2015 MLB over unders: Your guide to win totals (part one)

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Baseball is back and the 2015 MLB over unders for win totals are pretty insane. Will the Red Sox go worst to first again with over 87 wins? Can Texas pull itself out of the doghouse? The 2015 MLB season is in site and we’ve got the debate.

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TODD:

March means a lot of things: the end of winter, daylight savings time beginning, the college basketball tournaments. But most of all March means MLB spring training commences and Opening Day is right around the corner!

There is no better way to begin our 2015 baseball coverage than by picking over/unders. Vegas, Bovada, and all the sports books around the web released their team by team 2015 MLB season win totals earlier this month. There is plenty of value to be gleaned and lots to debate.

I’ve got five 2015 MLB win total over/unders that I love. Rip them down, tear them apart, or jump on the bandwagon. Then give me five more for Friday.

 

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In alphabetical order:

1) Atlanta Braves under 73.5

TODD: Atlanta has a clear plan moving forward. Unfortunately for Braves fans, that plan is to be good in two or three years. The team traded away nearly all its Major League assets in order to rebuild a decimated farm system. The farm is full now; the big-league club could be one of the worst in baseball.

DAN: The Braves finished with 79 victories last season, equaling a pretty awful .488 winning percentage. They certainly have a plan, but I can’t help but agree that this plan does not include 2015 being successful. With the Nationals dominating the division, and both the Mets and Marlins on the up and up, Atlanta will struggle to win divisional games. I like this pick. Under 73.5 wins seems likely.

 

2) Boston Red Sox over 86.5

TODD: The lineup and bench are loaded. This is indisputable. The only weakness Boston has is at the front of its rotation, but a March roster is not equal to a June or July roster. There may still be a trade or addition to the starting pitching corps pending here, which would surely push Boston to the front of the AL East.

DAN: By liking the Red Sox at over 86.5 victories, you’re basically predicting they will jump nearly 20 games in the win column this season. If this were any other team outside the Yankees, I’d call you crazy. But Boston went worst to first just two seasons ago, so why not again? I’ll tell you why not. The AL East is much stronger than two years ago. I like Boston to improve, but I’m not on-board with nearly 90 wins. Over 80, sure, but not over 86.5 victories.

 

3) Chicago White Sox over 81.5

TODD: I like this team’s outfield. I like the Adam LaRoche signing. Jose Abreu is an absolute star entering just his second season. And the top of the rotation is stellar with Chris Sale and Jeff Samardzija. I had also even forgotten that Chicago signed David Robertson to be its closer. The White Sox are on their way up.

DAN: On the flip side are the White Sox. Over 81.5 wins is a great pick for Chicago. That’s only 9 more wins than last season, and I’d be willing to say that David Robertson alone is worth 10 victories. Kansas City and Detroit will be good, but how good is anyone’s guess. I’m with you on the White Sox.

 

4) San Diego Padres under 84.5

TODD: The big offseason splashes have overshadowed what is a roster thin on predictable outcomes. Will any of the new outfielders hit well in Petco Park? Will the returning position players hit enough to be on a ML roster, let alone be given 600 at-bats? Is James Shields still an elite starter? Can the rest of this rotation stay healthy for even two-thirds of the season? Does Kevin Quackenbush deserve his own line of hunting products?

DAN: San Diego finished with under 84.5 wins in 2014, but barely. They notched 77 victories in a division with the current World Series champions and the Dodgers, the team with the highest payroll in all of baseball. I’d like to think the Padres made enough moves to improve, but adding nearly 10 victories is a few too many. We agree, under 84.5 wins for San Diego.

 

5) Texas Rangers over 78.5

TODD: The easiest case to make for regressing to the mean is in Texas where the Rangers underachieved immensely last season, mainly because of horrific injuries. Nearly all of the team’s top players spent long stints on the DL, and no one else was good enough to replace what was missing. The law of averages says this team will be healthier and, because of that, much better in 2015. The Rangers won 90+ games for four consecutive years prior to last season.

DAN: This is by far the easiest over/under to grab, which is why it scares the crap out of me. With only 67 wins last season, the Rangers need 12 more victories to meet the over. Yet saying they underachieved is a massive understatement. This team disappeared, died, and chose not to be resuscitated in 2014. Everyone in their division is good, outside of possibly Houston. I’m frightened to anoint the Rangers, with the looming loss of Josh Hamilton, but I can’t ignore the odds. You’re right; Texas should win over 80 games in 2015.

You gave me five great 2015 MLB over unders for win totals, but I’ve got five more for Friday. Be prepared to pull your hair out, or run to Vegas and throw down your money.

 

 

Photo credits: Inquisitr.com and Legion.org