Preview/Prediction

Full Name: Zack Cox
College: University of Arkansas
D.O.B.: 5/9/89 (21 years old)
Height: 6’0 ft.
Weight: 215 lbs.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Position: 3B

Stats:

Oh man, it's been so many months since I've done an MLB Rumor Mill at BleacherReport.com. It's been ages, literally!

So here I am, back with the MLB Rumors. And that brings me to another thing: I haven't written an MLB article for a long time, too. Jeez.

NEW YORK—After getting swept by the Marlins in a four-game series in Miami in mid-May, the Mets will have a chance to do the same over three games at Citi Field today.

They will hope that Hisanori Takahashi can rebound from his last start on Monday in San Diego, when he gave up a grand slam in an 18-6 Mets loss.

Before that start, Takahashi had pitched scoreless ball in his first two starts against the Yankees and Phillies.

"Grow the arms and buy the bats."

That's the philosophy Andy MacPhail said he was going to try to rebuild the once great Baltimore franchise with.

So here we are, three years later. The arms have been grown: Brian Matusz, the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft; Chris Tillman, stolen from the Seattle Mariners in the one-sided Erik Bedard trade; Jake Arrieta, Triple-A superstar, and on the verge of joining the big league rotation any week now; and, Zach Britton, one of the more promising, underrated arms in the minors.

Now, how 'bout those bats?

NEW YORK—For the first time since May 16 when he injured his hamstring in Florida, Jon Niese will take the mound for the Mets, as they go for the series win against the Marlins.

In that game, Niese hurt himself in the third inning, without retiring a batter, as the Mets lost 10-8.

Series victories have been hard to come by for the Mets on the road, but at home the Mets are now 20-9 and would be in good shape with a win today.

Given that the Washington Nationals will likely take power-hitting junior college catcher Bryce Harper with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft on Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates have a bit more of a dilemma when it comes to their selection.

Even though Harper will be gone, the Pirates still have the cream of the crop to work with—they can choose the best pitcher or the second best position player in the draft.

So who will the Pirates take?

The 2010 MLB Draft is just days away. Come Monday night, a new generation of players will see their names called and their journeys to their career ambitions begin.

A year ago, it was then-collegiate pitcher Stephen Strasburg who rocked the draft. This year, it is a position player named Bryce Harper that is gaining all the attention leading up to Monday night's first round.

The MLB Draft is a 50-round affair with players drafted from places you've never heard of.

Originally published at TwinsMVB.com .

Starting the season with low expectations and a very young team, the Oakland Athletics find themselves at the top of their division through the first third of the season.

In the Oakland Colosseum, the Athletics boast an impressive 19-8 record. As the Twins attempt to shake off a disappointing series with Seattle, the Athletics appear to be an intimidating foe.

Game One

While the Big Red Machine of the 1970s might have been extremely good, it has nothing on the 2010 Yankees.

The Bronx Bombers have put together the best hitting infield of all time, and have done so in an un-Yankees manner. Although the Yankees have earned a reputation for buying their talent, the majority of this currently assembled infield is home grown talent.

Coming off a tough 4-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox that finished up a eight-game road trip, the Texas Rangers will come home this weekend to face the best team in all of baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays.

Can the Rangers steal a series at home against the Rays and prove to the rest of the AL West that they should be taken seriously?