Revisiting My Preseason Predictions and Picks

Posted by James Lincoln Ray Oct 2, 2008

I'm not sure what the hell I was thinking that one sunny afternoon in March of this year, a day when I predicted that Robinson Cano would win the American League MVP. I must have been on something. Looking back, I see that my prediction was disastrous. I thought Cano had matured. I thought he'd get off to a decent start and then get on his usual hot streak in July. Instead, he got off to an abysmal start and only warmed up to shockingly mediocre in the second half of the season.

But I made some good picks too. I thought Johann Santana would win the National League Cy Young. He's certainly in the top four (along with Webb, Lincecum and Sabathia). I thought Joe Girardi would be the American League Manager of the Year. I still think that. He lost his best pitcher, his stalwart catcher, and his leftfielder. Two-fifths of his opending day starting rotation, otherwise known as Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, won a total of zero games. Yet Girardi was able to guide his team to 89 wins in his first year with the Yankees. I said the Phillies, Cubs, Angels, Dodgers, and Red Sox would make the playoffs. But I also think I picked the Tigers to win it all.

Anyway, I had enough good ones, okay, decent ones, to keep me going. Robinson Cano, you are killing me.