Predictions !

Saturday August 11th 2007. The New York Yankees are currently tied for the AL wild Card with Seattle. They are also only 5 games back of the Boston Red sox. Everyone seemed to count out the Yankees all year long. Questioning that they are too old and don’t have enough pitching. Even questioning Joe Torre as a manager. Saying he is too old and cant get the job done anymore. The Yankees sure are showing everyone. Since the all star break the Yankees have been by far the best team in baseball. If you count the suspended game against Baltimore the Yankees are 22-8 since the All Star break. I wrote an article on July 11h predicting how the Yankees would turn their season around and have a huge second half. I predicted the offense to become hot and take the lead for most runs in the league. Since we have seen an offensive explosion. I said the pitching would come around. Since the pitching has been phenomenal. I predicated them to make the Playoffs at a point when they were 8.5 back of wild card and 10 of the division. Since then they have cut the division lead to 5 and are tied for the Wild Card. Now that we are getting closer to the playoffs I have some new predictions.
Their will be a great race for the AL East. The Yankees and Red Sox and the Two best teams in baseball who happen to be in the same division. As for the Yankees, although they have had an offensive explosion winning the division is still a very hard task. Don’t forget they aren’t just chasing any first place team they are chasing the team with the best record in baseball. With the Yankees hitting and new addition to the bullpen Joba Chamberlin plus the now healthy Phil Hughes it is very possible for them to win the division. However ,Boston has great pitching and they only play 6 more times this year. Even if the Yankees don’t win the division they will definitely win the wild card. Seattle’s line up is not that strong. Their bullpen might be great, however their starting pitching isn’t very strong. As for Cleveland and Detroit I believe Detroit will end up winning the Central. They are a much more talented team then Cleveland. The Angles will win the West. Yankees win the East and Boston wins the wild card. The Yankees and Red Sox could be flipped around, but any way you look at it the four teams who will make the playoffs in the AL are the Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees, Angels. They are the four best teams in baseball and are all in the AL.
The National league is very hard to predict. So many teams are so close to each other. In the West alone 4 out of 5 teams are fighting for the division. In the East 3 out of 5 and the Central 3 out of 5 as well. I definitely believe the Cubs are going to catch Milwaukee and take the Central. The Cubs have a great line up and are now only .5 back for the division lead. I wouldn’t be surprised in Milwaukee had a complete collapse and even the Cardinals pass them. The west is wide open. Arizona San Diego, LA, and Colorado can all capture the division. I Don’t think Arizona is good enough to win it. Amazingly, they are 14 over .500 but have been out scored this year by 21 runs this season. San Diego has great pitching but not enough hitting to make the playoffs. Colorado can definitely score runs but their pitching is probably the worst in that division. I believe the race will be very close all year with the Dodgers coming out on top winning the division. However, that division is definitely up for grabs. Any team can run away with it. The East is also very complicated. With Mark Teixeira coming to the Braves they dramatically improved their offense. Philadelphia despite injuries all season has been staying in the race. The Mets are on top of the division by 3 games. I predict 2 out of 3 teams will make the playoffs in the NL East. Wild Cards in both leagues coming from the East. Although Atlanta has a great line up I don’t believe they have enough starting pitching to make it to the post season. Besides Smoltz and Hudson they pretty much have no one. In a shocking upset I predict Philadelphia to somehow win the East and Mets win the Wild Card. My NL Playoff teams are Philly’s, Mets, Cubs, Dodgers.