This is a column that I wrote for The Daily Illini (Mar. 31, '09). Feel free to check out the full column and our newly redesigned Web site at dailyillini.com.

Click here to read my National League preview.

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With spring training wrapping up and Opening Day less than a week away, it's probably about time for my obligatory preseason predictions column. We'll have the American League edition for this week, and my picks for the National League will come next week.

I always preface columns like this one by saying that predictions of any kind—when it comes to baseball—are largely useless because one midseason acquisition or season-ending injury can make or break a season for any team or player.

That said, it never stops me from making predictions (however silly they might be) because readers of the sports page always enjoy prediction columns.

Now that I've gotten my little disclaimer out of the way, we'll look back at some of the ridiculous predictions I made last season. I only picked a couple of the division winners right, but a couple of my picks were playoff teams, they just had to capture the wild card to get there.

It's probably safe to say that the worst of my predictions last year were those that had anything to do with the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers were an abject failure of a team last season, despite the fact that they looked so promising in the spring.

I picked Miguel Cabrera to win the AL MVP and Justin Verlander to take home the league's Cy Young Award, and both were terrible (by their standards) in the first half of the season.

Now, a sane person wouldn't let the team that screwed him so badly last season do it again by picking them to do well for a second straight year. Would he?

AL CENTRAL: Detroit Tigers

A sane person probably would not, but apparently I would. I'm torn between whether Cleveland or Detroit will come out on top here, but I'm going to give the edge to the Tigers. Detroit just has too much talent to ignore, and some of its key players came around in the second half last year.

Cleveland will again have strong pitching and added a great arm in closer Kerry Wood, but if Travis Hafner continues to regress as seriously as he has over the last two seasons, the Indians will have real trouble scoring runs.

Chicago and Minnesota have been at, or near, the top of this division for so long, but unless they have big contributions from a couple of key youngsters, they will find themselves sliding a bit down the food chain. This division is one of the toughest in baseball to pick, but I'm going to (nervously) go with the Tigers.

AL WEST: Oakland A's

This division could very easily go to the Angels again, but I've got Oakland making a big push this season and taking advantage of a Los Angeles team that has regressed from its impressive '08 campaign.

The Angels basically walked to 100 wins last year because this division was so weak, but they lost quite a bit of talent in the offseason and the A's will be much improved.

Oakland brought in slugging outfielder Matt Holliday, among others, while the Angels lost Mark Teixeira and Francisco Rodriguez to the New York teams during free agency.

With Teixeira slugging it out for the Yanks and K-Rod closing games for the Mets, the Angels are left without two of their key performers from a year ago.

It'll likely be a tight race at the top, with Seattle and Texas fighting it out for last place, but I think the Angels are going to fall just enough for Oakland to take advantage and steal the division crown from atop their heads.

AL EAST: Boston Red Sox

This is always the toughest division in baseball to pick because the competition is so good, but I'm going to go with the Red Sox again this year. Two teams from this division will make the playoffs again in '09, it's just a matter of which two.

Boston had one of the best offenses in baseball again last season, and this team is built for the long haul. General manager Theo Epstein has the team stocked again, and they'll have payroll flexibility to add a piece or two midseason if they need to fill a hole.

The Yankees went out and spent big to add big arms in CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett and also got a big bat in Teixeira, but they'll have to contend with the Rays if they want to make it back to the postseason.

I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm of the mind that Tampa Bay will be the odd team out this season. Repeating what they did in '08 won't be easy.

These are my picks for the AL, come back soon for the NL preview.

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