Baseball can be a funny game. The unexpected can happen at any given moment in any given game. Every year there's always a few surprises that take us back.
This year should be no different.
Trying to predict who will win each division, or the wild cards, or the League Championship Series, or even the MVP or Cy Youngs is always a crapshoot. You just never know.
So with that said, a few days late, it's time to roll out my predictions for the just commenced season.
I always start with the National League because, well, I'm a National League fan. Always have been, always will be.
The past two seasons have practically been mirror images of each other in the NL. The Dodgers have won the West the last two seasons while the Phillies have won the East the past two years. The Cards won the Central last year after the Cubs dominated the year before. And the Rockies won last year's Wild Card after the Brewers won the year before.
The Phils then beat the wild card winner both years in the post-season while the Dodgers swept the Central champs both years before losing to the Phils in the LCS 4-1.
This year shouldn't be much different from last.
The Dodgers have a very potent lineup, as do the Rockies, and both teams have solid young hurlers to anchor the rotation. The Dodger pen is always one of the best in baseball but the difference this year from last is the lack of depth in the Dodger rotation. Having said that, the Rockies should edge out the Wild Card-winning Dodgers for the division.
In the Central, the Cards are the team to beat, but if the Cubs can avoid the injury bug and stay healthy, they will give the Cards a run in the Central. And keep an eye on the Reds as a sleeper.
In the East, the Phillies are far and away the best team in the NL once again. And they only got better when they added former Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay to the mix. Barring any major injuries to any key players, the Phils should outlast the Braves and Marlins.
The American League is a whole different animal from the NL.
The AL East is arguably the best division in baseball. Three of baseball's top five teams hail from the East. Last season, the Yankees not only dominated the division which also included the Wild Card team in the Red Sox, but they dominated the entire league, parading through the playoffs and beating up a very good Phillies team for the franchise's 27th title.
But even as the Yanks reloaded after losing several key players, 2010 won't be easy for the Bronx Bombers. That's because the Red Sox have also reloaded, including adding John Lackey to the rotation, and the Rays finally have a legitimate closer to compliment a solid rotation and bullpen. All that said, the Rays and the Wild Card-winning Yankees should prevail in a three-team East dogfight.
The Central is the most interesting. The defending champs needed 163 games last season to win the division, and they lost their closer to Tommy John surgery. But they added two players in Orlando Hudson and J.J. Hardy that should be key in keeping them atop the division. The White Sox have the best rotation in the division but have some question marks offensively, as do the Tigers. Either way, all three teams have a chance, but the Twins balanced and consistent lineup and rotation should prevail.
Out West, the Angels have dominated the division, more or less, since 2002. But with the emergence of the Rangers young pitching last season, and the Mariners retooling atop their rotation and lineup, the division is as wide open as ever. The Angels lost several key players and really only replaced one of them. And the Mariners added two key pieces, but they still lack middle-of-the-lineup power and offense. Having said that, in the end, the Rangers will be left standing as division winners.
When all is said and done, only one team will be left standing as 2010 World Series winners. This year, because of their balance and consistency in their lineup and rotation, that team will be the Tampa Bay Rays, edging out the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
It would also be kind of hard and foolish to bet against last year's MVP and Cy Young winners in both leagues to win again in 2010, though, again, anything can happen. Albert Pujols and Joe Mauer should be the favorites to repeat for MVP in their respective leagues. Troy Tulwitzki will give Pujols a battle in the NL, while Evan Longoria will push Mauer in the AL. NL newcomer Halladay will edge out two-time NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and Rockies hurler Ubaldo Jimenez, while Zack Greinke should repeat in the AL. Atlanta's Jason Heyward is the early favorite for NL Rookie of the Year with Baltimore's Brian Matusz the favorite in the AL.
Until November...
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