In accordance with my efforts to complete all previews prior to next week’s MLB Opening Day (see AL Preview, NL Preview, Cy Young Predictions), I present my prognostications for the MLB Standings 2011.
Familiar powers will return to the postseason in 2011. AL East sibling rivalry will feature the Bosox and Yankees as has been the case most of this decade but the Red Sox will finally best the Bronx Bombers thanks to a winter of Yankee-like free agent acquisitions. Look for the Chisox and Minnesota Twins to slug it out in the AL Central with the White Sox finally getting the best of the Bloomington Bopsies. In the West, last year’s AL Champion 
Texas Rangers will feel some heat from the Angels and the division will be heaven-sent. Los Angeles will find their way back into the postseason. Boston and Chicago will face each other in the ALCS with the Red Sox heading back to the World Series as the AL champs.
The National League will feature a lot of the same contestants from the 2010 postseason but with different results. Look for 
Philadelphia and San Francisco to lead the way while the Reds and Braves once again show their stuff. Colorado, Milwaukee and St. Louis will all assert themselves as contenders and the Cubs may find their way into the mix but ultimately the NL Central will be the Black and Blue Division. Should San Francisco and Philadelphia square off in another NLCS, it will be the Phillies 
this time around who celebrate. Four Aces (Phillies Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels) beats 2-1/2 Men (Giants’ Lincecum, Cain, Bumgartner) though these two teams resemble one another more than ever.
|
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST | W | L | PCT | GB | DIFF | ||
| X | Boston Red Sox | 99 | 63 | - | 10 | |||
| Y | New York Yankees | 90 | 72 | 9 | -5 | |||
| Toronto Blue Jays | 81 | 81 | 18 | 4 | ||||
| Baltimore Orioles | 74 | 84 | 21 | 12 | ||||
| Tampa Bay Rays | 60 | 102 | 39 | -36 | ||||
|
|
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL | W | L | PCT | GB | DIFF | ||
| X | Chicago White Sox | 94 | 68 | - | 6 | |||
| Minnesota Twins | 87 | 75 | 7 | -7 | ||||
| Detroit Tigers | 75 | 87 | 19 | -6 | ||||
| Kansas City Royals | 72 | 90 | 22 | 5 | ||||
| Cleveland Indians | 50 | 112 | 34 | -19 | ||||
| AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST | W | L | PCT | GB | DIFF | |||
| X | LA Angels Anaheim | 90 | 72 | - | 10 | |||
| Texas Rangers | 88 | 74 | 2 | -4 | ||||
| Oakland A’s | 81 | 81 | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Seattle Mariners | 65 | 97 | 25 | 4 | ||||
| X | DIVISION CHAMP | |||||||
| Y | LEAGUE WILDCARD | |||||||
|
National League | |||||||
| NL East | W | L | PCT | GB | DIFF | |||
| X | Philadelphia | 100 | 62 | - | 3 | |||
| Y | Atlanta Braves | 90 | 72 | 10 | 1 | |||
| Florida Marlins | 75 | 87 | 25 | -5 | ||||
| Washington Nationals | 72 | 90 | 28 | 3 | ||||
| New York Mets | 69 | 93 | 31 | -10 | ||||
|
|
NL Central | W | L | PCT | GB | DIFF | ||
| X | Cincinnati Reds | 93 | 69 | - | 2 | |||
| St. Louis Cardinals | 85 | 77 | 8 | -1 | ||||
| Mulwaukee Brewers | 84 | 78 | 9 | 7 | ||||
| Chicago Cubs | 79 | 83 | 14 | 5 | ||||
| Houston Astros | 70 | 92 | 24 | -6 | ||||
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 60 | 102 | 34 | 3 | ||||
|
|
||||||||
| NL West | W | L | PCT | GB | DIFF | |||
| X | San Francisco Giants | 90 | 72 | - | 0 | |||
| Colorado Rockies | 85 | 77 | 5 | 2 | ||||
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 83 | 79 | 7 | 3 | ||||
| San Diego Padres | 80 | 82 | 10 | -10 | ||||
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 60 | 102 | 30 | -5 | ||||
| X | DIVISION CHAMP | |||||||
| Y | LEAGUE WILDCARD | |||||||
AWARDS
NATIONAL LEAGUE MVP
1. Prince Fielder, MIL .290 AVG, 55 HR, 159 RBI
Runners Up: Ryan Howard, PHI, Dan Uggla, ATL, Ryan Braun, MIL, Albert Pujols, STL, Andre Ethier, LAD, Troy Tulowitzsky, COL, Joey Votto, CIN, Jay Bruce, CIN
AMERICAN LEAGUE MVP
1. Miguel Cabrera, DET .306 AVG, 49 HR, 147 RBI
Runners Up: Carl Crawford, BOS, Robinson Cano, NYY, Vernon Wells, LAA, Josh Hamilton, TEX, Adam Lind, TOR
POSTSEASON
NLCS – Philadelphia (100-62) defeat San Francisco (90-72) 4-3
ALCS – Boston Red Sox (99-63) defeat Chicago White Sox (94-68) 4-2
WORLD SERIES – Philadelphia Phillies vs. Boston Red Sox
Make sure you also see :
AL Preview http://prosportsblogging.com/mlb-baseball/mlb-2011-preview-al-east/
NL Preview http://prosportsblogging.com/mlb-baseball/mlb-2011-national-league-preview/
Pitching Preview : http://prosportsblogging.com/mlb-baseball/aces-wild-in-philadelphia/
Cy Young Predictions: http://prosportsblogging.com/mlb-baseball/2011-cy-young-predictions/
About the Author
Subscribe to author's RSS feed
Written by Christopher Rowe
Contributing writer Comcast Sports, NY Times contributing stringer 1996-2000, Contributing writer Yahoo Sports (2001 World Series). Contributing writer Newsday Long Island (1992-1994, Jets Training Camp) and Newak Star Ledger. Freelance Copywriter, Editor/Founder Atlantic Times Weekly (1993-2003) fantasy football magazine, produced screenwriter and general humorist. Hofstra University grad, Marist College honorary alum, Salesian; Purveyor of the Value and Valor of Philadelphia Eagles 1960 NFL Championship; Adrent believer that Eagles could have won Super Bowl XV...and Super Bowl XXXIX...plus modern decade of Eagles 5 NFC Championships... Believer in the Broad Street Bullies and the 1983 Sixers... Witness to Philadelphia Phillies World Series championships 1980 & 2008, Suffered Phillies first pro sports team to reach 10,000 losses,witnessed "1980 Cardiac Kids," 1983 "Wheeze Kids," 1993 "Macho Row" and many, many, many not-so-memorable seasons in-between... until the Philadelphia Baseball Renaissance of 21st Century, Five NL East division titles 2007-2011, 3 NLCS appearances 2008-2010, 2 consecutive World Series berths 2008 & 2009. 2008 World Champions of baseball [miss ya Harry and Richie]; "collector" of MLB ballparks (42 stadiums including 15 which are gone); Fantasy Football & Baseball player since 1992. Always a sports fan... Tenui Nec Dimittam Contact me christopherrowe@prosportsblogging.com
Damien Mar 29 201110:09 pm
I’m still waiting for the part where it says this is a joke. You know… April fools.
Did you get paid for this? Try and look past names, and check out some numbers before your next go. Oh, and not just batting average. Right, everyone has moved past that being the mark for “good” players.
And I’m glad everyone is picking the Sawx. Their lineup would have been great, 5 years ago. The addition of Crawford, means nothing to anyone but fantasy players. He’s a .360 obp guy at best, and will not sniff 19 homers again.
What a joke.
Christopher Rowe Mar 30 20112:28 pm
Look past names and check numbers… meaning what exactly – with regards to Yankees-Red Sox or overall? ? Sox have added Gonzalez and Crawford to their lineup and improved their bullpen while Yankees have added Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon in rotation plus Soriano in the bullpen. While Yanks will score a lot of runs, they will be relying on Sabathia, Burnett and Huges to be their Top 3 pitchers. As for the rest of the AL, Chisox, Angels and Twins will all challenge Texas for bragging rights. In the NL, you can’t tell me the Phillies are not the favorite and the strongest team. Pitching wins in the MLB. Phils, Brewers, Giants and Reds all have pitching as well as offense. So what’s your objection Damien?
Adrian Fedkiw Mar 31 20112:50 am
Haha I have Carl Crawford winning the MVP.
Damien’s in denial.
Greg Mar 31 20111:35 pm
Damien’s delusional
"Baseball Brenda" Sepanek Apr 24 201112:09 pm
Interesting we haven’t heard from Damien since. Anyways, I like your predictions. Going bold with the century mark in wins for the Philly, eh?. Now we sit back and watch how it all unfolds. So far so good.
Christopher Rowe May 21 20113:32 pm
I’ve got the Sox right in there with ‘em in the World Series. Been waiting for this Fall Classic since 2007 and thought we had it in 2008. This is the year.
"Baseball Brenda" Sepanek May 21 20113:42 pm
Sounds good to me. The Sox are picking up steam and rolling steady! I was at the Cubs game last night. Lots O’ Offense! I will be part of the on the field Flag Ceremony tomorrow will be awesome.
Christopher Rowe Jul 7 201112:02 pm
At the halfway point, dead-on for PHI, ATL, BOS, NYY, LAA, TEX and SFG… struggling with AL Central and NL Central… Phillies, Braves, Red Sox, Yankees, Cardinals, Brewers, Angels and Rangers are all on pace for my predicted win totals … no one predicted Pittsburgh or Cleveland… where are the White Sox and Twins and what happened to the Reds and Dodgers?