MLB Preview 2010: NL West
NL West Preview
The Colorado Rockies were the hottest team in baseball in the second half of 2009 and that momentum should carry them all the way through this season to a NL West title.
Young, quality talent abounds on this Rockies club.
Future ace Ubaldo Jimenez joins Jorge De La Rosa, and Jason Hammel to form a solid corps of youthful starting pitching. Add to the mix one-time-ace Jeff Francis, who started the season on the DL, and you have a playoff caliber rotation.
The infield of Todd Helton, Clint Barmes, Troy Tulowitzki, and Ian Stewart is one of the best in the National League.
Offensively, the Rockies are loaded and the starting pitching is sound. The one question mark is the bullpen, where closer Huston Street starts the season on the DL.
Joe Torre and the Los Angeles Dodgers have gone to back-to-back NLCS appearances, but that run may end this season.
A messy divorce involving owner Frank McCourt, Manny Being Manny, and a starting rotation that isn't as dominant as years past, will drop the Dodgers down a notch in the West and could signal the end of Torre's 14 consecutive playoff appearances.
L.A. has talent enough to win the division or make the playoff as a wild card.
Clayton Kershaw is an elite young starting pitcher and Jonathan Broxton is a legit closer. Andre Eithier, Matt Kemp, and Russell Martin are bonafide stars. If Manny can get his head on straight, the Dodgers are still a very dangerous team.
The Arizona Diamondbacks need ace Brandon Webb to get healthy in a hurry. If he can, the D-Backs have a chance to challenge in the division.
Arizona is loaded with young talent on offense. Guys like Justin Upton, Mark Reynolds, Stephen Drew, and Chris Young are solid players with bright futures.
Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy were added in the offseason to compliment Webb and Dan Haren in the rotation.
Next to the Braves, the San Francisco Giants have the best starting rotation in the National League with two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, and Jonathan Sanchez.
Unfortunately, everything else is a train wreck.
A shaky bullpen, lack of power in the lineup, and zero depth will waste the incredible arms the Giants have.
The San Diego Padres will dethrone the Nationals as the worst team in the majors.
A full-scale salary purge saw former Cy Young winner Jake Peavy delt to the White Sox and Kevin Towers replaced as GM by Jed Hoyer.
This team has little offense outside of Adrian Gonzalez and he will be long gone before the trading deadline. Add lackluster pitching to the poor offense and you have dark days ahead for Padres fans.
Predicted order of finish
1. Rockies
2. Dodgers
3. Diamondbacks
4. Giants
5. Padres
MLB Preview 2010: NL Central
NL Central Preview
The St. Louis Cardinals have the games best manager (Tony LaRussa) and player (Albert Pujols) and are once again the heavy favorites in the division.
Management shelled out big bucks to keep mid-season acquisition Matt Holliday from going elsewhere. The complimentary players, such as Ryan Ludwick, Skip Schumaker, and Yadier Molina, are solid performers.
Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright are two aces that front the Redbirds rotation. Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse make up a solid 3-4 to the starting staff and Ryan Franklin is a decent closer.
Injuries or a total mental collapse are the only things that could stop St. Louis from winning the Central and challenging for the National League Pennant.
Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella is hoping a healthy Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, and Carlos Zambrano will help the team bounce back from a disappointing 2009 campaign.
Getting rid of a high maintenance player like Milton Bradley will definitely help.
If the Cubs can avoid the injury bug and get a bounce-back season from catcher Geovany Soto, a wild-card berth is within reach.
The Milwaukee Brewers never recovered from the loss of CC Sabathia to the Yankees and finished below .500 last season. The additions of Doug Davis and Randy Wolf to the rotation, along with burgeoning ace Yovani Gallardo, should have the Brew Crew fighting for a playoff spot in 2010.
Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun are one of the best hitting combos in baseball, while Craig Counsell and Jim Edmonds provide veteran leadership. Look for the Brewers to get back in the winning column this season.
Cuban lefty Aroldis Chapman was the jewel of the Cincinnati Reds during the winter. His acquisition gives the Reds a deep, young rotation that will keep them in most games.
The rotation of Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey, and Chapman is one of the best in the NL and will only get better when Edinson Volquez comes off the disabled list.
A sluggish offense and a lackluster bullpen will keep Cincinnati from being serious contenders this season, but the future certainly looks bright.
On the other hand, the future of the Houston Astros is pretty bleak.
Houston is loaded down with aging, high-priced veterans (Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt, Carlos Lee, Geoff Blum, and Pedro Feliz) with no help coming from the minors.
Pitcher Wandy Rodriguez is one of the few bright spots for the Astros. He is well on his way to being one of the best in baseball.
The only thing that will keep the Astros out of last place is the Pittsburgh Pirates, who suffered through an MLB-record 17th consecutive losing season in 2009. The last time the Pirates had a winning record guys like Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke were leading the Bucs.
Andrew McCutchen is a future star which means the Pirates will trade him in a few years.
Look for another losing season and last-place finish for Pittsburgh.
Predicted order of finish
1. Cardinals
2. Cubs
3. Brewers
4. Reds
5. Astros
6. Pirates
MLB Preview 2010: NL East
NL East Preview
The rich got richer when the Philadelphia Phillies, winners of three straight division crowns and two National League pennants, landed Roy Halladay, the gem of the 2010 free agent class.
Halladay, 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner and 6x All-Star, replaces Cliff Lee at the top of the rotation. He joins Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton, and ageless Jamie Moyer to form a deep rotation.
Philadelphia has the best starting lineup, one-through-eight, in the majors.
The infield of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and newcomer Placido Polanco is as good as they come. Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, and Jayson Werth make up a formidable outfield.
One question mark is in the bullpen where closer Brad Lidge, who struggled last season, starts 2010 on the disabled list. Journeymen Danys Baez and Jose Contreras were brought it to try and stabilize the relief corps.
The Phillies are loaded and should win their fourth straight NL East crown and capture a record fourth consecutive National League championship.
Bobby Cox is entering the final season of his stellar managerial career and it should be a good one for the Atlanta Braves.
Their rotation was already strong to begin with, but the addition of Derek Lowe made it the best in the National League. Lowe joins Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, and Kenshin Kawakami in a rotation sure to keep the Braves in most of their games.
Billy Wagner was brought in for the closers role and to bring depth to a bullpen that has solid arms like Peter Moylan and Takashi Saito.
Troy Glaus and Melky Cabrera are nice offseason additions to the starting lineup and Jason Hayward has Rookie of the Year potential, but when all is said and done; Atlanta doesn't have the firepower to hang with Philadelphia. Look for the Braves to be serious contenders for the wild card.
Despite having one of the smallest payrolls in baseball, the Florida Marlins find ways to win.
The Marlins have the talent to record their sixth winning season in eight years. The problem is the Phillies are in the same division.
Florida's strength is a young rotation featuring soon-to-be ace Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Anibal Sanchez, and Chris Volstad. The bullpen is still a work in progress though.
Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla lead a group of up-and-comers like NL Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan, Cameron Maybin and Gaby Sanchez on the offensive end.
The Marlins are full of young talent, but aren't ready to move past Philly or Atlanta just yet.
Money doesn't solve every problem. Just ask the New York Mets. This organization is the poster child for spending big bucks and getting zero return on investment.
Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran will be out to start the season, so David Wright and free agent signee Jason Bay will have to carry the offense.
Johan Santana is the only dependable starter the Mets have and the bullpen is lacking a legit closer.
Look for general manager Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel to be on the chopping block by midseason.
Things are looking up for the Washington Nationals.
No really, they are.
GM Mike Rizzo gutted the front office and brought in some great baseball minds, including advisor Davey Johnson.
Next, he tore apart a horrid bullpen and rebuilt it - adding Matt Capps from the Pirates and former Yankees pitcher Brian Bruney.
The winter also brought future Hall-of-Famer Pudge Rodriguez into the fold. Rizzo followed that by signing front-line starting pitcher Jason Marquis and Adam Kennedy to play second. Chien-Ming Wang, a former 19-game winner coming off shoulder surgery, was signed to a two-year deal and could be the ace of the staff if he can bounce back.
Add pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg, who should be called up in June, and impressive reliever Drew Storen to the mix, and it's easy to see the Nationals will not lose 100 games for the third consecutive season.
Washington is a young, up-and-coming team that should make noise in 2011 and beyond. Look for 70 or so wins this season.
Predicted order of finish
1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Marlins
4. Mets
5. Nationals
MLB Preview 2010: AL West
AL West Preview
Mike Scioscia and his Los Angeles Angels have run roughshod over the West, winning six division titles in 10 years.
The Angels had a tough offseason, losing ace John Lackey, Vladimir Guerrero, and Chone Figgins in free agency. Even worse, Guerrero and Figgins stayed in the division, signing with Texas and Seattle respectively.
Still, the Angels are the Angels and Scioscia is one of a handful of truly great managers in the game. A seventh title should be in the cards, but it will be much more difficult than the 10-game cushion they won by last season.
The Angels are still formidable with Hideku Matsui joining a lineup that includes Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, Eric Aybar, and budding superstar Kendry Morales. Jered Weaver will lead a decent rotation and Brian Fuentes is a reliable closer.
No team was busier during the winter than the Seattle Mariners.
The M's were a surprise last year under new manager Don Wakamatsu and with the additions of Cliff Lee, Milton Bradley, Casey Kotchman, Eric Byrnes, and Figgins - the Mariners look to be serious contenders for the division or wild card.
Lee and Felix Hernandez give Seattle two legit aces and the rest of the rotation is solid if unspectacular.
If there's one weakness on the club it's the bullpen where David Aardsma is suspect as a closer. The lack of bullpen depth will keep the Mariners from catching Los Angeles.
The Texas Rangers are a youthful team on the rise. They have solid young starters at most every position and one of the deepest farm systems in the majors.
Adding pitchers Rich Harden and Darren Oliver, along with veteran slugger Guerrero, makes this team even better.
Scott Feldman is a budding ace and Frank Francisco a solid closer.
Offensively, Josh Hamilton, Guerrero and Michael Young will provide leadership to young studs Elvis Andrus, Julio Borbon, and Jared Saltalamacchia.
The Rangers are building something special in Arlington, but still look a year or two away from being serious contenders.
Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane has done wonders in the past despite being severely handicapped budget wise. Unfortunately, years of free agent defections by the likes of Harden, Barry Zito and Jason Giambi, have doomed the A's to three straight losing seasons.
A fourth is on the way.
Oakland blew most of its offseason dollars on Ben Sheets, a solid pitcher when healthy. Problem is, he's never healthy.
Sheets joins Justin Duchscherer and Joey Devine in a rotation made up of rehabbing pitchers. If they can get back to form, this could be a good staff. But that's a big if.
The A's need a ton of breaks to go their way in a strong division. A last place finish looks like the best bet.
Predicted order of finish
1. Angels
2. Mariners
3. Rangers
4. Athletics
MLB Preview 2010: AL Central
AL Central Preview
Minnesota Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire is the most underrated manager in Major League Baseball today.
All the guy does is win and yet he gets zero postseason accolades, nor is he mentioned as one of the best in the game.
If you need proof, check out these stats:
- Five AL Central Division titles in eight years, including losing a one-game playoff for the division in 2008.
- Seven winning seasons in his eight years.
- The Twins have finished no worse than third in his tenure.
- Has a 709-588 record and his .547 winning percentage is fifth among active managers.
Once again the Twins are loaded and the prohibitive favorite for the AL Central crown.
Minnesota debuts a new open-air stadium with a loaded lineup that includes AL MVP Joe Mauer, a recent recipient of a brand new $184 million dollar contract, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span, and a new middle infield (J.J. Hardy and Orlando Hudson).
Starting pitching is solid with Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, and Nick Blackburn leading the way. Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano round out the back of the rotation.
The only major question mark is in the bullpen where closer Joe Nathan is lost for the season due to elbow surgery. Jon Rauch will be the first in line to take over the role.
In the end it shouldn't matter. The Twins have enough talent, especially offensively, to overcome the loss of Nathan.
Next in line is the Chicago White Sox, the biggest challengers to the Twins.
The reason?
Pitching.
Chicago has a four-deep rotation featuring Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and free agent Jake Peavy, former NL Cy Young winner. This group will keep an inconsistent offense in games and give them a chance to contend for the wild card.
The Detroit Tigers watched a three-game lead in the division with four to play slip away and you have to wonder if that didn't damage the psyche of the team heading into 2010.
That, coupled with the loss of Curtis Granderson and the reliance on rookies Austin Jackson and Scott Sizemore, along with aging veterans like Johnny Damon and Magglio Ordonez, could cause a drop-off in Detroit's win total.
AL Cy Young award winner Zack Greinke leads a young Kansas City Royals rotation that's still developing. Joakim Soria is a solid closer with a big upside.
Scott Podsednik and Jason Kendall were big offseason pickups, but the Royals still don't have the offense to contend. David DeJesus and future star Billy Butler are the only RBI guys on the team and the bench is paper thin.
Manny Acta takes over as manager of the Cleveland Indians and just like with his former team, the Washington Nationals, he faces a big rebuilding job.
A big help would be a bounce-back year from pitcher Fausto Carmona, a healthy season for Grady Sizemore, and the continued development of outfielder Shin-Soo Choo.
Even if all that happens the Indians could see a few more wins, but not enough to keep them out of the AL Central cellar.
Projected order of finish
1. Twins
2. White Sox
3. Tigers
4. Royals
5. Indians