2012 Season Predictions

American League

National League

World Series

After a long arduous hard fought battle in the AL West the Angels will qualify for the postseason as the top Wild Card team. The Halos will then face-off against the Red Sox who are the AL’s second Wild Card team in a one game playoff to advance to the Division Series. After dispatching the BoSox in a classic the Angels will take on the famed Yankees in which they will be looking to avenge their most recent playoff meeting in 2009 and they will do just that in dominating fashion setting up a meeting with the division rival Rangers in the League Championship Series. The Angels will earn a trip to the World Series after prevailing in an all-time classic series between two of baseball’s most complete teams with Albert Pujols/Jered Weaver and Josh Hamilton/Yu Darvish leading the way for their respective teams.

The Nationals will reach the playoffs as the top Wild Card and will face the Reds who are the second Wild Card team in a play-in game to advance to the Division Series against the Phillies. After defeating the Reds and proving victorious over a beaten down Phightin’ Phils squad the Nats push forward with a matchup in the League Championship Series against the pitching dominant Giants. The Nationals and Giants ride a trio of starters in Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, and Jordan Zimmermann and Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner and 8/9 inning combos in Tyler Clippard/Drew Storen and Sergio Romo/Brian Wilson respectively to force a game seven in which the Nats win in extra innings advancing them to the World Series.

The World Series matchup will feature two teams rich in pitching, the biggest superstar in the game in Pujols, a phenom and generational type pitcher in Strasburg and a mega-prospect and generational type position player in outfielder Bryce Harper among many other quality/star type players on each roster. While the younger Nationals put up a fight the more veteran laden and experienced Angels with Weaver and Dan Haren leading the way in combination with the aggressive fundamental nature in the Halos overall play proves to be too much for the Nats as they defeat them in six games to win the series and hoist the trophy.