It’s almost the middle of May and people are talking about the standings in baseball already. Here is a breakdown of my predictions for each division:
AL East
AL East | |||
W | L | GB | |
NY Yankees | 20 | 13 | - |
Tampa Bay | 20 | 15 | 1 |
Boston | 17 | 19 | 4.5 |
Toronto | 16 | 20 | 5.5 |
Baltimore | 15 | 19 | 5.5 |
No Chance: Toronto and Baltimore. I give Toronto and Baltimore both no chance of making the playoffs. There is no way that these two teams can compete in this division.
Slim Chance: Tampa Bay. I am surprised that Tampa Bay is only one game back right now. I think by the end of the season, it will be the Yankees and the Red Sox. The Rays have a good rotation, but they don’t have the bats to match up against New York or Boston. Matt Joyce is hitting .356 and Ben Zobrist is hitting .282. This won’t last for long and the Rays will slump. Sometime in the second half of the season, I expect the Rays to be out of the running.
In the Running: NY Yankees and Boston. The Yankees and Red Sox will be fighting all the way to the end of the season this year. They both have an unbelievable lineup and are probably the best two teams in the American League.
My Prediction: Boston. I think the Red Sox will win this division. The Rays don’t have enough hitting and the Yankees can’t match the Red Sox pitching. The Yankees should be able to hang on to the wild card spot and the Rays will be left out this year.
AL Central
AL Central | |||
W | L | GB | |
Cleveland | 23 | 11 | - |
Kansas City | 18 | 17 | 5.5 |
Detroit | 19 | 18 | 5.5 |
Chicago Sox | 14 | 23 | 10.5 |
Minnesota | 12 | 22 | 11 |
No Chance: Minnesota. The Twins have been one of the most consistent teams in baseball in the last few years, but this season has been terrible so far. Joe Mauer can’t get onto the field, they rank 28th in team batting average and 29th in team ERA.
Slim Chance: Chicago White Sox and Kansas City. The Chicago White Sox look good on paper, but they always seem to find a way to disappoint you. Their lineup should be better than this and they have four good starters that are underachieving. I still think they can come back and make a run at some point, but the chances are slim because they are already 10 games back. I for one am not giving any credit to the Kansas City Royals. They are swinging the bats well right now, but their starting pitching is a joke. I expect a slump soon and the Royals to fall off the map.
In the Running: Cleveland and Detroit. I am still leery of the Indians, but you can’t argue with how they are playing right now. Detroit has the hitting, but needs to get their team ERA down in order to win more games.
My Prediction: Detroit. I think Detroit will get hot at some point this season and Cleveland will cool down. I think it could be a close race, but the Tigers will pull it out.
AL West
AL West | |||
W | L | GB | |
LA Angels | 21 | 16 | - |
Texas | 19 | 18 | 2 |
Oakland | 19 | 18 | 2 |
Seattle | 16 | 20 | 4.5 |
No Chance: Seattle. Seattle is terrible again this year. Their pitching is ok, but they can’t hit. I expect the Mariners to be out of the playoff race sometime around the All-star break or sooner.
Slim Chance: None.
In the Running: LA Angels, Texas, and Oakland. All three of these teams are legit. The Angels are ranked 6th in ERA, Texas is ranked 3rd in runs, and Oakland is 1st in team ERA. This could be a dogfight.
My Prediction: Texas. I wanted to take Oakland here because of their pitching, but I think Texas is the better team. I think Colby Lewis turns his season around soon and Texas wins the division in a close 3-team race.
NL East
NL East | |||
W | L | GB | |
Philadelphia | 23 | 12 | - |
Florida | 21 | 14 | 2 |
Atlanta | 20 | 17 | 4 |
Washington | 17 | 18 | 6 |
NY Mets | 16 | 20 | 7.5 |
No Chance: NY Mets and Washington. These two teams are like Baltimore and Toronto in the AL East. They are both completely outmatched by the other three teams in this division. I give them both a 0.01% chance of making the playoffs.
Slim Chance: None.
In the Running: Philadelphia, Florida, and Atlanta. Philadelphia is the obvious front runner, but don’t look past Florida and Atlanta. These are two really good teams and have scary good pitchers.
My Prediction: Philadelphia. I think Philadelphia wins the division, but it will be close. I wouldn’t be surprised if Atlanta and Florida hang in all the way to the end. My prediction is that Atlanta gets the wildcard and Florida barely misses out.
NL Central
NL Central | |||
W | L | GB | |
St. Louis | 21 | 15 | - |
Cincinnati | 20 | 16 | 1 |
Pittsburgh | 18 | 18 | 3 |
Milwaukee | 16 | 20 | 5 |
Chicago Cubs | 15 | 19 | 5 |
Houston | 13 | 23 | 8 |
No Chance: Houston, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh. Houston may be the worst team in the league and I think the Cubs are going south soon. The Cubs lineup is below average and their starting pitching is mediocre at best. I don’t expect them to be within 5 games of first for very long. Pittsburgh has been playing tough this year, but they will fade away soon. They don’t have the star players it takes to win a division.
Slim Chance: None.
In the Running: St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee. These three teams will be in a close race all year long. I think the Brewers slow start will turn around and they may be the team to beat in the second half of the season.
My Prediction: Milwaukee. You can call me a homer if you want, but I think the Brewers have the best team in the division. They are streaky, but their lineup is unreal. Their hitters consist of Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Corey Hart, and Casey McGehee. Their starting rotation is Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum, and Yovani Gallardo. There is no reason why the Brewers shouldn’t make the playoffs.
NL West
NL West | |||
W | L | GB | |
Colorado | 19 | 15 | - |
San Francisco | 19 | 16 | .5 |
LA Dodgers | 17 | 20 | 3.5 |
Arizona | 15 | 19 | 4 |
San Diego | 14 | 22 | 6 |
No Chance: San Diego and Arizona. The Padres have good pitching, but rank last in the league in batting average. Arizona doesn’t have a chance either. They don’t have the players to compete in any division.
Slim Chance: LA Dodgers. The Dodgers aren’t a bad team, but I don’t think they can hang with the Rockies and Giants for 162 games.
In the Running: Colorado and San Francisco. These two teams should be close all season long. The Giants can’t hit, but their pitching is phenomenal and the Rockies have a solid all-around team.
My Prediction: San Francisco. It was a tough decision, but I had to go with the best starting pitching. I think the Giants can pitch their way into the postseason again.
all stats from espn.com
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