United Cardinal Bloggers March Project: 2012 MLB Season Preview

This is normally the spot for Beyond Busch, my weekly look at the rest of Major League Baseball. For this week the March project for the United Cardinal Bloggers, a 2012 MLB Season Preview, fits very nicely into this space. I’ll run through my sure to go wrong predictions for the upcoming MLB season.

We’ll begin in the American League, where each team is listed in order of predicted finish. I’ll replicate the same format for the National League. I’ll then break down the playoff brackets and unveil the pennant winners and World Series Champion. Last, I’ll take a shot at guessing the end of season award winners. Let’s get to it.

American League East

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

The Yankees need to stay healthy and somehow they do because Joe Girardi does a good job of managing their days off. The rotation is worlds above what they had last season, especially if Andy Pettitte makes it all the way back and is productive. The Rays could prevent the Yankees from winning the division because of their rotation which is every bit as strong, if not better. I see the Red Sox as a circus, but they are too talented to not be in contention. I’d guess that 8 games separate first and third place. The Blue Jays will continue to play in and around .500 ball while the Orioles will once again disappoint.

American League Central

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

The Tigers are going to win this division by at least 10 games. I’m going to say they will be the number one seed in the AL playoffs. The Indians are making strides to regain the aura from the nineties. The Royals are going to surprise even themselves this season. It’s a young and exciting club with much more on the horizon. Robin Ventura’s first season as the White Sox manager won’t be a disaster, but he doesn’t have a lot to work with. The Twins have fallen from grace.

American League West

1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Texas Rangers
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Oakland A’s

The Rangers are the two-time defending American League Champions but they will lose out to the newly assembled Los Angeles Angels for the division title in 2012. Too much Albert Pujols, Jered Weaver and Dan Haren. The Rangers will be close, but in the end the Angels do a better job head to head and that is the difference. The Mariners barely edge out the A’s to stay out of the basement in the division. It really seems like there are two divisions within the West.

See the next page for the National League predictions.