2011 MLB Predictions: Identifying the Biggest Strengths of All 30 MLB Teams
The Major League Baseball offseason is coming to a close, as it is not long until players begin reporting to their respective camps.
With the regular season rapidly approaching, it is now time to look ahead at what teams are going to look like and how we think they will do.
Every year, there are the teams that win a ton of games, and then, there are the teams who don't win many games. Although these teams are different in many, many ways, there is one thing they do have in common.
They all have their own strengths, regardless of whether they are winners or losers; they all have strong areas. It could be pitching, hitting or several other things that separate them from other teams.
This article will analyze the biggest strengths of all 30 MLB teams as we approach the 2011 regular season. Taking into account several factors including key additions, acquisitions and young players who could improve said team in a certain area.
So, without further ado, let us begin.
AL East: Baltimore Orioles
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Biggest Strengths: Power Hitting, Team Speed and Relief Pitching
The Orioles have really taken their power threat to the next level. Last season, the O's had no real home run threats with the exception of Luke Scott. This year, the O's will have the 40-home run caliber Mark Reynolds, the always powerful Derrek Lee and one of the most powerful shortstops in baseball in J.J. Hardy.
As usual, the Orioles will have a lot of players who can easily swipe a base. Players like Brian Roberts, Adam Jones and Felix Pie highlight the group of speedy O's.
The Orioles have a surprisingly good-looking bullpen heading into Spring Training. The Orioles picked up Kevin Gregg in the offseason to serve as a legitimate closer for a team who has needed one so desperately. Behind Gregg, the rest of the bullpen looks solid with players like Mike Gonzalez and Jim Johnson filling it out.
Overall, the Orioles will have a very nice team heading into the 2011 season. The only concern is their rotation which is filled with unproven youth with the exception of Jeremy Guthrie.
Boston Red Sox
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Biggest Strengths: Hitting, Relief Pitching and Starting Pitching
The Red Sox upgraded their already powerful lineup with a few key additions in the offseason. The Sox were able to land the coveted Carl Crawford who adds speed and phenomenal hitting to the top of their lineup. The Red Sox also landed one of the biggest fish on the trade market as they acquired power hitting first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. The Sox will also have a healthy Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury.
The Bo-Sox also managed to upgrade their bullpen during the offseason. They signed free-agent closer Bobby Jenks and setup man Dan Wheeler to further bolster their solid bullpen. Those two will join Daniel Bard, Felix Doubront, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon in what will be one of the best pens in the majors.
One of the Red Sox biggest strengths will also be their starting pitching. Although the rotation hasn't changed since last year, it will still be one of their best areas. With a rotation of Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Daisuke, it will be very nice.
Overall, the Red Sox look like they will have a phenomenal all-around team in 2011 who will win a ton of games.
New York Yankees
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Biggest Strengths: Power Hitting, Relief Pitching and Team Defense
The New York Yankees will once again have a very powerful team in 2011. The Yankees have added Russell Martin who will be more of a power threat than Francisco Cervelli. The Yanks also signed the potentially deadly bat of Andruw Jones. These players along with the rest of the usual suspects on the Yankees will provide enough pop to put the Yanks among the league leaders in home runs.
The Yankees only really big splash in the market this year came with the signing of Rafael Soriano. Soriano was great as a closer last year with the Tampa Bay Rays and should be phenomenal in the setup role to Mariano Rivera. Soriano joins Joba Chamberlain, Damaso Marte, David Robertson and of course Mariano in the strong Yankee pen.
One of the Yankees bigger strengths has been their defense that will once again play a big part in their success in 2011. With a gold glove caliber infield of Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and a speedy outfield, the Yanks should be great defensively.
Overall, the Yankees will be fine this year, but I have my doubts about them making the playoffs.
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Tampa Bay Rays
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Biggest Strengths: Team Speed, Starting Pitching and Young Potential
The Tampa Bay Rays have always been a very speedy bunch. It was almost always a guarantee the Rays would be among the league leaders in stolen bases. Unfortunately for the Rays, the departure of the incredibly speedy Carl Crawford has taken not only a bat out of the lineup, but some serious speed out of their lineup. Luckily, the Rays could very well make up for the absence of Crawford with players like B.J. Upton, Ben Zobrist and Desmond Jennings who can easily swipe bags.
Even with the loss of Matt Garza to the Cubs, the Rays will still have an excellent rotation. Their 2011 rotation will probably be filled out by James Shields, David Price, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson and Jeff Niemann. The rotation, although slightly broken, will still be an area of strength for the Rays.
The Rays have always had an abundance of young talent in the minor leagues. After so many seasons of being completely awful as the "Devil Rays", the Rays farm system is absolutely stacked. The trade that saw Garza go to the Cubs brought a ton of young players with mountains of potential. It seems as though the Rays have the fortune of each year having a player come up from the minors and have a monster year.
Overall, the Rays won't be the "Devil Rays", but they certainly won't make the playoffs in what will be an even harder AL East.
Toronto Blue Jays
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Biggest Strengths: Relief Pitching, Power Hitting and Starting Pitching
The Toronto Blue Jays have always had a fantastic bullpen. It seems that each year the Jays are among the league leaders in bullpen ERA. Even with the departures of key pitchers like Scott Downs and Kevin Gregg, the Jays look great. To replace Downs and Gregg, the Jays went out and signed Octavio Dotel, Jon Rauch and acquired Carlos Villanueva to fill the voids. The Jays look like they will have fantastic relief pitching once again in 2011.
The Jays lead the MLB in home runs last year by a wide margin. A lot of this was due in large part to Jose Bautista's breakout season. Even with the trade of Vernon, the Jays get power hitting catcher Mike Napoli as well as the semi-powerful Juan Rivera. The Blue Jays will also have players like J.P. Arencibia and Travis Snider who could provide extra pop. The Jays should lead the league in home runs once again.
Even though the Jays traded away Shaun Marcum, their rotation still looks solid. Toronto has always had a great staff especially when they had Roy Halladay. Now though, their rotation is filled with young players like Ricky Romero, Brett Cecil, Brandon Morrow, Kyle Drabek and Jesse Litsch who have shown they can be good pitchers at the big league level.
Overall, I believe the Jays can make the playoffs this year, though I doubt many will agree.
NL East: Atlanta Braves
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Biggest Strengths: Starting Pitching and Balanced Lineup
The Atlanta Braves have always had a nice rotation. Due to injuries and such though in the past, it hasn't always been complete and dominant. This year, at least for now, it appears as though they might have an excellent rotation. The 2011 rotation should be filled out by Tim Hudson, Mike Minor, Tommy Hanson, Derek Lowe and Jair Jurjens. Not bad at all.
The Atlanta Braves don't have a particularly powerful lineup, but it is very balanced. They have a few power threats who can swing for the fences but also have guys who can hit for average. A lot of run producers and a lot of guys who can get on base has created a nice equilibrium.
Overall, Atlanta has lost a bit of bullpen stability and power but should still have enough to be competitive in 2011.
Florida Marlins
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Biggest Strengths: Starting Pitching
The only true strength the Florida Marlins seem to possess is their starting rotation. The Marlins were busy this offseason, and one of their best moves was solidifying the rotation. The Marlins were able to bolster their rotation as they signed Javier Vasquez. The Marlins 2011 rotation will probably be filled out by Josh Johnson, Chris Volstad, Ricky Nolasco, Javier Vasquez and Anibal Sanchez. The Marlins are also fortunate to have a lot of depth to back up the rotation.
Overall, the Marlins have a great rotation while the rest of their team looks OK. I imagine it will be another disappointing season for Florida.
New York Mets
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Biggest Strengths: Relief Pitching and Team Defense
The New York Mets will have a solid bullpen in 2011, or so I think. With the return of the dominant, but extremely aggravating closer Francisco Rodriguez, the Mets will have a nice pen. Joining K-Rod will be Manny Acosta, Oliver Perez, Taylor Buchholz and D.J. Carrasco. The bullpen will be one of the few bright spots for the Mets.
Another one of the Mets strengths in 2011 will most likely be defense. Last season, the Mets were above-average when it came to errors made. With the return of Carlos Beltran and a hopefully healthy defensively skilled infield, the Mets will enjoy having solid defense.
Overall, the fact is, the Mets are going to suck, and they have very few strengths.
Philadelphia Phillies
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Biggest Strengths: Starting Pitching, Team Defense and Team Speed
Unless you live under a rock, then you almost definitely know that Cliff Lee chose to sign with the Phillies instead of the Yanks or Rangers. The Phillies rotation looks like it will be one of the best of all time as it will be filled out by Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and probably Joe Blanton. An elite group of pitchers who can certainly lead the Phillies to a championship.
The Phillies were among the league leaders in terms of fielding last season. Seeing as only Jayson Werth has departed from the scene, and Domonic Brown will be taking over, things should stay the same if not improve.
The Phillies also will have a lot more speed this year. Now that Domonic Brown will have the opportunity to play everyday, the Phils will see their stolen base totals increase. Also having a healthy Jimmy Rollins and an aggressive Shane Victorino, the Phils will enjoy success on the base paths.
Overall, I see a World Series ring in Philadelphia's future.
Washington Nationals
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Biggest Strengths: Team Defense and Balanced Lineup
Defense is one of the few strengths the Washington Nationals are going to have in 2011. The Nationals were subpar in 2010 as far as defense is concerned, but they have made additions that will cure the defensive woes. Jayson Werth, Adam LaRoche and Rick Ankiel should add some stability to what was a shaky defensive squad last year. Having Ivan Rodriguez behind the plate should also be a plus in terms of defense.
The Washington Nationals aren't particularly strong in any certain area in terms of hitting. But they aren't necessarily bad in any particular area of hitting. The Nats have a nice balance of power and production to go along with patience and speed.
Overall, regardless of the signings, the Nationals are going to bomb once more.
AL Central: Chicago White Sox
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Biggest Strengths: Team Speed and Starting Pitching
The Chicago White Sox are going to be a very speedy bunch looking ahead to the 2011 regular season. The Sox have the always deadly Juan Pierre who has a ton of stolen bases during his career. Alexei Ramirez has a ton of speed but hasn't always been aggressive on the base paths. Alex Rios is another guy who has the potential to swipe about 30 bags if he so chooses.
The White Sox have one of the best pitching rotations going into the regular season. The rotation will consist of Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, Edwin Jackson and Jake Peavy. The Sox have a streaky Jackson as the only true question mark along with the young studs in Floyd and Danks. Peavy and Buehrle will bring impressive resumes and experience to head the rotation.
Overall, the White Sox will have an excellent chance at winning the AL Central.
Cleveland Indians
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Biggest Strengths: Team Speed and Young Potential.
One of the few strengths the Cleveland Indians have is a bit of speed. Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore are the two outfielders with stolen base potential, especially Sizemore who has had a few seasons with a ton of stolen bases. In the infield, Luis Valbuena and Asdrubal Cabrera are the main threats to steal bags.
The only other positive for the Cleveland Indians is the young potential. The potential is highlighted by breakout catcher Carlos Santana who burst onto the scene last year but was slowed near the end because of injuries. Joining the young core are prospects like Michael Brantley, Matt LaPorta and pitchers like Jeanmar Gomez.
Overall, the future looks relatively bright, but the present looks very bleak.
Detroit Tigers
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Biggest Strengths: Power Hitting and Starting Pitching
The Detroit Tigers have an extremely powerful team looking into the 2011 regular season. Looking first at their infield, the home run potential is nuts as Johnny Peralta, Brandon Inge, Carlos Guillen and Miguel Cabrera all have 20 + home run potential. The outfield is less powerful though as Austin Jackson and Brennan Boesch are minimal threats. Magglio Ordonez and Victor Martinez will be the other two with home run potential.
Detroit looks like they will have a solid rotation heading into next season. The rotation will consist of Justin Verlander, Phil Coke, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and Brad Penny. Verlander will once again be the ace of the staff with the breakout Scherzer knocking on the door. Coke and Porcello are young players with max potential, and Penny will fill the end of the rotation with a veteran presence.
Overall, the Detroit Tigers should certainly remain competitive in 2011 as they have a nice team.
Kansas City Royals
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Biggest Strengths: Young Potential
The Kansas City Royals have been in rebuilding mode for quite some time. The most recent step back was when the Royals traded ace pitcher Zack Greinke for a group of young talent. There isn't much hope for the present, but the future is bright. The Royals only bright spot is the young players coming up through the farm system. Almost every position with the exception of catcher (Jason Kendall) is filled with youth. There is hope with players like Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Aviles and Billy Butler who could really bring light to the darkness that is the Royals.
Overall, no playoffs and no hope, for now.
Minnesota Twins
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Biggest Strengths: Everything!!
As odd as this may sound, the Minnesota Twins don't appear to have many weaknesses at all. They have the perfect blend of hitting with power and average. They have stolen base potential and sensational defense. They have a phenomenal and young rotation with enormous potential. To top everything off, they have a solid bullpen who can shut it down. The Twins have a great coach and a ridiculous amount of depth that makes it hard to find any sort of holes in the Twins. The Twins made the playoffs last year and did it without a key player. This year, Minnesota will have a healthy Justin Morneau and have added Tsuyoshi Nishioka to further increase their chances of success.
Overall, they look like a lock for the playoffs.
NL Central: Chicago Cubs
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Biggest Strengths: Starting Pitching and Balanced Lineup.
The Chicago Cubs will have a pretty good looking rotation heading into the 2011 regular season. In the offseason, the Cubs bolstered their rotation by emptying the farm for Rays pitcher Matt Garza. Joining Garza in the rotation will be Carlos Silva, Carlos Zambrano, Randy Wells and Ryan Dempster. Assuming that Zambrano stays calm and Silva builds on last year, the Cubs will be in great position.
The Cubs aren't a one-dimensional offensive team as they have a surprisingly balanced lineup. They have power in Carlos Pena, Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto and Alfonso Soriano with speed on the base paths as well. They have players who can get on base and a lot of players who can drive in the runs without the home run.
Overall, the Cubs will be better than last year but won't come close to ending their drought.
Cincinnati Reds
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Biggest Strengths: Power Hitting, Starting Pitching and Relief Pitching
The Cincinnati Reds have a very powerful team looking ahead to 2011. The Red did nice in 2010 in terms of power numbers, but this year I expect it to be even better. The first factor is Jay Bruce who most predict will hit a ton of home runs. Throw in the hit or miss Jonny Gomes, and you have a very powerful outfield. Looking at the infield, Scott Rolen can swing the bat, Brandon Phillips has home run potential, Ramon Hernandez is one of the more powerful catchers in baseball, and of course, the NL MVP Joey Votto who we all know can smack it.
The Reds had surprisingly terrific starting pitching last season. This seasons looks like it won't be much different as the rotation hasn't changed with the exception of Aaron Harang. The rotation will probably consist of Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo, Mike Leake, Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey. The Reds will very likely be among the league leaders in the starting pitching categories.
The Reds bullpen was good last year, but coming into next season, looks like it could be better even with the absence of Arthur Rhodes. As usual Francisco Cordero will close and as usual will be solid. The Reds will be fortunate to have the powerful Cuban Aroldis Chapman begin the year with them as their dominant setup man. Joining Chapman and Cordero will be Bill Bray, Logan Ondrusek, Nick Masset and Jared Burton.
Overall, the Red appear poised to make another run at the playoffs.
Houston Astros
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Biggest Strengths: Starting Pitching and the Outfield
The Houston Astros are just an awful team with barely any strengths. One they do have however could potentially be their rotation. Although it isn't full of big name players, it could surprise people in 2011. The rotation begins with Wandy Rodriguez who has had several really nice years with the Astros. Following him is Brett Myers who had a solid campaign last year and could be good this year. Behind Myers is the young J.A. Happ who has a ton of potential and could pay dividends. Rounding out the rotation are two question marks in Bud Norris and Nelson Figueroa, but they should be alright.
As far as offense and defense is concerned, the Astros have some serious problems. One of the few bright spots on their roster is their outfield. Their outfield will have Carlos Lee in left field, the speedy Michael Bourn in center, and Hunter Pence. Lee has some serious pop in his bat and can light up the opposing pitcher. Pence is a young talent who has been showing signs of being great. Then, there is Bourn who has insane wheels and a nice bat.
Overall, nothing to be excited for in Houston as they are going to be terrible.
Milwaukee Brewers
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Biggest Strengths: Power Hitting and Starting Pitching.
The Milwaukee Brewers are going to hit a ton of home runs during the 2011 regular season. The Brewers infield is absolutely stacked with ridiculous amounts of power. Prince Fielder is always a significant home run threat and will almost certainly hit 30+ home runs. Casey McGehee broke out in a big way last year and is poised to have another powerful year in 2011. Up the middle is the power-hitting shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt who was acquired from the Royals and the very powerful second baseman, Rickie Weeks.
The Brew Crew really bolstered their rotation this offseason by acquiring CY Young award winner Zack Greinke from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for a boatload of prospects. Joining Greinke in the rotation is Yovani Gallardo, Chris Narveson, Randy Wolf and the newly acquired Shaun Marcum. They will most certainly have one of the better rotations in the major leagues.
Overall, the Brewers look like they have a realistic shot at making the playoffs this year.
Pittsburgh Pirates
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Biggest Strengths: Young Potential
The Pittsburgh Pirates only have one thing to look forward to and that is the future. The youth are lead by great young outfielder Andrew McCutchen who is one of the emerging stars in the majors. Andrew is joined in the outfield by the promising Jose Tabata and Garrett Jones. In the infield they look at guys like Neil Walker for the future. Their rotation has several young players who could have breakout years, and the same goes for the bullpen. The Pirates also have many players in the minors who are good prospects and who could emerge as young stars.
Overall, the Pirates are probably going to be the worst team in baseball once again.
St. Louis Cardinals
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Biggest Strengths: Starting Pitching and Balanced Lineup
The Cardinals have a nice rotation heading into the 2011 season. The rotation will look the same as it will feature Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, Jake Westbrook and Kyle Lohse. The dominant Carpenter and Wainwright will provide a wonderful one-two punch for the Cards. Garcia is a young pitcher who had a breakout season last year and will most likely have loads of success once more. Jake Westbrook will be a veteran presence in the back end of their rotation, and Kyle Lohse will provide stability as well.
The Cardinals will have a very well balanced lineup looking at the 2011 regular season. St. Louis will have a ton of power with Albert Pujols and will probably get a lot of home runs from Matt Holliday, Colby Rasmus and Lance Berkman. They will get solid contributions from David Freese, Yadier Moline and Ryan Theriot.
Overall, the Cards will have a nice team who should be able to make a run at the playoffs.
AL West: Los Angeles Angels
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Biggest Strengths: Team Speed, Starting Pitching and Team Defense
The Los Angeles Angels have always used the running game to their advantage. The 2011 regular season will be no different. The Angels have a very quick outfield of Vernon Wells, Torii Hunter and the incredibly fast Peter Bourjos, all of whom can steal bags fairly easily. Bobby Abreu will be the teams DH and can still run well and the teams infield has nice speed also.
The Angels have a nice rotation that should be among the best in the AL during the 2011 season. The 2011 rotation will feature Joel Pineiro, Scott Kazmir, Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana and Dan Haren. All five are excellent pitchers with a boat load of talent and skills.
The Los Angeles Angels will most likely have the best defense in the major leagues in 2011. Their outfield will be sensational as they have perennial gold glove candidates Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter, as well as the potential greatness of Peter Bourjos. The infield is solid as well especially with a healthy Jeff Mathis behind the plate.
Overall, the Angels will be so much better than they were last season.
Oakland Athletics
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Biggest Strengths: Starting Pitching and Relief Pitching
The Oakland Athletics had one of the best rotations in baseball last year, and they will be even better this year. The rotation will consist of Dallas Braden, Rich Harden, Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez. Trevor Cahill was phenomenal last season, and Dallas was great and threw a perfect game. Young players Gio and Anderson will emerge as some of the best young pitchers in the league. The A's added Rich Harden in the offseason who could pay huge dividends for the Athletics.
In addition to having a great rotation, the A's also had a fantastic bullpen last season. The Athletics haven't lost anybody from it and have added former Rays reliever, Grant Balfour. The bullpen will feature Michael Wuertz, Brad Ziegler, Craig Breslow, Joey Devine, Grant and their all-star closer, Andrew Bailey.
Overall, the Oakland Athletics will have a nice team and will definitely make the AL West more interesting.
Seattle Mariners
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Biggest Strengths: Team Speed and Starting Pitching
The Seattle Mariners have at least one thing to be happy about as they have good speed on their team. Ichiro is one of the few good hitters on the team and also has terrific wheels with stolen base capability. Franklin Gutierrez is quite fast and can steal bases if he so wishes, as well as Chone Figgins who can swipe bags.
The Seattle Mariners have a great rotation lead by perennial CY Young award winner Felix Hernandez. Erik Bedard has been great when healthy, and if he can stay healthy, he could be fantastic for the M's. Jason Vargas is a pitcher who can pay dividends as well as Luke French. Doug Fister had a bit of a breakout season last year, and the M's hope he can repeat.
Overall, the M's have no hitting whatsoever and won't compete in 2011.
Texas Rangers
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Biggest Strengths: Everything!!
Just like the Minnesota Twins, the Texas Rangers appear to have the perfect balance of everything. Their rotation, even with the departure of Cliff Lee, still looks great. The Rangers filled the void, sort of, by signing former ace Brandon Webb. The bullpen has been bolstered further as the Rangers added Arthur Rhodes to the already impressive pen. Texas has an impressive lineup with a nice balance of power and speed. The Rangers will also have a nice defensive squad with Yorvit Torrealba taking over the catcher position for the slow-footed Bengie Molina.
Overall, Texas will probably win the AL West.
NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks
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Biggest Strengths: Absolutely Nothing! Maybe Justin Upton?
The Arizona Diamondbacks are being torn apart by new general manager Kevin Towers. With the simple exception of Justin Upton, the Diamondbacks have an awful team. Mark Reynolds is gone now and has basically been replaced by Melvin Mora. The D-backs lost their everyday first baseman in Adam LaRoche to the Washington Nationals. The rest of their roster is filled with below-average hitters, and their defense isn't too spectacular either. Their pitching will be mediocre at best with the exception of young emerging star Daniel Hudson. The bullpen will be dead awful with J.J. Putz and Aaron Heilman being the few bright spots out in the pen.
Overall, the Diamondbacks are going to lose 100 games.
Colorado Rockies
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Biggest Strengths: Power Hitting and Starting Pitching
The Colorado Rockies are certainly going to hit a ton of home runs this season. With an ultra powerful infield that features Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, Ian Stewart, Jose Lopez and Carlos Ianetta. That will almost certainly be the most powerful infield in baseball. In the outfield, their only true power threat is Carlos Gonzalez who can really swing it.
The Rockies rotation was lead by CY Young candidate Ubaldo Jimenez last year who put up monster numbers. Joining Jimenez in the rotation this year will be young stud Jorge De La Rosa, Jason Hammel, Aaron Cook and the full of potential, Jhoulys Chacin.
Overall, the Rockies are going to be very competitive this year and will make a nice run at the playoffs.
Los Angeles Dodgers
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Biggest Strengths: Starting Pitching and Balanced Lineup
The Los Angeles Dodgers have a phenomenal looking pitching staff as we look ahead to the 2011 regular season. The Dodgers rotation features a beautiful blend of young talent and good veteran leadership. The rotation will consist of young stud Clayton Kershaw, Ted Lilly, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda and Jon Garland. If the rotation can stay healthy and consistent, the Dodgers will have one of the better rotations in baseball.
The Dodgers will have a very balanced lineup looking ahead to next season. The Dodgers have some power as well as good production and clutch hitting in their lineup. They have a nice amount of speed and plate discipline. Their lineup will be good but not great.
Overall, the Dodgers should have an OK season but won't do anything particularly special.
San Diego Padres
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Biggest Strengths: Relief Pitching
Last season, the San Diego Padres had a great team surprising everybody around baseball. But, last season was last season. The Padres suffered a crazy amount of losses in the offseason highlighted by the departure of Adrian Gonzalez. The only thing that remains intact is their bullpen which was the best in baseball last season. The bullpen will feature Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams, Joe Thatcher and will lean on the always great closer, Heath Bell to close it out.
Overall, the Padres will not compete in 2011.
San Francisco Giants
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Biggest Strengths: Starting Pitching
The World Series Champions San Francisco Giants were lead by their outstanding rotation. Lead by two-time CY Young winner Tim Lincecum, the Giants will once again boast one of the best rotations in baseball in 2011. Following Tim in the rotation is the fantastic young Matt Cain and the very efficient Jonathan Sanchez. Rounding out the rotation is the incredibly overpaid Barry Zito and the up-and-coming Madison Bumgarner.
Overall, the Giants will most likely win the NL West once again.
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