ESPN's got all of their predictions up. Neyer was the only one who picked us to win the Central. 4 of their guys, including Jason Stark and Gammons, picked the Twins to win the World Series.

 

Their first power ranking has us 22nd ... :rolly

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stor...ster&id=2027562

 

 

 

edit: link to picks: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?page=05expertpicks

Edited April 3, 200520 yr by Purdue129

Didn't Gammons pick the royals last year. I'm not worried.

I'm still pissed that King Kauffman picked us fourth. I can see second, maybe even third... but fourth?

Didn't Gammons pick the royals last year. I'm not worried.

 

 

Hopefully he's just jinxed both Minny and the Cubs since that's his WS match up.

One prediction for both Iguchi and McCarthy for ROY.

I can't believe how many people picked the Twins to get in the world series.

I can't believe how many people picked the Twins to get in the world series.

Exactly what I was thinking. They must think if they just wish really, really hard...

Exactly what I was thinking.  They must think if they just wish really, really hard...

 

 

Haha yeah, that better be the case.

How do they see them winning when they only got worse this offseason?

Jim Caple picked Cleveland to win the AL wild card.

How do they see them winning when they only got worse this offseason?

To the geniuses at ESPN, that's what they say about the Sox.

stark picks the twins and the giants in the world series....wtf??

I love gammons predictions....LOL. Total lovefest for him there....Twins over Cubs.

Giants in the WS...not a chance

I really don't see the Twins or Cubs in the World Series this year, but the reason the White Sox get no love in any predictions is because this team has a lot to prove. this year, it's hit or miss, because the starters are shaky and we're not sure if Podsednik is the type of hitter he was in 03 or 04, or if Everett can step up in Frank's absence, or if Iguchi can adjust to the MLB, or if Crede can come back from a down year...I'm confident, though. we could win the division, or we could finish as low as 4th.

Edited April 3, 200520 yr by AirScott

Phil Rogers picked Zack Greinke as the AL Cy Young.

These predictions are ridiculous. Surpise to me ESPN has us on 2 Sunday nighters this year, Sox @Twins and Dodgers @ Sox. And thats just the 1st half of the schedule, the 2nd half they do a couple weeks in advance.

Edited April 3, 200520 yr by Be Good

Well, SI picked the Twins to "hold off Indians" this year, so we'll see if the jinx continues...

 

I'm very confident that the southsiders can get it done. But, the Sox did have hot and cold flashes during spring training, so we'll just have to see what happens.

Twins have won the division 3 straight years. Their rotation is very solid, and with Santana at the top of it, there is always a chance that he can get hot and just completely take over in the playoffs...I'm sure that's their thinking behind the Twins making it to the World Series.

 

Never be surprised when you see the Twins picked to win the division...ever.

 

The Cubs and Giants, on the other hand, is funny.

What exactly did the Twins do this offseason that suddenly makes them better than the Angels, Yankees, or Red Sox?

 

Maybe it's just no longer cool to pick the Red Sox in the series.

Lost Koskie

What exactly did the Twins do this offseason that suddenly makes them better than the Angels, Yankees, or Red Sox?

 

Maybe it's just no longer cool to pick the Red Sox in the series.

 

Well of course they signed the immortal Juan Castro. And Mike Redmond should be good for atleast 30 homers.

 

They also got rid of Mr .310 OBP too, which is actually a good move.

Go to the sportsnation vote heading and take a look at some of the crap there. They actually have Jeremy Bonderman listed with other AL pitchers as preseason pick for the Cy Young. But, no Buehrle. Unreal. They also have Maggs listed for MVP. They do have Konerko as a finalist for HR champ, but he is currently in last place.

 

f*** em, Prove them wrong.

Lots of people like Bonderman to break out this year. As far as him winning a Cy Young, though.... :banghead

 

And the people that are putting Minny in the World Series are banking on a year-long, healthy Joe Mauer. Whether or not that's a smart thing to do....

A lot of their logic is kind of flawed. They use the fact that they have Santana, who no one wants to face in a short series, while ignoring the fact that the Red Sox can counter with Schilling and the Yankees can counter with the Big Unit. The difference between those 3 is nonexsistent in the playoffs. They also seem to ignore the fact that Radke had a career year last year and Silva's ERA would be expected to go higher considering how many baserunners he allowed (4.21 ERA's don't coincide with 1.43 WHIP's very often). I don't know how at this point in the year you can really pick the Twins rotation to do better in a series against the Yankees when you matchup Santana, Radke, and Silva against Johnson, Pavano, and either Mussina or Wright (Twins don't even have a quality 4th), especially considering the vast difference in offensive firepower. They also cite their excellent defense, but in losing Koskie and Guzman they lost two solid defenders, and are replacing them with liabilities in Cuddyer and Bartlett. They also make it sound like their bullpen is unstoppable, when in fact they really only had 3 solid performers. In fact, I'd probably take the Yankee's pen this year because Rivera/Gordon/Rodriguez should be at least as good as Nathan/Rincon/Romero, if not better.

 

I have no problem with people picking the Twins to win the division, but to think that they can get by the Yankees/Red Sox/Angels trio much less win the series makes me seriously question their qualifications as a baseball expert.