Spring has sprung, which means it’s time for two things: baseball and predictions about baseball.
AL East: Believe it or not, I’m picking the Yankees to win this division. Again. The Bronx Bombers boast by far the best line-up in baseball and will field all-stars at eight positions (sorry, Doug Mientkiewicz). Even with the loss of power-hitting veteran Gary Sheffield to Detroit, the Yankee bats still have a little pop, with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi anchoring the order. But look for this year’s Yankees to do what the franchise has not done since their heyday in the late 90s-play small ball.
Starting pitching has been New York’s weakness for the past few seasons, and for good reason. Expect starters Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte and Carl Pavano, each, to spend time on the DL this season. The Yankees, however, have an underrated ace in Chien-Ming Wang, and with that offense and Rivera still a dominant closer, the Yankees have enough talent not only to win the division, but also the World Series.
AL Central: It’s funny how one player can affect the entire outcome of a division (especially when it’s the deepest in baseball), but that’s exactly what Francisco Liriano is doing as Tommy John surgery will cost him the 2007 season. With Liriano, the Twins likely would have won the division; without him, they will not finish higher than fourth. Detroit, Cleveland and Chicago could all win the division, and while I think this is the Indians’ year, I have to give it to the Tigers. Detroit doesn’t have the line-up that Cleveland and Chicago possess, but they proved once again last year, that pitching wins games. With arguably the best all-around rotation in the AL and flame-throwers Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney in the bullpen, the Tigers will slip past the competition.
AL West: A lot of experts have the Angels advancing to-and winning-the World Series. They’ll win the West, but that’s about it. Ervin Santana and Jered Weaver are certainly two of the best young pitchers in the game, and Francisco Rodriguez may be the game’s best closer, but the Angels rely too heavily on perennial All-Star Vladimir Guerrero to carry the offense.
NL East: The New York Mets ran away with the division last year, and while they’ll finish first again, expect a slightly closer pennant race. Much like their counterparts in the Bronx, the boys from Queens compensate for their mediocre starting pitching with an absolute nightmare line-up and a lights-out closer. Leadoff shortstop Jose Reyes is one of the most dynamic players in the game, and Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and David Wright are as good as any 3-4-5 hitters in baseball. Starters Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez have to stay healthy if the Mets plan on doing anything in the playoffs.
NL Central: The Cardinals somehow managed to win the World Series in ’06, and somehow they’ll win the division in ’07. Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen are becoming less productive as the seasons go by, but you could put pre-schoolers behind Albert Pujols and he’d still hit 40 home runs.
The Cardinals also found a running mate for former Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter-Adam Wainwright, who came on strong in relief appearance at the end of last season, was inserted into the starting rotation. He’s too good not to be there, but playoff-caliber teams shouldn’t be too comfortable with Jason Isringhausen on the mound in the ninth.
NL West: This division is similar to the AL Central in that there are several teams with a realistic chance of winning it; the only difference is that the teams in the AL Central are actually good. The Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Padres all have their strengths, but not really.
I give the Dodgers the edge because they have the most balanced starting staff in the division, headlined by Derek Lowe, Jason Schmidt and Brad Penny. With Rafael Furcal and Juan Pierre at the top of the line-up, the Dodgers should have plenty of chances to score runs; the only question will be if Nomar Garciaparra and Jeff Kent can stay healthy and knock them in-or just know them in, period.
Wild Card: Red Sox and Cubs. I’ll just leave it at that. I don’t want to curse anyone.
Every year I pick the Yankees to win it all, and every year they don’t. Well, I’m picking them again this season. That’s the beauty of being a sportswriter; just pick the same team every year, and you’re bound to be right eventually. And even if I’m wrong, know this-it’s going to be a good summer.
