MLB's Central Divisions Will Go Down to the Wire

Baseball is home to some of the most exciting races in sports. This year, don't expect it to be any different.

It is obvious that there are some seriously tight races in both leagues. In fact, everything except the AL West is long from decided.

But no divisions are more intriguing than the AL and NL Central. I can see both races going into the final week of the season.

AL Central

Contenders: Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins

The White Sox seem to have the inside track to the division crown. Looking at the reasons why this team will contend in the final race, and it is their distinct ability to beat their divisional opponents at home and on the road.

The Twins have been the real surprise, using MVP winner Justin Morneau and batting champ Joe Mauer to lead this group of young no-namers to within a game-and-a-half of first, as of July 29.

Pretenders: The Detroit Tigers

This team was supposed to be a favorite to win the World Series. Now, after they've heated up and put together the best string of baseball of anyone in the division, they are still barely above .500, and they are still six-and-a-half games back. 

It doesn't help that their usually dominating pitching staff have been average at best.

The real killer here is that they have a problem of consistently beating the teams they are chasing. The Twinkies and Sox have no such issue, thus separating themselves as the true contenders.

The Winner: The Chicago White Sox

In a race decided during the series between the Sox and Twins Sept. 23-25 in Minnesota, Chicago's pitching gets the job done against an inexperienced Twins lineup.  The final margin will be about two games, being one of the closer races this division has seen to date.

NL Central (This one is slightly more interesting.)

Contenders: Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals

The three teams in this race all have a realistic shot at winning the title. It all comes down to who can stay healthy.

The Cubs would appear to have the inside track to the crown because they are almost unbeatable at home. They have a very solid lineup and a pitching staff that can shut down any opponent. I would say the major question for this team is whether they can stay healthy.

If Alfonso Soriano can remain healthy and Kerry Wood has the ability to close out big games, this team should be fine.

The Milwaukee Brewers took a little while to get going, but when they did, they came with a vengeance. This team has the most powerful offense in the division, with names like Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Bill Hall. And with the addition of CC Sabathia, the possibilities are endless. 

But if they continue to struggle against the Cubs, they will be watching the playoffs from home.

The St. Louis Cardinals are definitely the biggest surprise in this division, hanging tough when they seemed to have little offense at all. Albert Pujols has been great, as always, but the emergence of Ryan Ludwick and the powerful bat of third baseman Troy Glaus have this team in the mix.

The biggest question: Will this team find a closer? If they could have closed out some huge games, they would be in the lead right now.

Pretenders: None.

This race will be a three-team race into the last games of September. You can quote me on that.

The Winner: The Milwaukee Brewers

CC Sabathia has been a stud since his arrival, and this lineup has no let down in it, whatsoever. 2008 will be this slugging team's year. The Cubs will be let down by injuries, but will hang on to the wild card and still make the postseason. 

The Cardinals will eventually cave after a tough series with Chicago at Wrigley on Sept. 19-21.

What are we to expect come playoff time?

Well, you can expect the White Sox to advance to the ALCS, only to lose to the Angels in five games. This is way beyond any expectation this squad had this year.

As for the NL Central's finest, the Brew Crew will fight in a five-game series against the Diamondbacks, but eventually lose in their first playoff series since 1982 and their first as a National League team.

As for the Cubs, I predict a sweep coming. However, they won't be doing the sweeping. The Phillies will sweep them in the NLDS, en route to the World Series.

These races should be fun, and every baseball fan should be tuning in throughout August and September. If you want a playoff atmosphere in July, it is happening right now: The White Sox are in Minneapolis and the Cubs are in Milwaukee through Thursday.