When a team has the season that the Cincinnati Reds had last year, it is easy to brush them of and think that they will once again be at the bottom of the division. However, those of us that follow the team closely see a team that may have started to turn the corner and could possibly by quite a surprise in their division this season.

One of the first things that lets us know that the Reds mean business this season is the signing of Cuban phenom Aroldis Champman. There were plenty of teams that were going after him, but somehow Cincinnati was able to lure him away and get him in uniform. This is one of the boldest moves in recent times for them and hopefully it will pay off huge.

The bullpen of the Cincinnati Reds has been steady for years and this year will be no different. Cordero is a solid closer and with Burton finally signed, they have a very potent late inning staff. If the ball can get to these guys with a lead, they can more than likely close it down and get the win.  Read more...

A second place finish in the Central Division lately is about as useful as winning 60 games. The Chicago Cubs are looking to not only put last year’s season behind them, but are looking forward to some dramatic improvements in 2010. St. Louis will once again prove to be their main roadblock and this could be the season that they finally get past them.

How can any team not be excited to have Greg Maddux join their franchise? Here is a pitcher that flat out shut teams down in his prime and was still better than average at the tail end of his career. A disappointing season for him was the same season that half the pitchers in the league would have been happy to have.

While everyone is surely excited to have him there, imagine the young pitchers knowing that they now have Maddux to go to for advice. Even the coach has said that he wants to sit him down and talk to him! Looking back at the success that Piniella has had over the years, that is a pretty hefty compliment.  Read more...

2009 was not a good year to be a Cleveland Indians fan. They played horrible and were out of the race pretty early in the season. However, it is not going to take as much as people think to turn it around and the team has made some big changes. Those changes just may be enough to make 2010 a very interesting season.

When your veterans are not doing their job, it is time for young talent to be given a chance to prove themselves. The good news for Indians fans is that the team is now stocked up with talent and the odds are very good that we are going to seem more than one future superstar come out of this. Nothing is more dangerous than a young team that gets on a roll.

A casual glance at the roster would have people thinking that this team is more like the movie “Major League” than they would care to believe. However, if you really look at some of these players, there are some up and coming stars in this lineup that are going to be a pure joy to watch. A lot of these kids can flat out play the game.  Read more...

After years and years of suffering, the Boston Red Sox fans have been living the high life. While they did not get to the World Series last year, their team once again had a huge season and saw action in the post season. However, we all know that once you get a taste for success, the only thing that satisfies is winning that ring.

Ninety-five wins would have most teams dancing in the streets, but the American League East is another story. Without 100 win season, the division crown is up for grabs. While it will be enough to get a wild card just about every season, you are put at a huge disadvantage of having to win on the road. With no major changes, needed, the Red Sox are looking to make amends this season.

The one thing that the Boston Red Sox wanted to do was shore up the middle of the infield. They did this quite nicely with the pickup of Marco Scutaro. If he could score 100 runs in Toronto, we can only imagine what he will do in Bean Town. This will give Boston even more production and see them score even more runs than last year.  Read more...

All you have to do is say Yankees and you will get a snarl from any Baltimore fan. It is about time that someone knocked the white off their teeth and Baltimore may be poised to do just that. The Baltimore Orioles know it will take a big season to get the East, but they look poised and ready to do just that.

One of the secrets to success over the past few seasons has been a stud bullpen. Pitchers are going less innings because of the new ballparks and without a solid bullpen, teams have no chance. The good news for Baltimore Orioles fans is that this is probably the best part of their team.

To say that Baltimore has the best bullpen in baseball is not stretching the truth. They are going to have players that get cut from the major league club that will fill in holes for just about every other team in the league. This is a great problem to have and one that will ensure that they keep only the best. It may just be the secret to their early success.  Read more...

While last season was totally horrible, the Chicago White Sox expect a lot more than what they finished with in 2009. Their division is not exactly the best in baseball and a team with this much talent should walk away with a playoff spot. Having another losing season is the last thing that should be on the fans of the Chicago White Sox.

If anyone wants to know what the driving force of the big turnaround is going to be, look no further than the late season acquisition of Jake Peavy. Spending the early part of his career in San Diego Hell, he is now on a team with a legitimate shot at going all the way. While fans only saw him for three games last season, they get the full deal this year.

Peavy had played his entire career with the Padres up until the tail end of last season. He posted 92 wins over 8 seasons for a horrific franchise. 2007 was his best season, putting up 19 wins and a 2.54 ERA. White Sox Nation got a taste of that at the end of the season last year as he went 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA after he came over. It appears that Peavy likes the color of his new uniform.  Read more...

When the season started last year, every expert in the game had the New York Mets giving the Phillies everything that they could handle. Even though the Phillies were the champs, they were still not picked to beat out the Mets for the division. Then the season started, Philly got off to a hot start and never looked back.

The Mets will once again be a contender for the East, but the competition is even tougher than it was last year. The Phillies now have Halladay in the fold and the Braves look pretty solid. However, the Mets are right there with both of these teams and if they keep it together, there is going to be some incredible baseball being played.

The Mets did not really get involved in the high priced bidding wars that other teams did, but they really did not have to do that. They have a good core of players, they just need to play. It all starts with the rotation that they will throw out there every night. Santana anchors a solid rotation and the team will only need about 4 runs anytime that he takes the mound to snag a win.  Read more...

It is not a pleasant feeling knowing that your team has to go up against two of the best teams in baseball, but knowing that they have already beaten them in years past can give a lot of confidence to a young team. The Tampa Bay Rays had a great season last year, but they ran into two juggernauts that had even better years.

Tampa Bay is only two years removed from playing for the World Series title and they still have a large core of that group together on this team. Last year was an up and down season, but this team should not be counted out. If they were in any other division, they would be one of the favorites, but in the East, it takes perfect baseball to get the banner hung.

Whatever you do Rays fans, don’t let the division placement get you down. This is a legitimate team that had some bad breaks last season and is hardly out of the race for the crown in 2010. The pitching rotation features a lot of talent that is headed by young superstar Jeff Niemann. There was surely no sophomore slump for this 13 game winner.  Read more...

Philadelphia Phillies fans were treated to back to back incredible years by a franchise that had not been to the World Series but a few times in their entire history. They were so close to repeating that the NL Pennant was nothing more than an afterthought. The table is set yet again for another huge run into the post season.

While the Phillies were happy to get Cliff Lee at the end of the year in 2009, the player that they really wanted was Halladay. This is the true Ace that they had been longing for since the days of Curt Schilling and they managed to get him in a megadeal during the off-season. For financial reasons, they did not hand onto Cliff Lee, but they believe their starting rotation will more than do the job.

A lot of their success is going to depend on whether or not Cole Hamels can get past his difficulties from last season. One of the main reasons that the Phillies went after Lee was because Hamels was just flat out not doing his job as the team Ace. Whether it was a senior year slump, arm troubles or a big head, nobody knows.  Read more...

When a new baseball season gets underway, most teams around the league are just trying to figure out how to survive. For the Yankees, it is about trying to make sure that they do nothing less than get back to the World Series to defend their crown. With the team that they have, anything less would be unacceptable.

The 2009 season was one of the best runs that we have seen a team go on. They crushed the opposition during the regular season and did pretty much the same thing once the post season arrived. The series against Philadelphia was exciting, but there never seemed to be a doubt as to who would win. The starters held down that potent lineup and pitched into the 7th inning almost every game, and we all know who gets the call after that.

Pitching is and always has been the key to winning a championship and the Yankees will be running out the same arms this season as they did last. CC Sabathia will once again be in Yankees pinstripes and he is backed up by three other 15 game winners. This is truly a remarkable starting staff.  Read more...