Preview/Prediction

You probably wouldn't call a player that hit .307, drove in 72 runs, and stole 27 bases a failure, but that's what many fantasy baseball players were caling New York Mets' third baseman David Wright last year.

With the way Wright was viewed before last season—one of the game's true elite third baseman—those numbers just didn't cut it.

During the Padres 2009 season San Diegans had a difficult time deciphering between games played at the downtown Petco Park and riding the Mission Beach Roller Coaster, the “Giant Dipper”, one of two original oceanfront roller coasters still operating on the west coast.

After the first three series last season, the Pads found themselves tied with the Dodgers for 1st place at 7-3. However, as roller coaster enthusiasts well know, what goes up-must come down, and the Padres plummeted to a 25-25 record.

When you see Jesus Montero step to the plate, you see more of an NFL linebacker than a baseball player. The 6'4'', 225 pound, 20-year-old catcher hails from Guacara, Venezuela. Signed as a 16-year-old by the New York Yankees in 2006, Montero was tagged as the heir to Jorge Posada—high standards for just a teenager.

Over the past couple of seasons, the rapid decline of David Ortiz has been somewhat spectacular. 

Ortiz has not hit 30 or more home runs since 2007. His batting average dropped to .264 in 2008, and .238 last year. Meanwhile, his OBP dipped to an anemic .332 last season.

Like the American League East, I expect the West to be much of a three-horse race.

You've got three clubs that could all win the division and would all be decent playoff teams if they did so, because everything would have come together.

Unlike the East though, the West may only have one representative in the playoffs, which makes this division race all the more interesting. Los Angeles, Seattle, and Texas all had great seasons, winning 85 games or more.

March 21, 2010: a date that will forever be considered one of the most important in Minnesota Twins history.

A time in the baseball calendar that is generally reserved for spring training updates and fantasy buzz was dominated by the news that Joe Mauer and his hometown Twins had agreed on an 8-year, $184M contract.

Just add one more layer to a season already full of history, even though it isn't even under way yet.

Everyone knew J.J. Hardy would be traded from the Brewers after the 2009 season. Most felt his departure would bring the Brewers a starting pitcher to compete for a spot in the rotation in 2010.

No one expected a trade for a center fielder—especially when Mike Cameron said he was willing to sign for less than market value to remain in Milwaukee. GM Doug Melvin decided it was time for the team to move on, and he pulled the trigger on the deal to bring Carlos Gomez to Milwaukee.

Once again the baseball season is upon us.

With the steroid era still looming over the league, players and fans try to move on and look toward the future.

Last year we saw the Yankees come back into Championship form winning their 27th title.

Will they repeat or will some dark horse win the race?

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With less than two weeks until opening day, most the roster is set. However, a few position battles will likely go down to the final week.

As everyone knows, spring training stats are an awful indicator of future performance and are written off as useless for most players. But don’t tell that to guys like Brooks Conrad and Joe Thurston who are playing their tails off trying to be the last position player on the roster.

Since most of the roster is set, I won’t go into detail about why Tommy Hanson will be in the rotation or Chipper Jones will start at third base.

As a Yankee fan born and raised in the heart of the land that sports the pinstripes, the last thing I and many other dedicated fans want to see is a slump in the 2010 season, especially after nine seasons of lacking a championship win. 

Fellow fans of Bronx Bomber nation, it’s possible that we may be facing some hard times this season. 

Let’s take a look at some of the issues that can derail the Yankees this season.

First up—Alex Rodriguez’s injury.