National League

Unlike the AL West and Central, this will be a very short preview and prediction of the National League. Not that they are inferior, but I'm just getting too lazy to do a team by team analysis.

NL East:
Losing pitching coach Leo Mazzone to the Orioles this offseason, it will be interesting to see how the Braves pitching staff perform. It is no fluke that Atlanta has won 14 division titles in a row, and they are still the team to beat. NY Mets have closed the gap with signing of Billy Wagner and the acqusition of Carlos Delgado, but their starting rotation will keep them from overtaking Atlanta. After their fire-sale, it won't be surprising to see the Marlins at the bottom of the standings after 162 games.

Atlanta
NY Mets
Washington
Philadelphia
Florida

NL Central:
St. Louis is still the team to beat in the Central, but it will be alot closer by September, expect the Cubs, Brewers, and Astros to be within striking distance of the Cards. The health of Mark Prior, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano will be key to the Cubs success. The Brewers have a very bright future, with the right side of the infield anchored by Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder. Ben Sheets must remain healthy, Chris Capuano and Doug Davis must put up similiar numbers for them to compete. Look for the Brewers to be contending in a year or two. With Roger Clemens' future still up in the air, Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte will have to repeat last year's success. With majority of last year's conference winning team returning, Astros will again be one of the teams that will likely be a buyer at the trade deadline.

St. Louis
Houston
Milwaukee
Chicago C
Pittsburgh
Cinncinnati

NL West:
The worse league in the whole MLB again, a team with a .500 record will probably take down the division title. A healthy Barry Bonds and Jason Schmidt should carry the Giants to the top of the standings, but San Diego and their ace Jake Peavy will also look to repeat as the division champions. The return of Eric Gagne, as well as the addition of players such as Rafael Furcal will give the Dodgers a chance at title in this weak division.

San Diego
San Francisco
LA Dodgers
Arizona
Colorado