By Adam Cancryn
Looking ahead to the 2012 Major League Baseball season, one sentence at a time.
I know. Baseball season is still a month away. But that's the thing: It's only a month away! Maybe it's the unseasonably warm weather or just the general sports drudgery of our current the post-Super Bowl, pre-March Madness purgatory, but baseball season can't come soon enough. And so to celebrate those first whiffs of fresh cut grass and early thwaps of bat against ball, here's an easy, one-sentence preview of what to look forward to (or dread) about each team this year.
Arizona Diamondbacks- There are worse excuses for getting out of the oppressive desert heat than watching a middling ball club with a bunch of former high school All-Americans, but there are better ones too.
Player to watch: First baseman Paul Goldschmidt
Atlanta Braves- Enough talent to compete deep into the season before falling short, a storyline known in Atlanta as the last 20 years of Braves baseball.
Player to watch: Right fielder Jason Heyward
Baltimore Orioles- Possibly the best six-inning team playing what is unfortunately a nine-inning game.
Player to watch: Catcher Matt Wieters
Boston Red Sox- No beer and no chicken make Red Sox win 90 (Having Adrian Gonzalez helps too).
Manager to watch: Bobby Valentine
Chicago White Sox- There's no way Adam Dunn hits .159 for an entire season again... right?
Player to watch: Designated hitter Adam Dunn (out of morbid curiousity)
Chicago Cubs- Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza and Travis Wood are not the trio to lead the Cubs to their first championship since 1908.
Player to watch: Shortstop Starlin Castro
Cincinnati Reds- Everyone's sleeper pick for the fourth straight year, in a tradition that's just starting to get a little sad.
Player to watch: First baseman Joey Votto
Cleveland Indians- Cleveland is Major League Baseball's team of misfit players.
Player to watch: Second baseman Jason Kipnis
Colorado Rockies- The Rockies' hitters will need to take advantage of that thin air to support their untested rotation.
Player to watch: Pitcher Jeremy Guthrie
Detroit Tigers- The Tigers will start three sweet-swinging, brick-gloved designated hitters this year, with the hapless twist being that two of them have to play the field.
Player to watch: Right fielder Brennan Boesch
Miami Marlins- Few teams have more talent, and none have a better chance of imploding by the All-Star break.
Player to watch: Right fielder Mike (aka Giancarlo) Stanton
Houston Astros- By September, the only team the Astros could be neck-and-neck with is the 1962 Mets.
Player to watch: Second baseman Jose Altuve
Kansas City Royals- A team that is perpetually one year away from competing, its young talents (Hosmer, Moustakas) can't make up for all of the holes.
Player to watch: Third baseman Mike Moustakas
Los Angeles Angels- Have a bull's eye on their backs after a busy offseason, but Albert Pujols, Kendry Morales and a scary pitching staff should have the Angels cruising into the playoffs.
Player to watch: First baseman Albert Pujols
Los Angeles Dodgers- Broke and suddenly overshadowed by the upstart Angels, good pitching and the addition of a healthy Andre Ethier means that the Dodgers could have a sneaky-good season.
Player to watch: Pitcher Clayton Kershaw
Milwaukee Brewers- The team is about 350 lbs. and eight wins lighter without Prince Fielder, but could still win out in a weak division.
Player to watch: Pitcher Yovani Gallardo
Minnesota Twins- Mauer's legs and Liriano's arm are the few things worth watching on this snoozer of a team.
Player to watch: Pitcher Francisco Liriano
New York Mets- Between the Giants, Knicks and Rangers, it's been a good run, New York.
Player to watch: Right fielder Lucas Duda
New York Yankees- Loaded as usual, but will need Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes and Michael Pineda to deliver to keep pace with the Red Sox.
Player to watch: Pitcher Michael Pineda
Oakland Athletics- After losing its top two pitchers and adding a slew of middle-tier outfielders, we can only hope this is one of Billy Beane's genius plots.
Player to watch: Pitcher Brandon McCarthy
Philadelphia Phillies- This could be their last chance at a run before Miami and Washington take over the NL East, but Ryan Howard's lengthy recovery is already the season's first setback.
Player to watch: Pitcher Vance Worley
Pittsburgh Pirates- All you need to know about the promise-turned-inevitable disappointment that is the Pittsburgh Pirates: Big offseason acquisition A.J. Burnett is already sidelined after fouling a ball off of his face.
Player to watch: Third baseman Pedro Alvarez
San Diego Padres- The Padres are a collection of answers to obscure trivia questions.
Player to watch: Closer Huston Street
San Francisco Giants- Always in the mix with Tim Lincecum headlining the rotation, but the main story is whether they'll let Buster Posey continue catching.
Player to watch: First baseman Brandon Belt
Seattle Mariners- Unfortunately for Seattle, Felix Hernandez can only pitch once every five days.
Player to watch: Second baseman Dustin Ackley
St. Louis Cardinals- The Cardinals have neither abundant speed nor overwhelming power, but somehow have a knack for coming out on top more often than not.
Player to watch: Pitcher Adam Wainwright
Tampa Bay Rays- The little kid on the block for the past few years, the Rays have finally hit their growth spurt, but that also means they can't sneak up on anyone anymore.
Player to watch: Pitcher Matt Moore
Texas Rangers- Downright terrifying on paper, but it won't be a cakewalk to the division crown this year.
Player to watch: Pitcher Yu Darvish
Toronto Blue Jays- Jose Bautista is no flash in the pan, but not as much can be said for the hitters surrounding him.
Player to watch: Third baseman Brett Lawrie
Washington Nationals- A potential powerhouse, but inexperience at all the key positions means the season could derail quickly.
Player to watch: Pitcher Gio Gonzalez
Image via The Sacramento Bee
Adam Cancryn is an editor and co-founder of Began in '96.
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