Hey baseball fans! With the World Series ready to get underway, we’re here to predict the winner of this year’s Fall Classic using the most realistic baseball game on the market, MLB 10: The Show. We simulated the match-up between the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants, and are excited to see that a seven-game classic is in our future. Here’s a quick video rundown of the series:

Much as they did against the Yankees, Texas jumped to an early lead in Game 1 and then blew it open against the Giants bullpen. After San Francisco bounced back to take Game 2 easily, the series moved to Arlington for a pivotal Game 3. Texas battled back from a 4-0 deficit to lead 5-4 in the ninth, but Aubrey Huff hit a two-run homer off Neftali Feliz and the Giants seized control of the series with a 7-5 win. A 6-3 triumph in Game 4 extended the Giants’ lead three-games to one, but Cliff Lee continued to be an almost unhittable force in the postseason for the Rangers, throwing eight innings of six-hit ball and winning Game 5, 4-3.

Still, the Giants had two chances on their home field to win it all. In Game 6, it was the Rangers’ turn to leave the hometown fans heartbroken, as they rallied for two runs in the 8th and two more in the 10th to win 4-3 and force a deciding Game 7.

In Game 7, pitching ruled the day as the teams combined for just five hits over nine innings. Leading off the bottom of the 10th, Pat Burrell’s fourth home run of the Series not only cemented his claim to series MVP award, it gave the Giants their first World Series title since moving west in 1958.

Here are the game-by-game scores:

• Game 1: Texas 10, San Francisco 3
• Game 2: San Francisco 9, Texas 1
• Game 3: San Francisco 7, Texas 5
• Game 4: San Francisco 6, Texas 3
• Game 5: Texas 4, San Francisco 3
• Game 6: Texas 4, San Francisco 2 (10 innings)
• Game 7: San Francisco 1, Texas 0 (10 innings)

And here are some of the Series’ top performers:

San Francisco Giants:

• Pat Burrell (MVP): 10-28, 4 HR, 11 RBI
• Buster Posey: 10-30, 3 HR, 6 RBI
• Matt Cain: 2 games, 1-0, 15 IP, 8H, 1 ER, CG in Game 2

Texas Rangers:

• Cliff Lee: 2 games, 2-0, 16 IP, 12 K, 2.81 ERA
• Josh Hamilton: 7-29, 2 2B, 3 RBI
• Elvis Andrus: 8-22, 4 runs, 2 RBI, 2 SB

How accurate is MLB 10: The Show? The World Series starts tomorrow – we’ll know soon!

Baseball fans –

Last up on our divisional predictions series is the American League East. Here’s a stat for you, the AL East has sent a team to the World Series in nine out of the past 12 seasons, pretty ridiculous! It’s no surprise that the Yanks are the obvious favorite. With all of their A-listers back along with the additions of Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson, the defending champs will once again be the team to beat. The Red Sox have finished in second place 10 out of the last 12 seasons, but are hoping to change that in ’10. With newcomers like Adrian Beltre added to their core group of All-Stars, they’re looking for their third title in 7 years. The Rays unfortunately couldn’t duplicate their 2008 magic in ’09, failing to make the playoffs, but with great athletes like Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena, don’t sleep on Tampa, they’ll be hanging around come the fall. And then we have the Orioles, who have a solid Rookie of the Year candidate in catcher Matt Wieters and a talented young outfield, but are going to have a tough time competing with the Yanks, “Sawx,” and Rays. Same goes for the Blue Jays who have some bright spots in Adam Lind and Vernon Wells, but have a lot of work to do if they want to contend with the big boys.

Here’s a look at our final AL East predictions video showing you which teams will come out on top this October according to MLB 10 The Show.

Welcome to The Show!

Baseball fans –

Next up on our divisional predictions series is the National League East. The Phillies might be the best team in the NL, if not all of baseball, and are the clear front runner. The fact that they added an all-world pitcher in Roy Halladay to a World Series squad will make it tough for them not to grab their fourth straight divisional crown. The Marlins always seem to have a good core of young players and with guys like Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez, this year is no different so expect them to contend. The Braves have the clear cut Rookie of the Year in Jason Heyward, but we’ll see if this mix of young talent and their usual veterans can get the job done in 2010. The Mets once again have a lot of big names, especially now with the additions of Jason Bay and Gary Matthews, but can they put it all together and stay healthy? Last up are the Nationals…what can you say, it’s a tough division. Sorry Nats fans, I think it’s going to be a long season.

Here’s a look at our final NL East predictions video showing you which teams will come out on top this October according to MLB 10 The Show.

Welcome to The Show!

Baseball fans –

Next up on our divisional predictions series is the National League West. This division sent both the Rockies and Dodgers to the post season last year and could exceed expectations once again in 2010. The Dodgers will likely contend for first place, but really need their young guns in Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier to step up and lead the way. Same goes for the Rockies…anchored by Troy Tulowitzki and veteran Todd Helton, expect Colorado to make a run for the division crown once again. The Giants came up a bit short last season, but with aces in Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum, they should have a shot, assuming their offense can pick up the slack. Next up are the Diamondbacks…with solid pitching in Dan Haren and Justin Upton leading the way at the plate, can they turn around a last place finish from last year? Last up are the Padres who finished the ’09 season on a high note. If Adrian Gonzalez and the rest of the squad can build on last year’s momentum, they might just be the dark horse in the division.

Here’s a look at our final NL West predictions video showing you which teams will come out on top this October according to MLB 10 The Show.

Welcome to The Show!

Baseball fans –

Before I get to today’s picks, just a quick reminder that yesterday we announced some exciting MLB news on the PlayStation Blog — a new MLB.TV application for the PS3 is available from PlayStation Network and allows MLB.TV subscribers to watch every regular season game live in HD—very cool stuff!

And without further ado, here are our MLB 10 The Show predictions for the National League Central. This division has some good teams and some questions marks which will make for an interesting year in 2010. The Cardinals have the best player in baseball, probably one of the best ever, in Albert Pujols, and with Matt Holliday protecting him in the lineup and Chris Carpenter on the mound, it’s tough not to slot them in as the favorite for first place, and a contender to win it all in October. The Cubs had a tough ’09 season, but hope that Derrek Lee and Carlos Zambrano can right the ship, along with help at the plate from Alfonso Soriano, who needs to bounce back from a sub-par season last year. The Brewers have a legitimate superstar in Prince Fielder, but need a lot of help on the mound. We’ll see if Yovani Gallardo and Randy Wolf can get the job done as the rocks of their rotation. And then there’s the Pirates who haven’t had a winning season in 17 years…yes 17 years! It seems unlikely that they’ll break .500 in 2010, but at least they have some young talent in guys like Andrew McCutchen, might be a sign of good things to come (ok, maybe not).  The Reds, on the other hand, might be turning a corner with big bats in Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto anchoring a strong lineup. We’ll see if they can put it all together and contend for the crown. Lastly, we have the Astros who can usually guarantee 15-20 wins from ace Roy Oswalt. If Lance Berkman and the rest of the team can pull their own weight, they just might have a shot.  
 
Here’s a look at our final National League Central predictions video showing you which teams will come out on top this October according to MLB 10 The Show.

Welcome to The Show!

Baseball fans –

Next up on our divisional predictions series is the American League Central. This division hasn’t had a repeat champion since the Twins in 1994 and there looks to be a lot of parity again this year, so first place could be up for grabs.

With a new ballpark in Target Field and a reigning MVP (and MLB 10 The Show cover athlete) in Joe Mauer, the Twins look poised to break this trend and repeat as division champs. The Tigers are looking to redeem themselves after last year’s late season collapse and hope perennial All-Stars Magglio Ordonez and Justin Verlander are ready to lead the charge. The White Sox should be contenders this year as well, with a stellar starting rotation in Mark Buehrle and Jake Peavy. The Royals, on the other hand, have finished over .500 only once since 1994. I’m not sure if this year will be any different, but at least they have an ace in reigning Cy Young winner Zack Greinke to give the fans something to cheer about. And then there’s the Indians…we’re not expecting much this year, but with Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner anchoring your lineup, I guess anything’s possible.

Here’s a look at our final AL Central predictions video showing you which teams will come out on top this October according to MLB 10 The Show.

Welcome to The Show!

Baseball fans –

This week begins our divisional prediction series utilizing MLB 10 The Show to simulate the 2010 season. First up is the American League West… with the Angels, Rangers, Mariners, and A’s all vying for the top spot, the race for the AL West crown seems to be wide open. Ichiro has Seattle ready to claim their first division title since 2001 and if Griffey can bring back some magic from his past Mariner days, they just might have a shot. The Rangers are coming off their first winning season since 2004 and now adding Vlad Guerrero to an already stacked lineup (2nd most HRs in MLB in ’09), they will be a tough hurdle to overcome. Then there’s of course the Angels who have won the last three AL West titles. Torii Hunter anchors another solid lineup and with Scott Kazmir leading the way on the mound, they look poised to grab their fourth.

Here’s a look at our final AL West prediction video showing you which teams will come out on top in October according to MLB 10 The Show.

Welcome to The Show!

Baseball fans –

It’s always exciting to see new stadiums pop up. The amenities, the technology, and just the overall ambiance of new parks always adds to the experience of seeing a game live and in-person. Today, our cover athlete, Joe Mauer, will be taking the field for his home opener at a brand new address that includes real grass, fresh air, and clear skies (hopefully). The Twins will play host to the Red Sox as they say good-bye to the Metrodome, their home since 1982, and say hello to the state-of-the-art sports cathedral that is Target Field.

So, to celebrate this historic day for Joe and Minnesota fans everywhere, we thought we’d give you a behind the scenes look into how we created the Twins new home in MLB 10 The Show. Our development team strives for ultimate realism in all areas of the game, and that’s no different in this case. I hope you enjoy the glimpse into the making of Target Field.

Welcome to The Show!