Get Ready For Spring With Mlb Predictions

The sun is breaking out from behind the winter clouds, the snow is starting to melt bit by bit and around the country, major league baseball fans are settling in for another year of action. It is time to dust off the baseball hats and get out the peanuts and cracker-jacks, as the world readies for another year. And that leads, as always, to a set of mlb predictions for 2011.

It took more than 50 years, but finally, in 2010, the San Francisco Giants captured a world series title. Behind a young and ridiculously talented pitching staff led by Tim Lincecum and the wacky but talented Brian Wilson out of the bullpen, the Giants have to be considered in every conversation about who might win it all this year.

Their main competition for the National League title will probably come out of Philadelphia. As good as the pitchers are in San Francisco, the Phillies could actually be better. Just as talented and with a little more season, they send out a starting rotation that includes Roy Oswalt and Roy Halladay, plus Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels.

The Atlanta Braves are always a tough win, and for the first time in decades, Bobby Cox is not in charge, after retiring last fall, he has been replaced by new skipper Fredi Gonzalez. And in the Central Division, two of the top managers in the game lock horns, with Tony LaRussa still guiding the Cardinals and Albert Pujols, while the Cincinnati Reds have long-time manager Dusty Baker still barking out the orders.

The conversation in the American League, as always starts in the East, where the Yankees and Red Sox head into another season as the number one rivalry in all of sports. New York still has Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and CC Sabathia. Names like that, and of course they will challenge to win it all. The main question for the Yankees is if they have enough starting pitching to hold up all year long .

The Boston Red Sox were left out of the post-season last year, after finishing 3rd in the East. David Ortiz is back for more, and Joe Girardi still has a top-notch pitching staff that sends out names including the ageless Tim Wakefield, who is 44-years young as the season starts.

The American League pennant last year went to the Texas Rangers. They can score a lot of runs, as always, but they did lose Cliff Lee back to Philadelphia. And when talking about Texas, it is always important to keep in mind that they did have a shorter off-season than anyone last year, and it could play a factor late in the year, when combining that info with the ridiculous summer heat they have to play in, in Arlington.

And, hey, the best news of all is that all the attention of the game is on the field. Football has labor troubles. Basketball has labor troubles. For now, there no labor problems with baseball. The only thing on the baseball calendar is six months of games, leading into the playoffs, and what should be another amazing run at the World Series Championship.

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