Philliedelphia

Phillies Weekly Preview, 5/13-5/19

"DDDeeeeeeellllllmmmmmoooonnnnn! Photo by Richard Wilkins Jr.

The week ahead....

Philadelphia Phillies (18-21, NL East-3) vs. Cleveland Indians (21-16, AL Central-2)

Where: Citizens Bank Park
When: Tuesday 7:05, Wednesday 1:05
TV: CSN
Pitching Match Ups:

Tuesday- Scott Kazmir (2-1, 4.87) vs. Jon Pettibone (2-0, 3.63)
Wednesday- Corey Kluber (2-2, 5.64) vs. Cole Hamels (1-5, 4.18)

On the Indians- Now this is an offensive squad. They've played their way to within a half-game of first place Detroit. They swept us out there, in case you forgot.

On the Phillies- The Phillies weren't pretty, but they had their best week of the season in my view, going 4-3 out west playing San Francisco and Arizona. At just 4.5 games out, it's a small miracle they haven't been dusted by Atlanta or Washington yet.

Prediction- Pettibone crashes to Earth tonight, Hamels finally gets a little offense tomorrow to earn the SPLIT.

Phillies vs. Cincinnati (22-16, NL Central-2)

Where: CBP again
When: Friday 7:05, Saturday 4:05, Sunday 1:05
TV: PHL 17 Friday and Sunday, FOX on Saturday
Pitch Match Ups:

Friday- Anthony Cigriani (2-0, 2.89) vs. Cliff Lee (4-2, 2.86)
Saturday- Bronson Arroyo (3-4, 3.76) vs. Kyle Kendrick (4-1, 2.47)
Sunday- Homer Bailey (1-3, 3.83) vs. Jon Pettibone

On the Reds- It's worth noting that the Phillies did not win a game in Ohio earlier on. Here come the Reds again, who can hit, pitch better than they used to, and swept us once.

On the Phillies- Not much needs to be said that wasn't said above.

Prediction- I think the Phillies play a lot better this time and take a game, maybe two. 2 OF 3.

Phillies Weekly Preview

                                                            Photo by Rich Wilkins

Another week down, another week coming up. The Phillies welcome Delmon Young back tonight as the DH.

Onto series one of the week-

Philadelphia Phillies (12-14, NL East 3rd) @ Cleveland Indians (10-13, AL Central 4th)

At: Cleveland's Progressive Field
When: Tuesday 7:05, Wednesday 7:05
TV: Both on CSN.

Pitching Match-Ups:
Tuesday- Roy Halladay (2-2, 5.08) vs. Zach McAllister (1-3, 3.52)
Wednesday- Cliff Lee (2-1, 3.03) vs. Trevor Bauer (0-1, 5.40)

On the Phillies- Coming off of a sweep of the Mets, the Phillies are within two games of .500, and have the Braves and Nats in their view. Finally, they are at full strength, with Chooch and Delmon on the team. The line-up should look normal.

On the Indians- I'm not sure what to make of them. With a similar situation to the Phillies, they had a nice off-season and a lot of people think they'll be much improved on last season. So far, they're mediocre.

Prediction- My first inclination is to say sweep, because of the pitching match-ups. I have my doubts, so I'll say SPLIT.

Second series- Phillies vs. Miami Marlins (7-19, NL East 5th)

At: CBP
When: Thursday 7:05, Friday 7:05, Saturday 7:05, Sunday 2:35
TV: Thursday through Saturday on CSN, Sunday on PHL 17

Pitching Match-Ups:
Thursday- Alex Sanabia (2-3, 4.85) vs. Kyle Kendrick (2-1, 2.41)
Friday- Ricky Nolasco (2-2, 3.82) vs. Jon Pettibone (1-0, 4.35)
Saturday- Jose Fernandez (0-2, 4.50) vs. Cole Hamels (1-3, 4.78)
Sunday- TBD vs. Halladay

Prediction- The Phillies will have a good weekend against a team that once again lacks Giancarlo Stanton. I'll say PHILLIES 3 OF 4.

The Phillies Week Ahead

Well, last week I got the Cardinals series right, and the Reds one way wrong. The Phillies are 8-11, and celebrate 20 games of baseball tonight. The Pirates come in for four, and then the Phillies head up to Gotham, to visit our friends in Queens, the Mets. Here's the match-ups for the week:

Philadelphia Phillies (8-11) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (10-8)

When: Monday-Thursday

Times: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 7:05; Thursday 1:05.

TV: CSN- Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday; TCN- Tuesday.

PITCHING MATCH-UPS:
Monday- Jon Pettibone (0-0, MLB Debut) vs. A.J. Burnett (1-2, 2.63)
Tuesday- Cole Hamels (0-2, 6.46) vs. Jeff Locke (1-1, 5.17)
Wednesday- Roy Halladay (0-2, 6.04) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (2-0, 0.56)
Thursday- Cliff Lee (2-1, 2.83) vs. James McDonald (2-2, 4.12)

On the Phillies- A good win on Sunday night makes you feel better, but it was a rough, 2-5 week. At 8-11, they will have a losing record through 20 games. The inconsistency of the offense is a bit concerning, especially since Pittsburgh has played pretty well.

On the Pirates- The Pirates just took 3 of 4 from the Braves, so what else needs to be said about their play? Rodriguez and Burnett are off to really good starts. They have some outstanding young talent.

PREDICTIONS- I'd love to think they get going here. They won't. SPLIT.

Phillies @New York Mets (9-8)

When- Friday-Sunday

Times- Friday 7:10; Saturday 1:05, Sunday 1:10.

TV- PHL17- Friday, Sunday; FOX- Saturday;

PITCHING MATCH-UPS:
Friday- Kyle Kendrick (1-1, 3.28) vs. Dillon Gee (1-3, 5.95)
Saturday- TBD vs. Jon Niese (2-1, 3.80)
Sunday- Hamels vs. TBD

On the Phillies- In the first meeting of these two teams, the Phillies took 2 of 3. This will be their first trip to Citi Field this year. They won their last game there 16-1.

On the Mets- The Mets are off to a good start, and just beat the Nationals in 2 of 3 this weekend.

PREDICTION- Write off Saturday, they won't win that one. I still like them here. PHILLIES 2 OF 3.

Phillies Weekly Preview

Photo by Rich Wilkins

It's time for week three. Two series, two playoff teams from a year ago. We start in Cincinnati-

Monday-Wednesday- Philadelphia Phillies (6-6) @ Cincinnati Red (5-7)

Monday- Cliff Lee (2-0, 1.08) vs. Bronson Arroyo (1-1, 5.25)
Tuesday- Kyle Kendrick (1-1, 5.40) vs. Homer Bailey (1-1, 5.73)
Wednesday- John Lannan (0-0, 2.77) vs. Mike Leake (0-0, 6.75)

On the Reds- The Reds lost the last five games of their road trip and come home with a losing record. They don't get to throw Cueto or Latos at the Phillies, a big plus.  With that said, this is a team with the Vottos, Bruces, and Chapmans of the world on it, so this is no easy task.

On the Phillies- They're playing fairly well. They won both series last week, including 4 of their last 5 games. This is the end of their rotation that has been fairly consistent too. They had a lot of trouble scoring in Miami, but I think the lack of home run balls in Miami's cave of a stadium had a lot to do with that.

PREDICTION- This is a trap pick, because the Reds are playing bad and the Phillies are playing good right now. I'm not going to get carried away- PHILLIES 2 of 3.

Thursday-Sunday- St. Louis Cardinals (7-5) @ Phillies

Thursday- Adam Wainwright (2-1, 2.05) vs Cole Hamels (0-2, 7.56)
Friday- Jaime Garcia (1-0, 1.86) vs. Roy Halladay (1-2, 7.63)
Saturday- Lance Lynn (1-0, 4.50) vs. Lee
Sunday- Jake Westbrook (1-1, 0.00) vs. Kendrick

On the Cardinals- You don't go win a World Series and make it to game 7 of the NLCS the next year without being a pretty damn good team, right? They hit, they pitch, they do a lot right. Their bullpen has been their achilles so far this season.

On the Phillies- Well, I guess we'll have a pretty good idea of where they currently are by the end of the week. They have had their past issues with Wainwright and Garcia before.

PREDICTION- This one's a wash. SPLIT.

Weekly Preview

Series One- New York Mets (4-2) @ Philadelphia Phillies (2-4)

Pitching Match-Ups:
Monday- Harvey (1-0, 0.00) vs. Halladay (0-1, 13.50)
Tuesday- Gee (0-1, 1.42) vs. Lee (1-0, 0.00)
Wednesday- Hefner (0-1, 1.50) vs. Kendrick (0-1, 7.94)

The deal: The Mets have won their first two series, which may be a product of competition, and may be because they've improved, who knows yet. They took 2 of 3 from the Padres to start the year, then did the same to the lowly Marlins. The Mets young pitchers have looked better than many expected so far, and they've managed to squeak out some wins.

The Phillies have been... meh. They haven't been so awful that there's no hope, but they've got a number of relievers and starters who were historically terrible last week, and a line-up who's performance has been uneven.

Prediction: I'd love to look at this and just say "two of three," but this team isn't playing that well, and the Mets last year really caused us headaches. With that said, it's hard to not look at the last two games and think they're winnable. Even so, I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than grumpy and wrong. METS 2 OF 3.

Series Two- Phillies @ Florida Marlins (1-5)

Pitching Match-Ups:
Friday- Lannan (0-0, 3.86) vs. Nolasco (0-1, 3.97)
Saturday- Hamels (0-2, 10.97) vs. Fernandez (0-0, 1.80)
Sunday- Halladay vs. Slowey (0-1, 1.69)

The deal-  THIS is where I think this team gets on track. The Marlins are probably going to end up as baseball's worst team, already off to a 1-5 start, and really no one but Giancarlo Stanton that puts any fear in you. They don't have terrible arms, especially in this series (at least so far), but they're not a team to fear.

I think the Phillies will break out for two reasons here- weather (it will be hotter down there) and competition. I'd be less than shocked to see them get going in Miami.

Prediction: How bold do I go here? Bold, bold. PHILLIES SWEEP.

Reviewing the Exhibition Game, Previewing the Minor League Season

Brody Colvin threw well. Picture by Richard Wilkins Jr.

I'm going to make an admission- it was so damn cold on Tuesday night that I left in the 7th inning and went home. I try to make it a habit to see the Lehigh Valley-Reading scrimmage every year. It's nice to get a look at some of the prospects closest to the big leagues, before the season even starts. I was not alone in attending amongst Phillies bloggers though, apparently. Crashburn Alley and Phuture Phillies were both there too.

No I'm gonna go all Flyers style here, and give out "stars" for what I saw in the game, and what I expect to see this year.

READING-

• Brody Colvin (pictured above)- This was not the same guy as last year, so far as I can tell. His change-up looked really good at times, and certainly was fooling some guys, which makes me believe his fastball probably looked good too (the two compliment each other). I was sitting by the Reading dugout and didn't have the benefit of an accurate radar gun (the stadium one sucks), but he did seem to get stronger as the innings went. The story I was told on him from last year (and 2011) was that his motion to the plate was inconsistent and sapped some of his power out of his arm. His motion looked very smooth in this game. He went four innings of one run ball against a fairly potent looking AAA team, so there's not much bad to say here. 

Sebastian had a good night for Reading. Picture by Richard Wilkins Jr.

• Sebastian Valle's night was pretty good too. He had a 2 RBI double in the right-center field gap, and threw a runner out at second base trying to steal (I think it was Cesar Hernandez). It's pretty clear that the Phillies are demoting his star a bit in favor of Tommy Joseph, but nothing I saw in this game convinced me this guy can't play. 
• Anthony Hewitt- Yes, he struck out. Yes, I know there's not a lot of hope. He also did mash a nice double against Ethan Martin, and flashed the tools that made him a first round pick. He had the double, had two hits, made a nice throw, and stole a bag in one night. I have little to no expectations of what will happen with him in AA, but on this night he did enough to still get noticed, which is something.
• Collier and Duran both really didn't get enough of a sample size for me, but both can move.
• Austin Wright- the lefty was impressive to me. He's not a guy with gas (at least not in 35 degree, ridiculously windy conditions), but he's a smooth delivery-lefty, and had a nice breaking ball. 

My expectations are mixed for Reading. For the first time, Lehigh Valley is really the home of the prospects, and Reading has a lot of guys who are "they can make it if..." types. We didn't get to see Biddle, Buchanan, or Rosin, but the two starters we saw on this night both were impressive enough for me to want to see more. I think this team has enough pitching to win more than they lose, but it's more about the individual performances of a lot of these guys, at least to me. I'm really intrigued by the Valle/Rupp situation behind the plate. 

Joseph has a gun of an arm. Photo by Richard Wilkins Jr.

LEHIGH VALLEY-

• Tommy Joseph (pictured above)- At the plate, he did nothing to set the world on fire for this night, though his spring was very encouraging. Behind the plate, he flashed a very plus arm, easily throwing out Duran (I'm pretty sure it was him at least) in the first inning. I'm excited to see what he does this year.
• Cesar Hernandez- There isn't a lot to discuss with him on this night, but that I have high hopes for him. Call him Galvis, minus a little glove, but plus some bat, while in the minors. I like his potential, and have been a fan for several years. With the exception of April of 2011, I don't know when he hasn't hit decently in the minors.

Ethan Martin. Photo by Richard Wilkins Jr.

• Ethan Martin looked really good, on the whole. His fastball appeared to have good velocity and movement, and he sailed through three innings with 5 K's. The only negative I could say is that he hit a guy and walked a guy, so his command isn't rock-solid, but he never encountered any trouble from that. I'm excited about this Lehigh Valley rotation, him especially.
• Adam Morgan- He really struggle on this night. It was really cold though, and being that I don't think he's ever started a year up north, this is new to him. He had great velocity too, but a lack of command.

Cody Asche. Photo by Richard Wilkins Jr.

• Cody Asche- He had a nice single that I saw, and seemed fine down at third, for the limited sample size we had. I'm happy the Phillies challenged him a bit in AAA, as if he's going to be the next third baseman, he's gotta show he can handle it this year.
• Tyson Gillies- This guy's really under the gun this year, as the Phillies are definitely trying out other speedy outfielders who could block his path. He hit .300 last year though, and he had a nice hit early on in this one too. I still see potential here, but this is an absolute must year for him.

Darin Ruf. Photo by Richard Wilkins Jr.

• Darin Ruf- He had a really pretty single (should have been a double), just inside the chalk at third, to plate one in the first. He also had no incidents in the outfield, despite the windy night. I really, really hope we're watching him by June in Philly, but we'll see.
• Justin Friend- I was impressed by this guy. He really was fooling the Reading hitters in his work time. He'll be interesting to watch against AAA competition.

My expectations of the IronPigs are really high. Their rotation is full of guys with futures, their line-up has a lot of talent, and there's some solid depth here. This team should be one of the best ones in the International League, if the Phillies don't start shuttling guys up to the bigs.

It's worth noting tonight that Lakewood also opens up their season, and their line-up for tonight is out, from their Facebook:

Lakewood BlueClaws

40 minutes ago 

The BlueClaws Opening Day Lineup - Roman Quinn ss, Angelo Mora 2b, Brian Pointer lf, Art Charles 1b, Willie Carmona dh, Mitch Walding 3b, Carlos Tocci cf, Yan Olmo rf, Chace Numata c / Jordan Guth RHP. Do you LIKE this lineup?

I'm super excited about Quinn and Tocci, and pretty excited about Walding too. These guys are far, far away from the big leagues, but the talent is definitely there.

So, here's a few predictions for the year-

• Jon Pettibone will be the most consistent pitcher in a staff full of solid AAA arms, but that's no knock on the other guys there. I'm expecting big years from Martin and Morgan too. I'm not sure what we get from Cloyd, because command is such a big part of his game, or from Rosenberg, who's doing this to work on refining his pitches. I'll predict another big AAA year from Cloyd, and a solid enough year from Rosenberg.
• The only thing stopping Lehigh Valley from a playoff run is the possibility of the Phillies selling at the deadline and calling the kids up. I'm expecting big, big things from this line-up, especially Joseph and Ruf, who are the most solid bets to be on the 2014 Phillies. Asche could play his way into that discussion too.
• Reading will put up a winning season, but miss the post-season. Jesse Biddle will be really good, after a slow April, while the light-bulb finally goes on for Brody Colvin. Seth Rosin will also pitch his way onto the radar this year.
• Anthony Hewitt hits 25 homers in AA ball, re-kindling his MLB hopes.
• It's gonna be a solid year for Edgar Duran.
• Clearwater is an also-ran in the first half, but wins their division in the second half, as guys come up. Kelly Dugan comes back from injury and puts up some very good numbers.
• Lakewood won't impress as much in the first half as you will hope, as Tocci adjusts and Quinn learns to switch-hit. Watch them come July though.
• Larry Greene will be back in Williamsport, and the power will finally come out.
• Shane Watson dominates in Lakewood.

With that.... play ball.

2013 Philliedelphia Predictions: Kevin Durso

Justin Upton and the Braves could be the team to beat in the National League.

It's time for another season of Major League Baseball. For the Phillies' fan who bring you coverage of every game, it's been a long offseason. But we're ready just like you for some great memories.

With that, it's also prediction time. So here's my predictions.

American League

AL East winner – Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central winner – Detroit Tigers
AL West winner – Los Angeles Angels
AL Wild Card Teams (2) – Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox

AL MVP – Evan Longoria (TB)
AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander (DET)
AL Rookie of the Year –Jackie Bradley Jr. (BOS)
AL Manager of the Year – Robin Ventura (CWS)

The AL East is so wide open this season and after watching the Blue Jays' offense for quite a few games this spring, I'm convinced they have a leg up on the battered AL East. The Orioles made very few improvements, the Rays have to get everything clicking, the Yankees have half of the starters on the DL to open the season and the Red Sox are recovering from a horrible, down-on-their-luck 2012 season. 

The Tigers are still far and away the best team in the AL Central. The White Sox will be the only team to compete. The Royals, Indians and Twins will round out the division, but none will truly compete just yet.

The West is still a battle between the Angels and Rangers. After a crazy season where the names were there and the numbers were not, the Angels will finally put it all together. The Rangers will fall just short of the Postseason as they get beat out in the wildcard race.

I like Evan Longoria as the MVP of the AL but trailed closely once again by the phenom that is in LA. Mike Trout will win an MVP one of these days. Will it be this year. Maybe? If someone else doesn't just flat out stun. Like the American League, and all of baseball for that matter, the competition is wide open.

It's hard to pick against Justin Verlander for Cy Young. Someone else will have to seriously impress to take that away this season.

Jackie Bradley Jr. is going to be a star in this league. He had an incredible spring, good enough to earn the Red Sox starting left field job. I'm looking for a great season from this kid.

National League

NL East winner – Atlanta Braves
NL Central winner – Cincinnati Reds
NL West winner – San Francisco Giants
NL Wild Card Teams (2) – Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals

NL MVP – Justin Upton (ATL)
NL Cy Young – Matt Cain (SF)
NL Rookie of the Year – Julio Teheran (ATL)
NL Manager of the Year – Charlie Manuel (PHI)

The Braves are loaded offensively. Justin Upton will lead that charge. He's going to be far and above what people expect and lead the Braves through a tough NL East. Three teams will compete for that division title. One will instantly enter the NLDS. The other two will have to fight through a one-game playoff.

The Central will go to the Reds simply because there is none better. The Cardinals could make a run, as could the Brewers, but ultimately these teams are still trying to discover who they are. The Brewers offense past Ryan Braun is always a mystery. The Cardinals rotation took a hit with the injury to Chris Carpenter. The Reds have the combo of pitching and hitting to win.

The West goes back to the defending World Series champs. There's no way to pick against Buster Posey and the Giants. And with Matt Cain turning in an impressive season on the mound, good enough for my Cy Young pick, the Giants will be defending their title again.

Charlie Manuel is in that situation where just leading his team back to the playoffs will be impressive. Every other team I have in the Postseason from the NL made it a year ago. If the Phillies can rejoin the group and really defy the odds, like I see it, then Manuel is a likely choice.

2013 World Series

World Series matchup – Braves vs. Angels
World Series champion and # of games – Angels in 5

The two teams with the most balance enter the World Series. After the NL took the last three crowns because of destiny, the AL has the edge this year. It won't even be close in the Fall Classic.

Phillies predictions

Total number of Phillies wins - 90
How many games will Roy Halladay win? 15

Who will spend the most games batting leadoff?  Ben Revere
Which Phillies pitcher will lead the team in wins? Cole Hamels
How many home runs will Ryan Howard hit? 33

This team can win 90 games with a healthy lineup, good pitching and a bullpen. Plain and simple. Assuming the Phillies finally have all the things they lacked last season, 81-81 was subject to their shortcomings. They have none to speak of entering the season. Is Roy Halladay still a question mark? Yes, and I'm taking the highly optimistic approach in saying he will win 15 games this season.

It is no question who will lead this team in wins. He's not the ace for no reason. If Cole Hamels pitches to his ability, he could be a 20-game winner this year.

Ryan Howard won't be setting any records, but after the Phillies suffered a power shortage in 2012, Howard will lead the way with 33 homers.

Ben Revere is a talented kid. I like what he brings to the top of the order. He might just dismantle Jimmy Rollins from his usual lead-off spot. That's not a knock against Rollins. Revere has just been that impressive to me.

With that said, I'm ready for another great baseball season and excited to be sharing it with so many great baseball fans. Thanks for letting me be a part of it with you.

Kevin Durso is a contributor for Philliedelphia. You can follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.

Series Preview: Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves

Phinally here.....

Philadelphia Phillies (81-81 in 2012) @ Atlanta Braves (94-68 in 2012, won NL Wild Card)

Pitching Match-Ups:
Cole Hamels (17-6, 3.05, 215.1 IP, 216 K's) vs. Tim Hudson (16-7, 3.62, 179 IP, 102 K's)
Roy Halladay (11-8, 4.49, 156.1 IP, 132 K's) vs. Paul Maholm (13-11, 3.67, 189 IP, 140 K's)
Cliff Lee (6-9, 3.16, 211 IP, 207 K's) vs. Kris Medlen (10-1, 1.57, 138 IP, 120 K's)

Where: Turner Field in Atlanta

Game Times: Monday- 7 PM, Wednesday- 7:10 PM, Thursday- 7:10 PM.

National TV- Monday-ESPN

Phillies Newcomer Debuts- Ben Revere, Michael Young, Mike Adams, Chad Durbin
Some Braves New Faces- Juan Francisco, Julio Teheran, Jordan Walden, Chris Johnson, B.J. Upton, Justin Upton

ATLANTA 2012 Offensive Ranks- 17th in runs, 21st in average, 13th in on-base percentage, 22nd in slugging.
PHILADELPHIA 2012 Offensive Ranks- 19th in runs, 15th in average, 17th in on-base percentage, 17th in slugging.

ON THE BRAVES- Well, we'll finally see their off-season pick-ups play a game. The Upton brothers make their debut together in Atlanta tonight, hoping to make people forget the names Prado, Chipper, and Bourn. Phillies fans will be thrilled to rid themselves of Jones especially, who seemed to take away a win or two a year, but also Prado who was a total pest. The Braves not only boast a dynamic outfield that may be the game's best by season's end, but a bullpen that has the kind of back-end depth that ends games any time they have a lead after 7. The big question about these Braves is their starting staff, which has a very different look to it now. The other question on this team is whether their offense is actually better, or stayed in place. They absolutely raked the ball this spring, and particularly Jayson Heyward seems ready to break out to me.

ON THE PHILLIES- After a dreadful 81-81 season broke up their run of NL East's, they get to open up in the ballpark of one of their chief rivals. The biggest question mark of the Phillies season will get the baseball on Wednesday night as all of the legions of Philadelphia fans will be collectively holding their breath. For Opening Day though, Phillies fans will get to see three welcome sites they haven't seen lately- Ryan Howard missed last year's opener, Chase Utley missed the last pair of openers, and Dom Brown makes his opening day debut. The offense hit the ball very well this spring, and the back-end relievers ended the spring throwing very, very well. Obviously though, this team is built on their front-end starting pitchers, and right now you get to see them kick things off. A return to 2011 performance by this staff would greatly change the outlook of many, which seems to go from disaster to euphoria, depending on who you ask. Michael Young and Ben Revere will make their club debuts on Opening Day, and Erik Kratz gets his first opener with the Phillies behind the plate. The Phillies must improve on their 33-39 NL East record in 2013.

On the series- On paper, the Phillies have a pitching edge here. Tim Hudson has had a great run, but Cole Hamels should be a superior pitcher in 2013. Halladay has been the best pitcher of the last decade, while Maholm has not been, though he had a good 2012. Medlen's 2012 was amazing, but no one is mistaking his pedigree for Lee's. With that said, you really don't know where these guys are at on April 1st of a new season, playing in Atlanta, and with all the question marks on Halladay. Lee and Medlen should be a duel on Thursday. Ryan Howard is the player to watch for the Phillies in this series, after a great spring, facing a team he hits very well.

PREDICTION- I've got the Phillies in the opener, and the second game, but the Braves squeak out the finale in a low-scoring affair. PHILLIES 2 OF 3.

Predictions for the 2013 Season

Alright, it's Opening Day, and here's my predictions for the upcoming season.

National League

East

1. Washington Nationals 95-67
2. Philadelphia Phillies 90-72
3. Atlanta Braves 87-75
4. New York Mets 67-95
5. Miami Marlins 58-104

Central

1. Cincinnati Reds 92-70
2. St. Louis Cardinals 85-77
3. Milwaukee Brewers 82-80
4. Pittsburgh Pirates 80-82
5. Chicago Cubs 68-94

West

1. San Francisco Giants 93-69
2. Los Angeles Dodgers 84-78
3. Arizona Diamondbacks 80-82
4. San Diego Padres 75-87
5. Colorado Rockies 67-95

MVP- Matt Kemp

Cy Young- Cole Hamels

Rookie of the Year- Julio Teheran

Manager of the Year- Bruce Bochy

American League

East

1. Baltimore Orioles 90-72
2. Toronto Blue Jays 89-73
3. Tampa Bay Rays 85-77
4. New York Yankees 81-81
5. Boston Red Sox 72-90

Central

1. Detroit Tigers 95-67
2. Cleveland Indians 84-78
3. Chicago White Sox 81-81
4. Kansas City Royals 78-84
5. Minnesota Twins 66-96

West

1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 100-62
2. Oakland A's 90-72
3. Texas Rangers 84-78
4. Seattle Mariners 67-95
5. Houston Astros 62-100

MVP- Mike Trout

Cy Young- Jered Weaver

Rookie of the Year- Wil Myers

Manager of the Year- Mike Scioscia

POST-SEASON
Play-Ins
NL- Phillies over Braves
AL- A's over Blue Jays
Divisional Series
NL- Phillies over Nationals, Giants over Reds
AL- Angels over A's, Tigers over Orioles
LCS
NLCS- Giants over Phillies
ALCS- Angels over Tigers
World Series
ANGELS over GIANTS in 7.

Let the games begin.

Erik's 2013 Season Predictions: Cole Hamels Wins Cy Young & Phillies Back In Postseason

(Photo: Erik Seybold/Philliedelphia) - Cole Hamels is predicted to be the NL Cy Young Award winner after a career-year last season.

Tomorrow is Opening Day and hot dog am I excited! It's been a long offseason full of more Eagles dismay and a dramatic lockout-shortened NHL season and I'm ready for baseball. Last year was far from what we expected out of the Phillies, but hey - it happened and there's nothing we can do now to change the past. What we can do, however, is look ahead towards the 2013 campaign. With new acquisitions in Ben Revere, Michael Young, and Mike Adams - along with Ryan Howard and Chase Utley beginning the season healthy and ready to play - I'd say the Phillies can turn last year's trainwreck around and get back on the right track.

Enough of my rambling about how excited I am for this upcoming season. Here's my predictions for the 2013 season - including awards and so on.

American League

AL East winner: Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central winner: Detroit Tigers
AL West winner: Los Angeles Angels
AL Wild Card winners: Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees

AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera (DET)
AL Cy Young: Josh Johnson (TOR)
AL Rookie of the Year: Trevor Bauer (CLE)
AL Manager of the Year: Terry Francona

National League

 NL East winner: Washington Nationals
NL Central winner: Cincinnati Reds 
NL West winner: San Francisco Giants
NL Wild Card winners: Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates

NL MVP: Andrew McCutchen (PIT)
NL Cy Young: Cole Hamels (PHI)
NL Rookie of the Year: Travis D'Arnaud (NYM)

2013 World Series

World Series Matchup: Cincinnati Reds vs Detroit Tigers
World Series Winner: Cincinnati in 6 games 

Phillies Predictions

Total number of wins: 91
How many games Roy Halladay will win: 11

Who will spend the most games batting lead off? Ben Revere
Who will lead the Phillies pitchers in wins? Cole Hamels (18)
How many home runs will Ryan Howard hit this season? 34

As Frank earlier stated, giving the Phillies a healthy Ryan Howard and Chase Utley will benefit them immensely. Ben Revere is a total upgrade over Shane Victorino and Domonic Brown may have finally proved himself to be a great everyday outfielder. Michael Young is an RBI machine and with Mike Adams in the bullpen that blew 13 8th inning leads last season, I as well don't have trouble thinking the Phillies can win 11 more games than last year.

Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia. Follow him on Twitter @ErikSeyboldPHI.