1915 AL Preseason Predictions
The Red Sox have won two of the past three AL pennants and they have also finished 2nd in the other 5 seasons over the past 7 years. While the A's appear to be aging, the Red Sox really believe that this is their time now. They hope to build their own dynasty, and there is no reason that they can't do it. Their pitching is superb and their offense may be the best we have ever seen. One thing is for sure, with
Babe Ruth (.323, 56 HR, 148 RBI) and
Gavvy Cravath (.234, 47 HR, 116 RBI), few teams can hit more home runs.
The Athletics finished 2nd last season and they are still a threat to Boston, but they are slowly beginning to show some age. They also have not seen an influx of talent to help support the aging veterans. Age has taken a particular toll on Oakland's once-dominant pitching staff. However, the staff is still anchored by
Chief Bender (18-5, 2.87 ERA) and
Harry Krause (4-5, 37 Sv, 2.53 ERA) is one of the best closers in the game.
Chicago may be the heir-apparent to Oakland in the pennant chase. They were a very disappointing 81-81 last year, but they are just three years removed from a 94-win season. Their bullpen faltered last season, which should not happen again. Their rotation should be one of the best around, especially with 26-year-old
Reb Russell (11-10, 3.30 ERA) pitching like a future ace in his first two seasons. While there are three dominant offenses in the AL, the White Sox know that their offense is not far behind.
Speaking of offense, the Tigers continue to improve theirs. However, their starting rotation is one of the weakest in the league. That has held them back for years and it may do so again this year. Their only pitching improvement was the addition of
Howard Ehmke (6-6-6 ratings) to the #4 slot in the rotation, although he would likely be in the bullpen for several other teams. However, if their pitching staff can just maintain a level on par with the league average, the Tigers offense should be enough to propel them near the top.
Predicted Standings
(Scale of 1-12)
Rank | Team | Rotation | Bullpen | Offense | Bench | Speed | Defense | Totals | Grade | Predicted Record |
1 | Boston Red Sox | 9 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 9.2 | A+ | 105 | 57 |
2 | Chicago White Sox | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8.3 | A- | 95 | 67 |
3a | Detroit Tigers | 5 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8.0 | B+ | 91 | 71 |
3b | Oakland Athletics | 7 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7.9 | B+ | 91 | 71 |
5 | New York Yankees | 6 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 6.8 | B- | 78 | 84 |
6 | Minnesota Twins | 7 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 6.0 | C | 69 | 93 |
7 | Cleveland Indians | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5.9 | C | 68 | 94 |
8 | Baltimore Orioles | 5 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4.4 | D | 51 | 111 |
MLB results for the AL in 1915
Champs: Boston Red Sox, (101-50, .669)
World Series: Red Sox defeated Phillies 4-1
Combined WAR: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 9.5
Offensive WAR: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 9.9
Defensive WAR: George McBride, Senators (Twins), 2.2
Batting Title: Ty Cobb, Tigers, .369
Runs: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 144
RBI: Sam Crawford, Tigers and Bobby Veach, Tigers, 112
SB: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 96
OPS+: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 185
AB/HR: Braggo Roth, White Sox and Indians, 54.9
Pitching WAR: Walter Johnson, Senators (Twins), 11.2
Win%: Smoky Joe Wood, Red Sox, .750
WHIP: Walter Johnson, Senators (Twins), 0.933
K/9: Dutch Leonard, Red Sox, 5.695
Innings: Walter Johnson, Senators (Twins), 336.2
K/BB: Walter Johnson, Senators (Twins), 3.625
ERA+: Walter Johnson, Senators (Twins), 191
FIP: Walter Johnson, Senators (Twins), 1.91
MLHR Milestone Watch
600 Stolen Bases
Ty Cobb, DET, Age 28, 587 SB
200 Wins
Chief Bender, OAK, Age 30, 199 Wins
Addie Joss, CLE, Age 34, 185 Wins
3000 Innings
Chief Bender, OAK, Age 30, 2834.2 Innings
3000 Strikeouts
Addie Joss, CLE, Age 34, 2864 K's