It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...

MLB 2010 Preview and Predictions

Dust off your glove and ball cap, bring out the cracker jacks, and rekindle the hatred you have for your favorite teams rivals. BASEBALL IS BACK !!! Every time I get the sniff of April's ass crack coming around the corner, I get as excited as Ralphie Parker on christmas eve, knowing that there's a Red Rider Carbine-Action Two Hundred Shot Range Air-Rifle, sitting under that tree. 

" The one constant of all the years, has been Baseball. This Field, This Game. It's apart of our Past, It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again "

And HERE. WE. GO. Once again we get another great season of America's past time coming to us, which ofcourse will be concluded in another Red Sox World Series Title. The Yankees are coming off their 27th title (down year), it feels like the Phillies already have an 8 game lead on the N.L. East., and the Pirates look like the team to beat for the bottom spot in the N.L. Central. 

After spending numerous morning hours of crunching numbers,

scouting, and analyzing the transactions made during the offseason, in the Letsmakemoves Baseball Research Lab (which can be found behind the grotto in the west wing of the Letsmakemoves Castle). The Committe and I have come up with a 3 part series over the next 3 days, with predictions on who's winning individual awards ,all the way to who's going to lose in 4 games to the Red Sox in the World Series. 

National League Predictions:

 East Division :Philadelphia  Phillies

Although making a questionable move in trading their best pitcher from a year agoin Cliff Lee, they still have an American League batting lineup, an improved bench, and are in possession of arguably the best pitcher in baseball. We believe the Phillies will have the most wins of any team by the end of September. That is if Cole Hamels has found a 3rd pitch. All this is based on the fact that the N.L. blows(not their fault), and with their lineup they will win atleast 20-25 games alone no matter who they throw out on the mound, and just flat out score more runs against teams like the Pirates, Nationals, Padres, Blue Jays, and Indians. IF healthy, Roy Halladay should have 20 wins, by the end of August. 

Central Division: St. Louis Cardinals

                      After acquiring Matt Holliday before

last July's trade dealine, the Cardinals went 31-9 in a 40 game span. When you have a perennial MVP that's in their prime in Albert Pujols, who has carried this franchise for the last 4-6 years. You have to give the Card's a nod as the favorite to win this division. Carpenter and Wainwright their 1 -2 punch at the top of the rotation is solid, but they're going to need Brad Penny, Kyle Loshe, and youngster Ryan Franklin to produce on the mound for them. Holliday's play will be the deciding factor of how well they do in the playoffs, as it did last year. 

West Division: San Francisco Giants

If there's one thing you'll learn in life, it's that nothing stays the same. Boasting the best rotation and the 2nd best bullpen in the NL, it's now time for the Giants to Make Moves into October baseball, by winning the NL's most competitive division. Mark Derosa, Edgar Renteria, and Aubreey Huff were brought in to produce runs and get on base with their timely hitting, so that slugger  Pablo" Kung Fu Panda" Sandoval can bring'm home with one swing of the bat. Health will always be the question, but as long as  Jonathan Sanchez, Todd Wellemeyer, and rookie Madison Bumgarner(4-5-and 6 pitchers) manage to eat innings, and live up to the Hype I'm giving them, the Giants should win this division by 2-4 games over the Colorado Rockies. 

Wild Card: Atlanta Braves

Going into manager Bobby Cox's last year, it's only right that he leads the franchise he's coached for 24 years into the playoffs for the last time. Owning the best rotation in the N.L. East with Lowe, Hudson, Hanson, Jurrjens, and Kawakami,  OF Jordan Schaefer having a full season under his belt, and acquisitions of of Billy Wagner, Takashi Saito, 1B Troy Glaus, and World Series Champion OF Melky Cabrera. Add that with Chipper Jones and Brian McCann They have all the ingredients, to win it all. 

MVP: Albert Pujols - Cardinals

Cy Young: Roy Halladay - Phillies

Batting Champion: Hanley Ramirez - Marlins

Rookie of The Year: Jason Heyward  - Braves

Bet you thought I forgot to mention him when I mentioned the Braves to Win The Wild Card. This "BAD MAN" can swing the stick( no homo). I expect him to blow up just like my AL MVP pick did in his rookie year. At 20 years-old, he has grown comparisons in having the Swag as a young Ken Griffey Jr, and the HR power and pop as the living legend Hank Aaron. 

JASON HEYWARD = BEAST

Bold Prediction: Roy Halladay blows out his arm in a 3-2 opening day loss to the Washington Nationals (while giving up 3 solo HR's to " The Human Intangible" Eric Bruntlett, leaving the The Phillies front office wishing they didn't get rid of their Blue Collar Veteran Base Runner), making Jose Contreras their ACE.

With eyes in the back of his head, notice how E.B. is running along the baseline. Not giving Evan Longoria an inch of an angle, to throw the ball to the catcher for the out. Championship Base Running is a gift, and CAN NOT BE TAUGHT. 

2morrow we'll cover the American League and Friday The Playoffs.