Baseball in 2005 was dominated by the Chicago White Sox, a team which blessed their backers with 34.75 net units of profit over the course of the year. This substantial unit count represented a 19.9% unit return in 174 games. Certainly the most amazing aspect of the season was the performance Chicago put on in the postseason. Overall, the Sox were 11-1 en route to their first World Series title in almost 90 years, good for 10.95 units of profit, or 91% ROI! No other major league team came close to matching these figures. In fact, the second best money line return team in 2005 was Cleveland, at 10.4 positive units for the season.

The Sox title marked the second straight year that a team ended a significant drought of having won the World Series, of course following up the ox of the Red variety of 2004. Can another surprising team see its way to the top in 2006? A few teams are certainly excited about giving it a try. In fact, with the recent disbursement of revenues from luxury taxes, radio and internet revenues, and increased MLB properties sales, it seems that today just about every team in the league can once again start dreaming of competing at the highest levels. Thankfully, baseball seems to be finding its own niche in the parity market, a welcome sign to fans everywhere, and a tribute to the work that much-maligned commissioner Bud Selig has done.

Of course, with that said, I wouldn’t be booking your playoff tickets just yet in places like Kansas City, Milwaukee, or Pittsburgh. Those franchises still have a ways to go. However, in places like Toronto and New York (Mets), offseason spending sprees have those teams anxious for the start of the season. See where they stack up in our projections.

So with another offseason filled with major free agent signings and trades behind us, we look forward to another exciting baseball season. As always, there will be plenty of storylines, great performances, surprises, and of course, valuable betting opportunities to take advantage of in 2006. Make sure to make StatFox and the FoxSheets an integral part of your daily baseball handicapping routine this season! For now, enjoy our predictions and sneak peeks at each of the divisions and teams, but keep in mind, between here and October, a lot can happen to change the outlook.

StatFox 2006 Major League Baseball Division and League Predictions

National League East – The Braves proved once again in 2005 that they can never be taken for granted by capturing their 14th straight division title. Is #15 in the works despite a valiant offseason effort by the Mets? You’d have to be a true gambler to project otherwise. New York figures to be strong though from an offseason of shrewd player personnel moves. Elsewhere, Philadelphia and Washington may have watched their best playoff opportunities in awhile slip away last season, and in Florida, the fire sale of contributing players since March leaves the Marlins hardly recognizable.
 
National League East 2006 Predictions (Click on each team for it's in-depth season preview):

1) Atlanta Braves
2) New York Mets

National League Central – Likely the best division in baseball this season, the NL Central figures to be a fight till the end. St. Louis and Houston, World Series reps from the NL in the last two seasons, each have plenty of questions heading into 2006 after tumultuous offseason. The Cardinals lost what seems like an all-star squad of players, while Roger Clemens held the aging Astros at bay with his retirement plans. It is therefore the Cubs that could be smiling when the regular season is said and done, as they’ve found a leadoff hitter to set the table for their sluggers in Juan Pierre. However, the season starts out on a depressing note with the designations of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior to the 15-day DL. Meanwhile, the Brewers could be a surprise team with their future nucleus finally in place, and coming off their first season at .500 or better in 13 years.
 
National League Central 2006 predictions (Click on each team for it's in-depth season preview):

National League West – The NL West was a mess in 2005, with the Padres winning the division with a mark of just 82-80. Furthermore, there were many times throughout the season that each one of the five teams was under .500. Truthfully, with as good as the teams were in the other divisions, it’s unfortunate that a representative of the West had to be in the playoffs. For 2006, the outlook doesn’t look glaringly better. San Diego believes it has upgraded its lineup though that remains to be seen. Los Angeles picked up some decent talent in the offseason and should contend under new manager Grady Little. San Francisco’s hopes rest on the health of Barry Bonds, but the Giants also picked up some potential other contributors since October. Realistically, the outlooks in Arizona and Colorado aren’t as rosy.
 
National League West 2006 predictions:

1) San Francisco Giants
2) Los Angeles Dodgers
3) San Diego Padres
4) Arizona Diamondbacks
5) Colorado Rockies

American League East – The AL East continues to get stronger each and every passing season as free agent spending among the teams seems to resemble a 400-meter Olympic sprint race. Ironically, Toronto of all teams appears to be the winner on paper this past offseason, beating the big boy Yankees and Sox to the punch on a number of key signings. The Blue Jays were just under .500 a year ago but figure to be at least a handful of games better in ’06. In New York, Steinbrenner & Co. once again flexed their muscles (& wallets) and will more than likely be a 95-win type of team again, battling Boston as hard as ever for the division title. Meanwhile, last year’s big spender, Baltimore, endured more negative press than positive since October, much involving a squabble with star SS Miguel Tejada. If the O’s can get by that, the lineup is packed enough to make games exciting in this division. Of course, the odd team out, the Devil Rays, will be fighting an uphill battle all year with the juggernauts around them to contend with.
 
American League East 2006 predictions:

1) Boston Red Sox
2) New York Yankees
3) Toronto Blue Jays
4) Baltimore Orioles
5) Tampa Bay Devil Rays

American League Central – Simply put, Chicago dominated the AL Central in 2005, despite Cleveland’s valiant effort to overtake the Sox in the season’s final weeks. They were the league’s best, and most underrated team, throughout the season, and proved it in capturing the World Series title. Under Ozzie Guillen, the Sox did nearly everything well, and a scrappy fortitude on top of it. For 2006, virtually the entire team remains intact with the addition of one huge bat in the lineup, that of Jim Thome. They are considered the favorites in this division again. For Cleveland, the biggest hurdle will be getting over the disappointment that was 2005. The Indians flat out choked in the season’s final week. If that carries over into this year, it could be a long season. Meanwhile, for Minnesota, the three division titles in a row seem like a distant memory, as once again, the Twins find themselves in a position of having to make up ground. For Detroit, and even more so Kansas City, the prospects are dim, though each can point to decent offseasons in successive years as reason for future optimism.

American League Central 2006 predictions:

1) Chicago White Sox
2) Cleveland Indians
3) Detroit Tigers
4) Minnesota Twins
5) Kansas City Royals

American League West – In the end, Oakland was simply overmatched by the talent of the Angels in its quest for the 2005 AL West title. The fact that the A’s continue to compete so heavily with their small market restrictions is a testament to the franchise. Last season, they faced their stiffest task yet minus long-time starters Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder, yet still won 88 games. Matching that figure in 2006 will be even more difficult though. For the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, starting pitching remains solid heading into the season, and most of the lineup remains intact, despite failed overtures for Paul Konerko and Manny Ramirez. They are the favorite out West. One of the league’s surprise teams could be the Texas Rangers however, as they have finally added some respected starting pitching to what should be a formidable lineup once again. Don’t be surprised to see the Rangers make a deeper run at it this year, after surrendering contention in the season’s final weeks a year ago. Finally, Seattle, while better than your typical last place team, appears to be just that in this four-team well-stocked league.

1) Texas Rangers
2) Anaheim Angels
3) Oakland A’s
4) Seattle Mariners