With the first pitch of the 2013 season less than a month away, a lot of sportswriters are making predictions about the upcoming pennant races. From what I can see, no one is making any bold statements about how things turn will turn out. There seems to be a general consensus among the various sources. Here is the predicted order of finish according to three trusted authorities:
American League East
Baseball Digest Bleacher Report Vegas Odds
Blue Jays Blue Jays Blue Jays
Yankees Rays Yankees
Orioles Yankees Rays
Rays Orioles Red Sox
Red Sox Red Sox Orioles
American League Central
Baseball Digest Bleacher Report Vegas Odds
Tigers Tigers Tigers
White Sox Royals White Sox
Royals White Sox Royals
Indians Indians Indians
Twins Twins Twins
American League West
Baseball Digest Bleacher Report Vegas Odds
Angels Angels Angels
A's A's A's
Rangers Rangers Rangers
Mariners Mariners Mariners
Astros Astros Astros
National League East
Baseball Digest Bleacher Report Vegas Odds
Nationals Nationals Nationals
Braves Braves Phillies
Phillies Phillies Braves
Mets Mets Mets
Marlins Marlins Marlins
National League Central
Baseball Digest Bleacher Report Vegas Odds
Reds Reds Reds
Cardinals Cardinals Cardinals
Brewers Brewers Pirates
Pirates Pirates Brewers
Cubs Cubs Cubs
National League West
Baseball Digest Bleacher Report Vegas Odds
Dodgers Giants Dodgers
Giants Dodgers Giants
Diamondbacks Diamondbacks Diamondbacks
Padres Padres Padres
Rockies Rockies Rockies
A few superficial thoughts of my own for the upcoming season:
--It's nice to see the leagues now balanced with the Astros making their AL debut. I have always been a fan of the American League and I'm looking forward to watching more games in Minute Maid Park--one of the most attractive venues in the majors.
--I'm pleased to see the Blue Jays finally getting some respect. It's been a long road to contention for these guys. It's hard for me to view them as pennant contenders though. They've been also-rans for so long, it will take some getting used to.
--I feel vindicated that I am not alone in believing the 2012 Baltimore Orioles were an illusion created by the genius of manager Buck Showalter. I just can't imagine them doing much of anything this year, though I could be wrong.
--Overall, it's hard to disagree with most of the predictions listed above, but I've got a feeling that the Nationals, Braves and A's will do worse than predicted while the Phillies and Rangers will do much better. I have no solid evidence to back those statements, I'm just going with my "gut" on this.
--On a final note (and I've been saying this for years), I think it would be fun if the World Series champs moved on to compete against top clubs from other countries in a round robin tournament. We already have a World Baseball Classic, why not a tournament of World Champions? I think it would be great for the sport.
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