An interesting fact and correlation was brought up on ESPN this morning stating that over the last four seasons, the first team in the Majors to get to 60 wins has always made it to the World Series. Recently completing a three game sweep of the Boston Red Sox this weekend, the Anaheim Angels now sport the best record in baseball at 60-38, becoming the first team this year to reach that milestone win total. Does that make them a lock to make it to the Big Dance this year?

Lets take a look at past teams who achieved this 60-win feat:

2004: St. Louis Cardinals – Lost in World Series
2005: Chicago White Sox – Won World Series
2006: Detroit Tigers – Lost World Seies
2007: Boston Red Sox – Won World Series

Well accordingly, from a history standpoint, it seems that the Angels of Anaheim are indeed next in line. But there are some other convincing reasons why I think the Halos will indeed be the AL Champs in 2008.

- Don’t expect any other team in the AL west this year to even come close to stealing the title away from Anaheim. Oakland has pretty much packed up this year by trading away their best arms in hopes for future prosperity. That should allow Anaheim to rest its key starters and pitchers for the post season while Tampa Bay, Boston, Chicago and Minnesota duke it out till the last week of September.

- Anaheim, when all healthy, probably touts the best starting pitching rotation #1- 5 in all of baseball. No one can match their quality and depth of arms in a seven game series, and we all know how important quality pitching is in the post season.

- Vladimir Guerrero is getting hot. An offense that was primarily being carried by the power of Casey Kotchman and Mike Napoli early on this year is finally starting to see its main slugger come back to form after a shaky first two and a half months. A healthy Chone Figgins and Juan Rivera will also add a much needed boost to their inconsistent lineup.

- Angels have beaten the Red Sox 5 out of 6 games head-to-head this year. Probably the team most experts give the best chance to beat Anaheim this year and represent the AL, Boston, can’t seem to figure out Angels pitching. Should Anaheim have home field advantage against Boston in the ALCS, expect the Red Sox to go down in six games.

In conclusion, I can see Anaheim continuing the “first to 60 wins” trend in 2008 and representing the American League in the Fall Classic. However, if the trend holds true, they would be expected to lose.

To whom?

(Being a Mets fan I can only hope it’s to us) But more realistically probably to the Chicago Cubs. So just remember you heard it here first….the Cubs will face the Angels in the 2008 World Series with the boys from the North Side coming out victorious. So here is an early and long overdue congrats to future 2008 World Series champs…..Chicago Cubs!