MLB 2010 Picks

OK, enough with the fantasy stuff. For the folks who actually still care who will win the actual games, here's your fearless and wothless predictions for the next six months of pre-playoff play.

In making these picks, and also in prepping for my mixed league fantasy work, I was really struck by how much of the really exciting young talent this year is on NL clubs. If you were to handicap a race for MLB Entire Rookie of the Year, it would be at least a 5 to 1 shot for the NL to take it, and I'd put money down at twice that rate. Atlanta will start the year with the fantastically hyped Brian Heyward in the outfield, while the Nationals will bring up Stephen Strasburg as soon as their asinine clock will allow it, and both will be huge. The Giants will play Buster Posey behind the dish and like it a lot more than their other options, and the Rockies will be salivating at Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler in the outfield every day. The Marlins still believe hard in Cameron Maybin, while Ian Desmond will get every chance in DC. Kyle Blanks is built like an NFL linebacker and mashed like mad in a limited trial last year; his power is greater than even the Padres' Petco Stadium.

And in the AL, you've got... Brian Matusz, who has a plus arm in Baltimore and a murderous schedule of teams who mash plus arms when they are attached to people who aren't inexperienced. Perhaps Desmond Jennings in Tampa if BJ Upton turns in a second straight meh year, or Jeremy Hellickson if David Price fails. Not exactly riveting choices. And sure, Neftali Feliz is a beast in Texas, but it's relatively easy to look beastly in set-up work (see Chamberlain, Frauda), especially when you get to face the AL West.

This isn't to say that the NL will be that much better this year. The Mets and Cubs are just $200+ million of fail on a no-stop express track to last, and two out of three divisions are peppered with bottom feeders. But in three to five years, when the Nats slouch up to near .500 before selling the talent off, the SoCal clubs aren't in Divorce Limbo, and the young talent is ready to enter their peak years?

Well, still no. Because the Yankees and Red Sox will just buy the best players. So why do we like this sport again?

Anyway, with that... on to the picks. I promise that they will be as accurate as the 2009 MLB season preview, where the Cardinals beat the Red Sox in the World Series. Wait, that didn't happen? Well, then why the hell are you reading this? Right, because you are killing time at work. I understand.

NL East - Phillies (sorry in advance for jinxing it)

NL Central - Brewers (shocking!)

NL West - Rockies

NL Wildcard - Dodgers

AL East - Yankees (those plucky underdogs)

AL Central - Twins

AL West - Rangers (gasp!)

AL Wildcard - Rays

AL Winner - Yankees

NL Winner - Rockies

WS Winner - Yankees

AL MVP - Alex Rodriguez

NL MVP - Troy Tulowitzki

AL Cy Young - Felix Hernandez

NL Cy Young - Roy Halladay

AL Comeback Player of the Year - Josh Hamilton (it's his specialty)

NL Comeback Player of the Year - Cole Hamels

AL Rookie of the Year - Neftali Feliz

NL Rookie of the Year - Jason Heyward

Teams that will surprise but not qualify for the playoffs -- Baltimore, Cincinnati

Teams that will contend but be no actual threat - White Sox, Cardinals

Teams that will be surprisingly terrible - Angels, Giants

Teams that will be predictably terrible - Royals, Cubs

Off the field stories - How No One Goes To New Stadiums Anymore, Attendance Fail in Non MLB+ Markets, Bloggers Taking Over For Dying Newspaper Beat Coverage, Cubans Start to Outpace Japanese as Imports of Choice, and a Minor League Team Hires Female Pitcher (Perhaps a Knuckleballer) As A Publicity Stunt

And as a special aside to the Massholes... not believing the Red Sox will miss October? Let's just say that I'm not buying the idea that when you bring in Mike Cameron, Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro that your defense is going to be so much better as to make up for their offensive games. If that were the case, don't you think these guys might have been on more playoff teams recently? Or even that they will all stay healthy, especially Cameron? If David Ortiz struggles again, this team won't score more than four runs a game, and that's in a hitter's park. They've overdosed on defense, and while the rotation is good, the bullpen isn't at the same level. I smell 85 wins of unsatisfying small ball.

Add your own in the comments? It's fun, especially when you look back in a few months and shake your head in shame.