Baseball: The National League Prediction Post!

2008 looks to be an interesting year, all right. We may not have to hear more booing of that former Giant dude, but we CAN see what packages Mr. Steinbrenner gets from the Red Sox Nation. And although I'm sure you're going to love hearing the words "Mitchell Report" every 5th sentence for 4 months solid, I can guess the revamped lineups and more even competition will make it worthwhile to watch, anyway.

So, without further ado: The 2008 MLB Prediction Post! (wild applause!!)

First off, the National Leauge! The American League will be here soon, folks!

NL East: Of course I'd start with my division. I mean, c'mon, the Bravos haven't won in 2 years. TWO YEARS! I'm think I'm going into withdrawal symptoms.....GAHHHHH.

Seriously, though, the obvious difference maker is the Mets' addition of Johan Santana. But can he alone put New York afloat above the Phillies, Braves, and maybe even the Nationals? My answer is no. Philadelphia matches up well with the NL version of the Yankees (see: 2007 payroll), plain and simple. With Rollins and Utley up the middle, that's possibly your best offensive MI possible (fantasy players, take note). On top of that, Brett Myers is returning to the rotation, and you can pen him in for 15 Ws at least. He's dominant, and with spring training to return to 80+ pitch form, watch out. Especially because Cole Hamels had an amazing year last season, going 15-5 with a 3.39 ERA and an 8.69/game K ratio. Oh, and Howard is back, too...you know, that big power hitter dude? Yeah. Him. So the offense and starting pitching are solid...with a bullpen anchored by Tom Gordon and oft-injured Brad Lidge, they might be in a little trouble there.

Still, having a rotation with Santana, Pedro Martinex, John Maine, Orlando Hernandez, and Oliver Perez can be daunting. To put things in perspective, Perez/Hernandez helped get me 2 fantasy baseball championships last year. And they're 3/4 starters for this ballclub. Do I need mention the offense? It's chock full of All-Stars that produce in a variety of categories. And the bullpen has Billy Wagner closing. 'Nough said. About them, anyway.

My Braves counter with a lineup stacked in the middle, with Mark Texiera, Chipper Jones, and Jeff Francouer. All 3 are 100+ RBI producers. And now the rotation has been solidified with the addition of Tom Glavine as a #3, with the hopes (again) that Mike Hampton can produce as well. But the Achilles Heel has been pitching, both starting and in relief- the SP has been accounted for mostly, because if Hampton doesn't work out then Buddy Carlyle got plenty of experience last year and has improved. And this new guy, Jair Jurrjens, is making waves. But the bullpen has crumbled with a closer role that fit on the "closer carousel." Not for long. Rafael Soriano takes over, with a .86 WHIP and BAA under .200 to his credit from 2007, and is backed up by southpaw Mike Gonzalez.

Florida has upcoming talent in Jeremy Hermida, but got rid of way too many good players to warrant any more talk.

Washington has talent, and I believe a new ballpark as well? Ryan Zimmerman is the headliner, but Dimitri Young probably isn't going to pan out, and the rotation is weak.

The Pick: Yep, it's a homer pick: Braves by 1 game over the Mets. But only if Mike Hampton stays healthy. Phillies finish 3 back.

NL Central: It's basically a 2-team race as of now, and you know who it is. Chicago has the World Series prediction to meet, Milwaukee a few disgruntled youngsters who don't like the payment system. Darn, guys, I'll play for your salary if you don't want it...

Anyway, the Cubs look to stay on top after overtaking the fading Brewers last season, and they've got the lineup to do it. After adding Kusuke Fukudome (Yes, I enjoy saying it), there are rumors going around about a possible trade for Brian Roberts, the current O's 2B. That would certainly aid an offense that struggled a bit last year, as production really came from 3 guys: Aramis Ramirez, Derek Lee, and Alfonso Soriano. That needs to change.

Pitching-wise, the Zambrano-Lilly-Hill combo should do well, and Jason Marquis can produce. The jury's out on Jon Leiber for now. The bullpen has Carlos Marmol closing, but if anything happens there's Kerry Wood and Ryan Dempster to take his place, so they're deep. But can their hitting keep the pressure off the guys on the mound?

Milwaukee sports youth, though not enough to carry them the way Arizona did last year. Ryan Braun is fresh off that amazing year (34 HR, 97 RBI in only 113 games with 15 SB!), Prince Fielder hit 50 big ones, and Corey Hart was a 4-category producer at the plate (again, fantasy owners...*ahem*). They're fine here, and the added experience should keep the Brewers doing well offensively.

It's the pitching that worries me. I thought Carlos Villanueva was a relief guy? He'll be thrown into the 4 slot, and Chris Capuano was bad last season, but they've got nobody better. Ben Sheets is the only guy I guarantee 12+ wins, because the rest might be great or terrible. And with Eric Gagne closing, who knows what's going to happen in the late innings?

St. Louis is hurting, and Pittsburgh doesn't have enough in the pitching OR hitting dept. to factor in. Houston is old.

Cincinnati intrigues me, however. Can Aaron Harang go off on people like he did last year (16-6 record)? Is Bronson Arroyo really that bad? Because if he is, he's their #2 guy. That doesn't bode well. The offense found new life in 2007, because Griffey stayed healthy (and is reportedly better than ever), and Brandon Phillips came out of nowhere to be a force at the plate (in the 2B slot!). They're young, with Joey Votto at 1B, and Ryan Freel playing short, but if healthy these guys should be able to produce.

Oh, and it helps if Francisco Cordero is your closer. Just saying.

The Pick: I want to pick Cincy...I love upsets. But I think Chicago has the best rotation, and if my Braves showed us anything in the 90s, it's that great pitching > great hitting. Chicago by 4 games over Reds, and by 6 over the Brewers.

NL West: I don't know what to expect this season from this rodeo of a Wild West. Can you say "I'm goin' crazy!!!!!"?

The Colorado Rockies (finally, a color not red or blue!) fresh off being swept, but in the freakin' World Series to Boston. The lineup stays mostly the same, but Garrett Atkins comes in at 3B and looks to produce big-time in an offense that is ready to go against the Mets. The pitching is intact, and if Jeff Francis can lead Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jiminez to dominance again, look out. Manny Corpas takes over the RP position after straight owning last year, and Brian Fuentes is no slouch, either.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers of LA sport the best hitting catcher...and that's it. Jeff Kent had a solid year, and James Loney came on late last season, but he's more of a get-on-base type of guy. Your perspective on this offense: Andruw Jones, despite his terrible numbers last year, would've led this team in a lot of offensive categories. Yeah...but hey, the pitching is great! Brad Penny didn't suck in the 2nd half last year, Chad Billingsly went 12-5, and Derek Lowe is showing positive signs he can do better than a 12-14 campaign. Takashi Saito is one of the dominant closers. Period.

There's two teams left worth mentioning, and one of them resides in San Diego. The Padres have one of the best pitching staffs again: Jake Peavy, Chris Young, Greg Maddux, Randy Wolf, and Mark Prior. DANG. Be afraid! But their Achilles' heel was hitting, much like their Dodger counterparts. Unfortunately, they've been relatively quiet this off-season, and haven't made any notable acquisitions to get any better in the power categories. Khalil Greene still looks to be their best power hitter, and he's the SS.

Over in Arizona, the youth movement led them to a division title last year, though the NL Pennant was not to be. Adding Dan Haren as a #2 behind Brandon Webb gives them a lethal 1-2 combo that can compete anywhere. On the offensive side, everyone's grown up a bit, and the experience + team chemistry is enough to make me a believer that they can do it again. Eric Byrnes was a force last season, and Chris Young had his times, too. They also have one of the better defenses, as well.

The Pick: Tough one here, but I'm going with the D-backs because they added experience and were a great ballclub already. I'm picking the Rockies second by 2 games.

The Playoffs:

Arizona over the Mets (wild-card)
Atlanta over Chicago

Arizona over Atlanta

So, there you have it-my NL special! Let your thoughts be knowns in the comment section, and enjoy your day!