On Thursday, our staff of MLB experts unveiled their picks for the major postseason awards. Now we're down to the really good stuff. Who will make the playoffs and win the ultimate prize in October? Our 13 brightest baseball minds (including yours truly) tried to answer those questions, and the results are after the jump. But first a few notes:
-- As a group we are most confident in three things: that the Cubs will win the NL Central (12 out of 13 panelists), that the Angels will win the AL West (10 of 13) and that two teams from the AL East will make the playoffs (a perfect 13 for 13).
-- We are most conflicted about the AL Central (six of 13 panelists picked the Indians to win the division, but every team in the division was picked at least once) and the NL wild card (seven different teams picked, none with more than four nods).
-- Of the big three in the AL East, we're most confident that the Red Sox will make the playoffs as either the division champ of wild card (10 of 13 panelists), but even after spending hundreds of millions this winter, we don't like the Yankees much (only seven of 13 picked them to make the postseason). The Rays were picked by nine of 13 to return to the playoffs for the second time in team history.
-- There are only two lone wolves in our picks. I was alone in picking the A's to make the playoffs and Jon Bois went out on a limb and picked the Royals. Every other team was picked to make the postseason by at least two prognosticators.
-- Finally, our bias toward the AL East showed once again in our World Series picks. Nine of 13 panelists picked one of the big three in the East to make the World Series and seven of 13 panelists picked a team from the division to win the championship. The most popular World Series winner: the Rays (three of 13).
So with that, it's on to the picks. When you're done poring over them, leave your own in the comments section below.
 | East | Central | West | Wild Card | Champ | World Series Champ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | East | Central | West | Wild Card | Champ | |
| Ed Price |
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| Jeff Fletcher |
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| Jay Mariotti |
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| Dan Graziano |
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| Andrew Johnson |
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| Matt Snyder |
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| Will Brinson |
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| Pat Lackey |
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| Josh Alper |
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| Tom Fornelli |
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| Knox Bardeen |
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| Jon Bois |
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| Jacob Wheatley-Schaller |
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
4-03-2009 @ 12:16PM
jclv said...
Just be happy if they didnt pick your team It means your team will likley win the world series as these idiots know nothing. One clown oicked the cubs to win their division and the wild card
Great experts
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4-03-2009 @ 1:32PM
Andrew said...
That was a mistake on my part that is now fixed. Pat picked the Dodgers to win the wild card.
Thanks for the kind words! I see you are brave enough to go on record.
4-03-2009 @ 2:18PM
jclv said...
Not as Brave as the guys who picked the Indians, Mets or the Cubs. Did the Mets some how get starting pitching no one knows about?
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4-03-2009 @ 2:26PM
shadydaze7 said...
I love the so called experts picking the end of the season in April. Nobody knows who is going to lose players to injury. Who is going to make the right trade and what young players are going to shine this year. Ya got to have heart to make the picks now. I am curious if any of these guys had the Phillies and the Rays in the WSOP and the Phillies winning it all. Does anyone know this. In fact I would be willing to place a wager that none of them had it. I really think the Angels are going to be the team that has the worst year of all of the teams picked to make the playoffs after losing the players they lost in the off season but then again it's a long season and alot can happen. That being said I did see that nobody picked the Phillies to win it again and I know that nobody has won back to back World Series going back to when the Yankees did it forever ago so I understand not wanting to go out on that limb. I'm just happy baseball season is upon us and Matt this means another year the Cubbies have a shot to win it all. They should have gotten Peavy to give them a real chance to win it all.
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4-03-2009 @ 2:54PM
tobrien28 said...
You want me to go on record? Yankees Twins Angels and Phillies Cubs Diamondbacks. Wild Cards are Boston and Mets. Also the Rays will not win 90.
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4-03-2009 @ 4:29PM
hellion82 said...
Cubs will win the world series! We say that every year but when it does it will be the biggest celebration in chicago ever!!
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4-03-2009 @ 4:38PM
tradeshowbuddy said...
GO DODGERS! YANKEES SUCK!
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4-03-2009 @ 5:19PM
Steve said...
Made $250.0 in '86 doing this, THANK YOU Buckner!!! A.L. - Yanks, Twins, Angels, Hated Sox -- N. L. Phillies, Cubbies, Dem Bums, Braves
Yanks beat Twins, Angels beat Sox, Yanks beat Angels
Phillies beat Dem Bums, Cubbies beat Braves, Cubs beat Phillies
Yanks beat Cubbies in Series featuring Wrigley and new Cathedral in epic 7 game series.
How much do I win here?
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4-03-2009 @ 7:19PM
mikeid11 said...
You win the BOOBY prize right along with them Spankees and we all know Buckner was paidoff to miss that @#%&%@ grounder.
4-03-2009 @ 5:22PM
Steve said...
The fairytale is over for the kids in Tampa, have talent - just not enough this year. Things get back to norma in A.L. East !!!
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4-03-2009 @ 5:50PM
Bill said...
I HAVE A FEELING THAT THE AOL "EXPERTS" DON'T KNOW SH-T ABOUT BASEBALL....BUT THAT FIGURES. THEY ARE WRONG ON EVERYTHING ELSE 80% OF THE TIME.
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4-03-2009 @ 6:02PM
Andrew said...
They are prognostications. Educated guesses. And they are for fun. Try to have a little sometime Bill.
4-03-2009 @ 6:44PM
chicagocubs84 said...
C'mon. The CUBS don't need another jinx. Quit picking them to win.
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4-03-2009 @ 7:18PM
Matt Snyder said...
Hey, we all know there is no such thing as a jinx.
Man, there are a lot of people who take themselves way too seriously on this thread, huh?
(not you, fellow Cubs fan ... just an observation from above ... some people need to relax and enjoy life)
4-03-2009 @ 7:52PM
klrav6 said...
Even in Cleveland, not that many fans are expecting a Central Division crown. We did lose Sabathia, you know. But, let's hope they know something we do not.
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4-03-2009 @ 8:55PM
naboose1 said...
Red Sox all the way in 2009! The Yankees will self destruct and fall by the wayside!
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4-03-2009 @ 9:06PM
mbsenlick said...
Phillies are going to win back to back world series
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4-03-2009 @ 9:35PM
Doug said...
well I DON'T see the LASTROS anywhere. Looks like another wasted season.
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4-03-2009 @ 10:51PM
campdwn said...
Can I get paid to make these educated guesses also andrew?
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4-03-2009 @ 11:01PM
NjHudson53 said...
The Yankees have a great team this year with alot of new entries,the Yankees also have somthing no other team has,a sence of pride and history,i think the Yanks are gonna take it home this and string a few more years with kile we always do,sorry everybody else
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