LOU MERLONI

AL East: Yankees. A full year of Alex Rodriguez and a more comfortable Mark Teixeira will be too much to overcome over 162 games. Also, with Joba going out to the bullpen, it will be easier for the Yanks to get the ball to the best in the game: Mariano Rivera
AL Central: White Sox. I really liked the Twins but losing Nathan is a HUGE blow. Also, think about playing outside in Minnesota? They may play 12 doubleheaders in September. Jake Peavy isn't being talked about enough. He is a STUD!!
AL West: The Angels still rule the West. I know that Seattle is once again a sexy pick, but how would you feel about Casey Kotchman hitting third for your Sox? Can David Aardsma do it again? Too many questions after King Felix and Cliff Lee.  
Wild Card: Sox will win the wildcard. Although, I must admit, the Rays will not make it easy on them. There’s just too much pitching in that starting rotation. I don't think that people are giving the John Lackey acquisition enough credit. Having a 1-2 punch is one thing, but the Sox have a 1-2-3 that NOBODY can compete with.

ALDS: Red over White in 5. Ozzie gets so pissed off that he snaps on Chicago fans through his Twitter account and causes a riot on the streets. The Yanks beat up the Angels as Joba Chamberlain closes two of the three games for the Bronx Bombers. Yes, this may the year: I've been saying this since 2002 about Mariano Rivera, how am I looking?
ALCS: Finally, for the first time since 2004, we have what we've all been waiting for: Sox/Yanks in the ALCS.  Sox win in seven as Adrian Gonzalez wins ALCS MVP by hitting 4 HR and hitting at a .545 clip. Oh, to dream!

NL East: Phillies. Somehow, Roy Halladay wins 37 games in his 35 starts. J-Roll has a bounce back year to go with Howard, Utley, Ibanez, Victorino and Werth. Ouch, that’s some serious offense no matter what league you're in.
NL Central: The Cardinals are just too good for this division.  They have a 1-2 punch with Carpenter and Wainwright and they have the best player on the planet … Matt Holliday. Just kidding
NL West: Rockies. Ubaldo Jimenez will start to get the respect that he deserves. Keep your eye on Carlos Gonzalez. This kid is really, really good.
Wild Card: Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain will win the Wild Card. The Giants will have enough hitting this year to get themselves over the hump.

NLDS: The Giants put an end to the Phillies run in the NL -- Pablo Sandoval is a stud. The Cards leave Denver fans looking forward to football. Carpenter and Wainwright answer the bell, something they didn't do last year.
NLCS: Cards advance past the Giants to create 2004 all over again.

World Series: Let’s stick with the theme here: Adrian Gonzalez carries the Sox to their third championship in seven years

KIRK MINIHANE

AL East: Yankees -- Tough to find a weakness
AL Central: Twins -- No Nathan, but I don't trust another team in the division
AL West: Angels -- If only because I never pick a team whose manager was busted for cocaine during the offseason
Wild Card: Rays -- This is more an anti-Sox pick -- I just have no faith in that lineup

ALDS: Yankees over Twins, Rays over Angels
ALCS: Yankees over Rays

NL East: Phillies -- I think by the biggest margin of any division winner
NL Central: Cardinals -- Maybe a touch overrated, but the division stinks
NL West: Giants -- Best rotation in the National League, if they can get to 88 wins I think that'll be enough
Wild Card: Braves -- Only fitting to see one last Bobby Cox playoff meltdown

NLDS: Cardinals over Braves, Giants over Phillies
NLCS: Giants over Cardinals

World Series: Yankees over Giants

MIKE PETRAGLIA

AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Orioles, Jays -- Too much offense again in the Bronx.
AL Central: Twins -- Great story as Twins overcome loss of Nathan.
AL West: Angels -- Halos have by far the fewest questions.
Wild Card: Red Sox

ALDS: Yankees over the Angels, Twins over the Red Sox
ALCS: Yankees over the Twins -- Yanks again too much for feisty Twins, who play the role of the 70s Royals.

NL East: Phillies -- Clearly the best of a weak division.
NL Central: Reds -- With Chapmania, Mike Leake taking over Cincy, Reds break 15-year division drought in 2010.
NL West: Rockies -- Jim Tracy is being rewarded for all those years in Pittsburgh.
Wild Card: Giants

NLDS: Phillies over the Giants, Reds over the Rockies
NLCS: Reds over the Phillies -- Reds re-visit 1976 and beat the Phillies.

World Series: Reds over the Yankees in six. And capping their 1976 reprise, the Reds return to the top.

ROB BRADFORD

AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Angels
Wild Card: Red Sox

ALDS: Tigers over the Yankees, Red Sox over the Angels
ALCS: Red Sox over the Tigers

NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cardinals
NL West: Giants
Wild Card: Brewers

NLDS: Phillies over the Brewers, Giants over the Cardinals
NLCS: Giants over the Phillies

World Series: Red Sox over the Giants

ALEX SPEIER

AL East: Red Sox -- between the addition of Lackey and the defensive improvements, they’re the class of the East, so long as their middle relief holds up.
AL Central: If there is one team that can figure out how to overcome the loss of a ridiculously good closer, it’s the Twins, who have been the Ford assembly line of outstanding relievers.
AL West: So long as Kinsler misses no more than a couple weeks, I like the Rangers to usurp the Angels. Random fact: Baseball Prospectus projects that no team from the AL Central or West will win more than 83 games.
Wild Card: Rays edge the Yankees, whose veterans (especially Pettitte and Burnett) run out of gas. Don’t underestimate the toll taken on New York’s veteran pitchers by the extra three rounds of baseball in ’09.

ALDS: Red Sox over Rangers, with Mike Lowell hitting a game-winning homer and punching Max Ramirez in the face while rounding the bases; Rays over Twins, because the dome-field advantage will now go to Tampa Bay.
ALCS: Rays ride the good vibes engendered by hosting the Go-Gos on their Farewell Tour, a fitting performance for a team getting ready to lose key contributors Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena. The complete Rays concert series is a Saturday Night Live skit waiting to happen.

NL East: Phillies (again), thus forcing MLB to realign Philadelphia into a division of one.
NL Central: Cardinals (again), because the Pujols/Wainwright/Carpenter triumvirate is the most powerful since Caesar/Pompey/Crassus. At least that’s what Baseball Prospectus says.
NL West: Rockies. I was going to go with the Dodgers before realizing that both Ramon and Russ Ortiz had been considerations for the rotation.
Wild Card: Braves, because James Cameron has big plans to feature a 3D rocking Leo Mazzone in the dugout next to Bobby Cox for one last run. Jason Heyward in 3D would be imposing.

NLDS: Cardinals over Braves, Rockies over Phillies. Bobby Cox will head into retirement bemoaning the fact that Atlanta traded Wainwright for J.D. Drew. NLCS: Cardinals over Rockies. Matt Holliday will take 1,000 flyballs in preparation for this moment.

World Series: Rays. Joe Maddon celebrates by standing atop a catwalk and shouting, "Es lebe, die Rays Republik!" The proclamation is greeted by confused applause among the 3,000 fans in the Tropicana Dome.