MLB: Predicting who will win each division

With just one quarter remaining of Major League Baseball’s regular season, the war for playoff contention is simmering toward a ferocious boil. Increased revenue sharing across the industry, coupled with an additional wildcard berth in both leagues, has raised competition throughout MLB in recent years, and, with a vast proportion of teams still in postseason contention, 2014 promises to provide another dramatic conclusion.

At this stage of a marathon campaign, most teams have placed their cards on the table. We know their strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations in the waning days of August and September. A plethora of teams made trades at the July 31 deadline, hoping to acquire that additional starter who’ll push them over the hill, or find that role player to give a spark off the bench. By and large, General Managers have done all they can, and are now solely reliant on their team performing as designed. The narratives are set, the dye is cast, the sand is draining from the timer.

It’s time to deliver.

Similarly, for journalists and interested prognosticators, it’s time to make predictions as to how the season will unfold henceforth. Can the Baltimore Orioles continue to defy gravity? Will the Toronto Blue Jays muster another surge? How far can the Kansas City Royals really go? Do the Milwaukee Brewers have the nerve to hold their hungry rivals at bay?

Obviously, a lot can happen between now and October, with the increased chance of injury and fatigue making things even more interesting, but, generally, the season’s pattern has been determined.

Let’s take a closer look into that crystal ball.