Baseball : MLB 2009 season preview

The Phillies took their first title since 1980

The Philadelphia Phillies have won the 2008 World Series, clinching their first title since 1980 and the second in franchise history. The Phillies beat Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 in Game 5, in the completion of the first suspended game in World Series history (the game was stopped with the score tied at 2-2 after 5 1/2 innings due to rain).

• World Series title: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
• AL champions: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
• NL champions: Philadelphia Phillie
• AL East champions: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
• AL Central champions: Minessota Twins
• AL West champions: Los Angeles Angels
• NL East champions: Philadelphia Phillie
• NL Central champions: Chicago Cubs
• NL West champions: Los Angeles Dodgers

Calendar for season 2009

The 2009 season will begin on April 5 when Philadelphia Phillies hosts Atlanta Braves. The regular season will end on October 4. The postseason is scheduled to begin three days later. The 2009 World Series will begin on October 28, and will end no later than November 5.

• April 5 - Opening day: Philadelphia vs. Atlanta
• July 14 - All-Star Game, St. Louis
• October 4 - Final day of the 2009 regular season.
• October 7 - Division Series
• October 28 - World Series

Odds by bookmakers

These are odds to win 2009 MLB World Series Championship published by online bookmakers before the start of the season:

The New York Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons and finished with an 89-73 record last season. After signing A.J. Burnett, C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixiera, we can expect the Yankees to win well above 90 games in 2009. They have an amazing starting 5 and the expectations in New York are no less than a World Series Championship.

Last season, Boston Red Sox were one win away from their second consecutive World Series and their third in the last five seasons. They return the vast majority of their team from last year and have brought in a few more players. Boston's depth in the pitching staff has been their strongest area, but there are a lot of questions surrounding a lineup that will no longer have the type of production that Manny Ramirez brought to the team. Also, they now have to face CC Sabathia more often which won't be fun.

An inconsistent bullpen coupled with a few high profile players struggling led to the downfall of the New York Mets as they finished 89-73 and missed the playoffs. However, with signing Francisco Rodriguez to a big contract and grabbing JJ Putz from the Mariners, there shouldn't be any issues in the bullpen this year. The Mets have a top quality team, but they will face some tough competition in their division, especially from the defending champion.

Read more about offseason moves on MLB 2009 transfers. Visit main MLB 2009 page for latest news, scores and stats.

Last season, The Chicago Cubs had the best record in the NL with 97 wins, but they fell to the LA Dodgers in the Division Series. This season, the Cubs return a deep rotation, a very solid bullpen and a potent offense. The 2009 regular season could be similar to the 2008 season, and that the Cubs should finish a good 10 games ahead of the closest competition in the NL Central.

In 2008, the LA Angels finished with 100 wins and won the division by twenty games, but they again fell short in the playoffs. 2009 brings some serious changes as they are now without superstar Francisco Rodriguez and Teixiera. Though the Angels are undoubtedly weaker because of it, they still retain a lot of talent and should enter the season as the favorites to repeat as division champions.

The Philadelphia Phillies won the 2008 World Series, Philadelphia's first championship in any major sport in more than two decades. The Phillies might actually be a better team on paper this season. All the principal players are back and some of their younger players should only be better with another year of experience. Unfortunately, they barely held off a flawed Mets team last year and then sat relatively still and watched the Mets aggressively improve themselves during the offseason.

Rule changes

• All postseason games and games added to the regular season to determine qualifiers for the postseason will be played to conclusion, ie, no rain-shortened games.
• Coin tosses will no longer be used to determine home-field advantage for one-game tiebreakers held to determine division champions or wild card teams. Instead, "performance-based criteria" - including head-to-head record between the tied clubs - will be used to determine home-field advantage.

MLB 2008 Playoffs