2010 MLB Preview

The Major League Baseball season is upon us. The New York Yankees are opening up the defense of their 27th world championship. We saw various moves that could reshuffle the deck of cards that is MLB. Obviously, there are contenders and pretenders and a handful of sleepers. Time to break down what the season might have in store for us in 2010.

AL EAST
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: The Orioles have struggled for much of the last decade. They finished 2009 at 64-98 and the stellar of the ultra tough AL East. The addition of P Kevin Millwood to their rotation should give them a veteran to hopefully stabilize a few more games this year for them. The team overall is still young with talent still progressing. One of those guys is P Brian Matusz who was 5-2 in 8 starts in 2009. He will certainly get his licks, but could develop into an ace for them. There infield will have question marks with Miguel Tejada showing signs of depressing and will move to 3B. C Matt Wieters is another young star, who showed glimpses of being a notch below Joe Mauer and some others. Guys like in the outfield like Nick Markakis and Adam Jones are key parts of that young nucleus and both can be game changers for this team. Playing in the AL East will ultimately hurt this team this year as they are going to fight with the Blue Jays for the right to not be last in the division. They should show some signs of improvements but they will probably finish with 60 to 70 wins.

BOSTON RED SOX: They finished 2009 with a 95-67 record, but fell to the Angels in the ALDS after winning the AL Wild Card. Despite losing a solid bat and fairly good defender in Jason Bay; they added players like P John Lackey and 3B Adrian Beltre to an already strong looking team. Lackey will join potentially the best rotation in baseball. Combined with Lackey will be P Josh Beckett and P Jon Lester, who together combined for over 30 wins in 2009. P Daisuke Matsuzaka could be a true wildcard in their rotation as he had a solid two years before injuries affected him in 2009. Their bullpen still looks to be strong with CP Jonathan Papelbon closing the door. With guys like 1B Kevin Youkilis and 2B Dustin Pedroia near the top of the lineup, they have give the Red Sox offense a lot of kick when they are in their zones. DH David Ortiz will probably garner a lot the spotlight the first month or so of the season as he struggled for a good chunk of 2009 and time will tell if he will play like he did the latter half of 2009 or more like the slumping slugger he was at the beginning. It will a tough road for them to get to the postseason despite their stellar team. New York is still very good and Tampa Bay will be better this year. Boston should finish somewhere between 85-95 wins and in the AL Wildcard race.

NEW YORK YANKEES: Nothing beats winning a championship especially when its your 27th. After nearly a decade without lifting the World Series trophy, the Yankees added the right pieces and returned to the top. It was also the first year in the new Yankee Stadium and they christened the only way they know how. They made a few changes, but most of the team is still intact. The top of the rotation still has the two aces that help put the team over the top last year: P C.C. Sabathia and P A.J. Burnett. P Andy Pettite is still here and continues to produce on the mound and it looks like P Joba Chamberlain will most likely return to the setup role with P Phil Hughes returning to the rotation. And P Mariano Rivera is still one of the best if not the best at what he does; close games. Their infield is one of the best in MLB with 1B Mark Teixeira and 3B Alex Rodriguez slugging the ball and SS Derek Jeter consistently hitting and adding to his legacy. Look for 2B Robinson Cano to continue to improve and show that he is one of the best 2B in MLB. They traded for CF Curtis Granderson and he will give them offense and defense from that position that they did not have last year. Losing LFs Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui will probably not cost them too many games as both were on the downside of their respective careers. They went 103-59 last year on the way to a title and have a great shot to do both again in 2010. They should win somewhere between 90 and 105 games and make a run at the World Series. I like their chances of repeating a lot.

TAMPA BAY RAYS: After having a breakthrough year in 2008, the Rays took a bit of fall in 2009. They finished 84-78 and are sure to build on that record this year. The core of the team is still young and their pitching is on the upswing. Their pitching is still fairly young and one guy to watch in 2010 is P David Price would showed great improvement in his first year in the rotation. CP Rafael Soriano will help their bullpen if he continue produce a year like 2009. 3B Evan Longoria will be a major catalyst again for this team and still is improving as a young player, which is dangerous for his opponents. Combined with 1B Carlos Pena, the Rays have a great back-to-back combo in the lineup that can be brutal for Red Sox and Yankees pitching. Another guy to watch in 2010 will be 2B Ben Zobrist who moved to the infield and is also young and improving, but very good already. They will certainly contend with the Red Sox and Yankees for the AL East, but not sure even with better pitching and great hitting if they can pass those two. I think 85-95 wins seems in the picture this year.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS: They finished 2009 with a 75-87 record and traded away ace pitcher Roy Halladay this offseason and will probably take a step back this year. Without Halladay, the pitching rotation is young, inexperienced, and at best inconsistent, but it can be a good year for that rotation to become stronger. The infield is average at best and is made up of guys who are hard to gauge if they will good or poor players overall this year. CF Vernon Wells will have to return to his glory years if they are to have a power bat near the top of the lineup or else this offensive will struggle to score. Also 2B Aaron Hill and DH Adam Lind will have to reproduce their success last year for this team to be competitive. For 2010, they will definitely fall to the bottom half of the division again. They will struggle, but should outpace the Orioles and get somewhere between 70 and 80 wins.

AL CENTRAL
CHICAGO WHITE SOX: Despite much promise for a good year, they finished 2009 79-83 and behind the Twins and Tigers. Their hitting seemed to be lacking energy and was often inconsistent. One of the positives for them going into 2010 is the midseason addition of P Jake Peavy last year. If Peavy is healthy again, he will man a rotation that includes one of the most consistent and reliable starters in P Mark Buerhle. He doesn't do anything impressive, but usually gives you a chance to win. CP Bobby Jenks has been one of the best closers for the last few years, but at times he can be erratic. Adding SS Omar Vizquel gives them not only depth in their middle infield, but also he provides 20 plus years of experience and leadership to a team that sometimes lacks the latter. Also new to the team is LF Juan Pierre who can provide a steady bat at the top of the lineup. Time will tell this year if the trade for CF Alex Rios was worth it as he struggled a lot in 2009. It is tough to gauge this team's outlook as some of the problems they had last year wasn't in their control, but they will certainly be improved. Not sure if they will reclaim the AL Central crown. They will probably fall short and win between 80 and 90 games.

CLEVELAND INDIANS: They struggled a lot last year and finished the year with a 65-97 record and traded away another ace at the deadline who went on to dominate in the National League. There are question marks all over their pitching staff as there are a couple guys capable of being solid starters but injuries and other issues have hindered their performances. The addition of 1B Russell Branyan will give their lineup some needed power and will aide their offense. With C Victor Martinez now in Boston, there will be a lot of questions and uncertainty behind the plate as two young players will most likely compete for starting catcher. Their success this year could also be predicated on how well CF Grady Sizemore plays. I can't see this team being a whole lot better this year. Their pitching will probably hurt them and I can't see the hitting showing up every day or even most days. They will be pressed the finish outside the basement of the AL Central and will finish with somewhere between 60 and 75 wins.

DETROIT TIGERS: They controlled the AL Central for most of 2009, but faltered down the stretch in September losing a 3 game lead over the last weekend of the season before losing a tiebreaker for the division with the Twins. They finished 86-77 and ended the season as one of the biggest chokes ever with regard to losing a division. They look to be a good team again this year. P Justin Verlander will be the ace in a rotation with some young guys who could take the next step this year. 1B Miguel Cabrera should provide a lot of pop out of the infield and be a catalyst for their offense. The offseason trade of CF Curtis Granderson will set them back a bit, but CF Austin Jackson could be one of the young players this year to watch. They also added LF Johnny Damon, who will give them a veteran presence alongside RF Magglio Ordonez in the outfield alongside Jackson. Expect them to compete all season long for the division. However, similarly to last year; the Twins will probably edge them. They will probably finish around the same place with 85-90 wins.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS: They finished at 65-97 for another bad year. They do have one of the best young pitchers in P Zach Grienke and is the reigning AL Cy Young. He will have to be nearly perfect again this year as this team doesn't seem build to score a lot of runs again. There is a mix of veterans and young guys behind him in the rotation who are very erratic and mostly not very good overall. Their CP Joakim Soria is about as good at the back end, but does not get many chances to shut down teams. Guys like 1B Billy Butler might give them hope that can improve on last year's record, but they do not have a lot of strengths at any position with young, injured, or underperforming guys in the lineup. Grienke will keep them in a share of games, but they are looking at probably between 65-75 wins this year.

MINNESOTA TWINS: They went 86-76 on the year and stole the division in a sense from the Tigers in a playoff before they fell to the Yankees. C Joe Mauer is one of the best players in MLB and will be a major catalyst again in 2010 with 1B Justin Morneau. The pitching rotation has multiple solid starters, but no one who can shut it down as an ace. P Francisco Liriano showed signs of returning to grace last year and this year could be a make or break year for him. The Twins will be without CP Joe Nathan this year and they will most likely struggle to replace his presence at the back end of their bullpen, which is fairly good. 2B Orlando Hudson is a reliable enough hitter and very good defender. Another guy to watch on this team will be LF Delmon Young as he is still young and could be due for a breakout year. The addition of DH Jim Thome will be a nice guy off the bench and near the bottom of lineup despite his career at its near end. It's hard to deny that team is poised to be in contention for the division again despite questions around their closer. They should win between 85 and 90 games that might be enough to clinch the division.

AL WEST
ANAHEIM ANGELS: They finished 97-65 and dominated the AL West again last year. Time will tell how much they will RF Vladimir Guerrero, 3B Chone Figgins, and P John Lackey. Figgins especially was a key guy at the top of the lineup who got innings going. They did add DH Hideki Matsui and the second Yankee is as many years. The rotation takes a step back without Lackey, but P Jered Weaver has great stuff that can make the void seem small. Adding P Joel Piniero gives them a guy with experience who had a career year in St. Louis last year. CP Brian Fuentes was not much of drop off from CP Francisco Rodriguez and should be solid along with a good bullpen. Their offense will stop and go based how well 1B Kendry Morales is playing as he has become a top notch player and can turn a game around with his bat. CF Torii Hunter continues to be a top player with his offense and his defense. And RF Bobby Abreu proved to be a very good pick up and should continue to be a key player in tough at bats. They will definitely be in position to win the division again, but I expect the Texas Rangers to build off of last year's run and I see the Mariners and A's being more competitive. They will still win around the same amount of games with somewhere between 90-95 wins.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS: They finished 2009 with a 75-87 record and have struggled of late. They added veterans like P Ben Sheets and CF Coco Crisp, who can add a kick to this team. If Sheets can be healthy he gives them a solid starter at the top of their rotation. It is hard to tell how the rest of the rotation, which is fairly young; will do. CP Andrew Bailey had a very good year in 2009 and seems poised to develop into a clutch closer for many years. Adding 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff will certainly give them more a solid hitter at that position as 3B Eric Chavez showed signs of slowing down the last couple years. I do not know how much better they will be as injuries and production could tip the scales either way but between 75 and 80 wins looks likely.

SEATTLE MARINERS: They finished 2009 at 85-77 and were vastly improved from 2008 and show promise of continuing that trend in 2010. They added shutdown ace pitcher Cliff Lee, 3B Chone Figgins, and RF Milton Bradley. All can do a lot for this team and Lee will team with P Felix Hernandez to form one of the best 1-2 combos. While Figgins and Bradley will improve their offense. They will man a very good outfield with RF Ichiro, CF Franklin Gutierrez, and RF Bradley. They bring a little something different, which will make their play at the place and in the field vital for this team. One guy to watch is Seattle legend, DH Ken Griffey Jr. This is most likely his last year and we will see how much he has left in the tank. They should play close to last year especially with those additions, but not sure if they take that big step. They will float between 80 and 85 wins.

TEXAS RANGERS: The Rangers had a great year with a 87-75 and fell just short of the playoffs. Adding P Rich Harden to what looked like a growing rotation will certainly give them an extra edge. The pitching along with good hitting could make them a dangerous team again in 2010. P Scott Feldman jumped onto the national stage last year and he will have to duplicate that success to tow the line for the rotation if Harden falters at all. The left side of their infield with 3B Michael Young and SS Elvis Andrus will both be key for their success. Andrus got a chance to play last year and will have to add onto his good start. RF Nelson Cruz blasted onto the scene in 2009 and seems poised to be the big bat in the lineup. It will also be interesting seeing if RF Vladimir Guerrero can bounce back in 2010 and how important his bat might be for the Rangers. They will make a serious run in 2010 I think and finish between 85-95 wins.

NL EAST
ATLANTA BRAVES: They finished 86-76 last year after a nice late run in September and it was their best finish since their division dominance streak. It seems that last year there were signs that the pitching staff in Atlanta was giving us flashbacks to the 1990s. There is no Maddux, Smoltz, or Glavine in this rotation but P Jair Jurrjens and P Tommy Hanson are two very good young pitchers that paired with veterans like P Tim Hudson and P Derek Lowe give this team strong pitching which they have lacked in recent years. If CP Billy Wagner can be solid he will give them enough to close out games with a bit of uncertainty before him. 3B Chipper Jones is still getting it done and if he can play like he did in 2008 it will only add to what is a young lineup with guys mostly still unproven. There is a lot of talk about RF Jason Heyward as he makes his debut this year. He has a lot of potential and I see him being a 25/100 type of guy is the lineup is going strong and he gains his confidence. They will build on last year's close and give the Phillies a scare all year long. I'm not sure if they have enough to win the NL East, but the NL Wildcard if a very good possibility. They will win between 85-95 games.

FLORIDA MARLINS: They closed out 2009 with a 87-75 record, which was higher than many might have predicted for a young team. The young bats came alive and won games late for the Marlins. P Josh Johnson looks like a very strong top starter and will certainly continue his success from 2009 into 2010. If the younger guys around him can raise their game, they can be a tough rotation to hit off of. But there are too many questions there. No doubt SS Hanley Ramirez is one of the best players in the game and along with 2B Dan Uggla they give Florida a lot of pop that will make it tough for opposing teams to slow down their offense. LF Chris Coghlan was the NL Rookie of the Year and if he take the next step he gives them another big bat. This young team will probably make it interesting again this year, but they just don't have enough experience despite the talent and it cost them down the stretch. They will finish around the same with between 80-85 wins.

NEW YORK METS: Nothing quite describes the Mets' 2009 season better than injuries. The faltered to 70-92 with many of their stars on the DL. They are a lot better team than that and will show that this year. Adding LF Jason Bay only help their offense. P Johan Santana is the ace, but after him there are question marks with injured guys and others who are either young and unproven or erratic at times. If the pitching can get a lead and get the ball to CP Francisco Rodriguez, they are almost guaranteed a win. But the thing that worries me about him is his tendency to draw out close situations and that might hurt him and the Mets against good teams. They will need 3B David Wright to return to form and SS Jose Reyes to stay healthy if their offense is going to be effective. Another unhealthy player was CF Carlos Beltran and they will probably be without him again for half of 2010 and that might affect their offense as well as defense in the field. They will probably struggle again this year, but should play better but finish with between 75-85 wins.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: The defending NL champs looked poised to return to the World Series for the third straight year. Oh yea, they got better too with the addition of P Roy Halladay. Behind Halladay are questions around if P Cole Hamels can return to his 2008 form and if other guys can be reliable enough not to give up too many runs. Also uncertain is whether or not CP Brad Lidge will play like he did in 2008 when he was unhittable or like he did in 2009 when he was shaky at best. This lineup is very good from top to bottom. 1B Ryan Howard and 2B Chase Utley give them a lot of production and they added 3B Placido Polanco who will prove his worth at a position they have struggled to fill. LF Raul Ibanez had a breakout year for a veteran player and CF Shane Victorino and RF Jayson Werth are also very good. They are a solid playoff team and will certainly make a run for a World Series. They went 93-71 last year and will build upon that this year. They looked poised to finish somewhere between 90 and 100 wins.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS: After a good start in 2005, it has been all downhill since. Top picks and lack of production on the field. They went 59-103, but there is a lot of hope around the arrival of P Stephen Strasburg, who will join the team sometime during the season. Getting CP Matt Capps will give them a stronger closer. And veteran pitcher Jason Marquis will give their rotation some experienced pitching. If there young pitchers can build on their performances last year they can become a balanced rotation. 3B Ryan Zimmerman has been the franchise and when they got 1B Adam Dunn it gave him someone else with similar production to give the Nationals a pair of powerful bats. Getting C Ivan Rodriguez will also pay off as he helped turn the Marlins and Tigers into contenders and could do the same for the Nationals despite the fact that he aging. Their outfield has talented guys, who are unpolished and struggle a lot. They should improve on last year, but finishing somewhere between 65-75 seems likely.

NL CENTRAL
CHICAGO CUBS: They fell to 83-78 in 2009 after a couple of productive seasons. Their once solid ace P Carlos Zambrano is not exactly solid anymore and that could prove problematic for a rotation that has its ups and downs. P Ted Lilly will have to pick up Zambrano's slack for them to compete. Both 1B Derek Lee and 3B Aramis Ramirez are very good hitters, but have struggled to stay healthy in recent years. With both of them in the lineup most days they are a much better team. C Geovany Soto has a very good 2008, but slipped a bit in 2009. He should play closer to his 2008 self this year. LF Alfonso Soriano has underachieved overall since coming to the Windy City and will need to be productive and healthier as well to give them a multi-faceted bat at the top of the lineup. They will not get over the hump again this year. Expect them win somewhere between 80 and 85 games.

CINCINNATI REDS: They went 78-84 in 2009 and continued to fail to compete in the NL Central. They went and got Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman and we will see how he will pay off when he eventually joins the rotation. Their rotation is a nice mix of veterans and young guys. It will up to the younger arms if they are going to compete in 2010. 1B Joey Votto will have a breakout year on top of his success last year and be a major catalyst in their lineup. Getting SS Orlando Cabrera will pay off down the road this season with his timely hitting and great defense. This team will be better this year, but winning between 80 and 90 games seems most likely. Not sure if that will be enough to make the postseason.

HOUSTON ASTROS- They went 74-88 last year and do not seem like they will any more successful this year. P Roy Oswalt is still a top pitcher, but is in a very lackluster rotation. He might be used for trade bait. 1B Lance Berkman had some ups and down in 2009 and he will need to be healthy and productive if they are to improve. Wining somewhere between 70 and 75 games looks most likely.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS: They finished last year at 80-82 after a great 2008. P Yovani Gallardo is an improving pitcher and his progress will be vital to if this team can build off of last year's disappoints. Getting P Randy Wolf will certainly help their rotation a lot. CP Trevor Hoffman is still producing saves, but age might slow him down in 2010. LF Ryan Braun and 1B Prince Fielder are certainly the bats that need to be productive if this team is make a run this year. If they do more than enough than some of guys around them will not have as much pressure. They still lack that extra something to put them over despite a couple good pitchers and hitting. Winning between 80-85 is pretty realistic.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES: They trade away their best players and continue to finish below .500 as they finished at 62-99 in 2009. They have young guys at the top of their rotation who are the verge of being solid starters. One of their bright spots is CF Andrew McCutcheon who has a lot of speed and can be an effective leadoff man for them. Expect another losing season with them winning between 65-70 games.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: They went 91-71 last year and seemed poised to repeat as division champions. They have possibly the best player in 1B Albert Pujols and they kept LF Matt Holliday, who gives them a big bat and protection for Pujols. They have one of the best rotations with P Adam Wainwright and P Chris Carpenter leading the way. CF Colby Rasmus could be a major contributor this season after a very good 2009. They will play close to last year's production and win between 90 and 95 and that should be enough to win the division.


NL WEST
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: They finished last year at 70-92, which was a major disappointment for this young, promising team. They have been without a healthy P Brandon Webb and his return would be a major boost. Also P Dan Haren will have to develop on his success. Getting P Edwin Jackson should prove interesting because last year was his best year and this year will show if that was a fluke or not. Players like 2B Kelley Johnson, SS Stephen Drew, 3B Mark Reynolds, and RF Justin Upton are part of that young vital core. If they can all become consistent stars then this team will greatly improve. Don't know if all of them will be top notch. Reynolds' power though is especially crucial. They should play a lot better, but the division is fairly deep and tough. They will win somewhere between 75 and 80 games.

COLORADO ROCKIES: They went 92-70 last year after a nice end of season run that got them in the postseason. P Ubaldo Jimenez could be a strong ace for them and will look to build on his 2009. They have a decent mix of starters behind him. CP Huston Street is one of the better closers. 3B Ian Stewart's development will be crucial to their success as is the play of SS Troy Tulowitzki. They will struggle to duplicate last year's success a take a bit of a step back. They should be in the mix for most of the season though and finish with between 80 and 90 wins.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS: They went 95-67 despite slumping in the second half. Losing P Randy Wolf will hurt their rotation, but P Clayton Kershaw and P Chad Billingsley are poised to continue to be strong pitchers, but will still have moments where they falter. Much of the team's power and success will come from its outfield with LF Manny Ramirez, CF Matt Kemp, and RF Andre Ethier. I think they take a bit of step back, but probably still good enough to win the division if Colorado or San Francisco don't stage great second halfs. They will finish with between 85 and 90 wins.

SAN DIEGO PADRES: They went 75-87 despite some problems throughout the year. With the trade of P Jake Peavy last year, they do not have a strong reliable ace, but a battery unit of pitchers who might surprise some. 1B Adrian Gonzalez is one of the bright spots and should continue to provide power. They will still struggle overall and probably finish around the same with a victory total somewhere between 75 and 80 games.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: They went 88-74 last year and fell short of the postseason despite a lack of offense to back up their strong pitching. P Tim Lincecum anchors a fairly strong rotation that includes P Matt Cain and P Jonathan Sanchez. Lincecum is the two time reigning NL Cy Young winner. And P Barry Zito showed signs of returning to his dominant self last year. They will need to get a lot out of 3B Pablo Sandoval in order for their offense to stay consistent. Their pitching will certainly carry them. They will definitely build on last year's run and finish somewhere between 85 and 90 wins, which will put them in contention for the division.

After all that, not too much will change overall in 2010 from 2009. Predictions based off all that was said:

AL EAST WINNER: YANKEES
AL CENTRAL WINNER: TWINS
AL WEST WINNER: RANGERS
AL WILDCARD: AL EAST RUNNER UP (RED SOX/RAYS)
NL EAST WINNER: PHILLIES
NL CENTRAL WINNER: CARDINALS
NL WEST WINNER: GIANTS
NL WILDCARD: BRAVES/DODGERS

AL CHAMPIONSHIP: YANKEES OVER RED SOX/RAYS
NL CHAMPIONSHIP: PHILLIES OVER CARDINALS

WORLD SERIES: YANKEES OVER PHILLIES

A lot of this can change based on a trade or injuries, but I still think most of what I predicted looks pretty strong. But as recent years have shown, there are teams like Tampa Bay or Colorado that go on a run that shocks many. But usually the best team wins the title at the end of the year and the two who battled it out last October look to be about as strong if not stronger. Either way it should be an exciting six months. Let's play ball!