The 2006 baseball season is right around the corner and Doc's Sports is already hard at work. We have already started the number crunching and a few statistics have certainly caught our eyes regarding 2006 baseball predictions. The first is the race for the AL East championship. With the Blue Jays spending money in free agency to bulk up their team, is this the year that they can finally compete with the Yankees and Red Sox? My guess is yes, and I would expect them to challenge for the wild card. They have made numerous key signings during the off-season and this has given them a new look.

The one signing I would question is B.J. Ryan as closer. Ryan had a good season with the Orioles in 2005, but I felt the Blue Jays overpaid to bring him north of the border. Having a reliable closer is an essential component in all championship teams and it will be interesting to see how he responds during the second half of the season with a contender. Will he be Dan Kolb or Mariano Rivera? Only time will tell.

Doc's has carefully examined the win-loss total numbers for all 30 teams and have found two that seem to be off-kilter. In 2005 we hit both of our season total predictions, as Oakland easily surpassed the posted win total of 81. The Athletics finished with 88 wins and would have reached 90 if they had not thrown in the towel the last week of the season because of them being eliminated from playoff contention.

The other selection that we made was under 92 wins for the Minnesota Twins. This selection was never in doubt, as Minnesota missed the playoffs for the first time since 2001. The White Sox got off to a hot start in 2005 and never looked back, as they remained in first place from start to finish.

For this season, two numbers really jump out at me for 2006 baseball predictions. The team expected to do the worst this season is the Florida Marlins. They currently sit at 64 ½ wins for the season. This team had a complete makeover for the second time in the last decade and are left with only Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera. The team with the highest win total is the New York Yankees, who check in with 98 ½ wins. As they old saying goes, "Every team wins 54 games, losses 54, and how you do in the other 54 make or break your season." For one to collect with these two teams, the remaining 54 games must go dramatically to one side.

That being said, the first 2006 MLB prediction is to take the San Francisco Giants to go Over 83 ½ wins. This team has gone over this number eight out of the last nine years and the only time they fell short was in 2005, when Barry Bonds hardly played. Staff ace Jason Schmidt also spent considerable time on the disabled list, but both are back and ready to go. The Giants have also been tough at SBC Park and I expect that they will challenge for the division title once again. Playing the Diamondbacks and Rockies 37 times certainly helps out my case. I expect this team to reach 90 wins and easily collect on my bet.

The other win total I will put action on is the Los Angeles Dodgers going Under 85 ½ wins. The Dodgers fell apart at the end of last season and still do not have standout closer Eric Gagne healthy. This team did make a big free agent signing in Rafael Furcal, but already had a capable shortstop in Cesar Izturis. They now have three former shortstops playing in their infield (Izturis, Furcal, and Garciaparra). With the Padres and Giants competing for the division title I see the Dodgers just a .500 team. Remember last year the Padres won the NL West with just 82 wins.

Doc's looks to stay perfect with their future MLB wagers in 2006. I would encourage you to take advantage of these favorable numbers, as this allows you to have action on 162 games without having to put down much money. Doc's is your place for all your 2006 baseball betting needs. We have shown a profit in nine out of the last 10 seasons and expect big things for 2006. Be sure to take advantage of our early bird specials with our 2006 Baseball Picks Packages.

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