Major League Baseball Set to Return Sunday

Major League Baseball set for Sunday. (AP Images)

When the Atlanta Braves kick off their 2008 campaign in Washington, D.C., it
will bring to an end the five month baseball drought Americans have faced
since last year's World Series.

With the exception of the Boston Red Sox/Oakland Athletics series held in
Tokyo last week, the game marks the official start of the newest season, and
the first game on American soil.

The biggest story heading into the game has to be the up and coming
Nationals who get the chance to show off their brand new stadium on national
television. You can bet the aging Braves will want nothing more than to
spoil the night.

From a fantasy perspective the game pits Atlanta's promising first baseman
Mark Teixeira up against a third basemen looking to improve on a slightly
disappointing sophomore campaign in Ryan Zimmerman.

Teixeira found success with the Braves after coming over in a trade with
Texas and managed to hit for 17 home runs and an impressive .317 batting
average in just over 200 at bats with his new team.

Zimmerman, on the other hand, will look to get off on the right foot after
breaking a bone in his hand this off season. The 23-year-old's hitting
numbers are expected to increase if, for no other reason, than the Nationals
abandoning RFK stadium - arguably the worst hitter's park in the game.

Projected to start for the Nats is Odalis Perez while Tim Hudson gets the
nod for Atlanta.

Hudson, who looked to bounced back last year after two dismal seasons in
2005 and 2006, will look to add to the momentum he generated with his 16
wins last season.

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