With the moves made by the Los Angeles Angels in the offseason, picking up Texas Rangers ace C.J. Wilson and one of the greatest sluggers of all-time, Albert Pujols, the Angels have narrowed the race in the AL West after two straight years of domination by the Rangers.
So it's no surprise to see different folks picking different teams to win the West and advance in the postseason.
Sports Illustrated came out with its MLB preview and picked the Angels to win the West with 97 wins over the Rangers, who will win 94, which, with the new Wild Card system would put the Rangers into the playoffs as one of two Wild Cards along with the Tampa Bay Rays.
In the one-game playoff for the Wild Card spot, SI has the Rangers beating the Rays to move on to the ALDS to face the Angels. They have the Angels beating the Rangers, then topping the Yankees in the ALCS and moving on to face the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. SI has the Angels winning the whole thing with a second World Series championship over the same team they defeated back in the early 2000s.
Another top publication, Athlon Sports, has a different outlook for the Rangers, one Rangers fans should be more excited about.
Athlon has the Rangers beating the Angels in the AL West, and the Angels getting one of the Wild Card spots. Athlon doesn't go to the trouble of picking the Wild Card playoff and the ALDS matchups, but it has the Rangers once again beating the Evil Empire when they topple the Yankees in the ALCS for the second time in three years. In the World Series, Athlon has the Rangers topping Cliff Lee and the Philadelphia Phillies to finally get over that proverbial hump on their third try in three years.
Which publication do you agree with?
