Preview/Prediction

The 2010 Seattle Mariners feature a new lineup, but much about the team remains the same. Here is the projected lineup:

1. RF Ichiro Suzuki
2. 2B Chone Figgins
3. LF Milton Bradley
4. 3B Jose Lopez
5. DH Ken Griffey Jr.
6. 1B Casey Kotchman
7. CF Franklin Gutierrez
8. C Rob Johnson
9. SS Jack Wilson

Let’s take a look at who will carry the Mariners to success, drag them to despair, or keep them in the same place.

Blake DeWitt is, without a doubt, having no trouble smashing the ball this spring. DeWitt is hitting a strong .368, with 2 home runs, and 5 RBI while playing 14 games and having 38 at-bats.  There is only one small problem that he is having: fielding the ball.

His lack of fielding is quite a problem, considering he is playing second base, which is a position known to get a lot of ground balls and is expected to easily turn double plays. DeWitt has already committed three errors this spring and there are still two weeks until Opening Day.

Atlanta Braves (Last Season: 86-76)

Will Bobby Cox’s last season as the Atlanta Braves manager be one worth remembering?

He’s been the one fixture in the Braves’ organization since their run in the 1990s. If the Braves don’t get to the playoffs this year, I would say that Cox’s final year with the team might be considered a failure no matter how close they get.

One thing they must have to make a decent run for the postseason is a decent rotation.

The days of waiting for a Dodgers ace may be over.

As much as Stephen Strasburg is dominating the headlines, Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers deserves our attention. In Clayton's case, it won't make much difference if he receives it now or later, but he will receive it.

The Dodgers as an organization have groomed this 2006 first-round draft pick perfectly. Easing his way into the majors, Joe Torre saw fit to keep the work load strictly within his current ability.

The NL East is a division crowded with competitive teams hoping to dethrone the reigning National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies, Braves, and Marlins all won at least 85 games last year. However, it was the New York Mets that many predicted would make a run at the World Series.

Last year the Minnesota Twins won the American League Central for the fifth time in eight years, but it was how they did it that was so significant.

Trailing the Tigers by seven games on Sept. 6, the Twins closed out the season with a 17-4 run to force a one-game playoff.

The one-game playoff ended up going 12 innings, and Minnesota clinched a playoff berth with a 6-5 win.

Can the Twins repeat? Let's take a look at their chances, along with their season win total projection.

Pitching

The Milwaukee Brewers needed to make a pitching splash in free agency over the winter. Once it was apparent that John Lackey wouldn't become a Brewer, GM Doug Melvin signed the next best option, Randy Wolf.

Wolf signed a three-year, $29.75 million deal with the Brewers on December 9.

There were two main thoughts by most after the signing: Wolf is a good pitcher, but the Brewers overpaid to get him.

Both statements are true, but that's the price the Brewers must pay in order to get a big-name free agent to come play in Milwaukee.

With Daisuke Matsuzaka’s late start and Clay Buchholz’ fine spring performances, the 2010 Red Sox’ starting rotation is achieving some predictability: Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz, and Tim Wakefield.

That’s five.

Although not as finalized, a bullpen is forming that centers around Daniel Bard, Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima, Ramon Ramirez, and Jonathan Papelbon.

Players are always listed too high for the amount of use they will get, whether you realize it or not.

Sometimes a player jumps up the list even though they had a serious injury during the season.

Next season the Minnesota Twins will finally have a place to call their own. After sharing the dreadful indoors at HHH Metrodome with the Vikings since 1982, the people of the Twin Cities finally had enough. Target Field broke ground just in the nick of time—before the US economy plunged.