Call me Mr. Sunshine: Why all 30 MLB teams can win in 2011

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Montgomery Media

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

Before the cleats are tied and the bats are tarred and taped there is only so much the media can talk about. In each city the concerns heading into Opening Day 2011 are all anyone can talk about. It's better TV and radio to discuss why teams will not win a World Series.

Sure, every team does have its weaknesses and concerns, but here is why no matter what team you root for there is hope win this season. As cliche as it is, everyone's record is 0-0 today.

If I had to make an argument for all 30 teams in baseball to make the playoffs I could.

Here is why the Pirates and Mariners could possibly shock the the universe.

Seattle Mariners - Felix Hernandez will only turn 25 years old on April 8th and he enters 2011 with 71 career wins and the reigning Cy Young winner. The addition of youngsters Michael Pineda to the rotation and Dustin Ackley and Justin Smoak to the middle of the order could hit their stride and open eyes.

Pittsburgh Pirates - Don't look now, but the Pirates high first round picks have all finally made the opening day roster. The world knows of Andrew McCutchen by now, but the emergence of Jose Tabata, Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez could make this an offense nobody wants to face.

Arizona Diamondbacks - Every year the D'Backs think this is the year they put it all together. Now that they have traded for a bonafide ace in Daniel Hudson (traded Edwin Jackson to the White Sox) and the offense is one of the N.L.'s elite behind MVP candidate Justin Upton, Stephen Drew and Chris Young, the Diamondbacks think they will back in the playoffs.

Cleveland Indians - A full season with Carlos Santana and Grady Sizemore protecting Shin Soo Choo and Travis Hafner should do wonders for this club. No one is going to run away with the A.L. Central and if the Indians can get the Fausto Carmona of years past and Carlos Carrasco and Justin Masterson take the next step, the Tribe will be in the thick of it.

Washington Nationals - The Nats have improved in all areas. Jordan Zimmermann has the chance to become the staff ace, while Drew Storen takes care of the back end. Adam LaRoche and Jayson Weth have added depth and power to the lineup and don't forget Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper are on the way.

Houston Astros - The Astros may have the best starting rotation that no one is talking about. Brett Myers has shown he will keep his team in every game, Wandy Rodriguez can put up all-star numbers and youngsters Bud Norris, Jay Happ and Jordan Lyles are all right on the verge of stardom.

San Diego Padres - The Friars won 90 games last year when no one expected them to and they think they can do it again. Sure, they lost Adrian Gonzalez but they are confident that Ryan Ludwick and Chase Headley can take their game to the next level. They know if the starters keep it close through six innings the backend of Luke Gregersen, Mike Adams and closer Heath Bell are lights out.

Kansas City Royals - No matter wasting time with place holders and now they have the best farm system in baseball they are going to give all the kids a shot. The likes of Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas are going to be thrown in with Billy Butler and Alex Gordon to take KC back to the glory days of the mid-80s.

Toronto Blue Jays - The Jays are loaded with past prospects that have taken longer to develop than some may thought, but once Travis Snider, Adam Lind, Edwin Encarnacion and the young pitching staff put it all together they will be a team to fear.

New York Mets - Health will be the key, but once Johan Santana gets back the Mets could make some serious ground in the N.L. East. The lineup will stay in tack as Jose Reyes, Jason Bay and Carlos Beltran are back to help out David Wright and budding star Ike Davis.

Baltimore Orioles - Here come a handful of young and talented starting pitchers to Baltimore. Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Chris Tillman and Zach Britton have arrived and the offense happens to be the best its looked in years with additions of Derrek Lee, Vladimir Guerrero and Mark Reynolds. Buck Showalter showed he had a pretty good team, posting the best record in the A.L. from the time he took over.

St. Louis Cardinals - Don't doubt Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan. The loss of Adam Wainwright hurts, but expect the Kyles, Lohse and McClellan, to pick up the slack and Albert Pujols, whose in a walk year, to continue to do what he has done for the last decade.

Chicago Cubs - The hype has been lost, and who can blame it after 100 plus years of losing. But just when you expect them the least, here comes Carlos Pena to knock in 100 runs, Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Zambrano return to old form and Matt Garza changes leagues and becomes a Cy Young candidate.

Oakland A's - After leading the majors in team ERA the young guns are back to do it again. All that was missing last year was some offense and they think the additions of Josh Willingham, David Dejesus and Hideki Matsui are just what was needed to put this team over the top.

Colorado Rockies - Behind the newly contracted Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez the Rockies have plenty of offense to be the team to beat in the National League. The key will be for starters to Jorge de la Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin and Jason Hammel to support Ubaldo Jimenez. The Rox could run away with the West on their way to another Roctober.

Chicago White Sox - The were atop the A.L. Central for the majority of 2010 and they have improved in nearly every aspect of the game. The starting rotation is full of workhorses, the bullpen is strong with the coming out parties by Chris Sale and Sergio Santos and don't forget the donkey in the middle of the order. Adam Dunn could help the White Sox lead the A.L. in homers and runs scored.

Los Angeles Dodgers - Rookie manager Don Mattingly inherited a savvy starting five that could take them to new heights. Jon Garland is a strong five and Clayton Kershaw draws comparison to the great Sandy Koufax. If Matt Kemp can rebound from a frustrating '10 campaign, which is not a big stretch, the Revine should be in store for a strong season.

Tampa Bay Rays - While the media concentrates on the losses (Crawford, Garza, Pena, Soriano) the Rays like to think they have stockpiled prospects for another go-around right away. With Jeremy Hellickson and Desmond Jennings coming on and Evan Longoria and David Price still in tact, there is no reason the Rays will not be right there in the A.L.

Atlanta Braves - The Braves may be the most balanced team in the N.L. will above average players in the rotation, offense, and bullpen. They already have proven aces in Derek Lowe and Tim Hudson and Tommy Hanson could be the best of the five. Add in Dan Uggla and Freddie Freeman to a strong lineup and Braves are many people's pick to win the East and represent the N.L. in the World Series.

Cincinnati Reds - The reigning Central winners are back with the same faces, ready to do it again. The lead the N.L. and runs they should be able to it again. Now they will have secret weapon Aroldis Chapman coming out of the bullpen for an entire season, making Cincy a deadly club.

Florida Marlins - Youngsters Mike Stanton, Gaby Sanchez and Logan Morrison will help Hanley Ramirez ride this offense to insane numbers, but the starters are the reason they will reach the post season. Josh Johnson should be in the Cy Young mix, Ricky Nolasco can rack up the Ks, and Javier Vazquez is back in the N.L., where he nearly won the Cy two years ago. The Fish always put up money at the deadline every few years and with a new ballpark on the horizon this is the season they go big before they go to their new home.

Milwaukee Brewers - They've always had the offense to contend and now they have the pitching. Adding Shaun Marcum and 2009 Cy Young winner Zack Greinke to the rotation makes this team scary good. No one will be surprised when they are five up on every one in the Central for the majority of the season.

Detroit Tigers - Finally the Tigers went out and got some protection for the best hitter in the American League. Miguel Cabrera now has Victor Martinez hitting behind him and it should do wonders for the lineup. Now with the emergence of Max Scherzer last year, followed by the break out of Rick Porcello this season, the Tigers should be a tough team to beat.

Philadelphia Phillies - There have been great rotations before, but none ever with the lofty resumes of the Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. Everyone sees the injuries, but I see an insane amount of workhorses and Ryan Howard in the middle of the lineup. They are my pick to reach the World Series.

San Francisco Giants - They are the World Series champs until this upcoming October, but they have pitching  staff to take the title for another year. The one concern at the Bays is offense in a big ballpark, but Boster Posey seems legit, Pablo Sandoval is a lighter panda, and Brandon Belt could make it back-to-back years a Giant wins rookie of the year.

Texas Rangers- Nolan Ryan take on pitching has carried over, turning middle relieves and Japan stars into major league aces. CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis return for another year, but the Rangers make their moves with a big-armed back end (Neftali Feliz and Alexi Ogando) and a scary good lineup. They are many experts favorites to win the West and make a run at a their first ever World Series.

New York Yankees - While haters want to doubt the starting rotation, manager Joe Girardi says just keep me in the game through six innings. The trio of Joba Chamberlain, Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera should make the game over early and the Yanks have plenty of offense to give guys like Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia the run support they need.

Los Angeles Angels - In a winnable A.L. West the Angels have the best manager and a well-rounded club. While the Rangers have the best offense and the A's have the best rotation, neither of those team have the collective 25-man roster the Halos have. A full year of Dan Haren behind Jered Weaver makes them a tough team out west.

Minnesota Twins - While the pitching staff has always been strong and managed to perfection by Ron Gardenhire, the lineup is the best its been in years and should put them over the top. Justin Morneau is back from a concussion, Joe Mauer is healthy and Delmon Young has put it together. They should be able to play with any team in either league.

Boston Red Sox - All five starters have flirted with Cy Young seasons in past years and they just added Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez to an already dangerous lineup. They were bit by injuries last year, but if they stay healthy  there is no reason they should not add their third title since 2004.