In keeping with past tradition, I am offering this year's picks. I have not consulted anybody else's picks, because it's more fun to do it entirely on my own, and usually more accurate. I have tried this year to avoid the overly idiosyncratic picks, like a few years ago when I picked the Nationals to finish 2nd. Here goes.
AL East -- Rays, Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles
I'm not a big Bobby Valentine fan, but a managerial change often pumps life into a team, and the Sox will probably benefit from a livelier skipper. I see it as a toss-up between the Sox and the Rays, but I say the Rays by a game. Yanks are getting old and will not compete.
AL Central -- Tigers, Indians, Twins, Brewers, White Sox, Royals
Tigers have tried hard to build a winner, and this may be their year.
AL West -- Angels, Rangers, Mariners, A's
Angels have Pujols who is the best player in the game, and he will not disappoint. Mere mortals often flop after getting a huge contract, but not Pujols. Rangers will compete but fall 2-3 games short. I have no reason for picking the Mariners over the A's, other than I like the town of Seattle and the ballpark there, much better than their Oakland counterparts.
NL East -- Phillies, Marlins, Braves, Mets, Nationals
Mets seem to be in a perpetual state of disarray, and losing Reyes won't help.
NL Central -- Reds, Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, Pirates, Astros
A bit of "homer" bias for my home-state Reds. Cubs will continue into their second century without a championship.
NL West -- Dodgers, Giants, Padres, Rockies, Diamondbacks
I have no clue what's going on in this division, basically just random picks.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
With a quarter of the season gone, it's time to take a look at how things are going. In the AL East we have the Orioles in the lead at .628. The new manager pumping life into his team is not Bobby Valentine, who is despised by Red Sox Nation, but Buck Showalter of the Orioles. The Red Sox have been in the cellar, but have just climbed up to .500 to tie the Yankees for last place in the division.
In the AL Central, the Twins are completely in the toilet at .341, while the Indians are in first. In the West, the Angels are in last place, with Pujols having a horribly slow start. The Rangers look very good so far.
In the NL East, the Nationals have been in first, with the Braves now in first by a slight margin. In the Central, the Cards & the Reds are battling it out, with the Cubs woefully in last. In the West, the Dodgers are well ahead, sporting baseball's best record at .690.
Post a Comment