NL West

Buster Posey was a large reason why the San Francisco Giants capped off their 2010 campaign with a World Series pennant. Posey is one of the next up-and-coming stars of the game and expectations are high after an incredible rookie season.

In 2010, Posey posted a .305 batting average to go with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs over 108 games. After the Giants traded starting catcher Bengie Molina away on June 30^th, allowing Posey to slip into the starting role full time, the 39-36 Giants went on a 53-34 tear to end the year, winning the NL West.

When the Detroit Tigers signed starting pitcher and former Arizona Diamondback Brad Penny to a contract it began a domino effect that is still rumbling around Major League Baseball. In order to make room for Penny on the 40-man roster, the Tigers designated starting pitcher Armando Galarraga for assignment.

Tim Lincecum is entering his fourth full season in San Francisco.  In his first three seasons, Lincecum won 40 games and only lost 17.  He won Cy Young awards in his first two full major league seasons, the only player ever to do so.

It's amazing that Tim Lincecum's 2010 season, where he went 16-10 with an ERA of 3.43 and 231 strikeouts in 212 innings pitched, can be considered a down year.  That's how good this guy is. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers are planning to start Jay Gibbons and Marcus Thames in left field to open the 2011 season. 

No, that’s not a typo. 

It is the same Jay Gibbons who was out of the league in 2008 and 2009 only to resurface in Los Angeles in 2010 and hit .280 with five HR in 75 AB.  It is the same Marcus Thames who has never had more than 348 AB in a season and is a career .248 hitter.

Bryan: 15-1. 4-7. Those are Ubaldo Jimenez‘s first- and second-half records last season. He went from unbelievable to unbelievably pedestrian, so which Jimenez is the real Jimenez? Any time you ask that question, the real answer is, “Somewhere in the middle, of course!” and the same holds true here.

The NL west is full of young talent that is often overlooked by fans from other divisions.

This slide show will breakdown each position within the division.  When ranking the players many things came into consideration: past production, future promise, and fielding will obviously be in the mix.  Some players are versatile and play more than one position, but in this article players will only be eligible at one position.  The position chosen will be either their primary position or the one they are expected to start at to begin 2011.

Jan. 20, 2011—Who remembers Joe Crede? Well, Crede is finally back in professional baseball. In his last year, Crede helped the 2009 Minnesota Twins to the AL Central title.

But after being out of baseball for a season due to chronic back pain, Crede signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Rockies, pending a physical. 

Some might say it's baseball blasphemy for a die-hard San Francisco Giants fanatic to give opinions about our hated enemies to the south, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In fact, I know quite a few who will say that.

But bear with me for a second.

The blood rivalry—that is unfortunately a literal term when it comes to this particular pairing—between the Gents and Bums is an example of major-league contempt in its purest form.

With their most recent acquisition of outfielder Marcus Thames, the Los Angeles Dodgers not only achieved an addition of power to the roster, but they also balanced the bats in the process. Thames will join a solid corps of outfielders who individually feature power, speed, and reliable defense.

With the NFL playoffs in full swing and conference showdowns this weekend bringing the four remaining teams closer to the ultimate prize, it’s easy to see why football is on the mind of the sporting world. With the college football season finally at its end, fans of the sport are eagerly turning towards the pro circuit and how could they not?

Jets at Steelers? Intense matchup.
Packers at Bears? Great rivalry.