MLB Predictions 2006

I know, I'm way late on this one. We're almost a week into the season and my baseball talk has been abnormally low. I do want to point out, for any baseball fans who may care, that they should reread my predictions from last year, made back in March 2005. I definite made a few bad guesses, but overall, I predicted most of what happened and made some dead-on calls. The White Sox being the sleeper team and winning it all, thanks to pitching, defense, being aggressive on the basepaths and small ball... I said they would win it in a close race, which Clevland made true. I said the Cardinals would run away with it, and Houston would use it's pitching to get the Wild Card, and the Cubs would suck. I picked the Angels to do well and go far, the Yankees and Red Sox to both make the playoffs (okay, so did a lot of people on that one).... Some darn great pre-season ranting, and with much better accuracy than those jerks at ESPN.

So this year's predictions are not going to be nearly as researched, thought-out, or lengthy. Just quick and concise thoughts. Here goes:


-The White Sox will be inconsistent, and go up and down throughout most of the season. The bullpen's vulnerability will show, and Thome will have a great year, much better than Konerko. They'll have somwhere around 90 wins, and will be within a couple cames of making or missing the playoffs. If they do get in, they won't get swept out and humiliated, but they will not be earning another trophy either. As such a diehard White Sox fan, I REALLY HOPE I'M WRONG WITH THIS ONE!!!

-In the rest of the AL Central, Clevland will be hot and switching places with the White Sox in the standings multiple times. Minnesota will be competitive and just a notch below the other two, and surprisingly, Detroit will just be a notch under Minnesota. Leyland will whip those youngsters into shape, and they'll finish above .500 and still believe they have a chance on september 1st, being only several games out of the wildcard. Sorry Kansas City.

-AL East = Yankees. Boston will fall to second or third place. 'Nuff said.

-AL West - Oakland A's, all the way. Great 1-2 starters, Harden and Zito will have at least 35 wins combined. Kotsay, Ellis, Chavez, Thomas, Kendall, Bradle, Johnson.... they got some pop in this lineup. No wildcard from this division though, it's coming from the Central or East.

-In the NL Central, very close between Houston and the Cardinals, the fate of Roger Clemens may determine it. No Cubs, no Cincinnati, no Pittsburgh, but oh my gosh, Milwaukee is signficantly above .500! How the heck did tha that happen? Go healthy Ben Sheets!

-Is it stupid to say the Braves won't win the NL East? Yes, but I'm going to say it anyways, they'll win the NL wildcard. The best of the NL East? I'm going double or nothing, Mets. I know, this was one of my worst predictions last year, but I'm doing it again, sue me.

-Does anyone care about the NL West? Give the chair to the steroid lover there, the Giants are too old to be going anywhere this year anyways. Once again this leader of this division will only be a few games over even, and not really deserve a playoff spot. It's not even worth predicting.


The American League team will beat the National League team in the All-Star game and World Series. The AL is loaded, the NL is weak. No post-season predictions, this was already longer than I intended, I'm done.

Just for Fun (I miss that place, anyone else?), my opening day roster for my fantasy baseball team (the links probably won't work, don't try them):

C	V. Martínez (Cle - C)			-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1B	J. Thome (CWS - 1B)			-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2B	A. Soriano (Was - 2B)	@NYM	6:10 pm	-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3B	N. Garciaparra (LAD - 3B,SS) DL			-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
SS	F. López (Cin - 2B,SS)	Pit	6:10 pm	-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OF	V. Guerrero (LAA - OF)			-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OF	C. Floyd (NYM - OF)	Was	6:10 pm	-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OF	M. Bradley (Oak - OF)	@Sea	9:05 pm	-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Util	M. Ellis (Oak - 2B,SS)	@Sea	9:05 pm	-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
BN	E. Chávez (Oak - 3B)	@Sea	9:05 pm	-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
BN	W. Taveras (Hou - OF)			-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
BN	B. Molina (Tor - C)	Min	6:07 pm	-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
BN	J. Lane (Hou - OF)			-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-
BN	P. Feliz (SF - 1B,3B,OF)	Atl	3:35 pm	-/-	-	-	-	-	-	-

				Pitching
Pos	Pitchers	Opp	Status	IP	W	SV	K	HLD	ERA	WHIP
SP	R. Oswalt (Hou - SP)			-	-	-	-	-	-	-
SP	R. Harden (Oak - SP)	@Sea	9:05 pm	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
SP	M. Buehrle (CWS - SP)			-	-	-	-	-	-	-
SP	J. Garland (CWS - SP)			-	-	-	-	-	-	-
RP	B. Lidge (Hou - RP)			-	-	-	-	-	-	-
RP	K. Foulke (Bos - RP)			-	-	-	-	-	-	-
P	Z. Duke (Pit - SP)	@Cin	6:10 pm	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
BN	A. Burnett (Tor - SP) DL	Min	6:07 pm	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
BN	J. Blanton (Oak - SP)	@Sea	9:05 pm	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
BN	J. Sosa (Atl - SP,RP)	^@SF	3:35 pm	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

What does everybody think? If I get a couple guys healthy, make a trade for a boost in the offense, I think I have a definite chance to compete and win this thing. Stay tuned....