1.  The Mariners improved a rather pedesterian rotation over the offseason, by adding Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva.  The only problem:  I can't say the offense has been terrible.  It's been non-existent.  The M's are 14-23 right now.  I'm still optimistic, but predicting them to win the Wildcard now, just seems foolish.  That being said, JJ Putz is still my favorite non-closer.  Ichiro will hopefully still start for the American League at the All Star Game in NY.  Raul Ibanez will eventually start being the only guy that knows what an RBI is and how to get one, again.  Yuni, Beltre, and Lopez will remember how not to commit such costly errors.  Felix will get his swagger and velocity back.  Erik Bedard will get a much deserved contract extension, as I still think trading for him was the smartest move of the offseason, plus he has the best curveball I've seen since Barry Zito, in his prime.  Jeff Clement will start to hit, what could be many, deep bombs over the center field wall.  Wladimir Balentien will be getting the necessary numbers to win the Rookie of the Year award.  Kenji will show us why he didn't deserve to get a 3 year contract extension.  Jose Vidro will become older and more useless than ever (They should've signed The Big Hurt, while they had the oppurtunity)  Richie Sexson will retire from baseball, opting to join the UFC.  John McLaren will continue to get run from the game, in the first inning, Sweet Lou Style.  The M's brass will realize that Mel Stottlemyre is too good of a pitching coach for this organization, that Ken Griffey Jr. needs to be retained via trade, to boost the extremely low morale of the team, and that Bryan LaHair is the future at 1st base.

2.  The Minnesota Twins are kickin' butt and takin' names!  I couldn't have been more wrong about them.  Carlos Gomez and Delmon Young, but especially Gomez, are going to be great players for years to come.  I'm stunned that Francisco Liariano hasn't returned to top form yet.  I still don't think they have the rotation to win the Central, but they definitely have the lineup and bullpen too.  Cleveland is still my pick though.  Again, sorry Twins fans: You were alright for bashing me about my prediction, regarding the Twins. 

3.  The Cardinals and A's are in 1st place, in their respective divisions.  Both teams are a real surprise this year, especially the A's.  I've never seen a rebuilding team play like a pennant winner, and do with a handful of players no one has ever heard of.  Dana Eveland? Daric Barton?  Greg Smith? Santiago Casilla (the next great closer)?  Emil Brown?  Actually I knew who he was, but not that he was that good.  The Cards are winning with an interesting rotation of American League has beens and guys I've never heard of.  I guess all Joel Piniero needed was a change of leagues.  Todd Wellemeyer?  Kyle Lohse is pitching way over his head right now.  Right, Twins fans?  Adam Wainwright is looking like a Cy Young candidate.  Skip Schumaker?  Guy sounds more like a jockey or a golfer than a baseball player.  Rick Ankiel and Albert Pujols are seriously raking.  That doesn't surprise me with one of them.  They've got some good starters coming off the DL, at some point: Mulder, Carpenter, Clement.  If they can hang in there til those guys are ready, watch out!  I still like the Cubs though and the Dodgers for the Wildcard. 

Those are the most glaring reasons that I'm an ####, and predictions can seem so foolish.  Go M's, 14-23 might seem like a mountain of adversity, but that's the way we like it! 

My favorite division in baseball.  I wonder why?

1.  Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.   The Angels are a solid team.  They have a good rotation, headed by John Lackey and very good bullpen.  Bad Vlad Guerrero is a perennial MVP candidate every year and Torri Hunter is a nice addition to that outfield.  Mark my words, one significant injury on this team could really open the door for the Mariners.

2.  Seattle Mariners.  The addition of Erik Bedard will pay huge dividends this season, and hopefully for future seasons.  The M's had to give up a lot for Bedard, but he's a Cy Young candidate, who has the stuff that aces are made of.  Felix Hernandez will have a career year because of the presence of Bedard in the rotation.  Seattle has a nice 1 through 5 rotation, with some capable spot starters in the mix as well.   Ichiro will guide the offense, and hopefully guys like Richie Sexson can rebound.  The loss of Jose Guillen will hurt more than we think, but the potential of Wladmir Balentien should make up for that, long term.  If the Angels slip at all, the M's might have the ability to take advantage of it.

3.  Texas Rangers.  The rotation is still a little shaky.  Kevin Millwood isn't an ace and neither is Vincente Padilla.  Their bullpen does impress me, particularly CJ Wilson and Joaquin Benoit.  Both looked good in the closer role, last season.  The addition of Josh Hamilton is a good one, as he should drive in some runs, but they need a rebound from guys like Hank Blalock to make any real noise.  I think Jarrod Saltamacchia? or Salty and Ian Kinsler are going to turn into a really good baseball players, so their future looks bright.  I think they have enough experience in the rotation to be better than the rebuilding A's.

4.  Oakland A's.  It would be difficult to be a fan of the A's, because it seems like they're always in a rebuilding mode.  They've let some great players walk away over the years, Tejada, Zito, Damon, but in Giambi's case, he basically just sold out.  Rich Harden needs a healthy season under his belt, to prove he's an ace.  The verdict is still out on that one.  Joe Blanton is an innings eater, but after those two, the rotation is full of question marks.  I'm guessing the next players to be dealt will be Eric Chavez, Huston Street, and Joe Blanton.   When looking at the roster there are a few familiar faces, but who the heck are the rest of these guys?  I should get my facts straight, because they're probably a bunch of really good prospects that will become stars, in Oakland and then sign with another team when they become free agents.  Can we really consider Billy Beane to be a genius anymore?