Fight To The Finish

As we draw closer to the end of the 2011 MLB Regular Season, many teams are vying for spots in the post-season. In every division, except the NL East, the 1st and 2nd place teams are separated by no more than four games. I will make my predictions, for the winner of each division in the AL, and which team will make it in as a Wild Card.

AL East - Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are currently two games ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. In the middle of the season, the Tampa Bay Rays looked like they would be in this race as well, at one point standing alone in first place. But the Rays have not played their best ball recently, and have fallen 9.5 games out. The Toronto Blue Jays have managed to turn their season around, getting back to .500. However, that won't be enough, as they are 14.5 games out. I believe that the Red Sox will beat out the Yankees because, the head-to-head match ups against the two teams, clearly favor Boston. The Red Sox are 10-2 against the Yankees this season, sweeping New York twice.

AL Central - Detroit Tigers
Justin Verlander has been the best pitcher this season, winning 17 games and throwing a no-hitter against the Blue Jays. Detroit leads the AL Central by three games over the Indians. The Indians started off the year owning the best record in baseball, but have struggled since then, currently sitting at two games over .500. The only other team that looks like they could catch the Tigers, is the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox, who struggled early, still find themselves two games under .500 and 5 games back of Detroit. The problem for the White Sox is their inability to win at home. Chicago has a record of 24-33 at home this season, compared to a record of 34-27 on the road. The Tigers have two very good starting pitchers in Verlander, and Max Scherzer, who has 11 wins. The Tigers will win the Central because they have the best pitching in the division, and a superstar First Baseman, Miguel Cabrera, who will carry the team to the playoffs.

                                                               AL West - Los Angeles Angels
The Angels currently trail the Rangers by two games, but have overachieved all year. At the beginning of the season, very few people had the Angels winning the AL West. The only other team in contention in the West, is the Texas Rangers. The Rangers, who currently lead the division, are the defending AL Champions and have exploded offensively this season, outscoring their opponents by 107 runs. The Angels have not been nearly as explosive, however they do feature the better pitching staff of the two teams. Potential Cy Young Award winner, Jered Weaver, is the ace of the Angels staff, and has the lowest ERA in the majors this season. What separates the Angels, is that they have a winning record at home, and on the road, unlike the Rangers. I believe that this division could be won on the last day of the season, and it will be very tight the remainder of the way.

AL Wild Card - New York Yankees
The Yankees currently lead the Wild Card by 7 games over Los Angeles. New York also currently holds the 3rd best record in baseball, behind the Phillies and Red Sox. No one in the AL Wild Card race is close to challenging the Yankees. So unless New York wins the AL East, in which case the Red Sox would get the Wild Card, it is a foregone conclusion that the Yankees will get the Wild Card.

Check my blog on Monday to see my predictions for the National League playoff race.