Major League Baseball Predictions 2008

With opening day (in America) less then 24 hours away, I decided that it's about time I make some Major League Baseball Predictions for the year. The reason I like to predict the winners of each division and the playoffs before the year starts is so I can look back in October and realize that I know absolutely nothing.

2008 should be a great year for the MLB, with lots of parody in every division. From teams who've made great moves in the off season (Detroit Tigers), to teams who've practically changed nothing (Boston Red Sox). From questionable pitching staffs (New York Yankees), to pitchers coming home (Tom Glavine to Atlanta), 2008 is going to be a crazy year.

Now some of my predictions may seem a little far fetched in some areas, and pretty obvious in others. The reason I like to make bold predictions is because if they come true, I look like I know a thing or two more than the professionals, but if they fail miserably, I can always just say I took the long shot and didn't expect it to actually happen.

Before we get into the winners of each division and of coarse the World Series, I'd like to make some slightly bold predictions that you may or may not agree with.

1.Hunter Pence will hit 35 home runs and steal 35 bases
2.Manny Ramirez will hit over 50 home runs
3.Rick Ankiel will hit over 40 home runs (others have predicted this as well)
4.Erik Bedard will win the AL Cy Young Award in a landslide.
5.The Washington Nationals will lose over 100 games. (Tampa Bay 96 losses most last year)
6.Kerry Wood will have over 40 saves.
7. Dice-K will have over a 4.30 ERA for the second straight year.
8.Miguel Cabrera will be top 3 in all Triple Crown categories, winning 2 of them.
9.Randy Johnson will win at least 15 games.
10.Albert Pujols will hit less than 25 home runs and bat under .300

AL MVP=Miguel Cabrera
NL MVP=Matt Holiday


OK, lets move on to how each division will turn out.

AL East
Winner: Boston Red Sox
2nd Place: Toronto Blue Jays
Surprises: Orioles will finish last, even behind the Rays
AL Central
Winner: Cleveland Indians
2nd Place: Detroit Tigers
Surprises: Detroit will not win the division
AL West
Winner: Seattle Mariners
2nd Place: Oakland Athletics
Surprises: The Angles will not finish top 2
NL East
Winner: Atlanta Braves
2nd Place: New York Mets
Surprises: Florida Marlins will finish 3rd over the Phillies, and Nationals lose over 100
NL Central
Winner: Milwaukee Brewers
2nd Place: Chicago Cubs
Surprises: No one will care or follow the NL Central (not much of a surprise)
NL West
Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
2nd Place: Colorado Rockies
Surprises: The top 4 teams will be separated by less than 2 games at the end of the year. San Fransisco will be very far behind.
AL Wild Card
I want to say the Blue Jays, but playing in the AL East is just too tough for them to come out with a good enough record, so I'll pick the Detroit Tigers.
NL Wild Card
Colorado Rockies for the 2nd straight year.

World Series Match Up
Cleveland Indians vs. Atlanta Braves
World Series Winner
Atlanta Braves

Now I completely understand that some of my predictions may seem far fetched to some of you but sometimes I like to go against the grain. Whats the fun in picking the Tigers or the Red Sox as the favorite to win teh world series when everyone else does. Wheres the fun in having another Red Sox Yankees 1, 2 finish in the AL East or just picking what all the so called "experts" pick. So hopefully you can look at these predictions and not think I'm too crazy, and actually give me a little credit if some of them do come true. And if not one comes true I hope you can look at this and say, well at least he tried.

I am going to try and get some of my friends on camera to make their predictions for the world series and a couple surprises and if I manage to do that it should be up in the next few days. In the mean time enjoy ripping all my picks apart.