Well it is 2011, and the Sox are looking prime to win where they were seriously disadvantaged last year.

My AL East Predictions

Red Sox (No Injuries and some even stronger new players, they are the team to beat)
Baltimore (Gotta love them having the best record in the league the final month, and they only look to improve)
Tampa Bay and Toronto and Yankees all have some serious issues this year, but I think we will once again have a cutthroat division for the most part.

Can't wait for the season to start off, especially with the new inter league match ups

Go Indians!!

I hate the Sox but what they've in the offseason is very impressive. As an Indians and Yankees fan I fear them.

My Angels will certainly have a much better year than last year with Wells batting clean up and Morales coming back. Takahashi and Downs improve our bullpen by a bunch. But the question lies, can we catch Texas and Oakland, since they look like contenders too (don't make me laugh with Seattle).

Predictions

AL East

1. Red Sox - 93-69
2. Yankees - 89-73
3. Blue Jays - 82-80
4. Orioles - 78-84
5. Rays - 71-91

I'm not even sure if that's statistically possible with each team meeting one another so many times, but you get the general idea. On paper, the Sox have the division if they stay healthy. If not, the Yankees could very well once again slip in there, though they need to find a way to replace Pettite's 11 wins. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes are a solid 1-2-3, but who brings up the rear? Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon? At the best you might get a combined total of 11 wins between them. The Sox have the edge in starting rotation. And if Beckett can do anything better than 6-6 this year, they'll be in even better shape.

The Orioles will do better than that. I think they can challenge the Yankees for second place. Did you see how powerful their offense is. And they did have the best record for the last two months of the season, which shows that Buck Showalter can win (his wins were not flukes, he really did manage this team differently and effectively), and also, they now have a true closer (Kevin Gregg to be precise). I agree that the Rays are looking at a dissapointing year, with one key pitcher, majority of their bullpen, and a star player gone. Manny will surely give this team cancer.

Not with the pitching staff they have. Their offense might have improved, but they don't have one good starter.

The Yanks better hope Hughes takes the next step, luckily for them, I think he will. Burnett should give them innings, and they'll be chucking out garbage at 4 and 5. They WILL make a deal mid-season, so it's hard to rate them until everything's settled.

Phillies are obviously the class of the NL even with the champs in their league.

You can always find young guys or veterans to fill the rotation if you're scoring 5 runs a game. The playoffs are another story. The Yankees face the same problem with the bats they have. Who can they rely on besides Cano?

They did aquire Justin Durcheiser (how ever you spell his name). Guthrie ERA went down a ful 1.2 points from last year. In fact, the staff they had last year, their staff ERA went down a full 2 points after Showalter took over, which shows that they have talent, but now they have the right manager to play for. I think the staff ERA could in the upper 3 range and very low 4 range, which will be good enough with the offense they have. In fact, the one that killed the staff ERA was Millwood, and they got rid of him. Look at the stats after Showalter took over and you will see what I mean.

Burnett is not solid at all, he's going to probably be even worst this year, he can only beat non divisional teams it seems. I'd be worried about Hughes and Sabathia getting overworked this year.

If DiceK and Beckett are back, they'll do much better than a combined 15-12. And Lackey did all right too. With the offense and defense back, the pitchers could have the detrimental year they should have had last year.

All this talk on the Pujols situation, why wouldn't the Cards just give him the contract he wanted. I know the Cards don't have as much money as the Sox or Yanks, and that 10 years it too long, but seriously, he is the heart of the franchise that brings in it's fans.

With Spring Training on the way, here are my detail predictions for the season. First the AL West.

Angels - Last year was very frusterating for my team. Although they did improve on our bullpen (getting Southpaws, Takahashi and Downs). Vernon Wells is a risky and expensive move, but with him, Hunter and Morales batting 3 4 5 (not necessarily in that order), we could pose a threat for the opposition. But there are still questions to be asked? Is Peter Bourjos ready to be a regular? We know he is great on his defensive on quick on the basepaths, but can he step it up offensively? Is Morales fully recover? His power is not affected thankfully, but he is not ready defensively yet. Who will bat leadoff? There are some candidates, but no real contender. Fortunatly, they will have all Spring to answer these questions. On the plus side, the pitching looks to be dominant. With two aces (Weaver and Haren) and solid number twos (Santana and Pinero), our rotation could be one of the best in the AL (that is, if Kazmir can find his mechanics). Either way, they look slightly improved over last year, especially with the outfield defensive, but is it enough. If the offensive has a bounce back year like 2009, we'll see.

Athletics - There is no questions that their 1-4 starters will be impressive (since they are getting older, they should get better). The only question is, who will be the number 5 starter? Duchscherer is gone, and the Ben Sheets experiment was a flop, and Harden is garbage. The offensive looks to be solid, with their batting averages at least if not their power. Their bullpen should be dominant, with Balfour and Bailey shutting the doors. Overall, they have a chance to compete with year with their solid lineup, depending if they can beat the teams in their own division (in which they struggled at last year).

Mariners - Last year, they were the laughing stock of the American League. This year looks no different. The offensive is non-existant (nobody in the current roster has more than 14 HR's and 64 RBI's). King Felix is the only proven starter. Vargas and Fister have a chance, but there is noone to fill the 4 and 5 spots (Roland-Smith is gone), meaning they may have to use unproven minor league pithcers will fill them up. Their bullpen last year was dissapointing, and it doesn't look to get better. Not to mention, they have Eric Wedge as their manager, not a good sign. I don't see them making much of an improvement.

Rangers - They don't have Vlad, but they do have Beltre to bat cleanup. Him playing third means that Young could be DH. Napoli can play Catcher, 1st and DH sometimes. He has power, but now can he raise his batting average and cut down the strike out total. Offensively, they are very strong. Pitching is another story. They lost out on Lee (since they spend all their money on Beltre), and Brandon Webb does not make up for it (he didn't pitch in 2010, but if he's ready, he knows how he'll do). Wilson looks to be the Ace of the staff, although Lewis looked great in the postseason. Hunter is improving alot, Holland could be ready. The rotation in whole has potential, but are they consistent. The Bullpen is another story. With two leftie setup men and two rightie setup men, their BP looks to be on fire, and if Feliz can avoid the sophmore slump, their Bullpen will certainly keep them in games in case the Starters have off days. All in all, they have a chance to repeat, but they have competition.

Predictions - like 2004, this should be a 3-way race with the winner that could be decided on the last week. But based on stats, the Rangers should repeat on top. If the Angels can get it together, then they may be on top, but for right now, I have them at number two with a better record. The A's should be 3rd since their lineup is solid, but not spectacular. The Mariners will not come even close. AL central coming up next.

AL Central

Indians - On paper, the tribe could have a bright future with a strong farm system, and future stars, based on their September record with the 40-man roster, but now is not the time causes of the teams in their division. Their rotation has shown some promise in September, but can they keep it up on a consistent basis. The bullpen is the same thing, strong in September, but can they keep the momentum throughout the year. Their offense has talent as well, the question is, can they stay healthy. Can Sizemore and Carlos return to form? Can Manny Acta learn to manage. Either way, the Indians could be improved this year after two embarrasing seasons. Whether if they will have a winning record is not a sure thing, but they will at least win 75 games if the farm proves to be ready to play in the big leagues full time. Overall, they have talent, but they have a lousy manager.

Royals - Talk about going from Bad to Worse. Grienke is traded, Bannister got released, and Meche is retired, their starting rotation is garbage (when your ace of the staff has a 4.8 ERA, then you are in trouble). Escobar is not an upgrade over Betancourt at shortstop. Trading Dejesus for Mazarro was a bad move as well (yes, he will fill up a hole in the rotation, but like the rest of the starters, he should blend in quite well in losing games). Melky Cabrera fills up a spot in the Outfield, but his production is declining, as seen by last year's performance. Butler is the only power threat in the lineup, and based on their roster, look for another 2009 performance in the offensive side. Their bullpen is their only saving grace, with Soria dominate as a closer, but based on the rest of the staff, he will get few chances to save games if they are lucky. Cellar Dwellers should be a lock.

Tigers - With almost $40 million cleared up from their payroll (thanks to Bonderman's big contract expired, and Magglio taking a paycut this year), the tiggers had plenty of money to spend this year (a luxury they did not have last year). And boy, did they spend it wisely. They got V-mart (to replace Laird, another chunk of the payroll cleared), Brad Penny to replace Bonderman, and Benoit to strengthen the bullpen. Rookies Austin Jackson and Busta Ryhmes were impressive in their rookie campaigns, giving the offensive a very promising potential mixed in with the veterens giving them speed and power. They only major issue last year was health. The Tigers had a chance last year, but health issues killed their chances late in the year. This year, they have a Roster and good backup in case of injury, meaning that they will be real contenders for the Central Crown, that is as long as M Cabrera can stay sober.

Twins - They were dominent their last two years, but this year looks a little more questionable. The biggest question is health. Can Morneau and Nathan recover? If so, can they return to form. The biggest buzz, however, is Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Jumping the Japanese superstar bandwagon (like Matsui and Ichiro), it will be intresting if he can adjust to the major leagues after impressive numbers in Japan. All in all, they have a telented offensive, but lack of depth in the bench, meaning that an injury can ruin the season for them. The rotation had a bounce back year last year, but given their lifetime records, it is not a sure thing of Lariano and Pavano can repeat their last year's numbers. With Gurrier, Rauch, Crain and Fuentes all gone, their bullpen is full of holes. If Nathan can't return in time, their bullpen could be a problem this year. Still, if they can get the team together and healthy throughout the year, they can compete again, especially when you have an outstanding manager like Gardy.

White Sox - With Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko, the White Sox will have one of the bigger one-two punches in the AL. The rest of their offense are not to shabby either, with a good balance of speed, batting averages, and power. The pitching however is a very mixed bag. With the rotation having career lows last year, it looks like their once dominant rotation is beginning to show their age, especially Peavy (in fact, I think they may have one of the oldest rotations in the majors). Looks like they need a new cast of young arms, but their prospects don't appear to be ready yet. The biggest question however, lies in the manager Ozzie Guillen. In the past, his management has been effective, but these days, it becoming more erratic, especially with his recent behavior lately. This could be a distraction as even some die hard Sox fans can't stand him anymore. They have the talent to win, but the won't win the division cause of their losing record against their own division (even Cleveland has a winning record against them).

Predictions - The Twins have the talent to win again, but based on offseason moves, I think the Tigers will take the AL Central crown this time around, with the Twins taking second. The White Sox will come in third, barely coming in at over .500. The Indians will be in 4th with a improved record, and maybe challenge the Sox for third if they fall apart. The Royals will become a bigger laughing stock than the last two years. AL East coming soon.

The AL East.

Blue Jays - Last year, they were the ultimate powerhouse, lead by an unexpected surge of Bautista. Well, they won't repeat that feat, since they lost three key players from last year's power offensive (Wells, Overbay and Buck). But they did add Rajai Davis for speed (lead off), and got Juan Rivera in the Wells trade (and alot of money saved, but used a chunk on Bautista's extension, but they have plenty left still unspent). They also got a closer from a double trade. The rotation is their trouble spot. They lost Marcum, who was the most reliable of the bunch. Romero, Morrow and Cecil have plenty of wins, but their ERA's are very high, and could potentially get worse with the power threat from the rest of the AL East (the win totals are because of offensive support). Frank Franscico, yes, it gives them a closer, but he has had trouble closing out games, especially against the Red Sox, not a good sign. New skipper John Ferrell doens't have anything to prove on whether is good enough. With the offense a little weaker, and the pitching too inexperienced and could get worse, they could get killed by the other AL East teams, however, they won't be too terrible either (they have good records against the West, but that will not be enough).

Orioles - Last September gave this team great hope. Buck Showalter proves that he can make any Bad News Bears look better, and based on his performance last year, his managing did the trick. But it doesn't stop there with the O's, with Vladdy, Derek Lee and Mark Reynolds added (to go with Scott, Markakis and Jones), this offessive could be this year's version of the 2010 Blue Jays, even better. Lee and Reynolds could do better since Camdem Yards is very hitter friendly, which will benefit them both very well with their pop. Their bench has tons of depth (if a little crowded) with Reimhold, Pie and Harris, all valueable bench players to rest the regulars. They even signed a closer (Gregg). The rotation, well, they did lower their ERA's by a full two points after Buck's arrival (especially Guthrie, who could potentially be their ace), and Duchscherer gives them a good chance to be a solid rotation. Even if the rotation is only average, they will get alot of offensive support to win them games. Overall, with Buck at the helm, and an offense sure to be one the best, they should break their long streak of losing seasons.

Rays- With alot of key departures (Crawford, Garza, Soriano, Choate, Balfour, Wheeler and Pena) and not enough additions (Damon does not make up for Crawford, and Manny is fading very quick), the Rays will fall off a bit. With Price as their only proven ace, and Shields having an off year and Davis and Nieman having only average years, the rotation has to step it up in order to compete. Aside from Longoria, their offense does not look very threatening. Soriano's departure hurts, and whether Joel Paralta can fill in the closer role, the bullpen could pontentially blow alot of games as they did in 2009. Although they have a good coaching staff, the roster looks more venerable than the last three years. I see this team becoming this year's version of the 2010 Angels.

Red Sox - With Crawford and A-Go, not only does this mean improved offense, but also improved defensive too, and more importantly, youth. If Jacoby can stay healthy, they the Sox will have the most balanced offense in the majors (speed, BA, power, etc). The only slight hesistation is the rotation. Buchholz had a caree year, Lester was super yet again, but Beckett was not the same, and Lackey was not as they anticipated. Injuries hurt this team, especially Beckett, Dice K and Jacoby. But if the rotation can find it's form after recovery, then they could potentially have the best team in the majors. And based on the offensive and defense alone, there is no way they will not make the postseason.

Yankees - In the past couple of years, they take pride of being the best, but this year, it's looks more questionable than in year's past. The veteren superstars are beginning to show their age (especially Jeter late in the season). CC is still the Ace, and Hughes had a solid year, but Burnett needs to step it up, and with Vazquez gone and Pettite retired, who's going to fill the 4th and 5th spots. Nova and Mitre look to be candidates, but they will hardly be inning eaters. With the offense of the other East teams (Sox and O's in particular), their starters could get killed. The bullpen however, looks a lot strongers. With Soriano and Rivera pitching the 8th and 9th innings if they have leads, the game is over. The offensive is not a problem, with the biggest question mark being Russell Martin. With two down years with the Dodgers, can he regain his form. Other than that, the only other question mark is their age. If they can keep up with the numbers posted the last two years, they have some hope. But all in all, they will get their butts kicked by the Sox with the rotation they have.

Prediction - There is no denying that the Red Sox will take the crown, that is, as long as a freak accident does not happen. I am going to be very Gutsy and saying that Baltimore will take 2nd place. That offense is too strong. The Yankees will settle for third. The Rays and Jays will be alot weaker than last year, but based on the coaching staff, the Rays should avoid last place, with the Jays sitting on the bottom, both with about 70 wins. NL coming soon, if not today.

And now, the NL West.

D-backs - Gone are Adam LaRoche and Mark Reynolds, and replacing them is Juan Miranda and Melvin Mora, respectively. That's alot of power gone. Also joining the offense is Xavier Nady, Henry Blanco, Willie Bloomquist, and Geoff Blumm. Not exactly impressive, but they will do. Okay, the offense looks okay, but the pitching is crap. Joe Saunders is getting worse after the Halos traded him for Dan Haren. New starter Armando Galarraga hasn't done anything since his should've been perfect game. And Zach Duke. Seriously Zach Duke. Out of all the pitchers they could have gotten, they get one of the worse ERA's for a starter who pitched over 150 innings. Not even the Pirates were dumb enough to sign him again. Their bullpen is just as bad. Kirk Gibson so far is not any better than A.J. Hinch. So, another losing season awaits.

Dodgers - This year, pitching seems to be the main focus for the Dodgers. And based on the projected starting roster (Kershaw, Lilly, Billingsly, Kuroda, and Garland returning), they look like a promising bunch. On the offensive side, signing Uribe from their rivals helps fill the 2nd base void, Marcus Thames fills the hole in the outfield, and Nivarro gives good backup in the catcher spot. If Either keeps his all star caliber year, and Loney, Blake, Kemp, and closer Broxton can bounce back, the Dodgers could have a bounce back year. The only big question is if Don Mattingly can manage the team. He has big shoes to fill this year. Thankfully this talent can help them, as long as he doesn't turn into another Joe Girardi.

Giants - Can the Giants repeat for the crown. If the best overall pitching staff from last year (both rotation and bullpen) can repeat the magic they had last year, then they can. Adding Suppan could provide a good backup starter if Zito has trouble. Miguel Tajada will replace Renteria, and Freddy Sanchez will now be an everyday 2B with Torres. Other than that, the rest of the team remains the same. The big thing to watch for this season is Brandon Belt. He his .352 with 23 HR's and 112 RBI's in AAA last year, and this year, he will start 1B. Can he make the transition in the majors. It doesn't hurt to try, since they may have enough to repeat the NL West crown.

Padres - Will they win 90 games like last year. This year, it's a resounding no. Why? Well, they lost A-Go, the only HR threat, along with Torreabla and pitchers Garland and Correia. Brad Hawpe is nowhere near A-Go talent, although adding the O-Dog, Jason Barlett, and Cantu, they seemed to be more balanced in the infield in terms of running game and defense. With the biggest power threat (Ludwick) hitting only 17 homeruns and only 69 RBI's, this team will play smallball and use the running game to score runs, but this won't be an easy task since last year, this roster has batting averages only in the .240 to .250 range. Pitching wise, they stay have Latos and Harang, but losing Garland and Carreia hurts, and the replacements remain a question mark. The Bullpen still looks dominate. Even if the pitching clicks, it may be wasted on this mediocre offense.

Rockies - On paper, the Rockies still have the most talented Offensive in the NL West. They had potential last year, until key injuries hurt their chances in September. Their biggest issue is health. They signed extension with their two star players (Tulo and Cargo) which is smart since they don't want to lose their two best players. If they can stay healthy, the offensive will still be one of the best in the majors, since the cast has virtually remained the same. Pitching wise, well aside from Jimenez, was a pretty mixed bag, athough much of this was due to injuries. Based on their past seasons, they are capable of doing better. If they can stay healthy and regain their good stuff, then the Rockies can compete for the NL West.

Prediction - Well, the Rockies have potential to take the title, but with the pitching staff, the Giants will take the crown, with the Rockies taking second place, and possibly make a run at another Wild Card. The Dodgers could have a bounce back year, but with an unproven manager, 3rd place is the best they do, although their win record will improve. The Padres look to fall off again like the years prior to 2010, with the losses too big to replace. Arizona and their lousy pitching staff will take last place once again.

Now the NL Central

Astros - They are still young, but on paper, this team overall (pitching and offensive) is just too average. They are not spectacular, but they are not terrrible either. They didn't make any big splashes in the offseason, nor did they lose anyone significant, aside from Oswalt. Therefore, they deserve no further comment, they are just that boring.

Brewers - This team is maybe one of the biggest winners in the offseason. The Zack Grienke trade was a big win for them, along with getting Marcum to boost the starting rotation with three aces (including Gallardo) and with Wolf and Narveson, their much needed pitching staff will give this team with an already talented offensive a chance to compete. Speaking of offense, well, Betancourt provides a nice upgrade over Escobar, and if Fielder can get his batting average back in 2009 mode, watch out. Last year, Axford proved that he can handle the closer role, and adding Saito will solidify the bullpen, and gives them a setup guy. Ron Roenicke is a interesting choice as manager. He is undefeated as bench coach when Scioscia got ejected. Could this mean Angels style baseball? With this talented offensive, it doens't hurt to try. Just like the Reds of 2010, they have a complete team to win the NL Central Crown, as long as no freak accidents happen.

Cardinals - Last year, I noted that the Cardinals will not win cause their team had holes to fill up. And based on the 2nd place finish, I was right. This year, it's more of the same. Sure, they have Wainwright and Carpenter, and Garcia was good, but Westbrook and Lohse are still questionable. Sure, they have Rasmus Pujols and Holliday, but not much else in the power department. Sure, they signed Theriot to play SS and Berkman to RF void, but are they good enough? The bullpen had trouble holding on to leads if I remember. With little tweaking, but no overhaul, expect more of the same from the Cards. Edit...it appears that Wainwright is out for the season. This could a frusterating year for the Cards now.

Cubs - After getting Mike Quade, this team showed some promise for 2011. They did add Matt Garza to the rotation, giving them a solid starting 5. They got Pena to play 1st base, but his .196 batting average is a bit concerning. Getting Kerry Wood helps their bullpen. But as I said with the Cardinals, is this enough to win. Well, they have a promising shot with Quade's record after taking over, but this roster doesn't gareentee anything special. They will have a winning record, but nothing spectacular.

Pirates - After suffering the worst record in the majors last year, things can only go up right. After all, they did get rid of Duke and sign Correia and Scott Olsen in the starting rotation. Their bullpen still looks solid. Signing Overbay will help them in the power department. And getting Clint Hurdle shows some promise. With player developing, and the new coaching staff, this team will improve over last year, but it won't be enough with the rest of the division being to big of a Hurdle to jump. Sadly, they will not be good enough to break the streak of losing records.

Reds - Can lightning strike twice. The Reds hope so with virtually the same cast of players. They did add World Series MVP Renteria and Outfielder Fred Lewis to deepen the bench. But the biggest questions are, can Rolen repeat his bounceback year? Can Chapman be consistent everyday to be a closer. Well, they have a chance to repeat, but the performances of last year will be very hard to top, but never say never.

Predictions - With the big improvements, the Brewers should be able to take the NL crown, given the talent they have. The Cards and Reds should fight for second place, but in this case, it's too hard to tell (but I'll give the edge to the Reds). The Cubs should logically rank 4th, but if something happens to the Cards and Reds, the rankings for 2nd 3rd and 4th could be vise versa (edit...With Wainwright out, I now have the Cubs at 3rd and the Cards at 4th). The Astros and their mediocraty will be in 5th place, with the Pirates in their usual position. NL East coming up.

Finally, here comes the NL East

Braves - They have the pieces for another Wild Card run, especially with Dan Uggla boosting the offense, but they still have some questions to be answered. Can McLouth recover from a horrible season? Can Chipper Jones bounce back from injury? Is Freddy Freeman ready for the big leagues to play 1st place, and can he follow the footsteps of Heyward for ROY candidate? Is Minor ready to fill the 5th spot in the rotation? Can Krimbal handle the closer role with Wagner retiring? Most important, can Fredi Gonzales manage this club? If they can prove the doubters wrong, then they can return to the postseason, otherwise, expect an decent at best year from them.

Marlins - Yes, they did lose their alltime HR leader Dan Uggla, but that's about the only significant loss they suffered. On the bright, Infante doesn't have the power of Uggla, but he is better defensively than Uggla. Signing John Buck will make up for the lost power of Uggla, although the big question will be if Matt Dominguez is ready? We'll see, but still, the offense offers plenty of talent. On the pitching side, Josh Johnson is developing into a true ace, and Sanchez, Volstad and Nalasco are solid enough to keep this team in games with the good offensive support they should get. Javier Vasquez return to the NL will hopefully help boost his numbers from last year. The biggest concern last year was the bullpen, with 25 blowns saves last year. They addressed this issues by getting Mike Dunn, Ryan Webb, and Edward Muljica from trades, and aquirred Randy Choate to boost the bullpen. This will lower the number of blown saves, but still, it's far from dominate. Still, with a young talented and improving offensive, and a solid rotation, they can compete for the Wild Card too. They will certainly be alot better than their cheesy slogan.

Mets - The Mets are hoping that this team can be a sleeper hit...in 2012, but this year, they will suffer again. With a bloated payroll on players who are either hurt or sucking so bad, the Met's fans can't wait for 2011 to be over, since alot of money will be cleared to spend for next year's offseason. In the mean time, they have to put up with Johan Santana missing almost half a season, and if he comes back, can he be the same. They had to put up with Jason Bay hurting himself and affecting his game both offensively and defensively, especially with the big bucks they payed him. Same for Beltran and Reyes. They also have to put up with K-rod blowing saves and his big ego. Okay, their rotation is not too bad, but losing Takahashi is a big blow since he was a reliable spot starter and long reliever, meaning that there is noone to backup a starter in case of injury. With the exception of David Wright, their offense is not excatly a power threat. But all in all, they are simply in the wrong division to compete.

Nationals - Just like last year, the team is finding new ways to improve. Last year, things looked promising at first, but fell afterwards. This year, they were agressive again as they got Jason Werth to bring his bat and glove on the field. They did lost Adam Dunn, but gained Adam LaRoche, who is better defensivley than Dunn. With Werth, Laroches and Zimmerman, they can provide the power to scare opposing pitchers. Bryce Harper looks to be a superstar, and could be in the lineup later this year. The pitching staff could use some improvement, but there were signs of improvement last year, especially in the bullpen. My cousin Colin Balester, well, based on his performance last year, could have a breakout year in the bullpen. Marquis hopes to find his groove after injury. With a potential offensive, can this get better. Maybe, but the starting rotation has to step it up to compete in this division.

Phillies - A better question should be, how much games can they win? When Cole Hamels is your #4 starter, you better get your World Series tickets ready. Doc, Lee, Oswalt, Hamels, and Blanton, this could be the best rotation since the 1995 Atlanta Braves. Their offense was only a slight mishap late in the season, but still, they managed to score the second most runs in the NL, even with injuries. Still, Jason Werth will be missed, and Ben Francisco does not have the power, but he may be good enough to play his position. But all in all, with pitching staff, the offensive only has to be good enough to win games. Winning the division is not the question? The question should be, can they break the record for most wins? If the offensive can stay strong, and if the Bullpen returns to 2008 form, then yes they can.

Predictions - hmm, I wonder who will win this division. Joking aside, while the Phillies will be vying for the best record in baseball, the other teams can only hope for a Wild Card Berth. Well, Atlanta has potential if they can get it togehter, but I am predicting that the Marlins with their young talent will take second place, with Atlanta coming in third. The Nats may not break out of their losing record, but they could avoid last place with the Mets being in a much worse situation. Those are my predictions. Any thoughts?

Tigers/Red Sox/DBacks will all win their divisions.

Tigers and Red Sox will, but the DBacks, well, not with the lousy pitching and managing staff they have.

Francisco may not be the starter in Philly. Charlie Manuel said that Domonic Brown could get 350-400 AB this year (Brown is one of the top prospects in baseball).

Thanks for the update. I just based it off the projected roster on the website. But Francisco should be on the roster with Werth gone.

Whatever you say!

Yeah, Francisco will be on the roster, will have a chance to win the RF job in ST, and will be a platoon guy in LF and RF even if he doesn't win the starters roll.

10 Days left

Until?