5 Not-So-Bold Predictions For The Second Half Of The 2012 Major League Baseball Season
How is it already time for the 2012 MLB All-Star Game? It seems like just yesterday pitchers and catchers were reporting for training camp. And now, we’re already halfway through the MLB season! No need to worry, though. There’s still plenty of baseball left to be played. And, in a season that’s seen some real surprises—Phillies in last place? Red Sox hovering around .500? The Pirates leading their division?!—there are a lot of things to look forward to in the second half of the season. So, we decided to make 5 Not-So-Bold Predictions For The Second Half Of The 2012 Major League Baseball Season. Enjoy!
Prediction #1: The New York Yankees will easily win the AL East.
On paper, the AL East should be one of the most competitive divisions in Major League Baseball. But, through the first half of the season, it hasn’t played out that way. In fact, the Yankees currently lead the AL East’s second-place team, the Baltimore Orioles, by seven games. That’s the largest lead in any division in the entire league. Don’t look now, Red Sox fans, but the Yanks could easily win the AL East by more than 10 games this season.
Prediction #2: The Yankees will not go to the World Series.
The third time is going to be the charm for the Texas Rangers this season. That’s right. We’ve got the Rangers going to—and winning!—the 2012 World Series. Outside of their stellar starting pitching, they’ve also scored the most runs in the league through the first half of the year. And, while they’ll need to hold off the Los Angeles Angels in order to make this prediction come true, we don’t see that being a problem. Look out for the Rangers, Yanks fans.
Prediction #3: The Pittsburgh Pirates won’t make the playoffs.
For the first time in 15 years, the Pirates are at the top of the NL Central at the All-Star break. However, we can’t ignore history here. And, history says that the Pirates are not a playoff team. After all, they haven’t made the playoffs in 20 years! The Pirates also aren’t sitting comfortably at the top of the NL Central. The Cincinnati Reds are just a game out of first, the St. Louis Cardinals are 2.5 games back, and even the Milwaukee Brewers are within spitting distance of the Pirates at this point. So, we see them finishing in third place this year when it’s all said and done. Respectable? Sure. But, they won’t make the playoffs.
Prediction #4: The Washington Nationals won’t make the playoffs, either.
Like the Pirates, the Nationals have absolutely no experience when it comes to making a playoff run and they’re shutting down their ace Stephen Strasburg before the end of the season to keep his arm healthy. So, while they are four games up on the Atlanta Braves and 4.5 games up on the New York Mets at the All-Star break, we see them blowing that lead at some point in August and finishing in second place for the year. So, who will win the NL East? Well, we’d love to say the Metropolitans. But, if we had to put money on it, we’d roll the dice on the Braves. Unlike the Nats, they do have a history of making the playoffs and they’re starting to play some of their best baseball of the season right now.
Prediction #5: By the end of the season, the NL West will become a complete clusterf…well, you know the rest.
If you’d asked us a month ago who was going to win the NL West, we would’ve told you the Los Angeles Dodgers and kept it moving. It was so simple. Now, we have absolutely no idea who is going to win it. We can probably rule out the San Diego Padres. But, even at 13 games back, the Colorado Rockies are always a threat to make one of their classic last-season playoff pushes. So, keep an eye on that division. It could turn out to be one hell of a playoff race.
I respect your opinion about the Pirates and you’re right, history should be taken into account. However, the Pirates are at the high water mark since 1992 —11 games over. Which means if you’re predicting their second half based on history, they’re in unfamiliar territory.
Does your opinion consider the strength of schedule? The Bucs play the Cubs & Astros 23 times in the second half. I’m skeptical that they’ll make it as well, but that could be huge as neither time is playing very well this season.
Also, the Pirates have been red hot since May. If they had scored more than one or two runs for the first part of the season, they may even be 15 games over .500 right now, or maybe more. Their offense was dreadful, but if it doesn’t return to that and the pitching doesn’t wear down I’d say the odds are actually in their favor, better than 50/50.
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