| Here are my predictions for the National League in | | | | Wild Card – San Francisco Giants: This |
| 2010: | | | | prediction comes with the expectation that they'll |
| East Champion – Philadelphia Phillies: In my | | | | chase a big bat around the trade deadline. |
| opinion, they're the best team in baseball and the | | | | They'd be wise to go after someone to anchor |
| favorite to win it all this season. I think that | | | | their lineup, because their pitching can only do so |
| qualifies them as the favorite in the East. Their | | | | much. Tim Lincecum is one of the best pitchers |
| lineup, headlined by Chase Utley and Ryan | | | | in the game and Matt Cain is among the filthiest |
| Howard, is stacked, and they acquired arguably | | | | number two starters around. Also keep an eye |
| the best pitcher in baseball this offseason in Roy | | | | on Jonathan Sanchez, who performed well in the |
| Halladay. If Cole Hamels can bounce back from | | | | second half last season and could fan a lot of |
| a rough 2009 campaign, the Phils will run away | | | | batters in 2010. |
| with the division. The Braves will be better than | | | | National League Champion – Philadelphia Phillies: |
| most people think and could challenge for the Wild | | | | They've gone to the World Series two seasons in |
| Card, while the Marlins are also pretty solid. The | | | | a row and I have no reason to think they won't |
| Mets don't have the pitching to contend and the | | | | make it a third. They're just too stacked |
| Nationals' season will be centered around | | | | offensively and the addition of Halladay makes |
| developing Stephen Strasburg. | | | | them genuinely scary. |
| Central Champion – St. Louis Cardinals: The | | | | Most Valuable Player – Ryan Braun, Outfield, |
| Cardinals should win the Central again in 2010. | | | | Milwaukee Brewers: Braun has put up big stats |
| They've got the best hitter in the game in Albert | | | | ever since he's arrived at the big league level. |
| Pujols and a fantastic one-two punch atop their | | | | This season, I think he takes it up a notch and |
| rotation in Chris Carpenter and Adam | | | | posts a huge year. I'm thinking something in the |
| Wainwright. With Dave Duncan as the pitching | | | | ballpark of .325, 43 and 130, as well as 20 or so |
| coach, the Cards are bound to have some other | | | | stolen bases. |
| hurlers overachieve as usual. Retaining Matt | | | | Cy Young – Roy Halladay, Starting Pitcher, |
| Holiday was a big move this offseason and I | | | | Philadelphia Phillies: Most teams in the National |
| expect a bit of a rebound season from Ryan | | | | League have seen very little, if any, of him, so I |
| Ludwick. This isn't a great team by any means, | | | | expect him to torch teams in the first half. Even |
| but they won't receive a ton of competition from | | | | after they've faced him a few times, hitters are |
| the rest of the division. | | | | still going to be baffled. I would be surprised if he |
| West Champion – Los Angeles Dodgers: The | | | | didn't win 20 games. |
| Dodgers are the favorite to win what I believe to | | | | Rookie of the Year – Jason Heyward, Outfield, |
| be the best division in the National League. | | | | Atlanta Braves: He's a physical beast and will be |
| Clayton Kershaw is a stud and is already one of | | | | starting from day one. His performance will |
| the most unhittable pitchers in the league. He's | | | | probably overshadow what Buster Posey does in |
| still learning to keep his pitch count down, but he | | | | San Francisco and he'll show the baseball world |
| looks bound for greatness. I expect Chad | | | | that he's destined to sell loads of <a |
| Billingsly to pitch more like the guy we saw in the | | | | rel="nofollow" |
| first half of 2009, which will give the Dodgers a | | | | onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(' |
| strong top of the rotation. They've got some | | | | outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=" tickets< |
| nice bats in Matt Kemp, who is becoming a star, | | | | a> for the next decade and beyond. |
| and Andre Ethier, and they've got a great | | | | Manager of the Year – Bruce Bochy, San |
| manager and a really good closer as well. The | | | | Francisco Giants: He's doing a great job in the Bay |
| Giants, Rockies and D-Backs should all be solid, but | | | | with limited offensive weaponry. Having Tiny |
| not good enough to wrestle away the division | | | | Tim helps, but Bochy will deserve the nod if the |
| crown. | | | | Giants make the postseason. |