National League Predictions....

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National League East

1.) New York - How can you NOT pick them to win the division? A historic collapse is the only thing that kept them out last season, and they improved their team. Having some guy named Santana essential take the place of Glavine is huge, both physically and mentally. Ryan Church is a nice add in RF. Hernandez and Martinez are health concerns, but Heilman can always be plugged into the rotation. Delgado should have somewhat of a rebound year. The closer spot, for me, really separates the Mets from the other two competitors in the East. It should be a fun pennant race.

2.) Atlanta - I’m going out on a limb here. Diaz had a monster season under the radar last year, and the team moved Renteria for Escobar, which lets you know what they think of their young shortstop. The rotation has question marks, mainly with Hampton, but I like it a little better than Philadelphia’s. A healthy Mike Gonzalez in the ‘pen will be nice. This team hung in the race last year, so don’t be surprised if they challenge for first this year. Jones needs to remain healthy for that to happen though.

3.) Philadelphia - I like the Phillies overall, but it’s a tough division. They have the three best hitters on any one team in baseball in Rollins, Utley, and Howard. Victorino is solid, but I have concerns about the rest of the lineup. Hamels is a stud, but you can’t be sure what you’ll get from the rest of the rotation. Even Lidge is somewhat of a question mark. Can Romero continue his midseason resurrection last year, and can Gordon stay healthy? He says he hasn’t felt this good since ’04. This team could very well win the division, but it won’t be given to them like last year.

4.) Washington - This is rather easy. They don’t belong with the big three, even with three Boones, but they are clearly better than Florida. They have several guys with questionable character on the team, but they do have talent. I doubt Young will have as good as season as last year, but the team has Johnson back this year, so they are strong at first base. It would be great to see Patterson stay healthy all season.

5.) Florida - No Cabrera and no D-Train? This really is Ramirez’s team. Hanley is an MVP-type player but has no one else in the lineup to protect him. Ugla must rebound from a less than stellar sophomore season. Maybin struggled last year during hiscall up but will have more of a chance to prove himself this year. Miller will show flashes of brilliance last year, but the team needs Sanchez to be healthy and shore up the rotation. Once again this team is rebuilding, but it might not be long before they’re good again.

National League Central

1.) Chicago - The only team with a descent starting rotation in the Central shouldn’t have too much of a problem in the league’s weakest (by far) division. A full year of Soto will be a plus. The bullpen is this team’s real strength. With Marmol, Wood, and Howry teams will have a tough go of it. It will be interesting to see how good Fukudome is and if he can stay healthy. I love Jon Lieber. I still think he has enough leftin the tank.

2.) Houston - This is the hardest league to predict, but I kinda like the lineup put together in Houston. Depends how Tejada does, but this could be a potent offense. Pitching is going to be weak, but they have a good closer in Valverde. This team made a lot of moves this offseason, but it won’t be good enough to even sniff the playoffs, but it just might squeeze out second in the division.

3.) Cincinnati - I picked this team second in the division last year, but I still think it can be a solid club. It has several young guys such as Bruce and Votto who will need to produce, but don’t underestimate the importance of Cordero in this weak division. Bailey will need to show dramatic improvement. The team loves Volquez, but was he worth Hamilton? The Reds could be the second best team in the division.

4.) Milwaukee - I love this lineup, except for Kendall, but the pitching will cause this to be a very disappointing year in Wisconsin. This team somehow managed to get worse during the offseason after a very solid ’07. They lost Cordero, Jenkins, and Linebrink and brought in the likes of Gagne, Kendall, and Mota. Plus, Cameron will have to sit out the first 25 games of the season. I think the Brew Crew will have an awful bullpen, and the starters aren’t strong enough to ease the load. They can’t afford for Sheets to get hurt again.

5.) St. Louis - Talk about a team in regress. There is little offense here aside from Pujols and Duncan and whatever Glaus can muster up. The Cardinals rotation is absolutely horrible. Reyes went 2-14 last year and Clement, who didn’t even pitch last season, isn’t expected to be ready for Opening Day. I’m really tempted to put them last, because I think the Pirates have a stronger rotation. It’s going to be a long summer in a city that loves its baseball.

6.) Pittsburgh - The team that finished last, last year, did absolutely nothing this offseason to get better. I think it has better starting pitching than several teams in the division but absolutely no offense. This whole division is a joke, but the Pirates may be the worst of the bunch. Wouldn’t surprise me if they climbed to fourth, but without any improvement, they have to be slated for sixth. Bay should have a rebound year, but, other than Sanchez, has no help.

National League West

1.) Arizona - By far the best division in baseball, I like the Diamondbacks again. I understand the offense was weak last year, but look at the roster. The only established players were Byrnes and Hudson, who both hit well. The rest are all young guys who gained valuable experience during last year’s playoff run. But even if guys like Drew, Upton, and Young don’t produce, the reason this team win’s the division is the stellar rotation. No team in the majors can compete with this rotation 1-5. Lyon will have to produce in the new closer role.

2.) Colorado - Last season’s N.L. champs are back again. The way this team gelled at

the end of the year is the reason they get placed so high in a tough division. The Rockies have the best lineup in the West, and they are a gritty team personified by Tulowitzki. Their young pitchers need to continue to mature, but like the D-Backs, they got invaluable playoff experience last season. It’s a good thing Torrealba came back.

3.) Los Angeles – Tough to pick them over the Padres, but I like the lineup better. Jones obviously has to hit better than last season, but Loney and Kemp could have bust-out years. The rotation will determine where this team places. If Schmidt is healthy and Kuroda is as-advertised this team can compete for first, or they could finish fourth. Lowe needs to stay consistent. Martin is the heart and soul of this squad.

4.) San Diego - The outfield is in decline, and no one on this roster really scares me. They all CAN hit, which says something, but there just isn’t enough pop. The rotation has lots of question marks like L.A. You know what to expect from Peavy and Young, but 3-5 could be All-Stars or could struggle to get through five innings. Neither would surprise me. How much does Hoffman have left? Missing the playoffs absolutely crushed him. Prior, Wolf, and Maddux have to produce.

5.) San Francisco - Clearly the worst team in a stacked division, there will be no more Barry Bonds drama this year….I think. There is precious little offense available and little power. The Giants do have some excellent young pitchers in Cain, Lowry, and Lincecum. If Zito can pitch consistently well, this can be a team to be reckoned with. But the pitching is going to have to be better than it will be to compensate for a weak offense.

Playoffs

I think there are eight teams with a legitimate shot at making the postseason: New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, Arizona, Colorado, Los Angeles, and San Diego. But the wild card goes to the defending champs, the Rockies.

NLDS

New York (1) OVER Colorado (4) - I think the Mets are just slightly better than Colorado in every area. The Rockies do have the charm of last season, but the Mets should be the better team. Having someone like Santana in the playoffs is huge. Just ask the teams that had to face Josh Beckett.

Arizona (2) OVER Chicago (3) - This will be close, but Arizona already showed that they can beat the Cubs last season. The young hitters must develop as planned to reach this point, but I think they will. The Diamondbacks have a fierce some rotation. Plus, Arizona should be ready for the playoffs after fighting for their division, but Chicago will have waltzed to theirs.

NLCS

Arizona (2) OVER New York (1) – I have to shake things up. At this point in the season, I expect Arizona’s young hitters to be in a groove, but the real reason they win is because of this: Webb, Haren, and Johnson. In the playoffs, with those three healthy, they should be unbeatable…….in the National League.

National League Champ: Arizona Diamondbacks


World Series Matchup: Detroit Tigers OVER Arizona Diamondbacks - No one should EVER pick an NL team over an AL team.

WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS: Detroit Tigers