Minnesota Twins Sox

Minnesota Twins Sox

Minnesota Twins Sox

Mlb Tickets - Top Five Mlb Storylines To Watch In 2010

5. Mannywood in L.A. With Manny Ramirez announcing that this will be his last season in Dodger blue, who knows when another star of Ramirez's gravitas will play for the Dodgers. It's worth noting that Manny won't likely put up the type of numbers fans are used to from him, but this will matter little for fans sporting dreadlocks and sitting in the designated Mannywood section in left field at Dodger Stadium.

Even with a 50-game suspension for using performance enhancing drugs a season ago, Dodger fans still love Manny Ramirez, and that certainly isn't going to change this year with the Dodgers once again expected to win the division. Manny is a perfect fit for the atmosphere of Los Angeles and he continues to be as unpredictable as a Rick Vaughn fastball. With such a combo, he has always helped make <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/mlb-tickets/">MLB tickets</a> sell quickly.

4. Griffey's last chance at a title in Seattle. Ken Griffey Jr. is 40 this season, which is hard to believe for many fans who remember him as "The Kid." His numbers have declined sharply over the last few years and he only plays the outfield in rare occasions, instead playing mainly as the team's DH. With his skills in decline, it's very possible that he retires after this season. Still, Griffey is beloved in Seattle and can still hit the ball out of the park (he hit 19 in just 117 games in 2009). With two stud pitchers in Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez, the Mariners may have the best team Griffey has ever played on. Though they are still a long shot to win a title, many expect them to win the AL West, which would give Griffey one final attempt at the postseason and maybe even a chance to play in the Fall Classic.

3. Boston Red Sox look to return to prominence. After the first World Series win in 2004, the Red Sox were able to exercise their demons and finally rid themselves of the murmurs of curses. With the second title in 2007, the Red Sox sealed themselves as legitimate powerhouses. As the Yankees responded with a World Series victory of their own in 2009, it will be interesting to see how the Red Sox fare in 2010. Once again they are loaded with talent and boast arguably the best starting rotation in the league, giving them a very good shot at a World Series title. Red Sox Nation expects them to challenge the Yankees for the division title this season and no matter what happens, the Sox will be an intriguing team to watch.

2. Joe Mauer and the Minnesota Twins. With the Twins signing Mauer to a $184 million contract and opening up a brand new stadium in the same year, Minnesota no longer seems to be the small market team from years past. With another very talented team, most expect the Twins to again challenge for a division title and many expect them to win it. Target Field is a premier venue that will make fans forget about the Metrodome fairly quickly and the Twins' future seems very bright. Even if they don't have the arms in their rotation to be legit World Series contenders, the Twins have moved well up the ranks of baseball franchises.

1. World Series or bust for New York Yankees. As many people hate the Yankees as love them, which is also the point. No matter what the Yankees do, they draw national attention due to their incredible payroll and status as the most popular baseball team in the world. Every team in the league wishes they were booed as loudly and often as the Yankees are. In 2009, the first year in their new Yankee Stadium, the Yanks took down the World Series and have just as strong a team to start the 2010 season. No matter whether they win another title or the always opinionated Hank Steinbrenner starts making headlines if they fail to meet expectations, baseball fans will be paying attention to the New York Yankees all season long.

The Rest:

The Philadelphia Phillies are the favorite to be the National League representative in the World Series, which would make it their third consecutive appearance. Amidst whispers that the Phillies may be the best National League team in decades, it will be interesting to see if they can live up to the hype. Like the Twins, the Tampa Bay Rays no longer are playing like a small market team and could seriously challenge the Red Sox and Yankees for the division and Wild Card. Those who slept on them in 2008 will be wise not to do the same in 2010.

About the Author

This was written by David James and sponsored by <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/">StubHub</a>. StubHub.com sells <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/mlb-tickets/">MLB tickets</a>, as well as many other kinds of sports tickets, concert tickets, tickets to special events and theatrical performances.