Midseason Checkup: MLB All-Star Break Predictions

As we cruise into the All-Star break, 21 teams are in serious contention of their respective divisions or the Wild Card. 

The 15 teams not leading their division are all within 6.5 games of a playoff spot.

Man, I love baseball.

I made some pretty bold, and bad, predictions in my preseason prediction slideshow. I'll own up, and apologize to every AL Central fan, as I completely flunked on the whole division. 

However, I won't go through every prediction I made and analyze it. You'll have to go check out the slideshow yourself.

Or maybe you shouldn't.

So, let's get on to what I believe will unfold as October rolls around!

I'll start with the AL, and go West, Central, and East, in order.

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AL West

Projected Standings

1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Texas Rangers
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Oakland Athletics

Los Angeles—The decision between the Angels and the Rangers gave me fits.  Los Angeles' pitching has greatly disappointed me, but I believe John Lackey and Joe Saunders can turn it around. 

Ervin Santana is a big fat bold question mark for me; I believe he belongs on the DL for now, until he is back to full strength. 

The Angels' offense has impressed me though. Torii Hunter, Kendry Morales, Chone Figgins, Bobby Abreu, and Juan Rivera have all had very nice seasons, and Erick Aybar has made himself into a nice table setter. 

Vlad Guerrero and Howie Kendrick haven't begun to play as well as they are capable, and I believe they will pick it up.

I'm not very concerned with Hunter and Guerrero on the DL; everything I read says neither one of their injuries is serious. I can't express how concerned I am about Santana though, and I believe they need another quality starter.

John Garland, anyone?

If Los Angeles wins its division, Lackey and Jered Weaver will be keys to advancing in the playoffs, but they will need another starter to step in and win some games.

They have played inspired baseball since the loss of Nick Adenhart, and I believe they will go down to the wire with Texas and win the division by a couple games.

Texas—This Rangers team could very easily take the division from the Angels if they play a little steadier baseball.  

Kevin Millwood and Scott Feldman have pitched phenomenally for them, arising above all expectations. The rest of the rotation can't exactly say that, though. If they want to make a run, they should plug in Neftali Feliz to give themselves a very good third starter. 

Regardless of their pitching situation, the Rangers will keep the race with Los Angeles close with their power heavy lineup. Hank Blalock, Ian Kinsler, Andruw Jones, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, and Nelson Cruz will keep the balls flying out of the ballpark on a regular basis. 

They are very close with the Angels despite Josh Hamilton not playing much in the first half, and Chris Davis being sent back to the minors. This is a fun lineup to watch, but they also strikes out a lot, which will keep their consistency down.

Seattle—I really like this Seattle team, and I would seriously consider them for the division, but they need to get their lineup healthy. 

It's not that they don't have the offense. Russell Branyan, Jose Lopez, Adrian Beltre, Ichiro Suzuki, Franklin Gutierrez, and Endy Chavez can produce runs, but Chavez may not be back this year, and Beltre, when playing, has produced minimal power.

I was on board the Felix Hernandez train this year, and was proven right. Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn have also kept Seattle in the race, with very good numbers.  For Seattle to push past its less than mediocre offense, Brandon Morrow needs to step in and pitch very well.

Oakland—All I can say is that I'm very glad I decided to pick the Angels instead of Oakland in my preseason predictions.

I'll admit I was a big fan of the Holliday trade when it happened, but now it doesn't look so smart.  I don't believe Holliday will be able to be traded with his price tag and the prospects Oakland will want. 

Oakland might just have to stick with an expensive piece to a sinking ship.

I am, however, a fan of their pitching staff. Sticking their youngsters into the rotation has turned out very well for them.

When Oakland can get some offense to back up their young rotation, things could be pretty positive in Oakland.

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AL Central

Projected Standings

1. Chicago White Sox
2. Detroit Tigers
3. Minnesota Twins
4. Kansas City Royals
5. Cleveland Indians

Chicago—I admit it, I completely wrote Chicago off in my preseason predictions. If there is a team that could win their division, completely under the radar, it would be the White Sox. 

You have to keep in mind that, in the beginning of the year, I didn't think Jose Contreras would pitch like he wasn't Jose Contreras, or Scott Podsednik would step in and play extremely well in the absence of Carlos Quentin, or Paul Konerko would hit .300, or Chris Getz would be on track to steal around 25 bases, or Gordon Beckham come in and hit .300. 

Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and Contreras form a very good rotation, and they will duke it out with Detroit the rest of the way. 

If Quentin can come in and play like last year, I will feel very comfortable with my pick of Chicago.

Detroit—I believe this division race will be closer than most people would think.  Detroit's one-two punch of starting pitching may be the best in all of baseball, and when Rick Porcello gets on a roll, not many people can hit Detroit's pitching. 

Armando Galarraga needs to turn it around, or Jeremy Bonderman needs to step in to help Detroit out, because they may be in trouble with the White Sox breathing down their necks.

Brandon Inge has been a savior, Miguel Cabrera has been Miguel Cabrera, and Curtis Granderson has become a 30-30 threat once more. I am concerned with Magglio Ordonez, as he will be a vital part to taking the AL Central.

If they hold on to their lead and make it into the playoffs, they could very easily make it to the ALCS. In a short, best of five series, Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson could take the first two games, just like that.

But they'll have to make it through the rest of the rotation's struggles, Magglio Ordonez, and the White Sox first.

Minnesota—I wish I could be higher on the Twins. They always have a decent club, but it doesn't all come together at the same time. 

Carlos Gomez and Delmon Young have been huge disappointments offensively, Francisco Liriano hasn't lived up to his rookie year, and the Twins must really be missing Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett.

Those three need to pick it up for the Twins to gain ground and take the division, but with Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span, and Jason Kubel having great years, they'll stay around .500 for the rest of the way.

Who knows, maybe that'll be enough.

Kansas City—When I predicted Kansas City to finish second in the Central, I thought Alex Gordon and Billy Butler would break out, Jose Guillen would have another good year, Mark Teahen would hit for power, and Coco Crisp would stay healthy.

I was wrong.

They are clearly going in the right direction, with a very good one-two punch in Greinke and Meche, and Luke Hochevar has taken a couple steps forward this year.

I like them a lot next year as a sleeper, but for this year, they need to concentrate on maturing their young talent.

Cleveland—Maybe I shouldn't analyze the AL Central. I picked the Indians in this division, and I have fallen flat on my face.

I expected Fausto Carmona to turn it around, and the Cleveland pitchers to develop, but that didn't happen. Carl Pavano has turned it around, but he wasn't enough to propel them to the top.

I haven't seen enough of Dave Huff or Aaron Laffey to decide if the Indians can compete next year. I hope Cleveland can rise to the prominence they had a few years back, though.

Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner couldn't stay healthy this year, and Cleveland must really be missing out on Franklin Gutierrez. Shin-Soo Choo, Victor Martinez, and Asdrubal Cabrera have been the lone bright spots in the offense, and the Mark DeRosa trade was awful for Cleveland.

If I'm Cleveland, I shut down Sizemore and get him healthy for next year, as well as getting Carmona and their other young pitchers matured.

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AL East

Projected Standings

1. Boston Red Sox
2. Tampa Bay Rays *Wild Card*
3. New York Yankees
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Baltimore Orioles

Boston—Being a Rays fan, I probably shouldn't even analyze this division, but I took a step back, and tried to objectively evaluate the teams and how they would finish.

I hope picking Boston is a sign I've done just that. I wrote an article explaining why the Rays would win this division, and I still think that could happen, but for this article, I'll take Boston.

Boston's abundance of pitching has been very nice for them. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Tim Wakefield should form a very good top three that will let them cruise into the playoffs. John Smoltz and Daisuke Matsuzaka are question marks, but with Brad Penny, Clay Bucholz, and Justin Masterson all available, Boston should be comfortable with the rotation.

Their lineup has been very good, but I believe the Red Sox should flip Brad Penny straight up for a bat; maybe Nick Johnson? 

Unless everybody starts falling apart in Boston, they should be able to control the division.

Tampa Bay—It would be a sin for me not to include Tampa Bay in the playoffs. 

However, Tampa Bay is very, very dangerous from here on out.  After flirting with .500 most of the season, they have recently come out and played like it's baseball season. 

The Rays have a very formidable rotation that will carry them into the playoffs.  David Price has shown improvements, but I am very concerned about Scott Kazmir. If he isn't healthy, we could bring up Wade Davis to start in his place.

However, the All-Star break should help Kaz rest up. If Kaz turns out to be fine, Wade Davis should be brought up to be in the bullpen, and solidify it for the playoffs. 

But this is another article for another time.

Evan Longoria has been dry-ice cold, but I have faith he'll pick it up again. B.J. Upton has turned his season around, Carl Crawford looks to be in the MVP talks, Carlos Pena has been himself, Ben Zobrist and Jason Bartlett have saved the Rays, and Pat Burrell has just recently started to hit. 

Things look very up for the Rays.

New York—Go ahead Yankee fans, give me hate mail. Let me explain, though.

The offense is fine. Jorge Posada, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Johnny Damon will keep the Yankees in it.

The pitching is what separates Boston and Tampa Bay from New York. 

C.C. Sabathia is and will be a stud. He will prevent the Yankees from too many losing streaks. 

And that's about where the consistency ends in the Bronx rotation. A.J. Burnett is either one of the best in the game, or he should be in the minors, depending on what week you get him.  Joba Chamberlain hasn't pitched well all season, Andy Pettite hasn't pitched like he has in years past, and Chien Mien Wang...

Yeah.

Maybe their offense will be enough, but if you take the Yankees, you need to take the Rangers; their games are similar.

At least I'm consistent.

Toronto—Every year they seem to start out strong, and every year they seem to fizzle out. They are a team hurt by being in the toughest division in baseball, otherwise, we could be talking playoffs for them. 

Their rotation is very good; yet nobody seems to notice. Left field, catcher, first base, and consistency are the holes for them; they are a very good team. 

I'd say to move Halladay and Vernon Wells, try to load up on the farm, and then try to regroup, but everyone in this division is tough.

Everyone.

Baltimore—I'm very excited about Baltimore's future.  

Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis will be the foundation for the next eight years or so, and their pitching prospects will be up in the second half.

They've got a good mix of veterans, with Brian Roberts, Aubrey Huff, and Melvin Mora thrown in to balance out and help the youngsters along, so we could be talking about the Orioles competing for the division in a couple years.

 

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Projected Standings

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Francisco Giants *Wild Card*
3. Colorado Rockies
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. San Diego Padres

Los Angeles—Do I really need to write something here? The Dodgers are good. Duh.

Their rotation could be deeper though. I'd like to see them pick up a starter or add Jeff Weaver back in, maybe James McDonald.  Sure, Billingsley, Wolf, Kuroda, and Kershaw make for a great rotation, but they're not deep at all, and going every 4th day instead of every fifth takes it's toll.

As far as the offense goes, I'd like to see Russell Martin play better. If Martin plays better, I think the Dodgers could have the best shot in the NL at a World Series berth.

San Francisco—I liked San Francisco before the season began, but I wasn't sure if they could find an offense.

Enter Pablo Sandoval.

The Kung Fu Panda has quickly become one of my favorite players, hitting for a high average and flashing power in the first half of the season many thought wouldn't come until much later in his career. 

Travis Ishikawa, Juan Uribe, Nate Schierholtz, and Aaron Rowand have also supplied some offense that wasn't expected.

I do think San Francisco needs another bat; maybe Hank Blalock if available, or an outfielder if Blalock is not on the market.

Combine that with the pitching of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, a rejuvenated Barry Zito, a streaky Jonathan Sanchez, and whatever fifth starter is entered, and you have a very dangerous team. 

If they get the offense, San Francisco could also go far into the playoffs.

Colorado—They may be just third place in their division this year, but they could be second in the Wild Card hunt. Count me a believer, but I need to see the pitching consistency last a little while longer. 

Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez will give the Rockies a good chance to win every time they go out, but Hammel and De La Rosa need to show more consistency. I'm still not a Jason Marquis believer.

The offense is another story. Chris Iannetta, Todd Helton, Ian Stewart, Troy Tulowitzki, Clint Barmes, Dexter Fowler, and Brad Hawpe will keep Colorado in the Wild Card hunt right until the very end. 

So if the pitching shows more consistency, or they bring up Franklin Morales, or trade for a pitcher, they could very well be the Wild Card team.

Arizona—When I had them winning the West, I thought Brandon Webb and Conor Jackson would stay healthy, and the rest of the team wouldn't be so...

Fill in the blank.

Justin Upton is good, people. This is hard-hitting analysis. He will be one of the best to ever play the game if he stays healthy. He should've been an All-Star starter this year, and he hasn't even come close to scraping the surface of his enormous potential.

Mark Reynolds and Dan Haren have also played extremely well, but it takes a team to win ballgames. 

San Diego—I love San Diego; it may be my favorite big city in the world—and I'm not a city guy. However, their baseball team...could use some major remodeling.

I won't go through and play GM for the Padres here, but they're sending out a Triple-A team. Adrian Gonzalez is their only star other than the injured Jake Peavy, Kevin Kouzmanhoff could be good someday, same thing with Chase Headley, Tony Gwynn Junior has played nicely, and Everth Cabrera will benefit from gaining experience, but nobody is playing well in San Diego! 

They need to trade Peavy; I'd take 75 cents on the dollar for him. Maybe take three prospects instead of four. They need to move their aging veterans and load their farm system soon.

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NL Central

Projeted Standings

1. Saint Louis Cardinals
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Houston Astros
5. Cincinnati Reds
6. Pittsburgh Pirates

Saint Louis—I like Saint Louis a lot in the second half. Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Joel Pineiro, and Kyle Lohse all give the Cardinals a great chance to win every day. 

There's talk of the Cardinals Trading for Roy Halladay, which would instantly make Saint Louis' rotation the best in the National League, possibly the Major Leagues.

Yadier Molina is one of the best catchers in baseball in regards to defense and handling pitchers, Albert Pujols may be the best player in the game, Skip Schumaker hits .300, Mark DeRosa and Khalil Greene are coming back from injuries, Colby Rasmus could be the National League Rookie of the Year, and Ryan Ludwick has almost returned to last season's form.

I'm very excited about Saint Louis, and think they are the most serious challengers for Dodgers this year.

Chicago—I hate to do this to the Cubs fans, but when everybody's hurt, and the guys who aren't hurt aren't playing well, it'll take a while for you go get going. 

Sooner or later, Ryan Dempster and Geovany Soto will come back, and Alfonso Soriano will start hitting again, and when that happens, Chicago will make a run.

Milwaukee—When Rickie Weeks went down, I called it off for the Brewers. I was concerned with their lack of pitching, so losing Weeks pretty much did it for me.  Gallardo is one of the best in the bigs, but I don't believe in the rest of the rotation.

At all.

Prince Fielder, J.J. Hardy, Ryan Braun, Mike Cameron, and Corey Hart will keep Milwaukee in it, but I don't think they'll end up too many games above .500

Houston—I'm not sure I've ever picked the Astros out of third place. They could do it this year, but I don't think they can do much else.   

Roy Oswalt is always good and Wandy Rodriguez has been very pleasant, but the rest of the rotation is very weak. 

I love Houston's outfield, Kaz Matsui should turn it on as well as Lance Berkman, and Miguel Tejada has been phenomenal.

However, I don't think they're capable of too many streaks, and after Saint Louis, the rest of the division could be a wash, unless maybe Chicago puts it all together.

Pittsburgh—I didn't like the Nate McLouth trade for Pittsburgh, but I did like the Milledge trade. Their pitching is getting better, and their offense finally has some prospects. 

I mildly like Pittsburgh next year, but then again, it's the NL Central. Any of these teams could be good any year. 

Paul Maholm and Zach Duke have been very under the radar, and Andy LaRoche is finally hitting at the big league level. 

There is some sort of hope in Pittsburgh.

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NL East

Projected Standings

1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Florida Marlins
3. Atlanta Braves
4. New York Mets
5. Washington Nationals

Philadelphia—Everyone's waiting for Philly to run away with the division. I don't think that'll happen.

I do think they'll win it by about five games or so, but their pitching isn't good enough to start going on winning binges.

Cole Hamels needs to turn it around for the Phillies to be back into World Series talks again. J.A. Happ has pitched very well, as well as Joe Blanton pitching like he did in Oakland a couple years ago.

The offense will let them take the division though.

Florida—I said it at the beginning of the year, I'll say it now: Florida will finish second in the East. Albeit with a different team ahead of them, and a different team behind them, but they'll finish second.

They have a very strong foundation for years to come with Cameron Maybin, Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Josh Johnson, and Ricky Nolasco. 

I think Maybin needs more experience in the Majors before next year, but the Marlins will be very dangerous next season.

Atlanta—I liked the McLouth trade for Atlanta very much, but he hasn't produced enough spark to get the Braves' offense going. 

Brian McCann and McLouth seem to be the only ones producing, as Chipper Jones seems to have vanished. I didn't like Atlanta giving up on Francoeur, I think he needed some time in the minors, and a different approach.

Their pitching will keep them in the race whether they hit or not.  Lowe, Jurrjens, Vazquez, Hanson, and even Kawakami form a very formidable five.  I'd like to see Atlanta start to hit, and when they do, they could challenge a playoff spot.

New York—No New York teams in the playoffs last year, none this year. The Mets can't stay healthy, and when you lose Delgado, Reyes, Beltran, Putz, and John Maine, you're won't win any divisions any time soon.

If they get another pitcher, they could be dangerous next season, but unless Philly collapses, New York should be playing for next year.

Washington—What is there to be said about the Nationals? 

Ryan Zimmerman, Jordan Zimmermann, John Lannan, and Elijah Dukes provide hope for the future, but...

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Extra Predictions

• AL MVP—Carl Crawford, left field, Tampa Bay 
• NL MVP—Albert Pujols, first base, Saint Louis
• AL Cy Young—Felix Hernandez, Seattle
• NL Cy Young—Tim Lincecum, San Francisco
• AL Rookie of the Year—Ricky Romero, starting pitcher, Toronto
• NL Rookie of the Year—Colby Rasmus, center field, Saint Louis
• Rays beat Cardinals in the World Series.
• Albert Pujols does not win the triple crown—Hanley Ramirez beats him in average.
• Pujols does however, hit 63 home runs.
• Boston and Philadelphia don't make it out of the division series.
• Carl Crawford picks up his stolen base pace and ends the year with 18 homers and 90 stolen bases, along with a .320 batting average.
• The Dodgers meet the Cardinals in the NLCS, and the series is one of the most epic series of all time, going to seven games. Matt Kemp is amazing, both in the field, and at the plate, but Albert Pujols plays hero and wins it for the Cards.

This might be a little monotonous, projecting players' finishing stats, so I'll wrap up.

Please comment!  I have made some bold predictions and would like to hear your opinions on them!