If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch Rockies’ ace Ublado Jimenez carve up an opponent this year, then consider yourself among the unfortunate.

Jimenez struck out eight batters in seven innings of two-run ball on Sunday to beat the Diamondbacks, 3-2. Of course, that was like an off day for him, as he finally gave up a run after pitching 33 consecutive scoreless innings before Conor Jackson took him deep in the eighth inning.

In 12 starts this season, Jimenez has gone at least six innings in every outing and has allowed two or fewer runs every time. His win on Sunday now gives him a record of 11-1 with an unbelievable 0.93 ERA. For sake of comparison, this time last year, 2009 Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum was 5-1 with a 2.96 ERA. Granted, the Giants are awfully stingy when it comes to run support, but you can see what kind of season Jimenez is having compared to last season’s Cy Young award winner.

Barring injury or a complete mental breakdown, it’s safe to say that Jimenez will be your 2010 NL Cy Young winner. To early too tell? Not for anyone that has actually watched him. His stuff has been so filthy this year that hitters must think he’s throwing tiny stones at them. He’s been by far the most dominant pitcher in either league so far this year – even better than Roy Halladay (8-3, 2.03 ERA, 77 Ks), who is pitching incredibly well himself.

I don’t want to jinx the kid, but Jimenez is on pace to exceed 20 wins this season, which is no small feat. He’s been absolutely brilliant and incredibly fun to watch.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

In order to help get you ready for the MLB season, we’re doing division-by-division rankings with quick overviews on how each club could fair in 2010. Next to each team, you’ll also find a corresponding number written in parenthesis, which indicates where we believe that club falls in a league-wide power ranking. Be sure to check back throughout the next two weeks leading up to the season, as we will be updating our content daily. Enjoy.

All 2010 MLB Preview Content | AL East Preview | AL Central Preview | AL West Preview | NL East | NL Central | NL West

Last up is the NL West.

1. Colorado Rockies (7)
Before I wax poetically about the youthful Rockies, I have an axe to grind about the television broadcasting crew of Drew Goodman, Jeff Huson and George Frazier. Those three form one of the most biased, nonobjective broadcasting teams in baseball history. I’m not kidding. The Rockies never get the same calls as their opponents do. The Rockies never get the national recognition like everyone else does. The Rockies are the greatest team to ever walk the planet and if they played a roster compiled of Jesus, Moses, God and the 12 apostles, Colorado should win 5-4 in extras nine times out of 10. If not, the Rockies beat themselves, because there’s no way Jesus and the gang were better. Don’t believe me? Just ask Goodman, Huson and Frazier. All right, now that that’s out of the way – the Rockies are a damn fine club and should leapfrog the Dodgers in the division this year. Their core – Troy Tulowitzki, Ian Stewart, Chris Iannetta, Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez – are all 27 years old or younger and that doesn’t include 26-year-old stud Ubaldo Jimenez, who is absolutely filthy when he’s on. Throw in key veterans like Todd Helton (a perennial .300 hitter) and Jeff Francis (who could win 15-plus games filling in for the departed Jason Marquis), and Colorado has the tools to make a deep run. The question is whether or not starters Francis and Jorge De La Rosa will keep their ERAs below 5.00 and the young offensive players can move forward in their development and not backwards. But outside of the ultra-annoying broadcast team, I love the Rockies from top to bottom this year and believe they can do some damage in 2010.

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