Outsports: Baseball 2006 Preview

It's been four long years since I've done a baseball season preview for Outsports. In that time, Outsports has commissioned younger, no doubt prettier baseball fanatics to write their obligatory look ahead to the baseball season. But I am back, proving once and for all that, well, proving nothing other than that I am still alive and still have nothing better to do on Saturday nights than think about baseball. It's all a little sad, really.

Preseason Power Rankings
By Micah Kushner

1. YANKEES: This lineup could score 1,000 runs. No exaggeration.

2. ATHLETICS: Young pitching makes 100 wins likely.

3. RED SOX: Once again look primed for AL wild-card run.

4. CARDINALS: NL's best as long as Albert Pujols is around.

5. WHITE SOX: Can they navigate treacherous path of defending champs?

6. BRAVES: John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, and the Joneses (Chipper, Andruw) still a force.

7. TWINS: Deep rotation could mean fourth AL Central title in five years.

8. INDIANS: Will push top teams in baseball's tightest division.

9. ANGELS: Can infusion of youth blend with aging core?

10. METS: So many moves, so much money. Still not enough pitching.

11. ASTROS: Will need the Rocket in May to challenge in NL Central.

12. BLUE JAYS: Big payroll gamble could pay off if A.J Burnett is healthy.

13. GIANTS: With Bonds, they win NL West; no Bonds, no title.

14. RANGERS: Found ace in Kevin Millwood; still need four more.

15. DODGERS: Too many injuries in '05; not enough pitching in '06.

16. MARINERS: Ichiro wins WBC, but Cuba isn't in AL West.

17. BREWERS: Off to bad start with ace Ben Sheets on DL.

18. TIGERS: Jim Leyland could tap hidden Tigers talent.

19. PHILLIES: Even new GM Pat Gillick won't predict big things this year.

20. ORIOLES: Can Leo Mazzone mold young staff into contenders?

21. PADRES: How do you spell 90 losses? B-R-A-Z-E-L-T-O-N.

22. NATIONALS: WIll Alfonso Soriano have more errors in LF than homers?

23. CUBS: Life is not good without Mark Prior, Kerry Wood. What else is new?

24. REDS: Ken Griffey, Adam Dunn, Austin Kearns. That's about it.

25. DEVIL RAYS: Watch out for the matchup's against the BoSox.

26. PIRATES: Can young pitching help Manager Jim Tracy avoid first-year flop?

27. DIAMONDBACKS: Russ Ortiz must rebound for Snakes to avoid NL West cellar.

28. ROYALS: Zack Greinke's psychological issue is KC's biggest worry.

29. ROCKIES: Ironically, unlikely to score enough runs to compete.

30. MARLINS: Joe Girardi could have managed more veterans with Triple-A Columbus.

As a footnote: That season, 2002, I predicted a Red Sox-Cardinals World Series. Sound familiar? Well, it came true. In 2004. Seems I shot my load early on that one, by two years. Premature prognostication. I will try not to do that again. At the moment of truth, I will shut my eyes tight and think about Don Zimmer, lying prone on a grimy plastic beach chair.

Speaking of prognosticating, here’s what you need to know about the upcoming baseball season: 2006 will be the year of the underdog.

2006 will be remembered as the year that several powerhouses fall from grace, and a few teams that wouldn't know a postseason if it smacked them in the face might earn that delicious smack. Remember these words, and repeat them to me in September. Chide me mercilessly if I am wrong.

Fast forward to Aug. 1. Open the newspaper, and here are a few things you’ll find to be true:

2) The Colorado Rockies will be at .500 or better and battling for the NL West title.

3) The Tampa Bay Devil Rays won't suck. I won't go so far as to say they'll battle in the AL East, but suffice it to say they won't suck.

Underdogs all, all enjoying good years. As for perennial powerhouses, Aug. 1 will bring the following news:

1) The Red Sox will be behind the Devil Rays in the standings. No really.

2) The Atlanta Braves will be struggling to stay above .500.

3) The New York Yankees, desperate for pitching help as they trail the Blue Jays in the AL East, will be hailing their deadline deal to nab Kris Benson/Brandon Backe/fill in the blank, the man they expect to save them this year. But no one will.

As for the playoffs, here you go:

No Yankees, no Red Sox, no White Sox, no Braves, no Astros, no Padres. Instead, the Athletics, Blue Jays and Indians join the Angels, and the Dodgers, Mets and Phillies join the Cardinals. The Athletics nip the Indians in the AL, and the Mets top the Cardinals in the NL. Oakland over New York in 6 games in the '06 World Series.

Click the division links at the top for more in-depth season previews, including Hot Players for each team. My boyfriend Chuck has been commissioned to pick those players, due to my predilection for more mature men. Outsports didn’t want a list of 30 coaches under Hot Players this year. Not counting his ill-advised interest in me, Chuck tends to have pretty nice and diverse taste in men.