NL West - Giants (Sorry to say it, but it'll be a really weak division)
NL Central - Astros (I think they'll barely outlast the Cubs. Having no Prior for April will hurt them, and they need a legitimate leadoff hitter with no Lofton now.)
NL East - Phillies (They might have the most complete team in the league. The Marlins and Braves should both be weaker, and the Phils got a lot better in the offseason, especially in the bullpen, where they really needed it.)
NL Wild Card - Cubs
AL West - Angels (The Mariners and A's will both be weaker and Texas isn't moving one inch. On paper, they should run away with this division, but I still think Oakland will make it tight with their starting pitching. They'll miss Tejada and Ellis, though.)
AL Central - I have no idea. Every team in this division sucks.
AL East - Red Sox (They played the Yankees to a dead heat last year. Both teams got even better, but I just have a feeling. They have to break through at some point, and the Yanks do have some question marks. If Jose Contreras falters and Kevin Brown can't stay healthy, they'll have trouble in a very heavy-hitting division.)
AL Wild Card - A's (Maybe I'm just being mean-spirited, but it would be beautiful to see the Yankee payroll shoot up to $200 million and not even get them into the playoffs. Boss George might fire everyone in the stadium.)
NL Champion - Cubs (They made the moves they needed to last year. If they really need a leadoff guy, I think they'll get him. If their entire pitching staff is healthy in October, they should be almost impossible to score on.)
AL Champion - Angels (This is really the only team that has any shot at beating either the Yankees or the Red Sox. If they can stay healthy, they'll be tough. They still have a lot of guys that can come through in the clutch, and the top bullpen in the AL, maybe in the majors with the Dodgers losing Quantrill, will keep opponents in check in the late innings. If the games stay close, I like their chances.)
World Series Champion - Angels (I really want to pick the Cubs here, but I just can't do it. They have so much history riding against them that they'll be thrilled just to make it this far. A lot of the Angels have been here already and Mike Scoscia will once again school Dusty Baker.)
NL Central - Astros (I think they'll barely outlast the Cubs. Having no Prior for April will hurt them, and they need a legitimate leadoff hitter with no Lofton now.)
NL East - Phillies (They might have the most complete team in the league. The Marlins and Braves should both be weaker, and the Phils got a lot better in the offseason, especially in the bullpen, where they really needed it.)
NL Wild Card - Cubs
AL West - Angels (The Mariners and A's will both be weaker and Texas isn't moving one inch. On paper, they should run away with this division, but I still think Oakland will make it tight with their starting pitching. They'll miss Tejada and Ellis, though.)
AL Central - I have no idea. Every team in this division sucks.
AL East - Red Sox (They played the Yankees to a dead heat last year. Both teams got even better, but I just have a feeling. They have to break through at some point, and the Yanks do have some question marks. If Jose Contreras falters and Kevin Brown can't stay healthy, they'll have trouble in a very heavy-hitting division.)
AL Wild Card - A's (Maybe I'm just being mean-spirited, but it would be beautiful to see the Yankee payroll shoot up to $200 million and not even get them into the playoffs. Boss George might fire everyone in the stadium.)
NL Champion - Cubs (They made the moves they needed to last year. If they really need a leadoff guy, I think they'll get him. If their entire pitching staff is healthy in October, they should be almost impossible to score on.)
AL Champion - Angels (This is really the only team that has any shot at beating either the Yankees or the Red Sox. If they can stay healthy, they'll be tough. They still have a lot of guys that can come through in the clutch, and the top bullpen in the AL, maybe in the majors with the Dodgers losing Quantrill, will keep opponents in check in the late innings. If the games stay close, I like their chances.)
World Series Champion - Angels (I really want to pick the Cubs here, but I just can't do it. They have so much history riding against them that they'll be thrilled just to make it this far. A lot of the Angels have been here already and Mike Scoscia will once again school Dusty Baker.)
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