Of course my top preference would be for the Nats to be a playoff team and a true contender for a championship. But since that's not happening this year, I'll have to turn my attention elsewhere once the post-season starts. I tend to favor the small-market teams and those who aren't perennial contenders. This means that I really, really don't want to see the Yankees win it again this year. The Red Sox probably won't make the playoffs at all. Neither will the Angels (or Anaheim or whatever the official name is now).

I'm glad to see that Tampa Bay is coming on strong and challenging the Yankees for the division and the best record in baseball. I was surprised to see that the Twins are also in the hunt for best overall record. I hadn't followed the standings in a while so I didn't know how good Minnesota has been playing. They have the best record in baseball since the All-Star break and a 9 game lead in the AL Central with just a couple weeks left to play.

So since the Nats won't win anything this year, I'd like to see either Tampa Bay or Minnesota win the World Series. I wouldn't mind seeing the Padres win it all too, just for the novelty of it. I'm kind of glad to see that small-market Cincinnati is doing well too. They haven't won much in a long time although they had a good run a few decades ago. Besides, if the Reds manage to win it all, Ray Knight will probably enjoy it a bit, even if he's a Nats guy now.

So who would you like to see as the champion in 2010?