* – indicates new to team
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves

1. Colorado Rockies
Next to the Phillies the deepest team in the National League.
2. San Francisco Giants
Need to score more runs to help their great pitching staff.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
They will miss Randy Wolf, but they still have a great lineup.
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
Will have to wait one more year, but the important pieces are in place.
5. San Diego Padres
With a new GM, they’ve now taken two steps back.

Player to Watch: P Tim Lincecum San Francisco Giants
It’s unrealistic to think that Lincecum will win a third consecutive Cy Young award. But it will be interesting to see. In the last two years he has 33 wins, 452 1/3 innings pitched, 526 strikeouts to only 152 walks. Last season was not his best, but when you lead the league in strikeouts and post an ERA of 2.48, you will get noticed. The Giants were in contention for most of last season thanks in large part to Lincecum and the pitching staff. All eyes will be on him this year as more analysts will be predicting great things for the Giants mainly because of their pitching. It’s rare that a phenom pitcher actually lives up to his potential. Winning two Cy Young awards this soon is as good as it gets.
Manager on the Hot Seat: Jim Tracy Colorado Rockies
Not so much that is job will be on the line, but how can you live up to the expectations from the finish to last season. The only way you can top last year if your Tracy is winning the NL West. They have never won a division title in their 17 year existence. What’s stopping them? The Dodgers did nothing to improve from last years team. The Giants still don’t have a big power bat in the middle of their lineup. And the Padres and Diamondbacks are still 2-3 years away from getting back into contention. Colorado has a great core of players that they will have for quite a while. Tracy was masterful in his handling of the team when he took over mid-May of ’09. They went on a ridiculous 72-38 tear to win the NL Wild Card. Hopefully it won’t come to that kind of comeback for the Rockies of 2010 to make the postseason.
Trade Bait: 1B Adrian Gonzalez San Diego Padres
He is a constant run producer for a bad team. That is very appealing to every contender in both the National and American Leagues. Didn’t have his best season if you only look at his batting average (.277), but his 40 HR and 99 RBI are exactly what makes him an attractive commodity in baseball circles. That and he is locked up at an affordable price this year and next. The Red Sox were making a big push to get him in the offseason, but were unwilling to part with two top prospects plus two more lower level ones to acquire him. That will be the asking price for Gonzalez and the Padres new GM Jed Hoyer better not give in to other teams demands. Gonzalez is a rare find. A gap to gap power hitter who can also play gold glove caliber defense at first base. As a fan I want to keep him, but the way things are going for San Diego, they will mostly deal him this year.

Rockies Lineup

LF Carlos Gonzalez
.284 AVG 13 HR 29 RBI
CF Dexter Fowler
.266 AVG 4 HR 34 RBI
1B Todd Helton
.325 AVG 15 HR 86 RBI
SS Troy Tulowitzki
.297 AVG 32 HR 92 RBI
RF Brad Hawpe
.285 AVG 23 HR 86 RBI
C Chris Iannetta
.228 AVG 16 HR 52 RBI
3B Ian Stewart
.228 AVG 25 HR 70 RBI
2B Clint Barmes
.245 AVG 23 HR 76 RBI

The Phillies have the best lineup in league. Perhaps in all of baseball. A close second would have to be Colorado. Based solely off last years stats, but you can assume more of the same if they are healthy this year. Gonzalez and Fowler at the top are perhaps the speediest one-two punch at the top of a lineup. When they were both called up last year, that’s when the Rockies took off on their amazing run. Gonzalez provides power in the leadoff spot with his wheels. Fowler needs to be more selective, but Tracy loves having them when he plays small ball. Helton doesn’t have the 30 HR pop, but he can still hit. A bounce back year for Helton resulted in a three year extension which will have him finishing his career in Denver. There is a saying now with Tulo (Tulowitzki nickname). So goes Tulowitzki, so goes the Rockies. When he’s healthy, the Rockies are a different team and when he’s out of the lineup, well their downright different. A healthy Tulowitzki is also good for baseball. A one of a kind talent. Hawpe hopefully won’t start this year like he ended last year. After the All-Star break Hawpe hit .240 with only 9 HR. He is too good to be falling into slumps like that. Iannetta is coming along very well with his catching skills, but struggled to get his average to what it was in ’08 (.264). The power is there, but he needs to be a more patient hitter when the rest of the lineup in front of him gets on base. Stewart took away the third base job from Garrett Atkins and never looked over his shoulder. He’s poised to breakout this year with 30+ HR, but he must look for his pitch and not chase so much (138 K). Barmes is the steady force for the bottom of the order. He can drive in the big run and make a fantastic play at second.

Bench

OF Seth Smith
.293 AVG 15 HR 55 RBI
OF Ryan Spilborghs
.241 AVG 8 HR 48 RBI
3B Melvin Mora*
.260 AVG 8 HR 48 RBI

This was the strength last year and they’ve improved it this year. Smith is the best pinch hitter in the game today. Constantly came in at key moments of the game and produced without a problem. The consument professional who could be a starter, but is fine with the role on a winning team. Spilborghs can play anywhere in the outfield and provides decent pop off the bench. He can also come through in the clutch. A walk-off grand slam last year in a comeback victory in extra innings to his credit. Mora was signed to a one year deal to provide depth and in case Stewart falters in the beginning of the season. Mora now that he is in a winning atmosphere, should be more laid back knowing they don’t have to count on him to provide offense. He still has a great glove for the hot corner. This bench is so deep that I have to mention they also have 1B Jason Giambi, 2B/OF Eric Young Jr. and C Miguel Olivo* as well. Other managers are drooling over the depth of this team.

Rotation

Ubaldo Jimenez
15-12 3.47 ERA
Aaron Cook
11-6 4.16 ERA
Jorge De La Rosa
16-9 4.38 ERA
Jason Hammel
10-8 4.33 ERA
Jeff Francis
4-10 5.01 ERA (2008 stats)

Setup

Manuel Corpas
1-3 5.88 ERA

Closer

Franklin Morales
7 SV 4.50 ERA

This look is very deceptive. They have talent here, there is no doubt about it. Jimenez is a legitimate number one starter. Almost had 200 strikeouts last year and the most important quality about him is that he knows how to pitch at Coors Field. Cook is the sinker ball specialist that the Rockies have long coveted. If Cook was not around for his 27 starts, they would not have won the Wild Card. De La Rosa and the since departed Jason Marquis were keeping the Rockies in almost all of their starts. Marquis had 15 wins, but fizzled at the end of the season. De La Rosa however got better as the season progressed (16-3 3.94 ERA after June 1). A career year for him, he will look to replicate that success. Hammel was a breathe of fresh air for the Rockies who were without Jeff Francis all of last year. Hammel is a power pitcher who can get the groundball outs as well. Francis return meant the end for Marquis in Colorado. Francis was the number one, but will be counted on more to be the backbone of the back end of the rotation. Francis was a big part of their success in ’07 when they made it to the World Series that year.
The closer role to start the year will be given to Morales. Huston Street is suffering from shoulder tightness as is the main setup in Rafael Betancourt. Both Street and Betancourt will begin the year on the DL, but it is expected they will return shortly after the season starts. Morales is a fire baller who throws strikes to hitters. It’s tough to pick up pitches from him with his deceptive three quarter delivery. Almost like having Brian Fuentes in the pen again for Colorado. Corpas was the closer in ’07, but control problems and injuries relegated him to the back end of the pen in ’08. He has since regained that control, is healthy and primed for another shot to close possibly if Morales is unavailable for a one or two day stretch. The Rockies will be a fun team to watch in 2010.

Giants Lineup

CF Aaron Rowand
.261 AVG 15 HR 64 RBI
2B Freddy Sanchez
.293 AVG 7 HR 41 RBI
3B Pablo Sandoval
.330 AVG 25 HR 90 RBI
1B Aubrey Huff*
.241 AVG 15 HR 85 RBI
LF Mark DeRosa*
.250 AVG 23 HR 78 RBI
C Bengie Molina
.265 20 HR 80 RBI
RF Nate Schierholtz
.267 AVG 5 HR 29 RBI
SS Edgar Renteria
.250 AVG 5 HR 48 RBI

Considering what they have for pitching, this isn’t gonna cut it. The top of the lineup is good, not great. Rowand is the leadoff hitter by default. Renteria no longer has the bat speed or running ability to be at the top of the lineup which leaves him in the eight slot. Rowand is more selective, but doesn’t get good contact to get on base which is what you need at the spot. Sanchez if healthy (might start year on DL) will be perfect for the Giants. Great contact hitter that can hit to all fields. Injuries have always been a concern with Sanchez, but there is no doubt with him being the number two guy in the lineup. An underrated defender too. Pablo Sandoval aka “Kung Fu Panda” gave the Giants a reason to smile last year. He eased through their system and proved right away how great a hitter he can be. Not in the greatest shape, but he is very agile playing the hot corner. The Giants thought it would take a lot longer to find someone to help them forget about Barry Bonds. His personality is a welcome sight for the clubhouse as well. Huff and DeRosa were the big acquisitions to help the lineup. Huff is going to be in the middle of a pennant race this year. He hasn’t always had that kind of experience in his career except the last quarter of ’09 playing for the Tigers. The Giants are buying a lot of stock in the thinking that Huff will help in the cleanup slot. A risk/reward kind of thinking here. DeRosa is money everywhere he plays. Great guy with a great attitude about playing the game. He can play anywhere you ask him to. Believe me, he won’t be the left fielder for the entire year. His power production is coming on late in his career, but the Giants will take what they can get out of him. Molina was resigned just before Spring Training. He is the slowest guy in baseball, but he doesn’t try to hide from it. He has become one of the best all around catchers in the game. Great at handling the pitching staff. That is the big reason why they brought him back. Schierholtz has a great arm in right, but not the power bat you would like from the position. He possesses a great baseball IQ. A breakout year would be a welcome surprise.

Bench

INF Juan Uribe
.289 AVG 16 HR 55 RBI
OF Fred Lewis
.258 AVG 4 HR 20 RBI
OF Eugenio Velez
.267 AVG 5 HR 31 RBI

Uribe will be the starting second baseman if Sanchez can’t play to start the year. If Sanchez can play, Uribe will be a great spot starter at short as well, his natural position. Uribe still possesses a power arm and a power bat with enough range to play third as well. Lewis can play all three outfield positions. Provides speed off the bench and isn’t a bad pinch hitting option for manager Bruce Bochy. Velez took off when he was called up last year finishing the season as the starting left fielder. He still has a spot on the team because of his bat and speed. Not a terrible fielder, but there is room for improvement.

Rotation

Tim Lincecum
15-7 2.48 ERA
Matt Cain
14-8 2.89 ERA
Barry Zito
10-13 4.03 ERA
Jonathan Sanchez
8-12 4.24 ERA
Todd Wellemeyer*
7-10 5.89 ERA

Setup

Jeremy Affeldt
2-2 1.73 ERA

Closer

Brian Wilson
38 SV 2.74 ERA

The conversation has to start with Lincecum. This year he’s the two time defending NL Cy Young award winner and will be looking to get the Giants into the postseason. Look out National League if this guy gets into the postseason. Size wise he’s the righthanded version of Sandy Koufax with electric stuff. Easily pencil him in for 250+ strikeouts and more than 15 wins this year. Cain is living up to the potential when was first called up. He could already have at least one 20 win season if the Giants would give him more run support in his starts. An equal workhorse next Lincecum. Zito will never live up to the 100 million dollar contract, but he is trying to salvage what’s left. Started out poorly, but bounced back after the All-Star break. He was one of the reasons to the Giants turnaround last year with the team winning 88 games. Sanchez had one great start (a no-hitter), but that was the highlight for him. He was too inconsistent from one start to the next. The talent is there, but he has to remain a force at the back end of the rotation for the Giants to stay in contention. Wellemeyer was a non-roster invite, but he is earning his way into the rotation. Struggled last year in the rotation for the Cardinals, but is a veteran who knows his way around the strike zone. Madison Bumgarner is waiting in the wings should Wellemeyer pitch himself out the rotation.
Brian Wilson is the most underrated closer in the game right now. Constantly throws strikes and gets results (83 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings pitched). It’s comforting for manager Bruce Bochy to know that he has a guy he can count on to help his staff win ball games, no matter the situation. He can appreciate closers since he managed the all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman in San Diego. Affeldt tried his luck as a starter early in his career, but arm trouble forced him to make adjustments and has since been the lefty out of the pen since ’05. ’09 was arguably his best year holding opponents batting average below .200. He can get both left and right handed hitters out. He’s not a specialist by an means. You bring Affeldt out in the eighth and Wilson in the ninth. You’ve essentially assured yourself a W that night.

Dodgers Lineup

SS Rafael Furcal
.269 AVG 9 HR 47 RBI
CF Matt Kemp
.297 AVG 26 HR 101 RBI
RF Andre Ethier
.272 AVG 31 HR 106 RBI
LF Manny Ramirez
.290 AVG 19 HR 63 RBI
1B James Loney
.281 AVG 13 HR 90 RBI
3B Casey Blake
.280 AVG 18 HR 79 RBI
C Russell Martin
.250 AVG 7 HR 53 RBI
2B Blake DeWitt
.204 AVG 2 HR 4 RBI

Basically the same lineup that helped the Dodgers win the NL West and claim the best record in the National League with 95 wins. Furcal must have a better year. Being the catalyst he has to get on base and steal more bases (12) for the Dodgers to keep pace with the Giants and Rockies this year. Kemp had a career year and is settling in as a future star in baseball. His defense matched his offense winning his first of what is to be many Gold Gloves in the outfield. Ethier was the clutch bat for the Dodgers all year even when Manny Ramirez came back in the lineup. Ethier is primed for another All-Star caliber year like Kemp. Ramirez is without a doubt in his last year with the Dodgers. Financially the Dodgers can’t keep him and his bat slowed considerably when he came back from his 50 game suspension for testing positive for PEDs. The Dodgers need Manny to be Manny when it comes to hitting in the cleanup spot. Loney is a sure handed first baseman, but has no power (45 HR in 4 seasons). Playing in Dodger Stadium doesn’t help, but even on the road his power stroke is no where to be found. A good thing he can make contact (.295 career hitter). Blake started out with a bang in ’09 hitting 9 HR through May. The next four months only 9 more. This is probably the last hurrah for Blake, but he is still a great leader on defense with his sure hands covering third base. The Dodgers can’t afford to have Blake being in a slump for most of the year. Martin by far is the biggest disappointment for them. Where are the 20+ stolen bases, .290 batting average and 80+ RBI? The last two seasons it has been missing in action for Martin. He’s dealing with a groin injury this spring, but all signs point to him being able to play at the start of the season. The Dodgers do have A.J. Ellis and Brad Ausmus ready to back Martin, but they need Martin’s bat more than his glove. DeWitt will get a chance to be their second baseman after letting Orlando Hudson depart. As a regular in ’08 he put up decent numbers (.264 AVG 9 HR 52 RBI). It fell off last year due in part to an injury before the ’09 season. Plus Hudson and Furcal being healthy for almost the entire year. DeWitt has a great knack for hitting, but his glove is suspect. Second base is the easiest position for him and the best place for him to get a spot on the roster.

Bench

INF Ronnie Belliard
.277 AVG 10 HR 39 RBI
INF Jamey Carroll*
.276 AVG 2 HR 26 RBI
OF Reed Johnson*
.255 AVG 4 HR 22 RBI

Joe Torre has his work cut out for him. Belliard is a streaky hitter who at first glance looks like Man Ram, but without the dreads. Belliard will be strictly used as the first pinch hitter and occasionally start at third and first for Blake and Loney respectively. If DeWitt struggles, Belliard can be counted on to man second as well. Carroll does bring a lot of versatility to the club. Third, short and second he can cover with no problems. Not a bad pinch hitter either. He will be looked more as pinch runner, but doesn’t have to be benched after that. Johnson can play all three outfield spots and has decent pop, but is prone to injuries. He only played in 65 games for the Cubs last year. Garret Anderson was brought in late in camp to be another bat off the bench. If he makes the roster he will provide veteran leadership that manager Joe Torre covets. It will be interesting to see Anderson except the role of pinch hitter first rather than a starter throughout most of his career.

Rotation

Clayton Kershaw
8-8 2.79 ERA
Chad Billingsley
12-11 4.03 ERA
Hiroki Kuroda
8-7 3.76 ERA
Vicente Padilla
12-6 4.46 ERA
Charlie Haeger
1-1 3.32 ERA

Setup

George Sherrill
21 SV 1.70 ERA

Closer

Jonathan Broxton
36 SV 2.61 ERA

A lot of pressure has fallen on the shoulders of the starting rotation this year. Kershaw is being hailed unfairly as the next Sandy Koufax. Way too soon folks. Kershaw is potentially great, but how will he fare after his poor showing against the now rival Phillies in the postseason? Kershaw also needs to get more chances to win when he pitches. Eight wins in 30 starts is not gonna warrant any comparisons to Hall of Famers. Billingsley was on pace for 18+ wins at the start of the ’09 season. As soon as the All-Star break hit, he faltered like the rest of the team and started going in the opposite direction. Billingsley should be the number this year, but with his poor finish to ’09, he will be looking up at Kershaw. Kuroda’s season was halted when he was hit by a line drive on the head in Arizona. He recovered from that in September, but he wasn’t the same pitcher who had a fantastic strikeout to walk ratio (87 K to 24 BB). Fully recovered Kuroda is an underrated starter for the Dodgers who can give you a good 6-7 innings a start. Padilla was the saving grace for the starting staff to finish the season going 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA with LA. He’s been called a head hunter by many in baseball, but the Dodgers think it’s just all emotion with Padilla. When he gets in jams he loses control of his pitches and gets into trouble. Padilla seemed to find inner peace when he arrived in LA. Can he do it for an entire season? Haeger is the favorite to win the fifth spot. A knuckle ball specialist who put up impressive numbers in 22 starts at AAA. If he doesn’t win the job, Ramon Ortiz who hasn’t pitched in the majors since ’07 is the other favorite. He bounced around the various Carribean leagues and latched on with the Dodgers as a non-roster invite.
The one thing to watch every year with a Joe Torre managed ball club is how he manages the bullpen. He has always overworked his bullpen and last year was probably the best example of it. Four of the regulars in the bullpen pitched at least 45 games or more last season. Will that happen again this year? Probably. It’s not because of Torre, but more because of the questions with the starting staff. Randy Wolf and Jon Garland were let go and they could go at least 7 innings every start giving the bullpen two days off with their starts. Sherrill was acquired at the deadline from Baltimore last year and appeared in 30 of his 72 games for the Dodgers. He can be a closer for the Dodgers too if Broxton should get hurt. Sherrill doesn’t walk many hitters and that’s good for the defense which relies too much on Broxton to strikeout the three batters he faces in the ninth. Broxton struck out 114 batters last year, which is an insane amount for a closer now a days. Broxton pitched in 73 games and is built for the heavy workload of a 162 game season, but the Dodgers can’t afford to have any setbacks in the pen. The staff can’t make up for it.

Diamondbacks Lineup

SS Stephen Drew
.261 AVG 12 HR 65 RBI
LF Conor Jackson
.182 AVG 1 HR 14 RBI
RF Justin Upton
.300 AVG 26 HR 86 RBI
3B Mark Reynolds
.260 AVG 44 HR 102 RBI
1B Adam LaRoche*
.277 AVG 25 HR 83 RBI
C Miguel Montero
.294 AVG 16 HR 59 RBI
2B Kelly Johnson*
.224 AVG 8 HR 29 RBI
CF Chris Young
.212 AVG 15 HR 42 RBI

The D’Backs were widely considered to be the next big thing after the ’07 season. The young lineup was full of upside and the rotation was coming into its own. Reality came crashing into them in ’08 and ’09. The lineup still has plenty of promise going into 2010. Drew is not exactly what they want in the leadoff spot, but he does make contact. Not a lot of speed, but is smart on the base paths. Jackson is fully recovered from valley fever. A great hitter that is perfect for the two slot in the order. If he is back to his old self, the lineup will be better for it. Upton and Reynolds will eventually be the best 3-4 hitters in the game. You can bet on it. Upton will have his share of MVP consideration in his career. Reynolds is the real deal when it comes to power and driving in runs. He strikes out way too often though. LaRoche and Johnson were signed away from the Atlanta Braves in the offseason. LaRoche provides the D’Backs with insurance in the power department behind Upton and Reynolds. LaRoche has sure hands at first to help the infield defense. Johnson is a good defender at second, but must improve on his ’09 stats and be more like ’08 (.287 AVG 12 HR 69 RBI). Montero is exactly what they needed for a hitting catcher. Gap to gap hitter with power and isn’t too bad handling the pitching staff. The haven’t had a hitting catcher since Rod Barajas left in ’04. Young will be the key for Arizona. If he can get back to form when he first arrived in the desert, the D’Backs will be a dangerous ball club again. Five tool talent in Chris Young if he can ever stay out of his funks.

Bench

INF Ryan Roberts
.279 AVG 7 HR 25 RBI
OF Gerardo Parra
.290 AVG 5 HR 60 RBI
C Chris Snyder
.200 AVG 6 HR 22 RBI

A good cast at the top of their bench. Roberts provides a right handed hitting option at second for Johnson and can give Reynolds the occasional day off at third. Roberts is strictly a contact hitter, but can hit the fat pitch out if given the chance. Parra played a lot last year with the injury to Jackson. Parra has decent speed, but his bat is what will keep him on the roster. That and his versatility to play all three outfield spots with no problems. Snyder has his priorities on the defensive side then the offensive, but is more than capable of handling the staff and giving Montero the rest he will need during the long season.

Rotation

Dan Haren
14-10 3.14 ERA
Edwin Jackson*
13-9 3.62 ERA
Ian Kennedy*
0-4 8.17 ERA (2008 stats)
Rodrigo Lopez*
3-1 5.71 ERA
Billy Buckner
4-6 6.40 ERA

Setup

Aaron Heilman*
4-4 4.11 ERA

Closer

Chad Qualls
24 SV 3.63 ERA

A lot of new faces for this staff. Jackson and Kennedy were acquired in a three way trade with the Tigers and Yankees. Heilman in a trade with the Cubs. Lopez was brought in as a non-roster invitee. It all starts at the top with Haren, but where is Brandon Webb? The former Cy Young winner will be sidelined to start the year as a precautionary move. They don’t want to rush anything with him who has a lot to prove being in the final year of his contract. When they have Webb and Haren together, Arizona is very tough to beat back to back. Haren with his splitter and Webb his sinker ball are the best at getting out of jams quickly and quietly. Jackson is a good pitcher. An All-Star last year it was puzzling to see him get dealt from Detroit. Jackson being in the National League will only help him as he has one less hitter to worry about. Look for a near repeat in Jackson’s numbers this year. Lopez played in a handful of games for the Phillies last year. He doesn’t have the velocity anymore, but can throw strikes and get hitters to chase. A good veteran to help stabilize this relatively young staff. Kennedy was hurt for much of last year and is getting a second chance if you will in Arizona. Like with Jackson, pitching in the National League can only help the hard throwing righthander. Buckner pitched okay last year, but he is only expected to be in the rotation the first month until Webb returns.
Heilman has had a roller coaster career. One is good, the next dreadful, the one after good and so on. This is expected to be the good year coming over from the Cubs. There was talk of him being a starter in Chicago, but the experiment fizzled in New York a long time ago. His style and delivery are meant for the bullpen. Works quickly and doesn’t mess around when he’s out there doing his job. That will help manager A.J. Hinch, who was hired in May last season to reverse course for Arizona, knowing he has Heilman out there getting quick outs. It will come in handy when Qualls enters to close. A setup guy in Houston before, he was called to close last year and performed admirably allowing only 7 walks in his 51 appearances. Arizona is still at least one, maybe two years from getting back into contention in the NL West, but the Dodgers, Rockies and Giants are the contenders right now.

Padres Lineup

CF Tony Gwynn Jr.
.270 AVG 2 HR 21 RBI
2B David Eckstein
.260 AVG 2 HR 51 RBI
1B Adrian Gonzalez
.277 AVG 40 HR 99 RBI
3B Chase Headley
.262 AVG 12 HR 64 RBI
RF Kyle Blanks
.250 AVG 10 HR 22 RBI
LF Will Venable
.256 AVG 12 HR 38 RBI
C Nick Hundley
.238 AVG 8 HR 30 RBI
SS Everth Cabrera
.255 AVG 2 HR 31 RBI

The Padres didn’t make moves to bring in the big bats, but went with what they already had. They did trade 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff to Oakland before Spring Training. All he did was bat .255 with 18 HR and 88 RBI in 141 games. That for San Diego is a big chunk of offense now gone. With what they have now it will be even more difficult to score with just Adrian Gonzalez in the middle of the lineup. Gwynn and Eckstein are decent pair to get on base in front of Gonzalez. Gwynn has the speed and ability to make contact in the leadoff spot. Gwynn is not trying to follow in his Hall of Fame father’s footsteps, but he has plenty to go for him. Eckstein can still get the bunt down, take pitches and execute the hit and run that manager Bud Black has brought from his coaching days up the I-5 in Anaheim. Gonzalez will be great for the Padres which is amazing since Petco Park is such a tough place to hit. However, Gonzalez isn’t a pull hitter, but can spray a double down the left field line or a double to left-center. He will be a great addition to whichever team he is dealt to this year. Headley and Banks will try to replace Kouzmanoff’s production for the Padres. Headley will go back to his natural position at third base. While Gonzalez is around, Headley should learn to be more like him as far as hitting with the ball as opposed to just hitting the ball. Blanks has great power potential (10 HR in 54 games). He will need to be more patient once Gonzalez is gone. Blanks is the future cleanup hitter for this team. Venable will be in a platoon with Scott Hairston in left field. Venable also has decent pop, but should be more of a contact hitter. The power will come with experience. Hundley has great potential as a hitting catcher. He will need to work on his skills as a catcher though. Still a raw prospect, but it is now his time to shine and become what the Padres thought he will be. Cabrera is a superb defender and base stealer (25), but must be able to find a comfort zone in the batters box. Highly touted prospect Matt Antonelli is waiting in the wings to play either shortstop or second base.

Bench

INF/OF Jerry Hairston Jr.*
.251 AVG 10 HR 39 RBI
INF/OF Scott Hairston*
.265 AVG 17 HR 64 RBI
C Yorvit Torrealba*
.291 AVG 2 HR 31 RBI

The Padres did well to strengthen their bench for 2010. Hairston Jr. is the more versatile Hairston. Any position he can handle, which helps immensely for manger Bud Black. So many options you can throw off the opponent with. His bat has dropped off, but at this point isn’t considered an everyday player. Scott Hairston was brought back after being dealt in a mid-season trade with Oakland. He performed well in both places and will platoon with Venable in left. Should he be needed, he can play anywhere else on the diamond. Two Hairstons’ are better than one after all. Torrealba is a perfect fit. Great defensive catcher who can hit, but not power. Hundley will learn a lot from him this season. Torrealba was apart of the Rockies success two of the last three seasons. Not that it will result in the same in San Diego, but it sure won’t hurt.

Rotation

Chris Young
4-6 5.21 ERA
Kevin Correia
12-11 3.91 ERA
Jon Garland*
11-13 4.01 ERA
Clayton Richard
9-5 4.41 ERA
Mat Latos
4-5 4.62 ERA

Setup

Joe Thatcher
1-0 2.80 ERA

Closer

Heath Bell
42 SV 2.71 ERA

This is a definite if Young is healthy and Bell is still around after the trade deadline. Young is being counted on to be the ace since the departure of Jake Peavy last year. San Diego would like a similar year to ’07 (9-8 3.12 ERA). It is far fetched to think that it could happen. Half his starts will be in Petco Park. Considered to be the ultimate pitchers park. Correia was the saving grace for the staff last year. With another good year from him and a return to form from Young, the Padres rotation will have a good one-two punch at the top. Garland is an innings eater who will help the bullpen get a day off. It was a strange that the Dodgers didn’t bring Garland back, considering his ERA was 2.72 in six starts for them. San Diego will be looking for similar stats from him throughout the year. Richard will be the lone left hander in the rotation. He doesn’t possess over powering stuff, but knows how to get guys out. He was the main piece in the Peavy deal with the White Sox and this is the year to show Padres fans what he can do. Latos has a lot of upside and is in the mold of Chris Young. Tall righthander that has a deceptive delivery. Latos does have expectations within the organization, but just needs to pitch within himself and he will do fine. Being the fifth starter doesn’t bring much pressure to succeed.
Bell will be the second player up for trade rumors throughout the season. Saving 42 games and striking out 72 batters will get you noticed when you do it on a bad team. He has come into his own from being an okay setup guy for former closer Trevor Hoffman to being thrown into the role of replacing him and performing at an All-Star level. Thatcher is the lefty specialist/setup pitcher for the Padres. He is doing a great job at it. Manager Bud Black, being the former pitcher himself, has done a masterful job of making something out of nothing with the Padres pitching since his arrival in ’07. The best the Padres can do this year is finish ahead of Arizona. Unfortunately it won’t happen with the lack of punch in the lineup. The pitching will be the one thing keeping them in ballgames.

* – indicates new to team
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves

1. St. Louis Cardinals
When you have Albert Pujols, you’re the class of the division.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
Braun and Fielder won’t be enough to dethrone the Cards.
3. Chicago Cubs
Lou Pinella won’t have a happy ending in Chicago.
4. Cincinnati Reds
Is this the year they finally break out of the cellar?
5. Houston Astros
No second half turn around resulted in the hire of a new manager.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
Seventeen consecutive losing seasons. Is there a plan to win in the steel city?

Player to Watch: LF Matt Holliday St. Louis Cardinals
He has the contract (7 yrs. over 100 million) now he must prove he is worth it. Holliday has to prove to all the nay sayers that he can still produce now that he is set for the next seven years. Being in a lineup that has Albert Pujols will help. As soon as he was acquired before the trade deadline last year, his production sky rocketed. There was concern that he could only hit at the friendly confines of Coors Field in Colorado. Oakland was not an ideal location plus he had to deal with adjusting to a new league. The Cardinals didn’t give Oakland a lot to get Holliday and now they’ve made a huge investment in a guy who they are counting on to be their cleanup hitter. He must not be complacent. It will be interesting to see how it will affect the Cardinals ability to resign Pujols.
Manager on the Hot Seat: Dusty Baker Cincinnati Reds
He has a great (granted young) pitching staff and a good lineup to toy with this year. Dusty usually makes winners out of the clubs he’s managed right around year three. This is now year three with the Reds. He has to compete with the Cardinals for the division title and the Brewers and Cubs for the Wild Card. Not to mention the Giants, Dodgers, Rockies, Braves, Marlins and Mets. It’s an uphill climb for Dusty, but there is enormous pressure to win this year in a city craving a pennant race in September, not in May. The downside to winning might mean the exhaustion of the young arms. Just see what happened after 2003 with the Cubs. A slow start could mean curtains for Baker.
Trad Bait: Anybody on the Pirates roster
You could argue that the Pirates have made the most out of their trades at the deadline that last seventeen seasons. When they traded OF Brian Giles to the San Diego Padres the major piece they received was OF Jason Bay. When they dealt Bay to the Red Sox, the major piece was 3B Andy LaRoche from the Dodgers. We still have to see what the Pirates will get for LaRoche. Now I’m not saying that all is lost in Pittsburgh. I’m trying to be optimistic. This years best player for them is CF Andrew McCutchen. Depending on how he does, he could still be in Pittsburgh. They have a bright future every year, but they seem to always have a bright future. When will it be now?

Cardinals Lineup

2B Skip Schumaker
.303 AVG 4 HR 35 RBI
SS Felipe Lopez*
.310 AVG 9 HR 57 RBI
1B Albert Pujols
.327 AVG 47 HR 135 RBI
LF Matt Holliday
.313 AVG 24 HR 109 RBI
RF Ryan Ludwick
.265 AVG 22 HR 97 RBI
C Yadier Molina
.293 AVG 6 HR 54 RBI
CF Colby Rasmus
.251 AVG 16 HR 52 RBI
3B Brendan Ryan
.292 AVG 3 HR 37 RBI

You can’t wrong with Pujols and Holliday in the middle of your lineup. Although it didn’t work last year in the postseason against the Dodgers, it wasn’t entirely their fault. The entire lineup goofed in the playoffs. Schumaker is a good trend setter. Rarely strikes out and makes good contact. Lopez was a great addition that will add pop to the shortstop position. He also provides depth at second and third in case of injury. Ludwick will be the key to the lineups success. He had a disappointing year and a dreadful postseason. Whether the Cardinals make a run at the Phillies will depend on Ludwick’s production. Holliday and Pujols can’t do it alone. Molina is settling in as a great hitting catcher. He’s always had the great glove and arm, but now has the bat to go with it. Rasmus and Ryan are the young up and comers for the Cards. Rasmus has 30 HR potential, but strikes out too much to be placed any higher in the order. Ryan was the shortstop last year and performed admirably at it. Assuming he’s healthy from wrist surgery he will handle the hot corner, but can go back to short or second like Lopez to fill an injury or give someone a day off.

Bench

C Jason LaRue
.240 AVG 2 HR 6 RBI
3B David Freese
.323 AVG 1 HR 7 RBI
INF Julio Lugo (traded to Orioles 04/01)
.280 AVG 3 HR 21 RBI

It doesn’t look that impressive, but the versatility of Lopez and Ryan does. Lugo can play short, second or third as well. His glove has never been questioned since he broke into the majors. His bat has been sporadic at times, but can still get the job done. Freese could start the year as the starting third baseman. Those numbers were posted in 17 games during a September call up. If he doesn’t win, he provides a bat off the bench. LaRue was a starter, but is now relegated to backup status with Molina in front of him. The bat isn’t there for LaRue anymore, but can handle the pitching staff in a pinch while having a decent arm to hold runners.

Rotation

Chris Carpenter
17-4 2.24 ERA
Adam Wainwright
19-8 2.62 ERA
Kyle Lohse
6-10 4.74 ERA
Brad Penny*
11-9 4.88 ERA
Jaime Garcia
2-0 3.86 ERA (AAA stats)

Setup

Dennys Reyes
1 SV 3.29 ERA

Closer

Ryan Franklin
38 SV 1.92 ERA

Any team in the National League would love to have a rotation that had its top two starters post numbers like those. It’s amazing the Cardinals for that reason alone didn’t just go right through the entire league into the World Series. Pitching can only take you so far is the lesson to be learned here. Neither won the Cy Young award. So how good were they really? They can’t count on the exact same production from Carpenter and Wainwright, but they will post similar numbers. Lohse and Penny are the keys to the staff this year. Penny is the newest free agent to come along and try to have his career resurrected by pitching coach Dave Duncan. If Duncan can fix Penny, he truly is a miracle worker. It’s gotten to the point with Penny that he play in a pitcher friendly ballpark. The long ball is destroying him. Lohse needs to stay healthy. After a 15 win season in 08, he relapsed and went back to being inconsistent. If healthy, he does provide innings to help give the bullpen a day off. Garcia will be given every opportunity to win the fifth spot. He has shown excellent command in the minors and can provide the Cardinals with a lefty who can rack up the strikeouts. If Garcia falters, Kyle McClellan can fill in. Used in the setup role last year, McClellan can eat some innings for the Cards.
Ryan Franklin will return to his role as the closer. His ERA in the final month of last year was over 3.00 which is a cause for concern going into this year. If Franklin struggles, who will take over the role if that should arise. Manager Tony LaRussa isn’t one to shy away from a closer committee, but this is supposed to be a competitive year for the Cardinals. The Phillies won’t have any trouble picking apart the pen if Franklin isn’t right. Reyes is not a closer, but an adequate setup man. He can get both left and right handed batters out. LaRussa does like to use his bullpen often which also doesn’t bother Reyes (75 appearances). McClellan and Blake Hawksworth are the other options to setup Franklin. LaRussa has always managed to have a solid bullpen when it appeared there was nothing to salvage.

Brewers Lineup

2B Rickie Weeks
.272 AVG 9 HR 24 RBI
CF Carlos Gomez*
.229 AVG 3 HR 28 RBI
LF Ryan Braun
.320 AVG 32 HR 114 RBI
1B Prince Fielder
.299 AVG 46 HR 141 RBI
RF Corey Hart
.260 AVG 12 HR 48 RBI
3B Casey McGehee
.301 AVG 16 HR 66 RBI
SS Alcides Escobar
.304 AVG 1 HR 11 RBI
C Gregg Zaun*
.260 AVG 8 HR 27 RBI

It starts and it ends with Braun and Fielder. This is the team that this year can compete with the Cardinals. As far as the lineup is concerned. Braun besides his power numbers can also hit for average and steal some bases on top of it (20 steals). Fielder played every single game for the Brewers last year and showed just how important he is for this franchise. He can get a bit heated at times, but there is no doubt who is the leader for this young team. The Brewers have to keep these two in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future. Escobar has finally arrived. The highly touted prospect is now ready to claim the shortstop position. There has never been doubt about his glove or base stealing, but his bat has been a question mark. He showed what he can do in 38 games last year hitting over .300 at the end of the year. Weeks was primed for a career year until another hand injury ended his season prematurely. He must stay healthy for the Brewers to make more noise at the top of the lineup. Hart and McGehee provide more power after Braun and Fielder. Hart did have a down year after an All-Star year in 08. He is too good to have another bad year like 09. McGehee has grabbed the third base job and won’t let it go. His bat can’t be kept out of the lineup. Gomez was acquired from Minnesota for SS J.J. Hardy. He instantly gives the Brewers a base stealing threat they were lacking last year. Gomez must improve his patience though if he wants to be considered for the leadoff spot. Zaun provides veteran leadership behind the plate, but can’t be counted on to catch more than 120 games this year.

Bench

INF Craig Counsell
.285 AVG 4 HR 39 RBI
OF Jody Gerut
.230 AVG 9 HR 35 RBI
3B Mat Gamel
.242 AVG 5 HR 20 RBI

Milwaukee has really helped themselves out in this department. Counsell is still highly regarded for his pinch hitting prowess. Plus he can give either starter at second, short or third base a day off. Gerut was in line to be the starter in center until Gomez was acquired. Gerut though makes the outfield better in that he can play all three positions. If Gomez falters he can start when called upon. Gamel lost out on the third base job last year, but provides power off the bench. He strikes out way too much though to be considered an everyday player. That’s saying something for a lineup that is short on patience. CF Jim Edmonds is attempting a comeback in Milwaukee. He could find his way here or unseat Gomez for the starting spot.

Rotation

Randy Wolf*
11-7 3.23 ERA
Yovani Gallardo
13-12 3.73 ERA
Jeff Suppan
7-12 5.29 ERA
Doug Davis*
9-14 4.12 ERA
Manny Parra
11-11 6.36 ERA

Setup

LaTroy Hawkins*
11 SV 2.13 ERA

Closer

Trevor Hoffman
37 SV 1.83 ERA

The Brewers made it a mission in the offseason to improve the pitching staff. With the resources they had, Milwaukee did a pretty good job. Time will tell if Randy Wolf is worth 10 million for three years, but he is a good lefthanded pitcher. His wins could have been 15 or more if the Dodgers had been able to hold the lead Wolf provided. One question will be since Wolf is now playing in a hitters park, what will his ERA look like at the end of the year? Gallardo as young as he is was thrust into the role of staff ace last year. Considering that, he performed well. To go with the ERA he struck out over 200 batters as well. He will be a force, but the Brewers were wise to sign Wolf to give Gallardo some breathing room to develop. Suppan no longer can be counted on to be the difference maker for the Brew Crew. He’s still a crafty veteran that can get batters out, but for no longer than 6 innings a start. Davis is back for his second stint with Milwaukee. On a bad Arizona team he managed to keep his ERA respectable and if he was playing for a contender, his win total could be 12-15. Parra will be battling Dave Bush for the final spot. Both had ERAs over 6.00 last year. Parra gets the advantage because he is lefthanded and has better stuff. Bush is streaky and gives up the home run far too often to playing in Miller Park.
Hoffman the all-time saves leader returns after having an incredible year considering his age. His arm is not what it used to be. He rarely throws his fastball which has declined in velocity. Now he’s relying more on a slider and his devastating changeup. The best in the majors. The Brewers are lucky to have a guy they can count on to get them wins when they need them the most. Hawkins was signed to provide even more depth to a bullpen that wasn’t in dire need, but it couldn’t hurt. If an injury should befall Hoffman, Hawkins is capable of closing as well. His bread and butter though is setting up the closer. He has a lot left with a power slider and can still throw his fastball by hitters.

Cubs Lineup

SS Ryan Theriot
.284 AVG 7 HR 54 RBI
RF Kosuke Fukudome
.259 AVG 11 HR 54 RBI
1B Derek Lee
.306 AVG 35 HR 111 RBI
3B Aramis Ramirez
.317 AVG 15 HR 65 RBI
LF Alfonso Soriano
.241 AVG 20 HR 55 RBI
CF Marlon Byrd*
.283 AVG 20 HR 89 RBI
C Geovany Soto
.218 AVG 11 HR 47 RBI
2B Mike Fontenot
.236 AVG 9 HR 43 RBI

On paper this is still a formidable lineup. Unfortunately paper can be tossed around, crumpled and shredded. Theriot is now the leadoff hitter replacing Soriano who is now down in the order. Theriot has speed (21 steals) and makes good contact. He’s a much better fit batting second, but the Cubs don’t have many options. Fukudome has been all over the place since coming to Chicago. Now that he’s in his comfort zone in right field, the Cubs hope his bat can stay consistent and not have to think of him as a liability. Lee has been a constant force in the Cubs lineup since he was acquired from the Marlins in 04. Even with injuries to Ramirez and Soriano, Lee still managed to put up great numbers. He’s in a contract year this season and there is no doubt he will come through with another All-Star season. Ramirez is the key to the Cubs success. Literally and figuratively. Once he went down last year, the Cubs immediately fell out of contention. Soriano must embrace his new spot in the order. He is not the same player anymore. He can’t steal bases like he used to, but he still has 40 HR potential. In the fifth spot he could easily do that and drive in 100 runs. Byrd is the second outfielder in as many years to move from Texas to Chicago. Milton Bradley being the first last year. That experiment didn’t work, but Byrd is a different player. He doesn’t make a lot of noise with his mouth, he does it with his bat. That’s all the Cubs need from Byrd and that’s what they’ll get. Soto struggled to connect the bat on with the ball last year and it affected his play behind the plate. Look for the 08 Rookie of the Year to have a bounce back year. Fontenot is a solid defender, but doesn’t wow you with his offense. Batting lefthanded gets him in the lineup.

Bench

INF/OF Jeff Baker
.288 AVG 4 HR 24 RBI
OF Xavier Nady*
.286 AVG 0 HR 2 RBI
INF Andres Blanco (traded to Rangers 03/27)
.252 AVG 1 HR 12 RBI

The Cubs got a great utility player from the Rockies last year in Jeff Baker. He can play all the infield positions and the corner outfield positions. He has a great offensive pedigree as well. With the Cubs Baker hit .305 in 69 games. All but 3 of his RBIs came with the Cubs. Nady provides insurance in case Fukudome struggles again. Pinella has a short leash with him already and having Nady will help Pinella yank on that leash a lot sooner. Injuries have been a problem for Nady throughout his career. He’s better as a fourth outfeilder than a starter. Blanco is a sure hand with his glove, but has never put it together with his bat. He’s still raw, but that talent has to be fulfilled at some point to be considered an everyday player the Cubs think he can be.

Rotation

Carlos Zambrano
9-7 3.77 ERA
Ryan Dempster
11-9 3.65 ERA
Randy Wells
12-10 3.05 ERA
Carlos Silva*
1-3 8.60 ERA
Tom Gorzelanny
7-3 5.55 ERA

Setup

John Grabow
3-0 3.36 ERA

Closer

Carlos Marmol
15 SV 3.41 ERA

This was just as disastrous as the offense. Zambrano was more wild than normal. He couldn’t keep his head in most of his starts and also suffered through nagging injuries. The Cubs would like to see the Zambrano who would get fired up after a punch out rather than a missed call by the umpire. Dempster struggle with injuries as well, but still had a decent year considering. Chicago needs Zambrano and Dempster to return to form and provide at least 15 wins apiece. Wells was the best Cubs starter last year. As a reward he was given a spot in this years rotation thus resulting in the Cubs letting Rich Harden leave. Wells does get hit too much, but had a nice ERA in 09. Silva was the consolation from Seattle for Milton Bradley. Silva was hurt for almost all of 09. He provides depth at best, but if healthy and on his game he can eat innings to help the bullpen. Gorzelanny is in competition with Jeff Samardzija for the final spot. Gorzelanny gets the edge for experience plus being a lefthander. Ted Lilly (12-9 3.10 ERA) will miss the first month of the season at least before returning. When Lilly does return, Gorzelanny is likely the one removed to the bullpen.
Cubs fans get their wish of seeing what Marmol can do now that he is the outright closer. He was great as the setup guy the last two seasons, but has been erratic at times in the ninth inning. There aren’t many fall back options should Marmol fail. Jeff Gray acquired from Oakland has closer experience in the minors, but that’s as far as it goes. Marmol if he is to succeed must reduce his walk total (65 in 74 innings). Grabow was another in a long line of acquisitions from the Pittsburgh Pirates (Aramis Ramirez the most famous). The crafty lefthander can get both righthanded and lefthanded batters out. Chicago really lucked out with Grabow knowing they can go to him almost everyday of the week (75 appearances in 09). He could be called upon to close (6 career saves), but not the best choice. It starts and ends with Marmol for the pen.

Reds Lineup

CF Chris Dickerson
.275 AVG 2 HR 15 RBI
SS Orlando Cabrera*
.284 AVG 9 HR 77 RBI
1B Joey Votto
.322 AVG 25 HR 84 RBI
2B Brandon Phillips
.276 AVG 20 HR 98 RBI
3B Scott Rolen
.305 AVG 11 HR 67 RBI
RF Jay Bruce
.223 AVG 22 HR 58 RBI
LF Jonny Gomes
.267 AVG 20 HR 51 RBI
C Ramon Hernandez
.258 AVG 5 HR 37 RBI

Too many questions afloat for Cincinnati as far as the lineup goes. Is Dickerson the ideal leadoff hitter? Can Votto stay motivated for an entire season? Does Rolen still have another great year left in him? Will Bruce ever live up to the hype? Those are the most important ones. One thing is sure, Cabrera will provide steady veteran leadership both on the field and in the clubhouse. That was the best offseason move the Reds made. Cabrera is a proven winner and will instill that in this young team the entire year. Votto showed such promise until the death of his father slowed him down. He is capable of 40 HR playing half his games at Great American Ball Park. Rolen might not be able to play gold glove caliber defense, but can still hit with the best of them. Phillips on most teams won’t be the cleanup hitter, but there is no doubt about his run production. He can easily have another 20-20 season (20 HR 20 SB). 30-30 is definitely in play as well. Bruce came up last season on a tremendous hot streak, but after the first month in the majors he cooled to solid ice. He must learn patience and be more selective at the plate. Otherwise pitchers will continue to exploit him and it will result in more questions of why Cincinnati continued to hold on to him when they could have dealt him for a proven big leaguer. Gomes in limited playing time (98 games), managed to hit 20 HR. Imagine what he can do being a starter. Hernandez has was hurt most of last year and still has some pop left in his bat. The problem though is the injuries occur behind the plate. He has to stay healthy for not just the offense, but the sake of the pitching staff.

Bench

INF Aaron Miles*
.185 AVG 0 HR 5 RBI
OF Wladimir Balentien
.234 AVG 7 HR 24 RBI
OF Drew Stubbs
.267 AVG 8 HR 17 RBI

Stubbs could also start in center, but his bat is too inconsistent. This year he would be better served as the fourth outfielder and the first one off the bench to pinch run (56 combined steals in majors and minors). Miles was signed from the Chicago Cubs. He provides depth in the infield, but won’t be counted on to do more than be a pinch hitter and spot start at shortstop and second. Balentien was an interesting find for the Reds. Seattle didn’t have any room for him, so the Reds were glad to pick him up. He has 25 HR potential and has a strong arm to play right field. He will be in the mix to start if Gomes falters or is injured.

Rotation

Aaron Harang
6-14 4.21 ERA
Bronson Arroyo
15-13 3.84 ERA
Johnny Cueto
11-11 4.41 ERA
Homer Bailey
8-5 4.53 ERA
Micah Owings
7-12 5.34 ERA

Setup

Arthur Rhodes
1-1 2.53 ERA

Closer

Francisco Cordero
39 SV 2.16 ERA

Probably the most overlooked thing about this team is its starting rotation. If Harang and Arroyo can be in the middle or great, the Reds instantly get 10 wins more than last year. Harang has not been the same guy the last two seasons. Instead of piling up wins, innings and strikeouts, its losses, hits and injuries. Once considered a durable innings eater, Harang is on the downside, but he still has the potential for one more great season. Arroyo has managed to help overlook Harang’s shortcomings with a level of consistency that has resulted in a vast array of trade rumors. If the Reds are out of contention early, expect them to take advantage of the market and deal Arroyo while his stock is high. Cueto and Bailey have arrived and are the future of the staff. Cueto struggled to live up to his All-Star appearance of 08. Pitching in Great American Ball Park doesn’t offer much room for error though. Bailey became a full time starter last year. He will still get a pass, but this is the make or break year to see if he will live up to the potential of being a staff ace. Owings is still the best hitting pitcher in the majors, but has lost a step on the pitching side. He’s the favorite for the fifth spot to start the year, but when Edinson Volquez returns from Tommy John surgery or if they call up Cuban defector Arlodis Chapman, Owings will be going to the pen and being a pinch hitter.
Rhodes is forty years old and can still deal with the best of them. He appeared in 66 games and didn’t show any signs of his age. If Rhodes should show his age, Nick Masset is capable of filling in to salvage the setup to Cordero. The one constant in the pitching staff has been the closer. It didn’t make financial sense to sign Cordero, but it has made perfect baseball sense. Cordero has recorded 73 saves in two seasons in Cincinnati. Lady luck has been on the Reds side with the closer spot. For that luck to continue, Cordero must be on his game for Cincinnati to be in contention in September.

Astros Lineup

CF Michael Bourn
.285 AVG 3 HR 35 RBI
2B Kaz Matsui
.250 AVG 9 HR 46 RBI
1B Lance Berkman
.274 AVG 25 HR 80 RBI
LF Carlos Lee
.300 AVG 26 HR 102 RBI
RF Hunter Pence
.282 AVG 25 HR 72 RBI
3B Pedro Feliz*
.266 AVG 12 HR 82 RBI
SS Tommy Manzella
.289 AVG 9 HR 56 RBI (AAA stats)
C Humberto Quintero
.236 AVG 4 HR 14 RBI

The Astros have finally hit rock bottom. It became apparent last year when after the All-Star break the Astros didn’t go on their patented second half run. Houston went in the opposite direction finishing the season with only 74 wins and a fifth place finish. Part of the problem was the inconsistent bat of Lance Berkman. He suffered through some injuries, but for over 20 games was without a home run. Berkman had minor knee surgery during spring training, but it is believed he will be ready for opening day. Bourn has transformed into one of the best leadoff players in the game. He does everything. Gets on base, steals bases (61) and is a gold glove defender. The Phillies thought Bourn wasn’t going to amount to anymore than a fourth outfielder. The Astros stole him in the offseason of 08. Matsui is a savvy veteran who is a solid number two hitter. He can steal over 20 bases and provide clutch hitting with Bourn batting in front of him. Lee is the constant run producer for the Astros. Less will be expected from Lee if Berkman is healthy, but even so, Lee can be counted on to drive in over 100 runs and bang 30+ home runs. Pence is coming off his first of many All-Star seasons for Houston. He brings 30-30 potential to a lineup in desperate need of production after Lee in the fifth spot. Feliz was signed on to provide stability at the hot corner and some pop in the lineup. He shouldn’t have any problems playing in Minute Maid Park. Manzella has the potential to be a .300 hitter, but will be counted on more to provide a steady hand on the defensive side. Miguel Tejada lost his range at shortstop last spring and never recovered. Quintero will most likely be in a platoon role with J.R. Towles. Quintero is solid on defense while Towles provides the bat in the Astros lineup. Jason Castro will be waiting in the wings in the minors to take over the catcher’s spot either late this year or to start next year.

Bench

INF Geoff Blum
.247 AVG 10 HR 49 RBI
INF/OF Jeff Keppinger
.256 AVG 7 HR 29 RBI
OF Jason Michaels
.237 AVG 4 HR 16 RBI

Blum is still a productively player at age 37. If Berkman is unavailable to start the year, Blum will be the fill in at first. If Feliz needs a day off, he can play third base. With the short field to cover in left, Blum could give Lee a day off or be a defensive sub. Either way, his prime job is the primary pinch hitter, especially in close games. Keppinger can play all over the place. That is his primary value, plus he could be the starter at short if Manzella falters and has to be benched. Michaels has decent pop, but can’t be counted on to be an everyday player. He will be the fourth outfielder and can play all three outfield spots. However, he is a liability in the lineup. It would be a welcome addition if he hit .260 or higher in 2010.

Rotation

Roy Oswalt
8-6 4.12 ERA
Wandy Rodriguez
14-12 3.02 ERA
Brett Myers*
4-3 4.84 ERA
Bud Norris
6-3 4.53 ERA
Brain Moehler
8-12 5.47 ERA

Setup

Matt Lindstrom
15 SV 5.89 ERA

Closer

Brandon Lyon
3 SV 2.86 ERA

This was the linchpin for Houston last year. Oswalt was hurt for part of last year and it showed. The team had no life in the rotation and went all the way down to the bullpen. Aside from LaTroy Hawkins (Milwaukee) and Jose Valverde (Detroit) the pen was awful. Oswalt is now healthy and you can expect at least 15 wins from him when he’s healthy. Rodriguez was the lone bright spot. His potential had erupted and had the Astros been more competitive, his record could have been 18-8 or somewhere near that. An impressive ERA of 3.02 pitching mostly in a hitter friendly ballpark is a welcome sign for the rest of his career in Houston. Myers is back in a rotation, but finds himself going from one hitters park to another. He must be able to consistently throw his fastball for strikes or he will find himself in the pen on a losing team. Norris showed promise in ten starts last season. Capable of posting a lot of strikeouts, but must be able to keep the ball down considering hitters will be sitting on his fastball in hitters counts. Moehler provides a veteran presence at the back end of the staff. If his ERA is anything like last season though, he could be relegated to mop up duty in the bullpen or the occasional spot start.
Lyon was given a three year contract and with that the closer role. He only saved three games last year for Detroit mainly because he was setting up their closer. Lyon is not a strikeout closer, but does get the job done. Lyon saved 26 of 31 save chances for Arizona in ’08. Lindstrom will get some opportunities to save games for the Astros if Lyon should fail. Lindstrom is what teams look for in a closer, throws strikes, has an out pitch and is mentally tough. His weakness is getting into jams. After one guy gets on base, pretty soon it’s two then the bases are loaded for the opponents slugger. New manager Brad Mills will be given a pass this year, but owner Drayton McClane has a short fuse and could unload after 2011.

Pirates Lineup

CF Andrew McCutchen
.286 AVG 12 HR 54 RBI
2B Akinori Iwamura*
.290 AVG 1 HR 22 RBI
RF Garrett Jones
.293 AVG 21 HR 44 RBI
C Ryan Doumit
.250 AVG 10 HR 38 RBI
1B Jeff Clement
.274 AVG 21 HR 90 RBI (AAA stats)
3B Andy LaRoche
.258 AVG 12 HR 64 RBI
LF Lastings Milledge
.279 AVG 4 HR 21 RBI
SS Ronny Cedeno
.208 AVG 10 HR 38 RBI

Now if there is one good thing to point to with the Pirates, it’s the upside at spots 1-5 in the lineup. McCutchen whether he likes it or not is now the face of the franchise. He burst onto the scene after they deal Nyjer Morgan to the Nationals last year. The result was what the Pirates had expected when they were ready to call him up. The best comparison I could make is the right handed version of Carl Crawford. Iwamura was a great addition. Like what the Astros have with Matsui, the Pirates have a proven veteran who can drive the ball to score McCutchen when he gets on base. Jones played in only 82 games and produced 21 home runs. Imagine what he can do in a full season. If McCutchen and Iwamura get on base, Jones could be primed for a big season. Doumit must stay healthy for everything to come together. Both offensively and defensively. He is too talented to not come through as their cleanup hitter. Clement is the dark horse. If he adjusts to playing first base and hits like he has in the minors, the Pirates will have gotten a great find from Seattle. Clement couldn’t stay healthy being the catcher, but playing a new position might help keep in the order. LaRoche struggled to hit for average last year. That’s his bread and butter. He seemed to be swinging for the fences too often. He needs to find his stroke and being further down in the order will help. Milledge is right when he says this is probably his last chance to play for a big league club. If he can’t make it with the Pirates, where else is he gonna fit in. He will be 24 when the season starts, so he has that going for him. He has too much talent to not be a fit with this club. Cedeno is solid with the glove, but his bat still needs work. Although he hit .258 in Pittsburgh when he was acquired from Seattle last year.

Bench

INF Bobby Crosby*
.223 AVG 6 HR 29 RBI
OF Ryan Church*
.273 AVG 4 HR 40 RBI
INF/OF Delwyn Young
.266 AVG 7 HR 43 RBI

Signing Crosby and Church provides stability in case two hopefuls in the order falter. Crosby is now working on his first base skills and is capable of playing every infield position except catcher. He can still hit, but probable not to the extent of his days playing in Oakland. Church is a solid fourth outfielder for the Pirates. Plays the game with a tough streak and is capable of playing all three outfield spots. Should Milledge falter, Church can fill in or be in a platoon against right handed pitchers. Young was playing a lot as was most of the would be bench players last year. He did very well in a starting role. With the moves the Pirates made, now Young can be ready to come off the bench and fill in at almost every position. The Pirates haven’t had this kind of versatility in a long time. Third base prospect Pedro Alvarez is waiting in the wings. Expect him to be called up in May or June.

Rotation

Paul Maholm
8-9 4.44 ERA
Ross Ohlendorf
11-10 3.92 ERA
Zach Duke
11-16 4.06 ERA
Charlie Morton
5-9 4.55 ERA
Daniel McCutchen
1-2 4.21 ERA

Setup

Brendan Donnelly*
3-0 1.78 ERA

Closer

Octavio Dotel*
3-3 3.32 ERA

The starting staff stays intact. Not much was out there for the Pirates to go after and it wasn’t always the starters fault. Maholm is their best starter. A crafty lefty who is in the mold of Tom Glavine who works the outside part of the strike zone. Not always going for the strikeout, but does keep his defense involved in the game. Ohlendorf is exactly what the Pirates have been looking for. A righthander who can complement the lefthanders in the rotation. He can blow his fastball by you and combines that with a hard slider as an out pitch. Duke doesn’t wow you, but does get the job done. His record is misleading in part, he played for the Pirates and hardly had any run support. Morton will be counted on to do what Ohlendorf is doing and that’s be a strong compliment after Duke in the rotation. Some in the organization think Morton has the best stuff of the entire staff. McCutchen in six starts was okay, didn’t wow anyone. He will get the fifth spot, but Kevin Hart and Brad Lincoln could be called up to fill it if McCutchen doesn’t pan out for the Pirates.
Donnelly being brought was a great move. A veteran who was an All-Star in ’03, provides stability at the back end of the bullpen. Not a lot of experience as a closer, but can close a few games out. He doesn’t have the same power in his pitches, but can still get hitters out in the majors. Dotel had three save opportunities last season for the White Sox. His best season as a closer was in ’04 saving 36 games for the Astros and Athletics. The Pirates are not expecting that kind of season from Dotel, but they do expect him to be the final nail in the opponents coffin when the Pirates do have a lead in the ninth inning. Now don’t expect him to finish the season in Pittsburgh. If the Pirates do finish with 70 wins or more, manager John Russell might be around on more year, but don’t expect miracles in Pittsburgh. Another losing season is in store for the Pirates.

* – indicates new to team
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves

1. Philadelphia Phillies
The best lineup in the NL now has a true ace for their rotation.
2. Atlanta Braves
They look to win it all for Bobby Cox in his last year as manager.
3. New York Mets
A injury free season to Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran would be an improvement.
4. Florida Marlins
They seem to always contend for a playoff spot with such a small payroll.
5. Washington Nationals
The goal is to not finish the season with 100 losses.

Player to Watch: 3B Chipper Jones Atlanta Braves
As with the manager this could be Chipper’s last year playing baseball. A lot will depend on his health and whether the Braves are in contention. Now the Braves are not counting on Chipper being the guy to hit 30+ HR and drive over 100 runs, but he will need to improve on the .264 batting average from a year ago. A lot is riding on this make or break year for the Braves and Chipper is a big part of that success or failure.
Manager on the Hot Seat: Jerry Manuel New York Mets
The Mets are giving him one more chance to get them out of the cellar they’re in. With the opening of a new pitcher friendly ballpark last year the offense faltered. Injuries were at almost every position. Now with a new bat (Jason Bay) and a healthy Reyes, Beltran and David Wright, the Mets look like contenders for the Wild Card. That is until you look at the rotation after Johan Santana. Manuel is in a no win situation.
Trade Bait: 1B Adam Dunn Washington Nationals
He’s in the last year of a two year deal that was a bargain for a team that was the worst in the league. Washington was reluctant to deal Alfonso Soriano a few years ago, but they shouldn’t be with Dunn. You can cinch him in for at least 35 HR and 100 RBI every year. An American League team would love to have him in the middle of their lineup. He could be the missing piece for a National League team in need of a big bat. Washington would be wise to take advantage of the interest they will get for Dunn.

Phillies Lineup

SS Jimmy Rollins
.250 AVG 21 HR 77 RBI
3B Placido Polanco*
.285 AVG 10 HR 72 RBI
2B Chase Utley
.282 AVG 31 HR 93 RBI
1B Ryan Howard
.279 AVG 45 HR 141 RBI
RF Jayson Werth
.268 AVG 36 HR 99 RBI
LF Raul Ibanez
.272 AVG 34 HR 93 RBI
CF Shane Victorino
.292 AVG 10 HR 62 RBI
C Carlos Ruiz
.255 AVG 9 HR 43 RBI

This lineup is stacked. Arguably the best in the National League and perhaps all of baseball. Speed at the top with Rollins. A patient hitter at the all important number two spot in Polanco. Utley, Howard, Werth and Ibanez while playing most of their games at Citizens Bank Park will hit at least 30 HR. It will be interesting to see how Victorino does batting seventh. He hit below .250 in every other spot in the order other than second. Ruiz is not known for his bat, but does a great job managing the pitching staff. His bat seems to come alive when it’s playoff time.

Bench

INF Greg Dobbs
.247 AVG 5 HR 20 RBI
OF Ben Francisco
.257 AVG 15 HR 46 RBI
INF/OF Ross Gload*
.261 AVG 6 HR 30 RBI

The bench has more than this. INF Juan Castro is another good pinch hitting option. C Brian Schneider is a serviceable backup that can handle the pitching staff. Dobbs is the lead guy though. One of the best pinch hitters today. Francisco was part of the Cliff Lee deal last year and has decent pop as the fourth outfielder. Gload was signed away from the Marlins who provides depth at 1B and the corner outfield spots.

Rotation

Roy Halladay*
17-10 2.79 ERA
Cole Hamels
10-11 4.32 ERA
Joe Blanton
12-8 4.05 ERA
J.A. Happ
12-4 2.93 ERA
Jamie Moyer
12-10 4.94 ERA

Setup

Ryan Madson
10 SV 3.26 ERA

Closer

Brad Lidge
31 SV 7.21 ERA

Now the rotation isn’t perfect, but when you can go every fifth day not having to worry about your starter, it sure feels good. Halladay is without a doubt the best in the game. The Phillies didn’t mortgage their future to get him either. Hamels got off to a rough start last year with injuries, but is back on track to continue his upward trend of becoming an ace. Blanton is turning out to be a great pick up from the Athletics two years ago. He won’t be a top tier starter, but is good for 6+ innings a start. Happ had a tremendous rookie year. It started out in the bullpen, but with injuries he turned out to be quite a find for the Phils. If Moyer struggles or suffers an injury (he’s 47), Kyle Kendrick or Chad Durbin could fill in the fifth spot.
Lidge after having a perfect season as the closer reverted back to his struggles. Manager Charlie Manuel did a great job handling the situation to avoid catastrophe at the end of the year. There should be no chance of that happening two seasons in a row. If it does, Madson can step in to fill the void should it arise.

Braves Lineup

CF Nate McLouth
.256 AVG 20 HR 70 RBI
2B Martin Prado
.307 AVG 11 HR 49 RBI
3B Chipper Jones
.264 AVG 18 HR 71 RBI
C Brian McCann
.281 AVG 21 HR 94 RBI
1B Troy Glaus*
.172 AVG 0 HR 2 RBI
LF Matt Diaz
.313 AVG 13 HR 58 RBI
RF Melky Cabrera
.274 AVG 13 HR 68 RBI
SS Yunel Escobar
.299 AVG 14 HR 76 RBI

There is a hole missing in the lineup and that’s no protection for McCann. Glaus was brought in to be the big bat the Braves needed to solidify the offense this year. Glaus only played 14 games last year, but is healthy now and will not be playing 3B for Atlanta. When healthy he is good for 25+ HR and 100 runs. Jones is the mainstay that has to improve the batting average to help take pressure off McCann. McLouth is not your typical lead off hitter, but can hit the ball with authority. Prado is a good contact guy in the mold of Polanco from the Phillies. Diaz and Cabrera are good hitters that can produce good power numbers in a full season. Escobar is the wild card. He has so much potential still, but must now show it on the offensive side. His glove is far ahead of his bat.

Bench

INF Omar Infante
.305 AVG 2 HR 27 RBI
C David Ross
.273 AVG 7 HR 20 RBI
INF/OF Eric Hinske*
.242 AVG 8 HR 25 RBI

Infante was hurt for most of last year, but when healthy is the first guy off the bench. He provides depth in the infield and is great in pinch hitting situations. Ross is a decent catcher that has some pop. Hinske was adequate last year playing in Pittsburgh and then in New York for the Yankees. He has appeared in the last three World Series and being on the winning side twice. Don’t overlook OF Jason Heyward who will probably start the season in the minors, but when he is called up he will provide 25 HR 90 RBI potential with a great eye (Career .391 OBP in the minors).

Rotation

Derek Lowe
15-10 4.67 ERA
Tommy Hanson
11-4 2.89 ERA
Jair Jurrjens
14-10 2.60 ERA
Tim Hudson
2-1 3.61 ERA
Kenshin Kawakami
7-12 3.86 ERA

Setup

Peter Moylan
6-2 2.84 ERA

Closer

Billy Wagner
1-1 1.98 ERA

The deepest rotation last year got a little thinner with the departure of Javier Vasquez to the Yankees, but it is still formidable. The only flaw is with Lowe. The thought was that playing in a pitchers park would help keep the ERA down, not raise it. The expectations might have gotten to Lowe, but this is the year the Braves are supposed to contend and they can’t without Lowe pitching an ERA below 3.50. Hanson and Jurrjens are the future 1-2 of the Braves rotation. Jurrjens was a pleasant surprise last year and the phenom Hanson was exactly what the Braves were looking for when they called him up in May. Both should continue to produce for a rotation that needs them to stay consistent. Hudson came back late last year from Tommy John surgery and showed that he is more than capable of being a fixture for the staff. A full season of Hudson could mean 15 wins for the Braves. Kawakami got off to a great start, but finished in the bullpen last year. Atlanta hopes it won’t happen with a year in the US under his belt.
The Braves overhauled their bullpen and sought the services of Billy Wagner. Cast off from the Mets and Red Sox, Wagner looked for a team that would bring him in as the closer. He doesn’t have the 98 mph fastball he once had, but he can still throw his patented back door slider for a strike to most righthanders. Moylan will be the primary setup man. He uses deception, not stuff like most sidewinders to get hitters out. He is also very durable appearing in 87 games last year.

Mets Lineup

CF Angel Pagan
.306 AVG 6 HR 32 RBI
2B Luis Castillo
.302 AVG 1 HR 40 RBI
3B David Wright
.307 AVG 10 HR 72 RBI
LF Jason Bay*
.267 AVG 36 HR 119 RBI
1B Daniel Murphy
.266 AVG 12 HR 63 RBI
RF Jeff Francoeur
.280 AVG 15 HR 76 RBI
C Rod Barajas*
.226 AVG 19 HR 71 RBI
SS Alex Cora
.251 AVG 1 HR 18 RBI

The lineup definitely loses its muster with SS Jose Reyes and CF Carlos Beltran expected to start the season on the DL. For the Mets sake they hope Reyes and Beltran won’t be gone long. Pagan is a decent trend setter, but can’t be compared to what Reyes does. Castillo had a good year which the Mets will be looking for the same. Bay was the big acquisition for the Mets. It will be interesting if he can hit 30 or more HR playing half his games in Citi Field. If he does, then more questions will be brought to Wright and others for their struggles in the new park. Wright is primed for a bounce back year. He’s capable of 30 HR plus a .325 or higher batting average. Francoeur was in a comfort zone when he was traded to the Mets. His batting average was at .311 in 75 games. Murphy was the lone consistent force last year leading the team in HR. He has .300 AVG potential. Barajas is not the answer they were looking for at the catcher’s spot, but he does provide needed pop at the position. Cora will be relegated to the bench once Reyes returns. He does better in spurts, not as an everyday player.

Bench

INF/OF Fernando Tatis
.282 AVG 8 HR 48 RBI
OF Gary Matthews*
.250 AVG 4 HR 50 RBI
C Omir Santos
.260 AVG 7 HR 40 RBI

Cora will provide depth here when Reyes returns. Tatis was thrown into the lineup last year with all the injuries, but is now the best bat off the bench this year. He will primarily back up the corner infield and outfield spots. Matthews hasn’t lived up to the big contract he signed with the Angels and now finds himself in the same situation in New York, being the fourth outfielder. Beltran’s injury will provide playing time plus being in the National League will help in the pinch hitting department as well. His glove is a big plus in the confines of Citi Field. Santos will be in a platoon with Barajas. His glove still needs work, but he has decent power and can be counted on to pinch hit as well. Henry Blanco is also an adequate catcher mostly for defense. His glove and arm are among the best in the league.

Rotation

Johan Santana
13-9 3.13 ERA
John Maine
7-6 4.43 ERA
Mike Pelfrey
10-12 5.03 ERA
Oliver Perez
3-4 6.82 ERA
Fernando Nieve
3-3 2.95 ERA

Setup

Pedro Feliciano
6-4 3.03 ERA

Closer

Francisco Rodriguez
35 SV 3.71 ERA

The one flaw with the Mets since acquiring Santana is that they haven’t found a solid number two starter to pair up with him. Not even a three, four or five either. The one thing that is sure is Santana must continue to carry the staff on his shoulders. Without him, they are doomed for last place. It’s that bad. Maine if healthy has decent stuff, but can get flustered easily. Pelfrey is too inconsistent. He has the tools, but needs to find a way to put it together. Perez was the bad, but actually got worse. The worst of it is that he got a big extension two years ago. Nieve looked good in seven starts, but can he be counted on for an entire season? The wild card is Jon Niese. The big lefty is the pride and joy of the organization, but do they want to put this kind of pressure on him now? They should ease him into the spotlight.
Rodriguez didn’t and wasn’t going to repeat his record breaking season of 2008 in New York. Fans were foolish to think that. What’s even more foolish is the way the Mets used Rodriguez. Lets just say that when your already losing a game, you don’t need to throw your closer out there for some batting practice. Rodriguez should have a better year. It can’t get worse than last years ERA of 3.71. Yikes. Feliciano is the prime setup man for the bullpen. The worry is that he was overworked last year appearing in 88 games for a bad pen. He held up nicely and with a deeper pen this year, there won’t be as much pressure to bail out the rotation for Feliciano.

Marlins Lineup

LF Chris Coghlan
.321 AVG 9 HR 47 RBI
3B Emilio Bonifacio
.252 AVG 1 HR 27 RBI
SS Hanley Ramirez
.342 AVG 24 HR 106 RBI
1B Jorge Cantu
.289 AVG 16 HR 100 RBI
2B Dan Uggla
.243 AVG 31 HR 90 RBI
RF Cody Ross
.270 AVG 24 HR 90 RBI
C John Baker
.271 AVG 9 HR 50 RBI
CF Cameron Maybin
.250 AVG 4 HR 13 RBI

Not the scariest group, but the Marlins are always in contention. No matter which half of the season, they are always hanging around with the likes of the Braves and Mets. Notice I left out the Phillies. They have a star player in Ramirez who is a consistent force in the lineup. His defense is above average, but more than makes up for it with his offensive skills. Coghlan the reigning Rookie of the Year will try to avoid the dreaded sophmore slump. He showed a knack for making contact which makes him the ideal lead off hitter. Bonifacio got off to a great start last year, but faltered fast. He must show more patience or he will be relegated to being the utility player. Cantu and Uggla are not the best choices for your power bats, but they do just enough for what the Marlins need. Cody Ross has been bouncing around the majors for quite a while. He has finally found a home in Florida and his production is paying dividends for them. Baker has some pop and is a good glove behind the plate. Maybin is getting another chance to take the CF position. He is still young enough (23) to where if he doesn’t win the job, he can find his groove in the minors.

Bench

INF Wes Helms
.271 AVG 3 HR 33 RBI
C Ronny Paulino
.272 AVG 8 HR 27 RBI
1B Gaby Sanchez
.238 AVG 2 HR 3 RBI

There isn’t much after these three. Sanchez might be the starter at 1B if Bonifacio doesn’t pan out to start the year. Paulino is a good backup catcher. Decent pop as a pinch hitter plus a great defensive replacement. Compared to Henry Blanco as far as defense goes. Helms is embracing his role as the first player off the bench. He’s great in pinch hitting situations and can play third or first giving Cantu or Bonifacio a day off. The real question will be when star prospect OF Mike Stanton gets the call up. He has tremendous power potential and is making it hard for the Marlins not to have him on the Opening Day roster.

Rotation

Josh Johnson
15-5 3.23 ERA
Ricky Nolasco
13-9 5.06 ERA
Chris Volstad
9-13 5.21 ERA
Andrew Miller
3-5 4.84 ERA
Anibal Sanchez
4-8 3.87 ERA

Setup

Dan Meyer
2 SV 3.09 ERA

Closer

Leo Nunez
26 SV 4.06 ERA

As in the past with the Marlins they have always had home grown talent in the pitching department. Johnson is the latest one who was in contention for the Cy Young award for much of last year. Expect another 15+ win season with over 200 strikeouts. After that it kind of drops off. Nolasco was too inconsistent being the second starter. Sanchez and Miller were fighting injuries most of last year. Volstad was wild with his control and thus the high ERA. The keys will be with Nolasco and Volstad. If their ERAs can fall at least a run a piece, the Marlins will be in good shape for the wild card spot. Florida has options with Sean West and Rick VandenHurk should two of the starters fail.
Nunez is the closer by default. Normally you don’t want your closer with such a high ERA, but what choice do they have. Meyer could close, but hardly the experience they were hoping for. For Florida they consider anything an upgrade over Kevin Gregg who played there in 2008 (3.41 ERA 29 SV).

National Lineup

CF Nyjer Morgan
.307 AVG 3 HR 39 RBI
SS Cristian Guzman
.284 AVG 6 HR 52 RBI
3B Ryan Zimmerman
.292 AVG 33 HR 106 RBI
1B Adam Dunn
.267 AVG 38 HR 105 RBI
LF Josh Willingham
.260 AVG 24 HR 61 RBI
C Ivan Rodriguez*
.249 AVG 10 HR 47 RBI
2B Adam Kennedy*
.289 AVG 11 HR 63 RBI
RF Justin Maxwell
.247 AVG 4 HR 9 RBI

Now I figured the Nationals would have a pretty bad lineup card going into this year. Looking at it now, it’s not half bad. Morgan hit .351 for the Nationals when he was acquired from the Pirates. He’s the spark that this team needs to score runs early and often. Guzman is still a tough out. Always making contact, but no longer a threat to steal. Zimmerman, Dunn and Willingham can match up with any 3, 4 and 5 hitters in the majors. Yes I said it. Zimmerman is a star with five tool talent. Dunn is the ultimate power threat that is good for at least 35 HR. Willingham has the tools to become a 30 HR hitter, but he must improve the contact before he focuses on the power. Rodriguez is strictly a contact hitter now and still possesses a gold glove behind the plate that will help the young pitching staff. Kennedy is a streaky hitter, but an improvement nonetheless. He will be counted on to help the bottom of the order, but will most likely not have a repeat of last years success. Maxwell will take over for the recently released Elijah Dukes. Maxwell needs to work on the average, but does have outstanding speed and good defense for right field.

Bench

INF/OF Mike Morse
.250 AVG 3 HR 10 RBI
OF/INF Willie Harris
.235 AVG 7 HR 27 RBI
SS Ian Desmond
.280 AVG 4 HR 12 RBI

Harris will probably platoon in right with Maxwell, but his value is in being able to play multiple positions. He can also be counted on for his speed in pinch run situations. Morse provides even more depth and will be the first one called to pinch hit. Desmond is one of the Nats top prospects. If he isn’t the starter at SS going into the season, will they keep him on the roster? All signs point to yes simple for the fact that Desmond can fill in as a defensive replacement. The Nats committed the most errors in baseball last year.

Rotation

Jason Marquis*
15-13 4.04 ERA
John Lannan
9-13 3.88 ERA
Garrett Mock
3-10 5.62 ERA
Scott Olsen
2-4 6.03 ERA
Livan Hernandez
9-12 5.44 ERA

Setup

Brian Bruney*
5-0 3.92 ERA

Closer

Matt Capps*
27 SV 5.80 ERA

Now with all the praise going to the offense, this is where it gets foggy. Signing Marquis was a good move, not great, but he does bring experience. Winning experience. His last ten seasons have involved trips to the postseason. Lannan was the most consistent starter for the Nats. On a .500 team he would have 13-16 wins easily. Not big on the strikeout, but keeps the team in the ball game. Mock, Olsen and Hernandez will basically hold down the fort for the arrival of Stephen Strasburg and Chien-Ming Wang. Strasburg probably won’t be called up til June at the earliest. Wang will miss the first month recovering from a bum shoulder. Wang provides instant success coming from the Yankees. Jordan Zimmerman is another highly touted young arm, but won’t be back until August.
The bullpen is still a work in progress. Capps is the closer, but his ERA is very worrisome. That was in 57 games with the Pirates last year. Bruney doesn’t have much closer experience either, but at least the Nats have a fall back option unlike last year. The other first round pick of 2009, Drew Storen, will make it hard for Washington not to bring him up sooner to be the closer. They will have to show patience with him and Strasburg or they will regret it next year and the year after and the year after.