My season predictions

April 4, 2010 11:03 PM by Ben Goessling View Comments

There's a strange tradition among sportswriters at the beginning of each season; they make a handful of predictions about how the season they're about to cover will turn out, most of which turn out to be wrong, and they're never asked to revisit them again. I'm going to continue part of that tradition; I'm about to make a handful of predictions, most of which will turn out to be wrong. But at the end of the season, we'll revisit them and see how I did. And knowing you guys, you'll remind me if I forget to bring them up.

Anyway, without further introduction, here are my predictions for the 2010 MLB season:
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AL East
1. Yankees
2. Red Sox (wild card)
3. Rays
4. Orioles
5. Blue Jays

AL Central
1. Twins
2. White Sox
3. Tigers
4. Royals
5. Indians

AL West
1. Angels
2. Mariners
3. Rangers
4. A's

ALDS:
Yankees over Twins
Red Sox over Angels

ALCS:
Yankees over Red Sox

MVP: Joe Mauer, Twins
Cy Young: Josh Beckett, Red Sox
Rookie of the Year: Austin Jackson, Tigers
Manager of the Year: Don Wakamatsu, Mariners

NATIONAL LEAGUE
NL East
1. Phillies
2. Braves (wild card)
3. Marlins
4. Mets
5. Nationals

NL Central
1. Cardinals
2. Reds
3. Cubs
4. Brewers
5. Astros
6. Pirates

NL West
1. Giants
2. Rockies
3. Dodgers
4. Diamondbacks
5. Padres

NLDS:
Phillies over Giants
Cardinals over Braves

NLCS:
Phillies over Cardinals

MVP: Albert Pujols, Cardinals
Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Phillies
Rookie of the Year: Jayson Heyward, Braves
Manager of the Year: Bruce Bochy, Giants

World Series:
Phillies over Yankees in seven games

Kind of went out on a limb with the Giants, but I think with their pitching and the Dodgers possibly regressing, they've got a chance to win that division. Same with the Reds -- their young starters will help them move up in what's become a very mediocre division.

But in the end, I think this season ends the way the last one did -- with six of the eight 2009 playoff teams making a return, the same matchups in the AL and the same World Series, only with a different result; the Phillies' pitching is enough this time to get them past the Yankees. I have a feeling I'm missing on a darkhorse team somewhere (the Mariners, maybe?). But this is what I'm going with. What do you think? Let me know.

Back with lots of stuff in the morning from Opening Day at Nationals Park -- and the first live thread of the regular season will be ready to go for the 1:05 first pitch. Talk to you then!