Baseball Individual Awards (and other) Predictions

NL MVP Candidates
1) David Wright - This should be a huge year for Wright, unless he gets no protection from an aging Delgado and a suddenly brittle Beltran. Wright should continue to improve (scary thought). But one drawback...no Met has won MVP honors.
2) Chase Utley - Time for Utley to get the recognition he deserves.
3) Ryan Howard - Always one to consider playing in that ballpark.
4) Troy Tulowitzki - He may very well succeed Matt Holliday as the Rockies top star and slugger. he is that good.
5) Prince Fielder - Almost as dangerous as Howard, but can Brewers remain in the race against an improved division?

AL MVP
1) Torii Hunter - This will be a match made in Heaven. He should show the world just how good he is.
2) Alex Rodriguez - Once again should be in the mix.
3) Grady Sizemore - Should be a fun guy to watch this season as he continues to get better.
4) Curtis Granderson - He is the "Jose Reyes" of the Tigers. as he goes, so do the Tigers. He could very well be an MVP...if not this year, then in future years to come.
5) Vlad Guerrero - With Hunter aboard, his numbers could get even better if his back holds up.

NL Cy Young
1) Johan Santana - Just couldn't come up with any reason why he wouldn't win it this season.
2) Carlos Zambrano - He believes he can win it, and he's right, but he must keep his walks down or he can forget it.
3) Brad Penny - Just a hunch, but he's due for another strong season if he can stay healthy.
4) Dan Haren - If he were lefthanded like Santana, perhaps he could win the Cy Young, but the NL does much better against new righthanded pitchers than southpaws. Thus, his first month could be rocky, even though he should win 15 games with ease.
5) John Maine - Continues to look better and better as time goes on. He and Santana could be lethal.

AL Cy Young
1) Justin Verlander - He could win five or six before he's done. With an even better Tiger team, he should easily win 20 this season.
2) Jered Weaver - He may not be in your top five, but with the Angels and improving with each season, he's poised to impress the baseball world.
3) Josh Beckett - If his back can remain pain-free, and his fingers can remain blister-free, he'll be fine. But he is due for a bout of blisters...don't you think?
4) CC Sabathia - Always one to consider...but the Red Sox and the Angels may provide more run support to their pitchers. None the less, he's good for 15 wins or more.
5) Dustin McGowen - Don't laugh...he'll be a good one, and this could be the year he emerges as the team ace.

NL Rookie of the Year
1) Cameron Maybin - Seems to have all the tools to succeed. Too bad he's a Marlin, or he'd contribute even more.
2) Joey Votto - A bit concerned that Dusty Baker doesn't seemed impressed by him. That could hurt Votto.
3) Geovany Soto - He can flat out hit, so keep an eye on him as he hits 20HR or more.
4) J.R. Towles - As good a contact hitter as any rookie, which could mean a .300 average.
5) Clayton Kershaw - Serious stuff if he can make the rotation at some point this season.

AL Rookie of the Year
1) Evan Longoria - This guy will be a fixture for years to come. I can't believe he won't have the full time job by May.
2) Ian Kennedy - I like him more than Hughes. I think he'll remain consistent throughout the season.
3) Eric Hurley - The ballpark could hurt his chances, but he's got some nasty stuff.
4) Jacoby Ellsbury - Should perform better than Coco Crisp would have. He's a spark for the Sox.
5) David Price - Like his makeup. Should be up by the All Star break.

Five NL Player Situations to Watch
1) James Loney - Loney was born to hit. He's a natural who will add power as time goes on. Don't be surprised if he winds up being the Dodgers MVP.
2) Jeff Keppinger - After last season, it looked as though he finally proved that he belongs. Unfortunately, the talk in Cincy has him back on the bench. I'd love to see what he could do over a full season. He could win a batting title.
3) Carlos Marmol - What a shame it will be if Kerry Wood takes away his closers role. Marmol is as lights out as any pitcher. In fact, in the minor leagues, he was a dominant starter. Perhaps the Cubs should consider returning him to a starters role. Either way, he should be more of a contributor than a setup man...especially with Howry also in the picture.
4) Angel Pagan - Over a full season, playing every day, he could be a very good player. It's doubtful that will happen with the Mets, but with Alou breaking down, Beltran's bad quad, and Church's poor hitting against lefthanders, you never know.
5) Lastings Milledge - It will be interesting to see how he performs away from NY, and back in CF with a young team. The Mets gave up on him much too soon. Watch him outperform Ryan Church...one of the players he was dealt for.

Five AL Player Situations to Watch
1) Jason Kubel - It's time for him to shine. Last year he hit a career high 13HR. I'm seeing 20 this season.
2) Alex Gordon - He's better than he showed last season. He should wallop the ball this season.
3) Adam Jones - Found it difficult to put him in the top 5 of the ROY, because he plays in Baltimore, but he's going to be good. I do see him pressing too hard early on.
4) Shawn Marcum - Highly underrated, even with a nice season. He gets clutch strikeouts when he needs them.
5) Jason Giambi - I still don't think he's washed up just yet. Look for him to have a surprisingly decent season.

Five NL Players Over the Hill
1) Jim Edmonds - He looks older by the week, which is too bad.
2) Orlando Hernandez - Not really sure why the Mets are hanging on here. Release him and swallow the contract. Then again, talking about the Mets, we could have put Valentin or Alou here as well.
3) Tom Glavine - Won't have Andruw Jones or Carlos Beltran to bail him out in CF. And he can't afford to give up any more hits than he does already.
4) Mark Kotsay - Sorry...just not seeing a productive return here.
5) Eric Gagne - Man, he robbed the Brewers with that contract.

Five AL Players Over the Hill
1) Mike Mussina - May as well read him his last rites. Then again, you may as well read those rites to Carl Pavano first.
2) Livian Hernandez - It just isn't there anymore. He and is brother need to say adios to baseball.
3) Cliff Lee - Trust me...his stuff is deteriorating quickly.
4) Brett Tomko - He would have made this list five years ago.
5) Richie Sexson - Can't seem to stay over the Mendoza line anymore. What good is 25 HR with a .190 average?

Five General NL Questions
- What happened that Marcus Giles has gone from a very good secondbaseman to a guy who can't find a job? Is he that bad?
- Why haven't the Mets pursued Brandon Inge who can catch and play the outfield?
- Am I the only one who feels as though Carlos Beltran always plays at 85% instead of giving 100% every game?
- Why is Dusty Baker so opposed to going with rookies and young guys like Votto, Bruce, and Bailey?
- Why have the Braves resisted bringing Mazzone back now that he's unemployed? Can't they see what McDowell has done to that staff?

Five General AL Questions
- Why has no team picked up Sammy Sosa to DH? With Baltimore going nowhere, wouldn't it have been fun to see Sosa and Barry Bonds play for them? I know Sosa played there already and didn't do well, but.....
- Does Carl Pavano feel guilty when cashing his paycheck?
- Why are the Red Sox reluctant to give Buchholz a spot in the rotation?
- Will the Rays actually be good this year, and for years to come? You have to love the young pitchers in their minor league system.
- Does Texas realize that they need good pitching to contend? Could have fooled me.

Most Improved NL Team
Cincinnati Reds - This is a team on the rise with decent veterans, and young guys like Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Homer Bailey, and Drew Stubbs on the horizon. Their bullpen is also much improved this season.

Most Improved AL Team
Tampa Bay Rays - No longer will they be a last place team, and with young guys like Brignac, Longoria, Price, and Neimann on the way, the future is actually bright (though losing Baldelli will hurt). They'll be exciting to watch this season.

First NL Manager to Get Canned
Willie Randolph - Regardless of what "experts" say, after watching him manager 162 games for three seasons (yes, I've seen all but about ten games), he is over-matched and a poor strategist.

First AL Manager to Get Canned
Ozzie Guillen - It almost seems to be a forgone conclusion after Kenny Williams made sweeping changes. The Manager is the obvious scapegoat should this team start out slow.

NL Team Most Likely to Disappoint
Milwaukee Brewers - What exactly did they do to improve beside signing a washed up Gagne and letting Jenkins walk?

AL Team Most Likely to Disappoint
Yankees - Too much uncertainty in the rotation and their lineup is starting to look old.