2010 Preview

Here are some quick thoughts about how I see the 2010 season unfolding:

NL East

1. Phillies
2. Marlins*
3. Braves
4. Nationals
5. Mets

By now, everyone knows the Phillies are a win now juggernaut, and nothing but injuries are going to stop them from winning 95 games and the division. The Braves are going to miss Javy Vazquez this season and they're relying too much on Heyward and Hanson to perform like 10 year veterans; the added pressure of this being Bobby Cox's final season should be a detriment rather than a rallying cry. The Marlins, while their pitching is still a huge question mark, ride their top two starters and a ton of offense to 88 wins.

NL Central

1. Cardinals
2. Cubs
3. Brewers
4. Astros
5. Reds
6. Pirates

Much like the Phillies, the Cardinals are just a runaway team that has the benefit of two, possibly three, doormats in their division to beat up on 19 times. The Cubs have a lot of players in contract years, notably Derrek Lee, meaning you could see a "me first" attitude take over, or, perhaps everyone being out for their numbers pushes a lot of players to career years. The Reds should be improved, but as much as I like Volquez and Votto, a team is going to need more pitching (especially in their ballpark) to make a run.

NL West

1. Giants
2. Rockies
3. Dodgers
4. Diamondbacks
5. Padres

I'm not buying into the Rockies hype. Yes, they had a tremendous second half, yes they have several legitimate stars (Ubaldo Jiminez, Troy Tulowitzki, and the best career no one talks about: Todd Helton) along with great role players (Manny Corpas, Jeff Francis) so there is no doubting their depth. However, I just cannot picture the team maintaining the torrid pace it had last season (at one point winning 21 of 28). The Dodgers' ownership flux, exacerbated by divorce proceedings, makes it unlikely they'll go out and get the final pieces they need to push the rotation over the top, and may already have Mannywood in its swan-song. The Giants, armed with the best pitcher on the planet and a very deep rotation, take the division by the slimmest of margins.


AL East

1. Yankees
2. Red Sox*
3. Rays
4. Orioles
5. Blue Jays

The Yankees look like the best team in baseball, what was a weakness for them last year: their pitching, now potentially could be their strength as Joba Chamberlain is now in the set-up role he is seemingly destined for, and the offseason addition of Javy Vazquez should make their rotation a strike-out machine. The Red Sox have built the perfect team to test the pitching and defense theory, and also figure to be the most aggressive team on the trade front, so if and when the oft rumored Adrian Gonzalez or Prince Fielder trades come to fruition, the Red Sox should be on the receiving end. The Rays may have the most talented team in franchise history, but that may not be enough to get past the big spenders in the North East.

AL Central

1. Twins
2. Tigers
3. White Sox
4. Indians
5. Royals


Even without Joe Nathan, the Twins are the best team in the division by a pretty sizable margin. Joe Mauer's long term future is secure, as is Justin Morneau, and they brought in great role-players this offseason, like Jim Thome. The new ballpark, and all its revenue, should let the Twins go out and get the closer they need by July 31. Maybe they're not yet a dangerous playoff team, but they're the cream of the crop in the central division. The Tigers have begun a quasi-rebuild by jettisoning Curtis Granderson, and there is a chance they could move Miguel Cabrera, but it seems pretty obvious that they cannot add any more payroll and the roster the Tigers currently have is just not good enough to get past the Twins. The White Sox have taken a flier seemingly on everyone in the last year (Jake Peavy, Alex Rios) and perhaps this pays off, but it seems instead like an incredibly expensive gamble on players with motivational issues, health issues, or both; not a winning combination

AL West

1. Mariners
2. Angels
3. Rangers
4. A's


I hate trying to make sense of this division. The Angels lost players of significance, but they are such a well run franchise that you cannot imagine them taking a huge step back even with Lackey and Figgins playing elsewhere. The Mariners had the strongest offseason of any team in baseball, but they are already being hit by the injury bug as Cliff Lee, the linchpin of their rotation, is already hurt. The Rangers have a mandate from ownership to win 90, and the A's...well, they're the A's! Seattle should come out ahead, but this could be a division where no one wins 90 or loses 90 either.



World Series

Yankees over Cardinals