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MLB Opening Day: Ranking All 30 Lineups as the Season Kicks off

After reshaping their lineups during the offseason, each MLB team will start with a clean slate to begin the 2012 season.

Big name acquisitions like Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder have changed the landscape of the American League, while the Miami Marlins have built themselves a flashy club in the National League heading into the season.

A new king will be crowned in 2012 and what better way to begin the season than by ranking each team’s lineup leading up to their first game of the season (with the exception of the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics).

So without further ado, here are my 2012 MLB lineup rankings: 

For the purpose of this article, CBS Sports was used for the following American League and National League lineup projections. 

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MLB Free Agency: Establishing Fan’s ‘Approval Rating’ for All 30 GMs

The MLB hot stove has been burning all season long, with big name free agents receiving hefty deals and GMs trying to strengthen their squads.

But what do the fans think of these moves?

We often hear the opinions of analysts, experts, fellow GMs and team brass about offseason acquisitions, but not much from fans.

Often diehard fans who watch every game and keep a close eye on their team are extremely knowledgable and insightful in regards to their team.

Well, here’s to you, fans. It’s your time to shine.

Here are some fan comments regarding each team’s GM’s offseason moves: 

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New York Yankees: What Is Michael Pineda’s Ceiling in New York?

A few weeks ago, the New York Yankees bolstered their rotation by adding Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda to a rotation that already includes stud CC Sabathia and upcoming star Ivan Nova.

The 23-year-old phenom spent his rookie season playing for the small market Seattle Mariners, where he won nine games for a team that managed only 67 wins and finished dead last in the American League West division.

The biggest question for Pineda is if he’ll be able to handle pitching on the brightest stage in professional sports.

While that question can’t be answered until the end of April, the Dominican-born starter has proved his worth in the MLB.

At first glance his 9-10 record doesn’t seem impressive, but when you consider who he played for and his other statistics, you can see the full potential of the Yankee’s newest arm.

The 6-7, 260 lb. righty led all rookies last season in strikeouts with 173 in 171 innings of work, and also featured a 3.74 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. 

He also displayed his durability last season, as he started 28 games, which was tied for the second-most among all rookies. Also impressive is the fact that Pineda accumulated 3.4 wins above replacement, and the fact that opposing hitters averaged a mere .211 against him last season.

Pineda, who earned a spot on the AL All-Star team as a rookie, has already proven that he can pitch in the American League by earning victories against solid ball clubs.

 

On April 28, he earned a victory over the Detroit Tigers that saw him go six innings, surrendering just four hits and striking out nine.

On May 27, he earned a victory over the Yankees, throwing five solid innings of three-hit ball and striking out five, and he also was victorious over the Tampa Bay Rays on July 30, when he allowed just one hit and fanned 10 in 6.1 innings.

To put his season into perspective, only Brandon Morrow (10.19) struck out more batters in the AL per nine innings than Pineda (9.11). 

Only time will tell what Pineda can accomplish in New York.

But we do know one thing; if Pineda can overcome the lights of the big stage, he’s poised for a successful career in the Big Apple.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


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