2011 Baseball Predictions!

Take me out to the ballgame!  Take me out to the crowd!  Buy me some...

America’s pastime is back!  

Watching baseball and playing fantasy baseball are true pleasures of the summer.  Like everyone else I’m ready to get this year started.  Once again, the Phillies and Team GOAT (my fantasy team in the Muddy, Bloody, Beer League) are true contenders! While I'm hoping for another parade down Broad Street and another notch in my fantasy championship belt, the most important thing is to enjoy the season. Baseball offers an escape from the daily grind and provides a great opportunity to spend a few hours with friends and family.

Here’s what I expect from the 2011 Season:

Division Winners:

• American League:
• East: Boston - Too much offence for NY to keep pace!
• Central: Tigers - As long as Cabrera can stay off the sauce!
• West: Athletics - Rangers fall apart late and the A’s take the title!
• Wild Card: Yankees - Too much money spent to miss playoffs!
• National League:
• East: Phillies - Pitching is too good and the Braves are too young!
• Central: Cardinals - They will do it for Pujols... or he’ll walk!
• West: Rockies - The Giants just got hot at the right time last year!
• Wild Card: Giants - Squeak by the Braves! 

World Series:

• Phillies over Boston

Award Winners:

• MVP:
• AL: Evan Longoria
• NL: Sir Albert
• Cy Young:
• AL: Justin Verlander
• NL: Cliff Lee

My Drafted Fantasy Team:

League Info: The league is a competitive but small 6 team league. Yes, every team is stacked! We have daily lineup changes in a weekly head-to-head format. Each team is allowed 4 reserve players, but only one of them can be a pitcher. A team can pickup one free agent each week but can make unlimited waiver wire pickups. (Free agents are placed on waiver on Friday and processed on Sunday.) (The league is run on Fantrax.)

Here's how my draft went: (I picked 5th out of 6)

• Round 1 - Pick 5: (SS) Hanley Ramirez
• Round 2 - Pick 8: (3B) Evan Longoria
• Round 3 - Pick 17: (OF) Matt Holliday
• Round 4 - Pick 20: (P) Felix Hernandez
• Round 5 - Pick 29: (P) CC Sabathia
• Round 6 - Pick 32: (P) Ubaldo Jimenez
• Round 7 - Pick 41: (OF) Andre Either
• Round 8 - Pick 44: (OF) Nick Markakis
• Round 9 - Pick 53: (C) Victor Martinez
• Round 10 - Pick 56: (1B) Mark Teixeira (Steal of the draft!)
• Round 11 - Pick 65: (P) Matt Cain
• Round 12 - Pick 68: (2B) Martin Prado 
• Round 13 - Pick 77: (P) Tommy Hanson
• Round 14 - Pick 80: (OF) Curtis Granderson
• Round 15 - Pick 89: (2B) Ben Zobrist  
• Round 16 - Pick 92: (OF) Jay Bruce

What do you think... a genius draft? I know I'm weak at 2B but it is a pretty weak position in general. Good luck to the Phillies and all my fellow fantasy GMs!