NATIONAL LEAGUE PREVIEW
NL EAST
1- PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES(WORLD SERIES CHAMPION)-
Strengths- Tremendous power and speed… Added Roy Hallday, the premier pitcher in the game…. Great team chemistry.. Excellent organization top to bottom, led by GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. and Manager Charlie Manuel… Best left side of the infield in the game in 2B Chase Utley and 1B Ryan Howard… Good defensive team.. Best NL club I have seen in years and this comes from a 25+ year Mets fan!
Weaknesses: Lots of banged up pitchers coming out of camp, specifically in the bullpen with closer Brad Lidge having numerous offseason surgeries… Team Ks a ton… Trade rumors involving Howard came up in Spring Training
2- ATLANTA BRAVES
Strengths- Solid everyday lineup with veterans and prime players… Best C in the NL in Brian McCann… Good rotation with youngsters Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson ready to take off… Rookie RF Jason Heyward is one of the most talked about players in all of baseball… Manager Bobby Cox could turn you into a functional ML player… Love the signing of future Hall of Fame closer Billy Wagner
Weaknesses- Counting on Chipper Jones to remain healthy and he has battled injuries the past 2 years… SP Tim Hudson is coming off an arm injury and fellow vet Derek Lowe was bad in 2009… Wagner is only a year removed from Tommy John surgery…. Not a great offensive team
3- FLORIDA MARLINS
Strengths- Excellent team power with 3 infielders who should hit 30 homers…. Premier player in SS Hanley Ramirez…. Good team speed and athleticism… Top of rotation should be solid led by RH Josh Johnson… Tremendous farm system and organization
Weaknesses- Not a strong defensive team…. Lots of questions among rotation spots 3 thru 5…. Close Leo Nunez can give up the odd homer…. Team Ks a ton
4- NY METS(See separate preview)
5- WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Strengths- Solid offseason with some subtle signings, adding a starter at C and 2B, as well as two top 4 starters, a set up man and closer… Elite 3B Ryan Zimmerman… Walks and power king in 1B Adam Dunn… Solid starter in LH John Lannan… Stephen Strasburg, minors or no minors, is the real deal
Weaknesses: Have too many prospects and suspects to compete in the best division in the NL… Another team that swings and misses.. A mess defensively…. C Pudge Rodriquez is known as a clubhouse problem throughout the game… Inexperienced rotation
WATCH HIM:SS Ian Desmond, who has put veteran Christian Guzman on the bench, is a spark plug who can really play. Will team with Zimmerman for years to come.
NL CENTRAL
1- ST LOUIS CARDINALS
Strengths- Best player in the game in 1B Albert Pujols…. Excellent 1-2 punch in rotation with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright…. Solid all around team…. Resigned FA LF Matt Holliday who joins Pujols and RF Ryan Ludwick to set a fierce 3-4-5 combo… Manager Tony Larussa always seems to get the most out of his roster… Good defensive team
Weaknesses- 3-4-5 spots in rotation do not scare batters… Closer Ryan Franklin does not K many batters… Kids at 2B(Skip Schumaker), SS(Brendan Ryan) and 3B(David Freese)… Pujols has been banged up in camp
BREAKOUT PLAYER: CF Colby Rasmus, will bat 2nd and has really taken to new Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire. Not a bad guy to consult!
2- MILWAUKEE BREWERS(WILD CARD TEAM)
Strengths: Premier power combo in the NL with LF Ryan Braun and 1B Prince Fielder… Solid bullpen… Good team athleticism,can run and take extra bases…. Good rotation with additions LHs Randy Wolf and Doug Davis joining RH Yovani Gallardo… Exciting young SS Alcides Escobar… Bullpen added a 7th-8th inning vet in Latroy Hawkins
Weaknesses: Bad fielding team…. 2 rotation spots could be a mess… New CF Carlos Gomez is no Mike Cameron defensively… Age of closer Trevor Hoffman
3-CINCINNATI REDS
Strengths: Underrated lineup with power and speed… Upside potential of youngters Jay Bruce and Drew Stubbs in the OF… Good bullpen, paced by closer Francisco Cordero… Can put out 4 quality starters if phenom Homer Bailey pitches like he did over the last 6 weeks of 2009
Weaknesses: Starting pitchers are good not great…. Can be reckless defensively… 3b Scott Rolen cannot stay healthy and his glove helps this team a ton. Plus he was bad in Spring Training(.208)… Manager Dusty Baker has broken more arms than Steven Seagal
4- CHICAGO CUBS-
Strengths: Solid starting pitching… Good power at the corners with 3B Aramis Ramirez and Derek Lee… Solid D at SS and 2B…. Closer Carlos Marmol has 5 star stuff… Free agent OFs Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady wise signings
Weaknesses: Lou Pinella or Carlos Zambrano, who is crazier? … LF Alfonso Soriano has no position and is not an elite offensive player anymore… #2 SP Ted Lilly is coming off shoulder surgery and will miss the start of the season… They are the Cubs
5- HOUSTON ASTROS-
11Strengths: 1, 2 starting pitching combo of Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriquez… Good speed with CF Michael Bourn and 2B Kaz Matsui….Improved pen with additions of Brandon Lyon and Matt Lindstrom… Corner OFs Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence.. No pressure or expectations
Weaknesses: Bad offensive team…. 3-4-5 starters are kids or projects… Young at SS and C… Bad drafts and trades have made this team talent starved… Rookie Manager in Brad Mills, who might miss Boston by May!
6- PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Strengths: Exciting young outfield with LF Lastings Milledge, CF Andrew McCutchen and RF Garrett Jones… Infield defense should be solid with the addition of 2B Akinori Iwamura. The Pirates made the fewest errors in the NL(73) in 2009…. Good closer in Octavio Dotel, who can still throw past many ML hitters…. Good baseball man in John Russell running the show… Beautiful ball park, check it out!
Weaknesses: Rotation has potential but a ton of questions and uncertainty… Bullpen could be awful… No power from the corners… C Ryan Doumit can play but cannot stay out of the treatment room. His bat is vital to this team
GOOD NEWS: The Pirates appear to be serious about rebuilding and have stockpiled a ton of kids and 2nd chance types. The future looks bright, be patient, Pittsburgh. I am with you, covered this team in 2008!
NL WEST
1- COLORADO ROCKIES
Strengths: Solid all around team that is strong in all areas… Great defensive team… Deep farm system… Great player development(look at the roster) and farm system… Elite SS Troy Tulowitzki…Manager Jim Tracy fits this roster very well… OF Carlos Gonzalez is among the most promising young talents in the game… Deep, talented bench
Weaknesses: Arm injury of stud closer Huston Street… Team strikes out a lot.. Rotation is solid but needs 1 man to step up and become elite(Ubaldo Jimenez?)
WATCH THIS GUY: 3B Ian Stewart, who I believe will top 30 homers and play solid D at third.
2- ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Strengths: Exciting young team led by 3B Mark Reynolds and RF Justin Upton…Added 2 starting pitchers(Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy) to a rotation that needed it…. Dan Haren is among the top starters in the NL… C Miguel Montero is a potential breakout player… Return of LF Conor Jackson(Played only 30 2009 games)… Underrated closer in Chad Qualls
Weaknesses: Health of ace Brandon Webb is a major issue. Has not pitched a major league game in over a year… Team Ks too much… Can be rough on defense…1 lefty among the entire pitching staff
3- LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Strengths: Solid lineup with speed and power… Budding superstar CF Matt Kemp… Two young stud starters in LH Clayton Kershaw and RH Chad Billingsley… Manny Ramirez: CONTRACT YEAR!!!…Strong relief corps led by flame thrower Jonathan Broxton… Manager Joe Torre protects his players and they return his loyalty
Weaknesses: Ownership divorce has caused this team to cut costs… Health of SS Rafael Furcal is always an issue…Rotation might be a bit thin after losing Randy Wolf and Jon Garland… Manny Ramirez: CONTRACT YEAR!!!
STORE THIS AWAY: Ramirez will not be in a Dodgers uniform by August. He will be a major distraction(see Boston 2008) and LA will move him to an offensively challenged club.(Seattle? Detroit?Oakland?)
4- SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Strengths: Excellent pitching led by 2 time CY Young award winner LH Tim Lincecum and RH Matt Cain… Signed two offensive upgrades in the offseason in 1B Aubrey Huff and INF-OF Mark Derosa… Budding star 3b Pablo Sandoval… Deep bullpen anchored by closer Brian Wilson… New hitting instructor Hensley “Bam-Bam” Meulens preaches plate patience and discipline.. Ballpark is a HUGE advantage
Weaknesses: This is a bad offensive team… Lack power and speed… Outside of C Bengie Molina,CF Aaron Rowand and 2B Freddy Sanchez, this is an average to poor defensive club…On bad days, LH Barry Zito could not get you out… SS Edgar Renteria is on the wrong side of 30, makes over 9 million a year and was bad in 2009 plus he has offseason surgery. Not exactly the combo meal you want at McDonalds!
5- SAN DIEGO PADRES
Strengths: Young team with some speed and athletes… Better rotation than you think if RH Chris Young returns from injury… LF Lance Blanks has scary potential…Star 1B Adrian Gonzalez and closer Heath Bell could be prime trade candidates if the team struggles.. Aggressive team that will attack on the bases
Weaknesses: Little power in a canyon of a Ballpark… Will make young mistakes & struggle to score runs… If I am a NL pitching coach and you pitch for me, if you throw Gonzalez a strike, you will be joining me on the bench. FAST!!!… Team will be careful with promising RH SP Matt Latos, limiting his pitch counts
MVP: Prince Fielder,1b, Milwaukee Brewers
CY Young: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies
ROY: Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta Braves
