The 2009 MLB Regular Season Prediction Rankings                                          Sponsored By:

Before the 2009 MLB season began, whereIstand users researched and submitted the predictions of 65 sports media personalities for which teams would win each of the six MLB divisions. Predictions were categorized and ranked based on their accuracy. Teams were awarded points based on their division standing and then added together. The higher score, the more accurate they were. Here is the complete report on the accuracy for each of the sports public figure's picks, ranked 1 - 65. To see specific predictions and the source, click on the name of any individual's name; To see all the predictions on each NFL division, click the link to the division under the conference.

Ranking                             American League        National League                

                                                      East    Central    West             East    Central     West        Score 

1. Kevin Kennedy, FoxSports         


                            NYY       MIN       LAA             PHI       CHC      LAD              64.5

1. Sporting News                          

                            NYY       MIN       LAA             PHI        CHC      LAD              64.5

3. Peter Pascarelli, ESPN                 TB         MIN       LAA             PHI         STL      LAD               60

4. Peter King, Sports Illustrated        

                                NYY     CLE       LAA              PHI        STL      LAD                60
5. Ken Davidoff, Newsday                     
                                BOS      CHW     LAA              PHI       STL       LAD               57

6. Jayson Stark, ESPN                     

                                BOS      MIN       LAA              PHI       CHC      LAD              56.5

7. Chris Singleton, ESPN                  

                                NYY      CHW     LAA              NYM       STL       LAD              53

8. Buster Olney, ESPN                      

                                TB         MIN       LAA                PHI       CHC      LAD           52.5

8. Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports           

                                TB        MIN       LAA                  PHI        CHC      LAD          52.5
10. Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated 
                                NYY     MIN      LAA                  NYM       CHC      LAD          52.5
10. Lee Jenkins, Sports Illustrated     
                                 NYY     MIN        LAA                NYM        CHC      LAD         52.5
10. Jack Curry, New York Times        
                                  NYY    MIN       LAA                   NYM      CHC       LAD         52.5
10. Enrique Rojas, ESPN                 
                                   NYY     MIN     LAA                    NYM      CHC       LAD        52.5
10. Sports Illustrated                       
                          NYY     MIN     LAA            NYM       CHC        LAD       52.5

15. Tim Kurkjian, ESPN                     

                                     NYY    CLE      LAA                   PHI        CHC        LAD       52.5

15. Peter Abraham, Journal News        

                                     NYY     CLE      LAA                   PHI       CHC        LAD        52.5
17. Joe Strauss, St. Louis Dispatch     
                                     BOS    MIN        LAA                   ATL      CHC        LAD      49.5

18. Joe Lemire, Sports Illustrated         

                                     BOS    CHW      LAA                    PHI      CHC       LAD      49.5

18. Amalie Benjamin, Boston Globe     

                                     BOS     CHW    LAA                      PHI     CHC       LAD      49.5

20. Eric Karabell, ESPN.com 48             

                                        TB      CLE     LAA                       PHI     STL      LAD         48

21. Bill Madden, New York Daily News     

                                         TB     CHW     LAA                      PHI     CHC      LAD       45.5
21. Bernie Miklasz, St. Louis Dispatch    
                                         TB     CHW      LAA                      PHI      CHC     LAD      45.5
23. Melissa Segura, SI.com                    
                                        NYY     CHW    LAA                     NYM      CHC    LAD       45.5
24. Tony DeMarco, MSNBC                   
                                          BOS     MIN    LAA                      NYM      CHC    LAD     44.5
24. Ben Reiter, Sports Illustrated            
                                          BOS     MIN    LAA                       NYM     CHC     LAD     44.5
24. Bob Ryan, Boston Globe                 
                                          BOS     MIN     LAA                       NYM    CHC     LAD     44.5
24. Jerry Crasnick, ESPN.com                 
                                          BOS     MIN     LAA                       NYM     CHC     LAD       44.5
24. Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe        
                                           BOS    MIN     LAA                        NYM     CHC     LAD      44.5
24a. The Wisdom of Crowds*                   
                                         BOS     MIN     LAA             NYM     CHC     LAD     44.5
30. Richard Deitsch, SI.com                     
                                           BOS      MIN     LAA                          PHI      CHC      ARI     44.5
30. Jon Heyman, Sports Illustrated            
                                           BOS      MIN      LAA                         PHI      CHC       ARI     44.5
30. Gennaro Filice, SI.com                       
                                           BOS       MIN      LAA                        PHI       CHC       ARI      44.5
33. Scott Miller, CBSSports.com               
                                                BOS      CLE      LAA                        PHI       CHC       LAD     44.5
34. Mike Greenberg, ESPN Radio              
                                             NYY    CHW     OAK                         NYM     STL      LAD      41
35. Orel Hershiser, ESPN                           
                                              TB       MIN      LAA                         NYM     CHC     LAD      40.5
35. David Sabino, Sports Illustrated             
                                               TB      MIN      LAA                         NYM      CHC     LAD     40.5
37. Mike Golic, ESPN Radio                         
                                              TB      CLE       LAA                          PHI       CHC     LAD     40.5
38. Will Leitch, New York Magazine              
                                             NYY    CLE     OAK                             PHI      CHC     LAD        40.5
39. Mark Feinsand, New York Daily News      
                                             NYY    CLE      LAA                            PHI       CHC      ARI       40.5
40. Matthew Berry, ESPN.com                     
                                              TB     CHW     LAA                             NYM     STL       COL      38
41. Jim Caple, ESPN.com                            
                                             BOS   MIN      LAA                              NYM     CHC       SF      37.5
41. Amy Nelson, ESPN                               
                                                 BOS     MIN     LAA                             NYM     CHC       SF       37.5
43. Cliff Corcoran, SI.com                            
                                             BOS     CHW    LAA                               PHI     CHC      ARI      37.5
44. Joe Posnanski, Sports Illustrated              
                                               TB       CLE     LAA                              NYM     STL      LAD     36
45. Alex Belth, BronxBantar.com                  
                                                BOS     CLE     OAK                                 PHI    CHC     LAD       32.5
46. Adam Kilgore, Boston Globe                   
                                              BOS     KC    OAK                                  PHI     CHC    LAD      32.5
47. Peter Gammons, ESPN                        
                                                BOS    CLE   LAA                               NYM     CHC    LAD       32.5
47. Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN.com            
                                               BOS     CLE    LAA                              NYM     CHC   LAD       32.5
47. Jorge Arangure, Jr., ESPN.com              
                                                BOS    CLE     LAA                              NYM     CHC    LAD      32.5
50. Tim Marchman, tmarchman.com               
                                                     BOS    CLE    LAA                                PHI     CHC     ARI        32.5
51. Jason McIntyre, TheBigLead.com             
                                                  NYY     CLE    SEA                              NYM    CHC     LAD        28.5
52. Pete Colaizzo, Poughkeepsie Journal         
                                                  TB                MIN           LAA          NYM        CHC               ARI        28.5
53. Jonah Keri, JonahKeri.com                        
                                                   TB              CLE            LAA         NYM         CHC              LAD          28.5
53. Ted Keith, SI.com                                    
                                                  TB               CLE            LAA         NYM         CHC              LAD         28.5
53. Jonah Freedman, SI.com                          
                                                  TB               CLE           LAA           NYM        CHC          LAD           28.5
56. Tony Massarotti, Boston Globe                  
                                                 TB               CLE            LAA            PHI         CHC           ARI          28.5
56. Pedro Gomez, ESPN                                 
                                                 TB               CLE            LAA             PHI          CHC          ARI          28.5

58. Baseball Prospectus                                  
                                                  NYY             CLE           OAK           NYM         CHC         LAD         28.5
58. Rob Neyer, ESPN.com                               
                                                   NYY             CLE           OAK          NYM          CHC        LAD          28.5
60. Joe Sheehan, Baseball Prospectus       
                                                  BOS              CLE           OAK           NYM          CHC        LAD           20.5
60. Keith Law, ESPN.com                         
                                                 BOS            CLE            OAK            NYM           CHC        LAD           20.5
62. David Sheinin, Washington Post           
                                                   BOS           CLE              LAA            NYM           CHC       ARI            20.5
63. Albert Chen, Sports Illustrated              
                                                       BOS             DET            OAK            NYM           CHC        ARI                 20.5
64. Liam's Mum, ESPN Radio                          BOS             CLE             TEX             FLA            CHC       LAD                 16.5
65. Chad Finn, Boston Globe           
                                                  BOS              CLE            OAK            NYM           CIN         LAD                  16
66. Rick Hummel, St. Louis Dispatch           
                                                    TB               CLE            OAK            NYM           CHC         ARI                   4.5

* The Wisdom of Crowds prediction is the most frequently picked team in each division division (the statistical mode) by all sports media personalities and whereIstand members. The theory behind the wisdom of crowds is that the decisions made by large groups of people with diverse and independent knowledge will consistently be more accurate than those made by an elite few, regardless of credentials or expertise. In this instance, the Crowd's teams were Boston, Cleveland, L.A. Angels, N.Y. Mets, Chicago Cubs and L.A. Dodgers. These predictions were slightly abover average in terms of accuracy. Over the long-term, if this report were compiled for, say, 20 years strait, the theory implies that the most accuracte predictions on average are made by the Crowds rather than any one individual.

Statistical Method

Scores are based on the MLB standings at the end of 162 game (or 163, in the case of Minnesota and Detroit). Picks for a first place team net 12 points and points for second, third, fourth and fifth place teams are weighted on a scale of depreciating value based on how many games back they finish. Rankings are based on the accumulative scores of predictions picked by each individual. To see what each team is valued at, see below: 



            American League                              National League 

    East               Central         West                   East         Central        West                                     

1. NYY (12)         DET (12)       LAA (12)               PHI (12)    STL (12)       LAD (12)

2. BOS (4)          MIN (12)        TEX (2)                 FLA (6)     CHC (4.5)     COL (9)

3. TB (0)             CHW (5)        SEA (0)                ATL (5)     MIL (1)         SFG (5)

4. TOR (0)           CLE (0)         OAK (0)                NYM (0)   CIN  (0)         SD (0)

5. BAL (0)           KC (0)                                       WAS (0)   HOU (0)        ARI (0)

                                                                                          PIT (0)


1st Tie Breaker (Record)

1. Seattle – 85-77

2. Tampa Bay – 84-78

3. OAK – 75-87

4. ARI - 70-92

4a. NYM 70-92

5. KC – 65-97

5a. CLE - 65-97


2nd Tie Breaker (# of games back)


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E-mail geoff@whereistand.com with questions and comments.