2008 Arizona Diamondback Picks & Predictions
May 22, 2008
With Dan Haren coming over from Oakland to team up with Brandon Webb and the Big Unit, the Snakes look to have the best staff in the NL West, but will it be enough to win a tough division? Dave Price’s 2008 Arizona Diamondbacks predictions will not steer you wrong.
Pitching
Dan Haren and Brandon Webb make up the best one-two punch in baseball. In Haren, the D-Backs get an ace who started the All-Star game for the AL last season. In Webb, they have a Cy Young award winner. Stick Randy Johnson in on the third day, and it’s going to be tough to win a series against these boys. Doug Davis showed promise last season as well with a 13-win campaign and Micah Owings is valuable on the mound and at the plate as one of the better hitting pitchers in baseball.
If Tony Pena, Brandon, Lyon, or Chad Qualls are not able to fill the shoes of close Jose Valverde, then we might have found Arizona’s weak spot. Valverde led the NL in saves last season. The D-Backs feel Pena will be able to pick up right where Valverde left off with his strong slider as a quality out pitch.
Offense
Chris Young is one of the rare speed and power guys in the league. He crushed 32 homeruns and stole 27 bases in 2007, but he must elevate his .237 average. Conor Jackson is a doubles machine. Eric Byrnes hits the mold of this team perfectly and is coming off a sensational 20 homeruns/50 stolen base season. Expect big years from Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds.
Defense
Defensively, the Snakes are top notch. They won the West with pitching and defense over their offense last season. We expect the offense to improve and the defense to remain, which makes their chances of repeating very good. Second baseman Orlando Hudson has won three consecutive Gold Glove awards. Stephen Drew has been no slouch at short and is very underrated in my opinion. The corners are deep with first baseman Conor Jackson, third baseman Mark Reynalds, and swingman Chad Tracy giving the D-Backs three starters to share two spots. The outfield is quality with Byrnes in left. He won a Fielding Bible award as the best leftfielder in baseball last season. Centerfielder Chris Young had a monster rookie season and his speed enables him to cover from gap to gap. Upton is still learning the outfield, but his baseball IQ is making it a smooth transition.
Colorado may have emerged as NLCS champions, but I don’t think the Rockies have the starting pitching to win this division. I like the D-Backs to repeat with the addition of Haren paying huge dividends.
Dave Price will take his MLB clients on the ride of a lifetime this summer as he goes for his 11th consecutive winning season. Sign up for a season package to ensure that you don’t miss out on a single day of beating the MLB odds.
Odds to win NL West: 9/5
Odds to win 2008 NL Pennant: 11/2
Odds to win 2008 World Series: 18/1
NL West
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