Preview/Prediction

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.

Spring Training is a time for hitters to get back into the swing of things, for pitchers to shake off the rust and for coaches and managers to figure out what their strategy for the upcoming year is going to be. 

Spring is also a time for non-roster invitees, mainly top prospects looking to make a splash and prove they can hit big-league pitching, journeyman major-leaguers looking to latch on with a team, or proven players coming back from injury.

It's hard not to be giddy with anticipation right now if you're a Boston Red Sox fan. 

Coming off a frustrating season in which the team finished 7 games back in the AL East and had to watch the playoffs on their flat-screen TVs just like the rest of us, the Red Sox went out and acquired Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, two of the most coveted players in the game, both in the early part of their prime. 

Alright, kicking off my 30-team preview, we're starting in the wonderful city of Sixsburgh. A city of rich sports tradition, and champions all around.

Whether you're on the frozen pond, or on the gridiron, Pittsburgh knows what it takes to win championships. Even the dismal Pirates were once synonymous with success back in the early 1900s as well as the entire 1970s.

Now that the MLB offseason is starting to cool down and the dust is starting to settle, which teams will make the playoffs in 2011?

The Boston Red Sox added superstars Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, Philadelphia added veteran starter Cliff Lee to their already dominant rotation, the Brewers added former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke, and much more.

How will these additions and subtractions affect the MLB standings in 2011?

Which teams are for real and which teams are overrated?

Here are my predictions. Prepare to be frustrated.

There’s no question about it; given the team’s underwhelming performance in 2010, coupled with the shake up in the front office and their on-field staff, the New York Mets are in a period of transition. 

With transition comes change, and change brings uncertainty. 

However, here are five predictions that you can be sure will come to fruition for the Mets in 2011.  

Begin Slideshow

It's almost that time of year again. In exactly one month, Cleveland Indians pitchers and catchers will report to Goodyear, Arizona to kick-off Spring Training and the 2011 Major League Baseball season. Yes, I know things can change from now until February 14, but lets just say, if the season started today, what starting pitchers would make up the Tribe's five-man rotation?

The Boston Red Sox celebrated the winter holidays as the clear winner of baseball’s hot stove season.  A trade for slugger Adrian Gonzalez and the signings of the athletic Carl Crawford and former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks were big moves designed to put Boston back atop the AL East.

The Sox were World Series champs in 2004 and 2007 but they’ve been division champs just once in the past decade.

With the majority of the country under a snowy blanket, it is nice to think of spring training being not too far away.

This tune-up to the baseball season is normally a laid-back, low-pressure month in which fans get a closer look at their team in a comfortable, and warm, environment.

With a strong emphasis on young talent and question marks in the outfield and on the bench, the Atlanta Braves seem to be opening spring training with what may be some very strong competition.

Its no secret that the Cleveland Indians have some work ahead of them in the rebuilding process. But with such a deep farm system and many former All-Stars being dealt, Tribe fans are anxious to see something come from the plethora of young talent the Indians are supposed to have.

The Minnesota Twins have become more of a large-market team with a new stadium and the ability to keep their talent around, while the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox have spent a lot of money in the offseason to make a once seemingly winnable AL Central a very formidable one.