Each year before the baseball season, I sit down and make my picks for each division winner. I’ve given it a little thought this year, and here are my predictions:
AL EAST: New York Yankees. I know I’m really going out on a limb here. But I think the Yanks are poised to win yet another division crown. Their lineup is as fearsome as ever, so scoring runs shouldn’t be a problem. I’m predicting a big season for ARod (giving him the impetus to opt out of his contract at season’s end). As always, the big question will be pitching. Although the Bombers are a little banged up to begin the season, I expect them to be key players in the Roger Clemens sweepstakes. And uber-phenom Phil Hughes stands ready to be called up if need be. With a lights out bullpen and a serviceable rotation, I give the Yanks a slight edge over the BoSox.
AL CENTRAL: Detroit Tigers. This is the toughest division in baseball, in my opinion. The Twins, White Sox and Indians could also contend for the division crown and, believe it or not, the Royals are much improved. That said, none of these teams can boast about their pitching the way the Tigers can. A solid rotation and a bullpen full of live arms make Detroit my pick in this division. Gary Sheffield makes the lineup a bit more dangerous and the rest of the lineup remains intact from last season. I see the Tigers narrowly edging out Cleveland in this tight race.
AL WEST: L.A. Angels. I’m high on the Angels organization (they were my World Series pick a year ago). With a solid mix of young guys and vets, their lineup is solid. Even without Bartolo Colon, I like their pitching a lot. John Lacky, Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana are all young aces. If they get Colon back, that’ll only help even more. They have the young prospects to dangle if they’d ever pull the season on a mid-season acquisition to put them over the top. I like this team a lot better than any other team out West.
AL WILD CARD: Boston Red Sox. Before they made the move to put Jon Papelbon back in the bullpen, I was really worried about their relief pitching. With Paps closing things out though, I think the Sox are a much better club. Even without him, their rotation might be the best in the league. And we can’t count them out of the Clemens derby, either. I reserve the right to elevate them over the Yankees if they snare the Rocket. On offense, health is the key. How many games will they get from Manny and JD Drew? The answer to that question will determine their season. I like a couple of other teams to contend here (Cleveland, Toronto), but ultimately I expect to see the Red Sox back in the playoffs next season.
NL EAST: Philadelphia Phillies. If I played it safe with my AL picks, I’m going against the grain on my NL picks. This division is completely wide open. In my mind, this one is a toss-up between the Braves, Mets and Phils. I’ll take Philly on the strength of their two young studs, Brett Myers and Cole Hamels. These kids can throw with anybody. Add in Freddy Garcia, Adam Eaton, Jon Lieber and Jamie Moyer and you have the makings of a solid rotation. If everyone’s healthy, they’ll look to deal from this surplus to address their bullpen needs. With an offense built around Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, scoring runs will certainly be no problem. Ultimately, this team will go as far as Tom Gordon, Ryan Madson and the rest of the bullpen will carry them.
NL CENTRAL: Milwaukee Brewers. This is another wide open division. Although it pains me to say it, my beloved Cardinals have taken a step back with the free agent defections of most of their rotation. I’m not a believer in the Astros and the Cubbies…well, let’s just say I’m pretty confident they’ll find a way to implode by Memorial Day. That leaves me with Ned Yost’s Brewers as the most promising club in the division. Their rotation is quality (Sheets, Bush, Capuano, Suppan and Vargas), their bullpen is lights out (Cordero was one of the best in the league after coming over to the NL) and their nucleus of young offensive players will be even better than they were last year. Look for big things from Corey Hart, a multi-tool outfielder who Yost loves. This team has a great blend of veteran depth and youthful hunger. The biggest question will be whether or not Ben Sheets can finally stay healthy. If so, it could be a good year for the Beer-makers.
NL WEST: San Diego Padres. Another against the grain pick. Most prognosticators love the Dodgers in the West, and I’ll admit, they’re a solid team. But I love how San Diego continues to construct their ball club. A year ago, they shrewdly dealt Adam Eaton for Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez. This year, they acquired veterans Marcus Giles and Greg Maddux via free agency and a young third baseman who can rake in Kevin Kouzmanoff. They’re not the splashy acquisitions of their division rivals, but top to bottom, I like the moves the Fathers have made.
NL WILD CARD: L.A. Dodgers. I’ll admit, I have no clue on this one. I could just as easily put the D-Backs or Cardinals or Mets or Braves here, but the Dodgers are another one of those teams that have the blend of veterans and prospects that I like. Their pitching is solid, but their offense worries me a little bit. When you’re relying on creaky vets like Jeff Kent, Luis Gonzalez and Nomar to anchor the heart of your order, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. That said, I think they’ll score enough runs to put them in the playoff hunt. I’m hoping that since I didn’t pick them, my Cards could sneak in here. Time will tell.
AL PLAYOFFS: Yankees over Tigers; Angels over Red Sox
ALCS: Yankees over Angels
NL PLAYOFFS: Padres over Phillies; Brewers over Dodgers
NLCS: Padres over Brewers
World Series: Yankees over Padres
Well, there you have it, folks. Tell me how crazy you think I am. We’ll find out in October!
already & not yet 
The Brewers!?!? Are you serious? We are talking about the same team right? I don’t think they’ve done anything since Joe Torre was their manager. That’s a pretty funny joke there Jason….good one.Anyways, how many pitchers are going to enjoy seeing Berkman/Lee emmitsmithat the 3 and 4 spots this year. I’m predicting they could be one of the best combos in baseball throughout the season. Plus we’ve finally got Luke Scott and Burke in the everyday lineup, Ensberg is in better health, and Mark Loretta and Mike Lamb on our bench for our depth. We picked up Jason Jennings and Woody Williams to solidify our rotation, and we’ve got several great young pitchers that should make an impact this year. Plus we’re still in the running for Clemens….if we need him. I think this is our year to win the division…….or at least to beat the Brewers.
Don’t hate on the Brew Crew. They’re for real. Mark my words. A lot of their young talent played in Huntsville (AA) in the past few years. I’m telling you, they’re solid.Yeah, Berkman and Lee are great but they can’t pitch. The Astros replaced Clemens and Pettite with Jennings and Williams. I can’t see how that improves them.
I hope you got a great team at your draft last night. You guys were cracking us up! And, we girls were probably cracking you up just as much, huh!I think we finally turned out the last light at 3:30 am.
Amy,3:30…ouch. I was in bed by 2:00. Not much sooner. I like my team, but it was more fun just hanging out with everybody. I love this time of year! Glad y’all had a fun night.
Marlins all the way!!! I think your picks are solid, although I think the Brewers will be where they belong and the Cardinals win the Central.
Kenny,I hope you’re right.
Ok, so this comment comes two weeks after the post, so you can tell how far behind I am in reading my blogs. Here goes…AL East – YanksNo argument there.AL Central – TigersI disagree that this is the toughest division in baseball, although the last two years might say that this is the *luckiest* division in baseball. I like Cleveland in this division. The White Sox got worse in the offseason, Tigers and Twins stayed about the same (something about Yankees letting Sheffield go makes me nervous about his prospects), and the Royals got better.AL West – AngelsNo argument hereNL East – PhilliesPhillies will be respectable, but not contend. Unless… they address their bullpen issues with some trades. They’ll score enough runs to be in most games, but I suspect that Braves 2006 bullpen = Phillies 2007 bullpen.As much as I’d like to pick the Braves here, I’ll probably have to go with the Mets.NL Central – BrewersI think this will be a repeat of 2006 with the least inept team winning the division with a mid-80s number of wins. I’ll still take the Cardinals here.NL West – PadresI agree – I like how the Padres have been slowly getting better each year. Eventually they are going to have a breakout year and surprise a lot of folks. Perhaps this is going to be the year.