Spring is upon us, baseball is back and we have 10 burning questions heading into Opening Day:
10. Will the Indians regroup?
Two years ago, Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee were the core group of the AL Central’s rising star. Now? Not so much. Hafner is a shell of his former self; Sizemore’s average has dropped like a lead weight and the rest have been traded away. Can new manager Manny Acta right the ship?
9. Is the AL West up for grabs?
The last eight American League West winners in order: Athletics, Athletics, Angels, Angels, Athletics, Angels, Angels, Angels. Hmmm, we sense a theme. But don’t be surprised if neither of these teams is at the top of the division this September. The Rangers won 87 games last season and the Mariners (more on them later) are charging hard.
8. Will Baltimore’s youth work?
The Orioles have two of the best young position players in the division in Adam Jones and Nick Markakis. Will their young pitchers follow? Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz have a world of talent and should get plenty of opportunities this season. If they progress as planned, the Orioles should crack .500.
7. Will Boston’s philosophy work?
The Red Sox have used a ferocious lineup to build a perennial playoff team for most of the past decade. But after losing ground to the Yankees last summer, the Boston brass shifted philosophy: power arms over power bats; defense over run production. So the Red Sox brought in John Lackey and Mike Cameron, closing the gap in the AL East.
6. Is Seattle the best out West?
The best one-two punch in baseball resides in the Pacific Northwest, where the Mariners have coupled young fireballer Felix Hernandez with last year’s postseason star, Cliff Lee. The American League West doormat for the past half-decade, Seattle now has a lethal left-handed ace to go with last season’s AL Cy Young runner-up.
5. Does Bay = power in New York?
The Mets spent $66 million to bring Jason Bay to New York. And they did it for one reason: more power. Bay has cleared 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in four of the past five seasons. Last year, New York’s three most productive outfielders — Gary Sheffield, Carlos Beltran and Jeff Francoeur — hit 30 home runs combined.
4. Can the champs repeat?
The Yankees have undergone some turnover. Gone are Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon — both via free agency. Curtis Granderson brings speed and pop to the lineup. Meanwhile, Javier Vazquez patches up the only question mark from 2009 — depth in the rotation. But what will they do with Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes?
3. Did the Phillies actually upgrade?
The two-time defending National League champions made the offseason’s big splash by pulling off a multi-team deal to acquire Roy Halladay. But they gave up postseason ace Cliff Lee in the process. Is Halladay an upgrade over Lee? Possibly. But we’re not sure how much better the Phillies are from a year ago.
2. Are Pujols and Jeter on the move?
Both stars are in the final years of huge contracts, but it’s unlikely either will be playing for a different team next year. Albert Pujols is the game’s best offensive player and is looking at another longterm deal in St. Louis. And there’s no way the Yankees let Derek Jeter get his 3,000th hit (he’s 253 away) while wearing a different uniform.
1. Is Strasburg the real deal?
The San Diego State flamethrower likely will start out in the minors, but expect to see him at Nationals Park this summer. And expect attendance to go through the roof when he makes his debut. But the jury will be out on Stephen Strasburg for a while, so the Nats — and their fans — must strap themselves in for the long haul.
