Roger Cedeno lead the league in stolen bases? Is there a better pitcher's park in baseball than the Copa?
Kansas City Royals: Is closer Roberto Hernandez worth five to 10 additional wins? Is outfielder Dee Brown ready? Has anybody seen Carlos Beltran?
Minnesota Twins: Will Matt Lawton be traded? Will this franchise ever come up with a power hitter?
AL WEST
Oakland A's: Is this the team that will finally take out the Yankees? Will Tim Hudson and Barry Zito combine for 35 wins? Is one year of Johnny Damon worth the future of Ben Grieve?
Seattle Mariners: Is Ichiro Suzuki the most expensive slap-hitter in baseball? Will the Mariners, even with their fine pitching, score enough runs to compete with Oakland?
Anaheim Angels: Is Ramon Ortiz a No. 1 starter? Why does this franchise operate with a small-market mentality?
Texas Rangers: Will they score 1,000 runs? Can you add a $252 million player and still finish in last place? Can Tim Crabtree close?
NL EAST
Atlanta Braves: How much will a surgically repaired John Smoltz be able to give the Braves? Will Andruw Jones' steady rise to stardom earn him an MVP award? Does any team benefit more from the unbalanced schedule than the Braves? (They own the Mets -- whom they play 13 times -- and play 57 games against the Phillies, Expos and Marlins.)
New York Mets: Can the Mets win again without major production from their outfield? Are Kevin Appier and Steve Trachsel the Queens version of Kenny Rogers and Andy Hawkins? Is Mike Piazza the most indispensible player in the league?
Florida Marlins: Outside of Oakland, does anybody have better major league-ready young pitching than the Fish? Does Alex Gonzalez
care?
Montreal Expos: Can Fernando Tatis prove his St. Louis skeptics wrong and show more drive? Will the real Michael Barrett please return to Montreal?
Philadelphia Phillies: Will someone please explain the logic in
guaranteeing big money to Jose Mesa, Rheal Cormier and Ricky Bottalico? Is Jimmy Rollins the real deal at shortstop? Can Travis Lee's career be saved?
NL CENTRAL
St. Louis Cardinals: Is Rick Ankiel's "Wild Thing" phase over? Is Matt Morris a 20-game winner waiting to happen? Is there anything more exciting in baseball than a Mark McGwire at-bat?
Cincinnati Reds: Is Scott Sullivan the most under-appreciated relief pitcher in baseball? Can Ken Griffey Jr. regain .300 and happiness in Cincinnati?
Milwaukee Brewers: Will Jeromy Burnitz be traded? Will Miller Park help Milwaukee finally get off to a fast start?
Houston Astros: Are Billy Wagner and Craig Biggio as good as new? Can Jose Lima come back? How can this not be the team most improved from last year?
Pittsburgh Pirates: Can they get an attitude boost from beautiful PNC Park? Have we hit Kris Benson's ETA for stardom? Are the '60s-style uniform vests cool or what?
Chicago Cubs: Will Sammy Sosa be traded in July? Will Kerry Wood come close to being a dominating pitcher again? Is Corey Patterson worthy of the hype?
NL WEST
San Francisco Giants: Is there any doubt that Barry Bonds, still going strong at 36, is the best player of his generation? How will the Giants replace the production of Ellis "Instant Offense" Burks?
Los Angeles Dodgers: Can rookie manager Jim Tracy drive this machine? Is there a worse three-game series for opposing right-handed hitters than one in which they draw Kevin Brown, Chan Ho Park and Darren Dreifort? Did anybody notice just how bad a season Shawn Green had last year?
Arizona Diamondbacks: Is it true Modern Maturity applied for 2001 media credentials to cover the Humpbacks? Is there a fire sale just around the corner if this cash-strapped franchise doesn't get off to a good start?
Colorado Rockies: Can Larry Walker stay healthy? Can Mike Hampton survive altitude, expectations and a four-something ERA to pitch the Rockies into the playoffs? Is Neifi Perez the best shortstop in the NL?
San Diego Padres: If Phil Nevin is productive and cheap, why do the Padres want to get rid of him? Is Ben Davis' pilot light burning? How many more chances does Ruben Rivera get?
Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers the baseball beat
for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
