Preview/Prediction

Major League Baseball is always filled with major questions to be answered.

2009 is no exception.

Here are a few of the biggest questions needing to be answered.

5. Will another team like the Tampa Bay Rays come out of nowhere to make the playoffs?

I give a team like the San Fransisco Giants a good shot at challenging for the NL West title.

They have a fantastic pitching staff.

If their offense shows even decent improvement, the Giants will be contenders sooner rather than later.

*From Protect the Plate

After winning 88 games in 2007, the Mariners were expected to contend for the American League West title last season. Instead, they fell apart, posting the worst record in the AL, and losing 100 games for the first time since 1983.

With a whole new coaching staff headed by first-time manager Don Wakamatsu, the Mariners hope to bounce back in a big way in 2009.

Mr. 200

The NL Central is one of the weaker divisions in all of baseball. Because of that, I have decided to go with a bland pick and say that the division winner will be...

1st place

Chicago Cubs

Despite the injury concerns and the dipping performances of Derrek Lee and Big Z, this team is still the best in the division. 

A rotation of Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, Rich Harden and Sean Marshall is probably the best in the Central, though the team pictured above could give them a run for their money. 

by Ryan of The Sportmeisters

With Opening Day right around the corner, now is the time to preview the 2009 baseball season. Today’s focus is on the AL Central.

Minnesota Twins

The Cardinals didn't lose any key players in the off season, and look to have a surprisingly strong starting lineup for opening day.

The lineup for opening day will be lacking the former all-star Troy Glaus, but he is expected to return sometime in May. So, at third base will most likely be David Freese, who according to the Cardinals staff, has had an exemplary spring training and preseason.

So let's go around the horn.

C: Yadier Molina.

1B: Albert Pujols.

2B: Skip Schumaker.

SS: Khalil Greene.

3B: David Freese.

LF: Chris Duncan.

Many people dove on to the Tampa Bay Rays bandwagon last season, after having a breakout season. However, a lot of people think it was a fluke, was it? I don't think it was.

The Rays are a very young team with outstanding depth and talent, like rookie of the year, third baseman Evan Longoria.

He showed that rookies can have outstanding leadership, taking the Rays all the way to the World Series. With 27 home runs, and 85 RBI's, he was among a small list of rookies with numbers like that.

Baseball begins this weekend, and I am in a fantasy league.

Played fantasy baseball for the first time last year, and think I finished last..or pretty darn near it.

I expect to keep that going this year.

MY fantasy team :

SP: Brandon Webb - Dude has been solid...one of my top players probably.
SP: Clayton Kershaw - Kid is a stud. Future ace...hoping he's ready now.
SP: Hiroki Kuroda - I have no idea what to expect from him.

We have entered the Twilight Zone of spring training.

This is the time where most of the players still getting time on the fields are just looking not to get injured before the season starts while still getting enough work in to earn their paychecks when the games finally start to matter.

Since we have arrived at this most agonizing of hours when Opening Day can be seen on the horizon, but five days still await the first pitch, it's about time for an official, dyn-o-mite 2009 preview of yours, mine, and our Colorado Rockies.

Note: The lineups and rotation order are done by my discretion. The projected lineups are done the way I would have them if I was the team's manager.

ATLANTA BRAVES

LINEUP

1. Kelly Johnson 2B .287 12 HR 69 RBI

2. Yunel Escobar SS .288 10 HR 60 RBI

3. Chipper Jones 3B .364 22 HR 75 RBI

4. Brian McCann C .301 23 HR 87 RBI

5. Casey Kotchman 1B .272 14 HR 74 RBI

6. Garret Anderson LF .293 15 HR 84 RBI

7. Jeff Francoeur RF .239 11 HR 71 RBI

8. Gregor Blanco CF .251 1 HR 38 RBI

9. PITCHER

There is only one thing on the minds of Yankee's fans these days, and that is bringing home a 27th world championship. With the additions of CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, the pitching staff is better then ever. Mark Teixeira brings many tools to the Yankees lineup.