MLB: Each Team's Potential Feel-Good Story Heading into 2012

Opening Day is almost upon us, baseball fans, and the anticipation will continue to grow until the first pitch is thrown in early April.

Hopes and dreams abound this early in the season, and each team's fanbase has its goals for the season.

Some peg their team's superstar as the MVP, others tag their ace pitcher as a Cy Young candidate. Others try to pick out a potential breakout star among the young players in camp.

I enjoy sifting through each team's roster looking for a player who fans don't expect to do well, players that many have written off.

Baseball is a game of surprises, and that's what makes it great. Take Jason Isringhausen, for example.

He returned to the major leagues last season, pitching for the Mets after not playing in 2010 and tossing just eight innings in 2009. 

He had a 4.05 ERA and a 3-3 record in 46.2 innings out of the Mets bullpen. He even recorded seven saves.

Stories like his are what draw fans in, and there figure to be similar stories in 2012.

Here is one for every team.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Sorry for making you cringe at the thought of this scene, Angels fans.

First baseman Kendrys Morales suffered a broken leg when he awkwardly landed at home plate after celebrating his walk-off grand slam on May 29, 2010.

The injury caused him to miss the rest of the 2010 season, as well as the entire 2011 season.

Prior to the injury, Morales was beginning to establish himself as a legitimate major league hitter.

In 2009, he mashed 34 home runs and drove in 108 runs. In 2010, before the injury, he already had 11 home runs and 39 RBI.

It would be great for the Angels, baseball and, of course, Morales if he can return to form in 2012. He is without a definitive spot in the Angels' lineup. He is one of several players vying for at-bats as the designated hitter.

If he can prove he's healthy, he should have a nice return season.

Houston Astros

There are just some teams that don't have players who can be considered feel-good stories. In those cases, I will instead decide on a team goal that would turn the team into a nice story.

That's the case with the Astros.

They have tons of young talent, so there's plenty of potential on the team. At any point, the young players could click at the same time and the Astros would become a very surprising team.

Being that they're so young, though, getting everyone to click at the same time will be extremely difficult.

That being said, we can consider the Astros a feel-good story if they are able to win 70 games.

For a team that won just 56 games in 2011, a 14-game improvement would certainly qualify them for that.

Oakland Athletics

Seeing Yoenis Cespedes produce this season, whether it be from the beginning or as a mid-season call-up, would be great for the game of baseball.

It happens too often that high-profiled international players disappoint. I need not go into detail about the absurd number of failed international experiments in baseball over the past decade.

Because not many have succeeded, the ones that actually do succeed receive that much more attention (Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui).

Cespedes clearly has all the talent in the world, but there's no telling how his skills will translate to American baseball.

He's had difficulty adjusting this spring, hitting just .200 with one home run and two RBI.

Look for the A's to give him ample opportunities to succeed in 2012 and beyond.

Toronto Blue Jays

It was a feel-good story in itself to see Dustin McGowan return to the majors last season. But he could steal the spotlight again if he's able to return to his 2007 form.

He may have made his return last season after missing the entire 2009 and 2010 seasons, but he only pitched in 21 innings.

This season will be the true test. He hasn't had to prepare himself for a full major league season since prior to the 2008 season.

In 2007, McGowan enjoyed his best season as a major leaguer. His 12-10 record and 4.08 ERA all represented career bests.

McGowan may be in line for AL Comeback Player of the Year if he can return to his previous form.

Atlanta Braves

Chipper Jones announced that he will retire following the 2012 season.

How much more of a feel-good story do you want?

If Jones has a typical season, or one even slightly resembling one, his final season will quickly become one of the best feel-good stories of the season.

Jones' last standout season came in 2008 when he hit a ridiculous .364. Braves fans have to be realistic in their expectations for him this season. He's not the same spry young athlete that he used to be.

With 20 home runs and a batting average in the .280 range, 2012 would be considered a productive season for the aging switch-hitter.

Braves fans will be cherishing every moment of Jones' last season in Atlanta.

Milwaukee Brewers

Fans were outraged when they learned the news of Ryan Braun's impending suspension. They were even more outraged when they learned that the suspension was related to substance abuse.

After it was reported that Braun won his appeal, some fans rejoiced. Their young star was innocent.

Others were understandably upset. How could our sport's drug-testing policy have made a mistake?

As far as legalities are concerned, Braun is innocent. He can silence all of his haters this season by producing at his MVP level and passing all future drug tests.

If Braun can finish in the top-three in the NL MVP voting next season as a drug-free player, he will be able to restore some of his diminished reputation, as well as be considered a feel-good story. 

St. Louis Cardinals

After missing the entire 2011 season following Tommy John surgery, including his team's World Series championship, Adam Wainwright should be back and ready to win in 2012.

Chris Carpenter took over as the staff ace last season. But now it seems as if Wainwright is the healthier one of the two.

Wainwright finished second and third, respectively, in the 2009 and 2010 Cy Young voting. He was one of the best pitchers in the National League prior to the injury, and there's no reason to believe he won't still be productive post-injury.

His season can become a feel-good story if he finishes as a legitimate candidate for the Cy Young. Many pitchers find success after the surgery, but Wainwright could surprise a lot of people by returning to form as a top pitcher in 2012.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are a team similar to the Astros. They don't really have a clear-cut player who could turn into a feel-good story.

The team as a whole, though, could turn into a nice story if it can improve from last season.

The Theo Epstein era has begun in Chicago, and the fanbase is expecting immediate results. Those expectation may be unfair, but, hey, that's baseball.

With 71 wins in 2011, the Cubs finished fifth in the NL Central. The only team they were able to outlast was the Astros and, well, that's not that difficult.

If Epstein and the Cubs can get to .500 this season, many will consider 2012 a relative success and have great hope for the future.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks were one of the biggest feel-good stories in 2011. The team seemingly came out of nowhere to win 94 games en route to the NL West Division title.

The NL West has turned into a very inconsistent division, as division winners change by the season.

Should the upstart D'Backs win the division again in 2012, they can officially establish themselves as one of the most talented teams in the majors, and that would be great for the game of baseball.

All signs point to them repeating, but many have qualms about their inexperience. As each season progresses, their young players get better and better.

With another season under their belts, there's no reason to believe that the D'Backs won't be successful next season.

Los Angeles Dodgers

If the Dodgers can overcome the Frank McCourt mess, the game of baseball will reap the benefits.

The Dodgers, despite their recent failures, are one of the most popular teams in the nation. Seeing them succeed, or at least make strides, would help to bring credibility back to the franchise in the wake of the McCourt-divorce catastrophe.

Players don't want to come and play there, and many players don't want to stay there. So bringing a winning atmosphere back would help to improve the team.

Keeping Matt Kemp long term was a fantastic move by management (no-brainer or not), so they've already taken steps in the right direction.

Nothing happens overnight, but expect the Dodgers to take baby steps in 2012.

San Francisco Giants

Buster Posey was involved in a terrible collision at the plate early in 2011, causing him to miss the rest of the season. At one point, the team wasn't even sure if he'd be able to return in time for the start of the 2012 season.

He's on target for Opening Day, though, and Giants fans couldn't be happier.

Without Posey, it's likely the Giants never would have won the World Series in 2010. He is already the heart and soul of the team. The Giants were noticeably lacking something without him behind the plate.

If Posey can come back and catch a majority of the games, the Giants will be in good shape. 

If he can produce at his 2010 level, or even better, his return will likely put him in the running for NL Comeback Player of the Year.

Cleveland Indians

Grady Sizemore recently re-upped with the Indians on a one-year pact, and his injury history has been well-documented.

He's already injured himself again this spring, and the team doesn't expect him to be ready for Opening Day.

Once one of the most promising young players in the game, Sizemore has been crippled by injuries over the past several seasons. He was looking to improve his value with a nice season in 2012, but he's already off to a bad start.

If he can prove he's healthy at some point this season, and if he can produce at a high level, it'll be a nice feel-good story around the league.

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners can establish themselves as a feel-good story if they can improve upon their abysmal 2011 offense.

The team scored just 556 runs, good enough (or bad enough, actually) for last place in all of baseball.

Trading away the hard-throwing Michael Pineda for the power-hitting Jesus Montero figures to be a step in the right direction. But one player will not make a huge difference for the lowly Mariners.

With Montero in the fold and productive seasons from their other young stars (Dustin Ackley, Mike Carp and Justin Smoak), the Mariners could be back on the rise.

If the team finishes in the top-20 in runs scored in 2012, it'll be a nice story.

Miami Marlins

There's a lot for Marlins fans to be excited about in 2012. There are many players who could potentially qualify as feel-good stories.

However, the team as a whole has too much potential as a feel-good story to overlook.

The Marlins have been wallowing near the cellar of the NL East for the past few seasons. But they are moving into a new stadium and this offseason signed several big free-agents, including Jose Reyes, Mark Buerhle and Heath Bell.

The addition of Carlos Zambrano also made headlines.

It'll be a huge disappointment if the Marlins don't drastically improve. But it'll also be a very nice feel-good story if they do.

New York Mets

Johan Santana did not pitch at all last season following shoulder surgery.

The Mets rotation clearly missed him. They struggled to piece together a serviceable rotation.

Santana is a two-time Cy Young Award winner and one of the most dominant pitchers of the last decade. He is getting older, though, and there's no telling what to expect from him this season.

He probably won't compete for the Cy Young Award this season, or ever again. But if he can give the club 200 innings, Mets fans should be jumping for joy.

Washington Nationals

Bryce Harper may have been sent down to Triple-A Syracuse for now, but we should definitely see him at the big league level this summer.

Harper is arguably the most-hyped prospect in baseball history. Seeing him produce in his first season in the majors would be great for the game.

At 19 years old, he still has a lot of maturing to do. He has had a tendency to run his mouth and act in an unprofessional manner.

But he handled being sent down well, so all signs point to him being a respectable major leaguer.

If he comes up and produces from the start, it will be one of the best stories in baseball this season.

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles have been riddled with failure over the past decade and have become accustomed to under-performing.

Shoddy pitching has been the problem on previous teams, and it's likely that will be the case again this season.

There's a shot, though, that Japanese imports Tsuyoshi Wada and Wei-Yin Chen will produce at a pretty high level.

Both pitchers have solid career numbers in Japan and both were brought in this offseason to compete for spots in the starting rotation.

The Orioles will be last in the AL East again this season, but it'll be a nice story if they can find consistent pitching from their new Japanese arms.

San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres have been searching for a big bat ever since they traded first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Even when Gonzalez was with the club, the team struggled to score, so the team really struggled to plate runs last season.

Yonder Alonso was acquired this offseason after being blocked in Cincinnati by Joey Votto. It'd be a nice story for him and the Padres if he can play to his potential.

He is one of the best hitting prospects in the game today and could well turn into the answer at first base for the Padres.

They'll still struggle to score runs in 2012, but the addition of Alonso figures to help a weak offense.

Philadelphia Phillies

With the injury to Ryan Howard, the Phillies will most likely look to 41-year-old Jim Thome for offensive production at first base.

Thome returns to the Phillies after a six-season hiatus, and the fans seem excited to have him back.

Even as Howard's replacement, we shouldn't expect to see Thome playing every day. He hasn't played every day in several seasons, and his knees are not in the shape they used to be.

If Thome can play well in a limited starting role, his season will be considered a success. 

It's likely that he'll retire after the season. But it will be one of the best feel-good stories of the year to see Thome continue to terrorize the opposition with a few long balls.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates were one of the best feel-good stories of the year in 2011, even though they petered out at the end of the season.

They still failed to end their streak of seasons under .500, but they made a valiant effort to do so.

At 72-90, the team finished fourth in the NL Central.

The team has loads of young talent, as well as a nice mix of experienced veterans. The pieces are in place for the team to win 80 games in 2012.

Any improvement  will be good for the Pirates, but they will be a great feel-good story if they can break the streak and win at least 81 games.

Texas Rangers

Yu Darvish is already the most talked-about player on the Rangers, and he's obviously yet to start a game in the majors.

The large amount of money spent on Darvish by the Rangers was a huge gamble, but he has all the tools in place to be a stud.

He has an assortment of pitches unlike any other, and his big frame shows that he has the perfect makeup for a major league pitcher.

Not many Japanese pitchers have succeeded in the majors, and there's no telling yet if Darvish will be different.

If he bucks the trend, though, it will be a great story in 2012.

Tampa Bay Rays

Matt Moore is the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, and he showed us exactly why in the postseason in 2011.

His stuff is plain nasty and his command his well beyond his years.

The Rays may not even put him on the Opening Day roster, but he will definitely be a major contributor when he makes the team.

We've seen many No. 1 prospects fail in the past few decades, so it would be great to see the young lefty tap into his potential.

The Rays already have two other aces in David Price and James Shields.

They may be adding another one this season.

Boston Red Sox

Carl Crawford had a terrible first season in Boston, hitting .255/.289/.405 with 11 home runs and 56 RBI. He stole just 18 bases and recorded just 129 hits in 130 games.

His mega-deal for seven years and $142 million made his down season even more apparent.

Some believe that he'll never adjust to Fenway Park, while others believe that 2011 was a year that he needed to get acclimated in his new surroundings.

Next season should be a different story for Crawford.

At 30 years old, he's probably at his productive peak. Speed begins to dwindle as you get into your 30s, so Crawford will need to bounce back this season if he has any hopes of 800 career steals. That would place him sixth all-time behind Tim Raines (808).

If Crawford can re-establish himself as a premier left fielder with a nice bounce-back season, it'll be a great story around the league.

Cincinnati Reds

Aroldis Chapman has begun his transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation this spring, and it seems that he's fared pretty well. In three games (seven innings) he has posted a 2.57 ERA with seven strikeouts.

As a Yankees fan, I'm all too familiar with failed transitions from the bullpen to the rotation. Both Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain began their careers as starters in the minors, were moved to the bullpen when they were called up and then bounced around between the rotation and the bullpen ever since.

Hughes has had the most success as a starter, winning 18 games in 2010, while Chamberlain has never been able to put it all together.

Making the jump from the bullpen to the rotation is a difficult job, and Chapman will be a nice story if he can produce in a new role.

Colorado Rockies

The 49-year-old Jamie Moyer is already turning heads in Rockies camp.

He tossed four perfect innings against the Giants in his last start, and has allowed just one run in nine innings this spring.

He's been getting by with a fastball ranging from 78-81 MPH, but pinpoint control has been what's saved him.

Moyer is competing with a slew of other pitchers for one of three spots available at the back end of the Rockies rotation. But his experience gives him a slight advantage.

That, and he's basically been untouchable this spring.

If Moyer can make the big league roster and pitch well following Tommy John surgery, it'll be one of the best feel-good stories we've had in a while.

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals went 71-91 record in 2011 and finished fourth in the AL Central.

Their team is stocked with young offensive talent. The only thing that's been holding them back is consistent pitching.

Jonathan Sanchez was brought on board by shipping Melky Cabrera to San Francisco, and the presence of Bruce Chen will help to solidify an otherwise young rotation.

The future is now for the Royals, so don't be surprised if they win upwards of 80 games in 2012. All the pieces are there. It's just a matter of them all producing at once.

If the Royals can finish over .500 in 2012, we will be having the same discussion about them as we may about the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Detroit Tigers

If the combination of Prince Fielder at first base and Miguel Cabrera at third base can work out for the Tigers, it will be good news for the Tigers and their fans.

Many were confused when the Tigers signed Fielder this offseason, but questions were quickly answered when it was announced that Cabrera would move to third base.

Cabrera was a third baseman in the past, but he has put on some weight since he last played the position.

He had recently turned himself into a very good defensive first baseman, so there's a good chance that he can shift his new abilities across the diamond.

The Tigers will definitely have one of the most powerful infields in baseball, but it remains to be seen if they will be solid defensively.

Minnesota Twins

It's been a long couple of seasons for Justin Morneau.

Concussions have riddled the former MVP's career. Nobody knows if he'll ever play a full season again, let alone get back to his MVP form.

Morneau had a future as one of the best sluggers in the game before his concussions. They have literally derailed his career. But the Twins are hoping he can come back and be productive.

He's still young, so there's plenty of time for him to turn it around if he can prove he's healthy. If he hits well this season, he'll be pretty much a lock for the AL Comeback Player of the Year.

Chicago White Sox

Adam Dunn had a horrible season in 2011 in his first year with the White Sox, hitting .159/.292/.277 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI.

He clearly failed to live up to his four-year, $56 million contract, and the White Sox are hoping that he can bounce back in 2012.

Dunn was a perennial candidate for 35-plus home runs and 100-plus RBI each season prior to joining the Sox, so it's hard to believe that he'll never be that kind of player again.

Maybe we can just chalk 2011 up as an adjustment year, but we won't know until we see how he responds in 2012.

If Dunn can go back to his 40-homer ways, he'll garner some votes for AL Comeback Player of the Year.

New York Yankees

Andy Pettitte's return would have made this slide were it not for Joba Chamberlain's freak injury.

Chamberlain suffered a dislocated ankle on Thursday after a freak trampoline incident and required emergency surgery that night to get it repaired.

He has been ruled to be out indefinitely, but many believe that he'll miss the entire season. It has been rumored that the injury can also be potentially career-threatening.

That sounds like a really terrible story, but it would be great news for Chamberlain and the team if he makes strides in his recovery during the season.

If he can overcome the freak injury and prove that it won't end his career, it will be one of the best feel-good stories of the season.