And here’s what has become the entire raison d’être of this site’s existence, in which we compare the Sports Illustrated projections and our own mathematical formula projections with the actual results.
As you can see, neither we nor SI predicted the Diamondbacks doing as well as they did, nor the Twins doing so poorly. Please note that we got the standings order of the AL East and the AL West correct, unlike SI.
| Sports Illustrated | Baseballrelated.com | Actual Results |
|---|---|---|
| AL East | ||
| 1. Boston Red Sox (100-62) | 1. N.Y. Yankees (98-64) | 1. N.Y. Yankees (97-65) |
| 2. N.Y. Yankees (92-70) | 2. Tampa Bay Rays (92-70) | 2. Tampa Bay Rays (91-71) |
| 3. Tampa Bay Rays (84-78) | 3. Boston Red Sox (91-71) | 3. Boston Red Sox (90-72) |
| 4. Baltimore Orioles (78-84) | 4. Toronto Blue Jays (82-80) | 4. Toronto Blue Jays (81-81) |
| 5. Toronto Blue Jays (77-85) | 5. Baltimore Orioles (65-97) | 5. Baltimore Orioles (69-93) |
| AL Central | ||
| 1. Minnesota Twins (90-72) | 1. Minnesota Twins (92-70) | 1. Detroit Tigers (95-67) |
| 2. Detroit Tigers (89-73) | 2. Chicago White Sox (85-77) | 2. Cleveland Indians (80-82) |
| 3. Chicago White Sox (84-78) | 3. Detroit Tigers (83-79) | 3. Chicago White Sox (79-83) |
| 4. Cleveland Indians (70-92) | 4. Cleveland Indians (68-94) | 4. Kansas City Royals (71-91) |
| 5. Kansas City Royals (67-95) | 5. Kansas City Royals (66-96) | 5. Minnesota Twins (63-99) |
| AL West | ||
| 1. Oakland Athletics (87-75) | 1. Texas Rangers (89-73) | 1. Texas Rangers (96-66) |
| 2. Texas Rangers (85-77) | 2. L.A. Angels (86-76) | 2. L.A. Angels (86-76) |
| 3. L.A. Angels (77-85) | 3. Oakland Athletics (79-83) | 3. Oakland Athletics (74-88) |
| 4. Seattle Mariners (63-99) | 4. Seattle Mariners (69-93) | 4. Seattle Mariners (67-95) |
| NL East | ||
| 1. Philadelphia Phillies (93-69) | 1. Philadelphia Phillies (96-66) | 1. Philadelphia Phillies (102-60) |
| 2. Atlanta Braves (89-73) | 2. Atlanta Braves (89-73) | 2. Atlanta Braves (80-81) |
| 3. Florida Marlins (85-77) | 3. Florida Marlins (82-80) | 3. Washington Nationals (80-81) |
| 4. Washington Nationals (75-87) | 4. N.Y. Mets (76-86) | 4. N.Y. Mets (77-85) |
| 5. N.Y. Mets (74-88) | 5. Washington Nationals (66-96) | 5. Florida Marlins (72-90) |
| NL Central | ||
| 1. Cincinnati Reds (89-73) | 1. St. Louis Cardinals (88-74) | 1. Milwaukee Brewers (96-66) |
| 2. Milwaukee Brewers (84-78) | 2. Cincinnati Reds (87-75) | 2. St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) |
| 3. Chicago Cubs (81-81) | 3. Chicago Cubs (78-84) | 3. Cincinnati Reds (79-83) |
| 4. St. Louis Cardinals (78-84) | 3. Milwaukee Brewers (78-84) | 4. Pittsburgh Pirates (72-90) |
| 5. Pittsburgh Pirates (65-97) | 5. Houston Astros (75-87) | 5. Chicago Cubs (71-91) |
| 6. Houston Astros (64-98) | 6. Pittsburgh Pirates (59-103) | 6. Houston Astros (56-106) |
| NL West | ||
| 1. San Francisco Giants (91-71) | 1. San Francisco Giants (91-71) | 1. Arizona Diamondbacks (94-68) |
| 2. Colorado Rockies (90-72) | 2. Colorado Rockies (86-76) | 2. San Francisco Giants (86-76) |
| 3. L.A. Dodgers (82-80) | 3. L.A. Dodgers (85-77) | 3. L.A. Dodgers (82-79) |
| 4. San Diego Padres (76-86) | 3. San Diego Padres (85-77) | 4. Colorado Rockies (73-89) |
| 5. Arizona Diamondbacks (71-91) | 5. Arizona Diamondbacks (67-95) | 5. San Diego Padres (71-91) |