Who really cares whether the Phillies won or lost this game when you can watch a moment like this!
Archive for the ‘MLB Baseball’ Category
May 2nd, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
April 6th, 2011 By Andy "The Raven" Frank (Cappersinfo Contributor)
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Here is the third and final part of our MLB baseball betting guide and mlb betting systems for 2011. In this part we will take a look at the numbers behind the bold and controversial Strategy #2, which advises you to bet on baseball according to how the home plate umpire calls the game. I will tear the cover off a subject that is taboo in MLB. How the transparency in how the home plate umpire calls a game translates into the higher likelihood of a particular side or total winning. That’s right I said side and total not just the total.
When I first started studying this last year I figured that I would find some umpires who had a big strike zone and thus their games were lower scoring and vice versa with a smaller strike zone and higher scoring games. I did find this to be true and the numbers were compelling, but what I was shocked to find was that there were umpires who had such a high percentage of home team wins and that it was far above the MLB average which made it significant. I found that the term “home team advantage” is something some umpires apply more then others.
Let me throw out a few examples of some of the umpires who seem to have this built in “bias” for the home team. Tim McClelland who is a veteran umpire since 1999 when behind home plate last year saw the home team go 28-5 overall. Since 2005 the home team is 111-68 or .620 when McClelland is behind the plate. Mike Muchlinski only umpires sparingly but jump on the home team when he is behind the plate. They are 35-15 the last 5 years which is a staggering .700. Alfonso Marquez another “friend” to the home team in the last 3 years has seen the home team go 65-36 or .644 when he is behind the plate. Kerwin Danley had a record of 26-8 for the home team last year including an amazing 20-2 when the home team was the favorite.
These figures are well above the average home team record in MLB which in 2010 was .559. In 2009 it was .548 and in 2008 it was .556. These umpires are having home teams win in some cases as much as 25% more often which is not only staggering but extremely profitable when we are able to determine if they are behind the plate. Here are a few more whose numbers aren’t as dramatic but whose record over time is. Ted Barrett had a 25-10 record for the home team in 2010 when behind the plate and over the last 8 years the home team wins at a .592 clip when he is the home plate umpire. Mark Carlson is another veteran umpire who in his 12 years behind the plate never had one single season that the road team won more games then the home team. In fact the home team wins .593 when Carlson is behind the plate.
Let’s also take a look at how an umpire calls balls and strikes also relates to the outcome of the total runs scored in a game. This is where I thought I would find all kinds of trends but there were only a few. The ones I did find however are extremely significant. Angel Campos is an umpire who must have one very small strike zone. He calls on average less strikes then any other umpire in MLB and over the last 4 years in games when he is behind home plate the over comes in 61% of the time. Jim Reynolds is another umpire with a small strike zone and no friend to pitchers. The last 4 years the over has cashed in to the tune of 78-45 or 63.4% of the time when he is behind the plate.
Doug Eddings might have one of the largest strike zones of any umpire in MLB as evidenced by his record over the past 12 years of 60.6% of his games behind home plate going under the total. James Hoye is another umpire good for an under outcome, the past two years the under is 50-22 or 69.4% when he is home plate umpire. Bill Miller is another great under umpire seeing the under cash in 84-51 or 62.2% of the time the past 4 years when he is the home plate umpire. I think what makes some of these “under” umpires results even more impressive are that some of those under outcomes came during the steroids era. The numbers won’t be completed for a few years but it appears to me batters are hitting less home runs the past couple of years and I think there is a direct link to the crack down on steroids and HGH. This makes an under umpire even more profitable in a steroids/HGH free environment.
Are all of these men cheaters or being dishonest? Of course they aren’t. Are they necessarily bad at their jobs? Maybe they are and maybe they just see things a little differently then the majority. Does that make them wrong, I don’t think so but it does create an opportunity to capitalize on a particular tendency they have. The key is being able to find the information which is so meaningful. There are several websites that publish the listed home plate umpires and also compile their records dating back to the 90’s. It is no accident that MLB tries to make this information very difficult to find for game 1 of a series, and they would never admit in a million years that certain umpires have any sort of bias whatsoever. However I think you’ll agree the numbers tell a different story.
Now I wouldn’t write down every umpire I listed and bet according to their tendencies, however I would be checking all of them against this year’s records to see if history will once again repeat itself. I would be also looking for certain situations to use these tendencies for example knowing you have a good under umpire combined with two teams sending their ace to the mound might be a great spot to play the under. Conversely knowing you have a good over umpire and two less then top pitchers on the mound might be a prime spot to bet the over. Call it what you will, but I’m a numbers guy and the numbers prove a very interesting system on how to make money consistently betting legally on MLB using primarily strategy #2. We at Cappersinfo.com are always striving to bring you the most up to date and innovative wagering strategies on all sports. We hope you have enjoyed this three part guide on baseball betting advice. Good luck this year and may all the walk off home runs go in our favor.
April 5th, 2011 By Andy "The Raven" Frank (Cappersinfo Contributor)
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This is part two of our MLB Baseball betting guide, three part series. In this part we will take a look at the math behind the run line play and examine the teams from last year who were the top run line money makers. We will also begin to discuss a MLB wagering strategy that is so mind blowing and thought provoking it will leave you stunned.
The math dictates the run line wager is one of the best wagers in Baseball, but must be used only in certain situations. MLB team statistics can be found almost anywhere on the internet. Here are the top 5 teams from last year who played in the fewest one run wins while winning the most games. #1 Detroit Tigers 16 one runs wins in 2010. #2 New York Yankees 20 one run wins in 2010. #3 St. Louis Cardinals 20 one run wins in 2010. #4 Houston Astros 21 one run wins in 2010. #5 Boston Red Sox 22 one runs wins in 2010. Do not forget we are only using these teams on the run line when they are laying at least -150 or more and only when the pitching match up is entirely in our favor. If you use the run line wisely you can win 60% or more without having to lay large odds and in some cases even getting odds of +120 or more as an underdog. Remember only 12.3% of Yankees games ended with them winning by one run so don’t be afraid of taking certain large favorites on the run line to avoid those hefty odds. Veteran baseball bettors are well aware of the run line and its value; however my second strategy is so much more interesting and also controversial.
The word “fixed” is thrown around a lot when it comes to Sporting events. Usually you hear it come out of the mouth of a disgruntled gambler who was on the losing end and wants to blame someone else. We have seen over the years however both players and officials involved in their share of point shaving and fixing schemes. To say it doesn’t exist in sports is not being realistic. However there is a fine line between a game being “fixed” and knowing how a game will be called by the referees or umpire. Does the fact one umpire sees balls and strikes slightly different then the majority make him a cheater or dishonest? Of course not being behind home plate and calling balls and strikes is purely personal opinion. Does the knowledge of how a game might be called provide an advantage to a bettor? Absolutely, knowing how a game will likely be called is a huge advantage when deciding who to wager on.
If balls and strikes are personal opinion and human beings are creatures of habit it stands to reason that some MLB umpires call balls and strikes slightly differently and there could be a huge advantage if we could determine which umpires had this built in “bias” and what their tendencies were. When these numbers are tracked over many years there is a way we can determine by who the home plate umpire is what team likely will win or the likely outcome of the total. That is right I just said that we can pick MLB games correctly (over 60% of the time) by simply knowing the tendencies of the home plate umpire.
Strategy #2 – Bet on baseball according to how the home plate umpire calls the game. The umpires for each game are announced around 1 hour prior to game time of the first game in every series. Each game after that they simply rotate so it becomes very easy to know who the home plate umpire will be for the rest of the series. Sometimes finding that information for game 1’s can be difficult at best. It’s no coincidence that in the NBA this information is unavailable. Meaning no one knows which referees will be calling the game until just prior to the tip. The NBA, MLB, and even the NFL realize that they have some umpires, referees, and officiating crews who are essentially “biased”, but it is not done consciously. They aren’t calling it a certain way on purpose, they always call it that way. Call it a tendency, or a habit or just plain stubbornness but in MLB there are home plate umpires who are very transparent in how they call a game. This transparency can make you a fortune if you know where to find it and how to use it.
When I first started studying this last year I was amazed by what I found. Join me Friday here at cappersinfo.com for part 3 of this blog series on MLB betting advice and strategies where I will provide the evidence that is beyond question to prove my second strategy. This is a subject that is very controversial and potentially highly profitable. The facts might just surprise you as much as they surprised me. If you are a regular sports betting enthusiast you don’t want to miss it.
April 4th, 2011 By Louie - Cappersinfo Admin
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Major League Baseball is finally off and running for the 2011 season. We, at Cappersinfo.com will keep you supplied with the best in baseball handicapping along with free MLB picks and information this season. Daily picks with detailed analysis and a wagering guide for MLB. This Monday six new series get underway, three in the NL including two day games and three in the AL with one day game at Camden Yards in Baltimore. This Orioles-Tigers game is our pick for today. The game starts at 3:05 EST and the current line has Baltimore at -125 with a total of 9.5 runs. The announced starting pitchers are Rick Porcello for Detroit, and Jake Arrieta for Baltimore.
MLB Matchup: Detroit Tigers @ Baltimore Orioles
Date: Monday, April 4th, 6:45 ET
Location: Oriole Park @ Camden Yards – Baltimore, MD
NCAA Basketball Odds: Baltimore -125
Over/Under 9.5
For the Orioles: The Orioles come into this game sky high off a three game road sweep of Tampa. The pitching was super allowing just 3 runs the entire 3 game series. AAA call up Zack Britton pitched 6 strong innings in the finale allowing just 3 hits and 1 earned run to run the O’s record to 3-0. The Orioles pitching has really taken a turn for the better since the arrival late last year of manager Buck Showalter. Monday’s starter Jake Arrieta is one of several Orioles young pitchers with tremendous potential. He was having trouble last year allowing too many walks, but showed improvement once Showalter arrived. Arrieta’s ERA in June was 6.20 with 12 walks to 11 strikeouts. July it was 5.01 with 21 walks to 14 strikeouts. In August it was 4.45 with 13 walks and 14 strikeouts, and in September it was 2.60 with just 2 walks to 13 strikeouts. The “light bulb” went on for Arrieta in September and he should carry that over to this season. The Orioles are loaded with new additions on offense this year with veterans Derrick Lee at first base, Vlad Guerrero as the DH, JJ Hardy at shortstop and new third baseman Mark Reynolds. Long time Orioles Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts along with Adam Jones and Matt Weiters make for a decent lineup with some power from top to bottom of the order. Look for the Orioles to be a much improved team this year and with Showalter at the helm make a real run at respectability. Up until now that is something that Baltimore hasn’t earned in a long time.
For the Tigers: Detroit was able to avoid the sweep in New York winning the last game of the series in a slugfest 10-7 to move to 1-2. Tiger’s slugger Miguel Cabrera led Detroit’s offense going 3 for 5 with two home runs knocking in 4 runs. Cabrera is batting .455 three games into the year and looks like the main hitter to avoid in the Tigers lineup. Detroit sends Rick Porcello to the mound Monday. Porcello had a rough year in 2010 going 10-12 with a 4.92 ERA. He had an even tougher time pitching on the road where his ERA was 5.73. Opponents batted .308 off Porcello on the road last year compared to .273 when he pitched at home. This has plagued Porcello both years in the big leagues and is something he must overcome in order to secure a spot in the rotation. Detroit has the misfortune of facing two American League East teams in their home openers before finally having theirs against Kansas City April 8th. Detroit is 3-5 the last three years playing at Camden Yards and will play the Orioles in their home opener after a surprise three game sweep in Tampa. For the Tigers to have any chance in this game Rick Porcello is going to have to go at least 6 strong innings of work and keep the Orioles off the bases. That may be a tall order to ask of Porcello against a much improved Baltimore offense.
Free MLB Picks: Take Baltimore on the money line at -125 in this game. Jake Arrieta was a different pitcher last year after Showalter took over and that wasn’t a coincidence. He has all the tools to be a future 20 game winner and should take a big step in that direction this year. You have to be impressed with the Orioles “new” lineup loaded with pop from top to bottom. This is a prime spot for Baltimore to pick on a pitcher who is extremely shaky on the road. It is the home opener, the line is very fair at -125 and the O’s have to be very confident coming off the sweep of Tampa. MLB Prediction: O’s 6 Tigers 3
April 3rd, 2011 By Andy "The Raven" Frank (Cappersinfo Contributor)
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Major League Baseball is now underway for the 2011 season, and here at Cappersinfo.com, we want you to have those most successful betting season possible. So, we are providing a detailed wagering guide that will go into detail describing ways you can make money legally wagering on MLB baseball and become a more successful bettor overall.
This guide will be cut into a three part series where I will be offering some solid strategies and advice on how to make money this year wagering on MLB. This is part one of that series, where we will start with some of the basics. As we reach the second and their parts, we will get a little more in-depth about the smarter ways to bet on the bases.
In this article, I will discuss several very key “secrets” to consistently winning money wagering on MLB. I will explain in detail these strategies which are the cornerstone to making a profit wagering on Major League Baseball this year as well as for future seasons to come.
First off let me say that when it comes to handicapping any sport knowledge is power. In this great world we live in we have tremendous access to information via the internet. This includes statistical information that is so vital in helping to predict an outcome of a particular sporting event like Baseball. There are a number of sports betting websites you can use to gain valuable information that gives you an edge over the general public. These are free information sites that you do not have to belong to or pay to use. This information is out there for everyone to be able to not only find, but utilize it to become a much more successful sports bettor as a whole. While studying the numbers last year, I stumbled across baseball’s “dirty little secret” which I will lay out in detail as the second and main wagering strategy for Baseball.
Strategy #1 – This first piece of advice is pretty basic. This is also something that almost any regular baseball bettor is familiar with, and that is the value in betting the “run line”. Using the run line as an alternative to betting a large priced favorite can be a very smart way to reduce the risk. As you may or may not know, betting the run line simply means is that you are either laying 1.5 runs (+1.5) or getting 1.5 runs (-1.5) depending on which side you select. I do not suggest there are many situations when I would bet the run line to get 1.5 runs. However laying 1.5 runs is a completely different story. For example if the Yankees were -200 on the money line, on the run line at -1.5 runs you might lay just -110. So instead of having to lay 2 to 1 on the Yankees you would have them -1.5 runs at -110 or lose $110 for every $100.
Now I will go into the math to prove why this wager is such a great value. There are 162 games in the MLB season, and the average team plays in anywhere from the low 30’s to the high 50’s one run games. However we are only concerned with those one run games that were wins, because those are the only situations when our run line wager would lose but the large favorite still won the game. In fact in those one run losses we came out ahead because we didn’t have to lay 2 to 1, only -110. So let’s take a look at the Yankees in 2010. Their record in one run games was 20-19. So if they played in 162 games and that yielded 20 one run wins then the Yankees had a one run win once every 8 games approximately or 12.3% of the time.
Why would you want to have to lay odds of -160 or more when you can wager on the run line and eliminate laying odds, and in many cases even be getting odds like +120 or more? Now I suggest you do your homework and make sure you know what team you are wagering on before using this strategy.
For example; The Yankees only played in 20 one run wins last year. At the same time, if I would have chosen Minnesota I would have been much more successful (deferring from the run line), as they played in a MLB most 31 one run wins. They win by one run 19.1% of the time, which is 64.4% higher than the Yankees.
Please join us on Wednesday for part two of thise three part blog series on the basics of wagering on MLB, where I will go into much more detail. I will be listing the 5 teams to watch for this year for run line wagers in part two. And, you don’t want to miss part three on Friday, as we’ll discuss a baseball picks strategy that will blow your mind. Again, check back on Wednesday for more baseball betting strategies.
March 6th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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Spring Training is here once again, and if we’re already hearing the cracks of the bats, that means that there are World Series odds for us to analyze! Here at Cappers Info, we’re taking our first look at some of the teams that we wouldn’t back with your money in 2011 World Series betting action.
New York Mets: 55 to 1 at SportBet – Please spare me your, “Well duh, Drew!” comments for this one. At least at 55 to 1, one would think that the Mets have at least a shot of winning the World Series this season. However, I’m here to tell you that there is absolutely zero chance — ZERO chance — of the Mets making the playoffs, let alone going to the World Series and winning it. The starting rotation for this team without Johan Santana is nothing more than a who’s who of retreads that no one else wanted to pay money to. The bullpen has a mentally unstable situation with Francisco Rodriguez finishing the job, and the best arms around him from last season are all gone as well. It’d be nice to see Jose Reyes or David Wright really stay healthy for the season. We’re also not really all that sure that Carlos Beltran or Jason Bay have all that much left in the tank (or were really all that great to start off with). Aside from that, we’re talking about guys like Ike Davis having to carry this team. Yuck. It’s bad enough that the best the Mets can do is win the Wild Card, as the Philadelphia Phillies are surely winning the NL East. There’s just nothing that New York can do, especially with cash strapped owners at this point.
Tampa Bay Rays: 31 to 1 at SportBet – As much as we’d love to say that these are great World Series odds on a team that won the AL East last season, we know better. Manager Joe Maddon continues to find ways to get more out of less every year than any other manager in baseball, and he should definitely be commended for it. However, there’s just too much that has been lost in this offseason. The entire bullpen has to be started over from scratch, and it feels like half of the starting lineup is gone as well. Losing Jason Bartlett wasn’t all that great of a deal with others ready to come up and fill the gap, but Carlos Pena really doesn’t have a replacement at first base. To make matters worse, two of the biggest names that were lost, Rafael Soriano and Carl Crawford, are both playing in division for the Yanks and Red Sox respectively. The Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays are improved teams this year as well. We could see Tampa Bay winning 80 games this year… and maybe finishing in the gutter of the division in doing so.
St. Louis Cardinals: 28 to 1 at SportBet – Manager Tony LaRussa has a history of making chicken soup out of chicken… well, you know… but this would be a very tall task to pull off. Losing Adam Wainwright to season ending surgery doesn’t do anything but hurt this team’s case, as there is definitely a hole behind the often injured Chris Carpenter in this rotation. Is Jamie Garcia really good enough to fill the void? It’s quite possible, but who is going to step into his shoes? That’s where the real drop off begins. In the lineup, we know that Albert Pujols is going to go absolutely bonkers in a contract season right before he will inevitably make a quadrabazillion dollars, but he’s going to have a hard time driving in any runs aside from himself and Matt Holliday this season. It’ll take Lance Berkman finding the Fountain of Youth from somewhere (he obviously didn’t bring it with him to the Big Apple from Houston!), or some other unheralded stars to step up to the plate to help this squad out. When push comes to shove, there just isn’t enough there to think that this is anything more than maybe a .500 team at best.
Texas Rangers: 22 to 1 at SportBet – Whereas we wouldn’t mind taking a shot on the San Francisco Giants as a solid bet in the National League, we just can’t see taking the Rangers right now. We know that this team was far more than just Cliff Lee, but it really has to hurt knowing that Lee is gone at this point. The Oakland A’s really became a better team this year, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim just aren’t staying down forever. There’s a real chance that the defending AL Champs aren’t even going to sniff the postseason this year, and even if they are 22 to 1 to win it all, it just isn’t going to happen unless there are a heck of a lot of deer signs cropping up in Arlington that we aren’t expecting.
New York Yankees: 7 to 1 at SportBet – We’ve really saved the best for last this time around. The Yankees are always one of the best teams in baseball, but we’re really not so sure that they’re worthy of being in the same breath with the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies this year. This lineup is going to score a ton of runs this year, and there is no doubting that, but these pitchers are just awful. CC Sabathia and… Yuck. It’s only a matter of time before Father Time catches up to this team. Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera certainly aren’t getting any younger, and there just has to be a point that they all just drop off. It was also apparent last year that the Bronx Bombers didn’t have the grit and tenacity to win a seven game series in the ALCS, and especially if the Red Sox are the team on the other side of the coin in this prospective series, we’ll take our chances that New York isn’t winning out.
March 6th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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Spring Training is here once again, and if we’re already hearing the cracks of the bats, that means that there are World Series odds for us to analyze! Here at Cappers Info, we’re taking our first look at some of the teams that we would love to be backing in 2011 World Series betting action.
Philadelphia Phillies: 3.30 to 1 at SportBet – We know that we are choking on a lot of chalk here by taking the tremendous favorites to win it all, and we even know that just one or two injuries can really mess with this team in a big time way, but we’re struggling to find reasons to not bet on the Phils. We all know that this pitching staff is absolutely phenomenal now. Heck, throwing Roy Oswalt in the fourth game of a series? Cole Hamels in the third game? Joe Blanton as the emergency plan as the fifth pitcher? Geez, is that good… It’s not like this offense is really slacking either. Sure, Ryan Howard probably won’t be blasting 45 homers this season, and we never know whether Chase Utley is really going to be healthy or not, but what we do know is that Jimmy Rollins can’t possibly have that much worse of a season this year as he did a season ago, and the loss of Jayson Werth really can’t possibly be as bad as the Washington Nationals signing him seems. The only question in our minds is whether Brad Lidge is going to implode or not. This bullpen might be thin, but there really isn’t a more complete team in the National League than this to be betting on.
Boston Red Sox: 5 to 1 at SportBet – If the Phils are the crème de la crème in the National League, the Red Sox have to be just that in the American League. Again, look at this rotation. John Lackey is the third starter on this team, and Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are almost seemingly forgotten stars. Josh Beckett has declined, and who knows whether the boys from Beantown will ever get anything out of Daisuke Matsuzaka or not, but this is also a farm system that is just chock full of talent. Daniel Bard, Bobby Jenks, and Jonathan Papelbon make up an absolutely fantastic back end of the bullpen. Offensively, even if David Ortiz turns out to be completely finished, the rest of this lineup just has a ton of power in it. Carl Crawford was an ideal pickup in the offseason, especially since he is no longer a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, and trading for Adrian Gonzalez shored up the loss of Adrian Beltre on the other side of the diamond at third base. There won’t be nearly as many injuries this year on this team as there were a season ago, and with that being the case, the Red Sox really should be good for 100 wins and a trip to the postseason.
Chicago White Sox: 28 to 1 at SportBet – Did the White Sox push the right buttons in the offseason to be able to make a serious run at the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central? We’re really not so sure that they did, but we also know that if this team gets into the playoffs, it has a better shot of pitching with the Red Sox, Yankees, etc. than any of these other teams do in this division. Mark Buehrle might now have another ace in his pocket in the form of Jake Peavy, and if the Palehose really have a legit 1 and 1A on the mound, it will make the jobs of the rest of the men in this relatively formidable rotation that much easier. The offense didn’t miss a beat by adding Adam Dunn, who could be in for a fantastic summer in the Windy City. This is also a make or break year for Manager Ozzie Guillen and basically the entire front office for the White Sox, and they could be in for another magical run towards the World Series once again this season.
Milwaukee Brewers: 30 to 1 at SportBet – Do you really believe that Zack Greinke was a legitimate Cy Young pitcher in Kansas City? If the answer to that question is yes, you have to love what the Brew Crew are bringing to the table this year. Yovani Gallardo is now one of the more dangerous No. 2 pitchers in the game this year, and the rest of the NL Central is really just particularly weak this season, especially now that Adam Wainwright is out for the season for the St. Louis Cardinals. This is a team that can mash as well, especially with Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, and Ryan Braun doing the honors. The rest of this lineup isn’t really all that fantastic, but in a short series, a bloop, a blast, and two great pitchers can carry you the distance. John Axford will be key this year in the bullpen, but if he can shut the door at a great rate like he did in the second half of last season, the Brewers could be legit contenders this season.
Oakland Athletics: 38 to 1 at SportBet – Maybe we’re stretching this just a tad with the A’s, but the truth of the matter is that they had a great offseason and very few MLB betting fans probably realize it. Losing Rajai Davis really had to hurt, but there was a logjam at center field with Coco Crisp, and someone had to go. The corner outfield spots were shored up by adding Josh Willingham and David DeJesus, while Hideki Matsui gives the team a nice DH to count on regularly for some solid production. The rest of the infield is relatively weak, though Kurt Suzuki is one of the better up and coming catchers in this league. From a pitching standpoint, last year was a loss because of all of the money thrown at Ben Sheets that never worked out. However, this year, the team is taking a significantly cheaper gamble on Rich Harden, a kid that grew up in the Oakland system and really flourished. Even if he doesn’t pan out, we love what Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden are bringing to the table this year. The bullpen is absolutely stacked as well. Brian Fuentes and Grant Balfour were great pickups for a team that already had great guys like Andrew Bailey to rely on. The A’s also play in the weak AL West, where seemingly no one got any better in the offseason.
February 12th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
MLB Power Ratings
Our staff has developed MLB baseball power ratings with up to date rankings and how we as handicappers see these teams. We will list our MLB team rankings on a week by week basis and as much as possible. You can check this page for up to date MLB power ratings from Cappersinfo Sports Handicapping. Thanks for visiting and don't forget to check out all the free sports picks in the forums and free picks monitor, other sports betting information, and MLB baseball predictions for sports handicappers!
Cappersinfo Current MLB Power Rankings
(As of the start of Spring Training 2011)
1: Philadelphia Phillies (97-65 in 2010) – The Phils might have had the best starting rotation in baseball last year with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels. Now, add Cliff Lee to the bunch, and there is just no doubt about it. Simply put, it's Philly against the field this year, as this is still a lineup that has names like Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, and overcoming the loss of Jayson Werth shouldn't be all that difficult. If the Phillies aren't back in the World Series this year after a one year hiatus, we'd be surprised.
2: Boston Red Sox (89-73 in 2010) – The boys from Beantown might not have made the playoffs last year, but they were a relatively unlucky club that had to deal with a ton of injuries and other setbacks. Now, Adrian Gonzalez has brought some pop to the middle of the lineup, and Kevin Youkilis is switching back to the other side of the diamond. Carl Crawford should terrorize his old team as well from Tampa Bay. This is a tremendously deep pitching staff with a ton of young arms in the minors that could be on most other staffs in the game. Last year was an anomaly for the Red Sox, who should be back in the hunt for October again this year.
3: New York Yankees (94-67 in 2010) – The Yanks were the biggest losers this offseason in the Cliff Lee hunt, and there really weren't any other huge names that were brought into town. The addition of Rafael Soriano will help out a shaky bullpen in front of Mariano Rivera, but the starting rotation took a big hit when Andy Pettitte retired. Now, it's CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and… we're not so sure. What we do know is that this lineup can still mash, and after winning 51 games at home last year, we know that the Yankees are going to be tough to top again this year in the AL East.
4: San Francisco Giants (92-70 in 2010) – If there's one team that really has the pitching staff to be able to hang around with the Phils, it's San Fran. Tim Lincecum is still a fantastic pitcher, and he has now closed out a World Series in his career as well. Matt Cain has been a horse for years, while the others in this rotation have really come around and are only going to get better and better. Expect another great year out of Buster Posey, who really came on strong once he was inserted into the everyday lineup. Offense is hard to produce at times, but when push really comes to shove, there are enough arms both in this pen and in the rotation to make it work for the G-Men.
5: Minnesota Twins (94-68 in 2010) – What we have to remember about the Twins is that they won 94 games last year without having Joe Nathan, one of the best closers in the game, throw a single pitch. There were really no splashes made in the offseason, but there was really nothing that Minnesota had to do. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau still might be the most feared No. 3 and No. 4 hitters in baseball, and this rotation, though it doesn't have any real stars, is still good enough to get the Twinkies back into the playoffs once again in a relatively weak AL Central Division.
6: Atlanta Braves (91-71 in 2010) – This is the season in which we will see if the Braves were a farce or not. We know that they never stood a chance in the playoffs because they really abused their arms down the stretch of the regular season, and we hope that guys like Tim Hudson and Jair Jurrjens are still capable of having big years this year. There's also a big question as to how the team is going to react with Fredi Gonzalez managing instead of Bobby Cox. This is clearly a team with a huge step down from Philly, but the Braves are also clearly the second best team in the division as well and should at least challenge for a postseason berth.
7: Tampa Bay Rays (96-66 in 2010) – If Manager Joe Maddon can get this team back to the playoffs this year, it would be a real miracle. Gone are Matt Garza, Carlos Pena, Carl Crawford, Jason Bartlett, and virtually every single arm in the bullpen from last year. In are retreads Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon. Still, the likes of Evan Longoria and BJ Upton are exciting in the lineup, and Tampa Bay is ready to let Desmond Jennings, Reid Brignac, and Sean Rodriguez all take the field on a regular basis. We'll also see if Jeremy Hellickson is the second coming of David Price, who probably got screwed out of the Cy Young Award last year.
8: Chicago White Sox (88-74 in 2010) – Isn't there a point that Manager Ozzie Guillen has to win to keep his job? We're not so sure why this skipper is still around, but he definitely has a new piece to the puzzle to work with in Adam Dunn. Mark Buehrle had a great season once again, and he is anchoring this staff into place. There is still a lot of question around Bobby Jenks and this bullpen, but the lineup might be able to mash with a lot of the big boys in the AL. Chicago went on a great run at the end of last season, and it might be able to do some damage again in 2011.
9: St. Louis Cardinals (88-76 in 2010) – The clock is ticking for the Redbirds this year, as they have no choice but to get Albert Pujols signed before Spring Training starts, or it will feel like a season of gloom and doom in the making, as Pujols will probably test the free agent mark after the season is over. The good news is that this pitching staff is great, and the lineup with even a disgruntled Pujols and Matt Holliday is still intimidating. However, the Cards just never got it together last year until very late in the season when it was too late, and they need to be a lot more consistent this year to get the job done.
10: Colorado Rockies (83-79 in 2010) – The Rockies gave out a lot of big time contracts to keep their young guns in town for a long, long time, but it is still definitely to be determined whether all of these moves are going to pan out or not. This is a huge year for Ubaldo Jimenez, who looked like he was going to coast to the Cy Young with ease at the start of the season. However, he ended quite average, just like the Rockies did, and if things don't get any better than that, they'll be in some real trouble this year.
11: Texas Rangers (90-72 in 2010) – We know that this is a huge drop for the team that won the American League last year, but there seems to be some real turmoil right now in the Lone Star State. Texas obviously lost out on Cliff Lee in the offseason, and now, it really has a pitching staff that looks quite average once again. Vladdy Guerrero and Bengie Molina, both of which were cogs in the lineup are gone, and there is a big time chance being taken here on Adrian Beltre, which might cause Michael Young to get traded even before the season starts. Winning the division is still a possibility, as the AL West is weak, but that doesn't make the Rangers one of the best 10 teams in the game.
12: Cincinnati Reds (91-71 in 2010) – Is it just us, or are the Reds the Chicago Bears of the NFL? After all, Chicago is coached by a man that most of the city is wondering how he still has a job, and the team basically won a division title based upon spit and glue this past season. Cincinnati is the exact same way. Manager Dusty Baker was probably out the door if he didn't bring the Reds to the playoffs last year. Joey Votto was a breakout player for sure, while a young pitching staff was fantastic. It'll be interesting to see how Aroldis Chapman pans out after not really pitching much in the short postseason last year for Cincinnati.
13: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (80-82 in 2010) – We really might just be at the juncture where we realize that the Halos just aren't that good anymore. Manager Mike Scioscia built a real dynasty of sorts in the AL West that was finally toppled by the Rangers last year, and it seems like the Angels just missed out on all of the big time free agents this year. That being said, if the team can keep its starting staff intact, led by Jered Weaver, there is a chance to get back to the Promised Land, just off of Scioscia and his managerial skills. It'll be a tough battle, though.
14: Detroit Tigers (81-81 in 2010) – General Manager Dave Dombrowski is going for it this year, as he immediately started his free agency spending by bringing in Jhonny Peralta and Victor Martinez. Of course, it doesn't make any sense to bring in Martinez, a defensive liability behind the plate who has batted .225 for his career at Comerica Park, but it is true that Detroit really needed a catcher. This pitching staff had better be remarkable, or Manager Jim Leyland is in trouble.
15: Toronto Blue Jays (85-77 in 2010) – It's really a sin that the Blue Jays are in the AL East, where they know that they really cannot finish any better than third every single season, as they really do have a solid team that is inevitably going to win more games that it loses again this season. Ricky Romero might not quite be the second coming of Roy Halladay, but he is an ample replacement, while there are a ton of other young kids on this team that picked up the slack for the veterans like Vernon Wells that just slacked off. Adding Frank Francisco might prove to be the coup of the offseason for a very young team.
16: Florida Marlins (80-82 in 2010) – It'll be very interesting to see if Javier Vazquez can revive his career (again) in Florida, as he has been an historically great pitcher once you take him out of the Bronx. The rest of this lineup doesn't look all that sexy, but it never does. The Fish always seem to do more with less than any other team in the game, but they also always come up short of the postseason when push really comes to shove.
17: Chicago Cubs (76-87 in 2010) – Seasons of terrible spending have really strapped the Cubs, but they really made two solid moves in the offseason, pillaging the Rays by taking Carlos Pena via free agency and Matt Garza via trade. If Chicago can get anything out of Carlos Zambrano this year, whether on the field or via trade, it will be an added bonus. The Cubbies can't really be a team that finishes 12 game under .500 again this year… right?
18: Oakland Athletics (81-81 in 2010) – General Manager Billy Beane took a chance last year at bringing in Ben Sheets for 10 million bones, a move that didn't work. He hopes that his moves this year by acquiring David DeJesus, Josh Willingham, Hideki Matsui, and Grant Balfour look a little better by the end of this campaign. Oakland could be an interesting team that we are probably selling just a bit short at No. 18 to start the season, but we're just not so sure that it is all going to come together to be able to run down the Halos and Rangers in the AL West.
19: Milwaukee Brewers (77-85 in 2010) – The Brew Crew could be in for an interesting year with Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun doing damage in the middle of the lineup, but where is the rest of the production coming from? This pitching staff has the ability to be great if John Axford keeps up a solid job as the team's closer. Yovani Gallardo finally has another solid arm to help him out in the form of Zack Greinke, who is just thankful to be out of Kansas City this year.
20: Houston Astros (76-85 in 2010) – Though we know that the Phillies made the huge move to pick up Roy Oswalt from the 'Stros right before the trade deadline last year, it's not like Houston made out that poorly. JA Happ is definitely an up and comer in this league, while the rest of the starting pitching really looks solid. The problem is that this lineup is epically bad. Carlos Lee has to be looking around wondering what in the heck he deserved to be left here on this club.
21: Los Angeles Dodgers (80-80 in 2010) – Manager Don Mattingly might be able to infuse some more wins into this team this year, but the truth of the matter is that this is nothing more than a mediocre team that made it to the playoffs on the back of Manny Ramirez two years ago, but really doesn't have all that much else to work with. When your two biggest offseason acquisitions are Rod Barajas and Dioner Navarro, you've got some issues.
22: San Diego Padres (90-72 in 2010) – We definitely don't buy that the Padres are going to be in contention this year, though we do give them all the credit in the world for fighting up until the very last day to try to get into the playoffs this year. Sure, missing out on Adrian Gonzalez is going to hurt, but we also know that bringing in names like Cameron Maybin, Brad Hawpe, and Jason Bartlett will help. The pitching staff really came on strong last year with Mat Latos and Wade LeBlanc pitching like studs at times, while the bullpen was simply lights out. Now, Chad Qualls is in the bunch in the pen, while Aaron Harang, who was one of the best starters for the Reds last year, is going to probably be the No. 2 man in the rotation. We're just not buying that it's working again in San Diego, though.
23: New York Mets (79-83 in 2010) – The M-E-T-S are an M-E-S-S right now. The Wilpon family is in all sorts of trouble thanks to the Bernie Madoff problems, meaning the team was really killed with the inability to go spending in the offseason. Thank goodness, the big contract for a very disappointing Carlos Beltran is finally coming up, but there is still no excuse to recover any of those other signings like Jason Bay last year. To make matters worse, this pitching staff is in shambles. Francisco Rodriguez literally jumped the shark last year and has made himself a public enemy on his own team, while Johan Santana probably isn't going to throw a pitch in the majors until the All Star Break.
24: Washington Nationals (69-93 in 2010) – The Nats really opened up the floodgates in free agency this year when they gave that ridiculous contract to Jayson Werth, but when push really comes to shove, is this team in any better shape now than it was with Adam Dunn? There's no noteworthy closer to speak of, and with Stephen Strasburg not pitching this year thanks to Tommy John surgery, there is a real issue about who will be helping out John Lannan in this rotation. Chien-Ming Wang might be a name to remember since he was basically brought here to Washington to try to revive his career outside of the bright lights of the Big Apple.
25: Baltimore Orioles (66-96 in 2010) – The O's are probably still a year away, as they have a lot of these young up and coming kids that makes them look a lot like Tampa Bay a few years ago. We're not so sure what Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero are doing here, nor are we really all that sure why Mark Reynolds came to town, but we know that the Orioles have a better team this year than they did a year ago. The question is whether they can even think about challenging the rest of the teams in the stockpiled AL East. Probably not.
26: Seattle Mariners (61-101 in 2010) – At least by record, the M's were the worst team in the AL last year, but we have to remember that this is a club that still has a ton of really top notch talent. Chone Figgins should play better ball this year, while we know that Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez really can't win any fewer games than he did a season ago. Ichiro, as always, will be good for his 200 hits. The only hope here is that the AL West absolutely stinks, but that doesn't really mean that the Mariners are going to help that cause any this year.
27: Cleveland Indians (69-93 in 2010) – Playing the Royals 19 times this year should really help out Cleveland's case to become relevant again, but we know better. Getting to 75 wins would be an amazing triumph. There are a lot of nice looking young arms in the bullpen, but aside, and the kiddies in the field will be exciting for certain at times, but there is still a lot of learning to do for a team that hasn't figured out how to win since CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee left town.
28: Arizona Diamondbacks (65-97 in 2010) – Pardon the pun, but the Diamondbacks are absolutely snake bitten. Justin Upton is great, and Stephen Drew is a fantastic middle infielder, while Kelly Johnson definitely made a name for himself last year. Chris Young is explosive, but the rest of this team is nothing to be desired. JJ Putz is heading a shaky looking bullpen, and save maybe Joe Saunders, there's nothing left in this rotation but guys like Ian Kennedy and Zach Duke that have never amounted to anything in their careers.
29: Kansas City Royals (67-95 in 2010) – Simply put, the Royals stink. They gave up on Zack Greinke, if nothing else, as a thank you gift to him for years of good service. David DeJesus, arguably the franchise's best hitter in years is gone as well. That leaves a great closer in Joakim Soria and a solid slugger in Billy Butler. However, if you want a great question that will stump all of your friends in a bar… Ask to name any member of the Kansas City rotation. If they get any of Jeff Francis, Luke Hochevar, Bruce Chen, Kyle Davies, or Vin Mazzaro, we'll be really, really impressed.
30: Pittsburgh Pirates (57-105 in 2010) – Zach Duke finally got his ticket out of town in the offseason after years of being stuck in baseball's purgatory, but unfortunately for him, Andrew McCutchen didn't. He's the only man worth anything in the lineup, while the rotation featuring Paul Maholm isn't going to have anyone shaking in their boots. Ross Ohlendorf is earning over $2M this year after winning salary arbitration… in a year in which he won exactly one game. If there's one thing you can bank on, it's that the Pirates will once again have a losing record in 2011.
November 1st, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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Join us at Cappers Info, as we make our World Series picks for Game 5 of the Fall Classic between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers.
Matchup: San Francisco Giants @ Texas Rangers Game 5
Date: Monday, November 1st, 7:27 ET
Location: Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, TX
Game Line: Texas -175
Over/Under 6 (o-130)
Giants Notes: If the Giants could just figure out how to win one of the next three games, they'll be coming back to the Bay with the team's first championship in 53 years. Even though this was a rotation that was heralded due to the great play of RHP Tim Lincecum, RHP Matt Cain, and LHP Jonathan Sanchez, it was the scary good pitching performance of LHP Madison Bumgarner that might have put the Fall Classic away once and for all on Halloween night in the Lone Star State. Bumgarner might only pitch in this series one time, but he might have stolen the MVP Award as well as a rookie. He clearly turned in the best pitching performance of series, going eight shutout innings and fanning six, allowing just three hits and two walks. Bumgarner faced just three batters over the minimum in those eight innings, while closer Brian Wilson went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth with two K's to seal the deal. DH Aubrey Huff went yard in the third inning to start the scoring, and a solo homer by C Buster Posey put away any chance that the Rangers had of making a comeback in the 4-0 win for the visitors. SS Edgar Renteria is now batting .429 in the series, while Huff is up to .357. Game 1 was supposed to be a game in which Lincecum had to be flawless just to compete with greatness. However, he got away with an incredibly mediocre start, particularly by his standards. Lincecum went just 5.2 innings and allowed four earned runs on eight hits with two walks, striking out just three Rangers. However, his batting order really picked him up on that epic Wednesday night, as San Fran logged an 11-7 victory. It was a great time for the G-Men to score the most runs in a game that they put together for their top right hander since winning 15-2 over the Milwaukee Brewers on July 7th.
Rangers Notes: The Rangers might have been a scrappy club all season long that figured out how to win games when they really needed to, but this mountain is probably going to prove to be too hard to climb. The offense was really shut down on Sunday night, as one again, no one on the team produced more than one hit, and there were only five base runners in total. Once again, Texas wasn't able to really get its speed game involved on the base paths, and once again, the end result was a lackluster result on the scoreboard itself. Perhaps even more frightening on that Halloween night was the fact that the bullpen once again proved to be shoddy at best. This unit did throw five innings, but it allowed two runs and really took any chance away from the lineup of coming back to produce. The damage was done with RHP Tommy Hunter left though, as his two runs allowed on five hits in four frames was just too much to get away with on this night. On Monday, it will probably be the swan song for LHP Cliff Lee. The southpaw is probably throwing in his last game as a member of the Rangers, as he will become a free agent immediately when the season is over with. This will be his first and only outing at home of the playoffs and will need to be another remarkable start for Texas to live another day and force this series back to San Fran. Lee allowed six earned runs and seven in total in just 4.2 innings of work, easily marking the shortest outing with the fewest strikeouts, the most hits allowed, and the most runs allowed in his postseason. He had thrown 24 innings in the playoffs prior to that shaky outing in Game 1 of the World Series, and had struck out 34 batters to show for it after allowing just two runs.
The Final Word: For a team that has looked absolutely dominating in this series, we find it hard to believe that the Rangers are going to choose right now to get their bats rolling. This was expected to be a pitcher's dream in Game 1, and though we got the polar opposite then, we'll get exactly what we bargained for in Game 5. Unfortunately for Lee and the faithful in Arlington, this will be the last game of the season as well, as one blunder will lead the Giants to the title.
Free World Series Picks: San Francisco Giants +165
Prediction: San Francisco 2 – Texas 0
October 30th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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Join us at Cappers Info, as we make our World Series picks for Game 4 of the Fall Classic between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers.
Matchup: San Francisco Giants @ Texas Rangers Game 4
Date: Sunday, October 31st, 7:57 ET
Location: Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, TX
Game Line: Texas -135
Over/Under 9 (o+105)
Giants Notes: The Giants picked a particularly poor time to go flat in Game 3 of the World Series. After exploding both in Games 1 and 2 of the Fall Classic, the bats just simply failed San Fran in Game 3. No man in the lineup mustered more than just one hit on the day, and only five hits were recorded in total. The only two runs of the game came courtesy of solo homers, one by OF Cody Ross and one by OF Andres Torres. OF Pat Burrell was particularly awful, going 0-for-4 for four strikeouts. Burrell is now 0-for-9 in this series and has eight strikeouts. It was a poor outing on Saturday for LHP Jonathan Sanchez as well, as he gave up four runs and six hits in 4.2 innings in the worst start of his postseason. Now, it will be up to another lefty, LHP Madison Bumgarner to right the ship in this very crucial Game 4. Bumgarner, a rookie, has pitched extremely well in the postseason. He earned the 'W' in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves in the close out game of the series, and though his Game 4 start against the Philadelphia Phillies was nothing to write home about, he did pitch two scoreless innings in relief to help nail down the final game of that series as well. Bumgarner can't end the World Series on Sunday night, but what he can do is put the Rangers in a world of hurt. This lefty was absolutely phenomenal on the road this season, going 6-3 with an amazing 1.91 ERA. Batters also only hit .250 against him away from Candlestick Park this year.
Rangers Notes: Texas knew that it really needed to come up with a grand showing in its first ever World Series game at home, and that's exactly what it came up with. It was the first game in this series in which the bullpen was spotless, throwing 1.1 innings of shutout ball, and it was also the first time that the team was able to really play from ahead for an extended period of time. The offensive firepower came from a very unlikely source though, as 1B Mitch Moreland knocked a three run dinger in the second inning to get the scoring started. OF Josh Hamilton also went yard in the fifth to open up the lead to 4-0. Both SS Elvis Andrus and 3B Michael Young had a pair of singles on the day. RHP Colby Lewis did the rest. Lewis picked a great time to arguably come up with the start of his life. He pitched 7.2 strong innings of work, giving up two solo homers and three other hits on the day to notch his first ever World Series 'W'. The temptation to start LHP Cliff Lee has to have been there at least for a little bit in the back of manager Ron Washington's mind, especially knowing that he could turn around and pitch Game 7 as well if need be, but knowing that he is going to be able to use his best bullet in the gun in Game 5 and will be guaranteed the chance to use him in this series at least once more made the decision a lot easier. RHP Tommy Hunter hasn't been the greatest pitcher in this postseason, but the one thing that he is certainly traditionally able to do well is pitch at home. Arlington has treated Hunter very well, as he went 7-0 with a 3.06 ERA this year there in 11 starts and one brief relief appearance at the end of the regular season. Hunter does have a 6.14 ERA this year in the playoffs in two starts, but all that Washington is asking him to do on this night is to keep the Rangers in the game, and hope that the bats and extended bullpen will be able to do everything else.
The Final Word: This is a really short line on a team that has played very well at home and has a renewed sense of confidence about it after the Game 3 victory. At some point, the Rangers are going to start hitting again with runners in scoring position, and if that happens, there is a good chance that Bumgarner could get chased early. We'll take our chances on the home prowess of Hunter even though he hasn't pitched all that well in the postseason.
Free World Series Picks: Texas Rangers -135
Prediction: Texas 6 – San Francisco 2