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Home  Sports News MLB Baseball News 2008 Minnesota Twins MLB Picks and Predictions (02-26-2008) |
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2008 Minnesota Twins MLB Picks and Predictions (02-26-2008) |
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Written by JimmyBoyd
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Wednesday, 27 February 2008 |
With Johan Santana and Tori Hunter out, it is evident that the Twins are looking to go another direction to eventually reach the top, but whether it is the right direction is yet to be determined. Find out where Jimmy sees the Twins fitting in to the MLB picks season with his 2008 Minnesota Twins predictions and season preview. Head over to SportsBetting.com for all of the 2008 MLB season future bets .
Starting Rotation/Bullpen
Not only is long-time ace Johan Santana out, but the Twins also shipped off top pitching prospect Matt Garza. So what does that leave them with? Scotty Baker will likely take the ball on opening day. He’s big, relatively young, and can throw hard, but he doesn’t appear to have the stuff of an ace. The Twins are hyping up Boof Bonser saying that he rededicated himself in the offseason and lost a bunch of weight. I don’t know how much that will improve his 5.10 ERA. Kevin Slowey seems to be a tweener. His command of the strike zone has allowed him to dominate in the minors, but he hasn’t developed an out pitch to sit down major league hitters. Francisco Liriano is the wild card. He was a gem as a rookie, but we all know that Tommy John recovery takes some time. It’s unlikely that he will be as sharp right out of the gates as he was two seasons ago. Several Mets’ pitching prospects which came over in the Santana deal could duke it out for the final spot.
Any team would trust Joe Nathan to have the ball in his hands in the ninth. With a dominant fastball, hard slider, and good curve, he’s the total package. My only beef is that sometimes he forgets about his fastball. Nathan has 37 saves for the Twinkies last season. Matt Guerrier was the Twins best middle reliever and Pat Neshek can also star in the setup role if he games stamina. He really trailed off in the second half of the season.
Batting Order
Jason Pridie will likely take over for Hunter in center and lead off for the Twins. He has impressed the Twins in a previous spring training, but they still don’t really know what they are getting with this kid. Bendan Harris gives the Twins a right handed bat between Pridie and Mauer. He hit 12 homeruns last season and drove in 59 with Tampa Bay. The Twins will be happy if he can duplicate those numbers. Catcher Joe Mauer must produce more than the 60 runs he drove in a season ago in the three-slot. The Twins are confident that Delmon Young can replace Tori Hunter in the middle of the order at a fraction of the price. He hit 13 homeruns and drove in 93 last season and the Twins don’t think he is anywhere near peaking. The MVP, Justin Morneau, hit 31 homers and drove in 111, but his averaged suffered as he didn’t take enough free passes. Teams try to pitch around him and he just needs to take the walks to benefit the team. Michael Cuddyer proved to be no fluke with another solid season. He is an ideal six hitter for the Twins with a potential to drive in 100 runs. Jason Kubel came on strong late in the season showing everyone why he was once considered a top prospect. Mike Lamb and Adam Everett come over from Houston to play the left side of the infield and hit eighth and ninth.
The Twins have taken some hits this offseason, losing key players, but they still have a respectable lineup with more power than quite a few teams around the league. They will suffer playing in the tough AL Central, but they can still push for 80 wins leaving the Royals all alone in last place.
Jimmy Boyd of Locksmith Sports is your only choice for winning MLB picks all season long. Jimmy finished the 2007 season as the number one ranked MLB capper on the planet once again and is looking forward to defending his title. Make sure you’re along for the profitable ride.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 February 2008 )
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