Ah, April. When the snow melts away (hopefully), and the beautiful blue skies signal the coming of another phenomenon—the beginning of a new MLB season.

But for the Colorado Rockies, there’s something different in the rarified air of Coors Field.

For 17 seasons, the Rockies have been like a plus-30 year old mama’s boy—a perennial basement dweller.

In 1995, 2007 and last year when Colorado made the postseason as the NL Wildcard, not even the craziest Rockies’ rowdy fan expected them to get that far.

2010 is different though, in a good way.

Never before have expectations been so high regarding the Rockies, nationally or locally.

ESPN’s Buster Olney has notably dangled his baseball credibility on a limb, picking the Rockies to not only win the NL West, but he went as far as to pick Colorado as 2010’s World Series Champions.

And while the Rockies are the chic pick this year, their strong play and great depth has them there rightfully.