You Can Put It On The Board YES!!

What an opening series for the Minnesota Twins. Only one conclusion can be drawn from this week's dismantling of the L.A Angels, its plainly obvious that this isn't your regular old Twins team. In years past the Twins have relied on defense and small ball in order to squeak out victories, but this year appears to be a changing of the guard. With a lineup stack from top to bottom this could be the best twins offense in nearly two decades. While our pitching staff still remains somewhat suspect the opposite can be said for the power in our lineup as the Twins basically played Home Run Derby during the 4 game series blasting an eye-opening 9 homers.

Here's my player by player breakdown from the opening series:

Hitters-

1. Denard Span, CF- Span made a few nice plays in center during the series, but he seems really out of wack at the dish. He failed to hit the ball all series going a pathetic 1 for 16. He only walked once and struck out three times. Luckily it's still early and Span will have plenty of time to figure his swing out as the Twins don't have any other options. My only fear is that Span will regress to his minor league numbers of a .287 BA and .357 OBP. Those stats are nothing to frown upon, but still slightly lower than what were accustomed to out of Span. Regardless Span does a great job of working the count out of the leadoff spot giving his teammates adequate looks at what a pitcher has to offer hopefully during the Whitesox series Denard can break out of his mini slump.

Series Grade: D+

2. Orlando Hudson, 2B- O-Dog made his presence felt in the opener belting a double off the center field wall, but wasn't heard from again until tonight when he collected another double to go along with a single. He should prove to be a major upgrade at 2nd this year and his intensity and hustle appears to be contagious. I'd like to see his OBP be higher out of the 2nd hole, especially with all the power behind him in the lineup but he is the ultimate professional and I envision him settling nicely into the 2nd spot as the season progresses. On a side note it appears that Hudson suffered an injury sliding into 2nd tonight and could possibly miss some time if he does, I would expect to see Harris at 3rd and Punto at 2nd with Casilla sprinkled in.

Series Grade: C

3. Joe "MVP" Mauer, C- Another series, another 5 for 15 showing for Mauer. Mauer's greatest asset in my mind is his consistency, he brings it everyday at the ballpark and this series was no different. He smoked a Homer in the 2nd game and finished with 3 RBIs in the 4 games. A great start for the new "Jolting Joe."

Series Grade: A

4. Justin Morneau, 1B- The 2nd part of the M&M boys held up his part of the bargain during the series also going 4 for 13 with 2 HR and 3 RBIs. He did strikeout 4 times but also drew 4 walks so no complaints here. With all of the power surrounding Justin he should be in-line for a huge season if he is completely over last season's injury.

Series Grade: A

5. Michael Cuddyer, RF- Cuddyer had a great series going 6 for 16 and while he was one of the few Twins not to hit a HR this series I expect him to belt at least one during the White sox series the way he is lacing the ball right now. It was also nice to see him swipe a bag although that's not a big part of his game. If he can continue to be productive out of the 5 spot he might just find himself playing in L.A on July 10th except in an American League All-Star jersey.

Series Grade: A

6. Jason Kubel, DH/LF- Kubel struggled compared to the rest of his teammates going 1 for 9 during the series. He did manage to walk 3 times, but also struck out 3 times in the 3 games he played. I wish I could have seen the game tonight as I'm interested in how well he can play LF if Delmon happened to go down or struggle during the season. Hopefully Kubel can do more with his opportunities during the Sox series.

Series Grade: C

7. Jim Thome, DH- Welcome home Mr. Thome. After years of absolutely killing the Twins it was sure nice to see Thome trotting around the bases in the right uni for once. He went 2 for 9 during his 2+ games and showed a quick glimpse of why the Twins picked him up. Yes he might strikeout too much, but I can live with it given his power potential. He constantly destroys Righties batting .274 and jacking 71 Homers against them over the last 3 years. Gardy will find a way to get Thome at-bats this year and I think he should be more than capable of hitting 20 Homers this year. Love the signing.

Series Grade: B+

8. Delmon "NutriSystem" Young, LF- Forget Mike Golic or Chris Berman NutriSystem needs to hire this guy for their commercials. Instead of the baby fat looking clumsy Outfielder most of us are use to Delmon now looks like a legitimate threat at the plate. He ripped the Angels going 4 for 12 with 2 Homers and 6 RBI he also flashed the wheels in the opener swiping a bag early. If Delmon can somehow find a way to keep up this pace our lineup could be amazing. Anything near a .295 Avg and 20 Homers with some more two baggers this year would greatly improve our World Series hopes.

Series Grade: A+

9. J.J Hardy, SS- Can it be that the Hardy of 2007 & 08 is back? He sure looked like it during the series belting 2 Homers and going 5 for 16. He also is an obvious defensive improvement at Short over Orlando Cabrera. If he can be anywhere near a .265 hitter and hit 20 Homeruns out of the 8 spot we have a chance to be the most potent lineup in all of baseball. Another great off season move by Bill Smith and one that hopefully will pay off for some years.

Series Grade: A

10. Brendan Harris, 3B- 1 Start, 1 Homerun. Let the Harris vs. Punto debate begin. Personally I don't mind our 3rd base situation as long as Gardy realizes his man crush on Punto needs to stop. Harris is an adequate fielder at 3rd and bring way more pop to the dish than Punto as he showed tonight when he broke open the game with a big 3 run shot. After having a great spring he has more than earned a shot at a full time split with Punto. He finished 1 for 4 during the series with the previously mentioned Homer

Series Grade: B

11. Nick Punto, 3B- Punto started the series 0 for 4 with a sacrifice fly, but during the 3rd game his bat came alive as he went 2 for 4 with a triple. You can't fault Punto as he hustles more than any other player I've ever seen (ok maybe Mark Madsen). He's a threat on the basepaths and outstanding with the glove, but he is lacking at the plate. He'll never be a great hitter and while his career OBP is unusually high for such a bad average he's never been a big threat at the dish. He best served as a super utility player, but with the rest of the lineup I have no problem with him getting semi regular playing time at 3rd giving his glove. Lets hope Gardy doesn't let him play everyday though, I think that would be a critical mistake.

Series Grade: B-

Starting Pitchers-

1. Scott Baker, SP- Baker struggled with his command early and never fully recovered against the Angels as he gave up 4 Earned in 4 2/3 Innings he also unusually walked 3 batters. As expected though he found a way to give up a Homer to Jeff Mathis. Baker is miss cast as our Ace, but let's not kid ourselves he simply isn't. He'd be a fantastic #2 or 3 elsewhere, but here he's forced to be our Ace. If he can find a way to keep the ball in the park though he should find himself in-line for plenty of wins pitching behind our lineup.

Series Grade: D

2. Nick Blackburn, SP- Blackburn pitched pretty well in his start going 6 2/3 innings, giving up only 3 runs and striking out 4. He also had some command problems though, as he walked four and he did give a Homer to Torii. Still a quality start is all that you can ask for and by going almost 7 innings he helped save our bullpen after they had to bail out Baker in the 1st game.

Series Grade: B

3. Carl Pavano, SP- The veteran of the staff showed why we brought him back after a successful second half last year. He shut down the Angels over 7 innings surrendering only 1 run he even showed off some power pitches striking out 6. A fantastic #3 starter he should be solid this year and has the opportunity to win alot of games if he can keep it up.

Series Grade: A

4. Kevin Slowey, SP- Slowey needed 92 pitches to complete 5 1/3 innings, but other than that his start was solid. He allowed 1 run and only walked 2 batters. It wasn't as long as you'd like to see out of your starter, but nonetheless its a win and I'm not going to complain.

Series Grade: B

Relief Pitchers-

Jose Mijares, RP- The "Meatball" (thanks for the nickname Berube) was terrible in his first action of the year. He gave up a 2 big HRs to H. Matsui and K. Morales and he really struggled with trying to keep the ball down in the zone. Thankfully he was pulled after only getting 2 outs. That being said he really bounced back tonight as he was able to get 2 Ks while not allowing a baserunner in his inning of work. Hopefully these peaks and valleys end soon and he can settle down as he is going to get alot of work as our only lefty specialist out of the pen

Series Grade: C-

Jesse Crain, RP- Crain looked great in 2 2/3 innings during the series, recording 4 Ks while allowing only 1 baserunner. He's always had fantastic stuff, but his problem has always been between his ears. Hopefully he can settle down and be another reliable arm out of the pen of the Twins this year. A little known fact is that he recorded 42 saves in his minor league career and has the potential to fill that role if Rauch and Guerrier should falter.

Series Grade: A

Pat Neshek, RP- Neshek recorded 1 2/3 innings during the series and while it's too early to tell if he is completely healed from Elbow Surgery he certainly appears to be on his way back. He could be the key for the pen in my eyes, if he can return to form he could be huge for us during the long grueling season. 1 Hold down hopefully many more to come

Series Grade: B+

Brian Duensing, RP- Duensing only recorded 1 out during the series, but it was still a big one while picking up a Hold. He will be used less than the other relievers this year, but could be vital in saving other's arms if one of the starters really stink it up. Every pen needs a solid long reliever and Duensing should have no problem filling that role.

Series Grade: B

Alex Burnett, RP- Burnett's stay with the Twins should be short as he'll be gone as soon as Condrey get healthy, but he still pitched a solid 9th tonight in a blow out. If someone where to get hurt during the season it appears Burnett along with Slama would get the 1st look.

Series Grade: B

Matt Guerrier, RP- Matty G pitched 2 solid innings picking up 2 Holds in the process. He's been our most reliable arm the last two years and I don't see that changing this year. If he can fill the setup role look out. Still a strikeout or two would be nice, that's where the A- comes from.

Series Grade: A-

Jon Rauch, RP- Doing his best Nathan impression Rauch made it interesting in the 3rd game of the series, but he was able to escape any monumental damage and picked up 2 saves during the series. He was a little shaky, but he certainly seems to have the demeanor to fill the Closer role. It's been the biggest question surrounding the Twins coming into this season and his success is vital to the Twins winning the Central and hopefully he can continue to find a way to close out games.

Series Grade: B

Final Thoughts: Overall it was a fantastic opening for the Twins. Stealing 3 games from the Angels on their home turf shows just how dangerous the Twins can be this year. If the Starters can keep us in games and Rauch can find a way to close out games I see no reason why the Twins can't win the Central and maybe even run away with the thing.

That's it for now. Remember to check out The Burbs Blog

And They're Off!

By Drew Schultz

If any of you are like me, today was one of the highlights of your year. No, it wasn't because of the conclusion of March Madness (unless your Hendrickx), it was the always exciting Opening Day. This year games weren't short on amazing plays and great storylines. King Albert continued to wreck N.L pitchers, Mark Buehrle made one of the best fielding plays by a pitcher in recent memory, Shaun Marcum took a no-hitter into the 7th and a hotshot rookie stole the show in Atlanta. Overall it was a day filled with exciting moments, but how much can you gather about a season after only one day? Here are my 4 big storylines from Day One and beyond:

1. Just how good can Jason Heyward be this year?
- What a debut for the homegrown 20 year old rookie. I was lucky enough to actually catch his first at-bat and WOW. This kid is going to be the real deal. He has amazing bat speed, great discipline and a real swagger about him. He took a 2-0 fast ball from Big Z and drilled it into the right field bleachers. The main thing that caught my eye is how quick his bat is, after watching the replays the only player I can really compare him to is Barry Bonds, that might be a lofty comparison but count me as a believer. All this being said even Bonds didn't have the greatest rookie year. Heyward should run away with the rookie of the year in the N.L if he stays healthy, but anyone instantly expecting him to hit .300 and belt 30 HR is crazy.

My Projection: .275 Avg, 15-20 HR, 60 RBI, .340 OBP & 1 Rookie of the Year award.

2. Is this the year Albert Pujols wins the Triple Crown?
- Not since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 has someone won the Triple Crown, but if anyone can do it Albert is the guy. Last year Hanley Ramirez hit .342 something I don't expect him to repeat as a .316 career hitter and as pitchers face Pablo Sandoval more they will begin to find holes in his swing. All this adds up to Albert being the favorite to win the Batting Title. The hardest part may be winning the Homerun Crown and RBI Titles. His main competition appears to be Prince Fielder & Ryan Howard. Pujols, with Matt Holiday behind him all year, will get pitches to drive every game, something he hasn't always been accustomed to throughout his career. With Holiday around I think this could be the year the stars align and we have our 1st Triple Crown winner in 43 years.

My Projection: .345 Avg, 52 HR (Career High), 142 RBI. 1 Triple Crown clinched on the last day of the season

3. Who will win the N.L Cy Young?
- Halladay? Lincecum? Carpenter? Wainwright? Santana? What about a dark horse like Jair Jurrjens? While Carpenter and Wainwright might have successful years I don't see them repeating last years success in an improved N.L Central. Santana doesn't have the bullpen or run support to win enough games to be considered. Jair Jurrgens has the stuff to be a legitimate contender, but does he have the experience? And could you possibly give the Cy Young to a player who's team finishes 2nd to another contender's team? So that leaves us with Halladay and Lincecum. This race should come right down the end barring an injury and might be one of the most exciting races to watch in baseball this year. Both pitchers have the ability to simply over match almost every batter in the J.V League, I mean N.L. My early vote goes with Halladay though. Halladay dominated the toughest division in baseball the last two years and with his trade to the N.L I can only see his numbers getting better. Facing the pitcher instead of a designated hitter will help him lower his ERA and raise his strikeout numbers. Not to mention that the Phillies offense should be able to bail him out in some bad starts if he ever has one.

My Prediction: 1 Cy Young for Mr. Doc Halladay

4. Who will win the A.L East?
- This looks to be a 3 team race between the Yankees, Red Sox & Rays and what a race it should be. The Damn Yankees are back and with the additions of Curtis Granderson and Javier Vazquez look to be dangerous again. The Sox made some moves of their own adding Marco Scuatro, Adrian Beltre and John Lackey. While the Rays might've not made the big moves as the other two teams they still return a viable core that could be dangerous if Garza and Price can win some more games. For me, it really comes down to pitching in this division as all 3 teams have outstanding lineups capable of scoring runs at will. This is where the Red Sox really pull away in my eyes, anytime you can acquire a playoff team's ace, John Lackey, and he becomes your 4th pitcher your obviously stacked. Regardless of the winner this division should send 2 teams to the playoffs.

My Prediction: A division championship for the Red Sox and a Wild Card for the Yankees.

Here are my other predictions for the 2010 MLB Season:

American League-
MVP: Evan Longoria
Cy Young: C.C Sabathia
ROY: Scott Sizemore
Manager of the Year: Ron Gardenhire, Finally
Breakout Player: Matt Wieters, check this guy out this year!
Most Disappointing Player: Johnny Damon

Wild Card: Yankees

American League Division Series:
Twins over Angels
Red Sox over Yankees

American League Championship Series:
Red Sox over Twins

National League-
MVP: Albert Pujols
Cy Young: Roy Halladay
ROY: Jason Heyward
Manager of the Year: Dusty Baker
Breakout Player: Colby Rasmus
Most Disappointing Player: Manny Ramirez

Wild Card: Dodgers

National League Division Series:
Rockies over Cardinals
Phillies over Dodgers

National League Championship Series:
Phillies over Rockies

World Series:
Red Sox over Phillies in 6

For another Blogger's take head over to The Burbs Blog