Chachi's 2006 Baseball Predictions

Here are my predictions for the 2006 MLB season including where teams will finish in their division, the playoffs, and awards.

AL EAST
1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Obviously I'm going to pick the Yankees to win, but my hardest call was actually at #4 and #5. I want to move the Devil Rays up, but I just don't think it's their year to climb out of the cellar till they get some pitching. Maybe next year. I see a tight race as usual at the top and even see the Blue Jays pushing hard deep into August.

AL CENTRAL
1. Chicago White Sox
2. Cleveland Indians
3. Minnesota Twins
4. Detroit Tigers
5. Kansas City Royals

Chi-Sox are still the team to beat. I almost bumped the Tigers up to #3 and then I remembered it's only Leyland's first season and these are still the Tigers. The division is a lot tougher top to bottom though this year and the White Sox will have their work cut out for them.

AL WEST
1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Is this their name again? I have no clue what to call them anymore.)
2. Oakland Athletics
3. Texas Rangers
4. Seattle Mariners

No matter what SI says, the A's are not the #2 team in all of baseball (check out SI's MLB preview and you'll know what I'm talking about). They are, however, the #2 team in their division and if they start slowly the offensively loaded Rangers could pass them by.

NL EAST
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. New York Mets
3. Atlanta Braves
4. Washington Nationals
5. Florida Marlins (AAA affiliate)

That's right, I'm predicting the Braves downfall. Not only will they lose the division, but they aren't even making the playoffs. It has to happen sometime! Right? Huh? Anybody?

NL CENTRAL
1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Milwaukee Brewers
3. Chicago Cubs
4. Houston Astros
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Cincinnati Reds

I think the Astros are in for a tumble this year as well and the Brewers will rise to respectability (even more so then they already have for no longer having the Selig family as their owners). And yes, the Pirates, inspired by the Steelers Super Bowl title, will not finish in last. Go Reds! (he says while trying not to laugh out loud)


NL WEST
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Diego Padres
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. San Francisco Giants
5. Colorado Rockies

I almost put the Giants in last for spite, but I stopped myself. I just think 3 40 yr. old outfielders and a steroid scandal spell doom for their season. I really think the top 3 will have a heavy race for the division title at the end of the year and everyone will realize that Arizona has quietly built a decent team while no one was looking.

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
AL Divison Series
White Sox over Angels
Yankees over A's

AL Championship Series
White Sox over Yankees

NL Division Series
Phillies over Dodgers
Cardinals over Mets

NL Championship Series
Cardinals over Phillies

WORLD SERIES
White Sox over Cardinals

Not a shocking conclusion unless you know my extreme allegiance to the Yankees, but I'm trying to be objective and I just think that in a 7 game series nobody's beating the Sox rotation.

AWARDS
AL MVP - David Ortiz (BOS)
AL Cy Young - Rich Harden (OAK)
AL Rookie of the Year - Kenji Johjima (SEA)

NL MVP - Albert Pujols (STL)
NL Cy Young - Roy Oswalt (HOU)
NL Rookie of the Year - Prince Fielder (MIL)