MLB 2006 Pre-season picks revisited

Friday Aug 4, 2006

With just 1/3 of the season remaining I thought it would be a good time to look pack on my predictions and see where I went right and where I went wrong.

Here are the Predictions with my new thoughts listed after each division:

"National League

NL West
1. Giants
2. Padres
3. Dodgers
4. Diamondbacks
5. Rockies

In another embarrasing season for this division the Giants win 84 to take this puppy down. They also fail to win one game in the post season."

Well I was right about the division being a stinkfest but the order of it as of today has my 1st place pick in last. Still I mark this one TOO EARLY TO TELL. The Dodgers may have made the moves to win this division, but at what cost?!

"NL Central
1. Cardinals
2. Brewers
3. Cubs
4. Astros
5. Pirates
6. Reds

This division doesn't fare nearly as well as last year. While the Brewers and Cubs challenge into August, good management and the only full rotation in the divison take it down with 94 wins and St. Louis goes back to the post season."

I missed the boat on a couple of these teams. I was right that the division would be down but I expected the Reds to tank, not soar. The Reds are my pick to hold onto their wildcard spot or even possibly take over this very weak division.

"NL East
1. Braves
2. Mets
3. Phillies
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

This division is very competitive but the Nationals end up on the bad side of trades, contraversy, and distraction and slip from last year. The all rookie Marlins are a lot of fun and challenge through July but wear and tear proves too much for this young team. The Phillies have the usual injury bug bites at all the wrong times and despite a very exciting outfield and a hitting streak, the wins don't pile up. The Braves and Mets go head to head, but the organization that can do no regular season wrong continues its dominance as the Braves win 97 and the division. The Mets win 94 and head off to St. Louis as the wildcard."

Well who can pick against the Braves. They failed me though as the Mets won this division back in May. The other four teams are fairly weak and yet they find themselves in the thick of the wildcard race. Still I did predict that the Phillies would be distracted by a hitting streak... little did I know it would be Utley and not Rollins. But it makes me look smart. Thanks Chase! Seriously though the Mets are the only good team in this entire league. What a sad day for the NL.

"American League

AL West
1. Oakland
2. Mariners
3. Angels
4. Texas

I'm buying the Oakland hype. Perhaps its cause I'm reading Money Ball, or perhaps its because they picked up the Big Hurt. Either way I'm drinking the Oakland punch and I believe that with their starting staff and improved postion players this is a very good team (96 wins)The Mariners lead by their Japanese contingent and young pitching challenge for the wild card but fall short with 89 wins. The Angels find they cannot overcome the loss of their catcher, their true captain, and fail to reach the post season. Texas, still having one of the greatest offenses ever, and a complete lack of defense and holes in the pitching staff fails to reach .500."

The AL West has been a bit further down than I expected. Oakland is leading the division but is not a very good team. They are more of the Toronto level of quality and if the Blue Jays woke up in the West they might take that division by four or five games. This division is still TOO EARLY TO TELL. I could see any of the four teams winning the one playoff spot. We do know that the wildcard will not come from the west.

AL Central
1. White Sox
2. Indians
3. Tigers
4. Twins
5. Royals

Who is the most improved team in this division? I'm favoring the Tigers and Royals for that answer. They made some impressive off season moves to make these cellar dwellers threats and both will be pains to the division. The Indians, while they improved the team for the 2007-2010 campaigns might have hurt itself for the '06 campaign. Still their spirit and intensity will be tough to fight off for the champs. The Twins are the only team in this division that really really doesn't impress me (in comparisson to previous performance). Despite Gardenhire's great track record, look for his job to be open in July. White Sox win 96 to take the division. The Indians sneak into the wildcard by actually winning the last week of the season and getting 94 wins."

I predicted an improved Tigers team so props me. I did not however predict them to be a ridiculously good team which they are. The Tigers own this division and barring a ridiculous collapse they will win the AL Central. I make no excuses for the bad play of the Indians and the intermittent greatness of the White Sox. Both of these teams have been disappointing. The White Sox still will likely challenge for the division and be there in the end in both the central and wildcard races but it is TOO EARLY TO TELL on the WC.

"AL East
1. Blue Jays
2. Red Sox
3. Yankees
4. Devil Rays
5. Orioles

The Red Sox and Yanks slug this division out for the first few months but then both teams realize that their pitchers are no longer dominant on the hill and are in fact over the hill or just overrated. The Blue Jays, despite wasting tons of money, did really improve their team and has the most solid pitching in this pitching poor division. Expect a late season surge by the Jays and the Rays as the Kings of the division flirt with 4th. Jays win 92 and head to Chicago for a rematch of the 1993 ALCS."

Ooooops. Blue Jays failed me BIG TIME. Never really got consistent. Much more of an AL West team then an AL East. The Yanks and Red Sawx have fought horrible injuries all year and are still on top of the division and the wild card and for that I give both franchises props. Unfortunately for them they both play each other 9 more times which means that the White Sox will have the advantage in the wildcard race on those days. TOO EARLY TO CALL, but I think with Varitek and Nixon out the Red Sox could be in for a nasty August/September.

New Post Season Predictions:

Divisional Series:

Tigers v. Angels
White Sox v. Yankees

Mets v. Reds
Cardinals v. Dodgers

LCS:
White Sox v. Tigers
Mets v. Dodgers

WS:
White Sox v. Dodgers (that's a fan talking)

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MLB 2006 Pre-season picks revisited

Friday Aug 4, 2006