We’ve only seen two games into the season thus far, but the GMs still think they have a good idea as to what the season will contain.

Yes, Detroit will be good for another year.

Yes, San Diego won’t get out of the cellar for another year.

But outside of the obvious claims, who do the GMs think will rise up to the occasion, seize their league, and enter the Tournament of Champions?

Premier League

The top four teams here get into the Tournament of Champions. Here are the predictions – the first two columns match last year’s, the third matches the position, and the fourth for this year’s predictions.

Here’s the reasoning:
It looks like it’ll be a two team race between Detroit and DC for the top of the league. Give a slight edge on pitching to Detroit, and a slight edge on hitting to DC. Nevertheless, both teams are the two teams that are the most complete in the league, with both their lineups and their rotation/bullpen good enough to carry them to the top, like was seen last year (Both DC and Detroit had pythag records within one game of each other at the top, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them up there again). Dallas should still be good, as their lineup will hit, but their pitching leaves something to be desired. Cincinnati has a good rotation, but will find that their bullpen will let some games get away. Combine that with their holes in the infield, and you’ve got yourself a team that will place in the upper half of the league. Florida comes in fifth due to their infield, with the best infield in the league, but they have nobody in the outfield that is of note. Their pitching has also taken a step back, as their relatively old staff/bullpen have begun to decline (and Altamirano has even said he’ll retire after the season), but their prior history of good pitching should carry them to a mid tier spot. LA has their ace, and their ballpark plays unlike any other park in the league – so, that should give them a higher record than what the numbers might state. Arizona comes in seventh due to a lack of starting depth and a bad infield, but their bullpen should be able to keep them out of relegation. In the first relegation spot is Miami – a team with decent, mid level pitching, but will have trouble scoring runs. They’ve relied off of one year wonders thus far, and with only one guy (Carlos Juarez) in the top five of his position relative to the PL, their offense might sputter and cause them to play in the relegation series. Denver, on the other hand, has three guys ranked third in the respective positions, but a lack of pitching might cause them to be playing in the relegation series come September. In last is Chicago – they’ve only got two guys ranked higher than 8th relative to their position (Rory Blas in LF and Brian Woodard at 3B), and they’re the only team to have that few players up there. Look for them to be in 10th at seasons end.

Silver League

The top two teams make the Tournament of Champions.

Bay Area has the best pitching staff in the SL, and the best bullpen in the SL. Throw in the fact that their offense should be in the upper half, and you’ve got yourself the making of a PL bound team in the next season. Sacramento has the most complete lineup in the SL, so look for them to bounce back up to the PL next season. Brooklyn comes up next with a great lineup, and should be expected to be among the leaders in runs scored in the SL this season. Combine that offense with mediocre pitching, and you should have a team that will limit the runs in games they need to keep the other team off the board, along with a team that can score runs in a shootout, that will win games in the SL for their PL surge.

The next few teams were toss ups – Oklahoma, Mexico City, and Midwest could all flip-flop in the standings this year. Oklahoma has players at league average in almost every position, and has one of the best bullpens in the SL. Mexico City has three of the best players in the league – Ryan Wright, Andy Popour, and Pat Stackhouse – but their pitching needs to get better to see them pass one of the three top teams. Midwest has a solid bullpen, and some good pieces in the lineup, but their rotation needs to get better.

After that, you’ve got Houston. They’ve got a fairly good infield, but will have some trouble on the mound this season with Jeremy England getting pretty old. Look for Corey Youngblood to take over the staff down in Houston this year. Atlanta has the league’s second best rotation, but no bullpen or lineup to pair with it. They’ll have trouble scoring runs, and their bullpen won’t be able to hold down what their starters put in place. New York is in the midst of a fire sale, and Portland only has one good pitcher left on their team. They might be in fire sale mode at the trade deadline as well.

Bronze League

The top two teams make the Tournament of Champions.

Indianapolis has the league’s best rotation, best bullpen, best outfield, and best infield.

Out of all teams in the category of winning their league, Vegas’ odds on Indianapolis are 3:2 at the beginning of the season. They’re confident.

Coming up after them is Salt Lake City, whose pitching is good enough for the BL but wasn’t good enough for the SL. Their offense should also continue to pick up where they were the last time they were in the BL – tops in the league. Iowa finished second last season, and they’re only a few pieces away from truly competing in the BL. Great Lakes comes in fourth due to their improved lineup, and a good bullpen. Carolina finally comes in at a surprising fifth place, due to a pitching staff that should be among the best in the league. Their offense needs help, but with a team that focuses on pitching and defense, their lack of runs might lead way to giving up even fewer runs. Philadelphia is league average in almost every position, with weaker bullpen and infield compared to the rest of the BL, landing them in the sixth spot. Boston finished in last place the prior season, though their lineup has bright spots and their pitching received much needed upgrades in the offseason. They might not improve too much, but look for them to be out of the cellar. Wichita needs another year for their prospects to develop, and San Diego is San Diego.