Say hello to good times, trade up for the fast ride

As we commence the second half of the Major League Baseball season, these were my picks way back on opening day some three months ago:

American League
East - Yankees
Central - Indians
West - Angels
Wild Card - Red Sox

National League
East - Mets
Central - Brewers
West - Dodgers
Wild Card - Cardinals

World Series - Yankees over Dodgers

I'm going to stick with my playoff teams in the American League, albeit in a slightly different order. I don't think the Yankees will have enough left in the tank to catch the Red Sox in the East, but I still think the Bronx Bombers can take the Wild Card. Full disclosure: I've been a Yankees fan since birth, but it's not my bias speaking here. I think the three top teams from the Central will beat up on each other, and Joe Torre's team always plays well in the second half (since 2002, they have the best record in baseball after the all-star break).

Could the Yankees catch the Sox? Of course, but they're going to need some help. If Curt Schilling is down for a while or the injury bug strikes in other ways, the Yanks could make it a race again like they did last month. It's all going to depend on how the Bronx Bombers start the second half: The Journal News points out that 54 of the Yankees' remaining 77 games are against teams under .500, including the first 28 coming out of this break. They need to get hot to have a chance, and they need to do it soon.

Oakland will play well in the second half, like they always do. I wouldn't be surprised to see Seattle stick around. But when the tough gets going, I think the Yankees will take it to the next level when it counts most.

In the National League, I'll stay with the division winners. There's no chance for the Cardinals to make a run, so I think the Wild Card will come down to the Padres, Cubs, and Phillies. I'm going to go with Chicago. They've been a much different team since Lou Pinella lost his mind last month, and Carlos Zambrano has started to pitch like a Cy Young Award candidate again.

I see the playoffs shaping up as follows:

Divisional Series
-Red Sox over Indians
-Angels over Yankees
-Mets over Cubs
-Brewers over Dodgers

Championship Series
-Angels over Red Sox
-Mets over Brewers

World Series
-Angels over Mets

I love the Indians, but they don't play well against the Red Sox. The Angels will vanquish the Yankees again, as Torre's aging team will be unable to handle the speed of the halos. With Pedro Martinez, Orlando Hernandez, Jeff Maine, and Oliver Perez, the Mets won't go into the postseason without starting pitching like they did a season ago, and I think they'll handle the Cubs. The Brewers-Dodgers series is an interesting one, but I think Milwaukee will keep the dream alive.

In the next round, I think the Mets handle the Brewers because of better starting pitching, while I see the Angels outlasting the Red Sox in a grueling series. In the Fall Classic, I'm taking the Angels over the Mets in seven.

My picks for the major award winners:

American League Most Valuable Player - Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
National League Most Valuable Player - Prince Fielder, Brewers
American League Cy Young - Josh Beckett, Red Sox
National League Cy Young - Jake Peavy, Padres
American League Rookie of the Year - Hideki Okajima, Red Sox
National League Rookie of the Year - Hunter Pence, Astros

A-Rod is self-explanatory, especially if he leads the Yanks back into the playoff picture. The National League MVP is a tough call, but I think Fielder gets it on the back of the Brewers' success. As always, Johan Santana will have a big second half, but I think Beckett gets it for being the best pitcher on the best team in the league. I think Peavy will continue to dominate opposing hitters in the second half, while Pence is the obvious choice for Rookie of the Year in the senior circuit. Tough call on the American side, but I'll give it to Okajima over teammate Daisuke Matsuzaka or Jeremy Guthrie of the Orioles.

Now watch the Rockies win the National League pennant and Boof Bonser run away with the American League Cy Young Award.