Major League Baseball Playoff and Award Predictions

The Major League Baseball season is rapidly coming to a close, and the playoffs are around the corner. A few races are all-but decided, but I thought I would give my predictions for the division champions, wild-card teams, playoff resutls and major award winners for this season. I realize it's easy to call these things now that there is a week and a half, two weeks at most, to go, but I'm going to do it anyway.

Starting with the American League....

East champion - Boston Red Sox
Central champion - Cleveland Indians
West champion - Los Angeles Angels
Wild card - New York Yankees

As of games yesterday, the Red Sox lead the Yankees by three and a half games with 11 to go (Yankees with 12). The Yankees have the easier schedule on paper but their remaining teams have given the Yankees a lot of trouble this season. New York won a huge three game set this past weekend in Boston, but are now done playing the Sox this season which will make it tougher to overcome the gap.

In the Central, Cleveland leads by five and a half games over last year's AL champion Detroit Tigers. The Indians also have a game in hand (12 to the Tigers 11). The Indians have been playing extremely well as of late (as have the Tigers). For the Tigers to win this division they will have to win the rest of their games and that will only tie the Indians if the Indians play .500 baseball over the last twelve. The Indians have this sewn up.

Out west, the Angels have the largest lead of any division leader (8 and a half over Seattle) and their magic number is down to five coming into Tuesday's games. It would take a miracle for Seattle to pull this one out.....wait....Seattle won't pull it out. Go ahead and put the Angels in the playoffs in ink.

The Wild Card race is similar to the Eastern division race as New York leads Detroit by three and a half games. As I said, the Tigers have been playing well and the Yankees have a schedule that is tougher than it appears, but the Yankees know how to get the job done. They will take care of business. No worries.