2011 Twins Predictions
Thursday was officially Opening Day, and I
have to admit, it was a strange day for me. First, it was on a Thursday for the
first time. I had enough troubles with ESPN getting a Sunday night season opener,
after Opening Day had always just been a Monday thing. MLB decided to start the
season three or four days earlier in an attempt to keep the World Series out of
November. Second, the Twins didn’t play on Opening Day. Only 12 teams did. So,
I guess all I can say is:
Happy
Minnesota Twins Opening Day to you!
Predictions are always fun because at the end
of the year, I can pick and choose which ones I will remind you that I made.
Or, if they’re that far off, I can forget to remind you about my picks and
hopefully you won’t remind me too often. Below are some predictions, some more
bold than others, for the 2011 Minnesota Twins season with some other
predictions randomly thrown in.
2011 MINNESOTA TWINS PROJECTIONS
·
Matt Capps
will record twice as many saves as Joe
Nathan.
·
Joe Mauer will hit less than .320, but he will hit more than 40
doubles and more than 16 home runs. He will win his fourth straight,
and fifth total, Silver Slugger Award.
·
Justin Morneau will post an OPS of just
over .880.
·
Delmon Young will:
o
Hit over .300.
o
Hit more than 28
home runs
o
Drive in more
than 120 runs
o
Post an OPS of less than .900.
·
Tsuyoshi Nishioka will post an OPS of over
.720 and steal more than 25 bases. He will also deserve to win the AL Gold
Glove, but he won’t because Robinson
Cano is a really good hitter.
·
Alexi Casilla’s OPS will be within .030 of JJ Hardy’s. He will also
be within 2.0 UZR of the former Twins shortstop.
·
The date that I
will stop watching the Twins on FSN with the volume on will be April 6th.
·
Denard Span will post an OBP over .370. He will steal more than
30 bases.
·
Michael Cuddyer will lead the Twins with more than 40 doubles. He
will also top 20 home runs.
·
Danny Valencia
will post an OPS greater than .820 with more than 32
doubles and more than 15 home runs.
·
Jim Thome will NOT post an OPS of over
1.000 again in 2011. In fact, he won’t post a .900
OPS. He will hit less than 15 home runs but more than the 11 home runs he needs
to reach career home runs number 600.
o
Let’s go on a
limb and say that he will his Home Run #600 on August
24th at Target Field in the 2nd inning off of Jake Arrieta.
·
Carl Pavano will throw 200 innings, but his ERA will be over
4.40.
·
Francisco Liriano will throw less than 190 innings with an ERA over
3.50 and a K-rate less than 8.5 per nine innings.
·
Brian Duensing will throw 175+ innings with an ERA of under 4.25.
·
Nick Blackburn
will throw more than 210 innings with an ERA just under 4.00.
·
Scott Baker
will throw 190+ innings with an ERA under 4.20.
·
Kevin Slowey will not make a start for the Twins in 2011, and he
will average more than a strikeout per inning
·
I will be wrong
about one of the five starters pitching well, Kyle Gibson will make his Twins debut on June 18 at Target Field
against the Padres.
·
Joe Mauer and Delmon Young will
represent the Twins at the All-Star game.
·
The Twins will
open their 2011 home schedule with a 3-4 record, including a split against the
Yankees at Yankees Stadium.
·
Ron Gardenhire will be ejected eight times in 2011.
·
No Twins hitter
will top 30 home runs, however, Justin Morneau and Delmon Young will
come close, while Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel will hit over 22 each.
AL
CENTRAL STANDINGS (Projected)
Minnesota Twins 93-69
Chicago White
Sox 91-71
Detroit Tigers 80-82
Cleveland
Indians 72-90
Kansas
City Royals 63-99
AMERICAN
LEAGUE PLAYOFF TEAMS
AL Central –
Minnesota Twins (2)
AL East – Boston Red
Sox (1)
AL West – Oakland
A’s (3)
Wild Card – Chicago
White Sox (4)
ALDS: Boston over
Chicago in 4 games, Oakland over Minnesota (in 5 games, the A’s rotation
contains lefties Gio Gonzalez, Brett Anderson and
Dallas Braden, and the bullpen has Brian Fuentes, Craig Breslow
and Bobby Cramer. The Twins have not addressed their need for a right-handed
bat. Unless they do, it could be another one and done.)
ALCS – Boston over
Oakland in 5 games.
NATIONAL
LEAGUE PLAYOFF TEAMS
NL Central –
Milwaukee Brewers (3)
NL East – Atlanta
Braves (2)
NL West – Los
Angeles Dodgers (1)
NL East –
Philadelphia Phillies
NLDS: Braves over
Brewers in 4 games. Phillies over Dodgers in 4 games.
NLCS: Braves over
Phillies in 7 games.
WORLD
SERIES CHAMPIONS
Braves over Red Sox in 6 games.
What are your predictions for the 2011
season, for the Twins or the league. If you have any thoughts
or questions, please feel free to comment
or ask.
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