Baseball Articles, Information & Previews

NL EAST PREVIEWS

Atlanta Braves 2008 MLB Season Preview (3/25/08)

Key Acquisitions: Mark Kotsay - OF, Tom Glavine - SP, Josh Anderson - OF, Omar Infante – IF

Strengths: If the Braves are in your ballpark and there is a lefty on the mound, look out. Atlanta averaged 5.61 RPG on the road in the division. On the season they averaged an impressive 5.00 RPG. They also scored more runs and had more RBI than any team in baseball against LHP. In 2007 the Braves also knew how to work the count as they drew 534 walks (12th most in the league). Their starting rotation was good last season, and it got better with the signing of Glavine. One through three they are as good as anybody. Without Glavine, they held teams to a 4.52 RPG average. Atlanta also has a solid bullpen in place (10th in RPIA).

Weaknesses: Last season the Braves struggled a little bit with right handed pitching. While not terrible, they were in the bottom half of the league in HR's, RBI, and runs scored versus righties. Atlanta also had their share of miscues in the field. The Braves had 107 errors on the year (9th worst in baseball). The bullpen, while impressive in most areas, did give a few too many free passes, it ranked 21st in walks per inning allowed.

Summary: The Braves appear to be in position to make a push for the NL East title. Not only did they bring Tom Glavine back into the fold, they have a number of strong canidates to fill out the back end of their rotation. If Mike Hampton can return healthy, and if Jo-Jo Reyes and Jair Jurrjens can meet their promise, this club could do great things. That's a lot of 'ifs' but they will be fine either way. This team will not have trouble scoring runs and their top three starters will keep them in things even if the back end falls apart. The Braves also possess a quality bullpen but did lose reliever Ron Mahay to KC. Losing Andruw Jones doesn't help things but Kotsay and Anderson should be an adequate platoon tandem in CF.

Prediction: 1st Place NL East

Probable Starters

1B: Mark Teixeira

2B: Kelly Johnson

3B: Chipper Jones

SS: Yunel Escobar

C: Brian McCann

LF: Matt Diaz

RF: Jeff Francoeur

CF: Josh Anderson

Key Players & Trends

Tim Hudson has pitched in Atlanta for three seasons. During that span the Braves are 60-38 when Hudson starts for them (61% win percentage). They have won at an even better rate when Hudson has started against NL East opposition, in those games Atlanta is 28-14 (67% win percentage). The Braves have posted similar numbers with John Smoltz since he returned to a starter's role in 2005. Atlanta is 61-40 in games Smoltz has started the last three seasons for a win percentage of 60%.

Florida Marlins 2008 MLB Season Preview (3/25/08)

Key Acquisitions: Mark Hendrickson - SP, Andrew Miller - SP, Cameron Maybin - OF, Mike Rabelo - C, Alex Gonzalez – OF

Strengths: Florida doesn't have too much to brag about, but they can feel pretty good about their offense. In division play they averaged 5.13 RPG, and an even more notable 5.53 RPG at home. The Marlins also hit RHP well as they finished in the top third in almost every major offense category when facing right handers. The Fish have good speed in the field and on the bases. In 2007 they swiped 105 bags.

Weaknesses: Luckily for the Marlins they know how to score runs because their pitching staff certainly knows how to give them up. In 2007 they allowed a staggering 6.67 RPG at home in division matches. On the season they padded most team’s offensive numbers by ceding 5.50 RPG. Apparently the Marlins skipped the fundamentals at spring training too, because they played defense the way a real fish might. Florida had a league leading 137 errors. The bats weren't all great either. Left handed pitchers frustrated them and they enjoyed striking out (8.22 per game). This would explain how they drew the fewest walks in baseball (313).

Summary: The Marlins made a splash with their off-season swap with the Tigers, but most of the attention seemed to go to Detroit. What the Marlins did was impressive as well. Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin will be roster lynchpins in the near future. However, the Marlins young pitching staff must produce quickly for them to be competitive in 2008. Their bullpen should be adequate if they can reduce the number of walks. Finally, losing Cabrera will hurt their offensive production but it will not cripple it. They need to focus more on stopping the other team from scoring if they want to stay out of the cellar this year.

Prediction: 5th Place NL East

Probable Starters

1B: Mike Jacobs

2B: Dan Uggla

3B: Jose Castillo

SS: Hanley Ramirez

C: Mike Rabelo

LF: Josh Willingham

RF: Jeremy Hermida

CF: Cameron Maybin

Key Players & Trends

If you're looking for lefties who've frustrated the Marlins you can stop. Jamie Moyer of the Phillies is your man. In seven meetings against the Fish, Moyer is 7-0 and Florida has averaged just 2.86 RPG. The Marlins only had more than two earned runs twice in the seven games versus the veteran pitcher. Despite Florida's poor offensive production against Moyer, the total still went over in five of the seven games.

New York Mets 2008 MLB Season Preview (3/25/08)

Key Acquisitions: Johan Santana - SP, Brian Schneider - C, Ryan Church – OF

Strengths: The Mets numbers and lineup would indicate they have all the tools in place to make a run at the crown. The starting rotation should be excellent with Santana in place and Martinez returning. New York has quality at all five spots now. They can handle both right and left handed pitching and they know how to work the count (549 walks in 2007). They have excellent speed (200 stolen bases last year) as well. New York can also put runs on the board in a hurry; last season they averaged 4.96 RPG and they averaged 5.61 RPG in road division play. They held division rivals 3.89 RPG on the road.

Weaknesses: The biggest reason for the Met collapse last year was the way they fell apart against their division rivals, particularly at home. The Mets gave up 5.50 RPG at Shea last year to division foes. That makes no sense when compared to how well they pitched on the road in the division. The Mets look like Brooks Robinson compared to the Marlins, but they could afford to cutback on the errors too (101 in 2007).

Summary: The way the Mets played down the stretch at Shea they might be glad to see the old building go. That said, if they can correct their problems at home they should be in the running to bring home the NL East title. Johan Santana gives an all around solid pitching staff a much needed top of the rotation ace. The addition of Santana to the starting rotation makes up for Glavine’s departure and then some. The Mets definitely have the bats to produce solid offensive numbers, there only problem last season was the lack of offensive pop at home. The Mets still have some work to do against some stiff competition if they're going to send Shea off in fine fashion.

Prediction: 2nd Place NL East

Probable Starters

1B: Carlos Delgado

2B: Luis Castillo

3B: David Wright

SS: Jose Reyes

C: Brian Schneider

LF: Moises Alou

RF: Ryan Church

CF: Carlos Beltran

Key Players & Trends

The past two seasons the Mets are 32-19 when John Maine pitches, meaning they win 63% of the time that Maine starts. They do far better in division play when Maine takes the ball, posting a 16-5 mark in those match-ups (76% win percentage). Part of Maine's tremendous success in division play over the last two seasons can be attributed to the fact that New York has averaged 6.43 RPG over those 21 games.

Key Acquisitions: Brad Lidge - RP, So Taguchi - OF, Chad Durbin - SP/RP, Geoff Jenkins - OF, Pedro Feliz - 3B

Strengths: Philadelphia can pound out runs whether it's in the neighbor's backyard or Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies averaged over five runs per game at home in division play, on the road in division play, and on the season as a whole. They can punish right and left handers equally, last year they ranked in the top 10 in every area that matters against both. The Phillies have good speed in addition to power (138 SB's in '07). Their starting rotation is very respectable, especially the 1 through 4 spots. Philadelphia handles the ball well too; they finished last season with just 89 errors.

Weaknesses: A discussion of Philadelphia's weaknesses can pretty much start and finish with the bullpen. This group of fire starters placed 26th in the league by allowing .4788 walks per inning and they complimented that by sending most of those guys home (24th in the league in RPIA at .5481).

Summary: The Phillies shocked everyone down the stretch last season; don't look for that to happen this year. They will be in the thick of it for sure but they'll have their hands full with both the Mets and Braves. The biggest question facing the Phillies is whether or not bullpen changes will help strengthen a staff that was less than stellar in 2007. Brad Lidge and Chad Durbin should help but Lidge must continue his return to pre 2006 form. Also, while Myers move back to the rotation is a positive, it still leaves a void in an area of need. Their bats and starting rotation, however, put them well ahead of most clubs.

In Cole Hamels two big league seasons the Phillies are 32-20 in his 52 starts for a win percentage of 62%. Hamels has been particularly effective against the Nationals. In his nine starts versus Washington, Hamels has held the Nats' to an average of 3.56 RPG and Philadelphia has gone 6-3 in those games. The Phillies have also given Hamels solid run support in his division starts, cranking out 5.52 RPG for the young right hander against the NL East.

Key Acquisitions: Paul Lo Duca - C, Aaron Boone - IF, Lastings Milledge - OF, Johnny Estrada – C

Strengths: Washington doesn't have a whole lot to talk about in the way of accolades. They do have a fairly young pitching staff and even more prospects in the pipeline. Their best attribute other than the potential of their starting rotation is their bullpen. Last season Washington's relief squad ranked 7th in runs per inning allowed and 10th in walks per inning allowed.

Weaknesses: Washington lacks power, depth, and speed in their batting order. They were exasperated by right handed hurlers all season, and they were only marginally better against lefties. The Nationals also gave up 5.26 RPG to division opponents while scoring only an average of 4.21 RPG against them. For the year Washington averaged 4.15 RPG, a number that earned them last place in that category. Fielding the ball is also an issue with this club, demonstrated by their tripping over themselves in one form or another 109 times in 2007.

Summary: The Nationals had a few problems in 2007, namely their inability to produce runs while yielding too many runs to the opposition. The future does look a little brighter though. A beautiful new ballpark should excite the players as well as the fan base. Their young pitching staff definitely has some potential and Lo Duca should help them grow up quickly. Washington's bullpen is also more than adequate and they've done nothing to change that. For them to stay ahead of Florida they must get better in the field and it is imperative that they generate more runs. Milledge has the potential to help the offense as does Lo Duca, but it is a group that needs a lot of aid both at home and on the road.

The Nationals are far from an offensive powerhouse (4.15 RPG in 2007), but during the day their poor run production gets even worse. In forty-six 2007 day games Washington averaged just 3.89 RPG. Over the past four seasons the Washington/Montreal franchise has averaged just 4.12 RPG in 197 day games.

Los Angeles Angels 2008 MLB Season Preview (3/17/08)

Key Acquisitions: Jon Garland - SP, Torii Hunter – OF

Strengths: The Angels have a strong starting rotation that possesses both stamina and depth. If Escobar is well, their rotation could legitimately go six deep. LA held division foes to 4.18 RPG on the road and 4.37 RPG in total. Their bullpen ranked in the top half of the league in walks per inning allowed as well. At home the Angels are hard on opposing pitchers, particularly in their division. They hit the plate an average of 5.17 times per game in division play at their own park.

Weaknesses: As good as they are producing runs at home, that’s about how poor they are producing runs on the road. LA averaged 4.36 runs per game on the road in division rival ballparks. The Angels also struggled against left handed pitchers. They finished in the bottom third of the league in HR's, RBI, and runs scored against southpaws. Their bullpen was not terrible but it did rank 19th in the league in RPIA (.5085). Hunter should help the defense; while they weren't terrible in 2007 they still committed too many errors (101).

Summary: The Angels added an important piece in Torii Hunter. The Gold Glover is always reliable in the field and last season he produced career numbers with the bat. LA struggled last season to score runs against left-handers as well as on the road. Hunter is strong against lefties and will add some punch to a batting order that can put up runs in a hurry at home. The trade for Garland is looking better everyday as Escobar's health status is somewhat in limbo. The Halos have the tools to hold off the Mariners but don't expect them to have an easy time doing it. The depth of their starting rotation may be the difference but they will also need their bullpen to do better than 19th in runs per inning allowed.

The Angels have won 65% of John Lackey's starts since the 2005 season. In 2007 they won 70% of the time that Lackey took the mound. The average game score when Lackey started in 2007 was 8.21. In Lackey's 33 2007 starts the opposition averaged only 3.79 RPG. Further, in those 33 games teams exceeded the 3.79 RPG average only 39% of the time. In three seasons teams have averaged just 3.92 RPG against the Angels in Lackey starts. Teams scored five or more runs against Los Angeles just 34% of the time in three years of Lackey starts.

Oakland Athletics 2008 MLB Season Preview (3/17/08)

Key Acquisitions: Carlos Gonzalez - OF, Ryan Sweeney - OF, Mike Sweeney -DH, Emil Brown – OF

Strengths: The Athletics are not exactly a bomb squad on offense but they can handle left handed pitching. Oakland finished in the top third in HR's, RBI, and run scored on the season against lefties. They also cranked out runs at an impressive clip on the road against the division (5.31 RPG). Young reliever Huston Street has all the tools to be a dominant closer. The A's are also pretty good with their gloves too, they had 90 errors last season and have averaged 87 the last three years. Oakland also held AL West rivals to 4.32 RPG at home.

Weaknesses: Oakland has too many uncertainties in their starting rotation. They are rumored to be shopping Joe Blanton and Rich Harden, while having good potential, must remain healthy. This same staff, with the now departed Dan Haren, yielded 5.21 RPG to rivals on the road. And while they produced runs on the road, they struggled mightily to find home plate at home in division play. The 3.75 RPG average at McAfee was tied for second worst in the league. The bullpen, granted was better than many, but it was still in the bottom half of the league in RPIA and walks per inning allowed.

Summary: It looks like a rebuilding year in Oakland but GM Billy Beane usually has enough savvy to keep the team competitive. They still have some quality pitchers in both the starting rotation and bullpen, but they lack a true shut down guy now that Haren has departed. Last season the offense struggled at home and they could not consistently hurt right handed pitchers. If Mike Sweeney can stay healthy he could help the offense as could Carlos Gonzalez. Emil Brown is capable of getting runners across the plate too but his glove will only hurt an already solid defensive club. It could be a long season in the Bay Area but A's fans will get a look at some talent on the verge of being productive.

Lenny DiNardo was 8-10 in 2007 with a 4.11 ERA. Not too bad, however, the Athletics won just 37% of DiNardo's starts. In DiNardo's four year career with Oakland he's made 78 appearances as both a reliever and a starter. The A's win percentage in those 78 DiNardo showings is 31%.

Seattle Mariners 2008 MLB Season Preview (3/17/08)

Key Acquisitions: Carlos Silva - SP, Miguel Cairo - IF, Erik Bedard – SP

Strengths: The Mariners starting rotation, with the addition of Bedard, will be tough to match up against. They have quality at all 5 spots now and that should only improve on the already impressive 4.21 RPG they allowed on the road in division play. Seattle also swung the bats well in rivalry meetings - they averaged 5.12 RPG in total and 5.38 RPG at home. The bullpen is average to good for the most part but closer J.J. Putz is lights out. The M's also displayed some stellar fielding chops in 2007 (90 errors).

Weaknesses: The Mariners must have switched to softballs at home against division foes. They gave up 5.28 RPG at Safeco Field to rivals and on the season ceded 798 hits, 177 of which were doubles. Seattle was able to hit for average against LHP but it translated into almost zero production as they averaged only 1.77 RPG against left handers. They made up for their poor performance versus southpaws by forgetting how to work the count. Seattle was dead last in the league with 389 walks. They've been in the bottom quarter of the league in that area for several years.

Summary: The Mariners inserted themselves into the division title mix last season. They have not rested on their laurels this offseason by acquiring Bedard and Silva. Bedard and Hernandez give them as good or better one and two starters as anyone in the league. The addition of Silva also gives them a rotation with dependable back end guys that match up well with any opponent. The M's have a good offense too, with arguably the best lead off man (Suzuki) in all of baseball. Their bullpen will suffer some as a result of George Sherill being sent to the Orioles and losing Adam Jones will certainly hurt their depth in the outfield. That said it should be an exciting race in the west this year as the Angels hope to fend off the Mariners.

Seattle left hander Jarrod Washburn could serve as the poster boy for hard to predict. In two years with the Mariners, Seattle is 10-11 versus AL West opponents when Washburn starts. Seattle has averaged 5.00 RPG in support of Washburn over those 21 games and challengers have averaged 4.90 RPG. Those totals equate to an average game score of 9.90, 0.30 runs more than the league average (9.60). Further, in his last 47 starts against AL West teams his team is 25-22 with 23 of those games going under the total and 24 going over the total.

Texas Rangers 2008 MLB Season Preview (3/17/08)

Key Acquisitions: Josh Hamilton - OF, Kazuo Fukimori - RP, Milton Bradley - OF, Ben Broussard - 1B, Jason Jennings – SP

Strengths: The Rangers know how to score runs especially when they square off with AL West foes. At home they smacked in runs at an average of 5.50 per game when playing their neighbors. On the season they averaged a notable 5.07 RPG in rivalry play. From this it would be accurately concluded that Texas was stellar against RHP and at least respectable against lefties. Their bullpen is no slouch either, ranking 9th in RPIA in 2007. That should not drop off in 2008.

Weaknesses: The Rangers can hardly handle the bats well enough to keep up with their pitching staff. They had a winning record at home in the division in spite of allowing 5.04 RPG to opponents. AL West teams must be giddy when they see the Rangers coming to town. Texas allowed a staggering 6.17 RPG to their division brethren on the road in 2007. That kind of output cannot be laid entirely at the feet of the pitching rotation. The men behind the stars must have left their gloves in the dugout quite often in 2007 when they committed 124 errors.

Summary: Texas' off-season moves only enhanced what is the best part of their team (offense). The Rangers also bolstered their bullpen by inking reliever Fukimori. The big question mark for this team is their starting pitching. Millwood and Padilla struggled last season but they are veteran pitchers who should be able to eat innings. The other three likely starters (Gabbard, Loe, and McCarthy) are all young and have yet to fulfill their potential. Jason Jennings could provide a big boost but he has been an underachiever most of his career. At this point, they don't have an overwhelming presence in their rotation. That will cost them in a division stacked with starting depth. They won't be able to outscore everyone all the time.

Vincente Padilla has started 19 division games in two years for the Rangers. The average game score in those 19 starts was 11.11. In 2007 there were 86 runs scored in the seven games Padilla started in the division for an average game score of 12.29. Only seven times in Padilla's 19 starts (37% of the time) was the game score nine or under.

AL CENTRAL PREVIEWS

Minnesota Twins 2008 MLB Season Preview (3/13/08)

Key Acquisitions: Mike Lamb - 3B, Adam Everett - SS, Craig Monroe - OF, Delmon Young - OF, Brendan Harris - 2B, Livan Hernandez – SP

Strengths: What kept the Twins close to the .500 mark last season was starting pitching and a sound bullpen. Obviously, Santana leaving puts a dent in the starting rotation but the bullpen should remain effective. It ranked 11th in RPIA at .4669 and 6th in walks per inning allowed at .3645. Joe Nathan is one of the top 3 closers in the league - if they can get to him it's all but a done deal. The Twins are average to slightly above average with their gloves (95 errors in 2007) and they averaged 4.86 RPG on the road in the division.

Weaknesses: The starting rotation is certainly not awful, but there are some definite concerns. Liriano must prove he is healthy, and then he must prove he can be what he was in 2006. Other than Hernandez, the staff is young and does not have a tremendous amount of experience. The Twins only averaged 3.75 RPG at home against division opponents, and 4.31 RPG in all division games. They were terrible against LHP even with Hunter in the lineup, that's not likely to improve much. The offense should be better but it is far from intimidating. They were 25th in the league last season with 718 runs scored.

Summary: The Twins have seen the departure of baseball's best pitcher in Santana, young talent in Matt Garza, and rotation workhorse in Carlos Silva. The return of a well Francisco Liriano and the acquisition of veteran Livan Hernandez will help remove some of that sting but certainly not all of it. Minnesota also worked hard to add a little punch to the line-up by trading for Delmon Young and bringing in Mike Lamb. That's probably not enough for this team which lacked offensive firepower even withTorii Hunter in the line-up. A third place finish would be a best case scenario.

Prediction: 5th Place AL Central

Probable Starters

1B: Justin Morneau

2B: Brendan Harris

3B: Mike Lamb

SS: Adam Everett

C: Joe Mauer

LF: Craig Monroe

RF: Michael Cuddyear

CF: Jason Kubel

DH: Delmon Young

Key Players & Trends

In 2007 Minnesota went 28-44 in division play. Closer Joe Nathan made 25 (35 percent of 72 games) appearances against division rivals in ‘07; the Twins were 21-4 in those 25 games. This means that Minnesota was 7- 40 when they did not get to Nathan. That is a win percentage of 15 percent. So, in 2007, 65 percent (percentage of division games Nathan did not appear in) of the time the Twins won in the division at a miserable 15 percent rate. To further illustrate the importance of Nathan, look to 2006 when Minnesota won the division. They finished 41-35 and Nathan appeared 29 times going 24-5 (38 percent of 76 games) in those games. The Twins were 17-30 when he did not pitch (win percentage of 36 percent). In 2006, 62 percent of the time Minnesota won in the division at a 36 percent clip. Of course this also means that in 2007 the Twins won 84 percent of their division games 35 percent of the time. And in 2006 they won 83 percent of their division games 38 percent of the time.

Kansas City Royals 2008 MLB Season Preview (3/11/08)

Key Acquisitions: Jose Guillen - OF, Bret Tomko - SP, Miguel Olivo- C, Yasuhiko Yabuto - RP, Ron Mahay - RP, Alberto Callaspo - 2B, Mike Maroth – SP, Hideo Nomo – SP

Strengths: The Royals have solid pitchers at the front of their rotation in Meche and Bannister and a potential ace in Zach Greinke. Kansas City held division rivals to 4.58 RPG on the road and their bullpen ranked 13th and 9th in runs per inning allowed and walks per inning allowed respectively. KC also has a budding star in reliever Joakim Soria. He could anchor the bullpen for quite some time, not bad for a Rule 5 draft pick.

Weaknesses: Kansas City may have been batting with pool cues when they played division foes at Kauffman Stadium last season. They only mustered a 3.89 RPG average in their own park. They weren't much better on the road, barely breaking four runs per game there. Right handed pitchers bedeviled the Royals regardless of location. KC's power numbers were severely sub-standard in 2007 too. The depth of their starting rotation is also an issue. They have many arms competing for the last two spots but none of them appear to be stunning. KC was also near the bottom of the league in drawing walks.

Summary: Kansas City had a busy off-season and it needed to. The Royals addressed some needs but they still have some kinks to work out. Their 4th and 5th rotation spots are up for grabs. And while the front of the rotation appears to be solid, Bannister must prove that his stellar rookie campaign was not a fluke and Greinke most become more consistent as a starter. Kansas City also needs their young bats (Gordon, Teahen, and Butler) to come alive. The addition of Jose Guillen could be the catalyst for that to happen as he should provide some protection in the batting order. KC also took steps to insure that their improved bullpen did not drop off by signing Ron Mahay and Japanese reliever Yabuto. Have they done enough to move out of the cellar? Things are starting to look better but so is the competition.

Prediction: 4th Place AL Central

Probable Starters

1B: Justin Huber/Ross Gload

2B: Mark Grudzielanek

3B: Alex Gordon

SS: Tony Pena Jr.

C: John Buck

LF: Mark Teahen

RF: Jose Guillen

CF: David DeJesus

DH: Billy Butler

Key Players & Trends

Division opponents averaged only four runs per game against KC when Gil Meche started. Meche gave up only four or more earned runs twice against division opposition in 12 starts. KC averaged only 4.08 RPG in support of Meche in his 12 division starts. The 8.08 RPG averaged in Gil's 12 division starts was 1.52 runs below the league average runs per game in 2007 (9.60). Finally, only four times did the combined score in Meche's 12 appearances reach double digits.

Detroit Tigers 2008 MLB Season Preview (3/11/08)

Key Acquisitions: Miguel Cabrera – 3B, Dontrelle Willis - SP, Edgar Renteria - SS, Jacque Jones – OF

Strengths: Detroit has power bats throughout the lineup and possesses the ability to score in bunches. The Tigers were relentless against right handed pitching, scoring almost 700 runs - 133 of those the long ball variety. This club also hit lefties just below a 300 clip. The offense churned out 5.47 RPG on the road in the division. They have veteran pitchers 1 through 5 as well. Ace Justin Verlander matches up with anybody and he is just now entering what should be his prime.

Weaknesses: The only pitcher who dominated division opponents in 2007 was Bonderman, who ironically had a difficult season on the whole. The bullpen has some strong points (Fernando Rodney, Todd Jones) but it struggled to be consistent. It ranked in the bottom third of the league in RPIA and walks per inning allowed. Detroit also fought to keep division teams off the board at Comerica Park (they gave up an even 5.00 RPG there).

Summary: The Tigers had the best off-season of any team in baseball. They've added great talent to an already potent lineup. Last season Detroit struggled to produce runs at home in division play. The additions of Cabrera, Renteria, and Jones should more than fix that problem. However, for them to overtake Cleveland their starting rotation and bullpen will have to perform better than it did a year ago. Todd Jones is not getting any younger and Joel Zumaya will be out until at least mid-season. Additionally, Jeremy Bonderman will have to rebound from a sub-par 2007 as will Dontrelle Willis. There is no doubt Detroit will be a major force but they still have a few questions to answer before they can be crowned champion.

Prediction: 2nd Place AL Central

Probable Starters

DH: Gary Sheffield

CF: Curtis Granderson

RF: Magglio Ordonez

LF: Jacque Jones

C: Ivan Rodriguez

SS: Edgar Renteria

3B: Miguel Cabrera

2B: Placido Polanco

1B: Carlos Guillen

Key Players & Trends

Nate Robertson finished 2007 with a 9-13 record; however the Tigers were just 10-19 in games he started. In AL Central games Detroit finished with a record of 3-8 when Robertson took the hill. The average game score in Robertson's 11 division game starts was 8.27. Additionally, only five times out of those 11 games did the games score exceed eight runs. In the last three seasons Detroit is 38-57 when Robertson starts, so the Tigers lose 60% of the time when Robertson pitches. Since 2005 the Tigers are 11-23 when Robertson starts in division games - in other words, Detroit has lost 68% of the time that Robertson started in division games from 2005 through 2007.

Cleveland Indians 2008 MLB Season Preview (3/7/08)

Key Acquisitions: Nobody

Strengths: The Indians have depth and experience in their starting rotation. They only allowed 4.03 RPG to division foes in 2007. Their bullpen is also outstanding, ranking 5th in the league in runs per inning allowed and 4th in walks per inning allowed. They hit right handed and left handed pitching well as illustrated by their 5.26 RPG average in division play. They produce runs both at home (5.33 in division games) and on the road (5.19 in division). Cleveland also handles the leather well, their 92 errors on the season attest to this fact.

Weaknesses: The Indians don't really have any major weaknesses. The only real concerns/weaknesses they may have going into 2008 are the possible lack of experience at the 5th starter position and if Joe Borowski can duplicate last year's effort as closer. He did have 45 saves but his stuff is far from great. He could be replaced by Rafael Betancourt sooner rather than later.

Summary: Everyone appears ready to crown Detroit division champion - not so fast. The Indians have done nothing to diminish a championship level club from a season ago. They have a lot of talent on the rise and nobody will knock them off the top of the division easily. The only real question marks are Sabathia and Carmona. Everyone knows Sabathia will be good but it remains to be seen if he will still be in his 2007 Cy Young form for what will likely be his last season in Cleveland. And will Carmona be able to build on a breakout 2007 season or will he look more like the post-season pitcher who struggled to keep Boston runs off the board? Those are good question marks to have, expect both pitchers to answer and answer well.

Prediction: 1st Place AL Central

Probable Starters

1B: Ryan Garko

2B: Asdrubal Cabrera

3B: Casey Blake

SS: Jhonny Peralta

DH: Travis Hafner

LF: Jason Michaels

RF: Franklin Gutierrez

CF: Grady Sizemore

C: Victor Martinez

Key Players & Trends

In 2007 C.C. Sabathia pitched 18 times against division opposition. The average game score was 8.22, and the game score totaled only nine or more runs in seven out of the 18 games. Sabathia relinquished only 48 earned runs to division rivals, holding them to a 2.67 average over his 18 appearances. Cleveland went 12-6 in 2007 against divisional competition when Sabathia started. Since 2004 the average game score in divisional competition when Sabathia pitches is 8.31.

Chicago White Sox 2008 Season Forecast (3/6/08)

Key Acquisitions: Octavio Dotel - RP, Orlando Cabrera -SS, Nick Swisher - OF, Scott Linebrink – RP

Strengths: The White Sox didn't have much to write home about last season in the way of positives. They generated slightly above average offense at U.S. Celluar and they did hold division teams to 4.25 RPG on the road. Their brightest spots were at the front end of their starting rotation and at the back end of their bullpen. Buehrle pitched well in matching up with opponent aces and Bobby Jenks recorded over 40 saves as the closer. Offensively, Chicago pounded out 190 homers on the year which was good for sixth best in the league.

Weaknesses: Where to begin…the bullpen should do. The White Sox relief staff was a train wreck in 2007 with the exception of the aforementioned Jenks. They ranked 28th in both runs per inning allowed and walks per inning allowed. The Sox also gave up 5.04 RPG in division play and 5.83 RPG at home to division rivals. Their gloves had as many holes as their bullpen; they committed 108 errors on the season (8th worst in the league). Chicago also struggled against both right and left handed pitching, ranking near the bottom of the league in runs scored against both. Starting rotation lacks quality depth too.

Summary: While the White Sox have made a number of moves to correct last season's problems it looks to be too few. Certainly they have upgraded at short stop (Cabrera) and centerfield (Swisher) but their bullpen moves may not be enough. Linebrink will certainly help, but Dotel will only be a factor if he can remain healthy and he has not shown the ability to do that in recent seasons. Frankly, they will need more than these two to upgarde a bullpen that finished 28th in both RPIA and walks per inning allowed. However, they will be highly competitive in a race for third between themselves, Minnesota, and Kansas City. How the combination of age and youth affects their starting rotation will likely determine their fate.

Prediction: 3rd Place AL Central

Probable Starters

1B: Paul Konerko

2B: Danny Richar

3B: Joe Crede

SS: Orlando Cabrera

DH: Jim Thome

LF: Josh Fields

CF: Nick Swisher

RF: Jermaine Dye

C: A.J. Pierzynski

Key Players & Trends

Mark Buehrle has appeared against Kansas City 34 times in his career. He has given up 81 earned runs in those 34 games, 31 of which he started, for an average of 2.38 per game. Since 2001, the White Sox are 21-9 against Kansas City when Buehrle started the game (70% win percentage). In 2007 Buehrle had an 8-4 record against division opposition.

AL EAST PREVIEWS

Baltimore Orioles 2008 Season Forecast (3/1/08)

Key Acquisitions: Matt Albers - SP, Luke Scott - OF, Adam Jones - OF, George Sherrill – RP

Strengths: The current Orioles line-up can and has produced solid offensive numbers. They did trade Miguel Tejada to the Astros but Tejada, while posting decent numbers, never returned to his MVP form in his stint with the Orioles. Baltimore must now look to budding star Nick Markakis to keep their offense rolling. All indications point to that being possible. Markakis along with the additions of Luke Scott and Adam Jones should help Baltimore stay around the top 15 mark in run production again this season. Baltimore was particularly solid in division play, finishing eighth in RPG at 5.11.

Weaknesses: Baltimore's biggest weakness is pitching. Unfortunately for them Bedard heading west does not help that matter. While their starting rotation still has some quality talent in Guthrie and Loewen, it now lacks a true stopper. This, coupled with the fact that the Orioles bullpen struggled mightily in 2007, points to a rocky season for the O's. On the bright side, they did acquire a competent reliever in the Bedard deal in George Sherrill. If some of the young pitching talent they have, such as Garrett Olson and Matt Albers, can come around they might be able to turn the corner a little bit as the season progresses.

Summary: Baltimore has some quality pitching prospects in the pipeline, both at the big league and minor league levels, however, that won't make a big difference for them this season. The Orioles should continue posting solid to average offensive numbers while at the same time reliquishing quite a few runs to the opposition. The O's defense is good (they posted only 79 errors on the season) but it's doubtful their gloves be able to keep up with their pitching. Look for them to compete with Tampa Bay and Toronto and look for them to come up short. It will be a long season for the black and orange, but they could be entertaining to watch.

Prediction: 5th Place AL East

Probable Starters

1B: Aubrey Huff

2B: Brian Roberts

3B: Melvin Mora

SS: Freddie Bynum

C: Ramon Hernandez

LF: Luke Scott

RF: Nick Markakis

CF: Adam Jones

DH: Kevin Millar

Key Players & Trends

Daniel Cabrera has pitched against the Yankees 12 times in his career. Only four times out of those 12 appearances was the combined total score under 10. In 2007 Cabrera pitched against New York five times, the average combined runs per game equaled 15.40. At the other end of the spectrum for Cabrera is the Tampa Bay Rays. In 11 career starts against Tampa, Cabrera has given up only 23 earned runs - an average of 2.09 per game. The Orioles are 8-3 against the Rays when Cabrera starts.

Boston Red Sox 2008 Season Forecast (3/3/08)

Key Acquisitions: Sean Casey - 1B, Bartolo Colon – SP

Strengths: Boston's starting rotation is about as solid as it gets and this year they could legitimately go six deep. Their fourth and fifth guys, Lester and Buchholz, have the potential to one day be top of the rotation pitchers. Boston's bullpen is second to none as they allowed only .3848 runs per inning and the same number of walks per inning. The Red Sox' bats were also a great compliment to their pitching and a nemesis to opponents. They posted staggering offensive numbers at home, averaging 6.31 RPG in division play.

Weaknesses: Boston's biggest area of concern would have to be the difference in run production on the road as opposed to home. To call this a weakness might be a stretch because they still produced good numbers away from Fenway. However, in division play they averaged 4.94 RPG on the road - a difference of 1.37 from the previously mentioned 6.31. Also a concern is the health of Curt Schilling, there are rumors of his shoulder needing surgery. While they are deep in starting pitchers, his abscene could be felt in post-season play.

Summary: Boston's biggest obstacle this season will be maintaining the 'want to' factor during the grind of the regular season.They certainly have the line-up to win a good number of games on talent alone and that will carry them into the post-season. The Sox will continue to post big numbers offensively in '08, especially if Ortiz recovers well from knee surgery. Look for the back end of their rotation to perform solidly but take the occasional lump too. Buchholz almost certainly will have some rookie hiccups along the way. There should also be competition for the CF spot between Ellsbury and Crisp, but Boston will want to get Ellsbury on the field. The Red Sox only divisional competition will come in the form of the Yankees.

Prediction: 1st Place AL East

Probable Starters

1B: Kevin Youkilis

2B: Dustin Pedroia

3B: Mike Lowell

SS: Julio Lugo

C: Jason Varitek

LF: Manny Ramirez

RF: J.D. Drew

CF: Jacoby Ellsbury

DH: David Ortiz

Key Players & Trends

Josh Beckett gave up only four or more runs four times in 14 starts against division opponents in 2007. The most earned runs Beckett gave up to a division foe in '07 were five. Boston also averaged 6.5 runs per game in support of Beckett in his 14 division starts. In Beckett's 27 career starts for Boston against division opponents the Sox have averaged 5.85 RPG.

In 2007 Boston averaged 5.61 RPG in 47 day games while holding opponents to an average of 3.04 RPG.

New York Yankees 2008 Season Forecast (3/4/08)

Key Acquisitions: LaTroy Hawkins – RP

Strengths: The Yankees obvious strength lies in their ability to produce runs. In 2007 they were able to stay in the race for the division title based almost solely upon the fact that they could get runners across the plate and get them across frequently. In division play New York led the league at 5.86 RPG, and they were equally effective producing runs both at home and on the road. Despite some rocky periods last season New York also has some quality veteren pitching. Andy Pettite is a steady figure in the rotation and Chien-Ming Wang is usually consistent if not spectacular in his performance.

Weaknesses: Last season the Yankees did not have a true, consistent stopper in their rotation. Roger Clemens performed okay but showed his age at times, as did Mike Mussina, who battled injuries most of the year. Pettite was good down the stretch but certainly had some trouble spots too. This season should be better for the pinstripes but their starting rotation is certainly not overwhelming when compared to Boston or Toronto. Another major question mark is the bullpen. LaTroy Hawkins should help in that regard but he's basically filling a hole if Joba Chamberlain does move into the starting rotation.

Summary: New York is always in the race and that should not change under new skipper Joe Girardi. However, it remains to be seen how his hard nosed approach will go over with a largely veteren ballclub. What is almost certain is that the Yankees will produce enough runs to stay in the hunt. They also have some talented young pitchers who, if they meet potential, could push them past Boston. Phil Hughes should be more consistent in his second year and Joba Chamberlain will try to translate his 2007 performance as a reliever into starting rotation consistency. Another possible addition to the rotation if the Yankees decide to leave Chamberlain in the pen is the talented young right-hander Ian Kennedy.

Prediction: 2nd Place AL East

Probable Starters

1B: Jason Giambi

2B: Robinson Cano

3B: Alex Rodriguez

SS: Derek Jeter

C: Jorge Posada

LF: Johnny Damon

RF: Bobby Abreu

CF: Melky Cabrera

DH: Hideki Matsui

Key Players & Trends

In his nine 2007 division starts, AL East rivals averaged 6.67 RPG against Mike Mussina. The Yankee's AL East rivals also scored five or more runs seven times in those nine starts. The Yankees had a record of 4-5 in those games, and the average game score was 12.88 (3.28 runs over the 2007 league average). In 2007 night games the Yankees averaged 6.02 RPG. They have averaged 5.75 RPG in night games over the last three seasons. Also, the Yankees have averaged 5.62 RPG in the month of April over the last five seasons.

Tampa Bay Rays 2008 Season Forecast (3/4/08)

Key Acquisitions: Troy Percival - RP, Matt Garza - SP, Jason Bartlett - SS, Cliff Floyd - OF/DH

Strengths: Tampa Bay is fairly solid offensively and that should continue if not get better in 2008. They have great speed on the bases in Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton, and they also hit left handed pitching well. The Rays finished in the top 10 in batting average, home runs, RBI, and runs scored against LHP. While not as dominant against right-handers they still produced at an average to slightly above average rate.Tampa Bay also has two first-rate starters in Scott Kazmir and James Shields. The addition of promising talent Matt Garza will only bolster a quality front end starting rotation.

Weaknesses: There's good, bad and ugly…let's just say the Rays bullpen was closer to the latter. Tampa Bay's bullpen ranked last in the league in runs per inning allowed and walks per inning allowed. They were especially horrendous on the road where Tampa Bay allowed 6.47 RPG in division play. Bad relief pitching was not the only thing at work here. The Rays were abysmal with the leather as well, committing 117 errors on the season - a tally good for fourth worst in the league.

Summary: Despite continued concerns over the bullpen, Tampa Bay should start turning the corner this season. They did add a once effective Troy Percival to the bullpen, but it remains to be seen if his career resurrection will continue. The additions of Garza, short stop Jason Bartlett, and OF/DH Cliff Floyd will certainly help keep the Rays competitive. They should be talented enough this season to give their division opposition trouble. They may even be able to sneak into third place if everything breaks right for them. Some of that will depend on how young talents such as Evan Longoria perform on the big stage for an entire season.

Prediction: 4th Place AL East

Probable Starters

1B: Carlos Pena

2B: Akinori Iwamura

3B: Evan Longoria

SS: Jason Bartlett

C: Dioner Navarro

LF: Carl Crawford

RF: Jonny Gomes

CF: B.J. Upton

DH: Cliff Floyd

Key Players & Trends

In 2007 Scott Kazmir started six times against Boston. The average runs per game (both teams combined) in those six starts was 5.17. In Kazmir's 17 career starts against Boston, the average runs per game (both teams combined) are 7.00. The score met or exceeded 10 runs only four times in those 17 games. In those 17 starts Kazmir held the Red Sox to 1.76 RPG while averaging 5.90 innings pitched per start.

Toronto Blue Jays 2008 Season Forecast (3/4/08)

Key Acquisitions: Scott Rolen - 3B, David Eckstein – SS

Strengths: The Blue Jays only real exceptional attribute is their pitching. Luckily for them that is where most teams would like to be exceptional. Toronto is as solid as anybody from top to bottom in their starting rotation and while they lack an overpowering closer (B.J. Ryan is coming off Tommy John surgery), their bullpen is effective. The Jays' relief staff ranked third in the league in runs per inning allowed, giving up only .4222. When Roy Halladay is healthy, Toronto has an ace that is comparable to any in the league. The Blue Jays also produced almost five RPG on the road in division play.

Weaknesses: Toronto does not have any weaknesses that jump out immediately. However, what they do have are several areas that could use a little improving. They are at or toward the middle in almost every offensive stat that matters. They hit left handed pitching for average but they don't translate that into high run production. They produce runs on the road but they give up more runs on the road as well. Everything they do well they counter with something to drag it down. This explains their slightly above average finish in 2007. Their major weakness is self-sabotage.

Summary: The Blue Jays certainly have enough talent to keep them in the mix, but they appear to be just short of New York and definitely short of Boston. Their rotation is set and loaded with talent, but it is entirely right handed. Good is good though and they should be able to compete at all spots with above average 3, 4, and 5 pitchers. The acquisition of Scott Rolen should help shore up a defense that had 102 errors. If Rolen can regain his old form at the plate, than this team could be a handful for anybody. They don't need a whole lot to make their offense jump from mediocre to good. David Eckstein will also provide a good veteran presence in the clubhouse along with solid play both offensively and defensively.

Prediction: 3rd Place AL East

Probable Starters

1B: Lyle Overbay

2B: Aaron Hill

3B: Scott Rolen

SS: David Eckstein

C: Greg Zaun

LF: Shannon Stewart

RF: Alex Rios

CF: Vernon Wells

DH: Frank Thomas

Key Players & Trends

Roy Halladay has pitched against New York in 26 games. The Colorado native has given up a total of 54 earned runs in those appearances, an average of 2.08 runs per game. Halladay's averaged innings pitched during those 26 games was 6.13 innings. Since 2002 the Blue Jays are 13-5 against the Yankees when Halladay starts. The Blue Jays also won 65% of the time that Halladay started in 2007. They have won 70% of the time that Halladay's started over the last three seasons.