2010 Baseball Preview

Alright, it’s time to chat a little about America’s national pastime. Opening Day is finally upon us, so let’s play ball! If you are a Twins fan, you have plenty reasons for optimism this season. The Twins open the season tonight as favorites in a rather mediocre American League central division. The question this year is not whether they can win the division, but it is whether they can finally make a run deep into the playoffs.

The Twins have had a rather busy offseason, ending the winter with a total payroll of nearly $100 million, compared to $65 million in 2009. Obviously the biggest news this offseason was Bill Smith’s ability to sign our hometown hero Joe Mauer for the next nine seasons. Don’t worry ladies, the sideburns aren’t going anywhere!

The Twins also solidified their infield with the addition of former all-star JJ Hardy (below) and gold glove winner Orlando Hudson (below). In addition, the Twins look to have the deepest bench in recent team history, with the addition of five-time all star Jim Thome. The loss of Joe Nathan will certainly be felt by the club, but if the Jon Rauch experiment fails, look for Bill Smith to add a proven closer like San Diego’s Heath Bell.

Not to mention the Twins will open the 2010 season in beautiful Target Field.

As for the rest of the Majors, it looks like there are a number of wide open divisional races. It will be a great year to cheer on your hometown ballclub, unless of course you live in DC, where the Nationals should be pretty terrible again. But hey, they have a great new ballpark! Go Nats!

Here are my predictions for the 2010 MLB season:

National League:
East – Philadelphia Phillies
Central – St. Louis Cardinals
West – Colorado Rockies
Wild Card – Atlanta Braves

American League:
East – Boston Red Sox
Central – Minnesota Twins
West – Texas Rangers
Wild Card – New York Yankees

World Series Prediction:
Phillies over the Twins

- Bobby