Opening Day arrives, Pirates in First Place

Since it is Opening Day and optimism is in the air from Pittsburgh to Wrigleyville, today's three hot topics will be more like the three things to think about during the upcoming season.

Upton's Smokin': Arizona's 22-year-old outfielder Justin Upton(above) is fresh off a big payday, and on the fringe of becoming a flat out stud after a season where he hit .300 with 26 homers. Look for Upton to become a serious MVP candidate by hitting more than 30 homers and eclipsing the century mark in RBI, all while making his brother, B.J., look like old news.

A Few Good Teams: While the NL has clear cut division favorites in the Phillies and Cardinals, the AL will be hotly contested all year, with each division having three very legitimate division contenders. The Rangers, White Sox and Rays are serious, but dark horse candidates in their divisions, and even the O's have improved, leaving the Blue Jays at the bottom of the East, with Kevin Gregg set to provide the fireworks in Toronto.

Zito & Cain: The most influential and crucial components in the Giants' rotation might not include the ace, and 2-time Cy Young winner, Tim Lincecum. Should Matt Cain turn in another stellar year, and if Barry Zito can live up to a fraction of the expectation placed on him in 2007, these two could combine for 30 wins and be a big part of the reason why the Giants are postseason bound.


Photo: zimbio