This is my very first blog post, so while you may not know me, I assure you I will fill you in later. Right now I will tell you that I am a avid baseball fan and have been every day of my life. So these are my predictions based on what I have seen after approximately one month of major league baseball in 2012
AL EAST GB
1. Yankees 98 - 64 -
2. Rays 94 - 68 4
3. Red Sox 91 - 71 7
4. Blue Jays 82 - 80 16
5. Orioles 72 - 90 26
The Orioles put up a fight until late May when they go on a 12-game losing streak and fade out as usual. Red Sox and Blue Jays are tied going into September, but the Sox win all 6 head-to-head match-ups and squeak in as the second wild card. Rays and Yankees are tied going into the last series, but the Orioles who have nothing to play for sweep the Rays, who are subsequently beaten in the opening playoff with the Red Sox.
AL CENTRAL GB
1. Tigers 94 - 68 -
2. White Sox 83 - 79 11
3. Indians 80 - 82 14
4. Twins 65 - 97 29
5. Royals 54 - 108 40
Tigers emerge as the only legitimate contenders in this division (again). Their pitching and hitting and defense is just too good to maintain their current pace. The rest of the division is pretty uneventful, except for the Royals. They will go down as one of the worst teams in recent memory. Might as well put them on the clock for June 2013.
AL WEST GB
1. Rangers 96 - 66 -
2. Angels 90 - 72 6
3. Athletics 70 - 92 27
4. Mariners 63 - 99 34
The Mariners will finally realize who they are, a very mediocre team, after the All-Star Break. After hanging onto .500 the first half, they will plummet like the sack of potatoes they are. Angels, on the other hand, do the exact opposite. They also hang around .500 until the All-Star Break where Albert Pujols, the very last member added to the AL All-Star team, hits 2 home runs including the game winner. This momentum carries into August and September, but alas they end up short by getting swept by the Rangers in one of the final series. The Rangers not only pad their division lead, but also keep the Angels out of the last Wild Card spot.
NL EAST GB
1. Braves 94 - 68 -
2. Mets 93 - 69 1
3. Nationals 92 - 70 2
4. Phillies 80 - 82 14
5. Marlins 67 - 95 27
This is by far the most interesting division in all of baseball. The Phillies finally relinquish their division reign as they finish the season as quiet as a mouse, never having a winning or losing steak more than 4. The Marlins become the laughing stock of baseball as they do their best 2008 Detroit Tigers impression. Nationals maintain pace with the elite teams in the league as Bryce Harper becomes the first player ever to hit the back wall of EVERY domed stadium he plays in. He also knocks a pitchers glove clear off his hand, which is subsequently caught by the second baseman. Braves and Nationals duke it out all year for second place, but when the Mets falter in September, they settle for the top wild card spot and barely edge the Nationals out of their first playoff appearance while in Washington.
NL CENTRAL GB
1. Cardinals 89 - 73 -
2. Reds 84 - 78 5
3. Cubs 80 - 82 9
4. Brewers 75 - 87 14
5. Pirates 69 - 93 20
6. Astros 59 - 103 30
This is by far the saddest division in all of baseball. The Cardinals become the first team since 2009 to win a division without winning 90 games as they scamper around the league trying not to drown. Astros do slightly better, but still end up firing Brad Mills and trade Wandy Rodriguez and Carlos Lee as they try to start anew in the American League. Nothing much to say about the rest of the division. Both Central divisions for that matter are just sad, sad, sad.
NL WEST GB
1. Dodgers 102 - 60 -
2. D'backs 89 - 73 13
3. Giants 87 - 75 15
4. Rockies 73 - 89 29
5. Padres 64 - 98 38
It's too bad that the Diamondbacks won't pull it out this year. Last year was a real feel good story for Gibson and the whole team. But this year is all about the Dodgers. Behind Kemp and Ethier who combine for 82 homers and 271 RBIs, the league's best 3-4 combo do their best steam roller imitation and crush the competition to finish 1-2 in the MVP voting. Tim Lincecum, sadly, regresses tremendously, posting a 9-14 record with a 4+ ERA. His fastball sits around 89-91 MPH and the Giants shut him down with 3 weeks left as they have nothing to play for. Sad yet true.
AWARDS
AL MVP - Josh Hamilton
NL MVP - Matt Kemp
AL Cy Young - Yu Darvish
NL Cy Young - Stephen Strasburg
AL Rookie of the Year - Yoenis Cespedes
NL Rookie of the Year - Bryce Harper
AL Manager of the Year - Ron Washington
NL Manager of the Year - Davey Johnson
AL Comeback Player - Jake Peavy
NL Comeback Player - Buster Posey
