NL Preview

Here is the preview for the National League.

NL EAST

#1) Atlanta Braves

I have been saying this for a couple of years now: Until the Braves fail to win the East, I am gunna pick them to win the East. The Mets have improved greatly & the Marlins are nice but the Braves are gunna do it again. Furcal & Giles will be great at getting on base to set up the Jones boys. Speaking of the Jones boys, Chipper is healthy this season & he is back at third where he is comfortable. Meanwhile, the defensive genius Andruw is puttin on a hitting CLINIC this spring. He has blasted TEN long balls. If Brian Jordan & Raul Mondesi can contribute & Johnny Estrada returns to all-star form, this team is gunna be incredibly tough to beat!(By the way, Julio Franco IS gunna play until he is at least 50!)

The edition of Tim Hudson helps to solidify a starting rotation that has some question marks. Can John Smoltz start effectively for an entire season after having spent the last four in the closer's role? Which Mike Hampton will show up this season? I think we can safely assume 1999 & 2000 Hampton is never going to return but if he can pitch as well as he did the second half of last season, he will be a great number three. I am predicting that Horacio Ramirez is going to have a really good year & finally live up to his expectations. Closer Danny Kolb is going to slide right in & take over for Smoltz in the closers role. This is a guy who has managed 60 saves over the last two seasons with the freaking Brewers! Hotlanta will once again take the NL East.

#2) Florida Marlins (NL Wildcard)

I really want to be able to put the Mets on this spot. Second in the East IS going to be the wildcard. The problem is, with all of the improvements the Mets have made, this Marlins line-up is RIDICULOUS! We all know how well Juan Pierre & Luis Castilla set the table for this offense. The addition of Carlos Delgado gives the Marlins FOUR legit contenders to hit more than 30 bombs this season. Paul LoDuca will be as steady as always, particularly with so much protection around him. This line-up will produce some runs, even in their not so offense friendly home yard.

Add to all of this a pitching staff that sets up to be dominant. The biggest issue facing this staff is health. If Beckett & Burnett can stay healthy, the D-train can hit his spots & Al Leiter can STILL find a way to win 14 or 15 games, this team could even give the ATL a run for their money. The bullpen sets up well with Guillermo Mota as the stopper. This little bastard is ready to step into the role of closer & will be dominant at the position.

#3) New York Mets

If the Mets are able to put everything together the way it is supposed to happen, they COULD contend for the wildcard or even the division. There is a TON of potential taking the field every single day with this team. If Reyes stays healthy & can finally live up to his billing, Matsui finds a comfort level at the plate, David Wright plays the entire season the way he played the second half of last season, Carlos Beltran does what he did last year & Piazza can hit 20 & drive in 80, this team could produce even at Shea Stadium. It would be nice if Mike Cameron got healthy & Cliff Floyd removed his cranium from his rectum as well.

The pitching staff is another unit that, if everything comes together the way it should, they could dominate. They could also fall flat on their faces. Steve Trachsel will start the season on the DL & Kris Benson had his start moved back a couple of days due to a pectoral strain. Victor Zambrano couldn't hit the ocean if he were throwin off of a cruise liner. Pedro & Tom Glavine are old & have had a tendency to not be healthy over the last few seasons despite the fact that they have missed very few games. Kaz Ishii could be a big help even though I already miss Jason Phillip's glasses. The bully really needs some work & the addition of Ugeth Urbina would not suck at all. The problem would be that either Urbina would have to leave a position he is unhappy with in Detroit (set up man) to come & be a set up man in New York, or Braden Looper would have to give up his role as closer to be a set up man. Either way, I would love to see the Mets get some bullpen help. Until that happens, I don't think that they have the horses in the starting rotation to get it done on their own. A decent season with some great moments will ultimately see the Mets in third in the East.

The other two teams

#4) The Phillies have a couple of nice bats with Jim Thome & Booby Abreau who combined for 72 home runs & 210 RBI last season. Outside of that, the rest of their bats are very inconsistent. Their starting rotation is void of anybody worth mentioning. It is a staff that was once regarded as the best young staff in the league but they have failed to materialize into the dominant force once expected of them. The bullpen is aging & with Billy Wagner's inability to stay healthy in recent years, he is not a safe bet to make it through the season in one piece.

#5) The Washington Nationals have brought baseball back to the nation's capital. I love manager Frank Robinson but he just doesn't have the tools to get anything going. The two key guys that came to the team via free agency are Vinny Castilla & Jose Guillen. They both had BIG years last season. The difference now is that Jose Guillen doesn't have the protection of Vlad Guerrero not to mention the fact that he is a major head case. Castilla, well, he can't put up any numbers unless he is playing in Colorado. Brad Wilkerson (who I somehow end up with on every fantasy team, every year) & Jose Vidro will remain steady but nothing particularly spectacular. The pitching staff is nothing incredible itself. Livan Hernandez has to get too old for this shit at some point & the rest of the staff is hit or miss. The bullpen is not very experienced and will not scare anyone.

NL CENTRAL

#1) St. Louis Cardinals

Jim Edmonds, Larry Walker, Scott Rolen & oh yeah, that Albert Pujols guy make up about as bad ass a line up as you are ever gunna find! This team did not lead the NL in scoring last season by accident. Reggie Sanders will thrive once again with that kind of protection! Having Tony LaRussa as a manager to these stars makes them that much more difficult to beat.

Their pitching staff returns to form from last season only they added Mark Mulder! Supposing that Chris Carpenter returns from his injury (and so far this spring it looks like he has) this staff should return to dominance. The Cards are going to win this thing going away!

#2) Chicago Cubs

Despite the loss of Sammy Sosa & his needles, this team can still put some runs on the board. I don't at all expect Jeromy Burnitz to hit 37 homers & drive in 110 runs like he did last season in the thin rockie mountain air but if Nomar can stay healthy, Aramis Ramirez can follow up his 2004 campaign with similar numbers along with Derek Lee and Corey Patterson, this team will be terrific offensively.

They also have what is, on paper, one of the best pitching staffs in the league. The problem is, Prior & Wood can never stay healthy! A pair of staff aces doesn't do you any good if they never toe the rubber! The other huge problem for the Cubbies is their bullpen. Even when Joe Borowski gets healthy, he doesn't have a ton to set him up. In his absence, the VERY unpredictable LaTroy Hawkins fills in. The bullpen killed the Cubs last season & I don't see that changing this year.

The Rest of the Central

#3) The Houston Astros have some pieces of the puzzle coming back this season. The biggest problem though is the fact that the "Killer Bees" are a year older and they are missing that fourth B, you know the one that carried them through their playoff run last season, BELTRAN! The top three starters in the rotation could be great. However, Roger Clemens HAS GOT to run outta gas at some point. Andy Pettite cannot seem to stay healthy, although if he is, he could win them some games. Roy Oswalt is over his rib cage strain and should be even better this year than he was last year. The bullpen is sketchy on the way to Brad Lidge. Lidge is lights out, but he is depending on rookie Chad Qualls & ancient, washed up John Franco (it KILLS me to say that cuz I love the guy but he has to know when to hang it up) to get the game to him & that is not very reassuring.

#4) The Cincinatti Reds probably won't do much this season outside of finishing higher than the Brewers & the Pirates. Sean Casey & Adam Dunn will still mash the hell out of the ball. I believe that Austin Kearns will finally live up to his potential and explode this season. That being said, Griffey will not make it past May without a trip to the DL & Wily Mo Pena will fill in & be the modern day Dave Kingman. The rest of the lineup will be very average and usually below average once again this year. There is not a single person in the starting rotation that warrants so much as a mention. I guess if I have to say a name it would be Paul Wilson. He had his best season as a big leaguer last year but that wasn't sayin much. The bully is pretty good. Aging but effective set up men Kent Mercker & Dave Weathers will usually get the ball to Danny Graves. The problem is, I dunno how many times that situation is gunna play itself out.

#5) The Milwaukee Brewers are pretty awful. Carlos Lee will produce again as will Geoff Jenkins. Lyle Overbay will put up fair numbers and the rest of the line-up will drop a deuce on themselves. The pitching staff has Ben Sheets who was AMAZING last season. I also expect Doug Davis to continue to put up good numbers. The problem is, neither of these guys will get too many wins because they have nobody around them to help. These two, Sheets in particular, are dominant pitchers on a terrible team. The bullpen will be another source of games lost for Sheets & Davis even after they leave a game with a lead. The Brew Crew will still just be the Brew Crew.

#6) The Pittsburgh Pirates leave very little to talk about. They are a terrible ball club. They have some young ball players that could thrive if there were any veteran ability around them but on their own, they are limited in what they can do. Jason Bay & Craig Wilson will perform pretty well again but outside of that, nobody in this line-up warrants a mention. On the pitching staff, Oliver Perez fits into the same category as Ben Sheets & Doug Davis. He can completely dominate a game but he gets no help from the team around him. Hopefully the addition of Benito Santiago will help this pitching staff that has guys who have yet to reach their potential like Kip Wells & Josh Fogg. I think we can all presume that Jose Mesa is not going to cash in another 43 saves this season either. He may not get 43 save opportunities. I don't see the Pirates winning more than 60 games this season.

NL WEST

#1) San Diego Padres

YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT! This is a team that plays good old fashioned team baseball. Once healthy, the addition of Dave Roberts gives the Pads an offensive threat that they did not have before at the top of their line-up. They play solid (not spectacular) defense, they move runners, they get hits & when the chips are down, Brian Giles & Phil Nevin bring runs across the plate. With the way things have shaken out in the west going into this season, if this team stays together they will edge out the Giants for the division crown.

They have a nice rotation as well. Jake Peavy took this staff by the balls last year & pitched some great games. The addition of Woody Williams is absolutely huge. Brian Lawrence is only gunna improve on the strides he made last season and it is time for Adam Eaton to have a break out year. The bullpen is very solid! Once you get to the 7th or 8th, Otsuka & Hammond will get the ball to Trevor Hoffman who is as reliable as they come when you need a game closed. San Diego, you are headed back to the post season!

#2) San Francisco Giants

Despite the fact that they will not have Barry Bonds (or his "arthritis cream" or his "Flax seed Oil") the Giants will still have enough to finish a close second to the Padres. Moises Alou is a HUGE addition to this team, especially with Bonds missing for at least half of the season. The thing that is going to stop the Giants from winning the division is the fact that Marquis Grissom, JT Snow & Pedro Feliz will not have the luxury of Barry's protection. If you don't think having the protection of the most feared hitter in the game makes a difference, well, #1 you are stupid & #2, watch their numbers this year & you will quickly learn! Still, they will have enough to finish second in what will be a very weak NL West.

The pitching staff is anchored by Jason Schmidt who is absolutely as good as any pitcher in the league right now. This kid is an ACE. He is pocket aces even! The problem is, there is no one proven starting behind him. Noah Lowry looked very good at the end of last season but that was a very small sample of what he has to face. Can the kid handle the grind of a full season? Kirk Rueter finished with a sub .500 record & Brett Tomko's best days are over. A lot is expected of Jerome Williams & some predict that this will be his break out year. The bullpen is anchored by Armando Benitez who looked like a new man last season. It should be interesting to see if his return to glory was the real deal or if it was a one year shot in the arm. (No offense meant Barry, it is a metaphor, i am not out to get you)

The Rest of the West

#3) The LA Dodgers are not gunna be very good this year. They are counting on JD Drew to be able to put together another season like he did last season. Of course hitting is a lot more difficult in LA than it is in Atlanta. They are also expecting Jeff Kent to continue to produce. He doesn't have the protection of Barry Bonds or of the Killer B's this year. It will be very interesting to see how he does with just his own nuttz on the chopping block. Outside of that, there really isn't much to offer in terms of offense which is tough while playing in a park that is not very good for producing runs. I believe that it is just for that reason (and the fact that he wants to shove it in Boston's face) that Derek Lowe is going to have a great season on the mound. He has made a concentrated effort to keep his emotions in check to keep that sinker down. If he can keep the opposing team hitting ground balls, he will be just fine. Jeff Weaver is some one who seems a lot more comfy out in LA than he did in New York & I expect another good year from him. Odalis Perez & Brad Penny need to stay healthy & have great season if the Dodgers are going to make a run. Eric Gagne is obviously the best closer in the game today. The problem is there is nobody in this bullpen who can get the damn ball to him late. The Dodgers are not gunna be pretty to watch this season.

#4) The Arizona Diamondbacks could put up some decent offensive numbers if their two best offensive weapons could find a way to stay healthy. So far in the spring Luis Gonzalez & Troy Glaus have looked great. The problem is, they both spent a lot of time injured last year & Glaus in particular has had trouble stayin healthy for the past few seasons. Even with the offense that these guys could produce, they're relying on an aging pitching staff that does not have an ace and is not capable of carrying a team. Their bullpen is terrible & I do not see them doing anything much at all. Expect Troy Glaus to make a DL trip by June. This team is gunna be a far cry from the one that won a world series just four years ago.

#5) Then there were the Colorado Rockies. Todd Helton will be what he always is which is to say he will be a solid ball player, an even better person & he will hit .350, 35 home runs & 95 RBI. The problem is, there is NO ONE else on that team that can help. Even if Preston Wilson were to return to 2003 form, there is no way that the two of them can out-slug the visiting teams with any regularity. The pitching staff is anchored by Jason Jennings & Joe Kennedy. Kennedy pitched well there last season but as Mike Hampton showed us all, one good season (or in his case a half of a good season) at Coors field can take years off of your ability!! Pitching at this park is SO stressful. Shawn Chacon, last year's closer, is the 3rd starter. Ya know what? I am gunna stop wasting time. The Rockies are not gunna be good!

Recap

NL East: Braves, NL Central: Cards, NL West: Padres, Wildcard: Marlins

NLDS: Braves over Padres & Cards over Marlins

NLCS: Cards over Braves

World Series: Cardinals lose again, this time to the Yankees

That is my NL preview, hope you enjoyed it!

Comments

[Big J]

Great preview my man. I'm like you in thinking Ramirez is going to have a good year for the Braves. Hudson could win the Cy Young. Trust me, Clemens wont. My main form of shock is that you picked the Yanks to win the World Series. Are you just doing that for the site? Come on dawg, I know in your heart it pained you to pick the Yankees to win it all! Are you crossing over to the pinstripes?

[Jim Beanan]

Look, it hurt me when he said the Royals are going to suck this year. It hurt me worse when he said the Yanks would win it all. Truth be told, with Uncle George's wallet he can afford to buy the best talent that exists and they won't ever be far out of contention EVER until the major leagues institue a salary cap AND revenue sharing to even out the playing field. Though I don't like it as much as the next guy, I do have to say that guessing on the Yanks at the start of the season is a fairly good guess.

My money is on the Anifornia Angels

[Eddie Zyglis]

SWITCHIN TO PINSTRIPES!!?? OH HELL NO!! That is why I said that I had to cover the screen with plastic to avoid damaging it with the vomit that spewed from my mouth when I made the prediction. The fact of the matter is, Randy Johnson is gunna have a bomb year, the rest of starting rotation is going to be more than enough to allow their offense to out-score any other team in the league, their bullpen is sick & hey, even if their pitching staff screws the pooch or their offense faulters, they are only one bought player away from makin the necessary changes. I didn't pick the Yanks cuz I want them to win, I picked them because I just think that they will.

[JDM]

You guys are crazy. The Twins are going all the way this year. Everyone knows it.