Here we go folks:

 

 

AL East

 

1) Yankees (they strike back, will battle Boston all year long for the division, few weaknesses)

 

2) Red Sox (much like the Yankees they dont have any real weaknesses, however the back end of their staff is a bit more questionable than the Yankees, which will cost them the division)

 

3) Orioles (the remainder of the division sucks more or less, the Orioles have the hitting to contend with the Yankees and Red Sox, but they have no pitching. Good job in taking care of your biggest weakness again this year)

 

4) Devil Rays (Still a long way to go, but slowly getting there)

 

5) Blue Jays (how the mighty have fallen. The Jays have way too many questions and not enough answers to answer them all)

 

 

AL Central

 

1) Indians (yes I said Indians. They have an amazing young team, lots of talent and I just have a hunch they will have just enough to get past the Twins)

 

2) Twins (good team, solid all around, but there is just something about the middle of that infield that scares me)

 

3) Tigers (this team is getting better and fast. Remember where they were a few years ago? DD is making them a much better all around organziation and fast. Their owner has deep pockets and will spend to get them what they need. 2006 could be their year)

 

4) White Sox (why they decided to reshape their team the way they did is beyond me. Podsednick is not that great and wont be on base nearly enough. Way too many questions, not enough answers. They have good pitching on paper, but since when did that win anything? They are going to greatly miss the days of power, considering this joint has the biggest propensity for homers)

 

5) Royals (the worst team in the league. by far. I feel for Tony Pena)

 

Al West

 

1) Angels (they can contend with the Red Sox and Yankees for the pennant. They have a deep team and an owner with deep pockets. They will be there.)

 

2) Rangers (if they can get consistent pitching they will give the Angels a huge run for their money. Like the mid 90s their hitting is scary. Their pen is extra tough also, but were they overused?)

 

3) A's (losing Mulder and and Hudson is goign to end their playoff fortunes, or misfortunes. The A's have a ton of questions in the rotation, hopefully Joe Blanton and company will answer them)

 

4) Mariners (not as bad as last year, not nearly good enough. Jeremy Reed will prove to be a steal, but you have to question their team in general. I think they will regret signing Adrian Beltre. Felix Hernandez will force his way into the rotation by May.)

 

 

 

AL Pennant: Angels (damn all of ESPN)

 

AL Wild Card: Boston

 

 

The rest...figure it out.

 

 

NL East

 

1) Braves (I'm tired of being wrong. Bobby Cox has made a pact with Satan, they win the East, nothing else needs to be said. BTW, John Smoltz will win at least 15 games and give 200 innings)

 

2) Marlins (balanced lineup, finally Beckett and Burnett fully put it together and Willis brings it all together on a consistent basis)

 

3) Phillies (a distant third. they have a nice team, but they are lacking the horses of the top two teams on the mound, ultimately dooming them)

 

4) Mets (they will find a way to screw things up. they always do. )

 

5) Nationals (if they can slowly put things together, they will be in good shape. Finishing at .450 would be a good first season in DC)

 

NL Central

 

1) Cardinals (they lost Renteria but they gained Mulder. They got the ace they needed. There are questions in the pen but Dave Duncan is one of the best in the game. Matty Morris will bounce back this year in grand style.)

 

2) Astros (call me a homer. There are a ton of questions, but the stros have hte horses to take them deep. Once they figure things out offensively they will be tough to beat. Don't count out ole Scrap Iron. He is molding this team into a team of Garners.

 

3) Cubs (Dusty Baker is an idiot. Who will he ruin this year?)

 

4) Brewers (They are slowly moving up in the standings. Getting better and better, picking up Carlos Lee was a heist. Once their kids starting taking their spots, look out. Ben Sheets will soon sign a long term deal here as the anchor of the new look Brewers in the middle of this decade

 

5) Reds (They have a great outfield, but they will get hurt. Hopefully they can get some consistent pitching, else it will be a long year.

 

6) Pirates (the worst team in baseball. bar none.)

 

 

NL West

 

1) Padres (most balanced team in the division, slowly starting to get smart and build a team with pitching and speed)

 

2) Dodgers (they lost a lot, but I think they will put things together. Jim Tracy is vastly underrated

 

3) Giants (they have a great ace, and they might have bonds at some point, but come on...they are all 90.)

 

4) Diamond Backs (signing Glaus is going to be a stupid move. it will be a long year in the desert

 

5) Rockies (maybe they can get a clue sometime this decade)

 

 

NL Pennant: Marlins

 

NL Wild Card: Marlins

4) Mets (they will find a way to screw things up. they always do. )

 

couldn't be any more TRUE

6) Pirates (the worst team in baseball. bar none.)

 

BS

NL East:

 

1. Braves: Still the best. Adding Hudson was huge. They'll find mediocrety and have it produce. I hate them. :plain 90-100 wins

 

2. Marlins: Delgado was a huge acquisition but everything relies on Burnett and Becket being healthy. If they do, hello wildcard? 85-95 wins

 

3. Phillies: Great offence and a good bullpen, but just no #1 starter. Bowa gone will help them out though. 80-90 wins

 

4. Mets: Until they start winning, they are still MLB's version of the New York Rangers regardless of who they add. Bullpen is a question mark. Benson and Zambarno are injury concerns...too many question marks for my liking. 75-85 wins

 

5. Nats: New city, new unis, same stupid manager and organization and terrible offence. Don't let the press clippings fool ya, this team will suck and suck hard. 60-70 wins

 

NL Central:

 

1. Cardinals: Adding Mulder keeps them on top. 95-105 wins

 

2. Cubs: Still enough talent to be good but without Prior and Wood healthy, no playoffs. 85-95 wins

 

3. Astros: Beltran and Kent gone and Berkman injured for a few weeks. This team's offence will suck for a few weeks, but with Oswalt and Clemens at the top of the rotation and Lidge in the bully, they will compete. 75-85 wins

 

4. Brewers: A franchise on the rise. Ben Sheets is an emerging ace they have to keep, Carlos Lee was a great pickup and they have arguably the best farm system in the game. Next year will be key... 70-80 wins

 

5. Reds: If Junior and Kearns are healthy, this offence will rock. Unfortunately, the pitching is still not good enough. 70-80 wins

 

6. Pirates: A franchise run by morons going nowhere and that's not going to change soon. At least they have Canadian Jason Bay and ace Oliver Perez to build around. 60-70 wins

 

 

NL West:

 

1. Padres: A surprise? no. This team is solid all over the place. Good mix of kids and vets. Jake Peavy is an ace in the making. Giles will have a big year before FA.85-95 wins

 

2. Giants: Bonds won't be in the lineup for at least 2-3 months and they are older than many teams. Their outfield defence is mediocre. Their starting pitching will have to carry them, but it won't be enough. 80-90 wins.

 

3. Dodgers: Gagne and Penny are banged up...in a division where every win is crucial, missing them will haunt the Dodgers. Look for Drew to have a big year though. 80-90 wins

 

4. Diamondbacks: They've made tons of changes, but they still look like a mediocre team to me. Glaus was a great addition, but they just have too many holes to win this division. 65-75 wins

 

5. Rockies: This team is in full blown rebuild mode. Kids will have all the chances in the world. So you know they will suck. Young canadian lefty start Jeff Francis will be fun to watch even if he's pitching half the time at Coors. 55-65 wins

 

wildcard: Florida

 

NL ROY: Brewers SS JJ Hardy

 

NL MVP: Albert Pujols

 

NL Cy Young winner: Jake Peavy

 

 

AL East:

 

1. Yankees: Sure they are old, they don't have anything in the farm system and their defence is a ? They are loaded offensively and the Big Unit gives them a true ace. 95-105 wins

 

2. Red Sox: Still strong and well built. Matt Clement emerging into the elite starter he can be will make or break their chances in a short series. 90-100 wins

 

3. Orioles: Added Sosa to an already decent team and a great offence. Young Canadian lefty starter Erik Bedard and fellow young starter Daniel Cabrera could have breakout seasons. If they do, this team could be very scary. 75-85 wins

 

4. Blue Jays: They will be better than last year. Halladay has to stay healthy, kids like Adams, Rios and Gross have to step up and Batista needs to settle in as closer for them to have any hope of contending. 70-80 wins.

 

5. Devil Rays: A franchise with a lot of young talent. Crawford is a great young leadoff hitter, Huff is a great slugger and Kazmir will be a tremendouns fireballing lefty. But they just don't have the depth to win anything in this league, let alone this division. 60-70 wins

 

 

AL Central:

 

 

1. Twins: Still the best. They lost Koskie and Guzman but can replace them from within. Stud young catcher Joe Mauer was always injured last year, if he's healthy that's a tremendous boost for them. Young Canadian Justin Morneau could hit 40 homers. The pitching and defence remains solid. 85-95 wins

 

2. Indians: The perfect example of how to rebuild a franchise and they are almost finished rebuilding. The offence is scary. Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez anchor the middle of the lineup. They added Kevin Millwood to a good young staff that includes Sabathia, Lee and Westbrook. They have lots of talent in the minors. Just give this team one more year...80-90 wins

 

3. Tigers: Illitch is spending and this team is looking respectable again. Magglio Ordonez signed a monster contract and if he's healthy, this offence could be very good with Pudge, Guillen and Pena mashing along with him. 22 y/o Jeremy Bonderman should have a breakout season as the ace of the staff.70-80 wins

 

4. White Sox: Team gonna play small ball. Adding speedy Scott Podsednik is proof of that. Pitching, defence and speed will be their formula. It won't be enough. 65-75 wins

 

5. Royals: Thank god for Royals fans they at least have young stud starter Zack Greinke. He could very well be the next Greg Maddux. It's gonna be a looooooooong season in K.C. with several rookies trying to establish themself in the bigs. 50-60 wins

 

 

NL West:

 

1. Angels: They are still the best team in this division. Their rotation is deep and talented. Offence still very good with Vlady and Anderson anchoring it. New additions Finley and Cabrera will improve defence. F-Rod takes over closer role for Percival. 80-90 wins

 

2. A's: Mulder and Hudson are gone, but they are still a good team. Barry Zito is an ace, young Canuck Rich Harden will be one soon, #3 starter Danny Haren was acquired for Mulder and # 4 starter Joe Blanton is a top prospect. Soon enough, Dan Meyer, who they got Hudson, will be their #5 guy. Offence will be better thanks to Kendall's arrival. Bullpen will be vastly improved thanks to Dotel, Cruz, Calero and young stud Huston Street. 75-85 wins

 

 

3. Rangers: One of the best young cores of hitting talent in baseball. Texeira, Blalock, Young, Soriano, Mench, etc. These guys can hit. Can they pitch? Drese and Rogers will have to duplicate their 04 seasons. 75-85 wins

 

4. Mariners: Added Beltre and Sexson but there are many question marks. Is Sexson healthy? Is ace Pineiro ready to go? is Moyer done? is Guardado ready after his injury? They will be alot better and more exciting to watch but it won't be enough to grab the division. 75-85 wins

 

wildcard: Boston

 

AL ROY: Mariners CF Jeremy Reed

 

AL MVP: David Ortiz

 

AL Cy Young winner: Johan Santana

6) Pirates (the worst team in baseball. bar none.)

 

BS

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Eh. Bar Kansas City and it's true.

6) Pirates (the worst team in baseball. bar none.)

 

BS

727909[/snapback]

Eh. Bar Kansas City and it's true.

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between kansas city, colorado and pittsburgh, it could be a fun race for the crapper.

colorado is pretty bad but they have some serious young studs on that team

AL East

New York Yankees - Perhaps the most amazing gathering of talent in recent memory, with the only question mark being lack of chemistry

Boston Red Sox - The defending champs have a huge amount of talent, but I don't think they'll have enough to top the Yankees in the regular season

Baltimore Orioles - Non-existent pitching, but they can absolutely rake and they should be fun to watch

Tampa Bay Devil Rays - Scott Kazmir, Carl Crawford, Joey Gathright, Rocco Baldelli, BJ Upton, Dewon Brazelton, this team has huge potential

Toronto Blue Jays - Solid young nucleus and a Cy Young winner, but I just have my doubts about the team, but the owner seems like he's commited

 

AL Central

Minnesota Twins - Johan Santana, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau make this a formidable squad in a tight division

Cleveland Indians - Another team that can absolutely rake it, but I'm not too fond of their rotation or bullpen

Detroit Tigers - This team will continue to grow and might make a run at .500 if Bonderman and Maroth live up to their potential

Chicago White Sox - I'm not really sure why they've decided to play smallball in a bandbox, but I'm not their GM so whatever

Kansas City Royals - This could be ugly, but at least their stadium is awesome and Jose Lima's wife is smokin' hot

 

AL West

Oakland A's - I'm not sure if I'm in the minority, but I really liked their offseason moves

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - They can rake, but I'm not enamored with their rotation and with a so-so rotation, K-Rod won't get to play much

Texas Rangers - Much like the Angels with a lineup that can rake, a so-so rotation, and a dominant closer

Seattle Mariners - They have a nice mix of veterans and young guys, but the rotation is not to my liking

 

NL East

Florida Marlins - I hate to pick them, but I can't pick against them, the rotation (if healthy) is dominant, and the lineup is balanced

Atlanta Braves - Hudson, HoRam, Smoltz will keep this team contending regardless of the offense

New York Mets - Beltran, Wright, Piazza, Cameron will rake and Pedro will do well, but I just don't think they have "it"

Washington Nationals - The team ended the season quite strong and perhaps a new setting will instill a new attitude

Philadelphia Phillies - The team rakes, the bullpen is great, but the rotation just doesn't do it for me

 

NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals - They hit extremely well, Mulder to anchor the staff, and an excellent closer, they won't win 105, but they'll win a ton

Chicago Cubs - Call me crazy, but not having Prior and Wood for awhile might be for the best and I expect huge numbers from Patterson and Nomah

Houston Astros - They lost Beltran and Kent and Berkman is hurt, but Oswalt and Clemens are there to anchor the rotation

Cincinnati Reds - The team can hit the ball, but that rotation does nothing for me

Pittsburgh Pirates - The most competitive team they've fielded in a couple years and Perez, Bay, and Wilson are studs

Milwaukee Brewers - Ben Sheets and Carlos Lee will probably make the All-Star game

 

NL West

San Diego Padres - I really like the young pitching and that park suits them perfectly and we all know that pitching wins championships

San Francisco Giants - Bonds, Alou, Schmidt, Benitez, Feliz will make this an extremely competitive team that fights for the WC/NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers - Their questionable offseason moves aside, they still have a good rotation and a pretty good closer

Arizona Diamondbacks - Losing Randy Johnson will work out in the long run, but this squad will hope to just be a spoiler

Colorado Rockies - BK Kim as your starter? I'd rather have The Burger King. Todd Helton will continue putting up MVP-type numbers

 

Playoffs

ALDS

Yankees over A's in 4

Red Sox over Twins in 5

 

NLDS

Marlins over Cubs in 5

Cards over Padres in 4

 

ALCS

Yankees over Red Sox in 7

 

NLCS

Marlins over Cards in 6

 

World Series

Yankees over Marlins in 6

 

Awards

AL Cy Young

Randy Johnson

Johan Santana

Rich Harden

Curt Schilling

Matt Clement

 

NL Cy Young

Tim Hudson

Roger Clemens

Jason Schmidt

Jake Peavy

AJ Burnett

 

AL MVP

Alex Rodriguez

Vladimir Guerrero

Hideki Matsui

Manny Ramirez

Victor Martinez

 

NL MVP

Albert Pujols

Todd Helton

Barry Bonds

Carlos Beltran

Miguel Cabrera

AL West:

1. Angels- the other teams have too many intangibles

2. A's- many paralells to the 2000 team, but teams don't often make the playoffs in those situations, so don't look for it to happen again

3. Mariners- If Boone and the pitching staff has a comeback year, Beltre isn't a one year wonder, and Sexson stays healthy, they will be in the playoffs. Don't look for that to happen

4. Rangers- Great offense, still no pitching

AL Central:

1. Indians- showed the perfect way how to rebuild

2. Twins- It all hinges on Santana, but they're relying on too many young players

3. Tigers- continuing to show great improvement

4. White Sox- Have a good one two punch, but no Thomas, no Ordonez, and no Lee equals no playoffs

5. Royals- do i really need to explain why?

AL East:

1. Yankees- over 200 million reasons why

2. Red Sox- in for a disapointing encore

3. Blue Jays- look for Halladay to have a comeback year

4. Orioles- See: Rangers

5. Devil Rays- has great potential, but for now back in the cellar

NL West:

1. Giants- without Bonds, they are still in the race. It will be close for the first month or so, and then Bonds will return and they'll run away with the division. If they start to struggle, Bonds will return sooner that that

2. Padres- will make a good run at the wild card

3. Dodgers- with Gagne they have a slight chance...without Gagne they have no chance

4. Rockies- at least they'll be out of the cellar

5. D-Backs- no offense, mediocre pitching, and even after all those moves the team is equal to last year's

NL Central:

1. Astros- If it's close when Berkman returns, they will win the division

2. Cards- Mulder will be the biggest bust of the season

3. Cubs- best rotation in the NL, but they're all injured...plus Dusty will blow it for them

4. Reds- see: Orioles

5. Brewers- things are looking up, but right now they're a losing team

6. Pirates- 13th straight losing season

NL East:

1. Braves- can't beat that rotation

2. Marlins- I'll pick them to win when the starters start living up to their potential

3. Mets- Pedro and Beltran will be huge boosts, but still a third place team

4. Phillies- see: Reds

5. Nationals- new city, new name, same result