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Opening Day -- well, Opening Night, really, and we technically already had one of those in Japan, but who's counting? -- is finally here, as the Cardinals will take on the Marlins tonight in the first stateside regular-season MLB game. It's bound to be an exciting season with so many players having changed teams, but has the power structure been altered significantly?

Vote: Pick each division and pennant, and the winner of the World Series

Rank: Baseball's best teams? | Top players in the game?

Which team is more likely to make it back to the World Series?

•  
  21%
  Cardinals
•  
  79%
  Rangers

(Total votes: 63,581)

Which of these players would you most want on your team?

•  
  6%
  Miguel Cabrera
•  
  17%
  Roy Halladay
•  
  6%
  Felix Hernandez
•  
  39%
  Albert Pujols
•  
  31%
  Justin Verlander

(Total votes: 64,564)

Which of these AL East teams is most likely to miss the playoffs?

•  
  30%
  Rays
•  
  54%
  Red Sox
•  
  15%
  Yankees

(Total votes: 38,308)

Which is the best team in the American League?

•  
  21%
  Angels
•  
  21%
  Rangers
•  
  21%
  Tigers
•  
  23%
  Yankees
•  
  14%
  Another team

(Total votes: 66,943)

Which is the best team in the National League?

•  
  10%
  Marlins
•  
  10%
  Giants
•  
  46%
  Phillies
•  
  8%
  Reds
•  
  26%
  Another team

(Total votes: 63,887)

The Reds have locked up Joey Votto for the next decade, signing the young slugger to a 10-year, $225 million extension. Did they give him too much money for his production?

• sharkey5885: "it's nice to see another star lined up in a Reds jersey for the long haul. It's also great that a smaller market can keep their superstar."
• UI571: "Reds just shot themselves in the foot, they are not going to sign these players to long term deals (bruce, stubbs, phillips) They can't even afford this contract to begin with."
• snoogins51fu: "These massive contracts are great for the players that get them, but these 7-10 year deals aren't necessarily good for the teams that make them. Tying that much money to one player for the next decade is silly."
• dodgertodd88: "Glad he's staying with the Reds. But 10/225m is enough for two Joey Vottos, in dollar amount and years."
• buckywaters1: "So almost 30% of the payroll dedicated to one player.... Good luck in the future reds fans."
• mavericksfan071: "as a fan of baseball I'm happy for him and the Reds. Votto just seems like an all around great guy. Will be cheering for him as long as it is not agaisnt the Rangers!"



Join the conversation or respond by signing in or creating a profile and blogging.

We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.

Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)

Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)

Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)

Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)

• Vote: Power Rankings | Postseason pitcher rankings | ALDS and NLDS picks

ALDS: SportsNation's burning questions for Rangers vs. Rays

• Which closer do you trust in the ninth inning?

• Do Rays need Evan Longoria more than Rangers need Josh Hamilton?

• Vote on those and other questions about the Rangers and Rays!

Bobby (Texas)

While Tampa Bay stole the most bases in baseball, Rangers catchers were 26th in baseball at throwing out runners? How can Texas limit the Rays' running game?

ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett

That's one important storyline of this series. And we're actually working up a big blog post on that now. Manager Ron Washington said yesterday that keeping runners close is part of the pitcher's job, which of course it is. They'll be aware and make sure they do what they can to step off, throw over and mix things up to try to keep the runners from getting big leads. Full transcript

Game 2: SportsNation's burning questions for Twins vs. Yankees

• Which Derek Jeter will show up in the postseason?

• Is everyone outside of New York rooting for Twins?

• Vote on those and other questions about the Twins and Yankees!

Doug (New Rochelle, NY)

Do the Yankees even need 4 starters in round 1, or does it depend on the schedule?

Rob Neyer

No, they don't need four starters in the Division Series if Sabathia goes once on short rest. We'll see what Girardi does. Full transcript

Game 3: SportsNation's burning questions for Braves vs. Giants

• Is Buster Posey a better rookie than Jason Heyward?

• Would you rather have Andres Torres' WAR or Omar Infante's average?

• Vote on those and other questions about the Braves at the Giants!

Jerry (Elk Grove, CA)

Jerry, Can you remember a time when it was best for a team to leave their two highest paid, healthy, players off of the playoff roster? This year, should the Giants make it, there's no way they should include Zito and Rowand, not with Sanchez and Bumgarner stepping it up and with all of the other outfield choices they have.

Jerry Crasnick

Jerry, Zito is a strange case, because it's hard to see him coming out of the bullpen. I'm not sure who Bruce Bochy will take as his fourth guy after Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez. Aaron Rowand is one of the all-time great guys and competitors, but he barely plays these days. The Giants have such a glut of outfielders, I can't see where he fits in October. Full transcript

Game 4: SportsNation's burning questions for Phillies vs. Reds

• Would you rather have the likely MVP or likely Cy Young?

• Do the Reds have Roy Oswalt's number?

• Vote on those and other questions about the Phillies and Reds!

Herbie (Cincinnati)

Joe. Is Brandon Phillips the best Reds 2nd Baseman since your tenure?

Joe Morgan

He's great. He makes unbelievable plays at second, and for a stretch there, he was the best Reds player I've seen in a long time. He got hit on the hand by a pitch and didn't get his offense back, but he says it's well now and he expects to play well. I would say yes, but there have been some good players there. Full transcript

• Rank 'Em: Where does Roy Halladay rank on your NL MVP ballot?
• Vote: Should pitchers even be eligible for MVP?

Unlike the increasingly heated AL Cy Young debate, the NL MVP seems like a bit of a foregone conclusion. Albert Pujols is doing what he usually does, but the Cardinals aren't going to the postseason. The Rockies made a run, but without a playoff berth, neither Carlos Gonzalez nor Troy Tulowitzki appear likely to pick up enough votes. Joey Votto, on the other hand, ranks second in batting average and third in home runs and RBIs for a team going to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. That's what we call an MVP resume.

But what about Roy Halladay?

The Phillies ace is close to a lock for NL Cy Young, but does he belong in the MVP debate? No National League pitcher has won the award since Bob Gibson in 1968, but five AL pitchers won MVP more recently than that. So has Votto really created more wins for his team than Halladay has for his?

Rick (Philly)

Should Halladay get some MVP consideration? He is the best player on the best team in the NL

Rob Neyer

The MVP has unofficially been redefined to exclude starting pitchers who don't win 25 games, and of course nobody wins 25 games anymore. Based purely on wins and losses and impact on pennant races, Halladay is obviously a wonderful candidate. And he won't finish in the top 5. Full transcript

Derek (Toronto)

Hi Jerry, i've had the pleasure of watching Roy Halladay pitch from day one and to see him get the recongition and accolades he deserves is great. However, what he has done this year doesn't come as a surprise to those of us who followed him his whole career. He has preformed this well year in and year out but while he was in Toronto it seemed like he always took the back seat to other pitchers ie. Johan Santana. Do you think the fact that he played in Toronto is the reason he didn't get all the fanfare that he's getting now?

Jerry Crasnick

Derek, Part of it was playing in Toronto, and part of it is his media-shyness. Halladay is a good guy, but he's so busy watching video, lifting weights, doing stretching and cardio and all the other stuff he needs to prepare, he's almost invisible in the clubhouse. He doesn't reveal a whole lot of himself for public consumption. That's never been a priority for him, and it never will be. Full transcript

• Rank 'Em: Who are baseball's best rookies so far this season?
• Vote: Would you rather have Stephen Strasburg or Aroldis Chapman?

Usually when we talk about Cincinnati athletes and a radar gun clocking something at better than 100 mph, someone in the Bengals front office starts to get a queasy feeling. But it's actually a cause for celebration this time. Aroldis Chapman has arrived.

There is a William Wallace quality to the reports of exactly how fast Chapman throws (100, 103, 105 with the ability to distort time?), but the short answer is faster than Russ Springer, Logan Ondrusek, Sam LeCure and anyone else the Reds have trotted out of the bullpen. The team let Chapman progress at his own pace in the minors, but as a reliever, could he be a postseason factor for a team suddenly in firm control of the NL Central?

• "Take it from someone in Louisville who has seen him pitch in person. As a starter he still needs work. Too many innings and his pitches get wild. As a reliever though he will be golden. To see that 103 mph fastball in person was absolutely stunning." -- SN commenter willythedeuce
• "52 walks in 93 innings and you think hes going to be effected in the big leagues....please! No command and it doesn't matter how hard you throw in the major leagues!!!" -- SN commenter friction70

Brandon (Charleston, WV)

What are your thoughts on the Reds young pitching?

Jerry Crasnick

Brandon, Mike Leake is starting to wear down, but this year has to be considered a very positive one for him. And I'm really impressed with what I've seen from Travis Wood. Ultimately, it comes down to Aroldis Chapman and what he might provide. I think the Reds deserve some credit for letting him get experience in the minors. It would have been awfully easy to bow to the hype and carry him on the Opening Day roster. Long term, he's much better served spending time in the minors. Full transcript

• Rank 'Em: Who tops your NL MVP ballot at the moment?
• Vote: How will the Triple Crown and NL Central races play out?

SportsNation, meet Joe Medwick. You may be hearing a lot about him in the weeks to come. Medwick won the NL Triple Crown in 1937 as part of the Gas House Gang in St. Louis. That same year, War Admiral captured horse racing's Triple Crown. And for all the talk of the recent drought of winners on the track, seven horses have swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont since War Admiral did it.

Not a single player from the Senior Circuit has matched Medwick's trifecta in that span.

Enter Albert Pujols and Joey Votto, either of whom would seem to have a great shot at the Triple Crown, if not for the other. Chatting with SportsNation, Jerry Crasnick and Rob Neyer addressed how rare the current situation is and how much the feat means.

Dennis (Chicago)

Jerry, Albert Pujols is .001 behind Joey Votto for the Batting Crown. If he were to overtake him in the next couple of days, when was the last time someone was leading all the Triple Crown categories this late in the year?

Jerry Crasnick

Dennis, Glad you asked. Jason McCallum of ESPN just sent out a note about this yesterday. Dick Allen of the White Sox led in all 3 Triple Crown categories on Sept. 8, 1972. The last NL player to lead all three departments this late in the year was Johnny Mize. He ranked first in HRs, BA and RBIs on Sept. 14, 1940. So it's been a while. Full transcript

Craig (Chicago)

Pujols and Votto making a run for the Triple Crown seems like it is good for baseball, but it also reinforces the importance of RBI, which doesn't seem like a good thing. What's your take?

Rob Neyer

I'm not worried. I think we're getting over RBI, as we should. Which doesn't mean a Triple Crown wouldn't be really cool. I just think Omar Infante's going to get in the way! Full transcript

• Vote: Do you blame Brandon Phillips or Yadier Molina for the brawl?
• Rank 'Em: Are Joey Votto and Albert Pujols dueling for NL MVP honors?
• ESPN.com Dog Days: Can the Phillies swipe a playoff spot in the NL East? | Your take?

Brouhaha. Kerfuffle. Donnybrook, even. Brandon Phillips, Yadier Molina and a scrum (there's another one) of Reds and Cardinals gave fans everywhere a rare opportunity to break out some of baseball's best words. It's like breaking out the good dishes for the holidays.

Predictably, Cardinals fans weren't thrilled with Phillips expressing how much he hates the team from St. Louis and setting the stage for Tuesday night's confrontation.

• "Now, to be honest, he's a competitor and [I'm] a Cardinals fan but [I] can somewhat understand why he would say something like this. He's in the [midst] of a [division] lead race, and the only team [that's] holding them back is the Cards. Then again, the [Reds] are not paying him to talk bad about other teams and start controversy. (Cincinnati already has a duo of these type of guys, T.O. and Ochocinco.) ... [T]hey are paying him to play baseball and help his team. He should of never of said what he did to the reporters yesterday. Play baseball, and shut up. As a fan [I] have all the rights in the world to say [I] hate the Reds or if [I] like the Cubs better, but as a baseball player he does not." -- Kavanagh64's blog

But what about the parts of SportsNation without a prior rooting interest? Is firing up this kind of rivalry a good way to spice up the doldrums of August and put the NL Central (which, by the way, is now tied after another Cardinals win) front and center?

“

nothing wrong with hating the other team. Even so, in 2 games the Reds haven't put up much of a fight on the field. I love my Reds, but if you want to shut the Cards up, then beat them.

” -- kc3420

“

I understand the frustrations of teams that have been down for awhile, but be humble when you get there. That's just the sign of the times, it's not about the name on the front of the jersey anymore. It's about how can I make a name for myself. Money's done that to the game. Kinda' pathetic really.

” -- jayeteee

“

I'm sure this wasn't the first time a player has had these types of feelings toward a division foe, this just happened to have been said at an inappropriate time and led to an unfortunate result. BP needs to learn when and when not to talk, he wants to be the Ochocinco of baseball and I'm not so sure I can handle that.

” -- natifanatic717

• Rank 'Em: Are Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco among NFL's elite receivers?
• Vote: Is Joey Votto a more valuable player than Albert Pujols this season?
• Rank 'Em: Where are Reds in MLB Power Rankings? | Bengals in NFL Power Rankings?

It's been a long wait, but for Cincinnati sports fans, the good news is finally yours again.

The University of Cincinnati got things rolling in 2010 with a BCS appearance (we won't mention the final score against Florida), but that was just the appetizer. Absent from the playoffs for 15 years, the Reds continue to lead the NL Central as the baseball season rolls on toward Labor Day, and highly touted rookie Aroldis Chapman nears his MLB debut. And the Cincinnati Bengals promise to be one of the NFL's most entertaining teams. They might even be good, too.

Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco played their first preseason game together up the road in Canton, and while Owens made more noise talking about his departure from the Cowboys than he did in limited time on the field, his presence helps Bengals games rate as must-see television -- at least in the Queen City.

Nick (Cincinnati)

Is there any hope that Carson Palmer can get back to the form and promise he once showed, or is he just average (or worse) since the injuries? Or is the offensive line more of the culprit of the bad passing offense last year?

ESPN NFL Insider KC Joyner

The issue for Palmer is that he doesn't have anyone who can beat top-line coverage. Cincinnati faces a brutal set of CBs this year and neither Owens nor Ochocinco did much of anything against red-rated CBs last year (check out the Insider article I wrote last week for more details). The Bengals are going to once again be a run-first team. Full transcript

Clay D (NY)

Other than St. Louis, which team in either league has the best pitching staff for the post-season?

Hall of Famer Joe Morgan

First of all, I don't think St. Louis has the best pitching. They have the best two or three guys, but then where do you go? As far as depth and bullpen, I don't think they have the best pitching. I think the Reds have the best pitching with the least amount of pitching experience. I think they have the best 5 starters. They're not as good as Carpenter or Wainwright, but they have 5 good starters. Depth wise, I think the Reds have the best depth. Full transcript

Chaz (Dayton, OH)

Coach, how is your family adapting to life in the Queen City?

University of Cincinnati football coach Butch Jones

We love it. I've said it on numerous occasions, Cincinnati is a big city with small town values with tremendous pride. It's a great city to raise a family, especially with small boys. We couldn't be prouder to be residents of Cincinnati. Full transcript

• Vote: Is Joey Votto's snub a bigger injustice than Omar Infante's inclusion?
• Rank 'Em: Where does Votto stand in the National League MVP race?
• More from ESPN.com: Jayson Stark breaks down the best and worst All-Star selections.

Might an All-Star snub the best thing that ever happened to Joey Votto's MVP candidacy in the National League? As of Monday morning, the Reds first baseman leads the NL in OPS (he's tied for fifth in RBIs, for the Monty Burns among you). Also as of Monday morning, he's not an All-Star. And for that reason, you're probably going to hear more about Votto in the next 48 hours than in the entirety of his career to date. It takes something like a snub to get people fired up about someone like Votto. Just ask SportsNation blogger M. Stewart.

• "Why are there 3 relievers in this All Star game? Only Starters and Closers because relievers barely ever pitch or appear in a game. Why should a reliever for the Reds be in the All Star Game, when the MVP of the Reds, and possibly the MVP of the NL isn't on the team? Joey Votto is 4th in NL in homers, 5th in rbis, 4th in total bases, 7th in walks, 6th in runs and tied for 2nd in slugging percentage. Now seriously, who has more worth? A guy who is 3-2 who probably will only throw for one out or maybe not at all in the All Star game or a batter who hits .312 with 19 homers and 57 rbis. Obviously, it's the batter, Votto. Votto is on the All Star final vote which the fans can vote on. I strongly encourage everyone to vote for Joey Votto as the NL All Star Final Vote." -- Read M. Stewart's full post.

“

Omar Infante and being an all star are concepts so radically different that the sole mention of those words together in a sentence in a positive manner causes a collapse in the center of the universe, whose energy travels around the space and acelerates the destruction of all known and unknown universe.

” -- trlp1712

“

It is completely ridiculous that Votto doesn't get voted or selected by Players or Manager for this game. He leads ALL NL 1st Baseman in almost all offensive categories & leads all of them in Fielding %. Really, how do you leave this guy off your ballot or vote in? Unbelieveable. The league needs to select a panel of writers & bench coaches or something to select this team.

” -- romcilvain