As I did last year, I will spend the next six days previewing all thirty teams by division, and then take three days to look at our predictions for the playoffs and the World Series as well as the end of year awards.

Monday: AL West
Tuesday: AL Central
Wednesday: AL East

Thursday: NL East
Friday: NL Central
Saturday: NL West

Sunday: Rotohelp AL Predictions
Monday: Rotohelp NL Predictions
Tuesday: Rotohelp Predicted End-of-Year Awards

I will provide projections of actual lineups, rotations, bullpens and benches for each team, as well as comments on injuries and potential replacements. Each projected roster will be accompanied by additional commentary. With an average of 5 teams a day, there are going to be areas which are less thoroughly covered, so please feel free to send me an e-mail if you have questions.

As far as this week's breaking news is concerned, I will try to incorporate everything relevant to the divisions as I go along. However everything else will have to wait until next Monday or Tuesday, as I will not backtrack during the course of the week to comment on how a particular development will effect a team I've already finished.

American League West

Anaheim Angels
1. David Eckstein, SS-R
2. Darin Erstad, CF-L
3. Tim Salmon, RF-R
4. Garret Anderson, LF-L
5. Troy Glaus, 3B-R
6. Brad Fullmer, DH-L
7. Scott Spiezio, 1B-S
8. Bengie Molina, C-R
9. Adam Kennedy, 2B-L

Bench
Jose Molina, C-R
Shawn Wooten, C/DH-R
Benji Gil, IF-R
Eric Owens, OF-R
Jeff DaVanon, OF-S

Rotation
1. LHP Jarrod Washburn
2. RHP Ramon Ortiz
3. RHP Kevin Appier
4. RHP John Lackey
5. RHP Mickey Callaway

Bullpen
Closer: Troy Percival
Setup: Francisco Rodriguez
Lefty: Scott Schoeneweis
Middle Relief: Brendan Donnelly
Middle Relief: Ben Weber
Long Relief: Scot Shields

Injury Notes

As previously discussed, Aaron Sele underwent rotator cuff surgery in October, so he will begin the season on the DL. He's currently scheduled to rejoin the rotation in early May.

Matt Wise dropped out of the competition to replace the injured Aaron Sele due to an elbow injury that will require Tommy John surgery. Wise is expected to undergo the surgery tomorrow. He will miss all of the 2003 season and likely a portion of 2004 as well, since he'll only be a year removed from surgery next spring.

Scott Schoeneweis missed last week with a hamstring injury. While he should be fine for the start of the season, this injury removed him from the rotation competition, leaving Mickey Callaway to substitute for Sele. Fortunately, Callaway was the best choice of the three regardless of health.

Jarrod Washburn's spring accident will cost him his Opening Day start. However, he is expected to make the fifth start of the Angels' season. Meanwhile, Anaheim has awarded John Lackey Opening Day honors.

Troy Glaus missed yesterday's game due to what Anaheim believes is a recurrence of tendinitis in his right wrist. However, he'll undergo tests in the next couple of days to determine whether there is a more serious problem, which would require a disabled list stay. Glaus has reportedly suffered from wrist problems in the past, including last season, but if the problem intensifies while he remains in the lineup, it could seriously affect his power production.

Scott Spiezio has a case of shingles, but he should be able to correct the problem with medication. Provided pain doesn't prevent him from playing, he should not miss any time due to the disease.

Darin Erstad continues to suffer occasional weakness in his surgically repaired right wrist. He seems likely to miss a few scattered days in the first couple of months of the season, as the Angels do not want to exacerbate the problem. However, Anaheim does not appear to believe that he needs extended rest, so a DL trip is unlikely.

Offense Notes: While I've listed Jeff DaVanon as the last man on the Anaheim bench, there is still some speculation that they may carry Julio Ramirez instead, using him as a late inning defensive replacement in the outfield. Chone Figgins is also still in contention for the final roster spot, but the Angels seem more inclined to take an additional outfielder rather than another infielder. Tim Salmon's off-season knee surgery apparently will not prevent him from playing the outfield when the season starts. Consequently, Salmon shouldn't appropriate numerous DH at-bats. Shawn Wooten is expected to start at DH against most left-handed batters, though Brad Fullmer should receive the majority of the DH playing time.

Pitching Notes: There is a small possibility that the Angels will carry 12 pitchers in order to add a second left-hander to the pen, likely Rich Rodriguez. They may also choose to demote a bench player when Sele returns rather than cutting anyone from the pen if they break camp with 11 pitchers.

Oakland Athletics
1. Mark Ellis, 2B-R
2. Scott Hatteberg, 1B-L
3. Miguel Tejada, SS-R
4. Eric Chavez, 3B-L
5. Jermaine Dye, RF-R
6. Erubiel Durazo, DH-L
7. Terrence Long, LF-L
8. Chris Singleton, CF-L
9. Ramon Hernandez, C-R

Bench
Mark Johnson, C-L
Frank Menechino, IF-R
Ron Gant, LF/RF-R
Adam Piatt, OF-R
Eric Byrnes, OF-R

Rotation
1. RHP Tim Hudson
2. LHP Barry Zito
3. LHP Mark Mulder
4. LHP Ted Lilly
5. LHP John Halama

Bullpen
Closer: Keith Foulke
Setup: Chad Bradford
Lefty: Ricardo Rincon
Middle Relief: Jeremy Fikac
Middle Relief: Mike Neu
L2: Micah Bowie

Injury Notes

Jim Mecir's recovery from November knee surgery remains on schedule to have him ready to rejoin the bullpen in May. I suspect Oakland may want to demote a bench player rather than a reliever when he's ready to come of the disabled list.

Ed Yarnall was at a disadvantage in the competition for the fifth starters job heading into Spring Training, so missing over two weeks with shoulder tightness quickly took him out of the running. He'll likely begin the season in extended Spring Training, but unless the A's suffer an injury early in the season I expect him to head to AAA once he's done with his spring work.

Ricardo Rincon strained his left hamstring in mid-February and did not make his first spring appearance until a week into March. His spring outings have not looked strong, but Spring Training numbers are unreliable. Provided his problems are not the result of lingering injury issues, once the season begins, I expect him to rebound to the high level of effectiveness he's displayed in the past.

Mark Johnson suffered a small concussion when he was hit by a piece of a bat shattered by Randy Winn, but he is expected to be fine before Opening Day. In the same game, Miguel Tejada bruised his left knee while covering second when Winn spiked him. The joint is swollen, but an MRI revealed no structural damage only fluid. After a few days rest, Tejada's expected to be ready for the start of the regular season.

Chris Singleton underwent surgery to remove cysts from his thyroid last week. That procedure likely would have only sidelined him two or three days, but he strained his right hamstring in early March and that injury has kept him away from the field for much of the spring. Consequently, he may open the season with a short stay on the disabled list.

Offense Notes: While I've listed Eric Byrnes as the last man on their bench, I think there's a possibility that they'll take the lefty hitting utilityman Jason Grabowski instead to add diversity to the bench. Unfortunately, although he is healthy now, Grabowski missed a couple weeks in late February and early March due to an oblique strain, and the injury may have lost him his chance at an Opening Day roster spot.

Pitching Notes: Due to the cancellation of their opening series in Japan, the A's will use Tim Hudson as their Opening Day starter rather than Barry Zito.

Oakland reportedly altered Ted Lilly's delivery this off-season in order to reduce the strain on his shoulder. The results appear quite positive, suggesting he should have a strong season.

Seattle Mariners
1. Ichiro Suzuki, RF-L
2. Randy Winn, LF-S
3. Bret Boone, 2B-R
4. Edgar Martinez, DH-R
5. John Olerud, 1B-L
6. Mike Cameron, CF-R
7. Jeff Cirillo, 3B-R
8. Ben Davis, C-R
9. Carlos Guillen, SS-S

Bench
Pat Borders, C-R
Greg Colbrunn, CI-R
John Mabry, CR-L
Willie Bloomquist, IF/LF-R
Mark McLemore, UT-S

Rotation
1. LHP Jamie Moyer
2. RHP Freddy Garcia
3. RHP Joel Pineiro
4. RHP Gil Meche
5. RHP Ryan Franklin

Bullpen
Closer: Kazuhiro Sasaki
Setup: LHP Arthur Rhodes
Setup: Jeff Nelson
Middle Relief: Shigetoshi Hasegawa
Middle Relief: Julio Mateo
Middle Relief: J.J. Putz

Injury Notes

The Mariners shut down closer Kazuhiro Sasaki in mid-March due to tightness in his shoulder. He's not scheduled to begin pitching in Spring Training games for another week, so he may not be ready for the start of the season. However, Seattle seems inclined to use him cautiously, as opposed to placing him on the disabled list.

Seattle placed Dan Wilson on the 15-day DL last week with strained left side oblique muscle. Wilson strained the muscle in late February, but after missing most of Spring Training, the Mariners hope he will be ready to return when he's eligible to leave the disabled list on April 5th. However, I expect he'll take it easy for the first month of the year. Pat Borders should return to the minors when Seattle activates Wilson.

Chris Snelling still has at least another month and possibly three months of rehab ahead of him before he'll have mostly recovered from tearing his ACL last year. As he's spent no time in AAA, he should spend most of 2003 at Tacoma, though as long as he doesn't struggle in the minors, the Mariners will likely consider him as a potential major league injury replacement once he's healthy.

Jamal Strong dislocated his left shoulder and tore his labrum sliding head first into third base in early March. The injury will cost him at least the first half of the 2003 season. Like Snelling, he has spent no time in AAA, so he probably won't be in the majors before September at the earliest.

Offense Notes: Rookie manager Bob Melvin intends to use his bench players frequently and give his starters regular days off. Jeff Cirillo may also replace Randy Winn as the #2 hitter against left-handers, particularly if Cirillo begins to rebound from last season's slump.

Pitching Notes: Seattle released Norm Charlton after he underwent yet another shoulder surgery this spring. This latest injury should make the 40-year-old decide to retire; the Mariners have offered him a job in their player development department.

Rafael Soriano skipped from AA to the majors last season and will now head to Tacoma for some AAA time. However, provided he's performing well at AAA, he'll probably receive the call if the Mariners need to replace an injured starter during the season.

Texas Rangers
1. Doug Glanville, CF-R
2. Carl Everett, LF-S
3. Alex Rodriguez, SS-R
4. Juan Gonzalez, RF-R
5. Rafael Palmeiro, 1B-L
6. Mark Teixeira, DH-S
7. Hank Blalock, 3B-L
8. Einar Diaz, C-R
9. Mike Young, 2B-R

Bench
Todd Greene, C-R
Chad Kreuter, C-S
Mike Lamb, CR-L
Ruben Sierra, RF/LF-S
Jermaine Clark, UT-L

Rotation
1. RHP Ismael Valdes
2. RHP Chan Ho Park
3. RHP John Thomson
4. LHP Doug Davis
5. RHP Colby Lewis

Bullpen
Closer: Ugueth Urbina
Setup: Francisco Cordero
Setup: Jay Powell
Setup: Esteban Yan
Lefty: Aaron Fultz
Middle Relief: Reynaldo Garcia

Injury Notes

Texas placed Todd Van Poppel on the disabled list with a strained groin. The groin injury isn't considered particularly serious, and because the Rangers will be able to back date the start of his DL stint, he could return within the first week of the season. However, some suspect the Rangers are using this DL trip to give Van Poppel additional time to work on a new delivery developed to take stress off his arm, which might mean he'll spend a couple of weeks "rehabbing". Reynaldo Garcia will temporarily replace Van Poppel on the roster.

Jeff Zimmerman's rehab from late July Tommy John surgery has him on schedule to return in July or August of this year, though a couple set backs could easily have him out until September. When he does return, he's likely to share setup duties with Francisco Cordero provided Ugueth Urbina is healthy and performing effectively as the closer.

Herbert Perry will start the season on the 15-day DL, as the bone bruise of his left knee continues to hamper him. Perry developed the problem in February and has been limited throughout Spring Training. He's able to DH and play first, but he is not up to playing third base yet, which has encouraged the Rangers to carry Mark Teixeira. Perry should be eligible to come off the DL a little over a week after the season starts, though there is no guarantee Texas won't have him rehab longer. When he returns, Mike Lamb will likely be bumped from the roster. However, if the Rangers are not finding sufficient playing time for Teixeira they may wish to send him to AAA.

Alex Rodriguez has a small, herniated disc in his neck. However, he began treatment for the problem in mid-March and is expected to be healthy before Opening Day. This problem could recur during the season, but he appears fine for now.

Rusty Greer underwent a series of surgeries this off-season, including rotator cuff surgery, knee surgery, hip surgery, and Tommy John surgery. As a result, he is not expected to play baseball in 2003 and his career is somewhat in jeopardy.

Eric Ludwick's recovery from a hip fracture appears to be progressing well. However, the Rangers did not push him in Spring Training and plan to have him start the season in the minors, so he can rehab slowly.

Kevin Mench will start the season on the DL with a strained oblique muscle on his left side. The injury occurred late last week, and there is not sufficient time for him to recover before Opening Day. The Rangers hope to have him back quickly, but they don't plan to rush his recovery. He'll likely miss the first two weeks of the season. One of the bench players will be bumped from the roster when he returns.

Offense Notes: The Rangers drafted Mark Teixeira out of Georgia Tech with the fifth overall pick of the first round of the 2001 draft. He did not sign until late August of 2001 and then injured his elbow in the spring of 2002, so the 22-year-old did not begin play until the end of May last year. After 150 AB at A+ Charlotte in the Florida State League, he advanced to AA Tulsa. He demonstrated an offensive mastery of both levels, displaying solid plate discipline and considerable power. The Rangers were inclined to send him to AAA to begin this season, as they want to properly guide his development and felt there would be little playing time available in the majors. However, spring injuries have opened up at-bats and Teixeira has continued to excel during Spring Training. I believe the Rangers remain open to sending him to AAA if he displays a need for a more gradual entrance into the majors. Nevertheless, I believe they will leave him in the majors and find playing time for him if he demonstrates he is ready for the big leagues. While his production will likely be less this year than if he had spent more time in the minors, he appears to have the skills he needs to succeed now.

Pitching Notes: While I believe Colby Lewis will make the team as the fifth starter, the Rangers have indicated the Opening Day roster may only include four starters out of eleven pitchers, as they probably won't use a fifth starter until April 12th. They also want to take a second lefty, so C.J. Nitkowski will likely be on the roster instead of Lewis. If manager Buck Showalter insists on carrying two lefties after they've added a fifth starter, Garcia will likely be kicked to AAA. Once Van Poppel rejoins the team, the Rangers will have to kick a bench player to the minors, if they want to keep two southpaws.

Jay Powell may start the season slowly, as he missed significant portions of Spring Training with various illnesses.

Division Ranking
Oakland
Anaheim
Seattle
Texas