Here is our picks for the major National and American league post-season awards, as well as the playoff tree and how we think things will transpire this October.
AMERICAN LEAGUE AWARDS
AL MVP: Mark Teixeira, NY- Teixeira really could have won last season and you wouldn't have gotten much argument from anyone after he hit .292 with 39 jacks and 
122 RBI to lead the Yanks to a World Series championship. I expect much of the same power wise in '10 out of the Yanks' first basemen, but I'm expecting him to have an even higher avg. in 2010.
AL CY Young: Justin Verlander, Det.- The flame-throwing righty is coming off a nice 19 win year in which he k'd 269 batters. Surrounded by an improved Detroit team, I expect him to have his best season yet, possibly winning 20+ ballgames and again being amongst the league leaders in strikeouts.
Rookie of the Year: Neftali Feliz, Tex- The 21 year-old right-handed phenom has gotten his feet wet at the big league level and has looked even more dominant than he did in the minors. Look for him to be closing games in Texas before long, and I see him getting the same results that a younger Jonathan Papelbon got. I still would like to see him eventually moved to the rotation, but he's going to be big for Texas in 2010 whether its relieving or starting.
AL Batting Champ: Joe Mauer, Min- Really is not only the best left-handed hitter in the AL, but probably the best all-around hitter in that league, and possibly in all of baseball. Look for him to be back around .350+ again, and probably be right there in MVP talks as well as long as he stays healthy for 130+ games.
Home Run Leader: Alex Rodriguez, NY- He's fully healthy coming into the year, and I expect him to stay that way. If he can play 150 ballgames, he should be right around 45-50 homers, especially as he gets comfortable in the Yankees new bandbox, I mean ballpark.
Manager of the Year: Ozzie Guillen, Chi- The mouthy White Sox manager rubs a lot of people the wrong way, but I think he is primed for a good year with a talented pitching staff. If Guillen can push the right buttons and get that Sox lineup to match-up with their pitching staff, they could surprise people in 2010.
Comeback Player: Francisco Liriano, Min- The talented lefty is coming off a horrible year, but he's got more than enough talent to still figure things out. With no pressure on him in the fifth spot of the rotation, and surrounded by a talented Twins team, it wouldn't surprise me to see him flip-flop his win-loss record from a year ago (5-13) and drop that era (5.80) by about 2.5 runs.
Batting Tittle: Ryan Braun, Mil- The 27 year-old left fielder is just entering his prime years, and I think 2010 could be his best year, average wise, to date. He's coming off a .320 season, and a 20 point spike wouldn't be out of the realm at all for a talented player like Braun.
Home Run Leader: Mark Reynolds, AZ- He's coming off a 44 home-run year and he's still really learning how to hit. He made marked improvement in his strikeouts at the end of last year, and if he can put more balls in play in 2010, he's bound to hit even more home runs. Yearly favorites Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols will be right with him though, and you wouldn't get an argument for picking any of them.
Manager of the Year: Bobby Cox, Atl- In his last hoo-rah as the legendary skipper of the Atlanta Braves, look for Cox to go out with a bang. I think the Braves, with their mix of youth and productive veterans, should be right in the thick of the wild card race, and should win it if their pitching does what it's supposed to.
Comeback Player: Geovanny Soto, Chi- The Cubs backstop is coming off a pathetic year offensively, in which he hit just .218. Look for him to be back to his rookie form in which he hit over .280 with 23 homers and 80+ RBI. Atlanta's Troy Glaus is another good probability.
122 RBI to lead the Yanks to a World Series championship. I expect much of the same power wise in '10 out of the Yanks' first basemen, but I'm expecting him to have an even higher avg. in 2010.AL CY Young: Justin Verlander, Det.- The flame-throwing righty is coming off a nice 19 win year in which he k'd 269 batters. Surrounded by an improved Detroit team, I expect him to have his best season yet, possibly winning 20+ ballgames and again being amongst the league leaders in strikeouts.
Rookie of the Year: Neftali Feliz, Tex- The 21 year-old right-handed phenom has gotten his feet wet at the big league level and has looked even more dominant than he did in the minors. Look for him to be closing games in Texas before long, and I see him getting the same results that a younger Jonathan Papelbon got. I still would like to see him eventually moved to the rotation, but he's going to be big for Texas in 2010 whether its relieving or starting.
AL Batting Champ: Joe Mauer, Min- Really is not only the best left-handed hitter in the AL, but probably the best all-around hitter in that league, and possibly in all of baseball. Look for him to be back around .350+ again, and probably be right there in MVP talks as well as long as he stays healthy for 130+ games.
Home Run Leader: Alex Rodriguez, NY- He's fully healthy coming into the year, and I expect him to stay that way. If he can play 150 ballgames, he should be right around 45-50 homers, especially as he gets comfortable in the Yankees new bandbox, I mean ballpark.
Manager of the Year: Ozzie Guillen, Chi- The mouthy White Sox manager rubs a lot of people the wrong way, but I think he is primed for a good year with a talented pitching staff. If Guillen can push the right buttons and get that Sox lineup to match-up with their pitching staff, they could surprise people in 2010.
Comeback Player: Francisco Liriano, Min- The talented lefty is coming off a horrible year, but he's got more than enough talent to still figure things out. With no pressure on him in the fifth spot of the rotation, and surrounded by a talented Twins team, it wouldn't surprise me to see him flip-flop his win-loss record from a year ago (5-13) and drop that era (5.80) by about 2.5 runs.
NATIONAL LEAGUE AWARDS
NL MVP: Chase Utley, Phi- With all due respect to Albert Pujols, who probably will end up winning this, Utley has been on the brink of MVP status each year, and I think this will be the year, with all that talent in the Philly lineup, that he actually does it. I think he ends up around .315, 35 hr, 120 RBI, 25 sb while helping lead the Phillies back to the 'Series.
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Phi- Tough not to pick reigning 2-time winning Tim Lincecum, especially being a Giants Blog and all, but Halladay is just primed for big things in the NL. I'm thinking 22+ wins, 2.75 era, 220 K's in 200+ innings big with that talented team around him. The only small issue he'll have to deal with is the Phills suspect closing situation, and the fact that he's in a much more hitter friendly yard this year.
Rookie of the Year: Jason Heyward, Atl- Look for Giants' Buster Posey, Brewers' Alcides Escobar and the Reds' Aroldis Chapman, among others, to be firmly in the mix too. However, Heyward is starting the year on a solid Braves team and will probably be in that lineup all year which should yield big results (.300, 25+ HR, 85+ RBI).
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Phi- Tough not to pick reigning 2-time winning Tim Lincecum, especially being a Giants Blog and all, but Halladay is just primed for big things in the NL. I'm thinking 22+ wins, 2.75 era, 220 K's in 200+ innings big with that talented team around him. The only small issue he'll have to deal with is the Phills suspect closing situation, and the fact that he's in a much more hitter friendly yard this year.
Rookie of the Year: Jason Heyward, Atl- Look for Giants' Buster Posey, Brewers' Alcides Escobar and the Reds' Aroldis Chapman, among others, to be firmly in the mix too. However, Heyward is starting the year on a solid Braves team and will probably be in that lineup all year which should yield big results (.300, 25+ HR, 85+ RBI).
Batting Tittle: Ryan Braun, Mil- The 27 year-old left fielder is just entering his prime years, and I think 2010 could be his best year, average wise, to date. He's coming off a .320 season, and a 20 point spike wouldn't be out of the realm at all for a talented player like Braun.
Home Run Leader: Mark Reynolds, AZ- He's coming off a 44 home-run year and he's still really learning how to hit. He made marked improvement in his strikeouts at the end of last year, and if he can put more balls in play in 2010, he's bound to hit even more home runs. Yearly favorites Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols will be right with him though, and you wouldn't get an argument for picking any of them.
Manager of the Year: Bobby Cox, Atl- In his last hoo-rah as the legendary skipper of the Atlanta Braves, look for Cox to go out with a bang. I think the Braves, with their mix of youth and productive veterans, should be right in the thick of the wild card race, and should win it if their pitching does what it's supposed to.
Comeback Player: Geovanny Soto, Chi- The Cubs backstop is coming off a pathetic year offensively, in which he hit just .218. Look for him to be back to his rookie form in which he hit over .280 with 23 homers and 80+ RBI. Atlanta's Troy Glaus is another good probability.
Playoff/World Series Prediction
American League
ALDS
Angels over Red Sox
Yankees over White Sox
ALCS: Yankees over Angels
National League
NLDS
Phillies over Rockies
Cardinals over Braves
NLCS: Cardinals over Phillies
World Series
Yankees over Cardinals (6 games)
American League
ALDS
Angels over Red Sox
Yankees over White Sox
ALCS: Yankees over Angels
National League
NLDS
Phillies over Rockies
Cardinals over Braves
NLCS: Cardinals over Phillies
World Series
Yankees over Cardinals (6 games)
Back to the Giants: Check back Monday around noon-1 PM as we get ready for the Giants and the Astros to open the season in Houston. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:05 Pacific, with Tim Lincecum opposing Roy Oswalt. We'll have pre-game notes, the Giants lineup, a short Schierholtz v. Bowker debate, and more to get ready before the game so be sure to check us out before the game Monday! Happy Opening Day to everyone!
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