Wizblog

2006 Predictions

It's Opening Day, and the experts are going on record with their 2006 predictions for Major League Baseball. Oh yeah, and me too. At ESPN, where fully 19 baseball experts reside, 11 guys pick the White Sox to repeat as Central Division champs, and 7 go with the Indians to win it. Only two of the nineteen ESPN.com writers however, pick the Chisox to repeat as World Series winners. The A's are the popular choice with 7 votes, followed by the Yankees with four.

Only 3 of 19 writers picked a National League team to win the World Series. I think that reflects a consensus among baseball people that the American League is clearly the superior league at the moment. My sense is that until the Mets or someone else prove it, the Cardinals are the only NL team on a par with as many as 6-8 AL teams. The Power Rankings have AL teams dominating the top four to six spots. Fox. ESPN.

Seeing two of the ESPN guys picking Grady Sizemore to be the AL MVP excites me. But I think there are three other guys on the Indians who could conceivably win it. One writer picks Travis Hafner, and I'd think Martinez and Sabathia could be on somebody's short list if the Indians win the pennant or something. And I had to go look up Ian Kinsler, a popular AL Rookie of the Year pick, and a totally new name to me.

All six of the PD experts pick the White Sox to win the Central. They obviously don't like the Tribe as much as their national counterparts. Keep in mind, this is the same PD group who, with one exception, picked the Twins last year.

A win tonight in Chicago would be so huge. Just one of the 92 I think they'll win this year, but it would supercharge the fan base and the city, and jumpstart the home attendance. We need that.

Posted by dan at April 2, 2006 12:36 PM | TrackBack