By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Montgomery Media
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Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515 |
To help pass the time between now and the start of the 2012 Major League Baseball season I am going to be examining a different team every day. Starting with the Astros, working toward the Phillies. I will give you my projected starters, breakout and bust players, each team's X-Factor and top prospect.
PROJECTED LINEUP
SS Jose Reyes
CF Emilio Bonifacio
3B Hanley Ramirez
RF Giancarlo Stanton
LF Logan Morrison
1B Gaby Sanchez
C John Buck
2B Omar Infante
P Josh Johnson
PROJECTED ROTATION
Josh Johnson
Mark Buerhle
Anibal Sanchez
Ricky Nolasco
Carlos Zambrano
Josh Johnson
Mark Buerhle
Anibal Sanchez
Ricky Nolasco
Carlos Zambrano
PROJECTED BULLPEN
Closer - Heath Bell
Set-up - Juan Carlos Oviedo (also known as Leo Nunez)
Closer - Heath Bell
Set-up - Juan Carlos Oviedo (also known as Leo Nunez)
Top Prospect - Christian Yelich (OF)
Breakout
Hanley Ramirez - Probably better suited for a rebound canidate, but I see no true breakout on the Marlins. Maybe top prospect Yelich gets playing time if Bonifacio is brutal (as he might be). Hanley struggled with injuries last year and has as much talent as anyone in the game. I believe he will be motivated by a beefed up lineup and doubters creeping in a la Matt Kemp in 2011, when he from good to great.
Bust
Hanley Ramirez - Probably better suited for a rebound canidate, but I see no true breakout on the Marlins. Maybe top prospect Yelich gets playing time if Bonifacio is brutal (as he might be). Hanley struggled with injuries last year and has as much talent as anyone in the game. I believe he will be motivated by a beefed up lineup and doubters creeping in a la Matt Kemp in 2011, when he from good to great.
Bust
Emilio Bonifacio - Bonifacio has this way of making everyone a believer for small stints each season and then just when you finally buy in he becomes the career .269 hitter he really is. While he may be able to hit the 40 stolen base mark in back-to-back years, to think he is going to hit .296 again would be lunacy. Look for something closer to the first four seasons of his career where he is a stretch to call an every day player.
X-FACTOR
Josh Johnson - In order for the Miami to avoid the Soap Opera that could be starring manager Ozzie Guillen, cocky superstar Hanley Ramirez and hot head pitcher Carlos Zambrano the Fish need to win. And if they are going to win they need Josh Johnson taking the ball every fifth day. When healthy he is one of the best pitchers in baseball, but health is far from guaranteed for the 28 year-old coming off season where he battled shoulder inflammation.
LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 72-90
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| How will Hanley handle the hot corner? |
PROJECTED FINISH: 3rd in the National League East
***THANKS FOR READING MY TEAM BY TEAM OUTLOOKS TO HELP PASS THE TIME
***THANKS FOR READING MY TEAM BY TEAM OUTLOOKS TO HELP PASS THE TIME
Check back tomorrow for the Tampa Bay Rays
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