Sorry for long layoff, Off Day Notes

My home laptop is still being fixed, explaining the long layoff between posts. I still have been watching the games, however. The Texas series started out great, with CC going eight innings and allowing four runs. Tuesday and Wednesday were disappointing losses. Tuesday, Yu Darvish looked the Yankees look like a little league team, shutting them out for 8.1 impressive innings. The mystery that is Phil Hughes continues, with him only going 2.2 innings and allowing 4 earned runs and leaving the bases loaded for Rapada to work through. Hughes' fastball velocity is there. His stuff is impressive, but he is missing his spots by a large margin. Martin had to move his glove to catch Hughes' pitches all night, leaving people to wonder where this Hughes saga will ultimately turn around, or end.

More bad news surfaced yesterday, with Pineda's MRI showing that he has torn his labrum in his right shoulder. He will go for arthroscopic surgery next Tuesday, and will be out of baseball for a full calendar year. This is a huge blow for the Yankees. With Pettitte nearing his return, they don't really have a pitcher that is deserving to stay in the rotation between Hughes and Garcia. Pineda being a non-factor for the 2012 season certainly makes it easier to bump someone out of the rotation this year. Garcia and Hughes each have 1-2 more chances to make up for their terrible starts this season. At that point, Pettitte will return and one of the struggling pitchers will be sent to the bullpen. My gut tells me that Freddy Garcia will be the odd-man out because of Hughes' potential. Garcia is a junkballer who is nearing the end of his career. Hughes is 25 with a huge upside for success in the major leagues.

Yankees in control in Boston

Sorry for not posting the last few days. Computer problems have been plaguing my ability to write.

The first two games in Boston have been collective team wins, with the second game being one for the ages. They were games where the team picked each other up. The first game featured five solo home rubs, 2 coming from Eric Chavez. Nova was great in his third win of the season, surrendering 2 earned runs with 1 of the runs coming after Swisher lost a ball in the sun. Nova's pitch count was still under control so I think he could have pitched another inning but Girardi did not want to take any chances and brought in the bullpen for the final 9 outs.

Yesterday, was a day that will forever live in infamy for Red Sox Nation.It a game where the Red Sox carried a 9-0 lead in the 6th inning, they would ultimately give up 15 runs in the next three innings en route to a terrible 15-9 loss. This is a sweet victory for the Yankees who have had to listen to Bobby Valentine's jabs all through spring training. This means a lot for Mark Teixeira, who is showing that his April slump may be over after hitting two home runs and a double, driving in 6 runs in the Yankees stunning victory. Swisher got the go-ahead hit, lining a double to deep center field to drive in Nunez and Jeter.

Yesterday's game goes to show how weak Boston's bullpen really is. The pen gave up 14 runs in 2 innings. It is an embarrassment for Boston, and a great win for the Yankees who have now won 3 in a row and stand at 9-6 on the season while Boston has lost another game, with a 4-9 record and a 5th place spot in the AL East standings.

Tonight, it's CC Sabathia against Daniel Bard if the game is played. The rain is coming down in the northeast badly and should get even worse tonight. The Mets already postponed their game this afternoon against the Giants which may be an indication that this game will not be played tonight in Boston.

One hit short and one pitch too many

Last night, Hiroki Kuroda started the game by allowing four runs to score against him in the first inning. None of his innings after that were especially good, leaving me to wonder why Girardi didn't take him out in the third. The bullpen has been taxed lately, but if you want to give your team a chance to win, you need to do today what you think will give you a win today. Thinking ahead may help you, but it Hughes pitches seven shutout innings tonight, what will that have done to save the bullpen?

The Yankees came out swinging last night against Marquis, scoring three runs against him in the first inning and another run thanks to a Cano home run later in the game. In between, the Yankees got runners on but failed to drive them in, a tune that is all too familiar for the Yankees this season. Swisher came up with runners on the corners in the seventh inning but failed to drive either of them in. Jeter hit a home run in the ninth, keeping his bat hot at the right time, but the Yankees failed to score another run that would send it to extra innings when Teixeira flied out to right fielder Clete Thomas.

Tonight, the Yankees need to prove that they are the dominant team and send the Twins into Tampa Bay with a loss. A split of the series would suffice for the Yankees, even though it would only make their record 7-6 on the year. Hughes needs to prove that he belongs in the rotation. With Andy Pettitte being only weeks away from a return, a good start tonight may move the rotation cloud questions over to Freddy Garcia for five days.

Tonight's lineup:

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez LF
Russell Martin C
Eduardo Nunez 2B

SP: Phil Hughes, 0-2, 9,00 ERA

Chavez at third tonight

Tonight's lineup against Marquis. By the way, I'm on my way to the game so there may not be a post game reaction tonight.

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher DH
Raul Ibanez RF
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

SP: Hiroki Kuroda, 1-1, 2.63 ERA

Jones in right, Stewart catching

***EDIT***
New lineup as Teixeira has developed flu-like symptoms. New Linuep:

Derek Jeter DH
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Andruw Jones RF
Curtis Granderson CF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Brett Gardner LF
Chris Stewart C



Tonight's lineup against Liriano:

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Andruw Jones RF
Brett Gardner LF
Chris Stewart C

SP: C.C. Sabathia, 0-0, 6.75 ERA

Yankees fall to Pavano, Twins

In the first inning, Jeter led the game off with a home run. It wasn't long until Granderson followed up with one of his own and everyone thought the Yankees would romp the Twins. After the first inning, Carl Pavano didn't allow another run through his remaining six innings and the Yankees did not do a good job of swinging the bats in counts that were in their favor.

Freddy Garcia also allowed runs in the first inning to the Twins, and settled down for a couple of innings before allowing a few more in his 5.2 inning performance tonight. Garcia kept the Yankees in the game, but Mauer and Morneau were too much for them to handle tonight. Cory Wade and Boone Logan pitched in relief of Garcia, with Wade giving up another two runs in 1.2 innings of work.

The Yankees have a lot to look forward to tomorrow as C.C. takes the mound opposite lefty Francisco Liriano. The Yankee southpaw looks to rebound from two rough starts to turn in his first quality start of the year. The Yankees core relievers will be well rested, but you hope that you don't have to use two of them. You want length from Sabathia. In order to do that, he needs to avoid a lengthy inning which was his downfall in his first two starts in Tampa then in Baltimore.

Regular linuep against Pavano

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

SP: Freddy Garcia, 0-0, 5.79 ERA

Jeter and Ibanez help Yanks crush Angels

The key word of the night was "offense". The pitching on both sides was mediocre and balls were flying all over the park. Nova started strong but after the Yankees bats woke up to score him eight runs he allowed four runs in six innings of work. The important thing for Nova was that he didn't let the game get away. Jerome Williams lasted less than three innings after surrendering five runs to the Yankees bats.

Derek Jeter was the topic of the night. He went 2-5 with a 3-run home run and an RBI double. He continues to prove that he is still as good, if not better, than he was earlier in his career. After the Yankees allowed a few scattered runs in the middle innings, they got just what they needed: a two run BLAST into the upper deck in right field by Raul Ibanez. Ibanez has shown that he is the real deal and that he can pepper the right field seats with home runs. Teixeira also showed signs of life today after a double and an RBI, as well as a single. All of the Yankee hitters had at least one hit except Martin, so you know that the bats were awoken tonight after only scoring one run yesterday in a 7-1 loss.

Overall, I really liked what I saw today from the Yankees hitters. Nova's fastball has improved from last year, getting a lot of swings and misses. The Yankees open a 4 game set tomorrow night at the stadium against the Minnesota Twins. The starting pitchers will be  former Yankee Carl Pavano for the Twins and Freddy Garcia getting the ball for the Yankees.

*AP Photo

Lineup for tonight

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

SP: Ivan Nova, 1-0, 2.57 ERA

Nova gets the Nod in finale

Ivan Nova, who perhaps had the best Yankee start until Kuroda's masterpiece of Friday afternoon, will get the start tonight against Jerome Williams and the Angels. The Yankees need from Nova exactly what he gave them last week in Baltimore, and maybe even a little more than that. The youngster is 1-1 against the Angels in his career, with both of his outings yielding 3 runs in 6 innings. That's not bad, but the Yankees would like more from him.

The Yankees bullpen is well rested. The only guy who I imagine will not be available tonight is David Phelps, after throwing 78 pitches in 5.1 innings of relief yesterday. If Nova does his job and goes six or seven strong innings tonight, Girardi will go to a rested Robertson and Mariano.

The Yankees lineup will probably be the usual one tonight, with Cano batting third and A-Rod in the cleanup spot. The core of the lineup still has not been producing on a daily bases. I am not at all worried because they will all find their swings. I do still worry about Teixeira however, because of a down year in batting average last year and another April slump this year. The slugger had no home runs in spring training and he is still looking for his first of the regular season 9 games in.

Jerome Williams has never faced the Yankees, but has faced Andruw Jones, Raul Ibanez, and Eric Chavez. None of the three have particularly good numbers against Williams, but he won't be facing two of the guys who have the most AB's against him.

Hughes falters again

For a second straight start, Phil Hughes has managed to give the Yankees less than what they were hoping for. He started the game strong, but ended up giving up 6 runs in only 3.1 innings. Not to sound like a broken record, but Hughes can not put hitters away. What makes him so frustrating is the fact that he can get hitters 0-2 and 1-2 but usually ends up giving up a hit, walking the hitter, or a long fly ball. Hughes does not get many outs early in the count, and his fastball was up for most of his start. The hitters either swung and missed at his high fastball, or squared it up much like Pujols did when he hit the double to center field that went over Granderson's head. It's only a matter of time before Andy Pettitte and Michael Pineda are ready to join the Yankees and if Hughes continues his lackluster performance, he will most definitely be the odd man out of the rotation.

A lighter note on such a discouraging day for Hughes is the dominance that Phelps showed the Yankees. He went 5.1 innings, allowing only a solo home run to Vernon Wells and striking out 4 batters. Phelps gives the Yankees another option for a starting pitcher if Hughes is bumped from the rotation before Pettitte and Pineda return.

Nova gets the start tomorrow night for an 8 PM start on ESPN. He will be opposing Jerome Willams as the Yankees try to take two out of three in the rubber match of this 3 game set.

Home Opening Victory feels Good

AP photo

In the Yankees home opener of 2012, there were many things that you take away as positives. The first obviously being that Kuroda pitched a gem, going eight innings and surrendering only five hits and no runs allowed. This start shows that the American League and pitching at Yankee Stadium doesn't phase the Japanese right-hander. His splitter and slider looked outstanding today and it gives the Yankees bullpen a rest as they only had to make three outs in the game.

Another positive that is taken from this game is the dominance that Alex Rodriguez showed. He was not hitting at all before today and ended up going 3-4 with a home run. The 630th home run of his career tied him with former teammate Ken Griffey Jr. for fifth place all time on the all time list. Coming back to Yankee Stadium and the crowd being pumped may have helped Rodriguez's confidence, but ultimately he got those hits on his own. I like Girardi's new look lineup featuring A-Rod batting in front of Cano in the third spot. It gives opposing bullpens a tougher decision to make when they have to use lefties to face Cano and Granderson.

Also, the Yankees hit well with runners in scoring position today, with the biggest hit coming from Swisher in the first inning with the bases loaded.

Tomorrow, the Yankees take on C.J. Wilson as Phil Hughes takes the mound for his second start of the year. He hopes to improve from his last start, where he only went 4.2 innings and allowed two runs.

Cano hitting cleanup

Today's home opener lineup.

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

Reflecting on an off-day

Through the first week of the regular season, there have been players who have stepped up and contributed to the Yankees three wins. The wins they have gotten have been thrilling.

The only starting pitchers who have really made a difference the first time through the rotation are Ivan Nova and CC Sabathia. Although Sabathia didn't have an impressive start last night, he gave the Yankees a lift after starting slow. That's what an ace does to pick up his bullpen. The relievers have all been fantastic during the Yankees 3 game win streak, with David Phelps perhaps providing the best relief on Tuesday night after Garcia gave the Yankees nearly nothing. Mariano Rivera pitched three straight days of shutout baseball, getting 2 saves in the process. Cory Wade has also been lights out, proving that spring training means absolutely nothing.

The hitting has been less than perfect, with the biggest bats in the lineup not being able to find a hole or in A-Rod's case- make contact. Then there are guys who have stepped up. Jeter has returned to form after people doubting his career. I will admit, I thought he was done too in the beginning of last year, and I guarentee that every single one of you thought the same thing. Jeter proved us all wrong. I like when that happens, because then I know a player is performing at their best. Ibanez and Cano have also been impact hitters, with Ibanez already getting two big hits within the first six games of the season. He too, proves that spring statistics mean zilch.

Kuroda gets the ball tomorrow afternoon against the Angels, and he has to perform. This start will be looked at differently than his other one because it is his first start at Yankee Stadium. All eyes will be on the right-hander.

Yankees sweep Orioles

On another night where the Yankees couldn't scratch out a hit if their name wasn't Granderson, they find a way to win again. Until the 10th inning, the Yankees couldn't buy a hit with runners in scoring position until Swisher hit a 2-run blast to deep right field that scored Mark Teixeira. Yankees mow down the Orioles in two straight extra inning games.

C.C. Sabathia struggled once again, going six innings and allowing four runs. I'm going to wait until I start to panic. I'll judge him based off his next start. With a limited bullpen, the Yankee relievers were excellent with Mo getting the final three outs in the tenth inning.

The Yankees have an off-day tomorrow and welcome the new look Angels to the Stadium on Friday. It will be Hiroki Kuroda against Ervin Santana.

Lineup for finale

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

SP: C.C. Sabathia, 0-0, 7.50 ERA

First Time Through

The first time through the Yankee rotation has been less than stellar. C.C. opened the season by giving up five runs in six innings, followed by Kuroda's shaky performance in a game where a Nunez error may have changed the outlook of the game. Phil Hughes could not put hitters away on Sunday against Jeremy Hellickson, resulting in his early exit. Last night, Freddy Garcia tied a record that stood for 23 years by throwing five wild pitched in 4.2 innings of work.

The only bright light the first time through the order was Ivan Nova. Even though he allowed ten hits in seven innings, he didn't get the game get away from him. His confidence in his pitches and his authority on the mound gives Yankee fans something to look forward to even more as he fully matures as a major leaguer. Nova allowed hits in six of his seven innings of work, while walking none. I'll take that over a guy who pitches seven innings, allows one hit and walks six batters. I'm fully convinced that the young right hander could have pitched an eighth inning on Monday night, but Girardi wanted to take it easy the first time through the rotation.

The hitting has been much like the Yankees starting pitching. The 4-5-6 hitters in the Yankee lineup all have averages under .160. The only players who are performing on the offensive side of the ball are Jeter, Cano, Gardner and Ibanez. The rest of the guys, especially Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Curtis Granderson are struggling badly. I'm very concerned with Teixeira especially. This is a guy who has shown a steady decrease in batting average over the last three years, and also a guy who pulls everything left-handed. He needs to figure something out and quick because the Yankees will not win if he continues a downward spiral.

Tonight, the Yankees face Jake Arrieta with their ace on the mound. I expect a sweep of Baltimore before the opening home series on Friday against Pujols and the newly improved Angels.

Yankees Scratch out a Win

On a night where the Yankees got essentially no hits with runners in scoring position, they scratch out a victory in the 12th inning. The inning began with a Cano hit that bounced off of Mark Reynolds' glove and ended up a double. Granderson was intentionally walked by Pedro Strop to face Ibanez. Well Raul made him pay on a hanging curveball that ended u a double, scoring Cano. Rivera entered the ninth and pitched a perfect inning for his first save of the 2012 season.

The Yankees hitting with runners on remains terrible. It causes concern for the fans and the manager. Ultimately, it is up to the hitters to come up with the one big hit, as Raul Ibanez did tonight in extra frames.

In tomorrow night's game, C.C. Sabathia faces off against Jake Arietta in hopes of a three game sweep of the O's.

Back to the normal Lineup tonight

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Andruw Jones DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

SP: Freddy Garcia, 0-0, 0.00 ERA

Finally in the WIn Column

After a nice effort by Ivan Nova and a few runs scored when they needed them, the Yankees escape this one with a win. Nova went seven strong innings, giving up 10 hits while walking none. That is the Nova from 2011, erasing any questions that people had about him going through the sophomore slump.

Derek Jeter had a nice 4-4 day with a double and an RBI. Cano and Rodriguez both grounded into inning ending double plays with the bases loaded. Andruw Jones hit his first home run of 2012, a laser off of a righty.

David Robertson got two quick outs in the eighth inning, but ultimately escaped a jam and had two strikeouts in the inning. Although it wasn't a save situation, Mariano Rivera closed the game out with a scoreless ninth. Tomorrow, Freddy Garcia faces off against newly acquired Japanese starter Wei-Yin Chen.

Gardner left out of lineup

Today's lineup vs. Brian Matusz and the Orioles

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Andruw Jones LF
Russell Martin C
Eduardo Nunez 3B

I think that platooning your best defensive outfielder with a guy who can hit a homer every once in a while is a bad move. Gardner's presence in the lineup adds more intimidation to opposing pitchers who need to pay attention to his speed. Do not like this at all.

Yanks drop 3 Straight

Is is time for panic in Yankee Universe? Not quite, but diehard fans like myself are beginning to wonder whether or not this team would be any different from the ones of the last two years. Hughes gave the Yankees a decent chance to come back and win today's game but Hellickson just shut the offense down and almost went the distance, going 8.2 innings and allowing only three hits and walking four.

Runners are not being driven in when they are in scoring position. All the games have been lost because of failed opportunities. You go into a game thinking that the opposing team scoring three runs will give you a pretty good shot to win the game, even if Hellickson is the starting pitcher on the other side. The Yankees scrapped out three lousy hits in today's matinee, with opportunities wasted the limited number of times there were chances to take the lead.

There needs to be a shakeup on this team. The same old lineup isn't cutting it. Girardi needs to try what has been making Maddon so successful as manager. I understand that it is a completely different market than Tampa Bay is, but Joe needs to see how to optimize his lineup according to the strength of his hitters.

The Yankees are now 0-3 on the season, and they go into Baltimore tomorrow night still needing to prove something. Maybe facing the Orioles will be of benefit to this struggling offense right now.

Stewart catching, Swisher DH

Today's lineup against Jeremy Hellickson:

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher DH
Raul Ibanez RF
Brett Gardner LF
Chris Stewart C

SP: Phil Hughes- 0-0. 0.00 ERA

Postgame Reaction

The Yankees and Hiroki Kuroda fell to the Tampa Bay Rays for the second straight day to give the Yankees an 0-2 record to start the 2012 season. The tone of the game was set by Eduardo Nunez making an error on the first play of the game. He booted the ball that was chopped to him and the runner eventually scored, and Kuroda made more pitches than he had to.

Let's not pile everything on Nunez though. Kuroda did not help his team out and did not make any big pitches when he needed them. The Yankees ended up scoring four runs in the ninth inning, thanks to a Granderson triple and a Nick Swisher three run dinger.

Tomorrow's game proves to be pivotal not only for Hughes, who is making his first start of the season, but for the Yankees as a team. Getting swept in the first series of the season would not be a good way to get the fans excited. It won't be easy as Hellickson gets the ball for Tampa. On a brighter note, the Yankees hit the reigning ROY winner last year in his starts against the Bombers.

AlMOst a Win

Game 1 of the regular season did not go as planned at all. Sabathia could not stop giving up hits and Mariano Rivera showed his human side tonight after giving up the game winning RBI to Carlos Pena, who had already hurt Sabathia earlier in the game with a grand slam.

Neither side had good pitching performances, but in the end Tampa Bay outlasted the Yankees. My one gripe with Girardi is that he overmanaged in the first inning. With C.C. facing Sean Rodriguez, Girardi instructed C.C. on walking the hitter to face the lefty, Carlos Pena. With your ace on the mound on the FIRST inning, why would you question his stuff by making him walk a hitter with no real history in the big leagues? Joe Maddon's decisions payed off in the game, and I feel that Girardi was trying to pull a Joe Maddon but it came back and fired in his face.

The Yankees offense went silent after the third inning, with an embarrassing hitting display against Tampa's average relievers. Mariano gave up hits to the first 2 hitters he faced, tying the score and eventually loading the bases for Carlos Pena who had already burned the Yankees in the game.

Let's hope for a better game 2 when Kuroda makes his Yankee debut against lefty David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays

Final Score of tonight's game: Tampa Bay-7, Yankees 6

WP: Rodney (1-0)

LP: Rivera (0-1)

Opening Day lineup

There are no surprises in the lineup.

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Raul Ibanez DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

SP: C.C. Sabathia (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

And We're Underway!

Well, almost. Unless you are a Yankees fan, chances are your team has already played at least one game. This is my final post before the Yankees begin the 2012 season. With this post, I would like to break down the Yankees starting rotation and predict how they will perform in the upcoming season.

The Yankees starting five are established, professional, and ready to bring home a twenty-eighth championship. Tomorrow, C.C. Sabathia will square off against James Shields of the Tampa Bay Rays to begin the Yankees 2012 campaign. Match-ups like the one tomorrow is why I watch baseball. Last year, the two matched up against one-another and it was C.C. who prevailed in a 1-0 shutout complete game win at the stadium. I'm hoping that a slimmer C.C. outperforms Shields once more on what is perhaps, the most pressured game of the regular season.

With that, I will make my win-loss prediction for the Yankees starting rotation.

C.C. Sabathia: 20-7, 2.95 ERA
Sabathia is poised for another Cy Young caliber season with a full season of keeping excess weight off. He is the easiest to predict because he has been so consistent throughout his career.

Hiroki Kuroda: 14-8, 3.45 ERA
The transition from the National League to the American League East is never easy, especially for a pitcher. However, Kuroda's stuff can be nasty and the American League has not seen him outside inter-league play.

Phil Hughes: 17-10, 3.80 ERA
After a down season in 2011, Hughes is determined to prove that he still has it. With a better physique and improved conditioning, expect Hughes to come back in a big way, with a career low in ERA.

Ivan Nova: 13-10, 4.15 ERA
Nova had a terrible spring, leaving people wondering whether his rookie campaign was a bust. He will struggle at times, but I believe that he still has the competitive edge to make it through struggles that he may encounter along the way. I love Nova's stuff. He has a nasty slider and a great curveball, and I love his confidence.

Michael Pineda: 11-9, 4.10 ERA
After suffering a minor shoulder injury that will keep Pineda out of the rotation for his first couple of turns, I expect him to come back with a higher fastball velocity. However, I expect him to face some growing pains in his second full season in the majors. Coming from the AL West to the AL East is not an easy transition. That's why I only expect him to win about 11 games with a slightly elevated ERA.

Beginning tomorrow before game time, I will post the lineups. I will try to do this before every game, as well as writing a commentary for postgames.

This concludes my Hot Stove season. I hope you've enjoyed reading my outlooks and predictions. Let's hope for a successful 2012 season for the Bronx Bombers!

MLB Preview and Predictions

With the season opening on Wednesday in the United States, it is time for my MLB team record, MVP, Cy Young, and ROY predictions.

Team Records

AL East

New York Yankees: 97-65- Y

Tampa Bay Rays: 91-71- W

Boston Red Sox: 90-72

Toronto Blue Jays: 83-79

Baltimore Orioles: 69-93

The Yankees are the best all-around team in the East. They have a potent lineup and their rotation is an improvement from last year with a healthy Phil Hughes. The Rays pitching is too strong for them to not win a wildcard slot in the playoffs. This will a rebuilding season for the Red Sox, with an incomplete bullpen and their rotation having question marks in the 4th and 5th spots.

AL Central

Detroit Tigers: 95-67- Y

Cleveland Indians: 83-79

Kansas City Royals: 81-81

Minnesota Twins: 80-82

Chicago White Sox: 74-88

The Tigers will run away with the division title, being led by Verlander and Cabrera. Fielder will adapt to make Detroit his home and adjust to the ballpark dimensions. The Indians will stay competitive in hopes of stealing the last wildcard spot but will ultimately not make it. The Royals youth is still a big question mark. They have to build team chemistry and the rotation is still far away from being a powerhouse.

AL West

Texas Rangers: 94-68- Y

LA Angels: 91-71- W

Oakland Athletics: 73-89

Seattle Mariners: 70-92

The Texas Rangers will wrap up the American League West title after a long battle for first with the newly revamped Angels. The Angels rotation is scary good and the acquisition of Albert Pujols and a healthy Kendrys Morales will give the club a boost.

NL East

Philadelphia Phillies: 90-72- Y

Atlanta Braves: 88-74- W

Washington Nationals: 85-77

Miami Marlins: 83-79

New York Mets: 72-90

With Utley and Howard out to begin the season, the Phillies will rely on the strong rotation to win games. The Braves will come in a close second place, with a stacked bullpen and a rotation that impresses. The Nationals are continuing to build their young talent and by 2013, they will compete with the Phillies for the NL East crown.

NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals: 88-74- Y

Cincinnati Reds: 86-76

Milwaukee Brewers: 84-78

Pittsburgh Pirates: 77-85

Chicago Cubs: 74-88

Houston Astros: 65-97

In a weak NL Central, expect the Cardinals to come out on top. After losing Pujols they gave Molina an extension. Their young talent will shine and David Freese will continue where he left off in the 2012 Championship postseason. I originally had the Reds winning the division with the acquisitions of Mat Latos and Ryan Madson. With the closer's injury, I predict a shaky bullpen with Aroldis Chapman still not having a defined role with the club.

NL West

San Francisco Giants: 90-72- Y

Arizona Diamondbacks: 88-74- W

LA Dodgers: 85-77

Colorado Rockies: 81-81

San Diego Padres: 73-89

The Giants pitching staff is too strong to come in anywhere but first place. They improved their outfield tremendously with the trades that sent Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan to the Giants. The Diamondbacks will win the second wildcard with a very good offense and a decent rotation. I really like the Dodgers. They have a Cy Young award winner and an MVP candidate on the roster. They still have to address some needs in their bullpen and in the back of their rotation. The Dodgers will compete to win the division soon, but not in 2012.

2012 MVP Predictions:

AL: Robinson Cano

NL: Matt Kemp

2012 Cy Young Award Predictions:

AL: Jered Weaver

NL: Roy Halladay

2012 Rookie of the Year Predictions:

AL: Matt Moore

NL: Yonder Alonso