Special points of interest:
Key Fantasy Player: Tim Lienscum /Pablo Sandoval
Three Keys to Victory:
*Core needs to Gel
*Solid Bullpen
*Little help from NL West
The X-Factor: Pablo Sandoval / Aubrey Huff
Over Rated: Aaron Rowand
Seasons End: First Place Finish / NLCS trip
1. Eugenio Velez RF
2. Freddy Sanchez 2B
3. Pablo Sandoval 3B
4. Aubrey Huff 1B
5. Benjie Molina C
6. Mark DeRosa LF
7. Aaron Rowand CF
8. Edgar Renteria SS
SP) Tim Lienscum RH
SP) Matt Cain RH
SP) Barry Zito LH
SP) Jonathan Sanchez LH
SP) Madison Bumgarner L
RP) Sergio RomoRH
RP) Brian Wilson RH
Kung Fu Who?
Where you thinking what I was thinking last year? My big golden city thought of 2009 was: “Who the hell is Pablo Sandoval?” As it turns out Pablo is the 24 year old virgin superstar known as the “Kung Fu Panda,". Sandoval was a amateur free agent signing in 2003. Not a college prodigy or a number one draft pick; rather Sandoval flew below the baseball worlds radar until last spring. He finished last season with a .330 batting average with 25 homeruns and 90 Ribs. If the Giants are going to fulfill my 2010 projection, Sandoval is going to need to continue is quite dominance of the National League.
2010 Projection
I really like this team! I hate writing any baseball articles that make predictions based largely on my gut. I leave that kind of guessing to the OLD MAN. Throwing darts at a board full of baseball teams in order to pick my order of division rankings has burned me severely in years past. However based on nothing more then what I see on paper, I like to 2010 San Francisco Giants to win the National League East. I will give you my three gut reasons now.
First: 88 wins in 2009.
88 wins and a very respectable third place finish is nothing to shake a stick at. The Giants only finished seven games off the first place Dodgers last year.
Second: Deep Starting Pitching
Provided Barry Zito can continue to eat innings, and win as much as he loses, Crain and Lienscum will continue to carry this teams pitching rotation.
Third: New Acquisitions
Aubrey Huff, Mark DeRosa, and Freddy Sanchez (Sanchez acquired at the trade deadline in 2009) all round out a vastly improved lineup, and solidify a more quality defense.
That’s my case for a 2010 Giants Division Title.
