One Week Left of Regular Season Baseball

Next Sunday dreams will be made and then will be broken as the regular season ends and the race to to the World Series begins. There are some teams that have already run away right into the playoffs and there are some teams clinging as hard as they can to stay alive. In the American League it’s an all to familiar scene. In the AL East the New York Yankees have a playoff spot and the division wrapped up. They are the AL East Champions of 2009. They have a lot of momentum going into the playoffs. The AL West has the Los Angeles Angels with a 6.5 game lead and a spot in the playoffs. They would have to lose every game and Texas would have to win every game next week for things to change. The Angels are looking good as they always do. In the AL Central the Tigers are clinging to their 2 game lead. They head into a four game series with the Minnesota Twins on Monday and that could determine who goes into the playoffs and who goes home. And in the AL Wildcard it is no surprise. The Boston Red Sox are back as well so it should be interesting to see if New York and Boston end up playing each other in the post season. If they do I know it will be a great series. Their games against each other are always intense.

The National League looks really tough this year. In the NL East it’s Philadelphia with a 5.5 game lead over the Atlanta Braves. Philly should make it in unless they fall completely apart. In the NL West no surprises really. The Los Angeles Dodgers are leading by 5.5 games over the Rockies. In the NL Central the Cardinals have it locked down as they lead by eight games. And in the NL Wildcard the Rockies have a 3 game lead over the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are still fighting and I actually wouldn’t mind seeing them get back to the postseason. My final prediction for the year was at the All-Star break when I said the Los Angeles Dodgers will be in the World Series with the New York Yankees. I am still sticking to that prediction because even though the Dodgers have struggled down the stretch they will get it together in the playoffs. As far as the Yankees go, they have been hot for awhile now and I don’t see anyone who can stop them right now. The playoffs begin Oct. 7th and I for one cannot wait until then.