Atlanta - Bobby Cox and the Braves use to be the Phillies nemesis. It’s only fitting that in his final season, Atlanta and their longtime manager are likely to challenge the Phillies for NL East supremacy. Solid pitching staff plus a revamped lineup but can the veteran sticks stay healthy? Atlanta is relying on some aging vets to provide production in the middle portion of the order!

Florida - Still relies too heavily on trying to produce runs with big extra base hits instead of playing occasional small ball. This results in too much inconsistency in run production. Also, the pitching rotation has to mature quickly to really make this team a contender instead of a pretender. Decent team but the pitching staff is a question mark.

New York Mets - Last season was derailed by injuries and the Mets are already off to an ominous start this season on the injury front. We like the lineup of the Mets...especially with the addition of Jason Bay. However, the pitching rotation is a concern behind Johan Santana. John Maine and Oliver Perez both dealt with injuries last season and Mike Pelfrey has been plagued by inconsistency.

Philadelphia - Roy Halladay is a huge "ace" addition. Placido Polanco is an upgrade at third base. Kyle Kendrick appears ready for a big role again in the rotation. Injuries to Joe Blanton and Brad Lidge are a short-term concern. However, long-term, this team is loaded with a stacked lineup and a talented starting rotation. That makes them a good choice to get back to the World Series this season!

Washington - A lot of question marks for this pitching staff and that is going to continue to hold this team back. The lineup looks decent with a solid mix of veteran sticks and young talent. However, the Nationals just have too many concerns in the pitching rotation and the bullpen. The Nats are building some positive momentum for the future but they still have quite a ways to go! It will all come down to how much the Nationals can get out of their rotation.

National League Central:

Chicago Cubs - If not again derailed by injuries, this Cubs team certainly has a shot at the Central Division title. They have a potent lineup and the rotation is solid, especially when Ted Lilly is healthy again. Also, a wild card here is whether Carlos Marmol, or at least some one, can step in and handle the closers role this season! If that happens and this team stays healthy look out!

Cincinnati - This is a team I feel could offer good value this season. They have been so bad for so long that they fly under the radar. That said, if the young pitching staff holds up and matures quickly; the Reds have a strong enough lineup to show quite a bit of improvement this season. Look to ride them in spots when they have their better starters going in the rotation. They could provide a lot of value in the right spots!

Houston - We like the impact that Brad Mills has had on this team already as the new manager. However, this team still has a long climb in front of it. The pitching staff has a lot of question marks and the lineup doesn't have enough big sticks to carry the team. It's a rebuilding year and we like the positive atmosphere but this team has a lot of work to do to be a contender again.

Milwaukee - A solid lineup for the Brewers and they should score runs aplenty this season. However, the veteran pitchers they are relying on are of major concern the way we see it. Rick Peterson, pitching coach, is a solid addition but how much do these arms have left that the Brewers are putting so much reliance on in the rotation?

Pittsburgh - Some bright spots in the lineup. Some bright spots in the pitching rotation. And, as usual, too many holes to fill in both areas. It spells another tough season in Pittsburgh but these team has enough talent to surprise some people and score a few more upsets than most might be expecting.

St Louis - Strong team again but we are not sold on their depth. Great sticks in the middle of the lineup. Fantastic pitchers in the first couple spots in the pitching rotation. The problem? The rest of the rotation and the rest of the lineup have some question marks. We are simply not sold on the Cardinals just running away with the NL Central this season. There will be challengers and so, while the Cards are solid, we don't expect dominance.

National League West:

Arizona - Brandon Webb's injury situation has made the Diamondbacks issues with the starting rotation even more of a concern. Other than Dan Haren at the top, there are a lot of unproven arms in Arizona. Once again, the Dbacks may have to hope their lineup can win games for them but this team struggles with clutch hitting. Too many strikeouts and poor at-bats have been rally killers in the past and could limit this team once again this season!

Colorado - This team is on the way up again. With Jim Tracy at the helm, the Rockies were a different team last season and they now carry a lot of momentum into the 2010 season. The back-end of the pitching rotation is a concern but this team has a solid lineup plus played well defensively after Tracy took over. Even when Huston Street is out this bullpen is still solid thanks to its depth.

Los Angeles Dodgers - Very solid batting lineup but Dodger Stadium is a pitcher-friendly park as are two of the other parks in the NL West division. That said, the Dodgers may struggle with a rotation that has a lot of question marks in our opinion. As for starting pitchers, we like Kershaw and Billingsley but the other spots are questionable at best and that spells trouble!

San Diego - The Padres will have to win with "small ball" on offense and strong pitching and defense when in the field. The rotation has some solid starters...there is no doubt about that. However, without much pop in the lineup, the Padres will still likely fall short of being a contender. We still look for some improvement though and that means some line value in spots with San Diego this season!

San Francisco - A new hitting coach, a few new sticks, and a new approach at the plate. We do expect some improvement from the Giants offense. Of course, the defense has some concerns but, with this solid pitching staff, they may not be tested as much as most teams’ fielders are! The Giants should make some noise in the NL West as their pitching staff should once again be among the majors’ best. The difference this season is that the Giants bats should provide more support. We fully expect that this season.

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