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The Major League Baseball season is entering its stretch run, and I'm here to give you my two cents on the situations. So let's get right into it (and get ready for one big surprise!) A.L...

MLB's Stretch Run: Division and Wild-Card Predictions

by Christian Karcole (Columnist)

12

735 reads

Preview/Prediction

September 11, 2008


The Major League Baseball season is entering its stretch run, and I'm here to give you my two cents on the situations.

So let's get right into it (and get ready for one big surprise!)

 

A.L. East

Current Leader-Tampa Bay Rays

Prediction-Tampa Bay Rays win division

Yes, I'm going with the safe, yet risky, pick and will say the Rays hold on to win the division. But coming into their past series with the Red Sox, I would have said they were going to lose the division.

Since the Rays were able to take two out of three and extend their division lead to 2.5 games, I'm going with the Rays. This young ballclub should clinch the division with around two games remaining, which would give them a few days of rest, if Joe Maddon chooses to do so.

 

A.L. Central

Current Leader-Chicago White Sox

Prediction-Minnesota Twins win division

The White Sox currently lead the division by 1 game, but I'm still not buying them to beat out the Twins. The Twins have been slumping, and as long as they get out of this thing very soon, they should be able to slowly gain the ground they need to and eventually take over the lead.

This one will definitely go down to the wire, but I don't see the White Sox being consistent enough to pull it off.

 

A.L. West

Current Leader-Los Angeles Angels (clinched)

Prediction-Los Angeles Angels win division

Or should I say "won"?

 

A.L. Wild Card

Current Leader-Boston Red Sox

Prediction-Red Sox win wild card

The Red Sox are playing much better baseball and are really pulling away from the Twins. It looks almost certain that the Red Sox and Rays will both make the playoffs, and only the Twins or White Sox will make the playoffs.

 

N.L. East

Current Leader-New York Mets

Prediction-New York Mets win division

Boooo! Hated to do it, but I had to. The Mets have a four-game lead in the division and have two games in hand. It would take another collapse for the Mets to lose this one in my opinion. They are just playing great ball, and it's hard to go against it. (Ha, watch them have a four-game lead with four left and lose it!)

 

N.L. Central

Current Leader-Chicago Cubs

Prediction-Chicago Cubs win division

The Brewers aren't playing well enough to catch the slumping Cubs. The fact that the Cubs are 2-8 in their last 10, and the Brewers are still five games back shows me that the race is over. Cubs will win the division easily.

 

N.L. West

Current Leader-Los Angeles Dodgers

Prediction-Los Angeles Dodgers win division

Not too long ago, the Dodgers were terrible. That's now a thing of the past. They're 9-1 in their last 10, and they don't appear to be slowing down. Manny Ramirez leads the league in many offensive categories since his trade to the Dodgers, and he doesn't appear to be slowing down either.

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12 comments Last one added 9 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Thomas 9 months ago

    I was JUST about to agree with everything you said, until I got to the NL Wild Card. I think Milwaukee is gonna be able to pull it off and win it.

    Other than that, it's a solid article. Good job. 5 starz from me.

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  2. PJ Edelman 9 months ago

    The Mets WILL win the division. Nice article
    Interesting call about the Brewers.

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  3. Tom Dessalet 9 months ago

    I like your AL picks and most of your NL picks, but I think the Phils should be able to come from behind again. If they take the current series from the Brew Crew, Milwaukee will have to play great ball against the Stros later this month to stay atop the Wild Card. If that series splits and the Phillies can win one, they're back in a tie with Milwaukee with the Astros 2-4 games out, depending on how they do this current series. However, if the Phillies drop this series to the Brewers, they're done. Then its a two-horse race between Houston and Mil. Should be great to watch, regardless of the outcome!

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  4. Robert Kleeman 9 months ago

    Damn, I hope your NL Wild Card prediction is right.

    I'm about to write an article that still sounds ludicrous to me, yet seems entirely possible. I'm starting to believe that if the Astros can somehow snag the Wild Card, they are the team to beat in the NL. What other team should scare them if they get to the post-season?

    Do the Cubs or Dodgers have miles better pitching than the Astros? Do they have miles better offense?

    I say no. I never thought I would see a day this season when I would put 'Astros' and 'best team in baseball' in the same sentence.

    Here's to the strange game of baseball. Cheers.

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    • Christian Karcole 9 months ago

      No way are the Stros that good. They'll only make it because of their recent tear, like the Rockies. They weren't that good of a team.
      The Stros won't even go as far as the WS, I just think they'll make it to the playoffs. So no way are they the team to beat if they make it to the playoffs.

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  5. Nick Johnston 9 months ago

    Good stuff, I like your reasoning for the NL Wild Card, but I backed the Brewers in an article last week so I'm sticking to them. Also went for Sox/Rays to be the other way round, but I was banking on the Sox winning the series between them this week as well as being a bit biased.

    Here's what I said: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/53986

    By the way, what are your thoughts on the Playoffs? Would like to hear what you're thinking as a largely unbiased watcher

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    • Nick Johnston 9 months ago

      Having written that comment, I was inspired to start this: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/56995 (I'm sorry - two shameless plugs on one article in under an hour - sorry)

      Basically it's a playoff prediction competition, the details are all on that page and I'd love to hear what you thought.

      Thanks - Nick

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    • Christian Karcole 9 months ago

      Not too many thoughts on the playoffs right now. I'm not one to make predictions about the playoffs if a team might not even be there. So I'll write an article on that when we get there.

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