For the Next Ten Minutes, I can see into the Future

This baseball season has been full of triumph, tragedy, disappointment and surprising greatness from players we don't expect to see it from. But the best aspect of this particular season so far has been the amount of parody in baseball this year. No team has been able to run away with their division, for teams like the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies have been dominant for only parts of the season. Also, the largest divide between 1st and 2nd in any division is the Phillies over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East with a three and a half game advantage. This trend will continue as the pennant race begins to heat up because every one of the division leaders have some potentially crippling weaknesses. For the Phillies and San Francisco Giants their offences have been disappointing and almost non existent respectively. While the Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers and Saint Louis Cardinals/Milwaukee Brewers have had their share of pitching problems. But there are still 82 games left for every team to play, here are some of the things that have a very good chance of happening.

Prediction number 1: New York Mets Shortstop Jose Reyes will come back to earth after his great first half of the season.

In the last year of his contract, Mets Shortstop Jose Reyes has finally played to his potential; which has lead to staggering numbers. Reyes has 124 hits, 15 triples, 30 stolen bases, and a career high .354 batting average in the first half of the 2011 campaign. But as it often does,the injury bug has bitten the young shortstop. Reyes has gone down with an hamstring injury that has landed him on the 15 day disabled list. And every one of Jose Reyes' numbers that have vaulted him into the MVP conversation are mostly in part of his great speed; especially his two trademark statistics, triples and stolen bases. But the reason the injury will derail his numbers is because it will alter his mind set. In a contract year, Reyes will have to prove to potential suitors that he can stay healthy for long periods of time. And as a result, Reyes will be more cautious and the triples, steals, and infield hits will all drop as a result. Somebody is going to overpay the Mets shortstop in free agency, but the second half of 2011 for Jose Reyes will be pedestrian instead of great.


Prediction Number 2: San Diego Padres Closer Heath Bell will help his new team win a division crown.

As usual, the San Diego Padres are at the bottom of the National League West, but the games the Padres do win are usually because of their closer, Heath Bell. Bell has been one of the best closers over the last three years, recording a total of 115 saves in a two and a half year span; with 26 already in 2011. But the Padres still stink, and many of their veterans are aging like milk. So while they can, San Diego should trade Bell to a contender and get some good young talent into their farm system to give the fans something to look forward too. Most teams could use a guy like Bell at the end of games, but the teams who can and should make a run at him are the Phillies, Rangers, Brewers, Cardinals, and LA Angles. The Padres asking price will be high, because Bell is their best player, but a team with a great farm system like Texas would be able to offer up some of the prospects San Diego would ask for. The chances Bell moves are likely only 65%, but the team that gets him will have a 100% chance of getting better right away.

Prediction number 3: Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Kenerko will win the AL MVP.

Paul Kenerko has always been good, but in 2011 the veteran has stepped his game. Kenerko has a .319 batting average with 22 home runs and 67 runs batted for a White Sox team that is just five games out of first place in a division that nobody wants to win. The 35 year old slugger has done more offensively with less protection around him as opposed to an Adrian Gonzalez of the Red Sox or a Mark Teixeira of the Yankees. The White Sox cornerman has more homers than Gonzalez and more runs batted in than Teixeira. Plus, the Yankees have played a very home friendly first half of their season, so not hitting in the New York bandbox will bring Teixeira's home run numbers down far enough for Kenerko to pass him. As for Gonzalez's RBI total, it will break 110, but if Dustin Pedroia continues on his home run pace, there will be fewer guys on base for Gonzalez to drive in. The bottom line is this, there are other players not on the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox who deserve recognition, and Kenerko will bring accolades to the south side of Chicago.

Prediction number 4: The Pittsburgh Pirates will finish over .500 for the first time in 18 years

Yes, you heard me correctly baseball world. The Pittsburgh Pirates have not quite gotten up to the level of their football or hockey counterparts, but fans are jolly as rogers that the Pirates are playing like they did in 1993 as opposed to 2003. The swashbuckling Pirates are 47-43 and just one game out of first place in the National League Central at the half way point in the season. They keys to the Pirates recent success has come mostly from their pitching. The Pirates have the eighth best earned run average at 3.44 runs per game allowed in the majors, while also ranking sixth in the league in saves. Offensively, the Pirates still have a long way to go, but they are 13th in runs scored away PNC park. Led by all-star center fielder Andrew Mccutchen hitting .291 with 14 homers and 54 runs batted in, the Pirates are 12th in the league at scoring with runners in scoring position. So there is hope in the Burgh. Because of their youth and offense, the Pirates are not yet ready for October, but they are heading in the right direction and have enough pitching to win 83 games this year.

Prediction number 5: Neither the Red Sox nor the Phillies will win the World Series.

Although these two teams have been the best teams in baseball over the course of the first half, both were favored to win it all last year too. And neither of them made it to the World Series in 2010. Yes the Phillies have the best rotation in baseball, but their bullpen has been shaky and their offense has been disappointing. In a lineup with slugger Ryan Howard, the best second baseman in baseball in Chase Utley, and shortstop Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies have to be better than 14th in the league offensively. The Red Sox have just the opposite problem. Their offense has been knocking the cover off the ball, but their pitchers are dropping like flies. Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, and Diasuke Matsuzaka are all on the disabled list while their big free agent signing, John Lackey, has been atrocious. So who is going to be in the fall classic if these two teams are not you ask? I'm feeling the Texas Rangers out of the AL and either the San Francisco Giants or Atlanta Braves out of the NL because these three teams have the best combinations of pitching and hitting.

Now I am no Nostradamus, but when it comes to sports predictions I am certainly no Harold Camping. So the only thing to do now is kick back, enjoy the All Star break, and we shall see the future unfold starting Thursday.