AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (100-62, AL West Champions)
Why They’ll Win It All: The Angels simply turned in the best record in all of baseball in 2008, notching a franchise-record 100 wins. The last time the Angels won the World Series, they did it with guys like Tim Salmon, Garrett Anderson, Darin Erstad, Adam Kennedy, Troy Glaus, and David Eckstein.
While Salmon, Anderson, and Glaus were top-notch bats, the 2008 roster appears far superior than the 2002 version, boasting guys like Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, and Mark Teixeira.
The pitching isn’t too shabby, either, led by John Lackey, who will be followed up by Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders. This Halo squad is also, by far, the best road team in baseball in 2008, amassing a 50-31 record—five more wins than the closest competitor, the Philadelphia Phillies.
Why They Won’t: Despite having the best record in baseball, some other numbers suggest the Angels are far from the best team heading into October.
Only Milwaukee and the Dodgers have scored fewer runs than the Angels among playoff teams, while only the Minnesota Twins/Chicago White Sox have allowed more runs against among playoff teams.
To top it all off, the Angels find themselves opening the postseason against the Boston Red Sox, who have given the Angels playoff troubles in recent years.
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