by B. B. James

Created on: March 30, 2010   Last Updated: April 02, 2010

The 2010 baseball season promises to be as exciting and competitive as ever.  Many teams have improved themselves since the New York Yankees won the 2009 World Series.  While the Yankees are the "team to beat," they are sure to face many challenges along the way.  Here's a rundown of the top teams vying to be the 2010 World Series champs.

New York Yankees. The core of the championship returns intact - Jeter, Rodriguez, Texeira, Sabathia, and so on.  Meanwhile, the addition of outfielder Curtis Granderson will cover the only relatively weak area they had last year: outfield defense. 

And if young pitchers Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain reach their potential, watch out. This team could win 100-plus games and dominate on the way to another title.

Boston Red Sox. The perennial contenders have won two World Series titles in the last 6 years, and they remain formidable. This year, unlike in the past, they have shifted from a great offensive team with a good pitching to a great pitching team that has an above-average offense. 

The Sox added tough left-hander John Lackey to a staff that already has the superb Jon Lester and  Josh Beckett.  Those three top-line pitchers will be backed with a defense that is hugely improved at several positions and is likely to make up for an aging group of hitters. If all goes well, Boston could shut down its opponents night after night.

Tampa Bay Rays.  The Rays are considered to have the best young talent in the game. In 2008, that talent came together in the Rays' surprise season that ended in a World Series loss. 

The team took a step back in 2009, but it's poised for a rebound.  If there's any team that the Yankees and Red Sox fear, it's Tampa.  The Rays have dynamite hitters and overpowering pitchers, and they play excellent defense, too. 

The joy of watching Tampa Bay is that its great players - Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist, etc. - still have many years in their prime.

Seattle Mariners.  This team is a dark-horse candidate.  Its hitting is lousy, far below that of the Big Three in the American League.  But its pitching could be dominant, and its defense is fantastic. 

Seattle will try to win a lot of close, low-scoring games, and that's a strategy that can work very well late in the season when things get tense.  Pitchers Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez

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