“You’ll see the Buchtelite panel’s MLB predictions below. Last year’s were pretty much dead-on – with one exception. We had the Indians losing to the Cardinals in the World Series, not the Tigers. Does that make us homers? Possibly. However, I deeply believe this year will mark the start of the dynasty that general manager Mark Shapiro built.”
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You’ll see the Buchtelite panel’s MLB predictions below. Last year’s were pretty much dead-on – with one exception.

We had the Indians losing to the Cardinals in the World Series, not the Tigers.

Does that make us homers? Possibly.

However, I deeply believe this year will mark the start of the dynasty that general manager Mark Shapiro built.

Here’s why:

A healthy Pronk: Travis Hafner, one of baseball’s top five hitters, missed an entire month last season due to a broken hand. Taking a guy who had 40 homers, 120 RBIs and .300 average out of any lineup will make a dent in offensive production. True, Pronk has a history of elbow problems, but manager Eric Wedge has learned his lesson: Keep the self-proclaimed dumbest man in baseball off the field.

A real second baseman: Newcomer Josh Barfield looks more like an asset than a liability in the Tribe’s lineup, unlike Ronnie Belliard or Joe Inglett before him. The 25-year-old hit .280 in 2006 – his rookie year – with the Padres. As some baseball pundits have said, the Indians trading Kevin Kouzmanoff for Barfield may be the best trade all offseason.

The lefty-lefty, righty-righty matchups: Some baseball purists hate to think the Tribe won’t have a set lineup. That’s ignorance. Wedge will rotate four players at right and left field. It makes perfect sense to play David Dellucci and Trot Nixon against right-handed pitchers and Casey Blake and Jason Michaels against lefties. Their combined stats in those situations come closer to a .300 batting average than the .260 you could expect from them as everyday players.

Bullpen strength: The team’s biggest weakness from 2006 should become a strength with the addition of Joe Borowski, Roberto Hernandez and Aaron Fultz. Last season, the Indians’ bullpen blew the seventh-most saves (23) in baseball. A bigger problem was the eighth inning, where many Tribe leads turned to deficits. As it stands, Hernandez, who maintained a 3.11 ERA with the Pirates and Mets, will work the eighth, and Borowski, who saved 36 games for the Marlins last year with a 3.75 ERA, will close games. That’s a big upgrade over last year when Wedge was forced to rely on inexperienced relievers. The new guys would have helped Cleveland win about 10 more in 2006.

Regression from AL Central rivals: This division is the best in baseball. That means the Indians probably will need to win 95 to 100 games to take it. Here’s some help: The White Sox and Twins took a step back. Chicago’s best addition was outfielder Darrin Erstad, who hit .221 last season. Minnesota’s Cy Young candidate Francisco Liriano is out all year with an arm injury. Expect both teams to struggle to win 80 games. The Tigers, however, should be really good with the addition of Gary Sheffield.

Another year of experience: Although we have said this for a few years now, the Indians still have a young core. Now Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Victor Martinez, Jhonny Peralta, Andy Marte, Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia and Jeremy Sowers are one year closer to their primes. Case in point: Many writers see Sizemore and Hafner as MVP candidates if they continue their progression.

Boston and Detroit probably boast the American League’s best rosters. That should not prevent Cleveland from earning at least a wild card berth to the 2007 playoffs.

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