EVENTS
 Sportsman of the Year
 Heisman Trophy
 Swimsuit 2001

No. 24 Montreal Expos

Vladimir Guerrero, 24, has averaged 40 HR and 105 RBI over the past two seasons. Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport

1999 Record: 68-94 (4th in NL East)

Since the mid-90's, Montreal has been little more than a very productive farm team for the rest of baseball. Last year was another long summer, as the Expos lost 94 games. But things are starting to change thanks to new owner Jeffrey Loria.

Loria said he wants to increase team payroll by $10 million dollars. That won't exactly turn the Expos into the Yankees, but it's a step in the right direction.

The great news is that superstar-in-waiting Vladimir Guerrero is already signed through 2003, and he's just one of the twenty-somethings Montreal will be counting on to help the club inch toward .500 in the 2000 season.

The key to the future is locking up the core of young talent the team already posesses. Loria could make that happen. The full benefit of his ownership may not be felt for a few years, but hope is something the Expos haven't had in quite a while. For now, though, Montreal is my 24th-ranked team in baseball.

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