{"id":631,"date":"2014-03-30T13:29:33","date_gmt":"2014-03-30T20:29:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/?p=631"},"modified":"2014-03-30T13:29:33","modified_gmt":"2014-03-30T20:29:33","slug":"2014-season-preview-part-iv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dreamteambaseball.com\/blog\/?p=631","title":{"rendered":"2014 Season Preview: Part IV"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Kings outfielder Carlos Gonzalez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We’ve reached the final part of the 2014 DTBL season preview. \u00a0Now it’s time to examine the two teams who are projected to finish at the very top of the standings. \u00a0This has a familiar ring to it. \u00a0A year ago, the Mavericks and Kings were projected to finish in the top two spots, with the Mavericks winning the title. \u00a0How did it turn out? \u00a0Well, they were the best two teams in the league, but the Kings just barely hung on for a one point victory. \u00a0So here we are and the Mavericks and Kings are once again projected to be the league’s two best teams. \u00a0They have been the two consistent title contenders for the past couple years. \u00a0Not surprisingly, they look like strong contenders again this year. \u00a0But will they be the league’s two best teams again this season? \u00a0And who will enter the year as the pre-season favorite? \u00a0Here are the final projections.<\/p>\n

Marc’s Mavericks<\/h2>\n

Category – Projected Rank (2013 Rank)<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Batting Average – 6th (7th)<\/li>\n
  • Home Runs – 2nd (3rd)<\/li>\n
  • Runs Batted In – 3rd (6th)<\/li>\n
  • Runs Scored – 1st (2nd)<\/li>\n
  • Stolen Bases – 4th (6th)<\/li>\n
  • Earned Run Average – 1st (1st)<\/li>\n
  • WHIP Ratio – 5th (1st)<\/li>\n
  • Wins – 8th (4th)<\/li>\n
  • Saves – 8th (2nd)<\/li>\n
  • Strike Outs – 4th (1st)<\/li>\n
  • Total Batting Points – 2nd (5th)<\/li>\n
  • Total Pitching Points – 5th (1st)<\/li>\n
  • Total Points – 2nd (2nd)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Summary:<\/p>\n

    No surprise to see the Mavericks in this spot, but how they are projected to get here is a little peculiar. \u00a0Last year, the Mavericks had quite possibly the best pitching staff in league history. \u00a0They broke records in ERA and WHIP on their way to a league high 46 pitching points. \u00a0Their offense was middle of the pack though. \u00a0This year, it’s their offense that is projected to be their strength. \u00a0There is an explanation for this switch, but I’m not sure I’m buying it. \u00a0Even though Matt Harvey may not pitch this season, their rotation is still unbelievably loaded with Clayton Kershaw, Stephen Strasburg, Mat Latos and newcomers Gerrit Cole and Zack Wheeler. \u00a0They are dealing with some injuries to this rotation right now, but assuming those don’t linger, they are a strong bet to have the league’s best rotation again. \u00a0The Mavericks have earned a reputation as the team most willing to take chances on young prospects in the draft. \u00a0This year, they took it to a new level though. \u00a0Every one of their first six draft picks made their MLB debuts last season. \u00a0How many of these six players wind up panning out will probably determine their fate because they will be counting on all of them this year. \u00a0Perhaps for comedy’s sake, they drafted Derek Jeter in the 11th round. \u00a0He is approximately the same age as their first six picks combined. \u00a0Anyway, these projections like the offense the Mavericks have assembled. \u00a0With Mike Trout and company, that makes perfect sense. \u00a0After a bunch of near misses, the Mavericks are a solid pick to win their first title since 2006.<\/p>\n

    Kevin’s Kings<\/h2>\n

    Category – Projected Rank (2013 Rank)<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Batting Average – 1st (3rd)<\/li>\n
    • Home Runs – 3rd (2nd)<\/li>\n
    • Runs Batted In – 1st (2nd)<\/li>\n
    • Runs Scored – 3rd (1st)<\/li>\n
    • Stolen Bases – 6th (3rd-T)<\/li>\n
    • Earned Run Average – 6th (5th)<\/li>\n
    • WHIP Ratio – 6th (3rd)<\/li>\n
    • Wins – 1st (1st-T)<\/li>\n
    • Saves – 3rd (9th)<\/li>\n
    • Strike Outs – 1st (2nd)<\/li>\n
    • Total Batting Points – 1st (1st)<\/li>\n
    • Total Pitching Points – 2nd (3rd)<\/li>\n
    • Total Points – 1st (1st)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Summary:<\/p>\n

      The defending champs are projected to repeat in 2014. \u00a0The Kings broke a ten year title drought last season and appear to have the talent necessary to win again. \u00a0They have a strong roster from top-to-bottom and are slated to once again lead the league in batting points, but with a slightly better pitching staff this year. \u00a0The main reason for the pitching uptick is the bullpen. \u00a0They have a good chance to finish much higher in saves, although these projections are assuming Nate Jones will be given the White Sox closer job, which isn’t a sure thing. \u00a0Shelby Miller will try to fit in with the Tigers trio of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Anibal Sanchez. \u00a0Scherzer and Sanchez may have trouble duplicating the career years they had in ’13, but Verlander can certainly do better. \u00a0On the batting side of things, the Kings have retained the entire core of the group that easily led the league in batting points last year. \u00a0Plus, they have reacquired several former Kings: \u00a0Norichika Aoki, Michael Cuddyer and Coco Crisp. \u00a0Billy Butler will attempt to solidify the one weak spot for the Kings in recent years, first base. \u00a0Despite having the best offense in the league last year, the Kings did not have a true MVP candidate. \u00a0That could change this year if Carlos Gonzalez can stay healthy for a full season. \u00a0It will be interesting to see if the change of scenery has a negative effect on Robinson Cano’s fantasy value. \u00a0The projections have the Kings winning the league by a healthy 11 points. \u00a0That seems very unlikely, but a second straight championship is certainly a reasonable expectation.<\/p>\n

      Here is a table containing the full projected standings and team totals in each of the 10 categories. \u00a0One thing that sticks out to me is the huge gap between the top five and bottom five teams in batting points. \u00a0It probably won’t actually turn out this way, but that does indicate quite a delineation between the haves and have-nots in hitting heading into the season. \u00a0Pitching projections tend to be much less reliable.<\/p>\n