For the NL Wild Card I’d like to pick the Cards. Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter are just too good to let the defending champs miss out on October, but they’ll have stiff competition. If the Phils really take out the Mets as I expect them to, it will take more than 95 wins. If the race is close and the Mets finish with 92-95, I don’t think the Cards will be able to get past them. The boys from Flushing are the pick.

Individual Awards

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez, NYY
    He’s probably gone after this season regardless, don’t you think he wants to go out on a big year?

AL Cy Young: Johan Santana, MIN
    There’s simply no one better, and he’ll have to be dominant since the rest of the Twins rotation looks like an audition for Major League 4.

AL Rookie: Alex Gordon, KC
    A new George Brett for the 21st century; if he’s half the player most are expecting there won’t be anyone close.

AL Manager: Eric Wedge, CLE
    In a make-or-break year, winning the tough Central will get Wedge the award and a contract extension.

NL MVP: Albert Pujols, STL
    It’s a crime that he has only one MVP Award, he’ll get his second this year.

NL Cy Young: Carlos Zambrano, CHI
    If he doesn’t get complacent after getting a fat contract (think Bartolo Colon), he’s got the stuff and the support to put up 20 wins and fantastic strikeout numbers.

NL Rookie: Josh Hamilton, CIN
    This would be a fantastic story, and Hamilton has been one of the most impressive players in baseball this spring. If he can keep it going and stay on the field all year he might win this one in a landslide.

NL Manager: Grady Little, LA
    Only 4 years after Pedro-gate, Little will taste sweet redemption, guiding the Dodgers to 95 wins and the NL West Crown.

Postseason Predictions:

ALDS
Yankees over Tigers
Angels over Indians

NLDS
Cubs over Phillies
Dodgers over Mets

ALCS
Yankees over Angels

NLCS
Dodgers over Cubs

World Series
Yankees over Dodgers

Those are my picks and I’m sticking to ‘em. Of course, being a senior editor I have the power to go back and change them should things not go the way I expect. But I would never do anything like that.

In addition to regular baseball columns, this year I’ll once again be running a baseball blog regularly (I hope), so keep your eyes on the upper right of ASM’s front page, for updates.