2010 MLB All-Star Game: Schedule & Predictions

The first half of the 2010 baseball season was one of the most exciting yet. We have had no-hitters, clutch homeruns, and spectacular fielding plays. The 2010 MLB All-Star game is a chance for fans of baseball to honor the great players of the first half for what they have achieved to this point. Conversely, the All-Star Game is an excellent opportunity for the players to award their fans by entertaining them one last time before the season's more serious half commences. In this article, I will preview the 2010 MLB All-Star Game and offer my predictions on which league will win the game & earn home-court advantage for the World Series.

At first glance, the National League All-Star team seems to have a clear advantage in the pitching department. The team features a plethora of superstar pitchers including Cy- Young award winners Chris Carpenter, Tim Lincecum, and Roy Halladay. Adding to the mix are Ubaldo Jimenez, who was the best pitcher of the first half, and the near-unhittable Adam Wainwright. All of the aforementioned are very capable of shutting down any offense. This is one advantage the American League All-Star team will have a hard time overcome.

The best way to counter strong pitching is with a lineup of great contact and situational hitters. Fortunately for the American League, its All-Star team features players like Ichiro Suzuki, Justin Morneau, and Derek Jeter who can put a bat on nearly every pitch. Moreover, these stars are also fantastic base runners which will increase the team's scoring chances.

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Compared to the NL's great lineup of pitching stars, the AL's pitching roster is pretty tame. Other than Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia, the roster consists mostly of relief pitchers and inexperienced hurlers. The fate of the American League will depend chiefly on how many innings Lee and Sabathia could possibly give manager Joe Girardi, before handing the ball to experienced closers Rivera and Soria.

If there's one weak spot in the National League All-Star team, its batting lineup is the definite candidate. Other than Albert Pujol and Chase Utley, the team lacks serious quality. These hitters are fantastic players, but they just don't put fear on the opposing pitchers like their AL counterparts. The pressure will be on Pujol and Utley to carry the offensive load.

My predictions for the 2010 MLB All-Star Game (Tuesday, July 13): the NL wins a nailbiter in 9 innings. All-Star Futures Game is slated for Sunday, July 11. The State Farm Homerun Derby is scheduled for Monday, July 12.