| Authored by Jason M. Williams - 26th March, 2008 - 11:42 am
 The 2008 Major League Baseball season is underway and what better way to kick it off than to humbly offer predictions for the upcoming season and play the first ever RealGM Name Game.
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Name Game, and this article will be the first of two parts. This version will depict the names to take notice of for the National League while the following piece will identify those in the American League.
The Name Game is a team-by-team breakdown that selects the Newcomer to Watch, the Most Overrated Player, the Most Underrated Player, the Best Player Name on the Roster, and the Depth Chart Anomaly.
Each category is pretty straight forward, and the Depth Chart Anomaly is, as Webster’s Dictionary would define it, “an odd, peculiar, or strange condition, (relating to a Major League roster).”
Without further adieu, I present to you my 2008 National League predictions and Name Game.
National League Playoff Teams
NL East Champ: New York Mets
NL Central Champ: Chicago Cubs
NL West Champ: Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Wild Card: Los Angeles Dodgers
National League Championship Series
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
National League Champion
Arizona Diamondbacks
*Check in later this week for the American League Name Game to see World Series predictions.
National League MVP
David Wright, NYM
National League Cy Young
Brandon Webb, ARZ
National League Rookie of Year
Kosuko Fukudome, CHC
National League Manager of Year
Bob Melvin, ARZ
Team-by-team Name Game
Arizona Diamondbacks
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Dan Haren, SP
Most Overrated Player: Eric Byrnes, LF
Most Underrated Player: Chris Young, CF
Best Player Name on Roster: Augie Ojeda, 2B
Depth Chart Anomaly: Randy Johnson is the third starter of a team, and he is old enough to be the father of 18 of the 25 roster players.
Atlanta Braves
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Tom Glavine, SP
Most Overrated Player: Jeff Francoeur, RF
Most Underrated Player: Yunel Escobar, SS
Best Player Name on Roster: Jair Jurrjens, SP
Depth Chart Anomaly: Mike Hampton is listed as the fourth starter despite the fact he hasn't pitched since 2005 and hasn't made 30 starts in a season since 2003. Atlanta farmhands should feel safe about their odds of getting a call up into the Braves' rotation.
Chicago Cubs
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Kosuko Fukudome, RF
Most Overrated Player: Aramis Ramirez, 3B
Most Underrated Player: Carlos Marmol, RP
Best Player Name on Roster: Geovany Soto, C
Depth Chart Anomaly: With a fleet-footed outfield consisting of Alfonso Soriano, Felix Pie, and Kosuko Fukudome, how embarrassed is Daryle Ward during OF sprinting drills?
Cincinnati Reds
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Francisco Cordero, CL
Most Overrated Player: Corey Patterson, CF
Most Underrated Player: Ryan Freel, UTIL
Best Player Name on Roster: Norris Hopper, RF
Depth Chart Anomaly: Can David Weathers and Mike Stanton recapture the form they had when they guided the New York Yankee bullpen to the title in 1996?
Colorado Rockies
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Kip Wells, SP
Most Overrated Player: Todd Helton, 1B
Most Underrated Player: Yorvit Torrealba, C
Best Player Name on Roster: Ubaldo Jimenez, SP
Depth Chart Anomaly: Will the Rockies keep Brian Fuentes around as a set up man after back-to-back 30-save seasons in 2005 and 2006?
Florida Marlins
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Andrew Miller, SP
Most Overrated Player: Jorge Cantu, 3B
Most Underrated Player: Dan Uggla, 2B
Best Player Name on Roster: Taylor Tankersley, RP
Depth Chart Anomaly: What's funnier? That Luis Gonzalez is sitting behind Josh Willingham and Alejandro De Aza? Or that Luis Gonzalez is still in the MLB?
Houston Astros
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Jose Valverde, CL
Most Overrated Player: Miguel Tejada, SS
Most Underrated Player: Ty Wigginton, 3B
Best Player Name on Roster: Reggie Abercrombie, OF
Depth Chart Anomaly: Welcome back Darin Erstad! Erstad finds himself competing with Mr. Abercrombie for the first backup outfielder slot.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Andruw Jones, CF
Most Overrated Player: Jeff Kent, 2B
Most Underrated Player: Russell Martin, C
Best Player Name on Roster: Scott Proctor, RP
Depth Chart Anomaly: With the hiring of new manager Joe Torre, Scott Proctor's wife has already been seen having lunch with Dr. James Andrews to negotiate a discount rate for his eventual shoulder and elbow operations this August.
Milwaukee Brewers
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Mike Cameron, CF
Most Overrated Player: Eric Gagne, CL
Most Underrated Player: Ryan Braun, 3B
Best Player Name on Roster: Vinny Rottino, 1B
Depth Chart Anomaly: How long will it take before Manager Ned Yost is committed to an insane asylum after being forced to trust Derrick Turnbow and Eric Gagne in the ninth?
New York Mets
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Brian Schneider, C…just kidding, Johan Santana, SP
Most Overrated Player: Billy Wagner, CL
Most Underrated Player: Orlando Hernandez, SP
Best Player Name on Roster: Angel Pagan, LF
Depth Chart Anomaly: Did you ever think Damion Easley would be listed for the fourth utility outfielder position three spots behind Ryan Church?
Philadelphia Phillies
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Brad Lidge, CL
Most Overrated Player: Jimmy Rollins, SS
Most Underrated Player: Chase Utley, 2B
Best Player Name on Roster: Cole Hamels, SP
Depth Chart Anomaly: Is it not awkward to see Geoff Jenkins in Phillie Red? Who ever thought he'd be out of Milwaukee?
Pittsburgh Pirates
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Byung-Hyun Kim, RP
Most Overrated Player: Jason Bay, LF
Most Underrated Player: Xavier Nady, RF
Best Player Name on Roster: Franquelis Osoria, RP
Depth Chart Anomaly: Wasn't Zach Duke the future of the Pirates rotation? Now he's listed as their fifth starter. Ouch.
San Diego Padres
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Mark Prior, SP
Most Overrated Player: Brian Giles, RF
Most Underrated Player: Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Best Player Name on Roster: Craig Stansberry, 2B
Depth Chart Anomaly: I know many people like to retire to San Diego. But come on…on roughly three of every five nights, the Padre bench will potentially seat Greg Maddux, Mark Prior, Jim Edmonds, Tony Clark, and Michael Barrett.
San Francisco Giants
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Aaron Rowand, CF
Most Overrated Player: Barry Zito, SP
Most Underrated Player: Jonathan Sanchez, SP
Best Player Name on Roster: Vinnie Chulk, RP
Depth Chart Anomaly: Eugenio Velez is the only position player starter under 30 years old, but Tyler Walker and Steve Kline are the only pitchers on the entire staff that are over 30.
St. Louis Cardinals
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Troy Glaus, 3B
Most Overrated Player: Adam Kennedy, 2B
Most Underrated Player: Chris Duncan, LF
Best Player Name on Roster: Skip Schumaker, RF
Depth Chart Anomaly: Imagine how much more formidable the St. Louis rotation would be if Chris Carpenter, Mark Mulder, and Matt Clement were healthy…
Washington Nationals
Favorite Newcomer to Watch: Paul Lo Duca, C
Most Overrated Player: Austin Kearns, RF
Most Underrated Player: Lastings Milledge, CF
Best Player Name on Roster: Elijah Dukes, LF
Depth Chart Anomaly: Is the Washington upper management at all worried about Dmitri Young taking youngsters Milledge and Dukes under his wing?
Agree? Disagree? Did I forget to mention someone? Please let me know! Jason M. Williams can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for questions or comments. |
