* – indicates new to team
AVG – Batting Average
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves
1. Cincinnati Reds
A deep pitching staff with a potent lineup means another Central title.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
Ron Roenicke brings a winning pedigree that should turn the Brew Crew’s fortunes around.
3. St. Louis Cardinals
Losing Wainwright will hurt, but Pujols should keep them in contention.
4. Chicago Cubs
A better pitching staff, but still a lot of questions about the lineup.
5. Houston Astros
The youth movement has begun at key positions.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
Is it too much to ask for them to win 70 games?
Player to Watch: P Zach Greinke Milwaukee Brewers
To go from a player who might have been brought up to the big leagues too soon in 2005 (5-17 5.80 ERA) with Kansas City. To then when the American League Cy Young award in 2009 (16-8 2.16 ERA) with the same Kansas City Royals. Greinke has had a very successful career that last three seasons. Kansas City hasn’t offered much help in run support, but Greinke adjusted his mechanics and was right with himself at the same time. He made it known last year that he wasn’t interested in staying long term with Kansas City if they weren’t competing so they made the smart move and got a kings ransom from Milwaukee. The Brewers would like Greinke to stay on that upward trend in a new surrounding where he will get plenty of run support with the Brewers stacked lineup. Don’t expect Roy Halladay like numbers from Greinke this year, but the Brewers are optimistic that he will be a mainstay for them now and going forward.
Best Acquisition: P Matt Garza Chicago Cubs
While all the talk was about what was going on in Milwaukee’s rotation, on the North Side of Chicago, the Cubs made a subtle move acquiring Garza from Tampa Bay. The Cubs gave up a few prized prospects, but if they want to return to contention in their own division, they will need a strong starting staff. Garza has been a consistent starter since his arrival in Tampa Bay in 2008. He was the ALCS MVP for the Rays in 2008. The last two seasons he’s pitched at least 200 innings and has had an impressive strikeout to walk ratio. The Cubs figure a move to the pitcher friendly National League will only help Garza. Last year he won a career high 15 games and helped Tampa Bay win their second division title in three years. Chicago would like to get back to their glory days now almost a decade ago.
New Kid on the Block: 3B Pedro Alvarez Pittsburgh Pirates
Now is the time for the Pirates to unveil their next top prospect. Alvarez was considered the best hitter available when the Pirates drafted him 2nd overall in 2008. He reminds some of Miguel Cabrera, with the power to all fields, but is a better defender than Cabrera. Pittsburgh, in a perfect world would like to have waited until the end of this year to bring him along, but they had to last year. The Pirates are in the midst of one of the worst losing stretches in sports history. They would like to remain competitive and Alvarez helps them accomplish that. He skyrocketed through their farm system in just two seasons. They believe he can solidify the middle of their lineup for many years. That is if they can get out of the losing cellar of baseball.
Reds Lineup
1. CF Drew Stubbs
.255 AVG 22 HR 77 RBI
2. 2B Brandon Phillips
.275 AVG 18 HR 59 RBI
3. 1B Joey Votto
.324 AVG 37 HR 113 RBI
4. 3B Scott Rolen
.285 AVG 20 HR 83 RBI
5. RF Jay Bruce
.281 AVG 25 HR 70 RBI
6. LF Jonny Gomes
.266 AVG 18 HR 86 RBI
7. C Ramon Hernandez
.297 AVG 7 HR 48 RBI
8. SS Paul Janish
.260 AVG 5 HR 25 RBI
The Reds have a lineup where everyone can hit. Stubbs had a breakout year in the leadoff spot. If he can continue it will go a long way in helping Votto and Rolen have great years. Phillips had a down year. Still a productive hitter, he’s in a contract year so that does make the 2011 season a bit more intriguing for him. Votto was a big part of why the Reds won the Central division and was awarded with the MVP award. He is probably the hardest out in baseball. He sees every pitch so well and it’s a testament to his knowledge. Rolen has had a resurgence since arriving in Cincinnati. He was instrumental in the cleanup spot protecting Votto and easing the pressure of Bruce to perform at a high level. Bruce had a great year that included providing the walk-off home run to clinch the division for the Reds last year. Cincinnati will have him and Votto for the next 4-5 years with contract extensions in the offseason. Gomes was quite a find. He has flown under the radar for most of his career, but he earned a starting job with this club. Manager Dusty Baker loves having guys like Gomes who give it their all everyday. Hernandez had a great year. His approach at the plate is amongst the best in baseball. His defense is above average and he does well with the young pitching staff. Janish is a defensive gem who will be given the shortstop job outright. His bat is coming along nicely and if they mesh together the Reds will be fine a the bottom of the order.
Bench
INF Miguel Cairo
.290 AVG 4 HR 28 RBI
INF Edgar Renteria*
.276 AVG 3 HR 22 RBI
C Ryan Hanigan
.300 AVG 5 HR 40 RBI
The bench got a lift when they brought back Cairo and signed the World Series MVP for the San Francisco Giants in Renteria. Both can play multiple positions, especially Cairo. Both will play over 100 games. Cairo for his pinch hitting and running abilities. Renteria because he can still hit, but isn’t a full time starter at this point in his career. Hanigan was signed to a three year extension and it’s because he is finally becoming a good hitter and is a fine defensive catcher. He is a great complement when Hernandez is given a day off.
Rotation
1. Edinson Volquez
4-3 4.31 ERA
2. Bronson Arroyo
17-10 3.88 ERA
3. Johnny Cueto
12-7 3.64 ERA
4. Travis Wood
5-4 3.51 ERA
5. Homer Bailey
4-3 4.46 ERA
This young, but talented rotation has some injury issues to start the season. Cueto and Bailey will be out for most of April, but the Reds are deep enough to get past it. Volquez is full recovered from Tommy John surgery and he will again regain his spot atop the rotation. Arroyo is constantly pitching over 200 innings for the Reds and they hope it can continue this year. The young staff is taking notice from Arroyo and he hasn’t disappointed. Wood was a pleasant surprise in the middle of the season. He performed well enough to warrant a spot in the rotation this year. Mike Leake will be back in the rotation this year due to the injuries to Bailey and Cueto. Leake was the surprise last year when he earned a spot in the rotation out of spring training. Leake had a rough stretch in August and September, but the Reds believe he has learned from his mistakes and will bounce back. He will have to if Cueto and Bailey are out for longer than projected.
Setup
Aroldis Chapman
2-2 2.03 ERA
Closer
Francisco Cordero
40 SV 3.84 ERA
This was a good bullpen that became a great bullpen with the arrival of Chapman. He is probably going to be moved to the rotation either later this year or next year. Until then he will be an excellent setup man to their closer Cordero. Cordero had a down year as far as his ERA is concerned. He can still save the big games for the Reds and that is what they will need again if they are to repeat as division champions. Chapman should be primed for a sensational season. His electric stuff is nearly unhittable, but teams were starting to figure it out. He’ll have to mix in an off-speed pitch to throw off the hitters from waiting for his fastball. There will be more pressure for the bullpen to succeed with Chapman’s emergence and Cordero’s struggles.
Brewers Lineup
1. 2B Rickie Weeks
.269 AVG 29 HR 83 RBI
2. CF Carlos Gomez
.247 AVG 5 HR 24 RBI
3. LF Ryan Braun
.304 AVG 25 HR 103 RBI
4. 1B Prince Fielder
.261 AVG 32 HR 83 RBI
5. 3B Casey McGehee
.285 AVG 23 HR 104 RBI
6. RF Corey Hart
.283 AVG 31 HR 102 RBI
7. C Jonathan Lucroy
.253 AVG 4 HR 26 RBI
8. SS Yuniesky Betancourt*
.259 AVG 16 HR 78 RBI
Not many teams can say they have five players who can drive in over 100 runs. Teams like the Phillies, Red Sox and Yankees would be a few of the teams that could say that. Now the Brewers have joined that list. Weeks at the top of the order should do fine and after a full season healthy, he has shown his worth. He can easily produce a 30-30 season. Gomez will likely be in a platoon with Morgan in center field. Unless Gomez can consistently produce at the plate, he and Morgan will form a good duo that will terrorize the defense on the base paths. Braun is playing at a level that is beyond what the Brewers expected. It’s scary to think that he can still get better and why not when he has Fielder batting cleanup. Fielder had a down year. He is far better than the 83 runs in drove in last year. Milwaukee expects him to have a career year with his contract up at the end of the year. McGehee was a steal when they acquired him off waivers from division rival Chicago. He has risen to become a dangerous hitter in their lineup and if they should lose Fielder to free agency, he will be a capable replacement in the cleanup spot. Hart was placed all over the lineup last year and still managed to have a productive year anyway. As long as the top of the order can remain consistent, Hart should do fine behind Fielder and McGehee. Lucroy has earned the catching job after his performance last year. He is a good defensive catcher and his bat figures to be in the middle of the pack for the Brewers. Betancourt came to Milwaukee in the Zach Greinke deal from Kansas City. He is a good hitter, but his defense is suspect. He has good range, but his accuracy has been an issue. He’ll figure to come near the numbers he put up last year.
Bench
INF Craig Counsell
.250 AVG 2 HR 21 RBI
1B/OF Mark Kotsay*
.239 AVG 8 HR 31 RBI
OF Nyjer Morgan*
.253 AVG 0 HR 24 RBI
Counsell figures to see plenty of playing time. His bat isn’t as productive as it once was, but he is a good fielder and can play third, short and second at any given time. Kotsay was a good acquisition. He doesn’t run as well anymore, but he can still hit in spurts. Not agile enough to play center field, but the corner outfield spots are doable as is first base. Morgan will probably be in the platoon role with Gomez in center. Morgan’s speed is game changing. He isn’t anywhere near the kind of threat with his bat, but his speed will help him get on base.
Rotation
1. Zach Greinke*
10-14 4.17 ERA
2. Yovani Gallardo
14-7 3.84 ERA
3. Shaun Marcum*
13-8 3.64 ERA
4. Randy Wolf
13-12 4.17 ERA
5. Chris Narveson
12-9 4.99 ERA
Milwaukee made not just one, but two moves to shore up their rotation. The first was getting Marcum from Toronto and then they followed that up by getting Greinke. Unfortunately they will be without Greinke for some of April due to a broken rib. When he does return, the Brewers hope he can provide them with a steady dose of a staff ace. Gallardo is a capable starter with excellent stuff. He was anointed the ace last year and took off. With Greinke and Marcum aboard that should only help Gallardo reach the 20 win plateau even faster. Marcum made a successful return from Tommy John surgery last year in Toronto. Considering he pitched most of his games in the AL East, he did very well. He even pitched over 200 innings. Milwaukee hopes that he can perform even better in the National League. Wolf has been a good starter throughout his career. His better days are probably behind him, but being at the bottom of the Brewers rotation should have him play better than expected. His ERA might go down a little, but his walk total should go down (87 career high). Narveson was good, but not great. The Brewers would like him to get more control of his pitches and not get himself into trouble. If he can minimize the big run innings, his ERA should drop by a run.
Setup
Takashi Saito*
2-3 2.83 ERA
Closer
John Axford
24 SV 2.48 ERA
Trevor Hoffman is no longer around and that means that the job is Axford’s going forward. He was consistent right from the start for Milwaukee. His stuff won’t overpower anyone, but he will lull you to sleep. If you’re expected a fastball, he’ll throw the changeup. Expecting the changeup, he’ll throw the fastball. Axford’s one problem was he didn’t have a reliable setup man to make his job easier. Saito will do just that. The former closer turned setup man, Saito is a crafty veteran who will go for the ground ball out rather than the strikeout. He is a perfect complement to Axford and the Brewers bullpen and rotation will benefit from Saito’s presence this season.
Cardinals Lineup
1. SS Ryan Theriot*
.270 AVG 2 HR 29 RBI
2. CF Colby Rasmus
.276 AVG 23 HR 66 RBI
3. 1B Albert Pujols
.312 AVG 42 HR 118 RBI
4. LF Matt Holliday
.312 AVG 28 HR 103 RBI
5. RF Lance Berkman*
.248 AVG 14 HR 58 RBI
6. 3B David Freese
.296 AVG 4 HR 36 RBI
7. C Yadier Molina
.262 AVG 6 HR 62 RBI
8. 2B Skip Schumaker
.265 AVG 5 HR 42 RBI
A lot has to go right for the Cardinals lineup this year. First they have to have an established leadoff hitter. Is Theriot that guy? Only time will tell, but he has had a couple good years where he’s had an OBP of at least .340 (2008-09). He can steal bases too. He’s stolen at least 20 the last four seasons. Rasmus has to bounce back. He butted heads with manager Tony LaRussa last year and left him in the doghouse for much of the year. He will be given another chance to succeed, but time is running out for him. Pujols we all know is in a contract year, but what we don’t know is if he will start to regress anytime soon? All signs point to no, but that’s why St. Louis isn’t going to jump the gun on a big extension for him yet. They will have to if he keeps up the hitting pace he’s on. Holliday is quickly finding a groove in the Cardinals lineup. A lot of people in the sport were afraid that he would start to see his numbers go down when he left Colorado. Not the case with him. He is a great hitter who will continue to produce at a high level. Berkman and Freese are the two big unknowns. Berkman is being counted on to get back to form in his hay day with Houston. Those might be behind him and with him playing in the outfield full time that is a defensive weakness that will be exposed often. Freese has struggled to stay healthy the last two years. He has the bat to consistently produce and his glove is reminding fans of Scott Rolen. He has to stay healthy for the bottom of the lineup to keep the pace. Molina is still a fantastic defensive catcher and is overlooked a lot of times at the plate. He continues to drive in at least 50 runs for the Cardinals. Last year was a career year in that department. Schumaker would like to forget about last year. His defensive woes were the least of his worries. The Cardinals were counting on him to produce at the top of the lineup and he couldn’t. They hope being at the bottom he can regain that hitting touch from 2008-09.
Bench
INF Nick Punto*
.238 AVG 1 HR 20 RBI
C Gerald Laird*
.207 AVG 5 HR 25 RBI
OF John Jay
.300 AVG 4 HR 27 RBI
Punto was a great acquisition for the Cardinals. He can play third, short or second and with the injury history of Freese, the struggles of Schumaker and the uncertainty of Theriot, Punto is in a good position to play. Laird is a good defensive catcher. His bat has seen a drop off in production, but he can hold his own as the backup to Molina. Jay was fantastic last year for LaRussa. When Rasmus was in the doghouse Jay filled in nicely and was even better in pinch hit situations. LaRussa will find ways to get his bat into the game.
Rotation
1. Chris Carpenter
16-9 3.22 ERA
2. Jaime Garcia
13-8 2.70 ERA
3. Jake Westbrook
10-11 4.22 ERA
4. Kyle Lohse
4-8 6.55 ERA
5. Kyle McClellan
1-4 2.27 ERA
It was a big blow to the Cardinals psyche when it was announced that Adam Wainwright was lost to Tommy John surgery. You wouldn’t know it by their public statements, but it will be tough to replace him. Carpenter is still playing at a high level, but for how much longer. More pressure is on him to perform at a Cy Young level for the Cardinals to remain competitive. Garcia was off to a great start in his rookie season. He started to tail off after the All-Star break though and that doesn’t bode well heading into this season as he’s expected to fill the void left by Wainwright. Westbrook and Lohse have to be healthy for most of the year to lessen the blow to the rotation. Lohse especially. Westbrook was re-signed after his mid-season transfer from Cleveland. He is a ground ball pitcher who will keep the defense active and in the game. Lohse hasn’t started 30 games since 2008 and that was his career year with the Cardinals. Getting at least 170 innings out of Lohse would be great for the Cardinals. McClellan will given a chance to start this year. He has good stuff to stay in the rotation. Whether he can pitch over 150 innings in a season remains to be seen.
Setup
Jason Motte
4-2 2.24 ERA
Closer
Ryan Franklin
27 SV 3.46 ERA
There is only one sure thing about the Cardinals bullpen and that’s Franklin. He is the closer unless he just falls flat this year. His ERA rose almost two runs from the year before which is a bit alarming. It could mean that his time could be up as a top notch closer, but LaRussa is a loyal manager who will stick with his guy until it’s absolutely necessary to make a change. Motte has better stuff than Franklin, but isn’t ready to close full time. He will be a good setup man this year, but there isn’t many viable options for the Cardinals should Franklin falter early in the season.
Cubs Lineup
1. RF Kosuke Fukudome
.263 AVG 13 HR 44 RBI
2. SS Starlin Castro
.300 AVG 3 HR 41 RBI
3. CF Marlon Byrd
.293 AVG 12 HR 66 RBI
4. 1B Carlos Pena*
.196 AVG 28 HR 84 RBI
5. 3B Aramis Ramirez
.241 AVG 25 HR 83 RBI
6. LF Alfonso Soriano
.258 AVG 24 HR 79 RBI
7. C Geovany Soto
.280 AVG 17 HR 53 RBI
8. 2B Blake DeWitt
.261 AVG 5 HR 52 RBI
The Cubs figure to have a lot of players try to be the leadoff hitter this year. Fukudome will be given the first chance. Only because of his ability to hit the ball. He’s not the most patient hitter, but he does have some pop. Castro figures to eventually be the leadoff hitter, but the Cubs don’t want to put that kind of pressure on him just yet. Byrd is coming off an All-Star year. He started to trail off after the break though, but the Cubs believe that isn’t a sign of things to come this season. Pena is a high risk, high reward signing. The batting average is a troubling sign, but he can still hit 30+ HRs during the season. If he does that and hits at least .250, he will be looking for a nice extension. Ramirez is almost at the end of the line in Chicago. He has struggled with injuries for many years now in Chicago, but he can still hit and is an important piece to their lineup. Soriano thus far has been a major disappointment. The Cubs would like to see their 100 million dollar investment do more. He is a far better hitter than he has shown since signing with the Cubs. Soto had a nice bounce back season. His defense is a bit suspect, but his bat is among the best at his position. DeWitt will be someone to watch in Chicago. If Castro does leadoff and does well at that spot, DeWitt is seen as a great hitter in the second spot. He couldn’t make it in the Dodgers lineup, but the Cubs believe in a new surrounding he can flourish.
Bench
OF Tyler Colvin
.254 AVG 20 HR 56 RBI
INF/OF Jeff Baker
.272 AVG 4 HR 21 RBI
C Koyie Hill
.214 AVG 1 HR 17 RBI
Colvin was having a career year until a broken bat stabbed him and sidelined him for the last month of the season. He is fully recovered and should provide a big bat for the Cubs bench. Baker has been a great utility player for the Cubs. He isn’t considered an everyday player, but the Cubs don’t want him to play more than 125 games for them in a season. Hill is a great defensive catcher, which with Soto’s struggles he will see plenty of time. His bat is more of an after thought.
Rotation
1. Ryan Dempster
15-12 3.85 ERA
2. Carlos Zambrano
11-6 3.33 ERA
3. Matt Garza*
15-10 3.91 ERA
4. Randy Wells
8-14 4.26 ERA
5. Andrew Cashner
2-6 4.80 ERA
The Cubs have a good reason to be optimistic this year. Dempster had another good year. Zambrano responded well after his suspension and demotion to the bullpen. And they acquired a great pitcher in Garza from Tampa Bay. Dempster isn’t the quintessential ace, but he is consistent. The Cubs know that every fifth day he can either continue a winning streak or end a losing streak. Zambrano seems to be right going into 2011. If he stays that way, the Cubs would be at ease and not expect anymore explosions from him. Garza is a good complement to Dempster and Zambrano. He’s a big game pitcher who knows what it is like to play with a team that has a history of losing. There is hope that with him in the rotation it will help turn the culture of losing around. Wells was a big disappointment last year. The Cubs would like to see him make a big leap forward to make up for his 2010 campaign. Cashner won the last starting spot over the veteran Carlos Silva. Silva left on bad terms, but the Cubs feel that Cashner is ready for the rotation. He will need time to get adjusted, but he has the stuff to be a middle of the rotation type starter.
Setup
Kerry Wood*
3-4 3.13 ERA
Closer
Carlos Marmol
38 SV 2.55 ERA
Chicago’s bullpen was in a state of disarray last year. They didn’t have any great setup options for Marmol, but he was still able to save almost 40 games. He has electric stuff and it’s a wonder the Cubs didn’t name him the closer sooner. Wood decided to return to Chicago and fill the setup role. He was fantastic as the setup man to Mariano Rivera in New York. If he can do the same in Chicago, they will be tough to beat in the eighth and ninth innings this season.
Astros Lineup
1. CF Michael Bourn
.265 AVG 2 HR 38 RBI
2. SS Clint Barmes*
.235 AVG 8 HR 50 RBI
3. RF Hunter Pence
.282 AVG 25 HR 91 RBI
4. LF Carlos Lee
.246 AVG 24 HR 89 RBI
5. 3B Chris Johnson
.308 AVG 11 HR 52 RBI
6. 2B Bill Hall*
.247 AVG 18 HR 46 RBI
7. 1B Brett Wallace
.301 AVG 18 HR 61 RBI (AAA stats)
8. C Humberto Quintero
.234 AVG 4 HR 20 RBI
They are starting to bring along some young players in the Astros lineup. Bourn is turning into one of the best leadoff hitters in the game. He plays stellar defense and knows what to do in every situation during the game. Barmes isn’t the ideal number two hitter, but he will have a chance to drive in plenty of runs with Bourn batting in front of him. Pence continues to perform with hardly any protection. He was widely considered a five tool player and he is living up to that potential. Lee had a bad year. Houston hopes there isn’t a repeat of that, but he will eventually have to switch positions. Johnson and Wallace are part of the youth movement that Houston is bringing along this year. Johnson played well for a half season. In a full season, he should do even better. Wallace will be brought along slowly, but he has a plus bat and can field with the best of them. Hall has decent power, but he won’t be the savior for Houston. Quintero will be starting due to a season ending knee injury to Jason Castro. Quintero is a good defender, but isn’t a great option at the plate.
Bench
INF/OF Jeff Keppinger
.288 AVG 6 HR 59 RBI
OF Jason Michaels
.253 AVG 8 HR 26 RBI
C J.R. Towles
.191 AVG 1 HR 8 RBI
Keppinger had a career year playing all over the place. He will see plenty of playing time either in left field, short, second and sometimes center to give Bourn a night off. Michaels is a good pinch hitter, but at this stage in his career he doesn’t offer a lot if someone goes down due to injury. Towles is the default backup catcher. He has been a disappointment as the future starting catcher. This could be his last chance to stay on the roster.
Rotation
1. Wandy Rodriguez
11-12 3.60 ERA
2. Brett Myers
14-8 3.14 ERA
3. J.A. Happ
6-4 3.40 ERA
4. Bud Norris
9-10 4.92 ERA
5. Nelson Figueroa
7-4 3.29 ERA
Without Oswalt the Astros don’t have an ace, but two pretty good starters. Rodriguez and Myers had good years despite the troubles with the lineup and the bullpen. Rodriguez can easily get 15 wins this year with a little more run support. Myers had a career year and could easily repeat those numbers. Happ was the main piece acquired for Oswalt last year from Philadelphia. Happ had to make some adjustments being in a starting rotation after spending most of the year in the bullpen. He should do fine with Houston in a full season. Norris and Figueroa are considered after thoughts, but Norris is a decent pitcher who has had potential throughout his career. Figueroa is the veteran of the staff and still can get the best of big league hitting. This is probably his last big league job, but he will make the most of it.
Setup
Wilton Lopez
5-2 2.96 ERA
Closer
Brandon Lyon
20 SV 3.12 ERA
The Astros bullpen took a hit when they traded their closer Matt Lindstrom to the Colorado Rockies. Not to say they didn’t have another closer already in Lyon, but it was a strange move at the time. Houston hopes that Lyon will be able to hold down that job. There isn’t many other venues for the Astros to go to. Lopez was a good in the setup role. It remains to be seen if he can repeat that performance in a fairly depleted bullpen. The Astros don’t have big expectations this year, but they do manage to find reliable players to fill holes during the season.
Pirates Lineup
1. LF Jose Tabata
.299 AVG 4 HR 35 RBI
2. 2B Neil Walker
.296 AVG 12 HR 66 RBI
3. CF Andrew McCutchen
.286 AVG 16 HR 56 RBI
4. 3B Pedro Alvarez
.256 AVG 16 HR 64 RBI
5. 1B Lyle Overbay*
.243 AVG 20 HR 67 RBI
6. RF Garrett Jones
.247 AVG 21 HR 86 RBI
7. C Chris Snyder
.207 AVG 15 HR 48 RBI
8. SS Ronny Cedeno
.256 AVG 8 HR 38 RBI
The Pirates brought along some of their top prospects last year. Pittsburgh hopes that this year they can continue to contribute towards a brighter future. Tabata was one of those prospects. He is a good hitter with a knack for stealing a base. Walker had a career year last season. He played a new position and was fantastic. Pittsburgh hopes he can continue that trend being surrounded by Tabata and McCutchen. The Pirates best player by far is McCutchen. He is a bona fide five tool player and Pittsburgh believes that he hasn’t reached his full potential yet. Alvarez is being thrust into the cleanup spot this year. He has tremendous power potential. They don’t want to put a lot of pressure on him, but they would like to see him start to get comfortable. Overbay and Jones are the two veterans in the lineup. Overbay is a sound defender and has decent pop. Jones has the best power on the team. Both should easily hit 20+ HRs with the short porch in right field at PNC Park. Snyder had a good year in the power category, but he is making a name for himself behind the plate. The Pirates are fortunate to have a steady hand in charge of their pitching staff. Cedeno had an okay year. He is another good defender for Pittsburgh, but they would like to see his average near .280. The Pirates have some balance to their lineup this year. First time in years they probably won’t trade away almost all of them for prospects.
Bench
OF Matt Diaz*
.250 AVG 7 HR 31 RBI
C Ryan Doumit
.251 AVG 13 HR 45 RBI
OF John Bowker
.219 AVG 5 HR 21 RBI
Diaz was an after thought during the offseason. He is one of the best hitters against lefthanded pitching and will see most of his playing time in right field. Doumit can still hit for power, but isn’t the best defender. He will still see time behind the plate, but will probably play first base more often. Bowker has decent pop, but has struggled to make consistent contact. He was considered a top prospect with the Giants, but the Pirates would like to see him fine tune his mechanics.
Rotation
1. Paul Maholm
9-15 5.10 ERA
2. Kevin Correia*
10-10 5.40 ERA
3. James McDonald
4-6 4.02 ERA
4. Ross Ohlendorf
1-11 4.07 ERA
5. Charlie Morton
2-12 7.57 ERA
It’s still considered a work in progress, but there is progress at the top. Maholm is their best pitcher. He’s not going to pile up a lot of strikeouts, but he does put the ball in play. That bodes well for a good defensive team. Correia was a good acquisition. He was a part of a winning team last year in San Diego and the Pirates should have that rub off on the rest of the team. As long as Correia plays to win, the Pirates will remain competitive. McDonald has the best stuff on the staff. The Dodgers were using more in the bullpen, but Pittsburgh likes how he responded last year being put in the rotation. Ohlendorf had a rough year. So did Morton, but both should be able to do better this year. Even slightly would be a major improvement for the Pirates. If the back end of the rotation can catch up with the first three starters, the Pirates won’t have many glaring weaknesses this year on the staff.
Setup
Evan Meek
5-4 2.14 ERA
Closer
Joel Hanrahan
6 SV 3.62 ERA
The Pirates bullpen should be good. Meek was their lone All-Star selection last year. He gets outs and it doesn’t matter how he does it. He can go a couple outings without getting a strikeout and sometimes he will strikeout the side. Either way he is a solid setup man for Hanrahan. They have the right closer in Hanrahan. He is a hard throwing righthander who will come after the hitter. He hates losing and even more when it’s on him. Hanrahan saving 30 games can be accomplished, but that all depends on the starters and whether the lineup can consistently produce runs.
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