Countdown to Opening Day: #1 Philadelphia Phillies

By Andrew Marcus

Sportswriter for Montgomery Media

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

To help pass the time between now and the start of the 2011 Major League Baseball season I am going to be examining a different team every day. Starting with the Pirates, working toward the Phillies. I will give you my projected starters, breakout and bust players, biggest spring training question and top prospect

PROJECTED LINEUP

CF Shane Victorino

3B Placido Polanco

SS Jimmy Rollins

1B Ryan Howard

RF Ben Francisco

LF Raul Ibanez

C Carlos Ruiz

2B Wilson Valdez

P Roy Halladay

***Chase Utley (likely to start season on DL)

PROJECTED ROTATION

Roy Halladay

Cliff Lee

Roy Oswalt

Cole Hamels

Joe Blanton

PROJECTED BULLPEN
Closer - Brad Lidge
Set-up - Ryan Madson

Top Prospect - Dominic Brown (OF)

Breakout

Antonio Bastardo - On the rare day that the Phillies' starting picther does not go seven innings, Bastardo will become the most reliable bridge to Madson and Lidge. He has the velocity and slider to get out the top left-handed hitters in the game. His emergence will erase all the bullpen question some had about the Phightins.

Bust

Carlos Ruiz - It's going to take a lot to keep the screaming girls off this fan favorite, but the MVP chants last season where too much. Let him worry about managing the pitching staff and if he hits above .300 again, great, but do not count on it. Ruiz is a great catcher, but not a above average hitter. The talks of hitting in the meat of the order are laughable.

Biggest Spring Training Question

Well, it was right field - How quickly the focus has gone from the battle between the top prospect (Brown) and the Ben Francisco treat. All eyes are on the injured Chase Utley.His return is so far up in the air I saw plane before I knew when he'd return to the lineup. They could still make the playoffs without Utley, but a World Series title would be seriously tested.

LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 97-65

PROJECTED FINISH: 1st in the National League East

Can the Fab 4 and Joe keep the Phils in first?

***THANKS FOR READING MY TEAM BY TEAM OUTLOOKS TO HELP PASS THE TIME

Check back tomorrow for my 2011 Predictions