It's difficult, before the season begins, to discern which of the teams in the Class Low-A Midwest League are going to be good, average or bad.

Who will be the speedy team that steals all the bases? Who will produce the most home runs? Which pitching staff will strike out the most batters?

Rarely are players from the previous season on the Opening Day roster of the next season. Because of the developmental process of minor-league baseball - especially this level - many players have been promoted, demoted or released. Turnover is massive.

“We kind of got an idea of what we're going to do, but we don't know what we're going to see,” TinCaps manager Doug Dascenzo said. “Are the Angels (affiliate Cedar Rapids) going to steal (246) more bases this year? We won't know until we see them.”

Cedar Rapids stole 67 more bases than the second-place team and 130 more than Fort Wayne last season. But there's no telling if the Kernels will lead the league this season.

“We'll put our chess pieces out on the board and we'll make the moves, and they will, too,” Dascenzo said.

Eight of the TinCaps' 25 players spent time in Fort Wayne last season. Only three appeared in 30 or more games, however.

The mainstays at this level tend to be the managers.

Dascenzo is entering his third season at the helm and is the second-most-tenured manager in the 14-team league behind South Bend's Mark Haley, who's entering his fifth straight season with the club.

There are seven new managers, but four have spent at least one recent season on a field staff. Clinton's Scott Steinmann and Burlington's Jim Gabella have previously managed teams.

Peoria's Marty Pevey is one of the new guys, but he spent the past four seasons as a first- and third-base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. He takes over for baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, who will manage the Chicago Cubs' Double-A affiliate.

Only the TinCaps are playing in a new facility (Parkview Field) this season. Dow Diamond - home of the Great Lakes Loons in Midland, Mich. - opened in 2007.

Fort Wayne first baseman Allan Dykstra is one of four 2008 first-round picks to debut on Opening Day rosters. Pitcher Ethan Martin (Great Lakes), first baseman Brett Lawrie (Wisconsin) and first baseman Eric Hosmer (Burlington) join him. Four supplemental first-rounders - pitcher Evan Frederickson (Wisconsin), shortstop Ryan Flaherty (Chicago Cubs), pitcher Wade Miley (South Bend) and Steven Hunt (Beloit) - will also begin their seasons in the Midwest League.

Teams are scheduled to play 140 games this season. The All-Star game is June 23 at Alliant Energy Field in Clinton, Iowa, home of the Clinton LumberKings, affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.

There are two divisions - Eastern and Western - and two halves to the season. Eight teams make the playoffs. The winner of each division in the first half and second half is guaranteed a playoff spot. A wild-card spot is awarded to a team in each division of each half of the season. If a team wins the first half and second half, then a tiebreaker format is used for the next- highest team in the standings.