A Great Day In Sports

Enough of the team previews for a second, as there is something worth mentioning. There are some days in sports that are simply a step above every other day. There are perhaps 2 or 3 of these per year, and one of them is always the first day of the NCAA Tournament. This year, it did not dissapoint in the least, with several classic games.

From the first session of games, there was Boston College vs. Pacific. Although I have no love lost for Boston College after the beating they laid on Maryland in the ACC Quarterfinals, I did pick them to reach the Final Four, so you can bet that I wasn't feeling too good when they were down 6 in the first overtime. Luckily, they stormed back to take the game in double overtime, but it was still quite a scare. There's nothing like rooting for a huge upset on Day 1 of the tournament, and in the next slab of games, that's what we got with Winthrop and Tennessee. The Volunteers escaped, but Winthrop had them cornered.

The great thing about the NCAA Tournament is that you have something riding on every game. With the possible exception of the NFL playoffs, no other sport is like that, in no other sport can an 8/9 game for the right to get slaughtered by the top team in the bracket matter so much. But yet, there I sat, rooting on UNC-Wilmington as strongly as I did Maryland this past season. Alas, they shot the lights out to start the second half, but proceeded to blow an 18 point lead and lose a heartbreaker in overtime. The point is, for every game, if you entered a bracket, you have something riding on it, you have a reason to care. And once you care, the rest will just fall into place.

However, what made today extra special was that there was something else going on as well. Out in Southern California, a truly epic baseball game was being played. It doesn't matter in the standings, and a lot of people in baseball are against it, but the World Baseball Classic is here to stay. If anyone turned away from CBS and flipped on ESPN, they saw some great baseball action. A packed house, full of some of the most passionate fans I have ever seen at a baseball game, was watching the USA take on Mexico, with the Americans needing a win to advance to the semi-finals. Witj Jon Miller calling every pitch, the United States couldn't hit Mexico's relievers, as one by one powerful Americans went down. Oscar Villarreal striking out a lineup full of stars, such as Jeff Francoeur, who went down on three straight pitches (Francoeur swung and hit air on all of them, FYI) may not be a pretty sight if you are dressed in red, white, and blue, but if you're just a baseball fan, it makes for some great action. Down 2-1 in the top of the 9th, Angel Stadium was rocking, no thunderstix needed, and Chipper Jones and Alex Rodriguez both drew walks, only to have Vernon Wells ground into a game ending double play. It may only be an exhibition, but it's the best baseball I've seen since last October, and I'll make a large bet it will be the best baseball I see until this October.

NL East: New York Mets

The Mets have struggled since their 2000 run to the World Series, but this offseason, they finally eliminated all remnants of that team when they allowed Mike Piazza to walk via free agency. The Mets made several huge moves over the winter to improve their lineup and their bullpen. Critics may say that the Mets are becoming the Yankees in terms of simply buying everybody, but considering the last five seasons, Mets fans will be happy to have a contending team on the field, no matter how it got there.

Lineup: Paul Lo Duca will replace Piazza at catcher, and is a veteran leader who knows how to work with a pitching staff. While Lo Duca doesn't have Piazza's power, he is a career .285 hitter; he's certainly not a liability with the bat, and neither is his backup, Ramon Castro. The biggest offensive move, however, occured when the Mets traded for Carlos Delgado. Delgado is one of the premier first basemen in the game, a virtual lock for 30 home runs, and a career .393/.559 hitter. The ageless Julio Franco will back up Delgado at first. The middle infield is the Mets biggest weakness. Kaz Matsui remains the starting second baseman, despite a career OPS of .700. The Mets do not have a true backup in place, but Chris Woodward could fill in if neccessary. The leadoff hitter figures to be shortstop Jose Reyes, who has great physical talent and speed, but needs to improve upon his .300 OBP. The biggest star last year for New York was third baseman David Wright, who broke out last season, going .388/.523. Wright figures to be one of the top third basemen in baseball for years to come. Cliff Floyd starts in left, and while he's getting up in years, remains a dangerous hitter. The rightfield spot is filled by Xavier Nady, who failed to live up to expectations in San Diego, but may blossom in a new environment. He may split time with Victor Diaz. Carlos Beltran, signed to a huge contract prior to the 2005 season, was a disappointment, but he has too much talent and his too good to struggle so mightily again. The heart of the Mets lineup looks to be unbelieavable, especially if Beltran regains his 2004 form. While Reyes, Matsui, Nady, and Lo Duca are unspectacular, but solid, the Beltran-Delgado-Wright-Floyd portion should strike the fear of god into most pitchers.

Starting Rotation: The Mets rotation is either extremly old and fragile, or especially young and unproven. Pedro Martinez was as good as he's been since 2000 last year, but he's had toe problems, and Martinez has already lost a lot off his fastball, so his days of dominance are certainly going away. Tom Glavine has bounced back from a rough start with New York, but turns 40 years old in a few days. It shouldn't matter too much for Glavine, however, due to his pitching style. The rest of the rotation lacks future hall of famers or current all-stars. Steve Trachsel is an underappreciated veteran, and looks to bounce back from an injury filled 2005. The Mets gave up prized young pitcher Scott Kazmir to get Victor Zambrano, but Zambrano's first year in New York was a disappointment, as he went 7-12 with a 4.17 ERA. He may well be a solid back-end starter, but he likely won't be as good as Kazmir. The final spot in the rotation belongs to Aaron Heilman, who pitched 108 innings last year and had a 3.17 ERA, although he only had 7 starts. He hasn't had much success starting in the past. Cuban defector Alay Soler could see action as well. As shown, the Mets have a talented starting pitching corps, but questions abound with health, age, or inexperience.

Bullpen: The bullpen has been a weakness in recent years for New York, but by replacing Braden Looper with Billy Wagner, at least the closer will be rock solid. Wagner has had several unbelieveable years in Philadelphia and Houston, and while he isn't young anymore, he still has great velocity. The rest of the Mets bullpen is still a cause for concern, with Duaner Sanchez and Chad Bradford being the only reliable arms outside of Wagner. A key component could be Jorge Julio, who had strung together three decent seasons before falling apart in 2005. The rest of the Mets bullpen is very young, and the success of the unit may depend on the development of Heath Bell, Bartolome Fortunato, and Steve Schmoll. The bullpen is very strong at the back, but lacks the depth or dominant setup men to not be a worry.

X Factor: Pedro Martinez. The offseason has been filled with questions about his toe, and historically he has been an injury risk, but if he's healthy, he's still one of the top starters in baseball, as he proved last season.

Biggest Strength/Weakness: Power/Bullpen

Prediction: 2nd place in the NL East

Win Range: 85-90

NL East: Atlanta Braves

I really have no rational reason why the Braves will come in first other than, well, they're the Braves. Atlanta has won a division title every season since 1991, and while this team is no where near as talented as the Braves teams that advanced to five World Series during the 90s, or even the teams that lost Division Series after Division Series in the earlier part of this decade, it is good enough to make Met fans wonder whether all the money their team spent will only result in a second place finish. This is a very young Braves team, but it is very talented.

Lineup: Nothing has changed in that the lineup is anchored by the Jones', although Andruw certainly surpassed Chipper last season. Andruw had a career season, hitting 51 home runs with a .575 SLG, and would have won the MVP award had Albert Pujols not put up his typical monster numbers. Chipper struggled with injuries again, but when he was healthy was unstoppable, with a .412 OBP and .556 SLG. He's not going to win any more MVP awards, but I still don't want him up with the game on the line. The corner outfield spots are filled by youngsters Ryan Langerhans and the immensly overrated Jeff Francoeur and his whopping 11 walks in half a season of work. Adam LaRoche will need to improve on last season's OPS, but he also young, and should improve with time. Brian McCann established himself as a good catcher last season, and figures to be a steady figure behind the plate for years to come. Veteran Todd Pratt backs him up. Rafael Furcal left for Los Angeles, and will be replaced by Edgar Renteria, who strugglied mightily in Boston last year, but should bounce back now that he's in the National League. At second base, Marcus Giles is the starter, and has become one of the top second basemen in the league, posting a career OBP/SLG of .366/.465, and he has some speed as well. The bench is solid, with Pratt, Wilson Betemit, Pete Orr, Kelly Johnson, and Matt Diaz all solid hitters. Aside from the Jones' and Giles, the lineup lacks explosiveness, but assuming the young players improve, shouldn't be a hinderance. The Braves lineup is an excellent mix of youth and experience.

Starting Rotation: Although it is not the same rotation that dominated baseball in the 90s, the Braves figure to have a very good starting rotation. However, the biggest story is the departure of famed pitching coach Leo Mazzone. He has recieved a lot of the credit for Atlanta's pitching dominance, and it remains to be seen whether the Braves pitchers can succeed without him. The staff is headed by John Smoltz, who made a triumphant return to the rotation after a stint in the bullpen. Smoltz may be getting up in years, but he hasn't shown it. Tim Hudson, while not having lived up to his performance with Oakland earlier in the decade, remains a good 2nd starter, posting a 3.52 ERA. At 30, he still has some good years left. John Thomson fell off from 2004, posting a 4.47 ERA in over 98 innings. Before coming to Atlanta, he was a well-traveled veteran, and there is no guarantee he will post good numbers. Jorge Sosa was a pleasant surprise last year, and while he won't have a 2.55 ERA again, he should remain a good mid-rotatio starter. The back of the rotation is anchored by Horacio Ramirez, who had a 4.63 ERA in 202 innings in 2005. He's had several other good years, and at 26, has many good years ahead of him. Kyle Davies could get a chance as well. Smoltz and Hudson are the only stars, but all in all, the rotation is still better than most other ones in the game.

Bullpen: The bullpen is by far the Braves weakest link. After losing Kyle Farnsworth, the closer situation is unsettled, and will be filled by Chris Reitsma, who is a good reliever but has not had success closing games. The rest of the bullpen is even weaker. Blaine Boyer pitched 37 innings as a rookie last year, posting a 3.11 ERA. The Braves need him to equal that performance this season, because their only other setup men are similarly unproven John Foster and Oscar Villarreal, who has not has not had a good season since 2003. Lance Cormier is the only other reliever to have pitched significant innings last season, but his 79.1 innings of work only yielded a 5.11 ERA. Youngsters Macay McBride, Joey Devine, and Anthony Lermier will also have a chance to prove themselves. Devine is the most highly regarded of the bunch. Overall, this is an extremly weak group.

X Factor: Chipper Jones. While his production is as good as ever, he hasn't had over 500 at bats since the 2003 season. Without him in the lineup everyday, the Braves offense will be weak.

Biggest Strength/Weakness: Starting Pitching/Bullpen

Prediction: 1st place in the NL East

Win Range: 86-91

AL West: Seattle Mariners

This Mariners squad is a far cry from the 116 win team of 2001, but will be an improvement over the 69 win squad of 2005. However, they are stuck in a very competitive division, so another last place finish is likely their fate.

Lineup: For a down year, Ichiro played extremly good baseball. He's still a great hitter, and great rightfielder. An interesting note is that he hit a career high 15 home runs. Jeremy Reed will start in center, and the Mariners expect his offensive numbers to jump considerably in his second full big league season. Raul Ibanez should continue to put up solid, unappreciated, numbers in left field. Matt Lawton is a solid veteran who can start at any outfield position, need be. Big bashers Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre man the corners, and while Sexson had an excellent 2005, pacing the team with 39 home runs, Beltre will have to prove that his contract year explosion with the Dodgers in 2004 was not a fluke. Cuban defector Yuniesky Betancourt will start at shortstop, but he is extremly weak offensivly, and stronger hitting Mike Morse could see action at this spot. Jose Lopez is not a strong hitter either, and may share time at second with utility man Willie Bloomquist, who is just as bad with the bat. Kenji Johjima was brought in from Japan to catch, and so far good things have been coming from Mariners camp about his repore with the pitching staff. Carl Everett may be a head-case, but he can still hit, and he will start at DH for Seattle. Although the Mariners lineup is unspectacular when compared to others in the hard-hitting American League, it does possess amazing balance, with a fair share of power hitters, average hitters, and good-field no-hit guys.

Starting Rotation: Seattle's success in 2005 will depend on the success of their starting pitchers. The ageless Jamie Moyer heads the rotation, and while he can still be counted on to provide 2005 solid innings, he's unlikely to ever be a true ace again. However, the Mariners do have someone who may be much more than ace: King Felix. Felix Hernandez wowed just about everyone in 2005, and with the chance for a full season of work in front of him, there is no telling what he can accomplish. Jarrod Washburn was a big free agent signing, forget his 8-8 record, anyone with a 3.20 ERA in 177 innings is capable of big things. However, whether he is worth the large sum being paid to him will be determined by whether he falls back into 2003/2004 form, when he posted ERA's in the mid-4's and was decidedly average. Joel Pineiro has regressed, finally collapsing in 2005, posting a 5.62 ERA. His ERA has gone up by at least half a point every season since 2003, but he has the potential to be an All-Star starter. Gil Meche has not proven himself to be more than a back-end guy, but there are worse #5's in the game. The rotation could be very good, but if Hernandez regresses in his first big league season, Moyer finally pitches like a 43 year old, and Pineiro does not bounce back, it could get ugly.

Bullpen: The closer position is set with Eddie Guardado, whose ERA has gone down every year since 1998. The setup men, J.J. Putz and Rafael Soriano, will get the job done but are not as good as others in the division. Soriano has really only had two good seasons, and those were in 2002 and 2003. Julio Mateo has proven to be a reliable long man, and his career indicates that the more innings he pitches, the better he'll be. The bullpen is terribly thin, however, as pitchers such as George Sherril and Matt Thornton are set to be integral parts of the staff. Both pitchers had ERA's over 5 last season. A youngster could steal a spot as well, but either way, the bullpen lacks depth and is no where near as good as Los Angeles' or Oakland's.

X-Factor: Felix Hernandez. He's garnered comparisons to Doc Gooden, and while the Mariners won't push him so early in his career, if he pitches as well as he did last year for an entire season, the boost to the Seattle franchise as a whole will be enourmous.

Biggest Strength/Weakness: Fielding/Bullpen

Projection: 4th place in the AL West

Win Range: 69-74

AL West: Texas Rangers

The Rangers took a step backwards last season; after coming within 3 games of winning the AL West in 2004, they only won 79 games last season. However, the pitching staff has been revamped, and there is hope for 2006. While they won't catch the A's for first place, the offense is still potent enough that if the pitchers can avoid complete disaster, making a run for second place and the wild card isn't out of the question.

Lineup: Mark Teixeira is quickly turning into one of the premier first basemen in baseball. He's hit 81 home runs the past two seasons, and his OBP has been over .370. He'll be the cornerstone for many years to come. Although Alfonso Soriano was traded to Washington, there is still excellent protection for Teixeira. 3B Hank Blalock had a down year in 2005, going .318/.431, but the Rangers have reason to believe that season was an anomaly, as in 2003 and 2004 he was in the .350/.500 range. Michael Young surpassed Miguel Tejada as the top shortstop in many fantasy drafts, and if he slugs over .500 with a .385 OBP again, his stock will continue to rise. The outfield is unspectactular, but in Texas the likes of David Dellucci, Kevin Mench, and Brad Wilkerson should easily put up 20 home runs. Gary Matthews recieved a lot of playing time last season, and is a credible option off the bench. Phil Nevin is slotted in as the DH, but his production fell faster than George W. Bush's support last year. At 35, he'll have to prove he has something left. Rod Barajas is not going to make any All-Star games, but again, playing in Texas, he'll put up suitable offensive numbers. The biggest whole is at second base, where someone has to replace Soriano. The leader is Ian Kinsler, but he has never had a major league at bat. Should he falter, Mark DeRosa could take his spot. The power is there to make this offense one of the best in baseball, although the numbers are pumped up by playing in Arlington.

Starting Rotation: To their credit, the Rangers realized that they needed new faces in their starting rotation, and went out and got them. Kevin Millwood, the reigning AL ERA leader, was signed to a 5 year, $60 million contract. While not even the most optimistic Ranger fans expect Millwood to repeat his 2.86 ERA, he is a solid workhorse who has had success in the American League, unlike the last big-name starter Texas signed for five years- Chan Ho Park. Adam Eaton was acquired from San Diego, and while he's had three straight years of ERA's in the 4's, he's never thrown over 200 innings in a season, and has spent his whole career in pitcher-friendly San Diego. Vincente Padilla, on the other hand, spent last season in Philadelphia, site of a notoriously strong advantage to the hitter. He's had back to back over 200 IP seasons where his ERA was under 3.63 and WHIP under 1.24, and while he hasn't pitched over 150 innings in each of the past two seasons, he still pitched solidly in that time. He's used to hitter friendly parks, and should post decent numbers (ERA in the 4's) for a Texas team that isn't looking for Pedro's, just for guys who can eat innings but still post an ERA under 5. Kameron Loe came along strong last season, but it was his first season of significant big league action, so he's far from a sure thing. The same holds true for Juan Dominguez. In case the last two fail, the Rangers can go with R.A. Dickey, who has started many games for them, but has never had an ERA under 5. The front of the rotation should hold up, but by the end of the year, the 4 and 5 slots could be a mess.

Bullpen: Francisco Cordero will be a stopper at the back, but aside from that, the Texas bullpen has few bright spots. Akinori Otsuka has been excellent in his first two major leaugue seasons, both with San Diego, and Joaquin Benoit found his niche in the bullpen last year, but for three seasons before that had ERA's in the 5's. John Wadsin pitched 75 solid innings last year, but may show why he's a career journeyman. Aside from that, they are stuck with Brian Shouse, who regressed horribly last year, Frank Francisco, who missed all of 2005, and Erasmo Ramirez, who has posted good numbers, but never pitched more than 49 innings in a season. C.J. Wilson (6.94 ERA) and youngster Scott Feldman are also in the mix.

X-Factor: Kevin Millwood. He's being paid ace money, and the Rangers need him to deliver; there isn't a backup option.

Biggest Strength/Weakness: Infield Offense/Pitching Depth

Projection: 3rd place in the AL West

Win Range: 79-84

AL West: Los Angeles Angels

The Angels advanced to baseball's final four last season, on the backs of a very strong pitching staff and Vladimir Guerrero. This year, the Angels lost their second best hitter from last season and two of their starting pitchers. The pitching will still be very good, but their inability to score runs will likely hold this team to second place.

Lineup: Guerrero is the lone power bat on the club right now, but what a bat he is. He won the AL MVP award in 2004, and if the Angels somehow win 90 games this year, he had better win it again. The rest of the outfield is filled with aging players whose best seasons are behind them. Garrett Anderson has seen his home run total divide by 2, from 29 to 14, and his OPS decrease by over 100 points in the past two seasons, and Darin Erstad has really only had one above-average year, 2000, and he hasn't even slugged .400 since then. Chone Figgins, one of the best base-stealers in the game, will start at third but can play anywhere. If Figgins can improve on his .352 OBP, he will become possibly the best leadoff hitter in the game. Dallas McPherson has shown he can hit for power at the big league level, but his career OBP is under .300, which prevents him from getting in the lineup. Orlando Cabrera struggled mightily last year, his first in a lucrative contract, but his career numbers point to an increase in 2006. Adam Kennedy has been the Angels second baseman for five years, but his declining power numbers (.374 SLG) may open the door for Edgardo Alfonzo, who was acquired from the Giants for Steve Finley. Erstad will shift to center to replace Finley, leaving first base open for Casey Kotchman, who has played well in part time action. If he fails to produce, Rob Quinlan is an option off the bench. The catcher position is a weakness, as Benjie Molina departed, leaving his brother Jose as the starter, which is troublesome as the younger Molina's career OPS is just over .600. Juan Rivera is a solid DH, but if he's only going to get on base 32% of the time, he needs to develop more power. Rivera can play the outfield as well. Overall, this lineup lacks protection for Guerrero, players to get on base for Guerrero to drive in, and a second big bat to carry the offense when Guerrero has a slump.

Starting Rotation: Bartolo Colon turned in a great season in 2005 (though it's high crime that he won the Cy Young), being a workhorse for a division winning club. While he broke down in the postseason, he turned in an excellent World Baseball Classic performance, and should be a quality ace once more. The more encouraging thing for Los Angeles was the emergence of John Lackey as a solid second starter. Lackey posted his lowest career ERA, 3.44, in over 200 innings, and struck out nearly a batter per inning. He's still young, so the Angels have his talent for many years to come. The middle of the Angels rotation is still murky, however, after the departures of Paul Byrd and Jarrod Washburn. This means a bigger role for Ervin Santana, who saved the day in Game 5 of the ALDS, but was merely average during the regular season, and Kelvim Escobar, who will be pushed back into the starting role he inhabited during 2004. He is a good pitcher, who hasn't posted an ERA above 4.29 since the 2001 season. The final spot in the rotation is filled by Jeff Weaver, who for a fifth starter is very good. He's had two decent years with the Dodgers, but before that he bombed with the Yankees. The Angels hope the switch back to the American League doesn't hurt him too much. The Angels rotation is filled with talent from top to bottom, and should be among the best in the American League.

Bullpen: Francisco Rodriguez is turning out to be one of the best closers in baseball, and will anchor the bullpen for many years to come. Behind him, the Angels have an excellent core of setup men. Scott Shields went over 91 innings posting an ERA at 2.75. He's still young, and his career high ERA is 3.33. The only concern is overwork. Brendan Donnelly had an off year last year, with his ERA over two points higher than his career best, but a 3.72 ERA in 65 innings is still respectable. He too is still young, but hasn't pitched as much as Shields. Behind him is Hector Carrasco, who had a career year in Washington last year, with a near 2 ERA in 88 innings. However, expect him to drop off, as he won't be in the cavernous RFK Stadium this year. Another excellent addition was J.C. Romero, an excellent left-hander, who aside from an off year in 2003, has been excellent the past four seasons. The rest of the bullpen isn't spectacular, but is filled with dependable guys Esteban Yan and Kevin Gregg, who should post ERA's somewhere in the four range. While it's not the best bullpen in baseball, it has everything you need: depth, a dominant closer, youth, and excellent setup men.

X-Factor: Garrett Anderson. With the departure of Benjie Molina, it is crucial that Anderson step up his game and protect Guerrero.

Biggest Strength/Weakness: Bullpen/Power

Projection: 2nd place in the AL West

Win Range: 85-90

AL West: Oakland Athletics

The Athletics suffered many devasting injuries last year, which limited the team to only 88 wins. However, if key players can stay healthy, and if new additions Milton Bradley and Frank Thomas perform as Oakland expects them to, there is no reason why the AL West crown will not return to the Bay Area.

Lineup: The A's aren't going to overpower anybody, but they have a solid lineup that will win them some ballgames. Eric Chavez is the biggest bat in the lineup, although his .466 SLG was his lowest since 1999. Frank Thomas dominated American League pitching in the '90s, but has come across hard times recently. However, even in limited action last season, he slugged over .500. The A's have several players who could hit 20 homers, but the real sluggers are Chavez and Thomas. One of those players is Milton Bradley, who has a troubled past, but remains a very talented player. Mark Ellis broke out last year, and while his OPS likely won't be above .850 in 2006, he is an above-average second baseman. The rest of the infield is solid, with Bobby Crosby at short and Dan Johnson at first. The A's need Crosby to stay healthy; last year they were 55-29 with Crosby, and 33-45 without him. Nick Swisher and Mark Kotsay round out the outfield. Swisher was a highly touted rookie last year, and Kotsay is a solid veteran who means a lot to the team. Jason Kendall slugged only .321 last year; that needs to improve. The backups are good, with Marco Scutaro and Antonio Perez in the infield, and Jay Payton and Bobby Kielty in the outfield. However, the success of the lineup depends on whether Thomas and Chavez return to form and drive in runs, especially when no one in the lineup stole more than 8 bases last season. (Kendall)

Starting Rotation: The A's have always had great starting pitching in the Billy Beane era, and although the faces have changed, the quality of the rotation has not. Barry Zito has not been the same since his Cy Young winning 2002 season, but is still a sub 4 ERA left-handed starter, which are rare these days. Rich Harden only pitched 128 innings last year due to injuries, but posted a 1.06 WHIP in that time. This should be his breakout season. Esteban Loaiza excelled in the spacious RFK stadium last year, earning himself $21 million over three years with Oakland. However, his career is a story of inconsistency. Behind him are youngsters Danny Haren and Joe Blanton, both of whom posted ERA's in the high 3's last year, but pitched over 200 innings. While they've each had only one successful big league season, they are still very talented pitchers. The Athletics have a deep starting rotation, but unless Zito returns to 2002 form or Harden stays healthy and pitches like he did in 2005, they won't have an ace.

Bullpen: Huston Street was a rookie sensation last year, posting a 1.72 ERA and saving 23 out of 27 games. It's still to early in Street's career to crown him a great closer, but if he pitches as well as he did last year, the A's are set for the future in the bullpen. Kiko Calero has been an excellent setup man in his three big league seasons, with his highest ERA in a season being his 3.23 in 2005. Oakland has to be a bit worried about Justin Duchscherer's arm falling off, as he has pitched 96 and 85 innings the past two seasons, all out of the bullpen, but if his WHIP stays at 1.00, there won't be any complaints. Veteran Jay Witasick was signed over the offseason, and if can keep his ERA around the 3 mark, as he has for most of the past 4 seasons, Oakland will have some of the best middle relief in baseball. Kirk Sarloos, who filled in admirably as a starter last year, will be in the bullpen in 2006. The rest of the bullpen is weak, however, with Joe Kennedy, who had a 6.01 ERA, mostly as a starter, last year, in long relief (It is worth noting that Kennedy had a 3.66 ERA for the Rockies in 166 innings in 2004). The A's have a terrific foursome to finish out games, and good backup options if a starter goes down, so with their excellent rotation, lacking more than five dependable guys in the bullpen shouldn't hurt too much.

X Factor: Eric Chavez. Oakland paid him over $8 million last season, and he failed to be a powerful force in the lineup. The A's are depending on him to be another Jason Giambi or Miguel Tejada in the middle of lineup.

Biggest Strength/Weakness: Bullpen/Speed

Projection: 1st place in the AL West

Win Range: 90-95

AL Central: Kansas City Royals

The Royals were terrible last season, winning only 56 games and enduring several long losing streaks. However, to their credit, the Royals went out and made moves that should drastically improve the ball club. The catch with that, however, is that the team was so bad last year that it could very well drastically improve and have a year that by most standards, would still be a huge disappointment. While Kansas City will definitely win more than 56 games, don't expect them to pull of an '89 Orioles, who came off one of the worst seasons in baseball history (0-21 start) to a chance to win the division title on the final weekend.

Lineup: The Royals overhauled the right side of the infield, and signed a power bat during the off-season. The Royals biggest strength, provided Reggie Sanders stays healthy, is the outfield. Sanders knows what it takes to win, having played on five different playoff teams (Reds, Braves, D-Backs, Giants, Cardinals), and can hit the ball out of the park, compiling a .546 SLG last season, while with St. Louis. Sanders, however, is injury prone, and is 38 years of age. He may break down soon. David DeJesus has put together several good seasons, and judging from his .361/.427 career OBP/SLG, he will be a quality centerfielder for a number of years. Emil Brown had a good year last season, and is similar to DeJesus. The backups are excellent as well; Aaron Guiel bounced back nicely from an atrocious 2004, and while Matt Stairs is more of a 1B/DH type at this stage of his career, he can still put up great numbers at the plate. The left side of the infield is a weakness; Mark Teahan doesn't put up nearly the power numbers needed for a corner position player, and Angel Berroa struggles to get on base, compiling on a .317 career average. Mark Grudzielanek may not put up great numbers, but he is a good solid second baseman. Doug Mientkiewicz is known more for his glove, and has never put up great power numbers. John Buck is a weakness at catcher, but Mike Sweeney has consistently put up outstanding numbers, and will start at designated hitter. The beginning of the order, and the Sanders/Sweeney combination in the middle can be very good, but after that, it really falls off.

Starting Rotation: The Royals upgraded their rotation over the off-season, acquiring Mark Redman, a solid veteran starter who has a career ERA of 4.47. Scott Elarton was signed through free agency, and coming off a 4.61 ERA in over 181 innings for the Indians last year, he will bolster the rotation. The Royals have several youngsters who they want to get into the rotation as well, such as Runelvys Hernandez, who has good potential but struggled last season. Another such pitcher is Zach Greinke, a highly touted prospect who struggled last season, and then left camp recently to deal with what the team describes as emotional problems. If he cannot start, the team has several other options, including Joe Mays, who had several solid years with Minnesota but has fallen on hard times recently, Jeremy Affeldt, another young pitcher who showed promise in previous years but struggled mightily in 2005. Denny Bautista and J.P. Howell have outside shots at getting into the rotation. There are several solid pitchers on this staff, but no one who is an ace, or even a number 2.

Bullpen: Mike MacDougal broke out last season, with a 3.33 ERA in over 70 innings. The Royals don't have another closer waiting in the wind, so he needs to keep up the good work. Kansas City bolstered the pen with the addition of Elmer Dessens, who has been around the league, but he posted a 3.56 ERA in 65 innings last season. If he can do that again, MacDougal will have a quality setup man. Lost in last season's flood of losses were two rookie relievers who had very good seasons, Ambiorix Burgos and Andrew Sisco. However, many pitchers have one good year and then take a step back. If Burgos and Sisco don't stay sharp, the Royals bullpen will be truly awful, because after these guys, there isn't too much else. Mike Wood has shown improvement in his few major league seasons, but still has some work to do. Jimmy Gobble and Leo Nunez could also earn spots, but neither has had success on the major league level. The Royals bullpen is lacking proven pitchers, and there is no margin for error if MacDougal, Dessens, Sisco, or Burgos does not repeat his 2005 success.

X Factor: Mike Sweeney. With the pitching as putrid as it is, Kansas City isn't going to do anything this year unless the offense is above average, and that won't happen unless Sweeney gets 500 AB's, which he hasn't done since 2001.

Biggest Strength/Weakness: Outfield/Bullpen

Projection: 5th place in the AL Central

Win Range: 63-68