2015 Minor League Baseball Preview: Teams To Watch

Iowa Cubs – Triple-A – Pacific Coast League

Javier Baez
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The Cubs made headline news when they sent down slugger Kris Bryant to Triple-A. He will most likely spend about two weeks with Iowa before he is called up to the big league club. Along with Bryant, former top ten prospect (he was not eligible this year to be on top prospects list) Javier Baez was sent down to the Iowa as well. Baez had 229 plate appearances in the big show last year, but he did not play as well as he would have hoped. He hit .169 with .227 OBP along with 95 strikeouts compared to 15 walks. He had too many swings-and-misses to be successful and has been working on his approach ever since he got moved up. His spring training numbers were not much better than his numbers from the 2014 season (.182 batting average, .237 OBP, 21 strikeouts and three walks in 55 at-bats) and as a result he was sent down to Iowa. This was the smart move. Baez has been in a slump since August and he needs to find his groove, while working on his approach and drawing more walks. Baez is an important part of the Cubs future plans. He does not have to be drawing walks at a substantial clip, but he cannot hit .200 and have an OBP of .250. Those numbers will not lead to success. If he could hit over .260 with an OBP north of .320 to go along with 30+ homers, he could be one of the best second baseman in baseball. He still has that potential. However, he needs to reboot in Iowa first, where I expect he will stay until at least June.

Charlotte Knights – Triple-A  – International League

Also not in Chicago, albeit on the south side, is southpaw Carlos Rodon. Rodon has the makings of a future number one starter. After being drafted third overall in 2014 out of North Carolina State, Rodon rose through the ranks, reaching Triple-A Charlotte. He performed well in Spring Training, where he had a 3.06 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 17.2 innings. However, the White Sox sent him down to Charlotte, where he will start the season. The decision to put Rodon back in the minors raised some eyebrows, but will beneficial for Rodon. If Rodon stayed with the big club, he most likely would have been a relief pitcher, not a starter. While Rodon should be up with the White Sox before the September roster expansion, he may still be slotted in as a bullpen guy. Getting more starts under his belt this year will only help him in both the short-term and the long-term. Having him stay in the bullpen for one full season may set him back long-term. Rodon will be up at soon point this year, especially if the White Sox are in the playoff hunt.

Biloxi Shuckers – Double-A – Southern League

Orlando Arcia
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The 2015 season is the inaugural season for the Biloxi Shuckers. The Shuckers moved from Huntsville over the winter, but their major league affiliate, Milwaukee, stayed the same. Biloxi will play at least the first two months of the season on the road as their stadium, MGM Park, gets completed. The first game at MGM Park is set for Saturday, June 6 against the Mobile BayBears, although the date could be pushed back if delays occur. On the baseball side of the club, the Brewers top two prospects are starting off the season in Biloxi. Middle infielder Orlando Arcia and outfielder Tyrone Taylor are both top 100 prospects according to Baseball America and project to reach the Brew Crew by 2016. Both guys are not big power hitters, but Taylor has good pop (he hit 36 doubles in 2014 and 33 in 2013). If they have solid years, they will be in contention for roster spots with Milwaukee in 2016. 

Chattanooga Lookouts  – Double-A – Southern League

The Lookouts changed their affiliation over the winter, moving from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Minnesota Twins. With the change, two of the best prospects in baseball will start the season in Chattanooga. Outfielder Byron Buxton and third baseman Miguel Sano are both top fifteen prospects (Buxton is the #1 prospect according to MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus, while Baseball America has him #2 after having him #1 last season) coming off injury-riddled 2014 campaigns. Sano did not play one game in 2014 due to Tommy John, while Buxton played in only 31 games due to a wrist injury and a concussion. Buxton has five-tool potential, while Sano has All-Star potential as a slugging third baseman who is competent defensively. This is a big season for both players. Even though both are heading into their year-21 seasons, their injuries put them behind schedule. They need to get back on track, prove that they can overcome injuries, and still have the potential to be All-Stars. 

Potomac Nationals – Class-A Advanced – Carolina League

Lucas Giolito
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Jayson Werth is starting the season with the Potomac Nationals while rehabbing from shoulder surgery. While he is not expected to be there long, the most fascinating player in Potomac is not with the club yet. Lucas Giolito is a top ten prospect and is currently the number one right handed pitching prospect in baseball. He was outstanding during the 2014 season with the Auburn Doubledays and Hagerstown Suns. He went 10-2 with a 2.20 ERA, 10.1 Strikeouts per Nine, and a 1.000 WHIP. Giolito is staying in extended spring training, along with fellow top 100 prospect Reynaldo Lopez, because he started throwing later than the other pitchers. Giolito had Tommy John in August 2012 and the Nationals have been very cautious with Giolito. He only threw 98 innings last season and was not allowed to start throwing until he reported to spring training. He is expected to be assigned to Potomac later this month. Giolito is not the only one with potential in Potomac. Lopez will likely join the club with Giolito. Middle infielder Wilmer Difo, pitcher Nick Pivetta, and third baseman Drew Ward are all top prospects in the Washington organization that are currently in Potomac. P-Nats fans are in for a good year. 

With NHL Season Winding Down, Here Are Four Teams to Look Out For

Winnipeg Jets 

Ondrej Pavelec
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The Jets have won five out of their last six games as they look to claim the first wild card spot. Winnipeg has been the surprise team of the NHL this season. They were predicted to finish in the bottom third of the league by many pundits and started off the season 2-5. Since then, the Jets are 37-19-12. The success of the Jets has been due to the Winnipeg netminders  Goalies Ondrej Pavelec and Michael Hutchinson have been great. Pavelec, who led the league in goals allowed in each of the last three season, has rebounded this year. He has a .919 save percentage and 2.35 goals against average. Hutchinson, a rookie, has put up great numbers as Pavelec's back-up. He has a .913 save percentage and 2.43 goals against average. With seven games left, the Jets need to win a few more games to secure their playoff spot. They play the current #7 seed Minnesota Wild on April 6 and the Calgary Flames, the team right behind Winnipeg in the Wild Card race, on April 11 in the last game of the season. The Jets have upper hand in the playoff race and should be able to clinch a playoff spot. While there have been hiccups (Most notably, the Evander Kane track suit incident), the Jets have surprised the hockey world by being a playoff team that will be a tough out in the playoffs. 

Boston Bruins

Boston has struggled this season. Yesterday, they snapped a six game losing streak (that included an shootout loss to 20-46-8 Buffalo) with a 4-2 win over the Rangers. The Bruins are currently in the eight spot in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Ottawa. Tuukka Rask has been good, but not as good as he was last season. Team leaders Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara have also been worse this year than in previous seasons. There have been some bright spots on the squad; most notably defenseman Dougie Hamilton and forward Loui Eriksson. The Bruins have seven games left to clinch the final spot in the Eastern Conference. With games against Toronto and Carolina, Boston has some easy games; but, the Bruins also play the Red Wings, the Lightning, and the Capitals. All three of those teams are in the playoffs. The playoff teams may sit their starters, but that does not mean those games will be shoo-ins. If Boston misses the playoffs, the teams in the East will breathe a sign of relief because a high-quality team will be watching the playoffs from home.

Nashville Predators

After two consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs, the Nashville Predators have the best record in the Central Division, the best division in the NHL. After missing a good chunk of the 2013-14 season, goalie Pekka Rinne is having a great season. He has 41 of the team's 47 wins and has a .926 save percentage and a 2.10 goals against average. The Predator offense is led by Rookie of the Year candidate and 2015 All-Star Filip Forsberg. Forsberg has 23 goals, six of them game winners, and 36 assists. Forsberg along with defenseman and fellow 20 year-old Seth Jones are two of the most promising players in the NHL. The Predators mix of young talent and seasoned veterans has led them to become one of the favorites for the Stanley Cup.

New York Islanders

John Taveres
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In their final season on Long Island, the New York Islanders are giving their fans a season to remember. The Isles are 44-27-5. The last time a Islanders team had more than 44 wins was the 1983-84 season when they lost in the Stanley Cup Finals. This year's team has the potential to go farther than the 1983-84 team. John Taveres is having another fabulous year. He has 34 goals, 40 assists, and averages just under one point per game. While Taveres is the team leader in all of those stats by a large margin; however, he is not the only player who is playing well on offense. Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, Kyle Okposo, and Ryan Strome are all playing extremely well, just not earning as many points as Taveres. In net, Jaroslav Halak is having a very good first season as an Islanders goaltender. He has been a stabilizing force New York has been missing recently. The Islanders have the potential to make a run to the Stanley Cup Final, but it will depend on its young stars living up to their potential. 

The Five Most Interesting Players in Basketball Right Now

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook
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Is there anyone more fascinating in sports right now than Russell Westbrook? With Kevin Durant missing extended time this season, Westbrook has stepped up this year, especially recently. The 2015 All-Star Game MVP has average a triple-double over the last five games with 30.6 points per game, 11.8 assists per game, and 10.6 rebounds per game. In the last two games alone, he has taken 70 shots and 30 free throws. He has not been a one-man wrecking crew (Serge Ibaka has averaged 17.2 points and 9.0 boards and Enes Kanter has averaged 15.8 points and 9.0 rebounds over the last five games), but he has been playing on a whole another level. While that has not translated to wins, OKC lost the last two games where Westbrook had over 30 shots, it has made Westbrook mesmerizing to watch.

Any of the Top Players on Kentucky

Devin Booker. Willie Cauley-Stein. Aaron Harrison. Andrew Harrison. Dakari Johnson. Marcus Lee. Trey Lyles. Karl-Anthony Towns. Tyler Ulis. Take your pick of any of these nine players as the most interesting on the team and, therefore, one of the most interesting in all of men's college basketball. If I were to pick one, I may pick Trey Lyles because he was the number two power forward in the Class of 2014 recruiting class, yet he is the starting small forward on the Wildcats and is playing the position at an exceptionally high level. Or Willie Cauley-Stein, the junior, who has come into his own on the offensive end of the court. Or Karl-Anthony Towns, the elite freshman who is dominant when he plays, evident by his per 40 minutes and per 100 possession stats. Or Devin Booker, who is a really good player who can score the basketball. Even players who are not currently on Kentucky but were previouslyare some of the most fascinating (a.k.a. Kyle Wiltjer of Gonzaga, the former Kentucky player and National Champion, who transferred after winning the 2012-13 SEC Sixth Man of the Year and is now one of the best players in the country).

Nina Davis

Nina Davis
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The best player on the one of the best teams in women's college basketball, Nina Davis is an intimidating threat in the post. The Baylor sophomore is averaging 20.6 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game. Baylor was 26-1 heading into this week. However, they lost to Oklahoma 68-64 on Wednesday and to Iowa State 76-71 today. Both are good teams, but they are not on Baylor's level. Davis had 20 points and 11 rebounds against the Sooners and  16 and 5 against the Cyclones. While she played well in these games, she needs to keep up the good work. The Bears have one more game against Texas Tech before the conference tournament. They are going to need big games out of Davis to be successful in the conference tournament before going to the NCAA Tournament. If they lose against Texas Tech and/or in the conference tournament, the Bears may be in for an upset early in the NCAA Tournament.

Reggie Jackson

Jackson, the former disgruntled Thunder backup, is now running point in Detroit. Even with a 23-36 record, the Pistons are only one game out of the eighth seed in the east and have the talent with big men Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, and Jackson to be a tough eight seed. For them to reach the playoffs, Jackson has to play like the player he believes he is. In his four games for Detroit, he has 16.0 points per game, 6.5 assists per game, and 5.3 rebounds per game in 32.3 minutes of action. However, his PER is 12.3, he shot a dismal 5-24 against the Knicks on Friday, and then shot 4-12 on Saturday and played less minutes than backup Spencer Dinwiddie. While Jackson wants to be the man, he has to take a backseat to Drummond and Monroe and work with them. He can be main guard, but he has to allow Drummond and Monroe to be "the guys" on the team. If he can do this, the Pistons should be the eight seed. But it is easier said than done with Jackson, making this a fascinating storyline for the rest of year.

Jahlil Okafor

Jahlil Okafor
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Okafor is one of the two best players in college basketball with Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky. What makes Okafor a more interesting player is that he is a freshman, the projected number one pick in the NBA Draft, and his amazing skill set. If you watched Duke's game vs. Virginia on Wednesday, you saw the greatness of Okafor. He scored 30 points on 13-18 shooting (albeit 4-9 from the charity stripe) and nine rebounds. He dominated and manhandled the Hokies in the post. Okafor was absolutely unstoppable. While he was not as great against Syracuse today, he still managed to score 14 points and grab 13 boards. Okafor did shoot only 1-7 from the free throw line, which seems to be his only liability. Okafor is going to make a name for himself as the calendar turns to March

The Problems with the Cavs and Other NBA Notes

Kevin Love
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After losing six straight games (the first five without LeBron James), the Cleveland Cavaliers have rattled off seven consecutive wins behind Kyrie Irving and James. James has averaged over 30 points and Irving has averaged over 24 during the stretch. Both dropped over 30 last night against Detroit. While that seems like a great thing, there is something looming underneath those two players point totals. Kevin Love dropped only seven points while taking less than half of the shots of the two leading scores (Love had 11 shot attempts, eight of those from behind the arc, while James had 24 and Irving had 23). 

Stats via basketball-reference.com

During this same seven game stretch, Love is averaging 14.5 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game. Kevin Love is becoming the new Chris Bosh. Love's current numbers and Bosh's numbers from his first season in Miami are extremely similar and both have had tough times fitting in around James and a high-profile guard. There is one big difference between Love and 2010-11 Bosh. Love can leave Cleveland at the end of the season and the Cavs can get no one in return. Bosh was locked up until 2014 and was only leaving if he was traded. 

If I was Kevin Love, I would, at this point, leave Cleveland at the end of the season. He is not getting the touches he deserves and is slowly becoming the fourth option behind J.R. Smith. Love is the second best player on the team behind James (He is better than Irving) but is being treated like he is a bench warmer. In the last game of the six game losing streak against the Suns, Love was benched at the end of the game, while James Jones, Mike Miller, Smith, and Tristan Thompson all at some point played over him. After the game, Cavs Head Coach David Blatt was highly criticized for benching him and the rumors of Love leaving were at a peak. All of those rumors have gone away for the time being because of the win streak, but that does not mean they are gone for good. 

Kevin Love
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One of the big reasons that Love is having trouble in Cleveland is that he is not a player who creates his own shot. As a big man, he needs to be fed the ball in the post or be the screen setter in a pick-and-roll/pick-and-pop. He has never been a man who can take his defender off the dribble consistently  Because of this, he does not get the ball as often as he should. And if he does not get the ball in a scoring situation, he will not try to create his own shot by taking his defender off the dribble. Love has to pass the ball. On the flip side with Irving, James, and even Smith, these players can receive the ball anywhere on the court and just go one-on-one with the defender. Love cannot go one-on-one with a defender outside of the post and or mid-range area. To add on to that, all three of those players are players who run a lot of isolation plays and take their defenders one-on-one. This hinders Love's offense ability because he cannot get opportunities when the ball stays in only a select few hands. 

Kevin Love is better than Chris Bosh. Love can be a guy who drops 25 and pulls down 12 rebounds every night. He is not going to get that in Cleveland. He is not being treated and used right with the Cavs and if there is not a change for the better, there will be a change at power forward next season.

Kyrie Irving and LeBron James
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The Love Dilemma is not the only problem with the Cavs. The "Big Three" are playing too many minutes. Coming into the season, Blatt said that James would be playing less minutes this season. While he is averaging the lowest minutes per game of his career, James is still averaging just over 37 minutes a contest which is third in the league. Just ahead of him at second in the Association is Irving. For James, he needs to be rested more often so he will not wear down in the playoffs. LeBron is 30 now and he needs to manage his minutes. Irving may be only 22, but his minutes need to be managed better as well. At his current rate, he is going to worn down by the playoffs. Irving has a injury-history and has never played in the playoffs before. He needs his minutes to be managed so he will not crash and burn by the first round of the playoffs. Blatt needs to pace Irving. Also, by sitting James and Irving, the Cavs can play their younger players so they can get experience. Shawn Marion and Mike Miller cannot play forever. There is talent on the Cavs bench that they could exploit when James and Irving are on the bench.

There are problems with the Cavs and there will continue to be problems with the Cavs. Changes need to happen if Cleveland wants to be real contenders because if Love is not happy and James and Irving are playing forty minutes every night, the chances of them winning the title are slim to none.

Other Notes

Brandon Jennings
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Brandon Jennings tore his ACL on January 24. This a major loss for the Detroit Pistons, who are currently two and a half games out of the eighth spot in the East. With Jennings and big men Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe, the Pistons had a great trio of players that were beginning to click. If Jennings was not injured, I would not be surprised if the Detroit made the playoffs and were a tough team to beat. Now, the Pistons are going to have a tough time making the playoffs with the current roster assembled.

Andrew Wiggins is having a fantastic January. He is playing great basketball and making a bad Timberwolves team watchable. Yet, the T-Wolves are still 7-37 and are on their way to possibly gaining the number one pick in the upcoming draft. If they end up getting the number one pick and they draft Duke star Jahlil Okafor, Minnesota will have a nucleus to base their team around for the next ten years.

The Golden State Warriors are the best team in the NBA because they not only have stars, but great role players. Everyone knows about Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green, but Marresse Spreights is third on the team in scoring, Andre Iguadola is still going strong, and Shawn Livingston and Leandro Barbosa are playing really well as back-ups to the Splash Bros. The Warriors have the makings of a powerhouse. 

After a bad rookie season where he was oft-injured and could not gain much playing time, Phoenix Suns center Alex Len is having a good season. While the numbers are not much, under seven points and seven bounds a game, he still leads the team in rebounds and blocks. Len is not going to be a star anytime soon, but he is going to be a major contributor to these playoff contending Suns.

Book Review: The Death Row All Stars by Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss

Wyoming is anything but a hotbed for baseball. There have been only 14 major leaguers from the state and only one minor league team in the state since WWII (Casper Rockies/Ghosts 2001-11). However, that does not mean the state is void of good baseball players, teams, and stories. The Death Row All Stars: A Story of Baseball, Corruption, and Murder by Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss tells the story of a baseball team in Wyoming in 1911 made up of players in the state's penitentiary, many of them who committed hanious crimes. The book talks about corruption and murder, but baseball's role in the story is surprisingly minimal.

Cover of The Death Row All Stars
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What was most annoying about the lack of baseball was that the Wyoming State Penitentiary team was not the main focus of the book. The Death Row All Stars is a short book at only 156 pages, with the last 30 being the notes, bibliography, and index. So, I was not expecting the book to be filled with detail and intently describe specific moments. But I did expect the book to focus on the team and it's players, not just management and one player. The main focus was on four characters: Warden Felix Alston, former Warden Otto Gramm, team manager George Saban, and right fielder Joseph Seng. The team was only used as a way to connect all four. While the story of Seng was interesting, the story of Alston, Gramm, and Saban runs dry at the end. However, with that being said, I understand why the story did not revolve around the team: their story was not long enough and detailed enough to carry it for the length of a book.

One of the reasons the books disappoints is not only its lack of information on the team, but also the team's players. Other than Seng, very little is given about the other players on the team. The reader is given the bare minimum on the background of these players. While there may be little information on some of the players, I find it hard to believe that all the players either had a boring background or little information in their backgrounds.

I had high hopes for The Death Row All Stars and when I finished the small paperback, I was throughly disappointed. I was reading the story for the story of the baseball team at the State Penitentiary, not about the lives of people around the story. The Death Row All Stars is a misleading title to a book not really about baseball.

Thoughts on the First College Football Playoff National Championship

Cardale Jones
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Coin Toss

Oregon, being the higher seed, got to call the opening coin toss. They chose heads and it was heads. The Ducks elected to receive. In the 2011 BCS Championship Game, Oregon called tails, the coin came up tails, and they elected to receive the kick as well. Oregon lost both games.

Missed Tackles

What lost the game for Oregon was the amount of tackles they missed. Multiple times, Cardale Jones bulldozed an Oregon defender, who had stopped the 6'5", 250 pound signal caller a few yards from a first down, and got a first down. The Ducks also had difficulty tackling running back Ezekiel Elliott and Jalin Marshall on kick returns. If Oregon tackled Jones or Elliott on a few third downs behind the first down marker, Ohio State would have punted more often, giving Oregon more chances to score. Oregon's inability to make a big tackle, especially on third down, was the team's downfall.

Turnovers

Ohio State had four turnovers. Oregon had one, an interception at the end of the game. While, it is never good when a team commits four turnovers, the Buckeyes need to be applauded for their ability on defense to make stops after turnovers and for the offense for forgetting about the turnovers. The Ohio State defense stopped the Oregon offense twice after turnovers, including one time inside the five, and gave up only ten points off of turnovers. That is very good when facing a fantastic Oregon offense. On offensive, Cardale Jones had a bad fumble and an interception, yet put that behind him to lead Ohio State to the victory. 

The Dropped Passes

Oregon scored first, stopped Ohio State on the Buckeyes' first possession, and looked to be rolling on their second possession. Then, on a 3rd and 3, Charles Nelson drops a pass and Oregon punts. On the next Oregon possession, Mariota throws a beauty to Dwayne Stanford on a 3rd and 12 that was guaranteed to be a big play. But, Stanford dropped it. On Ohio State's possessions after both drops, they scored a touchdown. Those two drops changed the whole momentum of the game. Oregon's offense was not the same after the drops, while Ohio State gained confidence and momentum.  

Ezekiel Elliott

Ezekiel Elliott
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Ezekiel Elliott may not have had an 80+ yard run like in the Big Ten Championship or Sugar Bowl, but he did have the best game of his career and won of the best performances of all-time in a championship game. He rushed 36 times for 246 yards and four touchdowns, all career highs. Elliott could not be stopped Monday night. It seemed like every time he got his hand on the ball, he was running for eight or nine yards. Elliott was the best player on the field at AT&T Stadium. Right now, he is the best running back in the country.

76 Years Ago

The First NCAA Basketball Tournament was in 1939. Eight teams competed in the tournament. The final was between: Ohio State and Oregon. In this first tournament, however, Oregon pulled off the victory 46-33 behind John Dick's 13 points. 

Now What? Oregon

Before the game, it was almost guaranteed that Marcus Mariota would declare for the NFL Draft. Now, there are some murmurs that Mariota will stay for a final season at Oregon. While I love it when college players stay an extra year (or two), Mariota should go pro. It is his time to leave Oregon and become a professional. He is at a peak ranking (even after the championship) and is more likely to be highly criticized and lose his high ranking (ex: Jake Locker). Mariota's draft stock may fall slightly after the loss, but there are too many teams in need of a QB in the top ten, even top five, for him to slide to far down. The next QB for the Ducks will most likely be either Jeff Locke or Morgan Mahalak. With either of them, there is likely some struggles in 2015, but Oregon should still be a good team.

Now What? Ohio State

Cardale Jones, JT Barrett, and Braxton Miller
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The big question heading into the 2015 season for Ohio State is going to be the QB situation. Urban Meyer will have to chose from three high quality QBs: 2012 and 2013 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Braxton Miller, 2014 Big Ten QB of the Year JT Barrett, and starting QB of the Big Ten Championship, Sugar Bowl, and National Championship Cardale Jones. However, it is likely to be a two-horse race between Barrett and Jones, as Miller will graduate in the spring and be able to transfer and play immediately. Schools reportedly in the running for Miller are Florida State, LSU, Oregon, and Duke. All are better options than possibly sitting the bench at Ohio State. In the decision between Barrett and Jones, Meyer has to chose Jones. The man just won his first three starts in the three most important games of the season. He started and won the National Championship. While Barrett might have done that if he were healthy, Meyer can not base his decision on alternate timelines. He needs to base it on performance and success.

Five Thoughts On College Basketball Heading Into Conference Play

Wisconsin's Other Star

Nigel Hayes
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Heading into the season, Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky was the big name in college basketball and a Wooden Award favorite. While Kaminsky has been great, his teammate Nigel Hayes has also been fantastic. Hayes, a sophomore and 2013-14 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, has taken advantage of his inclusion into the starting lineup to become a double-double threat along with Kaminsky. Hayes averages 12.2 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game. Hayes is the key to the team's success. In the Badgers' one loss against Duke, Hayes struggled from the field and was in foul trouble. Hayes is a great player who works very well with Kaminsky. The two of them, along with Sam Dekker and Treavon Jackson, will look to bring Wisconsin back to Final Four.

Missouri Valley Conference

The Missouri Valley Conference currently has two team ranked in the AP Poll and Coaches Poll (Wichita State Shockers and Northern Iowa Panthers) along with two other ten win teams (Evansville Purple Aces and Loyola Ramblers). These four teams all have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament, along with a possible dark horse team who may win the conference tournament. While Wichita State is the more well known team, Northern Iowa has been the better team so far. The Panthers only loss was a double overtime loss against VCU. However, they will have a major challenge forthcoming, as the Panthers first two conference games are against Evansville and Loyola.

Syracuse

Jim Boeheim and Rakeem Christmas
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Jim Boeheim's Orange are currently at 8-4 (with one more game before conference play). Those four losses are the most for the Orange to start a season this century. This is the first season in a while in which Syracuse is not a guarantee for the NCAA Tournament. That does not mean that it would be shocking if the Orange missed the Tournament. They have missed the tournament three times this century (2001-02, 2006-07, and 2007-08). This team does have the potential to make it the Tournament. Senior Rakeem Christmas has taken his game to a whole new level this year. Christmas's point average has increased by about 11 points from this year to last (5.8 to 16.5). His major offensive improvement, along with his ability to rebound (8.7 per game) and defensive presence (2.3 blocks per game). Christmas and Chris McCollough (11.5 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game) form a very good big man partnership. The Orange have talent, but they will need to win games to be successful. 

Kentucky 

The hype is real for this year's Kentucky team. They are loaded with talent and have looked unbeatable. Not only have the won all 13 of their games by more than eight points, but they have defeated three teams who were ranked within the Top 6 in the AP Poll at the time they faced them. Even with the loss of junior Alex Poythress, the Wildcats have a great players. They have big men, point guards, and wing players. There is a strong possibility that Kentucky will go undefeated throughout the SEC and possibly the rest of the season. With all of their talent, they can win while three, maybe four or five, of their best players have an off day. If a team defeats the Wildcats, it will be a shocking upset.

Deleware and Central Arkansas 

Kyle Anderson
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The Delaware Blue Hens and Central Arkansas Bears are the only two Division I teams left with losing records. Both programs currently sit at 0-10. Delaware has had more chances to get rid of the zero in the win column. In Delaware's most recent game against Robert Morris, the Blue Hens had a come back at the end, but still lost 84-81. Central Arkansas, on the other hand, has had only one of it's loss margins within ten points (74-68 loss against Southeast Mississippi State). This season has to be a disappointment for Delaware more-so than Central Arkansas. The Bears have never had a winning season since becoming a Division I program. Delaware not only had a winning record last season, they made the NCAA Tournament. With that being said, Delaware did lose it's top four scorers from last year (three graduated, one kicked out of program) and it's fifth leading scorer (and only senior this year) Kyle Anderson was injured for the first seven games of the year. While I do not expect either of these teams to remain winless, I do not expect them to be close to breaking .500 either. 

The 2016, Not 2015, Chicago Cubs Will Be Great

Jon Lester
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Much of the hype this winter around the hot stove has been about the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs signed up ace Jon Lester, traded for quality catcher Miguel Montero, and hired well-liked and respected manager Joe Madden. With these moves, their World Series odds rose from 50-1 to 12-1. While those three moves are major for the ball club, calling the Cubs World Series contenders in 2015 is very optimistic. The Cubs are still a year away from being contenders.

When a team signs a clutch playoff performer like Jon Lester, they are immediately put into the spotlight and become bandwagon favorites. However, it has been the little moves they have made that will set them up for success. They signed Jason Hammel, who they traded in July, but had pitched very well for the Cubs in his time at Wrigley. Ryan Lawarnway, a former top 100 prospect, was claimed off of waivers and could find his way into a important bench role. And, in an extremely underrated move, the Cubs signed Jason Motte for one year and four and a half million dollars. Motte saved 42 games in 2012 before undergoing Tommy John in 2013 and struggling in 2014 for St. Louis. If Motte proves to be successful, he could be a major cog in the Cubs bullpen in future (or they can trade him at the 2015 deadline for prospects). All of these players can have major impacts on the Cubs next year.

Kris Bryant
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However, even with these big moves, the Cubs have to be prepping for the 2016 season. By 2016, 2014 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Kris Bryant and 2014 Oakland A's Pre-Season Top Prospect Addison Russell will be in the majors, solidifying what will be the best infield in baseball (with Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez). Baez, who struck out at an astronomical rate last year, will have a full season under his belt where he can learn to be more selective. Arismendy Alcantara and Jorge Soler will also have the benefit of being in the majors for a full season. Also, most of the players on the Cubs roster have never been in a playoff race, and the experience they will gain on being on a competitive team in 2015 will help them in 2016.

Here is the Cubs' possible starting lineup in 2016

LF - Arismendy Alcantara - S/R - 24 - 2014 #100 Prospect according to Baseball America
2B - Javier Baez - R/R - 23 -  2014 #5 Prospect according to Baseball America
3B - Kris Bryant - R/R - 24 -  2014 #8 Prospect according to Baseball America
1B - Anthony Rizzo - L/L - 26 - 2014 MLB All-Star
RF - Jorge Soler - R/R - 24 - 2014 #41 Prospect according to Baseball America
SS - Addison Russell - R/R - 22 - 2014 #14 Prospect according to Baseball America
C - Miguel Montero - L/R - 32 - 2014 MLB All-Star
CF - Albert Almora - R/R - 22 - 2014 #36 Prospect according to Baseball America

That is one stacked line-up, top to bottom. And that does not include 24-year-old three-time All-Star Starlin Castro, who the Cubs have locked up until 2020, or 2014 1st Round Pick Kyle Schwarber. Castro is major trade bait, but if Theo Epstein can not get the players he wants in a trade for Castro, he can move Castro, a mediocre-at-best defensive shortstop, to third base or the outfield (much like what Boston is doing with Hanley Ramirez). That lineup will not be as developed in 2015 as it will be in 2016, with players like Chris Coghlan (rWAR in 2014: 0.2) or Junior Lake (rWAR:-1.5 /fWAR: -1.0) filling in until all the top prospects reach the big show.

CJ Edwards
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The 2016 rotation also looks very good, headlined by Lester, Hammel, and Jake Arriata. I have confidence that the Cubs rotation in 2016 will be above average. Pitching coach Chris Bosio is one of the best in the game right now. He has taken below average pitchers that last few years and made them above average, even potential stars. With Bosio on the staff, the Cubs can trust that they will get the best out of their starters. Their bullpen will also have some good pitchers, headlined by Hector Rondon (29 saves and 2.42 ERA in 2014). In 2016, the Cubs will also most likely have top pitching prospects CJ Edwards and Pierce Johnson in the MLB as important contributors.

While it is early to be making predictions, withstanding any more major developments, here is my prediction for the Cubs in 2015. They will start off slow, as players like Baez and Soler, are still getting themselves adjusted. By mid-May, the Cubs bandwagon is a lot lighter than it is now. However, they show improvement and by July 1st, Baez is fully adjusted and Bryant is up in the bigs. The Cubs play very well, albeit under the radar, for the last few months of the season. The North Siders finish the season with a record around 80-82. 

2016: They are my early, way, way-too early, World Series favorites.

Was the 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series successful?

2014 Japan All-Star Series logo
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A Major League Baseball All-Star Team traveled and played an All-Star Series against the Japanese National Team, called Samurai Japan over a ten day stretch that ended last week. The MLB All-Star Team played seven games, six against Samurai Japan (five competitive and one exhibition game) and one against a combined Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants team. Samurai Japan also played an exhibition against a combined Fukuoka Softbank Hawks and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters team. In the competitive games, the MLB All-Star Team lost the series three games to two. The games, played in six different stadiums, drew great crowds. The question is, was the MLB Japan All-Star Series successful

For the Japanese National Team and Japan, it was the equivalent of a no doubt homer. The National Team got in six games against great competition that will no doubt help them when the World Baseball Classic rolls around in 2017, which was their hope. Also, they won the series, beating the MLB All-Stars in three series games and a final exhibition. Any time a tema can beat a team of MLB players, the winning team's confidence grows.

Not only did they win the series, they also no-hit the All-Stars in the Game 3 of the series. Pitchers Takahiro Norimoto, Yuki Nishi, Kazuhisa Makita, and Yuji Nashino combined to throw nine innings of no-hit ball with 13 strikeouts and only three walks. That game was the highlight of the Series for Japan.

The attendance at the games was good, with the Game 2, 3, and 4 of the Series having the best crowds; all four games were at the Tokyo Dome, the country's most famous baseball stadium. The crowds of the some of the games could have been better, but it did not help that Japan won the series in three games. The Japanese baseball fans are some of the best in the world and deserved to get to see MLB players live. And they showed up in large numbers.

Now, on the Major Leaguers side, where the answer is not so black-and-white. Losing to Samauri Japan does not help the case for the trip being successful. MLB had made ten trips to Japan before this year and lost only one of those series.

Evan Longoria and Carlos Santana
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However, very few of MLB's best players went to Japan. Of the 62 players at this year's All-Star Game, only four made the trip: Jose Altuve, Robinson Cano, Salvador Perez, and Yasiel Puig. While there were some former All-Stars, rising stars, and very good players who went to Japan (f.e. Chris Carter, Hisashi Iwakuma Evan Longoria, Carlos Santana, and Matt Shoemaker), only a few of the game's best attended. If a few more of the greats in the MLB made the trip, I think they would have won the Series. 

The one huge problem with losing the series is that it ruins MLB's brand. You cannot claim to be the best baseball league in the world when your All-Star team loses to other leagues (even if few All-Stars attended). While few Americans will remember the Series by next July, the Series will be remembered in Japan and it will affect Major League Baseball's brand there.

In conclusion, the MLB All-Star Series was a major success for Japan, while it was a borderline success for the MLB. While all signs point to the trip being a failure for the MLB, the players did get some good work in and represented the league very well. Also, it is tough being the team to travel across the world. If there is a next time, however, the MLB All-Star team will need a series win to call the trip a success.