AL East - Boston
AL Central - Chicago, Detroit (WC)
AL West - Anaheim

NL East - New York, Atlanta (WC) (!)
NL Central - Houston
NL West - Colorado

I don't think the Yankees can outlast the Red Sox, and there is no major deal to be made. Playoffs are wide open, however, unless the White Sox starters learn to pitch again...Anaheim is going to be TOUGH if they can hit at all and Lackey/Weaver/Santana/K-Rod/Shields are healthy (those five are basically all you need to steamroll right through the playoffs). The entire NL is the Mets' to lose at this point. I think Atlanta has enough momentum to get the wild card in a very weak NL, if Chipper Jones stays healthy. I think the Cardinals are terrible other than Rolen, Carpenter, and Pujols (reminds me a lot of the '05 Cubs), and the Reds are about 2 1/2 pieces short of a real run at it (one SP, one bat, another good RP would be nice). The Astros win by default here, but they need to hit consistently and Pettite needs a good 2nd half. I think the Rockies have the best offense by far in the West and their pitching is finally good enough to seal the deal...I think the Dodgers are too injury-plagued and too many questions in their rotation, and I think the Giants aren't put together enough and the Barry stuff is only getting worse and will get to them like Grimsley did for the Diamondbacks.

Thoughts?

Toronto is a sleeper, look for both Boston and NY to miss the playoffs altogether

I hope you're right about the rockies although they took they're annual slide right before and after the break

Atlanta desperately needs Kyle Davies back, they need Tim Hudson to keep the ball down and throw strikes, they need Smoltz to stay healthy and they need help in the bullpen. Other than that, a maybe for the Wild Card. I think the Mets are the class of the league this year.

There's no way anyone other than St. Louis wins the Central, especially given that Jockety will add someone by the deadline that will be a difference maker (like Abreu or Soriano).

AL East: Toronto
AL Central: Detroit
AL West: Oakland
WC: Chi White Sox

NL East: Mets
NL Central: Cardinals
NL West: Dodgers
WC: Houston

Not necessarily what WILL happen...but what I'd like to happen.

I disagree completely... Hillenbrand is tearing the dressing room apart, and their bullpen is overworked. Starters can't stay healthy either, you're an idiot.

Atlanta is a vogue pick for the NL WC right now, but it ain't gonna happen.

I wish the Reds would win the NL Central, but I am pretty sure the Cardinals are going to win it. The Astros don't have the bats to pass Milwaukee, Cincinnati and St. Louis in the standings.

The Mets will win the NL East and I see the Dodgers winning the NL West. The wildcard could really be anybody at this point. That will probably go down to the last weekend of the regular season.

AL East will be Boston with Detroit winning the AL Central and the White Sox winning the wild card. AL West is probably going to be the A's.

They just added a closer, not the greatest closer but serviceable. Who's going to win the WC instead? Phillies and Marlins aren't, west is beating up on each other, that leaves the non-division champion between St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Houston. I firmly believe the Cardinals are not in the playoffs this year, so it's one of the other two if it's not Atlanta.

I betcha anything the Cards win the central and the Reds are the surprise playoff team this year.

I don't know why you don't believe in the Cardinals, they have solid pitching and Edmunds, Rolen and Pujols can carry their offense if they need to.

You're my new hero.

I agree with your first post.

Solid pitching? Are you serious?

Jeff Weaver - sux
Jeff Suppan - sux
Jason Marquis - eh
Reyes - OK
Carpenter - real good but injury risk
Mulder - injured, decent when healthy (not nearly as good as in years past)
Closer - mediocre
Bullpen - below average other than Wainwright

Pujols and Rolen are awesome, Edmonds could be but probably won't, Eckstein is decent, and the rest of the team is so mind-numbingly dreadful that it's pathetic. LF, C, and 2B are all offensive black holes...that's a third of the starting lineup!

As good as Pujols is, I'd take Berkman-Huff-Biggio-Burke over those three, AND the Astros have far superior pitching.

AND they just lost 2 of 3 to the Cubs with Oswalt, Clemens, and Petitte going. Not good.

AL East - Boston
AL Central - Detroit
AL West - Anaheim
AL WC - Twins

NL East - New York
NL Central - Cards
NL West - Colorado
NL WC - Milwaukee

yeah, that's right, the twins and milwaukee.

i can't remember a year where one league was worse than the other by such a large margin. There's honestly not one legitimate team in the NL, though the mets are close

twoheadedboy... you have two heads, but apparently both of them are up your ass...

because the Cards will win the Central, no doubt... book it.