Last year I made some baseball predictions and they didn’t turn out so well.  I only got 4 of the 8 playoff teams right, but neither of the World Series teams right (kinda like my NCAA basketball bracket, but that’s a different story).  I also grossly overestimated the capabilities of the Washington Nationals.  Well, I’m here to try it again.  First, let’s start with the Nationals.  I predicted 75 wins last year – I was off by 16.  I’m going to look at it like I was just a year too early – I’m going to predict 75 wins for this year.  With better starting pitching, a revamped and experienced bullpen, a full season with some key additions in the field, and the arrival of Strasburg some time during the year, a 16-game improvement seems possible.  We’ll see – I’ll be there on Opening Day Monday.  Let’s go, Nats!

And now for my season predictions:

AL East: Red Sox

AL Central: Twins

AL West: Rangers

Wild Card: Yankees

Surprising team: Mariners

Team that just misses out: A toss-up between the Rays, Tigers, and Angels (all three might be playoff teams in the NL).

NL East: Phillies

NL Central: Cardinals

NL West: Rockies

Wild Card: Braves

Surprising team: Brewers

Team that just misses out: Dodgers

World Series: Red Sox over Phillies in a thriller!