Overall Picks for MLB 2013

Once again, the Giants are not getting any love -- they only have one answer for that!

Don't worry, I still plan to do a in-depth preview of the N.L. Central & N.L. West, in fact I am in the middle of the N.L. Central -- but since it's taking me awhile (definitely didn't plan to do as much as I did, and definitely starting earlier next year) and the fact that my brother-in-law let us borrow the PS3 indefinitely (and that I rented MLB: The Show 13 for 5 nights), I have been playing that non-stop the last few nights.

So let me get my overall division picks in:

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

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

A.L. WEST
1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Texas Rangers*
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Seattle Mariners
5. Houston Astros

I'm sticking with my guns, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Kansas City Royals as the darkhorse in the American League, they may still be another year away -- while the Oakland Athletics will actually be a better  team, but in that tough division, I'll play it safe with 3rd place (even though I really love that rotation & bullpen).

Now I want everyone to know, yes I am a Tigers fan, but I never pick the Tigers, I always find some way to not really pick them as the team to beat, but...

I'm picking them over the Angels in the American League Championship, and I'm going with what my wife said "I really think we are going to do it this year"... It's going to be tough, I was playing The Show on PS3 against the Angels, and they are the only team to hand Verlander a loss in the first-half, and the controller would shake every time Trout, Pujols or Hamilton got up --- really? they didn't think I would be shaking as well?! That series will go seven, and it's going to be so close, I wouldn't be surprised if the Angels do go to the World Series.

A.L. Rookie of the Year - Will Myers - OF (Tampa Bay)
A.L. MVP - Mike Trout (Los Angeles)
A.L. Cy Young - Justin Verlander (Detroit)

N.L. EAST
1. Washington Nationals
2. Atlanta Braves*
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. New York Mets
5. Miami Marlins

N.L. CENTRAL
1. Cincinnati Reds
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Chicago Cubs

N.L. WEST
1. San Francisco Giants
2. Los Angeles Dodgers*
3. Arizona Diamond Backs
4. San Diego Padres
5. Colorado Rockies

The Reds will repeat as division champs, the Cardinals are usually in the thick of it, I really wanted to pick them as a Wild Card -- because they simply always find a way, regardless who's on their roster... but every team has to have a off-year from time to time, I will buy into the Dodgers just for a Wild Card spot. The thing is this, the Dodgers always find a way to underachieve, and until they prove otherwise, I won't get crazy with over-picking them like everyone else and their mother -- let's not forget that chemistry is key in MLB, and that Boston was really happy on getting rid of clubhouse cancers in Josh Beckett & Hanley Ramirez.

N.L. Rookie of the Year- Adam Eaton - OF (Arizona)
N.L. MVP - Matt Kemp - OF (Los Angeles)
N.L. Cy Young - Clayton Kershaw - SP (Los Angeles)***

*** I want to make a quick note, I think Cole Hamels is going to give the Cy Young a serious run there, with Strasburg (from Washington as well), but I really want to pick Hamels (LOL!)***

My pick is the Nationals over the Giants in the National League Championship, the Nats are sort of the team I want to pick to win the whole damn thing, they have the perfect roster that Davey Johnson loves, one you could argue that reminds you of the 86' Mets (minus all the coke!). My wife also mentioned she wouldn't be surprised to see a World Series rematch this year, I agree... but since there hasn't been for a very long time, we'll stay with the trends...

DETROIT TIGERS over the WASHINGTON NATIONALS in seven tough games, going with experience over youth here... the Nats would be a sexy pick, so they are already my front-runner for 2014.
That's the thing about predictions though, they usually don't come true, maybe that's the reason I avoided picking Detroit in the past (hoping they would do the reverse), and I wouldn't be surprised to see a World Series rematch or the Nationals over the Angels or vice versa -- How about a California World Series with the Angels and Giants; once again I see the Giants are not getting any love or respect, despite winning 2 of the last three World Series, seriously? What do these guys have to do? So yeah, they'll have a chip on their shoulders... and they'll be making another serious run as well.


**The Wife insisted I put that she picks DETROIT over SAN FRANCISCO ***

COMING SOON: The in-depth previews of the N.L. Central & N.L. West.