Editor's note: ESPN.com has teamed with ESPN The Magazine and the SweetSpot Blog Network to produce this year's preview capsules. Buster Olney and Tim Kurkjian examined the American League and the National League, respectively. They ordered the teams based on how they think they'll finish, while also breaking down each team's best- and worst-case scenarios.
The SweetSpot bloggers provided the projected lineups, pitching rotations and bullpens, which are mostly approximations based on the latest information. In most cases, they don't include players who will open the season on the disabled list. The lineups reflect the most likely batting order against a right-handed starter and are subject to change.
Philadelphia Phillies
PROJECTED LINEUP
Shane Victorino# CF
Placido Polanco 3B
Hunter Pence RF
Jim Thome* 1B
Laynce Nix* LF
Jimmy Rollins# SS
Carlos Ruiz C
Freddy Galvis 2B
BENCH POS
John Mayberry Jr. LF
Ty Wigginton 1B
PITCHING
ROTATION POS
Roy Halladay SP1
Cliff Lee* SP2
Cole Hamels* SP3
Joe Blanton SP4
Vance Worley SP5
BULLPEN POS
Chad Qualls RP
Antonio Bastardo* RP
Jonathan Papelbon CL
* -- left-handed
# -- switch-hitter
New players in italics
Information courtesy of Crashburn Alley
THE PICK
1st Place
Best-case scenario: Wunderkind Desmond Jennings picks up right where he left off after a stellar second-half debut (10 HRs, 20 SBs), and the starting pitching turns out to be as good as it can be, with rookie Matt Moore teaming with ace David Price to form the American League's premier lefty tandem.
Worst-case scenario: Tampa Bay's fragile bullpen, filled once again with buy-low journeymen, collapses, and the lineup sputters due to strikeout-prone hitters (B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena) and potential black holes at catcher (Jose Molina) and shortstop (Sean Rodriguez).
New York Yankees
PROJECTED LINEUP
PLAYER POS
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher# RF
Raul Ibanez* DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF
BENCH POS
Eric Chavez IF
Andruw Jones OF
PITCHING
2011: Stats » AL ERA (4th) »
ROTATION POS
CC Sabathia* SP1
Hiroki Kuroda SP2
Ivan Nova SP3
Michael Pineda SP4
Phil Hughes SP5
BULLPEN POS
David Robertson RP
Mariano Rivera RP
* -- left-handed
# -- switch-hitter
New players in italics
Information courtesy of Bronx Baseball Daily
THE PICK
1st Place
Best-case scenario: Ryan Howard returns May 1 fully recovered from Achilles surgery, and Chase Utley is back soon after. Pence's first full season in Philly is as good as his two-month debut. The big three win 60 games, Hamels signs a long-term deal and Papelbon saves the NLCS clincher.
Worst-case scenario: Howard returns June 1 and still can't hit lefties, Utley's three-year offensive slide continues and the improvement of the Nationals and Marlins prevents the Phillies from winning their sixth straight division title, despite the best efforts of Hamels, Halladay and Lee.
Miami Marlins
PROJECTED LINEUP
Jose Reyes# SS
Emilio Bonifacio CF
Hanley Ramirez 3B
Giancarlo Stanton RF
Logan Morrison* LF
John Buck C
Gaby Sanchez 1B
Omar Infante 2B
BENCH POS
Bryan Petersen* OF
Greg Dobbs* Util
PITCHING
ROTATION POS
Josh Johnson SP1
Mark Buehrle* SP2
Ricky Nolasco SP3
Anibal Sanchez SP4
Carlos Zambrano SP5
BULLPEN POS
Edward Mujica RP
Mike Dunn* RP
Heath Bell CL
* -- left-handed
# -- switch-hitter
New players in italics
Information courtesy of Marlins Daily
THE PICK
2nd Place (wild card)
Best-case scenario: Josh Johnson wins the Cy Young, Carlos Zambrano has 12 more wins than meltdowns, Hanley Ramirez is the NL's most productive third baseman, Jose Reyes steals 70 bases and Ozzie Guillen leads the Marlins to their first NL East title in club history.
Worst-case scenario: Johnson and Reyes get hurt again, Ramirez hates playing third, Zambrano gets mad, Guillen gets madder, the fans stop coming to the new ballpark and Showtime's cameras chronicle it all, making the 2012 Marlins the most spectacularly entertaining .500 team ever.
Atlanta Braves
PROJECTED LINEUP
PLAYER POS
Michael Bourn* CF
Martin Prado LF
Brian McCann* C
Dan Uggla 2B
Freddie Freeman* 1B
Chipper Jones# 3B
Jason Heyward* RF
Tyler Pastornicky SS
BENCH POS
Matt Diaz OF
Jose Costanza* OF
PITCHING
2011: Stats » NL ERA (5th) »
ROTATION POS
Jair Jurrjens SP1
Tommy Hanson SP2
Brandon Beachy SP3
Mike Minor* SP4
Kris Medlen SP5
BULLPEN POS
Eric O'Flaherty* RP
Jonny Venters RP
Craig Kimbrel CL
* -- left-handed
# -- switch-hitter
New players in italics
Information courtesy of Capitol Avenue Club
THE PICK
3rd Place (wild card)
Best-case scenario: Heyward adjusts to the ball in and jacks 35 homers, Jones caps off his Hall of Fame career, Bourn swipes 60 bags and the rotation gives Kimbrel and Venters enough leads to get the Braves into the playoffs as a wild card.
Worst-case scenario: Injuries to starters Tim Hudson and Hanson lead to an overworked bullpen, Heyward can't find his swing, Jones realizes he stayed one year too long and the Braves collapse in September again because they can't score without hitting homers.
Washington Nationals
PROJECTED LINEUP
PLAYER POS
Ian Desmond SS
Danny Espinosa 2B
Ryan Zimmerman 3B
Michael Morse 2B
Adam LaRoche* 1B
Jayson Werth LF
Wilson Ramos 1B
Rick Ankiel* SS
BENCH POS
Mark DeRosa Util
Brett Carroll OF
PITCHING
ROTATION POS
Stephen Strasburg SP1
Gio Gonzalez* SP2
Jordan Zimmermann SP3
Edwin Jackson* SP4
John Lannan* SP5
BULLPEN POS
Brad Lidge RP
Tyler Clippard RP
Drew Storen CL
* -- left-handed
# -- switch-hitter
New players in italics
Information courtesy of Nationals Baseball
THE PICK
4th Place
Best-case scenario: The Nationals contend on the strength of an underrated rotation led by Strasburg, who dominates in his team-imposed limit of 160 innings. Bryce Harper shows he's ready for the bigs at age 19, and Michael Morse proves that last season was no fluke.
Worst-case scenario: Harper doesn't join the big league club until July, Morse is a fluke and the Nationals' offense labors the way it did in 2011. Strasburg doesn't reach his 160 innings, and the rest of the rotation and bullpen show that the Nats are still a year away from being contenders.
New York Mets
PROJECTED LINEUP
PLAYER POS
Andres Torres# CF
Daniel Murphy 2B
David Wright 3B
Ike Davis* 1B
Jason Bay LF
Lucas Duda* RF
Josh Thole* C
Ruben Tejada SS
BENCH POS
Justin Turner 2B/3B
Scott Hairston OF
PITCHING
ROTATION POS
Johan Santana* SP1
R.A. Dickey SP2
Jonathon Niese* SP3
Mike Pelfrey SP4
Dillon Gee SP5
BULLPEN POS
Jon Rauch RP
Ramon Ramirez RP
Frank Francisco CL
* -- left-handed
# -- switch-hitter
New players in italics
THE PICK
5th Place
Best-case scenario: Ownership survives the Bernie Madoff ruling, cash starts to flow and Wright signs a long-term contract. Citi Field's new, smaller dimensions lead to increased production from Wright, Bay and Davis. Santana wins 10, and the Mets don't lose 90.
Worst-case scenario: Despite a favorable Madoff ruling in March, the club's debt forces the Wilpons to trade Wright. Meanwhile, shoulder problems limit Santana to 50 innings, and fan interest bottoms out as the team approaches 100 losses.