Considering my wife and seven year old son fared better than I did on the annual family NCAA bracket contest, my predictions for the upcoming baseball season probably shouldn't be something you take to the bank as collateral for a loan. Nonetheless, here goes:
In the NL Central, it seems obvious there is no one dominating team. The spread between first and fifth (and possibly even sixth) place will be such that a hot two week stretch could vault any club three or four spots in the standings. Conversely, a cold snap could take a first place team down the cellar in a hurry. The key, I think, will be to avoid the long cold streaks and play consistent ball. And of course, the way to do that is more often than not on the shoulders of the pitching staff. The Brewers have the depth in starting pitching that no other team in the division can touch. I hate sounding like I have beer-colored glasses on here, but I think the Brewers have just enough to win this division with 86 wins. I wouldn't be surprised to see the sixth place team have 72 wins. It's going to be a roller coaster year, so hang on.
Elsewhere, I like the Braves to slug their way back into an NL East title and the Dodgers will grab the NL West. Wildcard goes to Philly. I think the Mets' pitching staff is going to completely offset the incredible offense they have, and they will drop to third in the tough East. In the AL, I like Boston to ride its pitching staff to the East crown. The A's might slip a bit, but still should have enough for the West. And the Royals will shock the world and win the Central. No--April Fools. I like the Tigers to repeat, with the wildcard going to Cleveland.
So there you have it--that and about $.60 will buy you a refreshing can of soda.
