Quick baseball hits:

AL EAST: looks like the Yanks are going to be winning a lot of 9-5, 10-7, 11-9 ball-games this season with a lackluster starting pitching rotation and a bullpen that has Proctor, Rivera and Farnsworth on occasion. The bats for that lineup are going to hit and when your eight hitter was a contender for the AL batting title, the batting order is going to produce runs. Boston lost to KC, look for Beckett to rebound, Blue-Jays are overrated, Orioles lack the pitching depth and the Devil Rays are at least two years away which we seem to say every year.

AL CENTRAL: Grady Sizemore is going to be a super-star on and off the field, Jose Contreras is far from the pitcher he was when he won 17 straight ball games last season, the Tigers have the talent but need their veteran ace to stabilize a young and talented pitching nucleus, the Twins have started hot but how long can you go with four very good baseball players, I will say it now and I will say it again I do not see that team winning more than 70-73 games, and they will compete with KC for the cellar of the Central.

AL WEST- Love the Angles, problem is so does everyone else, Vlad is going to produce, and they have to many young players to not win this division, Oakland lacks the hitting and is a bit shallow in the bullpen, the Mariners have a nice core with Felix, Putz, Ichiro, and Sexson but they are going to regret not having Gil Meche in their rotation who will surprise many with his success in KC. The Rangers are a lost cause and with no pitching as usual other than Otsuka in the pen this team can go nowhere.

NL EAST: Mets look sharp, two team games with superb starting pitching. I will say this over and over but the Mets pitching is going to be a lot better than people will give it credit for. Glavine and Duque manage games, Maine and Perez have the tools to be special and Pelfrey is a filler until Pedro returns in full form, meanwhile this lineup will keep them afloat and most likely atop the East. Myers looked good for Philly but I am wondering whether or not Billy Wagner should come out and remind Met fans not to let any Phillies fans into Shea for the home opener. Braves have an improved bullpen but I am not as high on Tim Hudson as others are, and Mike Hampton is not the answer. Marlins are young and will regress with the loss og Girardi and the Nationals are years away form even being a .500 baseball club

NL CENTRAL: Cards have lost two and if you have not looked, this lineup does not scare anyone. Pujols has no protection and even with encarnacion hurt this lineup is a bunch of washed up old timers who have lost a step (Rolen, Edmonds, Wilson, Kennedy etc.) The Cubs can hit but if Zambrano is not a 20 game winner this teams chances of winning the division are slim, almsot as slim as the wallet of Jim Hendry after his offseason splurge on all hitting available and Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis. Brewers could be good if Ben Sheets is healthy but they lack the middle of the order guys to sustain success for 162 games, and the Astros do not have the pitching and have no bullpen relegating them to a bottom feeder in the division with Cinncy and Pittsburgh

NL WEST: The Padres sport a 1-3 rotation featuring Peavy, Young and Maddux and combine that with up and coming sluggers in Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Kouzmanoff and reliable hitters Marcus Giles, Brian Giles and Mike Cameron. The Dodgers are solid but with no 30 HR guy and 3 SP who I believe all will falter in Penny, Schmidt, and Lowe. Chad Billingsley must be a starter and not Brett Tomko but for any expert picking this team to the world Series remember that Grady Little manages them. While most experts are on the Diamondbacks bandwagon I like the more experienced young players in Colorado. Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins are gamers and with Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitski, Chris Ianetta as well as Brad Hawpe and Willy Taveras the pieces are there for them to be solid and with Francis and Cook anchoring the staff they could surprise some people. Expect the washed up Giants and Barry Zito as well as the inexperienced D'Backs to round out the Central.

my predictions which have been submitted are coming later this week.