AL East New York Yankees are coming off a championship as they beat the Phillies in six games. In the offseason they were able to get younger and better as they acquired Curtis Granderson, Javier Vazquez and Nick Johnson. Everything points to the Yankees repeating as champions, but the only chink in the armor is can Nick Johnson and Curtis Granderson fill the clutch shoes of Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui? Granderson will be fine as he is Damon of 5 years ago, but the Nick Johnson is another story only because he has looming health issues that have plagued his entire career. If he stays healthy though look for another parade down the Cannon of Heroes in New York. Boston Red Sox were able to bolster their already potent pitching rotation by landing John Lackey, but can that pitching staff keep the opponents offense down to keep the pressure off the Red Sox line up? After Pedroia, Youkilis, and Victor Martinez can everyone else pick up the slack? Big Papi, Drew, Varitek, and Cameron are another year older and their numbers are declining. The wildcards are Jacoby Ellsbery if he can get on base and steal some bags sparking the offense it could lead the Red Sox in the right direction and if Beltre is the 40 home run guy or the dud Seattle got and make them a complete team. Look for them to once again contend in the AL East and wild card. Tampa Bay Rays took a step back last year after making it to the World Series 2008 finishing 84-78 which was 19 games out of first place. The injuries last year really pilled up and the bullpen was over worked returning to form of years past. Everyone is back and healthy for the most part and the pitching looks solid. The main thing the Rays need to contend is big bounce back years from Burrell, Upton and Navarro along with another solid year from Zobrist, Longoria and Crawford. If all that happens and the pitching stays consistent then the Rays have a shot to make this a three team race once again, but this time around they don’t have the element of surprise like last time. Baltimore Orioles have put together a good young core outfield and decent line driving hitting infield with a good young big hitting catcher. So offensively they have the players for the most part in place for them it’s the same old problem pitching both starting and relieving. The starting pitching has gotten better, but the pen is where they really need the help because starters can only take you so far and that under belly of the bullpen in the 6th, 7th and even sometimes the 8th are where games are lost most for Baltimore. Look for the Orioles to once again finish in fourth while improving on just 64 wins they had a year ago. Toronto Blue Jays finished in fourth place last year in the division of the AL East with just 75 wins. That number is not going to go up this year as they traded away Rios last year, Marco Scutaro left for Boston, and most importantly they traded away Roy Halladay. The Blue Jays still have Vernon Wells and Adam Lind along with some good young pitching but that’s where the excitement ends and the rebuilding begins as they are a few years off from even thinking about contending. Look for the rebuilding birds to finish no higher the 70 wins and in last place. AL Central Minnesota Twins had everything going for them heading into this year health, coming off a division crown the won on the last day, added some big free agents and most importantly are moving into a new outdoor stadium. Then out of nowhere Joe Nathan blows out his elbow and needs Tommy John Surgery. That is a big set back as he is one of the best in the game, but the Twin bullpen is strong and at worse they can go out and get a closer for the stretch run if needed. Getting back Morneau back, with Mauer off an MVP year, Cuddyer poised for another solid season, and bringing in the veteran presents of Jim Thome and Orlando Hudson is a bonus. Look for Minnesota as long as the bullpen doesn’t implode to have another division winning year. Detroit Tigers cut some salary and went in a different direction after losing the division last year as they traded Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson and got some good young talent in return along with signing a veteran outfielder in Johnny Damon. Detroit still has Justin Verlander at the top of the rotation and decent pitching after that along with Jose Valverde to close games out which will be interesting. The offense is about the same depending on what the young guys and Damon can do. Look for the pitching to keep them in most games, but once again fall short of making the post season as they just don’t have the pieces anymore to contend and should be looking for a big bat in the next offseason. Chicago White Sox won the championship in 2005, but it’s like they sold their soul to the devil as it has been down hill ever since as they pitching was never the same and the offense couldn’t keep up with the constant demand for more and more runs. Age has really caught up with this team and they are right in the middle of switching over to getting younger as they have let go of veterans like Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye while acquiring Carlos Quinton, Alex Rios and Jake Peavy. The pitching staff looks good and should help keep the team in most games, but can the once feared offense get back to the days of crushing the ball? Not yet, but will make good strides to be around .500 this year if not above and will be poised for a division run in 2011. Kansas City Royals were the same old Royals last year fast start slow finish going 65-97 and that was with the CY Young award winner in the pitching rotation. The problem was they had Zach Greinke then four guys name Joe and the offense wasn’t there to make up for the mistakes as they were outscored by 156 runs which was worst in the AL and second worst in the Majors behind Washington. Kansas City has most of the parts in place with an ace, a closer, a good mix of veteran and young position players once again like with most teams the one thing holding them back is the 2-5 starters. Having a solid two and three to back up your ace is one of the most important things in baseball and the Yankees proved that last year winning the championship with three pitchers. Look for another year of around 70 wins for Kansas City as they struggle to get over the hump. Cleveland Indians had one of the most disappoint years last year as injuries really hamstringed them leading to trading away Cliff Lee. Four players need to come back strong for the Indians to have any sort of success and they are Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Fausto Carmona, and Jake Westbrook. If those guys don’t come back and have a decent years at worst they Indians are in for a long summer and a possible 100 loss season. AL West Seattle Mariners are everyone’s new hot team this year as they plucked Chone Figgins form the Angels, traded for Cliff Lee for the Phillies and Milton Bradley from the Cubs. The additions make the one two punch of Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee one of the best in baseball and the 3-5 starts are serviceable. The infielders are little light hitting but can clog the bases for the outfielders to knock them in and perhaps give some RBI opportunities to Griffey Jr. who is back for one more year at DH. Look for the Mariners to end the run of the Angels winning the division. LA Angels of Anaheim got over the hump of beating the Red Sox in the post season last year but that was the only AL East team they could beat as the Yankees beat them in the ALCS. A lot of changes went on in the Angel organization as Vlad Guerrero, Chone Figgins, and Jon Lackey all left via free agency and they only brought in Hideki Matsui and Joel Pineiro. The pitching is a little weakened but will still do the trick, but they are missing some pop in their bats so manager Mike Scioscia’s style of hit and run will be put to the test in a big way this year. This is the year the pressure will really be on as unlike the east there is no wild card to fall back on. Look for a close race but the lack of power will surely hurt the Angels late as they finish second. Texas Rangers did what they always do and go after power hitters as they acquired Vlad Guerrero in the free agent market, but they also made a big pitching pick up in Rich Harden if he can stay healthy that is. That is always a big if with him and that is a big weak spot for Texas if he goes down as he is slated as Texas’ number 2 starter. The offense will be there as it always will and could be more potent with Vlad and if Hamilton comes back strong after some injuries last year. Look for Texas to do a little worse that last years 87 games as the Mariners are much improved and to be about .500 with an eye on the pitching free agent market next year. Oakland A’s finished 75-87 last year and just one game under .500 at home so they are getting closer to putting a possible contender together out in the West. The pitching has some good live arms and they did got out and get Ben Sheets who they over paid for but could bring a good return on investment if a team is looking for a power arm in July. Look for another exciting year from Oakland’s youth, but don’t expect much out of them as they are still a year or two away from putting a winner together. NL East Philadelphia in 2008 won the World Series and 2009 got there but lost in six games to the Yankees. They have everyone coming back and even improved with the addition of Roy Halladay, but that came at a price as they traded away Cliff Lee. Everyone said they should have kept them both if not for this year and at first that made sense but now that you look at it they were too lefty dominate and you need to switch it up. They clearly kept the better pitcher, now the only question mark they have heading into the season is the back of the bullpen and Brad Lidge. Can Lidge return to his 2008 form where he didn’t blow a single save or will he stay in his rut and up and down status of 2009? Only time will tell and that only means that it will make for an easier decision for Charlie Manual to allow Roy Halladay to go as deep as he wants and complete as many games as he wants. Look for another division crown from the Phillies. New York Mets made a big splash signing Jason bay to bolster a bleak offense, but that is all they did they made no pitching signings and got only Gary Mathews Jr. and Rod Barajas. The main issue they had coming into the spring was the pitching and they didn’t get that granted there was not much out there to be had, but to not get a single pitcher for the rotation! This decision will haunt them in late August and into September when the ball park is half filled, unless they make a deal in July. The offense will carry them early once Carlos Beltran comes back and as long as everyone stays health. Look for the Mets to try and stay around in the division and make an attempt at the wildcard but come up short once again. Florida Marlins are one of the most exciting young teams to watch with a great young stud in Hanley Ramirez and solid pitching from the likes of Josh Johnson, who they resigned, Ricky Nolasco, and Anibal Sanchez. Florida finished second last year with 87 wins and could hit that high again if they continue to build on the previous year and the pitching is once again there. Look for the Marlins to get about 85 wins and play spoiler down the stretch some on some division foes. Atlanta Braves had an interesting offseason trading away Javier Vazquez who had one of the best years in the NL last year and is a consistent innings eater. However it makes sense as Vazquez was in the last year of his deal and the Braves have five qualified starters to throw out their in 2010 in: Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, Tim Hudson and Kenshin Kawakami. The pitching will be solid and keep them around in games, but the bullpen isn’t what it used to be and the offense is really lacking the second big bat behind McCann as Chipper Jones is another year older. Look for a .500 year from the Braves as the need to get some pop in the offseason next year. Washington Nationals are still looking like the Expos with a 100+ loss season in 2009 and having trouble bringing in free agents in their prime. However, they did bring in some studs as they got Ivan Rodriguez, Adam Kennedy, and Jason Marquis. So Ivan is near the end but could provide some flair with Zimmerman and Dunn and Marquis is the ace they never had before to also be a mentor to the young up and coming pitching. Look for the Nationals to have a better year and only finish in the 90’s for losses as they slowly make their way up to a respectable team. NL Central St. Louis Cardinals offense should be something to watch with a three-four in the middle of the line up as potent as Pujols and Holiday which rivals Ramirez and Ortiz. The offense can only carry the red birds so far as the pitching got a little weakened with the loss of Joel Pineiro, but the 1-3 of Carpenter, Wainwright and Lohse along with Brad Penny only asked to be a four will lead them to another NL Central crown and a run at the pennant. Chicago Cubs have some age creeping up on them as Derrick Lee, Alfonzo Soriano, Aramis Ramirez and Ryan Dempster are all another year older and the window at a shot at a championship is quickly closing. The key to the Cubs success this year is to come from staying healthy and having their big horse Carlos Zambrano return to his ace form. The one smart move the Cubs made was dumping Milton Bradley to get rid of that distraction and they have good players, but no real vocal everyday player to be a leader and carry the team for a month offensively. If they are still in it mid summer the Cubs must a deal for a big bat or they will once again be watching the post season from their couch. Cincinnati Reds were a middle of the pack team last year winning 78 games against 84 losses. The offense is there with table setters like Orlando Cabrera and Brandon Phillips for Joey Votto and Jay Bruce to knock in. The pitching is complied of 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s with Edison Volquez out for a while. The set back in the pitching will cause them to go to the bullpen too often and exposing it to the better teams. Look for Cincinnati to be losing games 8-5 7-6 and like that as the offense can’t put up 8-10 runs a game to make up for the pitching’s inability to get batters out. Houston Astros looked ready to contend in the division with Lee and Berkman knocking in Pence and Bourne and the pitching lead by Roy Oswalt. That looks like a distant memory now with Berkman set to start the year on the DL, Bourne struggling and Oswalt with a balky hamstring. Look for another year of disappointment from Houston as they can’t get out of their own way and need more young power bats and arms to turn this thing around which is tough because that’s what everyone wants and not everyone can find. Milwaukee Brewers have a good middle of the line up with Hart, Fielder and Braun, but can Gomez and Weeks get on for them? Can the pitching after Gallardo do anything anymore as they are all up there in age as they are all over 30 and have a lot of miles on their arms. Milwaukee finished 80-82 and was consistent going 40-41 on the road and at home. However they say the toughest thing is to go from a sub .500 team no one expects anything from to a contender where people expect to win every night and contend for the division. The pitching just isn’t there yet to do that Randy Wolfe is nice but isn’t a number two. Look for another year of hovering around .500 for the Brew crew. Pittsburgh Pirates have fallen a long way and on some hard times since the run in the late 80’s and early 90’s. The odd thing is they get good young talent, but can’t seem to have it all together at the same time and end up trading it away before they lose them to free agency. They are stuck in a catch 22 of if they keep the young talent and draw more increasing revenue and be able to sign them back, but they can’t get the money to sign them cause they aren’t drawing cause the players aren’t staying. They need to stay young and cheap while being experienced and winning. Look for another lat place finish hovering around 100 losses once again. NL West San Francisco Giants it is there year to overtake the Dodgers as the quality pitching headed by two time defending CY Young award winner Tim Lincecum will mow down the competition. The offense lead by Pablo Sandoval is not as strong, but how many runs do they really need to score with a stud staff like this. Look for the division to be there for the Giants to take. LA Dodgers are another year older with less pitching but will really give the Giants a run for their money as Martin is ready to get raking again and Either and Kemp are studs with the supporting cast of James Loney and the ever threaten Manny Ramirez. The offense is fine the pitching is something that isn’t as solid as they lost Wolfe and didn’t replace him putting the pressure on the young pitchers like Kershaw and Billingsley. The biggest wildcard that could put the Dodgers over the edge and into the playoffs as they wildcard is their shortstop Rafael Furcal who had a horrid 2009 and wants nothing more then to break out early and often in 2010. Arizona could have a stellar pitching staff once again if Brandon Webb comes back strong and healthy to go with Haren and hard throwing Edwin Jackson. The thing that has really plagued the Diamondbacks is their offense as they have Connor Jackson and Mark Reynolds, but who else will step up and contribute? Look for Arizona to avoid finishing in last place once again, but they will only move up to third as they need to acquire a big bopper in the middle of the line up to lengthen it and provide the necessary pop. Colorado Rockies finished 2009 with 92 wins and the NL wildcard which was nice, but they used a hot stretch in September to get there and one can’t always count on that. This year won’t equal out the same as the offense will be more of line drive then homerun so the runs will be slightly down putting the pressure on the pitching especially at home and they will fall short of the 85 win mark finishing in fourth place out West. San Diego Padres have one player worth seeing in Adrian Gonzalez and a bunch of average pitchers with no one winning more then 12 games last year. San Diego is such a great place to play, but they got old in a hurry and when they went to turn to the young players all they got was Gonzalez and nothing else. Look for a 100 loss season out of San Diego and some major moves in the offseason. PLAYOFF PREVIEW ALDS NY YANKEES vs. MINNESOTA SEATTLE vs. BOSTON ALCS NY YANKEES vs. BOSTON NLDS ST. LOUIS vs. SAN FRANCISO PHILADELPHIA vs. LA DODGERS NLCS ST. LOUIS vs. PHILADELPHIA WORLD SERIES NY YANKEES vs. ST. LOUIS WORLD SERIES CHAMPION NY YANKEES in 6 GAMES