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Our intrepid writers at PhillyPhanatics.com are at it again, trying to make predictions on something that often defies predicting: the order of finish in each Major League Baseball division, the would-be playoff teams and how they will fare in the postseason (along with major award winners).

Ron Opher, Eric Fisher and Josh Landsburg rarely strike out, but to expect a home run from any of them would be asking a lot. In that respect, they’re sort of like Ben Revere.

The divisional standings are Ron’s predictions. Josh’s order of finish will be in bold face. Eric’s will be in italics. Each writer will offer comments after each division.

Without further delay, here are our 2013 MLB predictions:

AL EAST
1.  Tampa Bay Rays (2) (1)
2.  Toronto Blue Jays (1) (2)
3.  Baltimore Orioles (3) (3)
4.  Boston Red Sox (4) (5)
5.  New York Yankees (5) (4)

Ron on AL East: No, folks, you are not reading this upside-down.  The Red Sox finally hit rock bottom last season. This year, it’s the injury-riddled Yankees’ turn.  The Blue Jays are finally a legitimate contender again, while the overachieving Orioles may take a small step back.  The Rays keep finding a way to stay at or near the top.

Josh: I don’t think last year was a fluke for the Orioles, but I see them falling to third place, simply because other teams around them got better.  I have shocked myself by putting the Yankees in last place, but with all their injuries and age, I can’t put them any higher.  The Red Sox are a mess as well, so the landscape of the AL East looks nothing like we have seen it in years.  I think the Blue Jays win the division for the first time since they were winning World Series Championships in the early 90’s due to the fact that they fleeced the Marlins with all the players that they got without giving up a ton of players that will impact them this year.  As Ron said, even though the Tampa Bay Rays lost James Shields, they still find a way to stay around the top of the division every year.

Eric: Like Ron and Josh, I don’t think the Orioles are quite as good as they appeared last season. At least they’re not any better. The bottom of the division is a tossup between two proud franchises that have fallen on hard times. Flip a coin. I was tempted to pick the Blue Jays to win the division, as Josh did, but they won 73 games last season. Getting to 95 is a huge jump. I’m picking the Rays to win the division, but I wouldn’t want to face Toronto in the playoffs.

AL CENTRAL
1.  Detroit Tigers (1) (1)
2.  Chicago White Sox (2) (3)
3.  Cleveland Indians (4) (4)
4.  Kansas City Royals (3) (2)
5.  Minnesota Twins (5) (5)

Ron on AL Central: I missed the boat on the White Sox last year, though in the end they ran out of gas at the finish line. Their fortunes this year may be tied to whether Chris Sale and Dayan Viciedo are rising stars or one-hit wonders.  I think the loaded Tigers will win the Central by a greater margin this year – maybe even double-digits.  The Indians signed some interesting players and should be improved under new manager Terry Francona, but to think they will contend for a playoff spot is asking too much – especially after dealing Shin-Soo Choo for prospects.  The Royals are due for a jump up in the standings, yet their lineup always seems to outpace their pitching, even with the newly acquired James Shields in the fold.  As for the Twins … check back with me in 2015.

Josh: I like the youth of the Kansas City Royals and the acquisition of James Shields, so I am bumping them all the way up to third place.  As for the Tigers, they are truly the class of this division and the White Sox have enough talent to remain in the No. 2 spot.

Eric: We all agree that the Tigers, with ace Justin Verlander (pictured above) are far and away the class of this division. I like the Royals’ rotation, but I like their bullpen even more. I think they jump up to second place in a close battle with the White Sox and Indians. With no disrespect intended toward Vance Worley, if he’s at or near the top of the rotation, as he is with the Twins, that spells t-r-o-u-b-l-e.

AL WEST
1.  L.A. Angels of Anaheim (1) (1)
2.  Oakland Athletics (2) (2)
3.  Texas Rangers (3) (3)
4.  Seattle Mariners (4) (4)
5.  Houston Astros (5) (5)

Ron on AL West: If there is a sure thing in this division, it’’s that the Astros will finish last. Welcome to the American League, Houston.  The Angels loaded up last year and still fell embarrassingly short of the postseason.  This year, they stole another top player from Texas,  following the C.J. Wilson signing last year by nabbing Josh Hamilton.  Says here that the balance of power will finally shift in the West, while Oakland remains a low-budget force and Seattle looks to follow in Toronto’s footsteps in terms of moving toward contention.

Josh: I see both wild cards coming from the AL West: the Athletics and Rangers. Even with the loss of Josh Hamilton, the Rangers have great pitching and they always find a way to stay in it and make the playoffs, even when they lose players.

Eric: I agree the Angels will bounce back after missing the playoffs last season. Josh Hamilton may never put up numbers like he did in Texas, but his presence makes the Angels’ lineup even more dangerous. And how good is Mike Trout (pictured above)? I don’t see a sophomore slump for Trout. I don’t think the A’s are a one-year wonder. If anything, I think they’ll be better this season. The poor Astros may have been dumped into the best division in baseball.

Ron’s AL playoffs and awards

Wild cards: Blue Jays, Athletics
ALDS: Tigers over Athletics, Angels over Rays
ALCS: Angels over Tigers

MVP:  Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
Cy Young:  Felix Hernandez, Mariners
Rookie of the Year: Wil Myers, Rays

Josh’s AL playoffs and awards

Wild cards: Athletics, Rangers
ALDS: Tigers over Rangers, Angels over Blue Jays
ALCS: Angels over Tigers

MVP: Mike Trout, Angels (He follows the same path as Cal Ripken, Jr. and Ryan Howard, winning Rookie of the Year and MVP in his first two seasons, becoming only the third player in MLB history to do that.
Cy Young: Josh Johnson, Blue Jays (He finally has an injury free season and pitches great)
Rookie of the Year: Wil Myers, Rays

Eric’s AL playoffs and awards

Wild cards: Athletics, Blue Jays
ALDS: Tigers over Rays, Blue Jays over Angels
ALCS: Tigers over Blue Jays

MVP: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Tigers
Rookie of the Year: Wil Myers, Rays

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NL EAST
1.  Washington Nationals (1) (1)
2.  Philadelphia Phillies (3) (3)
3.  Atlanta Braves (2) (2)
4.  New York Mets (4) (4)
5.  Miami Marlins (5) (5)

Ron on NL East: I’m holding my breath picking the Phillies ahead of the Braves. I like the Phillies’ rotation better – assuming Roy Halladay is still good enough to be mentioned with Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee, as opposed to with Kyle Kendrick and John Lannan. There is no picking against Washington, the most talented team in the NL, if not in all of MLB.  The Braves do have a bullpen the Nats could envy, but pale in comparison otherwise – especially if Brian McCann’s shoulder injury keeps him out of action for an extended period.  The Mets’ making noise would be a surprise, while the NL’s version of the Astros, the Miami Marlins, figure to bring up the rear.

Josh: With Stephen Strasburg pitching a full season, and the addition of Dan Haren, some bullpen additions and the experience from making the postseason last year, I do not see how Washington can be stopped unless they have some devastating injuries. The Braves have some holes, but I still like them to finish in 2^nd place, slightly ahead of the Phillies.  As much as I want to believe in the Phillies, I cannot. Other teams around them did too much, and they did not do enough to improve themselves, even with a full year of a healthy Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.  Short of Kendrick having an All-Star year and Domonic Brown having an All-Star year, I see the Phillies missing the postseason for the 2^nd straight year. Although, you never know. Ruben Amaro, Jr. might just have one more trick up his sleeve at the trade deadline.

Eric: We all agree that the Nationals are the class of the NL East, if not the National League. I like the top of the Phillies’ rotation better than the Braves’ rotation, but, from 1 to 5, I’ll take the Braves. The Phillies improved their bullpen, but it still might be third-best in the division, as is their rotation. Look at the Nationals’ outfield (Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper, Denard Span), the Braves’ outfield (Justin Upton, B.J. Upton, Jason Heyward) and the Phillies’ outfield (Domonic Brown, Ben Revere, Laynce Nix/John Maybbery Jr.). The Phillies’ outfield isn’t even in the same ballpark, if you’ll pardon the expression. It looks like third place for the Phillies.

NL CENTRAL
1.  Cincinnati Reds (1) (1)
2.  Pittsburgh Pirates (2) (3)
3.  St. Louis Cardinals (3) (2)
4.  Milwaukee Brewers (4) (4)
5.  Chicago Cubs (5) (5)

Ron on NL Central: The Reds are the class of this division. Maybe not quite at the Nationals’ level, but not far off. The Cardinals always seem to make something out of very little, but the team that will finally not only end their streak of losing seasons, but actually contend is the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Brewers still have a formidable offense, but their pitching continues to be suspect. The Cubs are rebuilding and are 2-3 years away from putting a winning team on the field.

Josh: I agree with Ron. The Reds will win the division, and the Pirates will finally break through with a winning season, but won’t earn a trip to the postseason yet. One step at a time. They will get over the .500 mark first, and then next season make the playoffs.  The Cardinals will find a way to hang around as they always do, but they will come up short in third place.

Josh: I agree with Ron. The Reds will win the division, and the Pirates will finally break through with a winning season, but won’t earn a trip to the postseason yet. One step at a time. They will get over the .500 mark first, and then next season make the playoffs.  The Cardinals will find a way to hang around as they always do, but they will come up short in third place.

Eric: We all have a similar takes on the NL Central. The only difference is I don’t think the Pirates or Brewers have good enough starting pitching to surpass the Cardinals. The Pirates have A.J. Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez and James McDonald at the top of their rotation. The Brewers signed Kyle Lohse recently because their rotation is so bad behind ace Yovani Gallardo. Look out for the Reds! Their lineup was already terrific with Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. The addition of Shin-Soo Choo will make it even better.

NL WEST
1.  San Francisco Giants (1) (1)
2.  Los Angeles Dodgers (2) (2)
3.  Arizona Diamondbacks (3) (3)
4.  San Diego Padres (4) (4)
5.  Colorado Rockies (5) (5)

Ron on AL West: The Dodgers spent freely, but brought in a bunch of losers in Hanley Ramirez, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.  On paper, L.A. looks great – but they play the games on the diamond.  San Francisco has taken over from Philadelphia as the center of the baseball universe, with two World Championships in three years. Not that the Giants don’t have some holes on offense, but their pitching and defense still sets them apart. The D’Backs took a step back from the fray and dealt Justin Upton, the Padres will miss Chase Headley for a month with a broken thumb, and the Rockies had better hope that the oft-injured Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki stay healthy or they will challenge the Marlins, Cubs and Astros for the worst record in baseball.

Josh: I agree with Ron on the order of the NL West as well.  Everyone always seems to underestimate the Giants, but the fact of the matter is that they have won the World Series two out of the last three years. The year they didn’t win was when Buster Posey was hurt the whole year, so you could make an argument that they would have won three years in a row if he were healthy.

Eric: Once again, we find agreement in the West. Like Ron, I feel the Dodgers don’t quite add to the sum of their parts. I’m not a big Hanley Ramirez or Carl Crawford fan. The Giants win with pitching (Matt Cain, above), with just enough offense added to the mix.

Ron’s NL playoffs and awards

Wild cards:  Pirates, Dodgers
NLDS:  Giants over Reds, Nationals over Dodgers
NLCS:  Nationals over Giants
World Series:  Nationals over Angels

MVP: Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
Cy Young: Matt Cain, Giants
Rookie of the Year: (tie) Travis d’Arnaud, Mets, and Julio Teheran, Braves

Josh’s NL playoffs and awards

Wild cards: Braves, Dodgers
NLDS:  Giants over Reds, Nationals over Dodgers
NLCS:  Nationals over Giants

MVP:  Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
Cy Young: Cole Hamels, Phillies
Rookie of the Year: Julio Teheran, Braves

Eric’s NL playoffs and awards

Wild cards: Braves, Dodgers
NLDS:  Reds over Braves, Giants over Nationals
NLCS:  Reds over Giants

MVP: Joey Votto, Reds
Cy Young: Matt Cain, Giants
Rookie of the Year: Oscar Taveras, Cardinals

WORLD SERIES

Ron: Nationals over Angels

Josh: Nationals over Angels

Eric: Tigers over Reds

This season is probably Domonic Brown‘s last chance to live up to the expectations built by his 2009 season at three minor league levels (Rookie, Advanced A and AA), where he posted a 14-64-.299 line, with a keen batting eye that drove his on-base percentage to .377.

Eat your heart out, Jimmy Rollins.

Then to prove it wasn’t a fluke, Brown – a former 20th round draft pick – put up a 20-68-.327 season at AA and AAA in only 93 games, with a .391 OBP and a .980 OPS. Brown got called up to the Phillies on July 28, 2010.

By that time, Brown had become the crown jewel of the Phillies’ minor league system, and Ruben Amaro, Jr. was fending off inquiries on Brown and shipping off Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Jason Knapp, Kyle Drabek, Travis d’Arnaud, Michael Taylor, Anthony Gose, Jonathan Villar and J.A. Happ to land Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt.

But Brown stayed put, seemingly poised to take over in right field after Jayson Werth‘s departure through free agency.

It wasn’t just the Phillies who were high on Brown – Baseball America, the go-to guide for rating minor league prospects, rated Brown their #15 prospect in all of baseball after his 2009 breakout season (up from #48 the year before) and then Brown shot up all the way to #4 after his 2010 campaign.

We all know what happened next – spring injuries, a subpar batting average and the absolute disaster Brown became in the field all followed in 2011 and 2012.

Instead of becoming a fixture in the Phillies outfield, Brown actually got more plate appearances in the minors (500) over the last 2 seasons than he did with the Phillies (371). While Brown put up a decent 12 homers and 58 RBI in 147 games and 492 plate appearances over parts of 3 seasons with the Phillies, his batting average stood at a paltry .236, his OBP at .315 and his OPS at .703. A .703 OPS simply won’t cut it as a major league outfielder. While Brown garnered an impressive 7 outfield assists in 2012 in limited duty, the concept that there were many advancing runners to throw out should tell you something about Brown’s horrible routes to fly balls and line drives.

So pardon us when Brown has 3 home runs and a .350 batting average early in the spring, and we are wondering whether to become true believers in Brown as a late bloomer who will nail down the #5 or #6 spot in the batting order on an everyday basis, or to view him as nothing more than a hold-your-breath-on-every-fly-ball platoon right fielder.

What can Brown do for us?

Deliver.

*****

There’s another player on the Phillies with 3 home runs, who is building up expectations – and not in a fluky way.

We’re taking about Ryan Howard, a/k/a The Big Piece, who has 3 homers, 10 RBI and a .417 batting average in 9 spring games.

While we have harped on the three big pieces to the Phillies’ 2013 puzzle as being the return to form of Chase Utley, Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard, it’s Howard in particular – with either $105 million due him over the next 4 seasons or $118 million over the next 5 – who needs a big season to help the team chart a course not only for 2013, but for the seasons where they have big money committed to Howard, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee and practically no one else.

Like with Brown, we don’t know if Howard is simply crushing flat fastballs or if he will be able to do better against lefties pounding him down and in with sliders.

Howard is in the midst of a 4-year statistical decline – and while the power is still there, Howard’s slow recovery from his achilles injury probably cost him significant batting average points, as with limited mobility, the shift employed against him included a second baseman playing as deep in right field as you would ever see in a major league game.

Just the fact that Howard looks more mobile so far this spring should help him get more hits that were outs in 2012, help him field his position and overall help keep him on the field – where the Phillies need him if they are to get back to their former glory.

*****

Roughed up: Kyle Kendrick was tagged for 5 runs and 7 hits (2 home runs) in 4 innings in his Grapefruit League season debut against the Orioles on Sunday. In fairness, the wind blowing out was a factor.

To Kendrick’s credit, he offered the observation that in a prior year, an outing like that would crank up the pressure on him for a rotation bid. In his current situation with the #4 spot in the rotation a near-certainty, Kendrick will simply chalk it up and move on, pitching to contact as he normally does and trying to avoid getting hit hard the next time out.

In the same game, Jeremy Horst – who is trying to build on his excellent second half in 2012 – was victimized for 6 runs, also on 2 home runs, in less than an inning.

Meanwhile Jonathan Papelbon has a 43.20 ERA after giving up 8 runs in his 2 spring outings thus far. The good news is that maybe Papelbon will talk less and focus on his pitching more from here on in.

Another silver lining – Papelbon has recorded 4 strikeouts in his 5 outs.

Now he needs to miss barrels, not just miss bats.

*****

King of the hill: Fifth starter John Lannan is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA, after a combined 5-0, one-hit shutout of the Pirates on Monday.

Sometimes, the wind blows in.

*****

Not a classic: The World Baseball Classic is underway. Jimmy Rollins will represent the US team, while the Phillies are well-represented on the Canadian squad, with Phillippe Aumont, Pete Orr, Tyson Gillies and Andrew Albers all wearing the Maple Leaf.

Pardon us if we don’t care too much about the outcome of these games and are mainly hoping no one gets hurt – especially not Rollins.

Interestingly, that’s the sentiment from nearly all corners of MLB fandom – especially when it comes to teams with significant pitchers who haven’t built up their arm strength potentially being called on to push it to the limit for their countries.

Something’s wrong when a league tries to put on a showcase and no one seems to care about the result – other than keeping their players healthy.

*****

Booty-licious: An even weirder saga than the World Baseball Classic is unfolding in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ spring camp.

This is not Garth Brooks pinch running (as he did for the San Diego Padres in 1998).

This is not Billy Crystal taking his hacks for the Yankees against Paul Maholm (as he did in 2008).

No, this is a bona fide former major leaguer and NFL quarterback. He was high school player of the year in football, a 5th overall draft pick in baseball and a member of a World Series team, before later becoming a first-team all-SEC quarterback.

It’s not Todd Helton, not Bo Jackson and he’s not named Manning. He’s not Mark DeRosa or Kirk Gibson, either.

We’re talking about former Marlin third baseman Josh Booty – who happened to win an MLB Network contest called “The Next Knuckler,” which entitles him to a shot at making the Arizona Diamondbacks as a pitcher.

One small catch: The Marlins still owned his rights.

Give Miami – a team starved for talent in its own right – credit. They released Booty a few days ago so that he could rekindle his big-league dream at age 37 – and presumably attempt to become the first player who played as a position player in Major League Baseball in one decade, played in the National Football League in the next decade, and then played as a pitcher back in Major League Baseball in the third decade.

By the way, Booty was the 11th quarterback chosen in the 2001 draft – which produced Michael Vick, Drew Brees and A.J. Feeley, among others.

All we can do here at PhillyPhanatics.com is tip our collective caps to Josh Booty and wish him well this spring and beyond.

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