With opening day officially done and every team having officially announcing their rosters and their injuries I am now ready and as confident as I’ll ever be to make my 2014 predictions. Last season I didn’t do bad, but compared to Trevor’s perfect predictions last season, I looked mediocre at best. So here I go and hopefully this year I get the perfect prediction.
AL East
1. Boston Red Sox
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Wild Card)
3. Baltimore Orioles
4. New York Yankees
5. Toronto Blue Jays.
Even though I think the AL West got stronger this year the East is still the Beast of the American League. All five teams are solid and four of them can fight for a playoff spot. A part of me wants to pick two of the teams to make the Wild Card but I think that this division is going to beat up on each other way too much to get both Wild Cards. I pick Boston to take last place last year, not going to make that mistake again.
AL Central
1. Kansas City Royals
2. Detroit Tigers (Wild Card)
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Chicago White Sox
Yes you are seeing that right; I have Kansas City winning the central. This may come as a shocker to some of you and to others you may look at it and think ‘yeah it can happen.’ This is not the strongest division and that is why I’m willing to edge the Tigers in as the 2nd Wild Card.
AL West
1. Oakland A’s
2. Texas Rangers
3. Seattle Mariners
4. ANAHEIM Angels
5. Houston Astros
With the addition of Prince Fielder I really thought about putting the Rangers at the top until I saw all of the injuries they had. The Rangers are still a good team but when you lose multiple starters for multiple months, it is hard to play with the best day in and day out. I have the M’s in 3rd and this isn’t just because I’m a homer. I think they are improved and the Angels, with exception of the best player in baseball Trout, are getting older and more injury prone. Oh and I have Houston taking last, again.
NL East
1. Washington Nationals
2. New York Mets
3. Atlanta Braves
4. Philadelphia Phillies
5. Miami Marlins
Talk about injury bug, the Atlanta Braves suffered two Tommy John injuries in the same week. Once the injury bug hits a team it doesn’t go away easily. Plus I think the Upton brothers are a bit overrated. The Nationals however are not overrated. They have a great pitching staff and can hit the ball some. The Phillies are old and only getting OLDER. The Marlins will compete for worst in baseball.
NL Central
1. Pittsburgh Pirates
Tie 2. St. Louis Cardinals (Wild Card)
Tie 2. Cincinnati Reds (Wild Card)
4. Chicago Cubs
5. Milwaukee Brewers
This division was the most competitive at the end of last season, and I think it turns out exactly the same way this year. I have the Pirates just barely winning the Central but I have the Reds and Cardinals coming in at a tie for 2nd and both making the Wild Card. Cubs and Brewers can fight it out for last place, but I will be rooting for the Cubs a little bit more in that battle.
NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Diego Padres
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Francisco Giants
The West is a solid division and will have some solid competition, but this division is the Dodgers to take. I have the Padres taking 2nd and if any of the Central teams stumble along the way they would be my pick to take the Wild Card then. The Diamondbacks are still worried too much about whether or not there is pee in their pool, the Rockies didn’t get that much better and the Giants died the second half of last year and I expect that trend to continue.
World Series Picks
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Tampa Bay Rays
This would be a fun match up and I give the edge to the Dodgers in this one.