2009 Major League Baseball Preview and Predictions

The crack of the bat. The aroma of those wonderful hot dogs. The look of the well-manicured outfield grass. Yep, it's baseball time again!

That said, here's my 2009 preseason preview and predictions. Enjoy and leave me a comment to tell me how stupid or brilliant I am.

National League East

N.Y. Mets — The Mets already had a starting rotation that is “good enough.” Add to that the best eighth and ninth-inning arms available and you have a recipe for a deep postseason run. On the offensive side, the Mets have had one of the most-feared lineups for a few years now. Even though some of those pieces are getting older, they’re still one of the better hitting teams in the NL. I like the Mets to win the East.

Phillies* — I feel like the Phillies are going to be great again this season. With the absolute best lineup from top to bottom in the NL, they’re going to come to play every night. Once again, their pitching is good enough to get them deep into October as well. It’s going to be a battle all season long between these guys and the Mets. I like the Phils to win the wild card.

Braves — I have to put my boys in here. It’s going to be a better year in Atlanta than most recent years have been. They’ll finish over .500, but barely. An improved pitching staff helps them stay in the wild card race until September, but the lack of power and clutch hitting will keep them out of the playoffs yet again. The Braves will play some young guys in key positions this year. Hopefully, they’ll be successful enough this season to really make a difference in 2010.

National League Central

Chicago Cubs — The Cubbies have been the best regular-season team the last couple of years. Too bad they haven’t parlayed that into great postseasons. They added depth and power to their lineup and the starting rotation is the best in the NL. The Cubs win the Central again.

Cardinals — Times are getting better in St. Louis. The Redbirds have a formidable lineup and decent pitching. The Cards will be right there with the Cubs for much of the season, but the lack of great starting pitching will get them in the end.

National League West

Diamondbacks — This race will be a dead-heat. The D-Backs have a tremendous starting rotation and very good young hitting. I think the D-Backs have the edge if the Giants or Dodgers don’t sign Manny Ramirez.

Giants — If they can somehow sign Manny, the Giants could have enough pieces to make a nice run this season. I love their young starting staff. Headed by Tim Lincecum, this staff might carry the Giants to much future success. By adding the aging Randy Johnson to the mix, the Giants could have enough to win MLB's worst division.

Dodgers — The Dodgers have to sign Manny to challenge the D-Backs. They have great young talent, but suffered too many losses in their pitching staff to keep up with the D-Backs without Manny’s superior bat.   

American League East

Red Sox — This race will be much like the NL East race. Both the Red Sox and Yankees will battle it out all season long. I think in the end the Red Sox will have the upper hand… in the regular season. The Red Sox win the East.

N.Y. Yankees* — The Yankees made sure to spend enough money to never miss the playoffs again. With Sabathia, Burnett, and Wang they have a formidable rotation that no one wants to face in a short series. Adding Teixiera gives their already stout lineup a tremendous presence. The Yanks win the wild card with ease.

Rays — Last season’s American League Champs looked like they were in great shape heading into next season… until the Yankees went into their vault. The Rays are still young and they’ll add phenom David Price to their rotation this season. The Rays are building for a long-term run. When the current Yankees and Red Sox stars begin to age, which should start happening in the next year or two, the Rays will be a force to beat for years. Just not this year.

American League Central

Twins — The Twins will close out the Metrodome this season. They have enough young arms, and great hitting talent to make the last season a memorable one. The AL Central will be a battle for most of the season, but in the end the Twins are just better than the alternatives. Minnesota wins the Central.

Indians — Riding on Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona’s arms, the Indians should get back into the swing of things this year. They will battle for the wild card until the Yankees run away with it in the second half. Once again, another team built for the future.  

American League West

Angels — These guys are the clear-cut favorites every season. They did lose the best closer in the game to free agency, but signed Brian Fuentes to take his place. Fuentes is no K-Rod, but he’ll be good enough. If this stellar starting staff stays healthy, the Angels could make it to the World Series. I think they’ll choke in the playoffs, but they’ll win the West with ease.

A’s — Oakland got better by adding Matt Holiday. Plus, they always seem to grow pitching talent. They might give the Angels a run for their money in the first half, but their youth will cause them to falter late.   

Playoff Predictions

NLDS

Mets vs. D-Backs

Phillies vs. Cubs

NLCS

Mets vs. Cubs

ALDS

Red Sox vs. Twins

Yankees vs. Angels

ALCS

Yankees vs. Red Sox

World Series

Yankee$ vs. Met$

World Champions

Yankee$

NL Cy Young — Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs

AL Cy Young — C.C. $abathia, New York Yankees

NL MVP — David Wright 3B, N.Y. Mets

AL MVP — Alex Rodriguez 3B, N.Y. Yankees -

NL Rookie of the Year — Tommy Hanson P, Atlanta Braves

AL Rookie of the Year — David Price P, Tampa Bay Rays