MLB preview: What to expect

It’s baseball season once again, folks.

Few things get me as worked up as the anticipation of the first pitch on Opening Day. This year — just like every other — the standings are even and no team faces an insurmountable deficit. Some teams are riding the waves of a successful offseason and expect to have a winning record this year. Other teams, however, have waited so long for their ship of success to sail that their pier has collapsed. Let’s take a look at the full spectrum.

On the rise

The Kansas City Royals, under manager Trey Hillman, are quietly becoming a fearful team in the AL Central. After an auspicious end to the 2008 season — during which they went 18-8 in September — the Royals have upped their payroll by more than 20 percent by bringing in the powerful bat of Mike Jacobs, the steady bat of Coco Crisp, and the faithful bullpen arm of former Diamondback Juan Cruz.

The Royals’ weakness, however, is in their offense. If they would invest in some quality bats, I’m sure more people would turn their heads. In a relatively weak division this year, the Royals may surprise quite a few who predicted them to continue their mediocrity.

The San Francisco Giants have one of the brightest young stars taking the mound for them every five days. Tim Lincecum, famous for his long stride, slight build and awkward mechanics, became one of the few pitchers to win the Cy Young Award in his second year.

Adding to the 72 wins of last year is a familiar name to Arizona baseball fans; Randy Johnson. Although not the force he was in his prime, Johnson is five wins away from the remarkable 300 wins plateau and should be a solid third starting pitcher for the Giants. Just like the Royals, however, San Francisco may feel the effect of a lack of offense. They have an extremely sturdy rotation, but how far can that take them?

The St. Louis Cardinals reek of potential. And that’s not a bad thing. There is no doubt that the Pujols-led offense will rack up the runs, but the question marks fall to the starting rotation and bullpen. Health will be a concern for Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, but if they live up to expectations there is no telling how far this team can go. St. Louis blew 31 saves last year, and if it wants any shot at the NL Central title, that must change.

The contenders

Chicago is rarely without a baseball team in contention come late summer and 2009 shouldn’t be an exception. The North-side Cubs plan on packing a punch in their lineup yet again this year and are the clear-cut favorites to win the NL Central. With the addition of Milton Bradley to an already potent offense and stellar rotation, the Cubs may do more than make an appearance in the playoffs this time around. With a rotation consisting of Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempter, and Rich Harden, the Cubs should once again be the class of the National League.

With a wallet the size of New York Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner, it’s no wonder they compete consistently every year. After acquiring the services of CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and AJ Burnett — which will cost over $50 million this year — the Yankees seem ready to start another dogfight for the AL East crown. The Rays and Red Sox will provide tough competition, which should result in some great baseball games down the stretch.

The Cleveland Indians are generally regarded as the favorites to beat out the remainder of the AL Central. They boast a very strong offensive lineup including Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Asdrubal Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and Jhonny Peralta. Their Achilles’ heel, however, is also in their rotation. 2008 AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee is the only pitcher projected by Bill James — baseball’s resident statistic freak and all-around good guy — to have an ERA under 4.00.

On the fall

The Colorado Rockies, just two years removed from a World Series appearance, may field one of the worst teams in baseball in 2009. While much has yet to be played out, only the most optimistic Rockies fans are considering a playoff berth. After the Matt Holliday trade, Garrett Atkins and Troy Tulowitzki will likely be the bright spots in this batting order, but their rotation has the potential to be a disaster. Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez are hardly poor pitchers, but with a supporting cast of Jorge de la Rosa, Josh Fogg, or Greg Reynolds, high hopes are few and far between in Colorado.

The “other” New York team may take a step back from a decent 2008 campaign. The Mets were edged out by the Phillies last year for the NL East division title, but revamped their bullpen this offseason in anticipation of exacting their revenge. Bringing in the steady arms of Francisco Rodriguez and JJ Putz will certainly help the Mets build on their 2008 successes, but other question marks remain. The Mets have an extremely top-heavy lineup this year, and will be forced to play mix-and-match for the bottom five spots. The New York rotation will continue to be solid, but will rely on the bullpen performance that they lacked last year.

This season should prove to have the same roller coaster bumps and turns that it had last year. If we hang on for the ride, though, baseball fans everywhere will not be disappointed.

Andrew Kneeland is a sophomore at Sahuarita High School. He is an intern at the Green Valley News.