The Robert DeNiro Movie: No matter how bad a movie is, you can always be assured that DeNiro will give an A+ performance. No matter how bad my other picks go, these should surely work out as planned.
1) The New York Yankees will repeat as World Series champions. This pains me an incredible amount considering I'm a Boston fan, but I have to admit it. The Yanks have Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, and Mariano Rivera, all of whom are among the best at their respective positions, if not the best. They upgraded from Johnny Damon to Curtis Granderson, and will be in the hunt for Joe Mauer. The train to the Commissioners' Trophy runs through the Bronx.
2) The Phillies will make it to their 3rd straight World Series. This team is an American League-caliber power playing in the National League. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, Cole Hamels, JA Happ, and now Roy Halladay will be too much for the rest of the NL to compete in a 5- or 7-game series. We're looking at a repeat of last year's Fall Classic.
3) Curtis Granderson will become a superstar. Under the dim lights of Detroit, Granderson became just the 3rd player ever to hit 20 home runs, 20 doubles, 20 triples, and steal 20 bases in a season in 2007. He has an above-average glove in centerfield, and is a huge step up from an aging Johnny Damon and a young, but not as good Melky Cabrera. Now that the New York spotlight is on him, expect the same numbers, only a lot more face-time for Granderson.
4) In a related note, the Tigers will realize that replacing Granderson with Damon will be an issue. Johnny Damon is one of the league's best leadoff hitters, has great speed, and above-average power.... What's that? It's not 2005? My bad. In 2010, Damon is one step slower, a liability in the outfield considering he throws like Smalls from The Sandlot before Benny taught him to throw, and has no more power than Granderson. Going from a 28-year-old star to a 36-year-old has-been = nothing good.
5) Steven Strasburg will be average at best this season. They are calling him the next big thing. But a year removed from San Diego State, rookie phenom Steven Strasburg of the Washington Nationals will not meet his comparisons with Nolan Ryan - at least not this year. With any hope, he'll start off in the minors, get plenty of time to get his confidence up, and then get the call to the big-time. The thing the Nats cannot afford to do is throw him too early and too often, especially if he does achieve early success. If they do, they could be getting into a Mark Prior situation.
6) Roy Halladay will be fine in the regular season, but come the playoffs, he'll be in for a rude awakening. Last season Cliff Lee pitched brilliantly in the second half of the season and the postseason for the Phillies. So what do they do? Trade him to Seattle for Halladay. While he may be a workhorse, Halladay has never come close to sniffing the postseason, with Boston and New York to deal with in the AL East. That lack of experience, plus the fact that eventually you've got to think he'll break down a little, could cause problems in October and November.
7) Albert Pujols will win another MVP. Let's go down the list at what Pujols is the best at: hitting for power, hitting to all fields, fielding at 1st base, decision-making. There is no one smarter or more talented than José Albert Pujols Alcantara on the planet. A perfect combination of size, power, brains, ability, and deceptive speed, there's no reason to believe he won't win his 4th MVP, and compete once again for the Triple Crown.
8) Ivan Rodriguez, Adam Kennedy, and Willy Tavares may be names, but it won't stop the Nationals from finishing last in the NL East. An aging superstar, another aging role player, and a fast centerfielder with no power won't be enough to get the worst team in baseball out of the basement in the NL East, especially when the division's top four teams (Philly, Atlanta, New York, Florida) are all contenders for a playoff spot.
9) 3 of these 5 managers will be fired by August 1st: Manny Acta, Dave Trembley, Dusty Baker, Lou Piniella, Cito Gaston. Here are who these 5 coach, respectively: Cleveland, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Chicago (NL), and Toronto. 
None of these teams improved over the winter, their opposition got better, and all will be near the bottom of their divisions except for Piniella, but time is running out for him at Wrigley. In a world where coaches and managers are fired ad nauseum, these are my 5 candidates who won't be able to handle the temperatures on the hot seat.
None of these teams improved over the winter, their opposition got better, and all will be near the bottom of their divisions except for Piniella, but time is running out for him at Wrigley. In a world where coaches and managers are fired ad nauseum, these are my 5 candidates who won't be able to handle the temperatures on the hot seat.10) Texas will have one of the best offenses in baseball, but will be a .500 team. Every season it seems that Texas is found among the league leaders in home runs (2nd in the AL last year) and runs scored (top 6), yet they haven't won a division title or made the playoffs since 1999. Only twice have they finished above .500, even with the high-powered offense, and there's no reason to think things will change this year.
11) With the addition of Chone Figgins, Ichiro will score 120 runs. As I wrote 2 weeks ago, Chone Figgins going to Seattle drastically improves the Mariners' offense. With a solid 2-hitter who can move Ichiro into scoring position, I see no reason why he won't reach 120 runs for the first time since his rookie year in 2001.
12) ESPN won't be the same without Peter Gammons. Who knew that such a little man could have such an impact on the baseball world. No one was more respected in baseball media than Gammons, and the Worldwide Leader will have a hard time replacing him. The good news? He went to NESN, so Sox fans will be able to see him 130 times a year.
The Lindsay Lohan Return to Rehab: I'm expecting these to happen, and if they don't it wouldn't be the end of the world, but ultimately I would be surprised.
13) The only teams capable of beating the Yankees in a playoff series are the Red Sox and Mariners. In the playoffs two great pitchers can beat a great team (i.e. Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson beating the '01 Yankees). The Mariners have Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee. Boston has Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, John Lackey, and Daisuke Matsuzaka, then Jonathan Papelbon in the bullpen. The only hope anyone has of beating New York will be through pitching, and only these 2 have the depth.
14) Josh Johnson, Tim Lincecum, and Jair Jurrjens will be the NL Cy Young candidates. Johnson and Jurrjens will almost single-handedly give their teams a chance at a playoff berth and will have breakout years. Lincecum has won the last 2 Cy Youngs, and now that he's making more than $600K, expect his happiness to equal numbers once again.
15) The NL West rides on the arm of Brandon Webb. Last year Webb was hurt and only pitched 4 innings. Not so coincidentally, the Diamondbacks finished last in the NL West, even though they had talent. The West isn't very strong this year, and if Webb can come back and pitch like he did in '08, Arizona could be contending for the division with Los Angeles.
16) These will be this year's playoff teams: AL - New York, Minnesota, Seattle, Boston (wild card) NL - Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco, Atlanta (wild card)
17) The Royals will be 2nd in the AL Central on May 1st. By June 30th they will be last. For a split second last year, Zach Greinke and the Kansas City Royals were in 1st place in the division. A few weeks and a 9-game losing streak later, they were last, where they remained for the season. If they played every month like they do in April, they would be decent.
18) Joe Mauer, Lance Berkman, and Derek Jeter, all in their last year of their contracts, will stay. Joe Mauer may be the 2nd best player in baseball and deserve big-time money, but he's a Minnesota guy. Berkman has only a few years left, and he'd like to finish them in Houston. Derek Jeter being anything other than a New York Yankee is like The Funky Bunch without Marky Mark - it's not right. Don't even joke about it.
19) Ozzie Guillen will feud with Jake Peavy at least twice. Mark Buehrle was already given the Opening Day nod, even though Peavy is clearly a better pitcher. Peavy begrudgingly went to Chicago to begin with, and milked an injury so he didn't have to play. Guillen has the ability to piss off a Care Bear. Not good for Chi-Sox fans.
20) The NL East will be the best race. This division will be the most exciting to watch not because the division title will be close (Philly will run away with that), but because Atlanta, Florida, and the Mets all have a legitimate shot at a wild-card berth. These three could very easily be separated by a game or two in early October.
21) The AL West will be the 2nd best race. Seattle is an up and coming franchise with Lee and Figgins joining. The Angels have run away with the division recently, but lost Figgins and Lackey, two cornerstones to their success. Texas came on strong late, and have the offense to make some noise.
22) The Pirates will trade Zach Duke and/or Andrew McCutchen.These are the 2 best players in the Pittsburgh organization. Because of this, they will be traded. Look at whom the Pirates have gotten rid of in recent years: Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, Xavier Nady, Nate McLouth, Adam LaRoche, Tom Gorzelanny, Jack Wilson. That's not a bad lineup, especially the outfield. Are the Pirates owners associated with the NBA in any way? Because they sure know how to tank like an NBA team.
23) With José Reyes back, David Wright will once again hit 25 home runs. The Mets were a truly atrocious power team. They couldn't hit home runs. Wright had only 10 homers and 72 runs batted in last year, down from 33 HRs and 124 RBIs in '08. With Reyes back, it will take a lot of the load off Wright, who can return to his normal self.
The Johnny Depp Academy Award: These predictions very well could happen, but no one would be surprised if they didn't.
24) This is the penultimate year for Mariano Rivera. Rivera is one of 2 Yankees I can respect (Jeter is the other), but he's not getting any younger. I think this year he will be typical Mo, but towards the end of the year I think we'll see the beginning of a slow transition.
25) Evan Longoria will win AL MVP. If he can cut down on the strikeouts (262 in 2 seasons), expect another 30 HR, 100 RBI, Gold Glove season for the 3rd year player. And with the injury-prone Rays who have no one nearly as complete as Longoria, he'll be a big reason why the Rays will be in the hunt for the wild card. The stats and impact will make him a candidate for MVP.
26) JA Happ and Jayson Werth will launch into superstardom. Happ, reigning NL Rookie of the Year, went 12-4 in 35 appearances (23 starts) last year with an earned run average of 2.93. And with Hamels, Halladay, and rookie Kyle Drabek in Philly with him, he won't have the pressure of an ace. Expect another big year from him. Werth, also a Phillie, hit 36 homers and drove in 99 runs to go along with 20 stolen bases. Like Happ, he has Rollins, Utley, and Howard to relieve pressure off him. Another spectacular season should come with more recognition.
27) Daisuke Matsuzaka will milk another injury in Boston. 
a guy who once threw 250 pitches in a game, Matsuzaka missed an awful lot of time last year for what appeared to be a minor injury. That was when he was the 2nd go-to guy on Boston. Now he's not the 1st (Beckett), 2nd (Lackey) or 3rd (Lester) guy in the rotation, something that can't make Dice-K too happy. I'm feeling another small injury being extended a month or two.
a guy who once threw 250 pitches in a game, Matsuzaka missed an awful lot of time last year for what appeared to be a minor injury. That was when he was the 2nd go-to guy on Boston. Now he's not the 1st (Beckett), 2nd (Lackey) or 3rd (Lester) guy in the rotation, something that can't make Dice-K too happy. I'm feeling another small injury being extended a month or two.28) Managers of the Year: Don Wakamatsu, Bobby Cox. Wakamatsu is in his second year with Seattle. Last year he turned a bad team into a .500 one. Now he has the most improved team in the AL (if not all of baseball). Cox, meanwhile, is in his final year as the Braves manager, and with an improved team, should go out with a bang.
29) Brandon Webb and Garrett Atkins will be Comeback POY: Webb pitched all of 4 innings in '09. If he shows even remote signs of his 2008 form, the award is his. Atkins is new to Baltimore, and will be one of the only bright spots for the lowly O's.
30) The Marlins and Braves will be 2 of the NL's 5 best teams. Both teams improved drastically in the offseason, and now have a bit more experience. Josh Johnson will have a breakout year on the mound for Florida, as will Jair Jurrjens for Atlanta. Unfortunately, with the talent in Philly, only one of them will go to the playoffs.
31) Alfonso Soriano is no longer in his prime. By a long shot. He has failed to play 120 games in each of his last two seasons. He hasn't reached 75 RBIs since 2006. He barely reached his 2006 HR total (46) in '08 and '09 combined (49). He has always been a defensive liability. Going on 34, expect a quiet year.
32) Adam Lind will be the Blue Jays offense.The young DH hit 35 HRs and had 114 RBIs with an aging Vernon Wells and an unhappy Alex Rios. The only other good player was Aaron Hill. I think Hill is a bust this year (note to all you fantasy owners out there), which means Lind will have to carry the offense.
The Backstreet Boys Triumphant Comeback: These are the picks that I really, really want to happen. I am praying for them to happen. However, unlike the Backstreet Boys, I want them to happen for reasons other than being able to laugh hysterically.
33) Matt Holliday will redeem himself for last year's error. Ask any Cardinals fan what all but killed their playoff hopes and all will say it was Holliday's 9th-inning drop that cost St. Louis Game 2 against the Dodgers. Having a major man-crush on Holliday, I am very much hoping that this happens. He's too good a player to not come back from that.
34) Brad Lidge makes a triumphant comeback this year. In 2008 Lidge was the best closer in baseball, going a perfect 48-for-48 in helping Philly win the World Series. In '09 he was worse than Major League II. For such a nice guy, here's to hoping he thrives once again in 2010.
35) Chan Ho Park will be the next Chien Ming Wang for the Yankees. What were the Yanks thinking? Signing a 36-year-old who played for 4 teams the last 4 seasons to replace injury-prone Wang? If the champs have one glaring weakness, it's on the mound. It's CC, Mo, and occasionally AJ Burnett. And, most importantly, never Joba.
36) Griffey, Edmonds, and Vlad go out quietly. None ever took steroids. All had the careers to prove it: great in their primes, but once they hit 33 their bodies began to deteriorate. Two of the greatest defensive centerfielders ever (Griffey and Edmonds), two of the most feared hitters of his generation (Griffey and Vlad), and two of the best arms from the outfield (Griffey and Vlad), they will be missed dearly.
The Alba-Simpson-Mendes Collaborative Nude Scene: My personal favorite of the 5 categories. These picks will never ever happen in a million years. However, if any of them ever came true, much like the nude scene, I would be so beyond joy I might explode. Like there's a 99.99% chance of it happening.
37) In his 1st at-bat of interleague play, Joba Chamberlain gets hit by a 95 mph fastball. A bit mean? Yes. Do I care? Not even a little bit.
38) Tim McCarver says approximately 1.5 idiotic things per inning. This number is up from last year's 1.25 stupid things an inning. With age comes senility. Ah, the things I look forward to....
39) Manny will say it's his last season in LA, then it's not, then it is again at least 10 times. It's already happened once, and the players have barely gotten the winter rust off. For once it'll be nice to hear Manny complain, but not have to worry about it because it won't be in Boston.
40) Minka Kelly is shown on camera at least five times per game. Jeter's most recent (and appearing to be most permanent) arm candy stars in Friday Night Lights, and my heart. I would contemplate watching the Yankees more often if this were to happen.
41) On a related note, Kelly will put the same curse on Jeter that Kate Hudson put on A-Rod. A-Rod sucked with Hudson just 200 feet away. With any luck Jeter will do the same. (Note: If this turns out to be similar to what Kim Kardashian did to Reggie Bush and the Saints, I will lose all respect for her and her hotness)
42) After breaking the single-season passing, rushing, and receiving records by Week 6 of the NFL season, Tim Tebow signs with a contender, wins MVP in the LCS and World Series, and in doing so makes his case for the Baseball Hall of Fame. This will be followed by Tebow returning to the NFL and winning the Super Bowl on a last second 76-yard touchdown run. Merely reason #14,752 why Tim Tebow is a god.
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