MLB Preview- Part II

With a full slate of opening games about to start, today I'll offer a preview of the National League. The National League representative Houston Astros failed to take a game in the World Series and have only won 2 of the last 8 fall classics.

NL Central:
Projected Finish:
1) St Louis Cardinals
2) Chicago Cubs
3) Houston Astros
4) Millwaukee Brewers
5) Cincinnati Reds
6) Pittsburgh Pirates

CARDINALS: The Cards continue to be the team to beat with incredible balance offensively and in their pitching. Albert Pujols has emerged as the premier right handed hitter in baseball and will continue to be the driving force for this offense.
Strengths: Balance. The Cardinals may be the most well balanced team in baseball with an excellent lineup, strong pitching, and well coached by future hall of Famer Tony LaRussa. Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds can pick it as well as anyone at their positions to boost a solid defensive squad. Albert Pujols is the best all-around hitter in baseball and gets help up and down the lineup. David Eckstein was an All-Star in his first year in St. Louis and Scott Rolen should be ready for a full season. They have a deep bench with veterans Scott Speizio, Junior Spivey, and So Taguchi. The starting rotation is deep with Chris Carpenter coming off a Cy Young campaign and Mark Mulder a very solid number two. They've added Sidney Ponson who could be valuable if he can get his head back in the game.
Weaknesses: Not many. If anything, the bullpen could be tested. While there are a couple of proven arms in the pen, a few pitchers that could be relied upon lack experience. The health of Scott Rolen has been an issue the past couple of seasons and it is tough to predict whether Eckstein can repeat the success he had a year ago. Jim Edmonds is getting older and may start to cover less ground than we're accustomed to seeing.
Will Win the Division IF...They play like they should. This is the deepest, most talented team in the National League. Avoiding injuries such as Rolen has experienced the past few seasons is essential.
CUBS: Once believed to be the next dominant pitchers in baseball, Cubs starters Kerry Wood and Mark Prior have been derailed by injury. Both open the season on the DL causing concerns that baseball's longest World Series drought will continue.
Strengths: Derrek Lee is coming off a career year and looks to have found a comfort zone in Wrigley Field. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez also belted over 30 HRs a year ago giving the Cubbies a powerful 1-2 punch in the middle of the lineup. They added speedy CF Juan Pierre to set the table for the big sluggers and provide them with an upgrade in the field. Joining him in the outfield is Minnesota exile Jacque Jones who is capable of putting up some good power numbers. Carlos Zambrano has proven he can be the ace of this staff and will be relied upon heavily until Prior and Wood can return. The bullpen is full of arms who had successful campaigns a year ago.
Weaknesses: Starting pitching suffered a huge blow with the injuries to Wood and Prior. Greg Maddux is starting to show his age and unproven players are forced to step in to the rotation until their stars can return. Ryan Dempster is a liability as a closer with his control issues. There is some inexperience in the lineup with LF Matt Murton and SS Ronny Cedeno.
Will Win the Division IF...Wood and Prior can pitch most of the season. The two aces must come back healthy and effective. Dempster must find some control at the end of games and Lee needs to repeat his success from a year ago.
ASTROS: The Astros have had a tumultuous offseason with the question marks surrounding Roger Clemens and the contract issues regarding future hall of famer Jeff Bagwell. They made an impressive run to the World Series a year ago, but do not look capable of such a run this year.
Strengths: Pitching carried them to the World Series last year and will need to be as important this year. Gone from a year ago is Roger Clemens who was in Cy Young form and posted a paltry 1.86 ERA. Odds are he'll return to the team after May, but its not a sure thing. Roy Oswalt, Andy Pettitte, and Brandon Backe still form a talented trio at the front end of the rotation. Brad Lidge, despite some struggles in the playoffs, is still a top notch closer who is a great insurance at the end of games. The offense should get a boost from OF Preston Wilson who can post terrific power numbers but must cut back on his strikeouts. Morgan Ensberg emerged last year with 36 HRs and carried the offense through stagnant periods last year. Craig Biggio is still capable of pitching in offensively and will provide great leadership.
Weaknesses: The loss of Clemens will hurt the starting rotation. He may come back, but no one really knows at this point. The offense struggled often last year, especially when Clemens took the mound. They have some talented offensive players, but need to improve run production. The back end of the rotation will struggle to get wins with fourth starter Wandy Rodriguez and rookie Taylor Buchholz. Lidge struggled in the postseason and raised some questions about his effectiveness as a closer in big spots.
BREWERS: There's a lot of excitement in Millwaukee after a surpising .500 finish a year ago. There is a lot of young talent and plenty of reason to believe they can improve upon last year's success.
Strengths: Carlos Lee had a monster year for the Brew Crew in his first season slamming 32 homeruns and driving in 114 runs. Fellow Outfielder Geoff Jenkins has been a consistent performer in Milwaukee and had another solid campaign in '05 with 25 homeruns. The big story is 1B Prince Fielder whose last name and big time power stroke has the fans in Milwaukee expecting big things. Pitching phenom Ben Sheets will start the season on the DL but many prognosticators feel he could be due for big things in the year to come. Fellow starter Chris Capuano is coming off an 18 win season and gives the Brewers a nice 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation. Derrick Turnbow was another pleasant surprise and will be relied on to close. Although Danny Kolb struggled as a closer in his first season in Milwaukee, he could prove to be a valuable set up man for Turnbow.
Weaknesses: This team is very young and may be year or two away from making a serious playoff push. There are weak spots in the lineup and not enough pitching to overcome low scoring games. Ben Sheets injury is a major reason for concern as they can not afford to go long without him.
Will Win the Division IF...Their prospects grow up in a hurry. Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and JJ Hardy are young talents who will be relied upon heavily and it is up to them to help shoulder the load taken on by Lee and Jenkins. Ben Sheets must stay healthy for the entire season and display the stuff that has made him such a feared pitcher.
REDS: Ken Griffey Jr re-emerged as one of the top hitters in baseball last year in his first relatively healthy year in Cincinnati. A recent trade brought starter Bronson Arroyo to help a pitching staff in need of arms.
Strengths: Griffey swung the bat well in the World Baseball Classic and looks to repeat his succesful season from a year ago. He is joined in the outfield by slugger Adam Dunn who blasted 40 homeruns in 2005. Felipe Lopez is a powerful switch hitting shortstop who should continue to help this season. The addition of Bronson Arroyo will bolster the starting rotation, but they need Eric Milton to regain the form that made him a hot free agent commodity a couple summers ago. Brandon Claussen could develop in to another solid Lefty for this staff and he will need to contribute this year.
Weaknesses: Starting pitching has question marks. Aaron Harang pitched to a solid ERA a season ago, but still only managed 11 wins. Eric Milton was a huge disappointment is his first year and Arroyo has never had to lead a staff. The closer role will be left to David Weathers, but he's been a career middle reliever. The lineup is shaky with not much production to be expected offensively from their infield outside of Lopez. Tony Womack struggled in his role with the Yankees, but returns to his natural second base position.
Will Win the Division IF...They can get offensive production from people other than Griffey and Dunn. Claussen becomes the dominant Lefty he's been projected to become and Milton can regain the form that made him such a sought after free agent.
PIRATES: The Pirates have been living in the NL Central cellar but have renewed hopes with some nice offseason acquisitions. A revamped offense could help the Bucs move up the Central standings.
Strengths: Bringing in Joe Randa, Jeromy Burnitz, and Sean Casey will be a big boost offensively. Jason Bay had a monster year batting over .300 with 32 homeruns, 101 runs batted in and 21 stolen bases. Pitching sensation Zach Duke exploded on the scene last year with an 8-2 mark and an ERA under two. The Bucs are also hoping to get productivity from last September call up Paul Maholm who won three of his four decisions at the end of the year. Closer Mike Gonzalez has had limited save opportunites the past couple of seasons, but has been electric out of the bullpen. He could have a very productive year closing out games.
Weaknesses: Outside of Duke and Maholm, there is little to be excited about in the starting rotation. The rest of the rotation pitches to high ERA's and not many wins. The bullpen is strong, but will probably have to pitch to maintain deficits as opposed to leads. It is also hard to expect some of the bullpen to repeat the numbers they posted a year ago, especially aging Roberto Hernandez. While Burnitz and Casey are certainly nice additions, the lineup with struggle to score runs. Jack Wilson was unable to follow up his strong '04 season and appears he could be more the .263 career hitter than the breakout star in 2004.
Will Win the Division IF...Some of the Steelers stars try their hand at baseball. The city was blessed with one title this year, and should not expect one from baseball. This team will be more competitive than people think, but a division title is out of the question.

AL West:
Projected Finish:
1) Los Angeles Dodgers
2) San Francisco Giants
3) Arizona Diamondbacks
4) San Diego Padres
5) Colorado Rockies

DODGERS: An offseason infield overhaul looks to give the Dodgers the edge over arch-rival San Francisco. The pieces seem to be in place for the Dodgers to regain the NL West Title they lost a year ago.
Strengths: Nomar Garciaparra, Rafael Furcal, and Bill Mueller have been added to a new look infield that gives the Dodgers a scary lineup. Jeff Kent continues to put up monster numbers and is the lone holdover at second base. J.D Drew's first season in LA was cut short by injury, but he could be a dominant offensive force. Jose Cruz has posted around 20 HRs in each of the last few seasons and should be good for that amount again this year. The Dodgers added Pitcher Jae Seo to improve the back end of their rotation. Eric Gagne appears healthy again which is bad news for the rest of the NL. Yhency Brazoban struggled to close games last year, but should be better returning to a setup role. Danys Baez should give the Dodgers even more bullpen help in getting the ball to lights out closer Gagne.
Weaknesses: Slated third and fourth starters Odalis Perez and Brett Tomko struggled with high ERAs last year, while their one and two guys Derek Lowe and Brad Penny did not manage to win enough games. While the bullpen has some live arms in Baez, Brazoban, and Gagne, the rest of the pen is littered with inexperience. Starting Catcher Dioner Navarro has only 55 career games under his belt and second year man Jason Repko will start in LF until injured Kenny Lofton can return.
Will Win the Division IF...they get consistent starting pitching and a healthy Eric Gagne returns. Their revamped offense should lead to a major increase in run production in a division that is wide open. Maybe more so than what they do, a distracted, unhealthy Barry Bonds may be the key to their division title hopes.
GIANTS: After a bizarre offseason that has included Barry Bonds dressed as Paula Abdul, Giants Idol sparked by the presence of actor Rob Schneider participating in Spring Training, and the decision of Bud Selig to appoint former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell to investigate past steroid use, there have been loads of distractions out by the Bay. If Bonds plays 120 games or more, this division is theres for the taking. The big question is whether he will and I have a feeling he may not.
Strengths: A healthy Barry Bonds is the most intimidating offensive force in the game. He will not swing at a bad pitch and pitchers will not throw anywhere near him if the game is even potentially on the line. Fellow outfielders Randy Winn and Moises Alou produced big numbers in 2005 and picked up most of the offensive burden Bonds left behind. Ray Durham and Omar Vizquel can still pick it in the middle of the infield which will be important for some of the young pitchers. Jason Schmidt is coming off a down year but is still among the elite pitchers in the National League. Matt Morris brings his 14 wins from a year ago in St. Louis out to San Francisco to become a proven number two starter. Armando Benitez looked good in his first year in San Fran and should be a reliable closer when he returns from injury. Look out for youngster Matt Cain in the starting rotation. He's only 21 years old and could turn in to an impressive starter.
Weaknesses: Armando Benitez injury is disconcerting because it leaves the closer role to Tim Worrell. The bullpen is a bit shaky and need all their arms healthy. Their starters were inconsistent a year ago and need Jason Schmidt to shake off last years struggles. There are also tons of distractions surrounding this team and will be throughout the year with the steroid probe. Bonds pursuit of the HR records could also weigh on this team.
Will Win the Division IF...Bonds stays healthy. He doesn't need to hit 50 HRs, just being in the lineup changes the outcome of games. Alou will need to produce in order to force opposing pitchers to face Bonds more often than they'd like. As I mentioned earlier, if Bonds can play most of the season, the division title will go to San Francisco.
DIAMONDBACKS: The Diamondbacks struggled a year ago but managed to finish second in the very weak NL West. Starting pitching must improve from a year ago despite the loss of Javier Vazquez.
Strengths: The lineup has a few big bats in the hands of Shawn Green, Luiz Gonzalez, Chad Tracy and Tony Clark. Clark amassed 30 Homeruns to go with a batting average over .300 in an unbelieveably surprising first campaign in the desert. Third year man Chad Tracy was also incredibly impressive posting a .308 average with 27 round trippers. Defensively they got a major upgrade with the acquisition of 2B Orlando Hudson. Brandon Webb emerged as the staff ace and looks to improve again this year. Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez can really help this rotation if he can stay healthy. Russ Ortiz was supposed to be a clutch signing a year ago, but failed to produce in season one. Look for him to rebound and be closer to the pitcher the D'Backs thought they were getting when they signed him.
Weaknesses: Pitching. The starting rotation is a mess after its ace Webb. Hernandez and Ortiz could be helpful, but it's too early to consider them anything but a weakness. The backend of the rotation is not capable of much and the bullpen is a mix of washed up veterans combined with inexperienced youngsters. Offense will be limited from the Catcher position and middle infield.
Will Win the Division IF...Starters Hernandez and Ortiz rediscover how to pitch. Tony Clark must repeat his dream season from a year ago, but early indications are that he lost his starting job. Luis Gonzalez and Craig Counsell are the lone members remaining from the 2001 Champions and must instill that championship attitude in the clubhouse.
PADRES: The reigning NL West Champs do not look poised to repeat as their rotation looks much weaker than a year ago. However, the additions of Mike Piazza and Mike Cameron should bolster the team offensively.
Strengths: Jake Peavy returns as the ace of the staff after posting an impressive sub 3.00 ERA a year ago. Scott Linebrink has established himself as one of the top relievers in the National League and received help from rookie Clay Hensley a year ago. Trevor Hoffman is still an imposing closer who posted over 40 saves in 2005 and is fully capable of repeating that this year. Brian Giles has been an offensive force the last several years and Mike Piazza could relieve some of the pressure to hit for power. Ryan Klesko and Mike Cameron are both capable of big power numbers when they return from injury. Dave Roberts has tremendous speed and creates problems for opponents with his base stealing ability. Rookie Josh Barfield could produce big numbers and is a first year player to keep an eye on.
Weaknesses: Pitching will be an issue as the back end of the rotation is very much up in the air. Dewon Brazelton, Woody Williams, and Chan Ho Park will be responsible for the fourth and fifth starter roles but none have been impressive recently. Shawn Estes struggled a year ago, and despite a decent win total, so did Chris Young. The bullpen has a few reliable arms, but they can't pitch every game. Alan Embree is not the lefty specialist he used to be and the rest of the pen is inexperienced. Until Klesko and Cameron return, runs could be hard to come by. Piazza will need days off and Doug Mirabelli is not much of an offensive threat.
Will Win the Division IF...there is another down year in the NL West. This team is a few bats and pitchers short of a contender. Someone other than Jake Peavy must be relied upon to win games.
ROCKIES: Clint Barmes was enjoying a breakout season before a freak accident hauling deer meat derailed him. Todd Helton remains an offensive force but there's little else to be excited about with this team.
Strengths: Todd Helton consistently puts up solid offensive numbers in Coors Field and should continue to do so. His power numbers dipped a bit in '05, but expect them to bounce back this year. Matt Holliday had a productive season batting over .300 and driving in nearly 90 runs. Clint Barmes started off '05 hot and showed potential to be a solid big league player. Brian Fuentes emerged as a very solid closer, converting 31 of 34 save opportunities.
Weaknesses: Arguably the worst starting five in the major leagues. Only one projected starter for this year's staff posted an ERA under 5.00 a year ago. Not all of that can be blamed on the thin air in Coors. The bullpen will be forced to pitch a lot of innings and some of the veteran guys (Jose Mesa, Ray King) may get overworked. Fuentes is talented at the end of games, but will probably not get enough save opportunities. The offense will also struggle greatly and there's a decent chance Helton will be shipped by the deadline. Helton has no protection in the lineup and at this point its difficult to envision guys who could step up.
Will Win the Division IF...there is a complete roster overhaul. The guys on the current team are not talented or deep enough to compete. They have some pieces to build around with Holliday, Barmes, and Fuentes, but this will not be the year in Colorado.

NL East:
Projected Finish:
1) Atlanta Braves
2) New York Mets *
3) Philadelphia Phillies
4) Washington Nationals
5) Florida Marlins

BRAVES: The Braves are aiming for their 15th consecutive division title and I refuse to bet against them accomplishing that feat. GM John Schuerholz has put together a great mix of young talent and veteran stars and this season should be no different than the past fourteen.
Strengths: When you think of the Braves, you think starting pitching. This year is no different. John Smoltz can still fling it and Tim Hudson is capable of winning 20 games. Horacio Ramirez struggled at times last year, but is a solid contributor. Mike Hampton will begin the season on the DL, but can help toeing the rubber and from the plate. Jorge Sosa was impressive a year ago winning 13 of 16 decisions and posting a low earned run average. This team does not have to rely on its pitching with a very capable lineup of young stars and veterans. Andruw Jones is coming off a career year in which he hit 51 homeruns and still plays Center as well as anyone in baseball. Jeff Francoueur was impressive as any rookie from a season ago and given a full season should produce terrific numbers. Edgar Renteria joins the team and combines with 2B Marcus Giles for a tremendous middle infield. Chipper Jones has been as consistent a player as anyone over the past decade and should have a few more seasons left in the tank.
Weaknesses: The bullpen appears to be shaky as closing duties have been left to Chris Reitsma. He converted only 15 of his 24 save opportunites a year ago. Just getting the ball to Reitsma could be an adventure if the starters don't work late in to games. Mike Remlinger struggled in the American League and did not even closely resemble his old Braves days. The starting rotation appears solid, but could have cracks. There's speculation that GM Schuerholz no longer regards Horacio Ramirez as highly as he used to, and youngster Kyle Davies may be another year or two away from truly developing.
Will Win the Division IF...Youngsters Francoueur, Ryan Langerhans, and Adam LaRoche can continue to build on successful early careers. Andruw Jones does not need to hit over 50 homers again, but needs to continue to provide power in the middle of the lineup. Tim Hudson needs to assert himself as the ace of this staff and John Smoltz needs to prove he can still perform as a front line starter.
METS: General Manager Omar Minaya continues to pour money in to top notch free agents in attempts to knock the Braves off their perch. His moves this offseason may be enough to do just that.
Strengths: The signings of Carlos Delgado, Paul LoDuca, and Billy Wagner should greatly improve this team. Braden Looper struggled in his closer role from a year ago and bringing in formal divison foe Wagner gives the Mets a dominant closer. Carlos Delgado is the big bat in the middle of the lineup the Mets desperately needed and Paul LoDuca provides a steady backstop to replace the departed Mike Piazza. Carlos Beltran struggled in his first year at Shea, but has the tools to be a dominant player. His sophomore year in New York should be a productive one. Third Basemen David Wright is becoming a chic pick for NL MVP and deservedly so. He is a big time hitter and a very impressive fielder. Jose Reyes brings a lot of speed to the top of the lineup and manager Willie Randolph lets him fly. Since coming over from the Braves Tom Glavine has not been his old self, but he is still capable of winning a bunch of games. Pedro Martinez is battling a nagging injury, but is a very dangerous pitcher when healthy.
Weaknesses: While Glavine and Martinez are still a pretty formidable one-two punch, the rest of the rotation is questionable. Steve Trachsel battled injuries a year ago and Victor Zambrano was unimpressive in his first year in New York. Once he moved out to the bullpen, Aaron Heilman became very valuable to this team. However, they need other arms to help setup Wagner. The health of Pedro Martinez is crucial to the success of the starting rotation.
Will Win the Division IF...the starters can stay healthy. This is a very dangerous team if Beltran can rediscover his '04 playoff magic. There is no easy out in this lineup and the addition of Wagner will cover up some of the holes in the bullpen.
PHILLIES: The loss of Billy Wagner to the division rival Mets will hurt, but they are hoping veteran Tom Gordon can help fill the void. They have an offense that can score a ton of runs and a top heavy rotation.
Strengths: They have a very powerful lineup that should get even stronger as Ryan Howard no longer has to deal with departed Jim Thome. Howard could be in for a huge year as he belted 22 homeruns in just 88 games a season ago. Second baseman Chase Utley had a breakout year driving in over 100 runs and hitting 28 home runs. Bobby Abreu has established himself as a 30-30 guy who is among the game's premier players. Pat Burrell is another guy who can put up big power numbers and Jimmy Rollins is just 20 games shy of tying Joe Dimaggio's 56 game hitting streak (prior to today's games). Jon Lieber won 17 games in his first season as the Phillies number one starter and the rotation got solid contributions from Brett Myers and Corey Lidle. While Tom Gordon will certainly not be as effective as Billy Wagner, he can be a very effective closer.
Weaknesses: The starting rotation has question marks with unproven starters Gavin Floyd and Ryan Madson. Another issue will be gettin the ball to Tom Gordon. Arthur Rhodes was effective last year, but he's been inconsistent over the years. Aaron Fultz pitched tremendously well a year ago, but judging by his career numbers it could definitely be a fluke. Although Jon Lieber was effective last year, he is not too far removed from Tommy John surgery that cost him a year and a half. David Bell struggled from the plate last year and could be a weak spot in the lineup.
Will Win the Division IF...their starters can contend with the other tough lineups in the division. Ryan Howard emerges as the major power hitter he is expected to be and they got the offensive balance they are capable of. They are unfortunately stuck in the same division as the Mets and Braves but are certainly capable of winning the Wild Card.
NATIONALS: The first year in D.C was successful for manager Frank Robinson and the former Montreal Expos. They've brought in Alfonso Soriano, and despite threatening to sit if moved to the outfield, is scheduled to start in Left field.
Strengths: Alfonso Soriano helps bolster the middle of the lineup, bringing his career 30 plus homerun average to one of the toughest places to hit in baseball. Jose Guillen led the team in four baggers a year ago and is a solid number 3 hitter in the lineup. Nick Johnson has great patience as evidenced by his .408 on-base percentage of a year ago. The offensive prowess of Jose Vidro has declined over the past several seasons, but his defense keeps him at second and is still capable of putting up good numbers. Livan Hernandez is a solid number one starter who eats up a lot of innings. John Patterson pitched effectively a year ago and should continue to improve. Closer Chad Cordero performed unbelieveably last year when he piled up 47 saves with an ERA under two.
Weaknesses: The lineup has a lack of power. Jose Guillen led the team with 24 a year ago, but 21 away from home. Alfonso Soriano brings a big bat, but it is tough to go yard in the nation's capital. Brandon Watson is a liability at the top of the lineup despite possessing great speed. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman had a hanful of at bats as a September call-up, but is entering his rookie year at only 21 years of age. There are also problems in the starting rotation after Hernandez and Patterson. Ramon Ortiz and Tony Armas are unreliable at best and will struggle to get wins.
Will Win the Division IF...Soriano accepts his position as an outfielder and drops his "me-first" attitude. His early days in Washington have been a huge distraction and could continue to plague the team. They need to add another proven bat and one of the late day starters needs to win 10 plus games. If the starters can go late in the games and get the ball to Cordero they can remain competitive.
MARLINS: Former Yankee Bench Coach Joe Girardi takes over after another infamous Marlins firesale. Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera remain, the rest of the roster is filled with names the every day fan will not know.
Strengths: Dontrelle Willis had a remarkable '05 and enjoyed his role as the ace of the staff. With AJ Burnett gone, he'll need to shoulder an even greater burden. Miguel Cabrera is one of the game's brightest young stars and is coming off a season in which he batted .323 with 33 homeruns and 116 runs batted in. First basemen Mike Jacobs hit 11 homeruns in just 30 games and is one of the many young prospects they look to rely on this upcoming season. The Marlins also expect major contributions from Shortstop Hanley Ramirez and Right Fielder Jeremy Hermida, two highly touted prospects given the opportunity to start.
Weaknesses: The entire roster is filled with unproven prospects. This team is probably a few years away from being competitive. After Dontrelle Willis there are no proven starters and there's no help jogging in from the bullpen. Closing duties are up to inconsistent Joe Borowski, but he should not face too many save opportunites. The lineup features many young stars, but also low priced veterans such as catcher Miguel Olivo. There are holes up and down the lineup and this team will struggle to compete.
Will Win the Division IF...it was 2008. This team is loaded with prospects, but most probably need a few more years. They are being thrown in to the fire and the results will not be pretty. Joe Girardi inherited a mess and will struggle to win games.

DIVISION CHAMPS:
Central: Cardinals
West: Dodgers
East: Braves
Wild Card: Mets

NL Champion: St. Louis Cardinals

WORLD SERIES: New York Yankees Over St. Louis Cardinals

This completes my two day MLB Preview, let the games begin...