Over the next few days, I’ll take a look at the races in baseball for the 2002 season.

The NL East will be one heckuva race all year. It was last year and I think everyone got a little better including the soon to be former Montreal Expos.Atlanta picked up Gary Sheffield. Sheff worked out with Barry Bonds and Barry’s father Bobby this winter. The trio not only concentrated on the physical side of the game, but how Barry stays above the fray and never gets sidetracked by all the BS in the game. Sheffield and Chipper Jones will have monster years. It’s hard to figure out what happened to Andruw Jones’ offense, once described as the next Willie Mays, Jones might be, as he is htting about what Willie would now as a 70 year old, about.205.

I see a slip coming for Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. It is inevitable for all the great ones and this might be the year for these two future hall of famers.

Jason Marquis , Kevin Millwood, and Albie Lopez are workmanlike hurlers, but don’t do enough to make up for any subpar efforts from the big two.

In a nutshell, not this year for the Bravos.

The Mets have made more moves than Charo chasing the Entertainment Tonight cameras. Their line up is excellent. Big time players who, if this team gets off to a good start will have a lot of confidence. Mo Vaughn can crank it up for one or two more years before he eats his way down to Tampa Bay. Robbie Alomar is the greatest second baseman ever to play the game and will thrive with shortstop Rey Ordonez. Mike Piazza can relax with Edgar Alfonzo and Jeromy Burnitz behind him in the order. Seriously, this line up is scary.

Al Leiter is a gamer. Shawn Estes is a mystery. Estes has something to prove and if the Mets don’t pitch him against LA or Colorado (they crush him) he might be a 17 -20 game winner. It seemed like his ailments always started after being torched by the Bums or the Rockies.

Steve Trachsel gets people out and Pedro Astacio if healthy, is a great number four starter. Find one more decent arm that won’t wear out the bull pen and the Mets are in, in the NL East.

The Phillies battled all year and lost out in the end to Atlanta. Larry Bowa reminds me of the Billy Martin days when it was tough to put up with the hysteria of that type of manager for two years running. Jimmy Rollins is the real deal and a pleasure to watch. Scott Rolen is just the opposite and wants out. He will bring this team down this season.

Robert Person leads the staff which should end the story, but with new starter Terry Adams who threw so many innings last year that he blew out his elbow, a promising but very inexperienced Vincente Padilla, and Brandon Duckworth, I just don’t see the Phillies getting by with this team in this tough division.

The Marlins are my pick to get off to a great start. Say 14-6 in the first 20 games. I like Josh Beckett alot. AJ Burnett is weird enough to win 15 games. Brad Penny and Ryan Dempster can both bring it. Julian Taverez, as unhappy as he is in Miami, is still a veteran force on this staff.

The Marlins can hit enough to keep them close to the pack. Preston Wilson gives the fans a welcome breeze with his three futile hacks every third time up, but 40 homers is realistic. Cliff Floyd can flat out hit. Mike Lowell gets the job done and the unknown Kevin Millar is emerging in right field.

Former Japanese star Leon Lee, now director of Pacific Operations for the Cubs, can see son Travis play first. Travis Lee showed signs at the end of last year that maybe he is finally putting it together. The old man is pumped for his kid. I talked with him.

The Expos have three arms that everyone wants. Javier Vazquez, Carl Pavano and Tony Armas, Jr. The rest of the team plays the game correctly, taught by deposed manager Felipe Alou. New boss, Frank Robinson will be pleasantly surprised at how well these young players play baseball.

Vladimir Guerrero, Jose Vidro, Peter Bergeron, Lee Stevens, and Brad Wilkerson. Frank Robinson did more with less, with the 89 Orioles who almost won the AL East after losing over 100 games the year before. Frank wasn’t crazy about taking this job, and probably was convinced to do it when he took a good look at the roster.

Mets

Marlins

Braves

Phillies

Expos

This one will be fun all year.