2002 CFOD SEASON PREVIEW "Your mileage may vary!" ***************************************************************************** Mantle division: 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 ANGRY CANDY: Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1993 -- Sean Berry 1994 -- Shane Reynolds 1995 -- Chipper Jones and Shawn Green 1996 -- Scott Rolen 1997 -- Todd Helton 1998 -- Orlando Hernandez, Scott Elarton and Chris Peters 1999 -- Erubiel Durazo 2000 -- Rondell White 2001 -- Josh Beckett 2002 -- Byung-Hyun Kim STRENGTHS: The trifecta of Chipper Jones, Todd Helton and Bobby Abreu continue to be one of the better hearts of the order in the league. All 3 will hit over .300 with an on base average north of .400 and a high slugigng percentage. CF Torii Hunter comes into his own, paving the way for the departures of longtime outfielders Jeromy Burnitz and Reggie Sanders. Tomokazu Ohka should do well as the team's ace, and between Byung-Hyun Kim, John Smoltz, Mike DeJean and Vladimir Nunez the Candy will have no shortage of excellent relievers. WEAKNESSES: Jones moved to the outfield this year, and his replacements at 3B are certainly not as good. The reset of the rotation is competitive, but will have trouble against other staffs in the league that are packed with aces. OUTLOOK: The Angry Candy still have plenty of horses, and will show in 2002 that their 2001 world series appearance was no fluke. Expect a pennant repeat. 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 SAN FRANCISCO SHRINERS: Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Bryan Harvey 1992 -- John Wetteland 1993 -- Kenny Rogers 1994 -- Jaime Navarro 1995 -- Marty Cordova 1996 -- Kevin Elster 1997 -- Jose Cruz Jr. 1998 -- Masato Yoshii 1999 -- Vladimir Nunez 2000 -- Glendon Rusch 2001 -- Brian Lawrence 2002 -- No pick STRENGTHS: Did I ever mention how good the Randy Johnson for Sammy Sosa trade was for San Francisco way back in 1997? Ever since then they've never had a losing record. Sosa is back in his excellent form, and he has a strong supporting cast. OF Cliff Floyd was brought in last season, and he'll be an excellent source of power and walks. Shortstop Jose Hernandez still has not met a pitch he hasn't liked, but will at least provide some pop. Mike Cameron provides power and speed in the centerfield position. Vincente Padilla, Brian Lawrence, Cory Lidle, and Ted Lilly won't contend for Cy's this year, but the Shriners will boast above average starting pitching from top to bottom. Kerry Lightenberg is the odds on favorite to close. WEAKNESSES: Other that Lightenberg and Mark Guthrie, the reliever depth is a little thin. OUTLOOK: As mentioned before, since Sosa has been with the Shriners, they have never had a losing season. 2002 should see that streak continue. 33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 MECHAN SYNDICATE: Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Rickey Henderson 1992 -- Reggie Sanders 1993 -- Jim Poole 1994 -- Todd Jones 1995 -- Ricky Bottalico 1996 -- Mariano Duncan 1997 -- Mike Cameron 1998 -- Eric Milton 1999 -- Darren Dreifort 2000 -- Jose Ortiz 2001 -- Adam Dunn 2002 -- Mark Ellis STRENGTHS: This is a batting lineup you do not want to face on a daily basis. The Syndicate broke most of the records for offense last year, led by the greatest season ever seen by Barry Bonds. Bonds is just as good this year, but pitchers may be so scared that Bonds will rarely see good pitches. That's just fine, as 3B Eric Chavez, 1B Rafael Palmeiro, and OF Shawn Green will be able to more than take advantage of an extra baserunner. Eric Gagne will thrive as the Syndicate closer, possibly contending for fireman of the year awards. WEAKNESSES: Adam Dunn will likely see limited action this year due to the logjam at the corner outfield spots. A slumping Roberto Alomar and a medicore Tony Womack may rob the Syndicate of a few runs. Tim Wakefield is a compentant starter, but much of the starting pitching is batting practice quality. OUTLOOK: The Syndicate will continue to do well this year and burninate the opposing pitchers, but gaps in the lineup and in the starting rotation will hurt. 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 SPRINGFIELD 'TOPES Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Steve Avery 1992 -- BJ Surhoff 1993 -- Bryan Harvey 1994 -- No Pick 1995 -- Andy Pettitte 1996 -- Mark Whiten 1997 -- Dustin Hermanson 1998 -- Jesus Sanchez 1999 -- Jose Vidro 2000 -- Frank Castillo 2001 -- Alex S Gonzalez 2002 -- Quinten McCracken STRENGTHS: Based on strong pitching, the 'Topes made the playoffs last year. Steve Trachsel and 2001 Cy Young runner up Mark Buehrle anchor the starting rotation. Brendan Donnelly and Damaso Marte will contend for closer duties. CF Bernie Williams and 2B Jose Vidro lead an offense that isn't based on the 3 run homer, but on average, walks, and advancing the runner. Raul Ibanez is greatly effective vs righties, and David Bell provides surprising pop at third base. WEAKNESSES: Andy Pettitte is injured this year, which makes the rotation teeter between good and OK. The 'Topes could use some bigger bats, particularly in the outfield. OVERALL: The 'Topes surprised everyone with their strong performance last year. A few surprises in performance this year would make Springfield equally as dangerous this year. 55555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 ARLINGTON ARTHROPODS: Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Barry Bonds 1992 -- Pete Smith 1993 -- No Pick 1994 -- Omar Vizquel 1995 -- No Pick 1996 -- Mel Rojas 1997 -- Ray Durham 1998 -- Rolando Arrojo 1999 -- Chris Singleton 2000 -- Matt Herges 2001 -- Terrance Long 2002 -- Aramis Ramirez STRENGTHS: Gary Sheffield, Ton Batista and import Manny Ramirez provide a lot of power to the lineup. 2B Luis Castillo is a throwback to another era ... a leadoff hitter who gets on base and steals them. Brian Daubach and OF Jose Cruz, Jr. are guys who won't get all-star nods, but can contribute to any lineup. Starters Jason Schmidt and David Wells provide plenty of opportunities for wins. Put Casey Fossum and John Halama together and you've got an excellent #3 starter. WEAKNESSES: Not so good depth in the bullpen, with an OK Ramiro Mendoza their best reliever. Aramis Ramirez and Felipe Lopez may lead the Arthropods to another world series win in 2005 but for now they're a bit of a liability. OVERALL: Some nice ballplayers on this team, but they'll need a stronger bullpen and some of their youngsters to solidify before moving higher. 66666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666 BAKERSFIELD RAMJETS Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Jose Canseco 1992 -- Kenny Lofton 1993 -- Tim Salmon and Chuck Carr 1994 -- Shawon Dunston 1995 -- Charles Johnson 1996 -- Jason Kendall 1997 -- Rick Reed 1998 -- Jeff Fassero and Charles Johnson 1999 -- Ryan Klesko 2000 -- Robin Ventura 2001 -- Joe Kennedy 2002 -- Eddie Guardado and John Lackey STRENGTHS: Lots of great individual performances to be see this year. Miguel Tejada will see his game elevate to the elite level at shortstop. 3B Edgardo Alfonzo won the position outright in the off-season over Robin Ventura, and will provide some nice stats at 3B. 1B Ryan Klesko and OF Derrick Lee provide yet more power. This doesn't account for Ivan Rodriguez, still one of the best catchers in the game. Eddie Guardado will do wonders at the closer spot. WEAKNESSES: Josh Fogg as the ace of the staff? The pitching will make the offense work for their wins. OVERALL: Some wonderful hitters, but the lack of quality starting pitching will hurt. But they'll still be a lot of fun to watch. ***************************************************************************** Koufax Division: 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 CINCINATI ROCK Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Cal Ripken 1992 -- Felix Jose 1993 -- Sandy Alomar 1994 -- Manny Ramirez 1995 -- Donovan Osbourne 1996 -- James Baldwin 1997 -- Jose Guillen 1998 -- Pat Hentgen 1999 -- Scott Williamson 2000 -- Brad Penny 2001 -- Bud Smith 2002 -- Sean Burroughs STRENGTHS: After their 1st round playoff exit last year, the Rock revamped their roster. This year it's all about the pitching. Curt Schilling, acquisition Roy Oswalt, Bartolo Colon and Al Leiter form one of the strongest rotations in the league. Troy Glaus is gone, but the lineup is full of 20 homer guys. Acquisition Junior Spivey has quite a bit of hit for a 2B guy, and scrappy acquisition SS David Eckstein is a near classic leadoff hitter, getting on base and stealing them. Catcher (and acquisition) Jorge Posada and OF's Randall Simon, Brad Wilkerson and Jeremy Giambi provide RBI potential at the heart of the order. WEAKNESSES: The hustle and bustle of the off-season cost them their two best hitters in Troy Glaus and Carlos Beltran. To shoot for a pennant they might need a dominant closer to clear up the situation. And with so many new faces, will they be able to gel? OVERALL: The new look Rock should go far, thanks to a capable lineup and a killer rotation. But can they revisit their 2000 CFOD championship winning ways? 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 BOSTON BREWINS Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Tony Gwynn 1992 -- Pat Listach and Pedro Astacio 1993 -- Jeff Conine 1994 -- Steve Ontiveros 1995 -- Chad Ogea 1996 -- Mark Leiter 1997 -- Jeffrey Hammonds 1998 -- Will Clark 1999 -- Jermaine Dye 2000 -- Albert Belle 2001 -- Albert Pujols 2002 -- No Pick STRENGTHS: The loss of Phil Nevin through free agency would have been a big bummer if it wasn't for this: They didn't have room for him. Alfonzo Soriano will break out this season, producing MVP numbers at second base. Hit a homer, steal a base, get a single, Soriano can do it all. Former #1 overall pick Albert Pujols will continue to bash homers from 3rd base, and Shannon Stewart, Garrett Anderson and youngun Vernon Wells make up one of the best outfields in the league. Randy Wolf is the ace of the staff, and "Rocket" Roger Clemens graces the rotation. Jorge Julio and Jose Mesa gives Boston two choices at the closer position. WEAKNESSES: Jason Jennings and Jon Garland will have trouble competing against the latter half of the Cincinnati rotation. Boston could use a lefty hitter to play first. OVERALL: Boston's got plenty of horses this year. If they finish under .500 (or even miss the playoffs) it will be a major shock. Boston fans think this is the year. 33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 LA ZIPPYS Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1993 -- Phil Clark 1994 -- Mike Kingery and Bob Hamelin 1995 -- Dave Mlicki 1996 -- Derek Jeter 1997 -- Chris Holt 1998 -- JD Drew 1999 -- Jeff Weaver 2000 -- Barry Zito 2001 -- Brandon Duckworth 2002 -- Dave Roberts STRENGTHS: For many years this was Jeter's team. Is 2002 the year this becomes Zito's team? Expect a breakout season for one Barry Zito, an ace on any staff. Odalis Perez is a better than average #2 and Jeff Weaver will have an easy time as the 3rd starter. Don't forget Elmer Dessens at the #4 slot, and Jason Simontacchi will be better than most #5's. While Barry does it for the pitching, Derek Jeter does it for the hitters. The shortstop will put in his usual excellent season at the top of the order, doing the getting on base, stealing them and scoring thing. John Olerud continues to be the most underrated 1B in the league, doing everything except hit the 3-run homer. WEAKNESSES: A few dark spots in the lineup could short circuit some runs. The starters may have to pitch deep into the game, as the reliever depth is a little light. OVERALL: Some nice pitchers should help propel LA to a winning record this year. 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 HILLSBOROUGH REGULATORS Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Roger Clemens 1992 -- Bernard Gilkey 1993 -- No Pick 1994 -- Luis Gonzalez 1995 -- No Pick 1996 -- FP Santangelo 1997 -- Paul Sorrento 1998 -- Mike Caruso 1999 -- Barry Larkin 2000 -- Herbert Perry 2001 -- Juan Uribe 2002 -- Damian Moss and Mark Bellhorn STRENGTHS: Jason Giambi is still the driving force behind the team. The dude is just money. IF Mark Bellhorn was a nice pickup in the draft, who should add some thump to the lineup. OF Carl Everett, Ben Grieve and IF Aaron Boone will also contribute. Young Damian Moss is the likely nod as the ace of the staff. Trevor Hoffman and Danny Graves give Hillsborough two great candidates for a closer. WEAKNESSES: After Giambi the hitting lineup looks a little anemic by comparision. After Moss and Jimmy Haynes the pitching staff starts to look a little weak. OVERALL: Giambi is wonderful as usual, but will Hillsborough have enough talent to contend? 55555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 OREGON WET SOX Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Roberto Alomar 1992 -- Doug Jones 1993 -- Charlie Hough 1994 -- Steve Trachsel 1995 -- Julien Tavarez 1996 -- Andruw Jones 1997 -- Carlos Perez 1998 -- Sean Bergman 1999 -- No Pick 2000 -- Mark Redman 2001 -- David Eckstein 2002 -- Rafael Soriano STRENGTHS: Oregon still features several all-star worthy hitters in the lineup. Jeff Bagwell continues to drive the offense, and Garciaparra's 2001 injury (hopefully) is a one time deviation. Andruw Jones puts in another great season at center, and Brian Jordan, Adam Kennedy and Marty Cordova all adds pop to the lineup. Shea Hillenbrand is an up and comer at third. Mike Timlin, Ben Weber and Dave Weathers are all above average relieverse. WEAKNESSES: The starting pitching staff ranges from OK (a post-comedown 2001 Cy Young Mike Mussina) to a little bit scary (Tanyon Sturtze?). OVERALL: Some decent hitters, but mediocre pitching could doom them to a troubled season. 66666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666 SOMERVILLE SLUGGERS Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Marquis Grissom 1992 -- Roberto Hernandez 1993 -- Steve McMichael 1994 -- No Pick 1995 -- Carlos Perez 1996 -- Scott Erickson 1997 -- Tony Womack 1998 -- Carl Pavano 1999 -- Ron Villone 2000 -- Julio Lugo 2001 -- Jose Ortiz 2002 -- Austin Kearns STRENGTHS: The Sluggers have been on a major youth movement lately, and it is starting to pay off. Paul Konerko and Trot Nixon provide power and RBI opportunities, while there are high hopes that 1st round pick Austin Kearns will develop into a major superstar (his rookie season isn't too bad, anyways!). Roy Halladay is a bonafide ace, and Ramon Ortiz isn't so bad himself. Steve Reed, LaTroy Hawkins and JC Romero are reliever studs. WEAKNESSES: The price of a rebuilding effort is the need to let the youngsters grow and learn. Trading Manny Ramirez puts a serious hurt on the lineup. OVERALL: Give them a year. They'll come back. ***************************************************************************** Ruth Division: 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 PAXTANG PITBULLS Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Ken Griffey Jr 1992 -- Cal Eldred 1993 -- Julio Franco 1994 -- Bobby Ayala 1995 -- Troy Percival 1996 -- Edgar Renteria 1997 -- Jose Offerman 1998 -- No Pick 1999 -- Chuck Finley 2000 -- No Pick 2001 -- Marcus Giles and Tim Redding 2002 -- Jake Peavy STRENGTHS: The killer batting lineup continues. Alex Rodriguez, Brian Giles, Carlos Delgado, Ellis Burks, Benito Santiago ... this lineup is a cut above anyone in the RY conference. This doesn't even include the "lessers" like Robert Fick or Jeff Conine, who still slug .430. Ace Mark Mulder contended for the Cy Young last year, and is a contender this year as well. Armando Benitez is a quality closer candidate. WEAKNESSES: Other than Mulder, Chris Reitsma and Javier Vazquez, the rest of the starters are BP quality. OVERALL: They had the best record in 2001. 2002 should be no different. Paxtang is the team to beat. 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 CALIFORNIA CONEHEADS Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Frank Thomas 1992 -- Xavier Hernandez 1993 -- Mike Piazza 1994 -- Marvin Freeman and Pedro Astacio 1995 -- Carl Everett 1996 -- Tim Worrell 1997 -- Kevin Orie 1998 -- Mariano Rivera 1999 -- Tim Hudson, Todd Ritchie and Preston Wilson 2000 -- Derek Lowe 2001 -- Nick Johnson 2002 -- JD Drew and Octavio Dotel STRENGTHS: They won it all last year coming in as a wildcard. Much of that year's squad has returned. Catcher Mike Piazza and 3B Scott Rolen are as good as ever, each a lock for 30 homers and 100 RBI. 1B Frank Thomas returned to the team in the off-season, and can still put up 30 homers and 100 RBI. Larry Walker was brought on in the off-season, and puts up his usual stellar numbers in 130 games. The young guns Tim Hudson and Freddy Garcia return, and make a solid 1-2 punch in the rotation. Matt Clement improved his game in the off-season, and is a legit #3 starter. Chris Hammond and Octavio Dotel are lights-out relievers and both would make excellent options at closer. WEAKNESSES: Age and salary constraints are starting to take their toll. Juan Gonzalez will be injured for much of the year, and Randy Johnson was traded in the off-season. To acquire Thomas, the Coneheads dealt Jim Thome, who may have a more positive career arc in the years ahead. OVERALL: One has to pick nits to find things wrong with this team. They'll compete strongly with Paxtang throughout the season, and their battle likely will not be solved until their inevitable post-season matchup. 33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 CAROLINA LIGHTNING Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Cecil Fielder 1992 -- No Pick 1993 -- Jason Bere 1994 -- Geronimo Berroa and Deion Sanders 1995 -- John Burkett 1996 -- No Pick 1997 -- Jeremi Gonzalez 1998 -- No Pick 1999 -- No Pick 2000 -- Pat Burrell 2001 -- Todd Hollandsworth 2002 -- Phil Nevin STRENGTHS: Carolina has assembled themselves a nice group of sluggers. Pat Burrell, Jim Edmonds, Mike Leiberthal, Mike Lowell, and returning vet Mo Vaughn can slam them out of the park (or strike out trying). Tom Glavine, Kevin Millwood and AJ Burnett form a 1-2-3 that rivals anyone in the league. Alan Ashby might have his best full season ever. Kazuhiro Sasaki is a bonafide closer. WEAKNESSES: 2B Craig Biggio has seen better years, and 3B Phil Nevin may only be a short term fix to the lineup. After Sasaki and Boehringer, the releiver depth gets a little thin. And the hitters may end up setting a new record for most strikeouts by a team. OVERALL: Some nice pitching and lots of power could make this one of the better years for Carolina. 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 SAN DIEGO TERMITES Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1993 -- Mike Lansing 1994 -- Ryan Klesko 1995 -- Ismael Valdez and Darren Fletcher 1996 -- Eric Davis 1997 -- Lee Stevens 1998 -- No Pick 1999 -- Steve Finley 2000 -- Jeff D'Amico 2001 -- No Pick 2002 -- Rodrigo Lopez STRENGTHS: "Veteran" is the key word here. All of the guys on the San Diego roster have been at this awhile, and know what they are doing. Randy Johnson was brought on board in the off-season and instantly solidifies the starting rotation. 1st round pick Rodrigo Lopez is one of the younger guys on the staff, and fits in nicely in the #2 slot. Masato Yoshii, and Jon Lieber fill out the rotation. Rob Nen is golden as the closer. With Larry Walker dealt in the off-season, the lineup is now Jeff Kent's to command. Kent should respond with an all-CFOD season at 2nd base. Center fielder Steve Finley is his partner in crime, with a high on base and slugging average. WEAKNESSES: Losing Larry Walker puts a big crimp in the Termites ability to generate runs. Outside of Kent, Finley and IF Scott Hatteberg, there's not much pop in the lineup. OVERALL: They traded a great batter for a great pitcher. Will be interesting to see how it pans out. 55555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 MIAMI MANGOS Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Kirby Puckett 1992 -- Ben McDonald 1993 -- Sid Fernandez 1994 -- No Pick 1995 -- Hideo Nomo and Garrett Anderson 1996 -- Joe Carter and Alan Benes 1997 -- Matt Morris 1998 -- Kerry Wood 1999 -- Freddy Garcia 2000 -- Jay Payton 2001 -- Ben Sheets 2002 -- No Pick STRENGTHS: Bring on the vets! The trade last year for Derek Lowe turned out to be a good one for Miami, who finally have that bonafide ace they've been looking for. Hideo Nomo, on his 2nd tour of duty with Miami since 2000, is a strong #2. Ben Sheets, and Kazuhisa Ishii fill out a good rotation. Mike Williams, Braden Looper and Tim Worrell give Miami a deep bullpen. For the hitters, lots of guys who hit 18 homers and slug .450. Ray Durham also adds walks and steals. Reggie Sanders continues his Eric Davis-lite performance, good for 25 homers. WEAKNESSES: Miami could still use that one Thome-esque slugger at the heart of the lineup. Still a little snake-bit from the young arm burnout picks from the mid to late 90's. OVERALL: Derek Lowe and Nomo should elevate Miami to one of their better seasons in years. 66666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666 TOPEKA MOOSEDOGS Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Ryne Sandberg 1992 -- Chad Curtis 1993 -- Aaron Sele 1994 -- Joey Hamilton 1995 -- Quilvio Veras 1996 -- Alex Gonzales and Darryl Hamilton 1997 -- Jason Dickson 1998 -- Omar Daal 1999 -- Kris Benson 2000 -- Adam Eaton 2001 -- Joe Pineiro 2002 -- Johnny Damon and Oliver Perez STRENGTHS: Topeka has made several good "cigar butt" pickups in the past several years. Johnny Damon may not be as good as his 2000 form, but his combination of all-bases power and steals will be potent at the top of the lineup. Richie Sexson continues his big homer, big RBI ways. Catcher Jason Kendall is teetering on the side of good again. Between Kendall, Damon, and CF Kenny Lofton, Topeka will be near the top of the league in steals. Former 1st round pick Joel Pineiro is a legit ace, and Kenny Rogers and Kevin Appier are two vets who would add value to any rotation. Jason Isringhausen is a legit closer. WEAKNESSES: Kris Benson starts his long road back from Tommy John surgery. There's high hopes he can lead the rotation next year. Topeka needs 1 or 2 more "star" players to move up in the standings. OVERALL: It's been a long-tough road to get the franchise turned around, but they're making progress. ***************************************************************************** Young Division: 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 SEATTLE MOSHERS Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Greg Maddux 1992 -- Dave Fleming 1993 -- Ray Lankford 1994 -- Kent Mercker 1995 -- Ray Durham 1996 -- Doug Drabek 1997 -- Jaret Wright 1998 -- Travis Lee 1999 -- Warren Morris 2000 -- Mark Kotsay 2001 -- CC Sabathia 2002 -- Corey Koskie STRENGTHS: The 1-2 combination of Greg Maddux and Jarrod Washburn will match up with anyone in the league, and the 3-4-5 of Paul Byrd, Ismael Valdes and CC Sabathia give the Moshers one of the better rotations in the league. Keith Foulke and Juan Acevedo will compete for closing duties. Outfield Magglio Ordonez elevates this game this year, and will likely nab all-CFOD honors. OF's Tim Salmon, Mark Kotsay, 3B Corey Coskie and 1B Dave Ortiz all put up some nice stats. SS Edgar Renteria won't remind anyone of ARod, but fits at the top of the order. WEAKNESSES: Other than Ordonez, nobody has 30 homer potential. Byrd, Valdes or Sabathia could end up turning in a worse-than-expected season. OVERALL: They've come close for several years, but this should be the year Seattle returns to the playoffs. 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 PARK CITY CLIMBERS Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Jose Rijo 1992 -- Moises Alou 1993 -- Pedro Martinez 1994 -- Javy Lopez 1995 -- No Pick 1996 -- No Pick 1997 -- Mark Clark 1998 -- No Pick 1999 -- Jeff Zimmerman 2000 -- Pete Harnisch 2001 -- Carlos Pena 2002 -- Mark Prior STRENGTHS: It all begins and ends with Pedro. Pedro's healthy this season, and is joined by 1st overall pick Mark Prior. Park City hopes the Martinez-Prior combination lasts for several years. Kip Wells and Chuck Finley flesh out the rotation. Alan Embree and Mariano Rivera should share closer duties. Jim Thome was re-acquired in the off-season, and his presence in the lineup is more than welcome. Thome's one of the most feared hitters in the league, and is an all-CFOD hitter. OF Jermaine Dye, Preston Wilson, Craig Wilson, and IF Geoff Blum, contribute to the lineup. WEAKNESSES: Thome's knock-out numbers will make his teammates pale in comparison. And how will #1 overall pick Mark Prior fare in the years to come, when so many former #1's flamed out for their former teams? OVERALL: Pedro and Thome make Park City a contender this year. 33333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 SAN FRANCISCO PIAZZA'S Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Julio Franco 1992 -- Robin Yount 1993 -- Ken Caminiti 1994 -- Raul Mondesi 1995 -- Troy O'Leary 1996 -- Gregg Jeffries 1997 -- Livan Hernandez 1998 -- Otis Nixon 1999 -- Jose Hernandez 2000 -- Rafael Furcal 2001 -- Ichiro Suzuki 2002 -- Eric Hinske STRENGTHS: San Francisco has one of the best leadoff men in the league with Ichiro Suzuki. Suzuki hits for average, gets on base, and steals them. A little bit of pop too. Joining him is another impact draft pick, 3B Eric Hinske. He's still learning the game, but his walks and homers are welcome any year. 1B Fred McGriff seems to be perpetually underappreciated, but can be counted on for 30 homers every year. Rafael Furcal should recover from a sophomore slump to steal some bases. In fact, with Suzuki, Furcal, Hinske, OF Chris Singleton, and IF Desi Relaford, the Piazza's are one of the league's speedier teams. Kirk Reuter, Jamie Moyer and Kerry Wood form a trio of potential aces, while draft pick Troy Percival is favored to man the closer role. WEAKNESSES: If San Francisco depends on Dave Burba or James Baldwin to fill the #5 slot, they may have trouble every 5th day. OVERALL: Some nice draft picks in recent years should ensure that last year's 88 win season was no fluke. 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 SACRAMENTO FISH Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Fred McGriff 1992 -- Wilson Alvarez 1993 -- Carlos Garcia and Jose Canseco 1994 -- Pat Rapp 1995 -- Jason Isringhausen and Greg Colbrunn 1996 -- Jose Rosado and Vladimir Guerrero 1997 -- Ben Grieve 1998 -- Eric Chavez and Adrian Beltre 1999 -- Rick Ankiel 2000 -- Matt Morris and Wade Miller 2001 -- Juan Cruz 2002 -- Hank Blalock STRENGTHS: No team features a tandem more punishing to pitchers than Vladimir Guerrero and Lance Berkman. Both are good for 40 homers, 100 walks, and a .300 average. Guerrero is a demon on the bases as a bonus. Scott Spiezo puts up a pretty nice on base average, who may see his run production score. Matt Morris and Wade Miller will continue to be more-than-effective starters. Many candidates for closer available, with Jose Jimenez leading the way. WEAKNESSES: Eric Milton's likely to slump a little in the rotation. Unfortunately for Sacramento Adrian Beltre continues to struggle at 3rd, his trainride to superstardom delayed for a few years, if ever. OVERALL: Guerrero and Berkman are scary, but so are a few of their starting pitchers. Rates a "hold" for now. 55555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 BROOKFIELD BROUHAHA Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1993 -- Wil Cordero 1994 -- Jim Edmonds 1995 -- No Pick 1996 -- Jason Isringhausen 1997 -- Esteban Loaiza 1998 -- Hideo Nomo 1999 -- Garrett Anderson 2000 -- Chuck Smith 2001 -- Terry Adams 2002 -- No Pick STRENGTHS: Lots of guys who will cruise just under the all-star radar. Robin Ventura, Jacque Jones, catcher Paul Lo Duca, Rich Aurilia, OF Randy Winn. In limited action Edgar Martinez is as good as ever. Russ Ortiz, Rick Reed and Miguel Batista give Brookfield competitive starts. Brookfield could go with Francisco Cordero or Joe Borowski in the closer duties. WEAKNESSES: Brookfield has always been a team where the whole is equal to more than the sum of the parts. This year is more true of that than ever. Edgar Martinez is on the beginning a downward arc from a long, long career. Lo Duca and Aurilia will come down from their awesome 2001 campaigns. OVERALL: The Brouhaha did well last year, but this year may be one for recharging. 66666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666 ARIZONA THUNDER Summary of 1st round picks over the years: 1991 -- Tom Glavine 1992 -- Mel Hall 1993 -- Al Martin 1994 -- Reuben Sierra 1995 -- Mark McGwire 1996 -- No Pick 1997 -- Brett Tomko 1998 -- Matt Mantei 1999 -- Alex Fernandez 2000 -- Roger Cedeno 2001 -- Roy Oswalt 2002 -- Brad Radke STRENGTHS: One of these years I may stop mentioning the fact that Mark McGwire once graced their roster. Arizona's response? With 1B Mike Sweeney, OF Luis Gonzalez, and acquisitions Bret Boone, Carlos Beltran and Troy Glaus, Arizona may have one of the more thorough homer-happy lineups in the league. Any and all of them could hit 30. But they're not all about the homer. SS Jimmy Rollins, OF Juan Pierre and Beltran are good for 30 steals, if not more. Billy Wagner is favored for the closer spot. WEAKNESSES: Ay! That pitching! Where's Roy Oswalt when you need him? What's up with that? Livan Hernandez is their ace by default, and it only gets worse from there. OVERALL: Pennant winning offense, cellar-dwelling pitching. Which side will win out?