2009 Predictions

With one game in the books (boy Derek Lowe looked sharp for the Braves last night), today marks the real Opening Day, with 12 games on the schedule.

That means it is prediction time. Though I'm not going out on too many limbs, the fact is the good teams continue to be good and the bad teams (sorry Buccos) continue to suck. I predict that there won't be any Tampa Bay-like stories this year. As a matter of fact, i don't even see the Rays making the playoffs.

National League Central
1. Chicago Cubs - They simply have THE most talent in all of the division, if not the league. The starting pitching is solid and the Cubs will have plenty of offense again. My only concern is the closer's spot but if Kevin Gregg can do what he did in Florida, the Cubs will go deep into October.

2. St. Louis Cardinals - I hate Tony LaRussa. I think he's smug, arrogant, and he thinks he invented the game. That said, he's one of the best managers of all time. Albert Pujols is healthy and Chris Carpenter will return to have another solid year. Another shaky closer situation and a little less offense than the Cubs leaves the Cardinals in second.

3. Milwaukee Brewers - It's hard to lose C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets from the rotation and not falter. Trevor Hoffman (though injured) is the closer and is well past his prime. The Brewers will still hit, their pitching will falter some.

4. Cincinnati Reds - The Reds will be better than recent seasons and could crack the .500 mark. Jay Bruce and Joey Votto lead the lineup while Aaron Harang and Edinson Volquez lead the rotation.

5. Houston Astros - Though there are some solid players and Roy Oswalt is still a top pitcher, the Astros will slide mightily this year. If they top 75 wins I'll be surprised. Not even an aging Pudge Rodriguez will help.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates - Woe is the Buccos. I honestly think they'll a little more competitive this year than they were after the Bay-Nady trades last year. If they lose less than 90 games this year, it should be considered a successful season. I just don't see it happening.

National League East
1. New York Mets - The third time will be the charm for the Mets. The offense is solid every way around, the starting pitching should hold up and they finally have two, not one, good pitchers at the end of the bullpen in Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz.

2. Atlanta Braves - The Braves have a lot more pitching than they did last year. with Lowe and Javier Vasquez leading the way. They scare me because Mike Gonzalez is the closer, but look for a bounceback year for Jeff Francoeur and Jordan Schafer is a Rookie of the Year candidate.

3. Philadelphia Phillies - The Phillies still have plenty of offense and a top closer in Brad Lidge. I think the starting pitching will falter a bit, especially with Cole Hamels' shaky health.

4. Florida Marlins - There's a ton of young talent here as usual. Their pitching is also very young and needs a year to develop.

5. Washington Nationals - They may not be the worst team in the league, but they will still lose 90-plus games. A couple of bright spots, but not nearly enough to contend.

National League West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers - Manny Ramirez will once again lead the Dodgers to the division title. The Dodgers also have a lot of good pitchers and Jonathan Broxton is turning into a top closer.

2. Arizona Diamondbacks - The D-Backs will push the Dodgers to the last weekend of the season. Brandon Webb and Dan Haren are two of the best pitchers in the league but Chad Qualls scares me as a full-time closer. The offense is solid, but needs more plate discipline.

3. San Francisco Giants - Pitching, pitching and more pitching will bolster last year's lifeless Giants back toward the .500 mark. Young starters Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez along with vets Randy Johnson and Barry Zito make up a strong rotation. The offense still needs help, but will be better.

4. Colorado Rockies - Offense, offense, offense makes the Rockies go. Troy Tulowitzki, Brad Hawpe and Garrett Atkins are just a few of the strong bats in the Rockies' order. The rotation still leaves a lot to be desired.

5. San Diego Padres - Wow, they're bad. Other than Adrian Gonzalez at first base and Jake Peavy (for now) on the mound, there's not much else to cheer about. Look for the Padres to battle the Pirates and Nationals the worst record in the league.

American League East
1. Boston Red Sox - The boys from Boston have the most talent overall. The lineup is outstanding with Youkilis, Ortiz, Bay, Pedroia, Ellsbury, etc. The rotation needs to stay healthy but should be fine. Look for Brad Penny as an A.L.Comeback Player of the Year candidate. The best closer in the league also helps.

2. New York Yankees - All of the money the Yankees spent will pay off. Sabathia is a Cy Young candidate and the rotation is very good with A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, etc. Center fielder Brett Gardner will be one to watch.

3. Tampa Bay Rays - The Rays will still be good, but they played so far above their talent last season that I see them falling back a little bit this season, perhaps to between 85-90 wins. Tampa's rotation doesn't have the depth of the Red Sox and Yankees.

4. Toronto Blue Jays - Roy Halladay is a top starter and B.J. Ryan re-emerged as a top closer. The offense has too many holes to stay competitive in this division.

5. Baltimore Orioles - Don't look now, but the Orioles have a lengthy consecutive losing streak of their own (11 so far, working on No. 12).

American League Central
1. Cleveland Indians - Grady Sizemore will have an MVP-type of season. Cliff Lee will again lead the rotation and Kerry Wood will be a good closer.

2. Minnesota Twins - Every year the Twins are in contention and this one will be no different. Francisco Liriano should return to be a top starter and Cy Young candidate.

3. Chicago White Sox - The White Sox will take a step back from their division title. Carlos Quinten and Alexei Ramirez are excellent players but the starting rotation doesn't have much depth.

4. Detroit Tigers - Miguel Cabrera will once again be a top player. That said, the Tigers have problems. The rotation is shaky and the bullpen is even more unstable.

5. Kansas City Royals - The Royals will have a $70-75 million payroll, their highest in team history. Too bad, it won't be enough to compete in a loaded Amercian League.

American League West
1. Los Angeles Angels - Bobby Abreu will bolster the lineup and Howie Kendrick continues to get better. The rotation is a little shaky, but should be good enough to win the division.

2. Oakland Athletics - If Matt Holliday sticks around all season and Orlando Hudson plays as he is capable of doing, the A's will contend. Their rotation is very, very young.

3. Seattle Mariners - After a last place finish last season, the Mariners will improve a little bit. Felix Hernandez is a stud pitcher. There are still a lot of holes on this team.

4. Texas Rangers - Josh Hamilton was a great story last year. I think he drops off a little bit this season. Ian Kinsler's health is shaky, Michael Young could be traded and Kris Benson (yes, that Kris Benson) is the No. 3 starter.

Playoffs
National League
New York Mets defeat Arizona Diamondbacks (Wild card)
Chicago Cubs defeat Los Angeles Dodgers
N.L.C.S. - New York Mets defeat Chicago Cubs

American League
Boston Red Sox defeat Cleveland Indians
New York Yankees (Wild card) defeat Los Angeles Angels
A.L.C.S. - Boston Red Sox defeat New York Yankees

World Series
Boston Red Sox defeat New York Mets 4 games to 2