Baseball season just got a little more interesting, thanks to the predictions of a New Jersey math professor. The New York Mets should expect to win about 90 games in 2007 and the Yankees a whopping 110 games to lead their divisions, said Bruce Bukiet, PhD, an associate professor of mathematical sciences at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Bukiet, who is also an associate dean of the school’s College of Science and Liberal Arts offers the expectations for the number of games each major league baseball team should win based on his mathematical model, developed in 2000.

The other division winners should be the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central Division, and Los Angeles Angels in the West. In the National League, the San Diego Padres should win in the West, while the Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals will compete for the Central Division title in a very close race. The wildcard teams in the NL should be the Phillies, while in the AL, the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Twins will vie for that title.

“These results offer a guide as to how teams ought to perform during the season. But unknowns continue to exist, especially those dealing with trades, injuries and rookies performances, said Bukiet, who worked with NJIT Mathematical Sciences undergraduate William Michael Hourican on these computations.

Bukiet, an avid Mets fan, has used this mathematical model to determine whether it is worthwhile to wager on games during the baseball season. His picks are posted (for academic purposes only) on his website (www.egrandslam.com). These picks have produced positive results for five of the six years he has posted them.