Once again, I will try to pick the winners of each division. Once again, it will probably be wrong, to some capacity. I will try again anyway.In no way am I trying to "wrong" anyone by picking their team in a certain order. I base this on offseason moves (by team and division rivals), statistics, personal observations and hunches. I do not base this on friendship to any bloggers or fans of any team. There is no bias in these decisions. If I thought the White Sox had the worst team in the AL Central division, I would pick them to be in fifth, but I don't think that for this year's team... so I won't.
On the other side of the coin, if I thought the Cubs had the best team in the NL Central, I would pick them to be in first place. I don't, so I won't.
American League East:
1. Red Sox
2. Rays
3. Yankees
4. Orioles
5. Blue Jays
A traditionally tough division. The Red Sox should prevail in a tight race. The Yankees will fade for awhile at some point in the season, whether it happens early or late is debatable.
American League Central:
1. White Sox
2. Tigers
3. Twins
4. Indians
5. Royals
The White Sox pitching should find them on top of a weak division. If the hitting experiments work out, look for them to be on top by a lot. The Twins will stumble this season adjusting to life outside of the dome. The Indians will rebound from their gutting, just not enough to contend. The Royals additions only shuffled their Rolodex.
American League West:
1. Mariners
2. Rangers
3. Angels
4. Athletics
Look for the Mariners and the Rangers to dine on the rest of their division. The Angels are the biggest question mark in the division. They look weaker, but looks could prove deceiving. The Athletics aren't ready for contention this year.
American League Wild Card: Rangers
American League team that will surprise people: Indians
National League East:
1. Phillies
2. Marlins
3. Mets
4. Braves
5. Nationals
The Phillies made moves, but seemed to stay in the same place. Look for them to stay on top. The Mets and Braves continue to make questionable moves, but the Braves are focusing on the future more than the present. The Nationals will contend in a few years, if they continue like this past winter.
National League Central:
1. Cardinals
2. Cubs
3. Reds
4. Brewers
5. Pirates
6. Astros
This could be the last year the Cardinals will have enough to win this weak division. They should take advantage of that. The Cubs have a lot of glitz, but still have enough holes to keep them from the top. The Reds could have a decent year. Look for the Pirates to surprise a lot of people this year.
National League West:
1. Rockies
2. Dodgers
3. Padres
4. Giants
5. Diamondbacks
The Rockies and Dodgers could be a dogfight the entire season. The Padres are on the rise, while the Giants are in decline. They will probably flip flop from last season's standings. The Diamondbacks haven't done enough to improve their status this year.
National League Wild Card: Dodgers
National League team that will surprise people: Pirates
Regardless of how many are right or wrong at season's end, this is always a good primer for me before the season starts. Everyone has different opinions of the season and are entitled to those opinions. Right or wrong, these are mine.
