Preview/Prediction

Every year, baseball fans all across the country do the same thing: We all make predictions. While most people just let their predictions come out vocally, I have decided to post mine on here for the entire world to see.

My goal is to come back to this article at the end of the season and see how I have done. Right now, I am predicting that at least 20 of my predictions will come true.

The Major League Baseball season officially begins when the Boston Red Sox renew yet another round of hostilities with the New York Yankees this Sunday.

To kill some time before the 162-game euphoria begins—and as a primer for my remaining fantasy baseball drafts—I figured I'd take a crack at each of the Show's six divisions.

All anyone wanted to talk about all winter for the Milwaukee Brewers were the pitching woes the team suffered in 2009.

The Brewers finished up as one of the worst staffs in all of baseball, thanks in large part to several injuries and ineffectiveness.

Many forget that as late as June 19, the Brewers were sitting atop the NL Central. If not for the breakdown of the rotation, the Brewers very easily could have been in playoff contention at the end of September.

This entire offseason, the biggest argument against the Braves has been their offense. I'll admit it was abysmal during the first half of the season, but everyone seems to forget their fantasic second half in which they averaged 4.9 runs-per-game (.2 better than the Phillies).

Of course, the team lost Adam LaRoche and Garret Anderson. Still, those are losses the Braves can easily overcome. Also remember that Chipper Jones was in a slump for the majority of the time.

Let's have a look and see if the Braves will be able to provide the same production.

This article is Part Two of a six-part series in which I analyze each division in baseball and tell you exactly how I believe things are going to shake out this season.

I am by no means a credible source—merely a casual fan who knows a little about baseball and would like to share his observations and thoughts.

Today, I turn my focus to the NL Central.

Last year I predicted that Zack Greinke would win the American League Cy Young award, and I nailed that one.

I thought Cole Hamels would win the National League version of the award, and, well, that didn’t turn out quite like I expected.

The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, one each for the American League and National League.

2009 regular season record: 64-98, Fifth place, AL East

Major Offseason Acquisitions: Mike Gonzalez (ATL), Miguel Tejada (HOU), Garrett Atkins (COL), Kevin Millwood (TEX)

2009 regular season record: 95-67, Second place, AL East, Clinched Wild Card

Playoff record: 0-3, lost in ALDS to Los Angeles Angels

Major Offseason Acquisitions: John Lackey (LAA), Mike Cameron (MIL), Marco Scutaro (TOR), Adrian Beltre (SEA), Jeremy Hermida (FLA)

Last year, I pegged the Central division in the American League as one of the better divisions in baseball, because I thought they were the deep.

How things have changed after just one year.

You’d be hard pressed to find someone that doesn’t think the AL Central won’t be a wide open free-for-all. It’s a division that three teams could realistically win the division or be as bad as fourth place.