September Baseball

It’s that time of year again when dreams will come true and others are broken; I call it September baseball.  Every September we see teams that look out of the playoff run have a turn around and make the playoffs and some even win the world series.  What teams are going to be upset and who will be making the comeback, we shall see.   I decided that in honor of the final month of the regular season, I am going to break down my picks for each division on who will make it and who will be missing out.  Some will agree others will disagree, but nobody knows until the season is over.

First, I will start off with the American League East.  With the team that was at one point being up 10.5 games over the second place team, the New York Yankees have a lot to do if they want to capture the AL East.  With all but 6 games against teams from the east, 6 being against Baltimore, the Yankees can not choke, they choke, they will lose.  I feel though that that will not happen.  The only thing that will hurt the Yankees right now is the injuries.  If they can get some players healthy, they can potentially be the team to beat in the American League.  Although the Orioles are only 3 games back, I feel they will make it close, but won’t have the power to jump ahead.  Orioles could be a potential Wild Card. With that being said, My AL East champ- New York Yankees.

Sticking with the American League, next up is the AL Central division.  This divison will most likely come down to the wire as it is a 2 team race between the White Sox and the Tigers.  The Sox xurrently have a one game lead however they are in the middle of a 3 game series against Detroit where the Tigers have won the first 2 and will be looking for the sweep later today.  After this series, the 2 will play each other again next week in a 4 game series.  That series will likely determine the winner as the rest of the way, both teams have schedules with only 1 opponent who is over .500.  By season’s end, I do not think that the White Sox will be able to hold on to their lead, and the Tigers will make their way to the playoffs as AL Central Champs.

Lastly in the American League, you have the West division.  Although the Athletics have been playing great baseball, the Rangers have been playing better.  The Rangers will be winning this division as the A’s have a tough stretch coming up with match ups against the Yankees and Tigers back to back in 2 weeks.  They may not win the division, but Oakland will most defiantly be a wild card team; therefore make the Texas Rangers AL West Champions.

With the new rules and playoff format, Bud Selig and Major League Baseball want teams to fight for their division rather then the wild card.  With the addition to a second wild card team, 2 teams will square off for a 1 game match up to see who advances to the next round.  With the A’s and Orioles holding the top 2 spots, I feel that they will stay like that when the season ends.  You also have 3 teams within 2.5 games behind, however the A’s and O’s have been playing great and should meet up for that one game match up in October.

Moving over from the American League to the National League, this shouldbe easier with a lot more surprises.  Teams that were suppose to be in first and possibly win World Series’ are in dead last, and teams that were not suppose to have a chance are now in it. Just look at the National League East to start.

If somebody was to look at the standings, they would think they were being pranked.  The Washignton Nationals are in first place.  That’s right the Nationals, not the Marlins or Phillies, but the Nationals.  With all the hype Miami was getting becuase of the new stadium, players, uniforms, etc, everybody thought they would win it.  It also helped that the Phillies, who has been the East power house the past few seasons, started off the first 2 months without their 2 best players in Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.  It was the best chance for the Marlins to pull it off, instead they are in the basement.  The team that not many people saw coming, the Nationals, are currently 6.5 games up.  With Gonzalez and Strasburg being a dynamic duo on the mound and Harper in the field, this team is hard to beat,  Whne the season started, I was in class and my professor asked us who we think would win each division, I said Washignton and got stared out and told no chance.  As of now all their teams are no where in sight.  With the potential of the first playoff appearance since moving to DC, I feel the Nationals will be the NL champions.

Next up is the NL Central, which I feel is the easiest one to predict right now; Cincinnati Reds.  The are 8.5 up and is the best team in baseball at the moment, being one of 2 teams to reach the 80 win mark.  The Pirates had their chance but a slump hurt them although they have a good shot at the wild card.Cincinnatti easily on this one.

Then we have the West where the Giants are up 4.5 on LA.  Matt Cain has been pitching incredible for the Giants and should be doing just that the rest of the way.  The only shot I feel the Dodgers have in making the playoffs is the wild card.  The Giants should seal the deal with the division pretty soon and work their way a ring.

Last no least is the National League Wild Card.  My opinion, the 2 teams that occupy the spots, Atlanta Braves and St Louis Caridnals, will not be there come playoff time.  Instead, we will be seeing the Pittsburgh Pirates and the LA Dodgers taking over.  The teams are both only 1.5 back of the teams and have the energy to make the run to leap ahead.  Major League Baseball will be all about the National League this October, as always 1 team will be taking home the trophy, and it most liekly will be from the NL.

After reading the picks, come playoff time I will go in depth into each series in each round and give my predictions.  The road to the World Series begins now, This is September Baseball.

Below are the picks again to make it easier.

American League

East- New York Yankees

Central-Detroit Tigers

West-Texas Rangers

Wild Cards- Oakland Athletics/ Baltimore Orioles

National League

East- Washington Nationals

Central- Cincinnati Reds

West- San Fransisco Giants

Wild Cards- Los Angeles Dodgers/ Pittsburgh Pirates

 

Who do you predict to be winning each division, surprise teams, sleepers, etc.  Let me know in the comment section or on twitter.

-Ray

@raymalaspina

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