AMERICAN LEAGUE RANKINGS

1. Boston Red Sox - By virtue of being the defending World Series champions, the Red Sox start the season at the summit, but things aren’t exactly all sunshine and lollipops; Daisuke Matsuzaka didn’t exactly look sharp in the first game in Japan, and the Sox were subsequently shut down by Rich Harden in Game two. On the plus side, Josh Beckett (back) looks good to go after a slight injury scare.

2. Detroit Tigers - The Tigers locked up Miguel Cabrera to a long-term deal and look to have gone all-in for a title in 2008. On paper this team is fantastic, but obviously paper isn’t worth squat when the season starts. Curtis Granderson begins the season with a broken hand, while Dontrelle Willis was less than impressive in his spring starts. However, Jeremy Bonderman looks to be improving after his horror show last year, while Gary Sheffield also looks to have a great year as an overlooked part of a dominant lineup.

3. Cleveland Indians - Cleveland looks to be locked in a death struggle with Detroit in the AL Central, and they certainly have the tools to best the Tigers. C.C. Sabathia may be staring down Santana-like money next season, which could be an indicator of a huge season. He’s certainly looked sharp in his spring appearances. Cleveland’s core of Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez, along with a side of Ryan Garko and a dash of Jhonny Peralta, will certainly back up their strong pitching corps.

4. New York Yankees - The Yankees have their normal, strong and somewhat aging lineup, but their pitching staff is probably due for some growing pains. As old heads Mariano Rivera and Mike Mussina start their decline, young studs like Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes will be blooded in the majors for their first full season. A-Rod is A-Rod, but the Yankees seem more primed to win it all in 2009 than in 2008. However, only a fool would count out the Yankees before the season even starts; they have made a habit of coming back from the dead during mid-season to claim a playoff during the last two years.

5. Seattle Mariners - Seattle becomes the first team to jump up the power rankings, leapfrogging Los Angeles without even playing a meaningful game. New ace Erik Bedard has looked horrible during spring training, but nobody cares about spring training, do they? Bedard better make good, because Seattle pillaged its farm system to acquire him from Baltimore. Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson must finally step up to ensure Seattle delivers on its promise.

6. Los Angeles Angels - I would favor the Angels over the Mariners in a normal situation, but with John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar both crooked before the season begins, the Angels will have to weather the early season storms without them. There’s also concern about valuable setup man Scot Shields. Torii Hunter adds a big bat to go with Vladimir Guerrero, but the Angels might struggle early on unless they trade for a starter or get ace-like production from young starter Jered Weaver.

7. Toronto Blue Jays - The Blue Jays kick off the season with the knowledge that new third baseman Scott Rolen is out for six weeks with a broken finger. Despite that, the Blue Jays aren’t looking bad with a healthy A.J. Burnett and Vernon Wells, who looks to bounce back from his shockingly disappointing 2007. The Jays also can't get much less from closer B.J. Ryan, who is sidelined to start the season after undergoing elbow surgery in 2007. With all that being said, it looks highly unlikely the Jays will sneak past Boston or New York in the AL East.

8. Chicago White Sox - As if playing in the most brutal division in baseball wasn’t enough, Chicago will now be forced to bat new boy Nick Swisher at leadoff after Jerry Owens suffered a groin tear. The batting lineup looks strong enough to compete in the AL Central, but the pitching, once Chicago’s prime strength, now looks to have more than a few question marks. While Cleveland and Detroit fight for superiority, Chicago might be left on the outside looking in.

9. Minnesota Twins - Like Chicago, the Twins have a strong lineup to go with spotty pitching. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau anchor the offense, but talking about the pitching staff is like playing “20 Questions”: Will Francisco Liriano bounce back from his surgery? Will he repeat his 2006 form? Will he hold off on his slider? Will Livan Hernandez hold up health-wise? What about Scott Baker and Boof Bonser? Stay tuned for all the answers.

10. Tampa Bay Rays - Is this the year Tampa Bay finally makes a breakthrough? Probably not. But things are looking up, even if Carl Crawford hasn’t yet evolved into the franchise superstar people thought he might be. Scott Kazmir is out until late April, so James Shields and Matt Garza look to hold down the fort until he returns. The order of Crawford, B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena looks promising, but the Rays are better off aiming for 2009.

11. Kansas City Royals - It feels unnatural to be putting Kansas City anywhere but in last place, but they should have no problems improving ever so slightly this year. Gil Meche, Brian Bannister and Zach Greinke make a nice top end of the rotation, while the bullpen, anchored by closer Joakim Soria, looks solid. With newly acquired Jose Guillen being added to existing talents Alex Gordon, Mark Teahen and Billy Butler, the offense actually looks respectable for the first time in a long while. To the Royals I say: “Make me proud, or at least less ashamed”.

12. Baltimore Orioles - The Orioles are a mess, but at least they’re taking the right steps towards rebuilding. The future will be built on Nick Markakis and Adam Jones, while Baltimore could get a few more good prospects if and when someone finally ponies up for Brian Roberts. In the rotation, Jeremy Guthrie takes over for Erik Bedard as the ace, which is like replacing Peyton Manning with J.P. Losman. Daniel Cabrera makes Daisuke Matsuzaka look like a control freak. The future might bring brighter days for Baltimore, but those days may not come until 2010.

13. Texas Rangers - In fantasyland, Jarrod Saltalamacchia owners were given a rude awakening after he was sent down to Triple-A. Even without him, the Texas lineup looks fairly competent, with guys like Michael Young and Ian Kinsler. When it comes to pitching, however, it seems to be another season of ERAs over 5.00 and another season in baseball wilderness for Texas.

14. Oakland Athletics - Mark my words: By season's end, Rich Harden, Joe Blanton, and Huston Street will all be playing for other teams. Oakland’s pitching isn’t bad, but their batting lineup on paper looks pathetic. Maybe Eric Chavez will finally rediscover the form that he hasn’t had for the past two years. Maybe Jack Cust will become a breakout star. Maybe Bobby Crosby will become an AL MVP candidate, as ESPN's Peter Gammons fearlessly proclaimed prior to the 2006 season. Enticing thoughts indeed, but not statements that an informed baseball fan should be making.

NATIONAL LEAGUE RANKINGS

1. New York Mets - The Mets appear to be ready to rebound from their disappointing finish in 2007. They have added starting pitcher Johan Santana and with Pedro Martinez proclaiming himself to be healthy, the Mets pitching staff appears to be headed in the right direction. Some questions still linger about first baseman Carlos Delgado’s ailments and outfielder Carlos Beltran’s knees, but a team with something to prove is a dangerous one. The Mets should get off to a quick start.

2. Chicago Cubs - It’s been 100 years since the Cubs last won the World Series, but the talk in the Windy City is that the streak will come to an end this year. With improved health of the Cubs power hitters, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and newcomer Kosuke Fukudome, the Cubs should be able to beat a lot of teams purely on offensive skill. Speaking of health, the oft-injured Kerry Wood has been named the team’s closer. ESPN has reported that Wood has been seen throwing in the high-90s this spring and is poised for a good season. If Wood is healthy and can return to form, even if the Cubs can’t outscore teams, Wood should be able to hold most leads.

3. Philadelphia Phillies - The team that caught and passed the Mets last season is looking to build off of their first playoff appearance since 1993 by winning another division title. The Phillies, led by the big offensive trio of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, must have big years again if the Phillies want to hang with the Mets and Braves in the NL East. The addition of Brad Lidge could work well if he gets healthy and returns to his 2004 and 2005 form, but if he is injured and struggling with confidence as he has recently, it could be a long summer for the Phils.

4. Colorado Rockies - The Rockies couldn’t lose in September and early October last season. They picked the wrong time to start when they got swept by the Red Sox in the World Series, but nevertheless, the defending National League Champions signed all of their big players to long-term contracts. And with many of them being young players, having a World Series run under their belts should make a difference. Big hitters Matt Holliday, Brad Hawpe and Troy Tulowitzki will have to provide the offense again to make the sure the Rockies hang with the pitcher-heavy Diamondbacks and Padres.

5. Arizona Diamondbacks - The D-Backs have one of the best pitching staffs in the National League with Brandon Webb and Dan Haren leading the way. Even though the Diamondbacks have many young players like Stephen Drew and Conor Jackson that will be playing in important spots, the pitching staff is just too good. Many of their young players, also including center fielder Chris Young and right fielder Justin Upton, took their lumps as youngsters last season. With their development and presumed dominance of the pitching staff and bullpen, the Diamondbacks will be right in the thick of the NL West race.

5. Atlanta Braves - The Braves haven’t won a division title in two seasons and in Atlanta, that’s far too long. The Braves, who won 14 straight division titles from 1991-2005, lost center fielder Andruw Jones, but should neutralize the loss with a full season of production from first baseman Mark Teixeira. If the starting pitching and bullpen hold up, the Braves should be able to hang right with the favored Mets and Phillies for the entire season. Atlanta is looking to regain some of the magic from the 90s by reuniting John Smoltz and Tom Glavine and adding oft-injured left-hander Mike Hampton into the mix.

6. Los Angeles Dodgers - The Dodgers have a great pitching staff with Brad Penny, Jason Schmidt and Derek Lowe leading the way. If Rafael Furcal and Nomar Garciaparra can stay healthy, look for the Dodgers to produce a lot of runs as well. Catcher Russell Martin is quickly becoming the NL’s best catcher and the addition of Jones helps the outfield defensively. Adding cool and calm Joe Torre as the team's manager was a big score in the offseason for a tense, hostile clubhouse environment.

7. Milwaukee Brewers - If the Cubs have injuries or run into unforeseen problems, the Brewers will win the NL Central. Prince Fielder, Bill Hall and Ryan Braun lead the offense and are all capable of having big offensive seasons. Questions relate to the pitching staff, where ace Ben Sheets has had trouble staying healthy and Eric Gagne, who struggled immenesely at the end of 2007, takes over the closer role. They have plenty of firepower and should have enough pitching to give the favored Cubs all they can handle.

8. San Diego Padres - The Padres are interesting. The pitching staff is one of the best in the National League, but their offense is questionable at best. Jake Peavy, Chris Young and Greg Maddux lead the staff that had the majors best ERA last season. Closer Trevor Hoffman blew saves in two of the final three games last season, but will be motivated all season long to make sure it doesn’t happen again. If the offense can ease the pressure on Peavy and company, the Padres will contend with the D-Backs and Rockies. If they can do that through July and add a power hitter at the trading deadline, they could win the NL West.

9. Cincinnati Reds - The Reds are another team that could either flop or contend for the NL Central. New manager Dusty Baker has a decent lineup with power hitters Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr. and Brandon Phillips that thrives in hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark. If Baker gets quality seasons from Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo at the top of the rotation, and free agent signee Francisco Cordero can bring some stability to the bullpen, the Reds could be one starter and one bat away from contending in a weak NL Central.

10. Houston Astros - Astros fans who have seats just beyond the short left-field porch at Minute Maid Park should get the their gloves ready for all of the home runs Miguel Tejada, Carlos Lee and Lance Berman should be hitting this season. Newly acquired Michael Bourn should provide good speed on the base paths, but there just isn’t enough around those four for the Astros to keep up with the Cubs and Brewers. The pitching is led once again by Roy Oswalt, but teams should have no problem hitting staff mates Brandon Backe, Chris Sampson and Shawn Chacon.

11. St. Louis Cardinals - Just in case you forgot, the Cards won the World Series in 2006. And when you see this team play this season, it will seem like a lot longer than that. Any lineup with Albert Pujols will still be potent, but Pujols is laboring with a troublesome elbow and new third baseman Troy Glaus isn’t the same player he was three years ago. Adam Wainwright has been a nice addition to the rotation, but with Chris Carpenter trying to make a comeback, it's a good bet that this year's Cardinals test the immense loyalty of their fan base.

12. Washington Nationals - I hope Nationals fans like the new stadium, because it may be the only nice thing they see this year. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is a franchise cornerstone and gets a little more support in Lastings Milledge, acquired from the Mets, and a healthy Nick Johnson. The pitching staff is a serious question mark, though. Any time you trot out Odalis Perez as your Opening Day starter, your staff has problems. Second-year manager Manny Acta, who did an oustanding job in leading the Nats to 73 wins in 2007, must once again have a magic touch.

13. San Francisco Giants - The clubhouse may be more comfortable and relaxed without the Barry Bonds circus anymore, but the lineup sure is a lot worse. Barry Zito and Matt Cain had better throw some shutouts if they want to win games this season. Aaron Rowand and Randy Winn will lead a Giants team that will greatly miss Bonds and his offense production. Zito leads a staff that actually has some good young arms with Tim Lincecum and Cain. That trio should keep the Giants in some games, but there is simply no offense on this team. It’s going to be a long rebuilding process in San Fran.

14. Pittsburgh Pirates - The Pirates haven’t had a winning season since 1992 and I don’t think this is the year they get to 82 wins. If Jason Bay and Freddy Sanchez can regain some of their 2006 offensive form, the Pirates should have a chance to come close to 80, but so many other things have to happen. Tom Gorzellany, Ian Snell and Zach Duke are solid, young pitchers, but when they don’t produce, things go south quickly. The Pirates have one of the best ballparks in the league. It’s a shame a better team doesn’t inhabit it.

15. Florida Marlins - The Marlins have some of the tremendous young talent. Sadly though, none of them are pitchers. Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla and Josh Willingham are proven producers, but the problem is, no matter how many runs they score, the Marlins' pitching is going to give up more. Most Marlins fans (all seven of them) would have a hard time naming a pitcher on the roster. The rebulding (again) Marlins will put a dismal end to a rough season of sports in South Beach. The Dolphins were 1-15, and the Heat are fighting for position in the NBA Draft Lottery. At least the Florida Panthers were in the playoff race until the final week of the season.