Predictions for the second half..

The first half of the season has come and gone and everything is pretty much what I expected it to be. You have the Yankees and Red Sox battling for the AL East title, and the Phillies trying to fight off the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. You also have the Texas Rangers neck to neck with the Anaheim Angels in the AL West with the Cardinals and the Brewers battling for the NL Central. Then you have the surprise Cinderella teams in it trying to make to the postseason. Starting with the Pirates giving both the Cardinals and Brewers a run for their money. You also have the Arizona Diamondbacks just three games behind the world series champs San Francisco Giants in the NL West. Last you have the Cleveland Indians on top of the AL Central!! Who will hold their lead on top of their division? Who will be just contending for the wild card?? Unfortunately I don't have a crystal ball that will answers all those questions but here are my predictions for the rest of the 2011 MLB season.

who didn't see this coming?

AL EAST
Division winners: Boston Red Sox
Creepers: New York Yankees
Review: Who really didn't expect these two teams battling it out for their division championship? This was the hardest decision I had but I have to go with the Boston Red Sox. Not only is their starting pitching solid 1-4 with their 5th pitcher being the wild card, (John Lackey) their batting rotation is sick to say the least. Yes I understand that the Yankees have a pretty good hitting rotation, however their pitching is very questionable. Set aside CC and Mo Rivera their entire pitching lineup from starting to the bullpen is extremely questionable. Who knows what we'll going to get from Ivan Nova or AJ Burnett. What happened to Phil Hughes this season and who took over his body? You can't win without great pitching and unless the Yankees do something to solve that issue, a trade maybe, the Boston Red Sox will run away with this. Keep in mind, the Red Sox are still a game and a half ahead of the Yankees without Carl Crawford, Jon Lester, Clay Buchloz, and Jed Lowie!


AL Central
Division Winners: Detroit Tigers
Creepers: Chicago White Sox/Cleveland Indians
Review: Can someone please tell me what happened to Adam Dunn and where I can find his remains? Seriously! What happened to the, averaging over 30 home runs with over 100 RBI seasons?! How terrible can he possibly play? Batting just .160 with 9 home runs with 34 RBI, White Sox fans you may now light yourselves on fire. With that being said, I truly believe the White Sox will give the Detroit Tigers a hard time to wrap up this division. I just have this feeling that Adam Dunn will return into some shape or form of what he used to be and help the White Sox make a run in their division, however the Detroit Tigers just have it all. You have Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer leading their starting rotation with Jose Valverde(who hasn't blown a save yet this season) closing games for them. Then you look at their batting rotation starting with the always reliable Miguel Cabrera and his partner in crime Victor Martinez cleaning up. Then you face Johnny Peralta with Alex Avila sitting behind the plate. You can't forget about their outfield lead by Magglio Ordonez with Austin Jackson and Brennan Boesch. They just need to pick up one more pitcher to run away with the division, but I still think they will take the division by a very slim lead over the Indians. Lets not forget about the Indians fans out there. The Cleveland Indians are the feel good story throughout baseball. You have Grady Sizemore recovering from his injuries with Asdrubal Cabrera playing the best baseball throughout his entire career!! However this lineup is just too young and too inexperienced to make it. This is why I have them not making the postseason even if they deserve it. The Detroit Tigers are just too solid from top to bottom and I just can't see a young team like the Cleveland Indians knocking them out. Sorry Cleveland fans, you still have Kyrie Irving to look forward to whenever the NBA season starts again.

All smiles for Mr. 27 Mill

AL West
Division winners: Texas Rangers
Creepers: Anaheim Angels
Review: Whats there not to love about the Texas Rangers? You have Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Michael Young, and Mike Napoli in your batting rotation, however their starting pitching does need some help. Lead by CJ Wilson, Alexi Ogando and Colby Lewis they need one more starting pitcher to run away with the division. I just think with their current batting rotation and their OK pitching lineup they should be able to run away from the Anaheim Angels. My good friend Minh, huge Angels fan, told me earlier this week that he truly believes the Angels will run away with the division title and represent the AL West in the playoffs, I just don't see it happening man! I love their starting pitcher lineup lead by Jered Weaver with Dan Haren and Ervin Santana. Their closer Jordan Walden is having a insane year with 20 saves in the season already throwing 100 mph. However their batting rotation is just not good enough to take this division over. The Angels bullpen is also extremely questionable and if the Angels don't make a trade to improve their offense or the bullpen, the Rangers will run away with this. I'm still in disbelief that the Angels traded for Vernon Wells! The guy is being paid more than Howie Kendrick, Torii Hunter, and Alberto Callaspo put together! All three of them are playing better than Vernon Wells! Its understandable that you desperately need power in your lineup but to spend 27 million dollars on Vernon Wells per season is kinda nuts. This division is going to be the close, however the Texas Rangers are too deep and are too well coached to lose the division.

NL East
Division Winners: Phillies
Creepers: Braves

your freakin kiddin me right?

Review: Did we really expect anything different from the Phillies? They have the best starting pitching rotation in all of baseball! If you could say Cliff Lee is your second best pitcher in your rotation with Cole Hamels or Roy Oswalt as your third and fourth pitcher, its going to be real hard to argue that. Don't forget about the Doc, Mr Roy Halladay, baseball's perfect pitcher and the number one pitcher in all of baseball! Their offense has been struggling throughout the season, however I truly believe they will get it going and run away from the Atlanta Braves. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Placido Polanco in your infield with Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, and Dominic Brown in your outfield. Life as a Phillies fan must be great right about now. The heavily favorite before the season even started is playing just like they should be. With the best record of baseball its going to be real hard for the Braves or the Mets to catch them.

NL Central
Division Winner: St Louis Cardinals
Creepers: Brewers/Pirates
Review: This is going to be the division with the most fun and excitement to watch. One game is separating the Cardinals, Brewers, and Pirates! However I just think that the St Louis Cardinals are a more solid, experienced team and they will win their division. One man can carry that team to the promise land, Mr Albert Pujols. Even though he looks very mortal this season, with all the contract issues, he is still the Machine and if he could learn to play pass the problems, he could lead the team back to postseason! The Brewers will create problems for the Cardinals, now that they acquired K-Rod to be their setup guy and share the closing role with John Axford. They also have their own big three with Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, and Rickie Weeks, it was hard to not choose them. I just think with experience and reliability from the St Louis Cardinals will play a huge role with the division race and Pujols will take them to the postseason. I'm not going to forget about the Pirate fans out there. Its been a amazing year, from one of the worst teams in all of baseball, to the team you are today, my heart goes out to the Pirates organization and hope that they will make it and somehow become the Cinderella team. However if your stuck in a division with one team being lead by Prince Fielder, and the other with Albert Pujols, its hard to choose when you have only two good hitters in your rotation, Andrew McCutchen (big fan) and Neil Walker. Great year overall for all Pirate fans, however your lack in starting pitching and offense will not get you past the Brewers or the Cardinals.

NL West
Division winners: San Francisco Giants
Creepers: Arizona Diamondbacks
Review: It was really hard for me to choose the San Francisco Giants for two reasons. One: I hate the Giants, GO DODGERS! Two: the Diamondbacks finally got things together and have a great pitching core with Ian Kennedy, Daniel Hudson, and Joe Saunders and batting rotation lead by Miguel Montero, Justin Upton, Chris Young, Kelly Johnson and Stephen Drew. However the champs have just been rolling with their excellent starting pitching lead by Big Time Timmy Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgardner, Barry Zito, and closer Brian Wilson. Their hitting is extremely questionable, however, I believe this pitching rotation is 2nd to the Philadelphia Phillies and with that being said, the Giants will win the West and defend their championship in the playoffs.

AL WILD CARD
Winner: New York Yankees
Creeper: Anaheim Angels/Chicago White Sox

Derek Jeter's 3000 hit, guess where it went?

Review: Did you really expect anyone else in here? If Yankees don't get the AL East title, you have to expect that they will win the Wild Card and make it to the postseason regardless. Congrats to Mr Derek Jeter for hitting his 3000 hit!

NL WILD CARD
Winner: Atlanta Braves
Creeper: Brewers

Jair Jurrjens

Review: I love this team with Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson, Craig Kimbrel, and Derek Lowe leading their pitching core. How can we forget about the Cy Young candidate Jair Jurrjens. What a amazing year Jurrjens has been having. Started the year on the DL and ended up with the most wins in all of the NL at the All Star break and with the lowest ERA. Its very unfortunate that the Phillies are in the same division, but they will still grab the NL wild card and give the Phillies a scare once they run into them in the postseason.