“Dynasty” is term loosely tossed around to describe successful teams after championship runs. In most modern sports, the talent pool has proven too deep to have a classic, 20^th-century, dynasty such as the 50s Yankees, 60s Celtics or 90s Cowboys. Those squads dominated and left little question as to which team was the best in their respective eras. While that same scenario may not exist in all major United States sports, we can garner at least a debate.

In this piece we will dive into the top dynasties since the first season post-2000 started of each major sport between the college and professional levels and decide which recent squad has had dominated its respective sport the most. There are rules that will be followed.

1. There will be a qualified team picked out of each individual sport before jumping to a final debate on who is the king of kings.
2. One team must be chosen out of each major sport – college football, men’s/women’s basketball, baseball, wrestling, volleyball, MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL.
3. Seasons that are currently in progress (2014-15 college hoops, NBA, NHL) are not included. For example, Kentucky’s current undefeated record in college hoops cannot be applied to their opportunity to be considered college basketball’s top dynasty on the men’s side.
4. Dynasty is a term used far too often. Are the Seahawks a dynasty because of how great their defense is in the past two years? No, because Seattle struggled through a lot of down seasons beforehand. In this piece, a dynasty will be defined as “Dominating a respective sport, while simultaneously competing for championships to the tune of being the greatest team in the discussed era.”
5. A team must consistently be in championship contention, but in order to be a dynasty in this span – a team must have won at least a single title.
6. I cannot compare teams between sports, as that will happen in the follow up article, where I will rank the selections from each league.

Let the games begin.

NBA

The NBA has always had a lack of parity.  We may no longer be limited to just the Lakers and Celtics, but the situation is still heavily lopsided.

Starting in the 2000-01 season, just three out of 14 Western Conference champions haven’t been named either the Los Angeles Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs. The Dallas Mavericks made two Finals appearances, and the Oklahoma City Thunder briefly showed up before being ousted in five by the LeBron James-led Miami Heat.

The Eastern Conference has been more diverse, but less successful. Seven teams (Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Detroit, Miami, Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando) have won the conference, but just three (Detroit, Miami, Boston) have managed to end the postseason with a victory.

The Heat have an impressive five title appearances and three championships to make a case for a potential top-NBA dynasty in the last 14 seasons. However, they fall well short of the Western Conference rivals from California and Texas.

The Spurs have a cumulative regular season record of 804-328 (.710), a postseason tally of 129-80 (.617), and four championships in five appearances since 2000. Their worst record in that span is 50-32 in 2009, and yet they still made it to the Western Conference Semifinals. Gregg Popovich has led this team to being easily the most consistent of all NBA squads in this era.

Los Angeles, albeit currently in its lowest moment in franchise history, also has an argument to be the representative for professional hoops. While their 690-442 (.610) overall regular season mark is well below San Antonio’s, their post season record of 108-66 trumps the Spurs. In six Finals appearances, the Lakers have taken home four titles – equal to the Spurs. If the 1999-2000 season and the first third of the Shaq-Kobe three-peat were included, my final decision may not have been…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs, led by a long-time coach and familiar players, have (somehow quietly) been one of the most consistent teams in all of American athletics. Their YMCA-style of play may not captivate casual audiences with oohs and awes, but their record says all that is needed. The Lakers have missed the playoffs as many times (two) as the Spurs have missed the second round. The ability to avoid down years is what makes the difference. San Antonio and Los Angeles have the same highs, but the Spurs have yet to hit a low this century.

Honorable mention: Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat

NFL

Baltimore, New England, Pittsburgh and the New York Giants have all won multiple titles since Super Bowl XXXV, thus obviously deserving of recognition in this analysis. Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Green Bay and Seattle will also be included as to compare all Super Bowl victors.

Looking based simply off of this, the answer is penciled in. Let’s engrave it in stone with this next chart. I gave every team a point total for each category – the top team receiving nine points and the bottom receiving one – (regular season win percentage, total postseason wins, postseason win percentage, division titles and Super Bowls). The point total depended on where a team finished in each respective section.

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: New England Patriots. New England swept the board in each measurable category. It’s hard to tell if they’re farther ahead of the pack than Tampa Bay is behind. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have created a dynasty and are two absurd catches from having six Super Bowls in this span, including the Brady-Randy Moss 2007 combination that was the best team in NFL history to not win it all.

NHL

The NHL has experienced more parity than its professional counterparts this century. Ten teams have won a Stanley Cup in the last 13 occurrences (plus the 2005 lockout season). The Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche have all taken home one championship, while the Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings all have a pair of titles. To avoid confusion in the following chart, the NHL did away with ties during this span and therefore the records will be Win-Loss-Overtime Losses-Ties.

  We have seven categories (Stanley Cups, playoff appearances, playoff series victories, postseason wins, postseason win percentage and regular season win percentage and points). The best team in each category will receive 10 points and the worst will pick up just one. In order to put a stronger emphasis on advancing in the postseason, playoff series victories will count as a point for each accumulated. This should counteract disciplining teams for advancing on to tougher rounds just to be swept.

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Detroit Red Wings. Outside of postseason win percentage, Detroit swept the board since 2000. Its 17 postseason series victories is even more impressive when factoring in the lockout season and the fact that no other franchise has more than a dozen. Despite parity among Stanley Cup victors, Detroit has easily been the most consistently dominant in all of professional hockey. Not much of an argument can be made for any other squad from this chart, and therefore none are honorable mention worthy.

Men’s college basketball:

After a relatively easy start, we reach what might be the most complicated of all sports we list. College basketball is about as random as they come (see odds of making a perfect bracket). Of course, Kentucky seems like an obvious choice after winning a national title in 2013-14 and going undefeated so far in 2014-15 (void). Don’t let fresh tastes discount distant memories.

Recent impressions can’t influence this decision, but the Wildcats have enough beyond that to make a pretty decisive statement. A 369-124 overall record is tough to argue with. What’s even harder? Twelve NCAA Tournament appearances, eight Sweet Sixteens, three Final Fours and a 1-1 record in the championship. Take away the two seasons Billy Gillispie coached Kentucky to a 40-27 overall record with zero NCAA Tournament victories and an NIT berth, and the Wildcats may blow the competition out of the water.

One team has been so remarkably consistent in its conference that it’s impossible to leave off this list: The Kansas Jayhawks.

After transitioning from a Hall of Fame coach, Kansas found a fate much simpler than Kentucky. Bill Self took over Roy Williams’ squad and didn’t miss a beat.

Williams’ last three seasons resulted in a 42-6 conference record that was overshadowed by a Sweet Sixteen, Final Four and a championship appearance. Since? Self has given the Jayhawks a 325-69 mark with a 151-31 stretch in the Big 12.

Self’s initial tournament resume left much to be desired with two first round exits sandwiched between a pair of Elite Eight showings. That turned around quickly with Kansas’ lone national title during this span in 2008.

Kansas boasts similar marks to Kentucky, with one extra championship loss thrown in, and its down years were first round exits over being completely left out.

So how about ex-Jayhawk coach Williams’ new squad – North Carolina? The Tar Heels have two national titles and another Final Four on their record and they may not even be the best dynasty in their own state.

Recent 1,000 game winner Mike Kryzewski’s Duke Blue Devils are.

Duke has a pair of national titles, has appeared in the tournament in each covered year, and has lost in their opening matchup just three times. Their conference dominance may not be as high as a team such as Kansas, but the competition is relatively stellar each season.

The Blue Devils hold an absurd 412-87 (.826) record in this span. So it has to be them, right?111

Let’s head over to Big Ten country where Tom Izzo is standing by for a quick lecture on postseason play. Michigan State, although missing its 1999-2000 national championship by just one season, has made nine Sweet Sixteens, five Elite Eights, four Final Fours, and has won one title. They haven’t missed the tournament a single time, and have been eliminated before the Round of 32 just four times.

What about UConn’s three title runs? Florida’s star-studded squads? Kentucky’s heated-rival Louisville? We need a way to rank these teams accordingly as to put all bias aside and assign an overall score. Postseason play in college basketball has always taken precedence over any other measurement of success. Here is the scoring chart to decide the top NCAA Tournament team since 2001’s tournament when solely considering those whom have a title to their name in this span:

Round of 64 loss: 0 points
Round of 32 loss: 1 point
Sweet 16 loss: 2 points
Elite Eight loss: 4 points
Final Four Loss: 8 points
Championship loss: 12 points
Championship: 16 points

NCAA Tournament champions results since 2000-01 March Madness: Kansas 68, UConn 67, Duke 59, North Carolina 56, Florida 55, Kentucky 55, Michigan State 51, Louisville 44, Syracuse 37, Maryland 30.

Shockingly, outside of its three titles runs, UConn only scored 19 points on this scale. The Huskies fell just a point shy of claiming this all important statistic in pushing forward to choosing men’s college hoops’ most dominant dynasty of the 21^st century. Despite just one title, consistency overcame roller coaster levels of postseason success and your winner is…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Kansas Jayhawks. Not only has Kansas (almost surprisingly) performed as the top overall team in March Madness, but it also has the most eye-popping accomplishment. I’m going to type this out to make it even more drastic: Kansas has won at least a share of (ahem) back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back regular season Big 12 championships. That’s 10. Read that out loud and you’re likely to need to catch your breath. This isn’t Kansas playing in the Summit League or intramural athletics – this is a major conference with a tough road to the top every season. Ten?! In a row? And just for the record, it’s also 12 of 13, but who’s counting? The Huskies have a legitimate argument when it comes to this discussion due to three incredible runs to the championship, but Kansas has been a more consistently feared team. Welcome to a new postseason tournament, Jayhawks. Let’s see who else is joining you.

Honorable mention: Duke, UConn

Women’s College Basketball

I went from one of the more difficult sports to choose to what might be the easiest. UConn women’s hoops is out of this world. Seven championships since the turn of the century. Average margin of victory in those title-winning contests? 15.4 points. That’s 15 points better than the second best team in the country. Talk about a talent gap. I can’t put into words how unbelievably incredible the Huskies’ overall record has been, so I’ll leave two simple numbers on its own.

486-38.

That’s a .927 winning percentage.

I could play myself in checkers and not win 93 percent of the time.

Connecticut has missed out on the Sweet Sixteen in this span only…well, they haven’t. And just once were they limited to that. On top of the Sweet Sixteen and seven titles, the Huskies have made two Elite Eight appearances along with four Final Fours. Therefore, your clear cut winner without any hesitation is…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Connecticut Huskies.

College Wrestling

If the 70s, 80s and 90s were included, this wouldn’t even be a competition. The Iowa Hawkeyes took home 20 titles from 1975-2000. Despite those all being out of the picture, Iowa is still in contention for the 21^st century title post-Dan Gable. The Hawkeyes have three titles to their name, which comes shy of Penn State and Oklahoma State, who put together four each. With the overall team title competition so close, our answer comes from individual championships. The Nittany Lions have nine, Hawkeyes 13 and Cowboys 18.

Oklahoma State’s 2005 season was the best of the era, fielding five individual champions in 10 weight classes, and scoring 153 points – best since the 1997 Hawkeyes scored 170. Therefore the winner is…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cowboys are tied for the lead in titles, have the best overall team of the era and can claim having the most individual titles. They may be fortunate to wrestle outside the Big Ten, but national titles don’t lie.

Honorable Mention: Iowa Hawkeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions

MLB

Four teams have won multiple titles since 2000 – the Red Sox (three), Giants (three), Yankees (two) and Cardinals (two) – to give a clear starting point when trying to declare the top 21^st century dynasty of professional baseball.

It’s clearly visible that this is a dead heat. You know the drill. In order to decide, I assigned a point total to each stat category. The top finisher in each category – World Series victories, division titles, regular season winning percentage, playoff appearances, total playoff wins and postseason playoff winning percentage – receives four points, followed by three for second place and so on. I also gave teams an extra point for each playoff series they won. The final tally came out as followed:

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: St. Louis Cardinals. Any fan of one the final four teams can state a statistic on how their team deserved to be the one represented. New York dominated the AL East. Boston and San Francisco won a third World Series and were more efficient in the postseason when they did make it. None of that jumped out the way this did:

The Cardinals took the cake with 16 postseason series victories.

That’s out of this world consistent. The Yankees came close, carried by consistently owning the division crown, whereas the two teams that take advantage of playoff appearances the most, Boston and San Francisco, found themselves looking up.

Honorable Mention: Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants

College Volleyball

Some of these don’t take much time. Penn State has six championships, including two 38-0 seasons. USC, Stanford, Nebraska, Texas and UCLA have had strong programs, but none have approached the dominance by the Nittany Lions. Let’s just get to the point. Without a hint of doubt, your winner is…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Penn State Nittany Lions.

College Baseball

Unlike most of the other sports in the discussion, the full 2000 season is included since it began post-millennium. Texas, South Carolina and Oregon State all have a pair of titles, with nobody else claiming more than one. Naturally, only those three are in consideration. However, the Beavers have only made four CWS appearances compared to six for South Carolina and eight for Texas. Typically that would lead one to believe that the answer is obviously the Longhorns.

Take a look at overall winning percentage: Texas is 661-294 (.664) in this millennium, lagging considerably behind the Gamecocks at 713-289 (.712). So what do we value? Winning more regular season games against what is typically stronger competition, or taking overall postseason play? The latter carries more weight. Here is how each team fared in NCAA Tournament play with its overall statistics tallied at the bottom.

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Texas Longhorns. In what ended up being the closest contest of any sport so far, Texas prevailed because of one statistic: CWS appearances. South Carolina may hold a relatively significant advantage in regular season record and have a slim lead in postseason record, but they couldn’t get the job done in enough Super Regionals. One could argue that Texas’ lows were below South Carolina’s, but they consistently made the trip to Omaha and that familiarity with getting to the final eight put them over the edge.

College Football

Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, and Florida all have multiple FBS championships to their names, while Appalachian State and North Dakota State have dominated the FCS level well enough to be included in the discussion. USC vacated one of its two national championships and will not be considered. As we’ve come to find out, tables can be really useful when measuring statistics of multiple teams. Unfortunately, college football has more variables than most so let’s compare like it is 2000 (and we’re using WordPad).

Alabama: The Crimson Tide are the only team in this span with three FBS national title victories. Their overall record takes a hit because of 21 vacated wins, but stands at 116-57, including a 6-5 bowl mark – which is also hindered by one vacated victory and two seasons in which ‘Bama was ineligible for the postseason. They have garnered three SEC titles and five SEC West crowns – most of which have come under Nick Saban. The pre-Saban era was somewhat dark for Alabama, which had a (now shocking) 3-8 season in 2000. The loss of 21 victories could really come back to bite the team that is likely the first one on everybody’s college football power shortlist.

Florida: Florida boasts two national titles (thanks, Tebow) complemented by a 137-56 overall record. If Alabama had kept its wins, Florida would be one game ahead in the loss column and tied with the Tide for overall victories. In bowl play, Florida has a lackadaisical 7-6 mark. They have picked up three SEC Titles and have headed the SEC East four times.

LSU: Consistency in a more than tough conference is what could separate LSU from the group. Like every team on this list besides Alabama, the Tigers have a pair of national championships. Their overall record of 151-45 is only topped by Ohio State. They’ve won nine bowl games compared to six losses and have not missed out on the postseason. They’ve picked up four conference titles and five SEC West titles along the way to top both Florida and Alabama in those areas.

Ohio State: Surprised to see a Big Ten team here? You shouldn’t be. Despite a negative stigma built around the conference in recent years, Ohio State has been among the most dominant teams lately. The Buckeyes’ 157-36 overall record is hard to argue with. An 8-7 bowl record with a few postseason embarrassments could be improved on. What really couldn’t be is a sensational seven conference titles – which reasonably would be eight if not for a postseason ban on a 12-0 squad in 2012. The Buckeyes may not have the numbers to claim best of this century now, but with Urban Meyer pulling the strings, it might not be too long until they do.

North Dakota State: If we were only talking about the last four years, the Bison would breeze through the competition. Their 63-3 record with four national titles is, well, absurd. Before that? North Dakota State swiftly comes back to Earth with a more reasonable, but still strong, 74-40 mark. Did you already do the math? That’s an overall record of 137-43

…and I should probably mention they have a 20-2 postseason record.

20 wins. Two losses.

The Bison made the move from Division II to FCS in this time period and were ineligible for postseason play in multiple 10-1 seasons, otherwise they very well could have added to that title total. Which, quite frankly, is a little scary. One thing that isn’t as scary is this game. And this one in the same season. Sometimes you find things while researching that you wish you never did. Those qualify.

Appalachian State: While the Bison were fiddling around with moving up from Division II, another squad was busy winning national championships and knocking off the winningest-program in FBS history. That was the Mountaineers of Appalachian State. Their record of 131-52 is a modest amount below North Dakota State’s. It isn’t the regular season that separates these two FCS programs. The Mountaineers postseason mark, despite a three-peat from 2005-2007, is 19-8, considerably worse than the Bison’s…let me say it again…20-2.

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: North Dakota State Bison. I get it. Strength of schedule for the Bison isn’t anywhere near what Ohio State, let alone Alabama, Florida and LSU, face on a week-to-week basis. Their national titles are much less publicized and viewed. They don’t have NFL prospects filling up the first round. They weren’t even in the FCS for part of this era. There are a lot of reasons not to pick them.

Go ahead, write an article on why LSU’s consistency in the SEC makes them the best dynasty of this century, or why Alabama’s three titles set it apart, or how Ohio State’s conference dominance make them the frontrunner. They all have strong cases to disprove my choice.

To me, these issues have to be made relative, not directly compared. Of course North Dakota State doesn’t have to play the LSU defense, the Tim Tebow offense or Nick Saban’s game plan on an annual basis, but they ought to be held to the standards of their competition, not of a league above them. North Dakota State has simply dominated about as much as a modern college football team can in this span. 137-43 in the regular season? Incredible – just as incredible as the others on this list, especially considering transition seasons. That doesn’t set them apart.

A .909 winning percentage in the postseason will. When the Bison play the best competition, they don’t just compete – they absolutely own everyone. Alabama doesn’t. Florida doesn’t. LSU and Ohio State don’t. They’re all tremendous teams, but have not set themselves apart at any part this century the way the Bison have.

Conclusion

The aforementioned follow-up article will now include the St. Louis Cardinals, San Antonio Spurs, New England Patriots, Detroit Red Wings, Kansas Jayhawks men’s hoops, UConn Huskies women’s basketball, Oklahoma State wrestling, Penn State volleyball, Texas baseball and North Dakota State football. Those ten dominant teams will be ranked to determine an ultimate “dynasty of the 21^st century.”

Be sure to check out Night Stuff on KRUI at the stroke of midnight Wednesday mornings as we discuss topics such as this, other sporting news and a few outrageous topics mixed in with a phone always ready to hear your takes. Did you like the article or happen to disagree with some of the choices? Tweet @TheMainStevent or @KRUISports to share your opinion.

The post The 21st Century’s Best Dynasty appeared first on KRUI Radio.

It only seems fair to start with the 2014 champs, the San Francisco Giants. The Giants have a certain beauty to them. They are a team that becomes one. People always seem to be surprised when a team like the Giants have such success. That’s called unselfish teamwork.

Notable Additions:

Nori Aoki OF

Casey McGehee 3B

Notable Losses:

Michael Morse LF/1B

Pablo Sandoval 3B

The Giants will enter 2015 with a few key changes. In the infield, the absence of Pablo Sandoval will not go unnoticed. Sandoval was a key contributor in each of the Giants past three playoff runs. In 154 postseason at bats, Sandoval holds a .354 batting average and a .545 slugging percentage. Casey McGehee will fill the spot at third base in 2015. McGehee played for the Marlins last season where he posted a respectable .287 batting average. There’s no question that this is a major downgrade.

The Giants will miss the switch hitting bat of Sandoval in the middle of the lineup. McGehee had two areas of concern last season. The first was the non-existent power. He hit only 4 home runs in 2014 and finished with a .357 slugging percentage. The Giants would love to see just 10-15 long balls from McGehee in 2015. It’s noteworthy to mention that he did blast 23 home runs back in 2010 when he finished with a .464 slugging percentage. The second area of concern is double plays. McGehee grounded into an MLB high 31 double plays in 2014. That’s almost twice the number of Sandoval who was doubled up 16 times last season. McGehee could be a difference maker if he could find a way to add some power to his stroke.

San Francisco fans should be excited to see Nori Aoki playing left field for the Giants this season. I think Aoki will fit well in the Giant’s system. He is a left-handed bat that managed to hit .285 in 2014 for the Kansas City Royals. The statistic that I find the most intriguing about Aoki is his batting average against left-handed pitching. He hit .363 against lefties last season with a .435 slugging percentage. Aoki should continue to be an exciting player to watch.

Breakout Player: Joe Panik 2B

You could argue that Panik already broke out in 2014. He played 73 games for the big league club last season and posted a .305 batting average. Panik brings a quick left-handed bat to the lineup. He was another guy who crushed left-handed pitching last season finishing with a .373 batting average and only struck out 12 times against south paws. He struggled to find the gaps at home but managed to hit 8/10 doubles on the road. If healthy I’m expecting:

.279 BA,  .346 OBP, 6 HR, 49 RBI’s, 71 SO

Game Changer: Matt Cain SP

Cain is coming off of an elbow surgery that ended his 2014 campaign early. Cain has struggled in the past few season with ERA’s above 4.00. If Cain can give the Giants just 175 innings with a 3.67 ERA it could be the difference between October baseball or an early off season. He finished the 2012 season with a 2.79 ERA over 219.1 innings. The Giants will look for any help they can get with their aging rotation.

It’s hard to say that the Giants will be a great team but I’m certainly not ready to doubt them. They still have solid pieces in place.

Madison Bumgarner reassured everyone last year that he is a true ace who can carry a team through the playoffs. Bumgarner posted a 0.43 ERA in the World Series last season through 21 innings of work. He’s given the Giants four consecutive seasons of over 200 innings of work. Hunter Pence continues to be one of the most consistent outfielders in the game and has given no indication that would show any change. Buster Posey seems to get better every season and is the core of this talented team. With the key pieces still in tact, the Giants should be ready to contend for another NL West Title. 2015 should be a more challenging season due to the fact that the Dodgers still remain a major threat and the Padres have significantly improved.

Make sure to check back in on March 31st for my complete standing predictions along with a few other fun pieces of news. Until then, you will be able to find a new preview of an individual team from March 1st through the 30th here at KRUI.FM.

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More than any other sport, baseball is a sport of patience. This holds true as a player, and as a fan. 162 games is a long (almost too long) season and since we are only two weeks in, overreaction should be kept to a minimum. Baseball is a streaky game and a team dominating or struggling after only playing around 12 games is no cause for panic. However, I do feel as if the past 14 days have shown us a lot about our own expectations. So I am here to simply make observations and point out who is for real, who the surprises are, and who needs to step up their game.

Rough Start in the City of Angels

Probably the biggest off-season acquisition was the Angels signing former Texas All-Star Josh Hamilton and how a lineup that consisted of him, Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and Albert Pujols would be unstoppable. But after dishing out a five-year $125 million contract for Hamilton, he and the rest of the Angels for that matter are not off to the start everyone had anticipated. Right now they are last in the AL West with a 3-8 record. Hamilton is batting a sub-par .186 with five RBIs and one home run, while Trout is .269 with two RBIs and one home run. Pujols is putting up solid numbers with a .324 average, seven RBIs and two home runs, as is Trumbo batting .298 with seven RBIs and one home run. What seems to be killing them is the inconsistent production of their high-priced talent, along with a short staffed pitching rotation as ace Jered Weaver is out for up to five more weeks with a fractured left elbow. With that injury, the only other go-to pitcher in that rotation is C.J. Wilson who has not done bad boasting a 14 strikeouts and a 1-0 record, but he also has a 4.00 ERA. Injuries will heal and slumps will happen so the Angels do not appear in to be in too much trouble yet. That lineup is too talented (and expensive) to not produce all year.

No Sophomore Slump for Harper

Two big questions coming into this season were, will the two rookie sensations of last season repeat or will they both experience sophomore slumps? Both Mike Trout and Bryce Harper are good enough players that a slump was probably not going to happen this year (precisely why I took both of them for my fantasy team) but it was Harper who put the whole “sophomore slump” theory to rest on opening day. The 20 year-old Nationals star launched two home runs in his first two at bats April 1^st against the Marlins. Since then he has gone yard three more times and is batting .348 with 10 RBIs and 14 hits. Now Trout is not off to the same start as Harper but is also not in a terrible slum; as mentioned above he’s batting .269 with two RBIs and one home run. Whether or not arriving at camp around 55-20 pounds heavier than last season is having an effect on him is not for me to say. But for now it is not a time to worry as both sophomores will finish the year with respectable numbers.

Breakout in the Bay

As the Giants have won the World Series in the past two out of three years, naturally they are the story in the Bay Area. This especially holds true since they are doing as expected by starting the season atop the NL West with a 9-4 record.  But probably the biggest surprise out of that team is the resurgence of Barry Zito. So far he has pitched14 innings earning eight strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA. Granted his first two starts were against Colorado and St. Louis, not exactly offensive juggernauts. So the question still remains as to how he will do against some of the better hitting teams in the league such as Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Washington. But since Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum have been the big-name pitchers in San Francisco for the past few years, it is nice to see Zito resemble the pitcher he was in Oakland 9 years ago.

Speaking of Oakland, let us take a look at the news across the bay. The A’s are off to a 9-4 start and are currently first in the AL West. This is especially surprising as their biggest names are Coco Crisp and Yoenis Cespedes (to which some may be saying, who?). Right now they lead the MLB in runs (73), RBIs (70), and total bases (208). If this tells us anything it is to never underestimate Mr. Billy Beane and his band of no-names and has-beens because in the end, they get results.

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Final standings from the NL West in 2011:

1. Arizona Diamondbacks (94-68)
2. San Francisco Giants (86-76) 8 Games Back
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (82-79) 11.5 Games Back
4. Colorado Rockies (72-89) 21 Games Back
5. San Diego Padres (71-91) 23 Games Back

Team Break-Downs:

#5. San Diego Padres (71-91)
Losses: CL Heath Bell, SP Mat Latos, OF Ryan Ludwick
Additions: CL Huston Street, OF Carlos Quentin, SP Edinson Volquez, OF Mark Kotsay, P Andrew Cashner

The Padres struggled in 2011 to string together wins and really were forced to revamp their roster in the offseason. They still have Cameron Maybin, who is a center fielder with a ton of upside. The speedster played in his first full season for a Major League Ball club, batting 516 times in 137 games, with a .264 batting average, 82 runs scores, and 40 stolen bases in 2011. The Padres clearly were not happy with the production last season so they went out and snagged a couple of proven big-leaguers in OF Carlos Quentin, and former Colorado Rockies Closer, Huston Street, as well as OF Mark Kotsay. Street fills the void of Heath Bell who is now the closer for the Miami Marlins. Quentin is an under-the-radar acquisition for the Padres because although his numbers have started to decline the past few seasons from his MVP-caliber performances, Quentin is a winner, and has a great swing. He will bring power and high percentage at-bats to the line-up that struggled last season with those two categories.
San Diego will need to have a solid season at home if they want to be successful in this division. The pitching staff is sub-par because they are young, but with PetCo Park being a pitchers park, it could level the playing field if they are able to manufacture runs and get Maybin around the bases with Quentin and the young nucleus of Venable, Guzman, and Headley. The name of the game is confidence and experience. The Padres will probably have a long season unless they can get production immediately from Volquez, Stauffer and the rest of the pitching staff.

#4. Colorado Rockies (73-89)
Losses: 3B Ian Stewart, IF Ty Wigginton, U Alfredo Amezaga, P J.C Romero, SP Jason Hammel,
Additions: 3B Casey Blake, OF Michael Cuddyer, 2B/SS Marco Scutaro, C Ramon Hernandez, OF Tyler Colvin

The Colorado Rockies clearly threw the year last season at the break, dishing their best pitcher in Ubaldo Jimenez, but they did everything right this offseason, bringing in a good mix of veteran guys to surround their already quality lineup. The Rockies have 2 guys that could be MVP candidates in SS Troy Tulowitzki, and LF Carlos Gonzalez. Cargo and Tulo combined for 56 HR’s, 197 RBI’s, and each batted right around .300, Tulo hitting .302, and Cargo hitting .295. These will continue to play a huge role in offensive success for Colorado, but they need to get guys on base in front of them. Dexter Fowler is a speed demon, but struggled last year to steal quality bases and get across the plate, only scoring 84 runs in a line-up where he should be scoring 100+.
The additions will help compliment the young talent with Cuddyer Scutaro, and Blake each bring something to the table with solid averages, good defense, and the ability to be role players. The line-up will not be the problem for the Rockies.
The pitching staff will showcase Jhoulys Chacin and Jorge De Le Rosa as the top 2 starters and they will need good innings from each guy. Drew Pomerantz will need to blossom as a force to be reckoned with as well, because he is a quality young prospect, and is probably the number 1 guy that they acquired out of the Ubaldo deal.
The Rockies have a nice balance on their team of stars, and youngsters, but the lack of experience in the pitching rotation could prove to be their demise, or propel them to a division championship.

#3 Los Angeles Dodgers (82-79)
Losses: 3B Casey Blake, CL Jonathon Broxton
Additions: RP Todd Coffey, SP Chris Capuano, SP Aaron Harang, 2B Mark Ellis

The Dodgers had the best pitcher and hitter in the entire National League in 2011 in Cy Young winner, Clayton Kershaw, and MVP runner-up, Matt Kemp. Every season it seems that the Dodgers have the tools to win the division and things go awry early and often and they put themselves out of the division hunt. The only real consistent bat in the line-up is Kemp’s and although Andre Ethier has shown some incredible promise in the past, but inconsistency has plagued his career. James Loney has shown some promise, but his bat is known to take a vacation once in a while too. The Dodgers have the most drama surrounding them right now, with Frank McCourts lawsuit and bankruptcy, so it is extremely difficult to see this team impact the division race this season, with all of the other teams around them improving or remaining competitive in the free agent market, something that The Dodgers didn’t really do, by not addressing their need for hitting.

#2. San Francisco Giants (86-76)
Losses: IF Orlando Cabrera, UT Mark De Rosa, IF Miguel Tejada,
Additions: OF Melky Cabrera, OF Angel Pagan, 2B Ryan Theriot, RP Guillermo Mota

For the Giants, step one was simple. Avoid arbitration with Tim Lincecum. They succeeded in that sense, and actually in my opinion got a better deal than The Freak deserves, so that is good. The 2010 World Series Champs have a lot of rebuilding to do, but their offseason has been a good one. Avoiding arbitration with Lincecum is the biggest storyline, but acquiring strong role playing bats on offense in Melky Cabrera, Pagan, and Theriot will help them develop depth in the lineup. The Giants also get back phenom catcher Buster Posey, which should develop the dynamic of their offense and defense immensely. The rotation is still extremely strong, and remains one of the best in the league with Lincecum, Matt Cain (who will be playing in a contract year), Ryan Vogelsong (sparkled last season with a 2.71 ERA and a 13-7 record), Madison Bumgarner, and veteran Barry Zito.
Pitching is not the issue with Brian Wilson, one of the most elite relievers looming at the Closer spot, and probable set-up guy, Sergio Romo who posted a 1.5 ERA in 48 innings pitched last year.
The Giants success will live and die by their ability at the plate.

#1. Arizona Diamondbacks (94-68)
Losses: SP Jason Marquis, SP Micah Owings, OF/1B Xavier Nady
Additions: OF Jason Kubel, SP Trevor Cahill, RP Craig Breslow

The Diamondbacks came out of nowhere last year with a Cy Young performance from their Ace arm Ian Kennedy. They don’t particularly pop on paper, but they have great chemistry. Justin Upton is continuing to progress into the star they were hoping he would be, Miguel Montero is among the elite young catchers in the game, and they added some great players to help negate the additions by the other divisional teams. Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow have both pitched at a high level for an extended period of time and Jason Kubel is a great veteran who has played in some big games when with the Twins. The Diamonbacks needed more youth and more experience and they go everything they wanted and more, without sacrificing anything significant.

Division Outlook:
The Diamondbacks will start the season as the favorite to take the division, and that comes as no surprise to anybody. They made some great moves in the offseason and the key players for them will be a year older, and hopefully a year smarter. They will need Ian Kennedy to continue to be elite, and that could prove to be the case, but we have to remember that Kennedy was a .500 pitcher in 2010, and then went 20-4 last year. Those numbers will probably drop off slightly. The D-Backs will need Cahill and Breslow to acclimate to Arizona quickly and have an impact right away. Justin Upton is capable of having an MVP caliber season and that should set them apart, but they are still a very young team with not a lot of experience, so that could play a role in the division this season.
The Giants improves a great deal and could make some great strides early. If they want to compete for a division crown, they will need to rely heavily on their pitching, but those same arms got them rings just a season ago.
The Rockies and Dodgers are very similar in the sense that they have incredible talent, but just need to get some consistency. The NL West has 4 MVP candidates in it in Upton, Tulowitzki, Cargo, and Kemp. Whichever of those players can get the guys around him to produce run support for the quality pitching staffs will have the upper hand.
Frankly, the Padres are probably out of it. They don’t possess a big bopper like 2 seasons ago when Adrian Gonzalez was their 1B. They have a long way to go and the fact that they dealt Latos and Bell shows the look of a rebuilding team.

My (Early) Prediction:
1. San Francisco Giants (92-70)
2. Colorado Rockies (89-73)
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (87-75)
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (74-88)
5. San Diego Padres (71-91)

Reasoning: This division should be one of the most fun division to watch in baseball because of the young talent that will dictate who wins. I pick the Giants based on the risk/reward factor for them. They added two solid players in Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan. The Giants also get Buster Posey back and he will look to have another great season behind the dish. Between Posey, Cabrera, and Pagan, with Theriot, their Wins Above Replacement (WAR) combined equals 10.5, meaning that by adding those players it will propel them above the wins mark of the Diamondbacks last season. The D-Backs did add some players as well, improving their percentages, but with the addition of Posey and Melky Cabrera (each with a 3+ WAR), combined with the Giants incredible pitching prowess, the have an incredible advantage that Bruce Bochy will need to take advantage of.
Now, you probably are asking yourself, well then what about the Rockies. The answer is simple. The Rockies appeared to be giving up last season by dealing Ubaldo to the Indians, but in reality they were improving and playing for this season and the future. Adding the veteran leadership with Scutaro and Cuddyer to help Dexter Fowler (Who I believe will break out this year), should set the table for Cargo and Tulowitzki. Todd Helton is 38 years old, but “The Toddfather” is still playing at a high level, hitting .302 last season with 69 RBI’s. The Rockies also have questions in the rotation because of the lack of experience, but they have an opportunity to be the most improved team in the bigs, much like the D-Backs did last year.
This division has a lot of underappreciated fire power and the winner of the division could make a splash in the postseason, much like San Francisco did in 2010.

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