Agonizing. That’s how I’d describe the New York Mets 2009 season.

They didn’t excel in many areas last season. One category the Mets dominated? Injuries.

Down goes Reyes. Down goes Beltran. Down goes Delgado. 7…8…9… The Metropolitans dropped harder, and more repeatedly, than someone on the receiving end of Muhammed Ali’s right hand.

Fans had great expectations for a team celebrating its inaugural season in Citi Field. Unfortunately, the on-field product had as much success in 2009 as the company for which its field is named.

At least their two biggest rivals didn’t square off in the World Series or anything…

Enough about the past. The year is 2010. Time for a fresh start. A new beginning. A….no…it can’t be…more injuries?

Carlos Beltran is out until at least May following “minor” knee surgery (against team doctor’s orders – no less).

And, just days ago, doctors diagnosed Jose Reyes with an overactive thyroid. Healing instructions include refraining from athletic activity for two to eight weeks – is swinging a bat considered an athletic activity? Reyes will surely begin the season alongside Beltran – on the disabled list.

What about players on the field? Everyday Lineup…eventually:

C – Rod Barajas
1B – Daniel Murphy
2B – Luis Castillo
3B – David Wright
SS – Jose Reyes
LF – Jason Bay
CF – Carlos Beltran
RF – Jeff Francoeur
SP – Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Fernando Nieve
RP – Kelvim Escobar, Ryota Igarashi, Pedro Feliciano, Sean Green, Tobi Stoner
CL – Francisco Rodriguez

The Mets entered the offseason with one significant hole, starting pitching. Free agent possibilities included John Lackey, Rich Harden, Randy Wolf and Joel Piniero. So who did the Mets sign? You guessed it, Josh Fogg.

But let’s talk about what they’ve done right.

The Mets made one major free agent splash, signing OF Jason Bay to a high-priced contract. They will lean on his power bat to make up for other lineup shortcomings (Murphy’s lack of power, Francoeur’s lack of contact, etc).

Speaking of shortcomings, the Mets front office heeded their player’s advice and lowered the outfield fences. Sorry pitchers.

Since we’re on the subject of pitching…

Everyone knows about Johan Santana (and if you don’t, read below). The jury is still out on the likes of John Maine, Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez. Do they have talent? Sure. Are they consistent? No. All three recorded double-digit victories in 2008. Last season? 20 wins – combined. Time for a renaissance.

Enough with the jokes. No one can argue this team is devoid of talent. Add David Wright, Luis Castillo, a (rejuvenated?) Gary Matthews Jr. and K-Rod to the aforementioned list – and you have the makings of a winning team.

And they’ll have to prove it – immediately. The Mets face one of the toughest opening months in baseball. Four of their first eight series are against 2009 National League playoff participants – three of which are on the road. In a division with the back-to-back World Series participant Philadelphia Phillies, a young and improving Florida Marlins and an always steady Atlanta Braves, the Mets will have their work cut out for them.

Can they win the division? No. But at least they’ll have a chance to get off the mat.

Team MVP: Johan Santana…because if he’s not…this team is in BIG TROUBLE. The staff ace must live up to his billing to hide other rotational deficiencies. The 2-time Cy Young Award winner recorded only 13 wins last season. He’ll need a lot more than that for this team to contend.

X-Factor: Can I pick health? Fine…I’ll take David Wright. Why choose a 2-time Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner? Wright hit only 10 home runs last season. A baffling number for someone who hadn’t hit less than 26 in his previous four full seasons. He blamed his spacious home park. Was it the truth or is he the boy who cried Citi Field?

Standings: 4th in the NL East…76-86

The Nationals are a baseball team. They are not the national team however, that would have to be the Yankees…some might say the Cubs…but it is definitely not the Nationals who lost more games than anyone in baseball last year. My favorite team plays the Washington Nationals 19 times a year. Out of those 19 games I expect to win 16 or so. These are all indirect ways of saying the Washington Nationals are a franchise with some problems.

The Nationals were the Expos. Wait let me backup…Before that, I’m told the Nationals played in Washington D.C. and then moved to Minnesota to become the Twins. A new team was founded in Washington and called themselves…the Nationals. They stayed for awhile and then moved to Texas to become the Rangers. The Expos were their own team, and decided to move to Washington to become…that’s right…the Nationals. It’s all very confusing, but if you’re a National’s fan…well maybe you should prepare yourself for an eventual move because this marriage of team and town seems to be a fleeting one at best.

But there is promise in the Nationals organization. They have been relatively bad for some time, and have been able to parlay that badness into high draft picks. This past year, the Nationals selected Stephen Strasburg (Cy Young reincarnated) with the first pick of the first round. Stephen Strasburg throws the ball 214 miles per hour. Or 100 miles per hour. One of those two. He has some pretty terrifying secondary pitches. He likes to smile.3

Stephen Strasburg, as well as the first pick of this coming year’s draft, are supposed to be the twin pillars of the Nationals franchise in the coming decade.

But that’s tomorrows news. Let’s look at what’s happening today in the nation’s capitol.

C – Ivan Rodriquez
1B – Adam Dunn
2B – Adam Kennedy
3B – Ryan Zimmerman
SS – Cristian Guzman
LF – Josh Willingham
CF – Nyjer Morgan
RF – Elijah Dukes

UTL – Willie Harris, Ian Desmond, Jesus Flores

Rotation – Jason Marquis, John Lannan, Scott Olsen, Craig Stammen, J.D. Martin

Closer – Matt Capps

The reality is that the Nationals will be able to field a really respectable everyday lineup. Morgan is a fine leadoff hitter and has the ability to swipe maybe 40 bases. Adam Dunn is a lock to hit 40 home runs with 100 RBI. Cristian Guzman usually has about 175 singles at the end of every year. Pudge, Willingham, and Kennedy are all solid veterans that can help a locker room cope with losing 95+ games.

Ryan Zimmerman is the star of the team and after a 2009 that saw him compile a .292/30/106 line…as well as a 30 game hitting streak, Nationals fans have to be excited that the team has an All Star locked up for the foreseeable future.

But back to that losing 95+ games bit…The Nat’s pitching staff—while I’m sure are a bunch of nice guys—is going to really struggle in that division this year. The Phillies, Mets, Braves and Marlins all boast fastball killer lineups. And that’s what the Nationals have. A bunch of pitchers that throw fastballs that don’t move so fast.

Marquis is a great third or fourth starter on a playoff bound team, but he’s no ace. Lannan is really aided by their huge stadium, but he quietly posted nice numbers last year. Scott Olsen looks to regain some of the promise he showed in Florida while Craig Stammen and J.D. Martin are two gentlemen I couldn’t pick out of a lineup…and I watch this team 10 or 15 times a year. Washington’s other young Zimmerman, Jordan, will miss the 2010 season following surgery to his pitching arm. If you’re a home run ball collector, you could have a worse business plan than buying season tickets in the left field seats this summer.

Matt Capps had varying levels of success as Pittsburgh’s closer over the last few years, but he’s probably not going to surprise anyone this year. If he notches 30 saves…it’s a good year.

The real story in Washington is when will Strasburg arrive, and how will he do against major league hitters? If you haven’t seen his stuff, take a look at this. Those college kids look like they’re swinging blindfolded up there, but who knows what major league hitters will do against him…

Predictions:

Team MVP – Zimmerman…he’s simply their best player on offense or defense and he should improve upon last year’s legitimate breakout campaign

X-Factor – Again it’s Strasburg…if he comes up in the early summer months and dominates, fans in Washington will give the team a free pass for another season or two

Standings – 5th in the NL East

Well, our projected speed for churning these previews out has slowed to a Bengie Molina on the basepaths like pace. But we’ll see if a preview of the Diamondbacks cant get us back on…track. Lots of “acks” in there.

The Arizona Diamonbacks originated in 1998. They promptly came out of the gate and were World Series Champions by their 3rd year. Seems fitting. The Diamondbacks and Marlins have both won World Series titles while pitiable franchises like the Cubs haven’t so much as sniffed a World Series appearance in decades. Even the Rays and Rockies have been to the Series in the last few years. Doesn’t seem right.

On a side note, why do these expansion teams always pick the worst names? The Nashville Predators? The Toronto Raptors? I guess fans of Arnold and/or Jurrasic Park were clamoring for sports franchises to cross over to? At least the Diamondbacks took the normal route of selecting a local animal to represent themselves with, but a poisonous snake?

Hey Kids! Come on out to the ballpark and win a chance to pet Diamondback mascot Freddy the Rattlesnake! Don’t worry Mom and Dad, he’s been de-fanged!

(In a brilliant marketing move, the Diamondbacks have selected this to be their actual mascot)

Anyways, terrible name. Snakes are dangerous and children should fear them at all costs.
These Diamondbacks though, let’s see how much fear they’ll inspire in the rest of the National League in 2010.

C – Miguel Montero
1B – Adam LaRoche
2B – Kelly Johnson
3B – Mark Reynolds
SS – Stephen Drew
LF – Conor Jackson
CF – Chris Young
RF – Justin Upton

UTL – Gerrardo Parra, Chris Snyder

Rotation – Dan Haren, Brandon Webb, Edwin Jackson, Ian Kennedy, Kenny DeNunez

Closer – Chad Qualls

Honestly, I really want to dislike this team. I don’t know why. Call it latent snake hatred if you want, but just from their lineup and first three starters, they’ve got a good chance to compete in the NL West. Picking up LaRoche and Johnson in the offseason on reasonable deals (4.5M and 2.3M respectively) were quiet but smart value moves as both should see improvemed hitting in Arizona.

Mark Reynolds was a player that won a lot of league titles for fantasy owners last season. The only player in the league to hit 40 HR, 100 RBI and 20 SB, Reynolds came out of Jack Cust like depths of the waiver pool and produced at an elite level. Justin Upton, on the other hand, had all the pedigree you could hope for, and actually delivered by hitting 26 HR to go with 20 SB. Upton is 20 years old or 17 or some ridiculous age that makes everyone salivate over his eventual ceiling. This isn’t the year he reaches it, but expecting him to increase 2009’s totals is a fairly easy thing to do.

The pitching staff might boast the best 3 pitchers on any team in the NL. Dan Haren is a perennial stud, posting back to back 200+ strikeout seasons, with an ERA in the low 3’s and a whip in the low 1’s. He’s good. Brandon Webb is coming back from shoulder problems last season, but was the NL Cy Young in 2006 and runner up in 2007 and 2008. If he’s healthy again, there is no reason to expect different from him. Edwin Jackson was picked up in the Max Scherzer trade, and Arizona can expect the young hurler to see improved numbers in an inferior league.

Chad Qualls is their closer. His last name begins with the letter “Q” which is unusual, I think.

The Diamondbacks will be overlooked in the NL this year due to their poor showing last season and because all people fear and hate snakes. But if healthy, they’re a team that you probably wouldn’t want to face in the playoffs simply because of the top of their pitching rotation and a couple of big power hitters. People may scoff at “playoffs” and “Diamondbacks” in the same sentence, but that’s a difficult division out there and the winner could come out with 88 wins or so.

Predictions:

Team MVP – Webb…if he’s healthy this team has a shot at the playoffs

X- Factor – Snakes across the great State of Arizona will gather and prepare for a massive first strike campaign against the people of that state. Act accordingly.

Standings – 2nd Place NL West (potential Wild Card winner)

Below is a special contribution from a member of the FansEdge team, Daniel Bressler, and without further ado:

My second contribution to the FansEdge Blog is overdue, but I’m happy to be back! Great timing on my part…two big names in baseball made headlines in less than 48 hours.

Randy Johnson retires

On January 5, 2010, legendary pitcher Randy Johnson announced his retirement form baseball. The “Big Unit” left baseball on his terms – as a 46-year-old with 303 wins and 4,875 strikeouts, second in MLB history behind Nolan Ryan. Only Roger Clemens boasts more Cy Young awards than Johnson. Having spent most of his career with the Seattle Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks, he features a blazing fastball with a vicious slider. Standing 6’10, he was an intimidating force on the mound. In a league dominated by right-handed hitters and lefty switch-hitters, he is considered one of the greatest southpaw pitchers ever.

And who can forget his moustache and mullet? Johnson played with the Montreal Expos, Mariners, Houston Astros, Diamondbacks and New York Yankees before ending his career with the San Francisco Giants in 2009. Fans also remember Johnson’s ineptitude at the plate. He may have dominated the mound, but he was a wimp in the batter’s box, struggling to maintain his career .125 batting average, and striking out in nearly half of his plate appearances. Lanky and awkward, his batting stance resulted in easy strikeouts and laughs from the opposition. But those smiles quickly turned to frowns in the next half-inning. Johnson held opponents to a .221 avg. – eighth all-time. For years, fans learned the devastating effects Johnson’s 97 mph fastball on his opponents. But in 2001, the public found out what it could do to a living animal. It was a routine pitch that never reached the plate – intercepted by a bird, instead. The pitch knocked the feathers – and the life – from the bird. R.I.P. dove, we hardly knew ya. There is no doubt Johnson will make baseball’s Hall of Fame – we’ll just have to wait 5 years. The clock is now ticking.

Andre Dawson is enshrined in the Hall of Fame

Finally, we can stop hitting the snooze button for Andre Dawson. On January 6, 2010 – on his ninth try – Dawson was voted into the Hall of Fame. Dawson – receiving over 77% of the vote (75% is required) – will be the lone player inducted, while Bert Blyleven, Barry Larkin, Roberto Alomar, and others must wait.

Known as a hard worker, Dawson covered center and right field and spent most of his career with the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs. He is one of three MLB players to have hit 400 home runs and stolen 300 bases in a career – joining Willie Mays and Barry Bonds. He was named National League Most Valuable Player in 1987 when he hit 49 home runs and 137 RBIs.

Boasting eight All-Star appearances, eight Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers and being named the 1977 Rookie of the Year and 1987 MVP, Dawson quietly became one of the most decorated baseball players. His hits and RBI totals approach or exceed many Hall of Fame hitters, including Mike Schmidt, Reggie Jackson, and Cal Ripken, Jr. Dawson, having never reached a World Series, never had his Kirk Gibson moment, but enjoyed a fantastic career.

If anyone ever questioned his love for the game, Dawson quickly settled that discussion in 1987. Despite setting franchise records with the Expos, Dawson dreamed of playing for the Cubs. So much so, that he signed a blank contract and allowed the Cubs to fill in the amount – resulting in a drastic pay cut.

Dawson also played for the Boston Red Sox and Florida Marlins. He stayed in Miami, as a member of the front office, and received his first World Series in 2003, which included an epic 7-game NLCS – against the Cubs.

Congratulations to Andre Dawson for being inducted into the Hall of Fame and to Randy Johnson for retiring after two dominating decades!

In related news, Dawson has announced that he signed with Dreams, Inc. (the parent company of FansEdge) to handle the selling of all future memorabilia and merchandise. In addition, FansEdge will operate his official website. Look for more memorabilia from Dawson on FansEdge and our sister site, Pro Sports Memorabilia, in the upcoming months!