MLB Opening Day is Here, For Real This Time

Yes, technically the Major League Baseball season started. MLB's bizarro plan to have the Oakland A's and Seattle Mariners play two regular season games in Japan, then go back to the exhibition schedule was confusing and hardly noticeable.

The real deal starts today, with one game on the schedule as the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals visit the Miami Marlins in their brand new stadium. It's a chance to showcase the Marlins in their new digs, with their new Miami name. First pitch is set for 7:05 pm eastern.

Tomorrow, there are seven games, which means the season really gets underway. October might be a long way off, but that doesn't mean the experts aren't picking their World Series winners. ESPN has 50 different World Series picks from their own staff, with eighteen picking the Los Angels to win it all. Clearly, adding Albert Pulos has a lot to do with that.

Four teams from the American League are at the top of FoxSports.com's power rankings as things are about to get going. 

Fox has the Detroit Tigers and the Angels ranked one and two respectively. Remember, the Tigers now have power hitting Prince Fielder in their lineup.  

It doesn't hurt that Detroit still has Justin Verlander as their ace. He's a good early bet to take the AL Cy Young award.

Other teams to keep an eye this year include the Arizona Diamondbacks, who will try to improve on last year's huge jump from the season before. The San Francisco Giants will be glad to have Buster Posey back behind the plate, and have added nicely to their pitching staff, led by former Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum.

It's a long season, but October will be here before you know it. 

Article by Eric Gray