Baseball

With the Grapefruit League in full swing now, there is plenty of news and notes making it's way out of Philadelphia Phillies' camp, and it isn't all bad (though, most of it is, so don't say I didn't warn you.)

Be it injuries or hot starts, spring training always seems to have its fair share of surprises for the Phils.

Even though the Cincinnati Reds lacked key offseason acquisitions, General Manager Walt Jocketty believes they still have the players needed to win the National League Central Division for the second consecutive year.

The Reds have improved their wins in every year since manager Dusty Baker took over the team in 2008. Just like Bill Murray's character in What About Bob?, the Reds seem to move in "baby steps."

Philadelphia may legitimately have the greatest rotation in the history of baseball. The law of averages says probably not, but the eye test certainly screams yes.

However, the Atlanta Braves have something that Philadelphia simply does not: a healthy, complete team. With injuries and key weaknesses spreading across their team, the Phillies look to be nothing more than paper champions.

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Aaron Hill ascended into the elite ranks of second basemen in 2009, posting a ridiculous line of: 103 runs, 36 HRs, 108 RBI, six steals, .286 batting average.

Forget “As the World Turns.” This is much more important. Much more dramatic.

As we continue to work our way through spring training 2011, we continue to have some interesting player updates that deserve our attention as fantasy baseball aficionados. You can call this “As the Spring Turns.” Or not.

Andrew Bailey, OAK.

The landscape of the closing situation for a few teams might have changed in the short-term, or perhaps even the long-term on Monday as three of the better closers in baseball either want to change roles, experienced some soreness, or likely suffered season ending injuries. A few guys who had next to zero fantasy value yesterday could be good late round sleepers tomorrow.

He stands at only 5'7", 170 lbs, but don't let his lack of size fool you.

Royals' lefty Tim Collins is one of the more underrated pitchers in the majors and has been an underdog nearly everywhere he has played.

Whether it was at Worcester High or while he played in the Toronto Blue Jays' organization, Collins has always flown under the radar.

He was even overlooked after putting together a 2.02 ERA and fanning 108 batters in just 71 innings while playing for three organizations in 2010.

Jason Bay had a disappointing first season in New York last year, and if the Mets offense is going to be any better this year, they need Bay to have a bounce-back season.

Clearly, Bay is capable of having a big season at the plate. He’s done it in the past with the Pirates and Red Sox numerous times.

I’ve spent a few days in Port St. Lucie this week to watch the Mets play in spring training and I have to admit, it’s troubling to see how badly Bay is struggling right now.

9 Innings Blog will be bringing you previews of every Major League Baseball team for the next 30 days. This is in accordance with our 30 teams in 30 days series.

The second preview we are giving you today is the 2011 preview of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who are looking to climb back on top of the American League West division.

The Angels had a disappointing 2010 campaign, as they were favorites to win the AL West until the Rangers snagged LHP Cliff Lee from Seattle near the middle of the season.

With only a couple weeks until opening day, teams are concentrating on finalizing their lineups and rotations. While that usually means that teams are deciding between a few players for a couple positions, it can also mean that players will be traded even though the season is to start soon.