Fearless Predictions - Playoffs

The final step for the UCB week is to predict the playoffs in 2009. In order to complete that, I need to offer up my predictions on the remaining 4 divisions I missed. In order to keep this short, and because I'll be up at 0300 tomorrow morning to drive to the airport, here's the synopsis:

AL East
1. Yankees. Bought the best staff in the majors. When A-Roid returns, they'll be scary good.
2. Tampa Bay. Last year wasn't a fluke.
3. Boston. Not enough pitching.
4. Toronto. Not enough pitching, Vernon Wells needs protection.
5. Baltimore. It's tough playing in the most competitive division in baseball.

AL Central
1. Cleveland. Welcome back from the dead, Anthony Reyes and Travis Hafner.
2. Chicago. Bad choice in CF fellas.
3. Minnesota. Liriano's return a lift; Mauer's injury a stomach punch.
4. Detroit. Verlander's a mess. They'll rake, but like Milwaukee, can't get anyone out.
5. Kansas City. Three #5 starters in the rotation does not a contender make.

AL West
1. Anaheim. Because everyone else is a lot worse.
2. Seattle. I reserve the right to change this if Griffey plays more than 100 innings in LF.
3. Texas. Building on last year, need pitching.
4. Oakland. Need pitching. Holliday will not hit like he did in Colorado.


NL East
1. Phillies. Because I hate the Mets.
2. Mets. Because they're good.
3. Florida. Pitching and Hanley Ramirez.
4. Atlanta. Derek Lowe had a great spring, but not much else.
5. Washington. Because they suck.

Playoffs:

NL: Philadelphia, Cubs, Arizona, St Louis
AL: Yankees, Cleveland, Anaheim, Tampa Bay.

Divisional Round:
NL - Phillies over St Louis, Arizona over Cubs.
AL - Tampa Bay over Cleveland, Yankees over Anaheim

LCS:
NL - Phillies over Arizona
AL - Yankees over Tampa

World Series - Yankees over Phillies