Team Preview: Baron

As he enters his third campaign at the helm, Baron Brendel (VUFSA's resident BFG) appears as though he has put together a squad that could make a run at the championship if the fantasy gods promise not to hate him this year.

The Overview: The misnamed Harangutans (this would be witty if Aaron Harang weren't on JR's team) look very strong in the offensive categories, but the pitching staff has many questions surrounding it.

The Good: Baron loves the Colorado outfield.  Matt Holliday will undoubtedly have another fantastic season, and he is the #1 rated outfielder on nearly every draft list.  With a little luck from the thin air, he could hit 40 home runs and drive in 120-plus.  Brad Hawpe is severely underrated, and he could be a 30-HR, 100-RBI guy.  Bobby Abreu should rebound after (what was for him) a sub-par year.

Placido Polanco will score a million runs at the top of Detroit's offense, and Russell Martin is the top catcher.  Chone Figgins is fast, will steal 50 bases and can play 3 positions.  Derek Jeter will be consistent and will also provide tremendous leadership qualities.

Edwin Encarnacion had a fantastic finish to last year and could finally have the breakout season his owners (namely me) had been waiting for.  Ryan Garko should be good for 25 home runs, and Joey Votto has the potential to become a superstar (whether it happens this year remains to be seen).

John Lackey and Roy Oswalt should combine for 30 wins, and with Brad Lidge now in Philly, if the Houston bullpen doesn't implode, they could combine for 35.

Billy Wagner should post 90 strikeouts and will have plenty of save opportunities with Pedro and Johan at the front of the rotation.  Rafael Bettancourt (the human rain-delay) is one Joe Borowski implosion from being the closer.  He is already one of the premiere set-up men in the game.

The Bad: There are a lot of unknowns on Baron's roster.  He knows what he will get from Holliday, Hawpe, Figgins, Abreu, Martin, Polanco and Jeter.  Beyond that, there are a lot of questions that are still unanswered.  Will Votto become the everyday first baseman?  Will Encarnacion build on his potential?  Who will steal bases besides Figgins.  Where will the home runs (after Holliday, Hawpe and Garko) come from?

On the bump, what will the staff be like beyond the top two?  Can Shields and Snell continue to improve?  Will Joe Blanton become Oakland's ace?  Will Matt Capps get any chances to save games?  How well will Yovani Gallardo's knee heal?  Will Dusty cause Baron to hurtle himself off a bridge (my guess is abso-freakin-lutely).

The Bottom Line: Some offensive categories will be great for Baron (runs, OBP).  If the young'ns (Garko, Votto, Encarnacion) have fantastic seasons, Baron's offense should be near the top of the league.  If they struggle, he might as well.

The pitching staff is headed by two veterans, and is back-ended by a group who could each win 15 games or lose 15 games.  Oswalt and Lackey will be solid, and Shields should provide a strong third, but it is anyone's guess about how the rest will fare.

Baron should improve on last season's 6th-place finish, but all the questions surrounding his team might be too much for him to move into the top three.