot soon. I like to look on the positive side. It might just be enough to get them into the playoffs. I hope.