Preview/Prediction

Oakland Athletics (2010 record: 81-81)

The Oakland Athletics finished last season with a .500 record after three consecutive losing seasons. They were able to do so thanks largely to an excellent young rotation, a good bullpen and a solid defense. Little of what they accomplished was owed to their offense—which finished 11th in the league in runs scored.

It has been announced that outfielder Grady Sizemore will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list. Although this was somewhat expected, it will shake up the batting order come Opening Day for the Cleveland Indians.

Manager Manny Acta has been quiet about where Sizemore will hit when he returns to the lineup, not wanting it to affect how the other players ready themselves for the season. 

Opening Day is less than a week away.

Pretty soon, the Philadelphia Phillies will be on their way back to frigid PA and will start April 1st their quest for a fifth straight NL East Title.

Phillies fans are hoping for even more...perhaps a second World Series title in four years.

The Phillies, even though they are favorites to win the division, have some pretty big concerns heading into the season.

Injuries, age and recent play have put some question marks around the Phillies team.

It's time to make some 2011 MLB predictions!

As Opening Day inches slowly closer (just six days away now!), and teams get their rosters more set to go, the attention of many fans shifts to their teams' lineups and hopes for the coming season. 

Who will make a run to the postseason? Who will overachieve, and who will disappoint? 

Opening day is only seven days away, which means it's time to ponder and predict what the Philadelphia Phillies will accomplish in the 2011 baseball season. They go into this season with one of the best pitching rotations in baseball history and are the presumptive favorites to represent the National League in the World Series.

From Ryan Howard's potential bombs over the left field fence at Citizens Bank park to Raul Ibanez's crucial role with the absence of Jason Werth, we look at these 10 bold predictions for the 2011 Phillies baseball season.

The Giants aren’t the only ones counting on a return of Pablo Sandoval, otherwise known as "The Panda" through the Bay Area, in 2011.

Fans desperately want their happy, fun-loving, quirky, hitting machine back and hope the commitment that he made to his offseason training program will bring back the Panda of 2009. 

The Dodgers addressed two issues in the offseason; pitching depth and power.

Los Angeles was 14th in the National League in home runs last season.  Grant it, Rod Barajas and Juan Uribe aren't sexy signings, but they add pop to the lineup.

The organization got pitching depth to put behind Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley with the re-signings of Ted Lilly and Hiroki Kuroda and the signing of Jon Garland.

After a three year stint in Dodger Blue, Joe Torre decided to hang it up.  Don Mattingly now takes over.

ALSO CHECK OUT

Winter is finally over, and with it one of the most turbulent offseasons in the history of the New York Mets.

Usually, New York baseball during the months of December, January and February are dominated by the Yankees uncanny ability to sign every single All-Star free agent possible. Instead it was a quiet and disappointing off-season for the Bombers, as Cliff Lee instead opted to head back to Philadelphia.

As for the Flushing Bumbers, the Mets have been in the news just about every day.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS 

Last Year: 86-76, Second in NL Central 

Manager: Tony La Russa 

PROJECTED LINEUP

C- Yadier Molina (R)

1B- Albert Pujols (R)

2B- Skip Schumaker (L) 

3B- David Freese (R)

SS- Ryan Theriot (R)

LF- Matt Holliday (R)

CF- Colby Rasmus (L)

RF- Lance Berkman (S)

The Cardinals might have the best hitter in baseball, but the lineup has some limitations.

AL East

1. Boston Red Sox 98-64 They added Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez in the flashy moves. Added Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler in the lesser, but still important depth moves. Lackey still concerns me, and Beckett is an every-other-year-pitcher. I don't think they have the starting pitching depth, but their offense will mask many of their problems, like high ERA's for Beckett and Matzusaka. Simply the best of the rest but I'm not 100% impressed.