I wouldnt paint anyone as favorites right now. I consider this as big a toss up as ever. Last yr, you had the yankees, tigers, and twins as 95-96 win teams and they were dominant. This season, every team has had extreme moments of mediocrity with all 4 playoff contenders having critical flaws in their postseason hopes and world series dreams.
This season will be a major toss up, hence getting to he playoffs is the way to go and then feel your way from there.