Albert Pujols Struggles Early, Hits Under .300

13 Bold MLB Predictions for 2012

An amazing amount of money to justify. A switch of leagues. Tremendous pressure to succeed in a huge market. Ask A-Rod how that worked out in his first year with the Yankees. The same will happen with Pujols, whose average has slipped the past two seasons, early in his Angels career. His numbers won't be the same Year 1 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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Our Crystal Ball... This MLB predictions stuff is easy. Who didn't pick Justin Verlander to win the American League MVP before last season? Who didn't peg Clayton Kershaw as the obvious NL Cy Young winner or Kirk Gibson as Manager of the Year?

Piece of cake this predictions stuff. All you need to do is take conventional wisdom and throw it into McCovey Cove.

So in order to increase our chances of master prognostication, the Xfinity Sports staff goes outside the strike zone — in some cases, outside Vladimir Guerrero's strike zone even — with our bold predictions for the 2012 season. Save them too. They'll be fun to mock come October. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Albert Pujols St... An amazing amount of money to justify. A switch of leagues. Tremendous pressure to succeed in a huge market. Ask A-Rod how that worked out in his first year with the Yankees. The same will happen with Pujols, whose average has slipped the past two seasons, early in his Angels career. His numbers won't be the same Year 1 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Royals Make the ... This is bold. Really bold, even though the Royals' young talent (Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon) has been universally lauded. Kansas City making the playoffs is a big deal. Who cares if MLB added a playoff team? The Royals haven't been to the postseason since 1985. Really, 1985! Until this year when they take advantage of a weak division. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Cubs Finish Over... With new faces all around, chief among them being Theo Epstein, it's plausible to peg 2012 as a rebuilding season for the Cubs. But why not a season of rebirth instead? We're not bold enough to predict a division title for the Cubbies just yet, but winning 82-85 games could happen, especially if Matt Garza finds his stuff again. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Yu Darvish Wins ... The Rangers' prize free agent acquisition will enjoy a strong first season in MLB. With hitters unfamiliar with his stuff and delivery, and with the support of Texas' explosive offense, Darvish should win a lot of games; something like, 18-12 with a 4.20 ERA. Not bad for his 'rookie' year. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Justin Verlander... The Tigers appear to be an early sexy pick for this year's World Series. That's not a stretch, nor is it terribly bold. But how about this: Justin Verlander pitches two no-hitters, bumping his career total from two to four to pass Larry Corcoran and tie Sandy Koufax. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Braves, Not Phil... We know. If we could see your faces then we'd really know. But this is the year the injury bug finally sacks the Philadelphia Phillies and someone else rises to the top of the NL East heap. Your head is thinking Miami (that fish tank in the backstop is so neat!), but your heart is screaming Atlanta. We're taking the heart, and the Braves. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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'Big Z' Finds Ne... The Miami Marlins have a new home, a new owner and a new skipper. They also had one of the more intriguing offseason acquisitions in former Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano. Chicago fans most likely remember 'Big Z' for his volatility, but Zambrano isn't all bad. The guy can pitch, and if you look back at his stats from seasons past you'll see plenty of proof that he can pitch. Here's one in particular that stands out: Zambrano is currently ranked 16th in ERA among active pitchers. That's better than Zack Grienke, Cliff Lee and Chris Carpenter. Something tells us the Marlins make some noise in the crowded NL East this year, and Zambrano plays a primary role. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Cardinals Finish... St. Louis' championship run last season is beyond explanation. Now take away Hall of Fame first baseman Albert Pujols, Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa and have All-Star pitcher Chris Carpenter start the year on the DL and it's not going to be pretty. St. Louis takes a big step back and finishes with more than 81 losses. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

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Joey Votto Earns... How good is the Reds' first baseman? He has his own cereal. Votto, the 2010 NL MVP also has a career .313 average and hits almost 30 homers per season. With most of the league's top sluggers playing in the AL, Votto runs away with the MVP award with a career year — 40 HRs, 135 RBIs. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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A-Rod Wins the A... The Yankees superstar, 36, has one more big year left in him. This is it. Somehow, he stays healthy enough to hit 40 home runs and knock in 130 runs. It's not the 50-something, 140-something of his prime, but it's still special enough to win a fourth MVP. World Series MVP? We're not that bold. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

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Derek Jeter Has ... The future Hall of Famer will be 38 in June and is coming off two seasons where his adjusted on-base percentage plus slugging was below league average. If there's a year for him to fall apart, it's this one. By the end of September, Yankees fans will be calling for him to ride the pine. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Diamondbacks Win... The Dodgers, Giants and Rockies steal the headlines. But the D-Backs are the defending NL West champs. With a nice mix of young talent in the lineup and quality veterans waiting in reserve, Kirk Gibson's squad solidifies itself as a serious World Series contender despite playing in a tough division. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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The Extra Wild C... Sure, it's a little frustrating that a 162-game season will come down to a one-game playoff for the two Wild Card teams. But at least one of these games will be so good that, finally, people might stop whining about free extra baseball. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.