The Mets are well stocked with psychic baggage, thank you very much. Yadier Molina's 2006 home run, Carlos Beltran's caught looking a couple of innings later and two straight September disasters have them loaded down with as much as anyone's mind could bear. They'll have to carry a little bit more, though, thanks to Sports Illustrated.

The magazine with the infamous ability to jinx has anointed the Mets as their choice to win the World Series in October, according to Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog.com. They'll win the East, beat the Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs and then hold off the Cubs in the National League Championship Series. Finally, they'll slay the Angels, presumably with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver waxing on about the way Francisco Rodriguez knows how to handle his former teammates.

If the general jinxiness of SI isn't enough to make Mets fans wish they'd made a different choice, perhaps their historical record will do the trick. Last year they predicted World Series glory for the Tigers, who finished 74-88 and in last place in the AL Central. 2007's choice was the Angels, who got swept out of the playoffs in the first round by the Red Sox, and in 2006 their predicition of a White Sox repeat fell well short.

They did pick the Cardinals as the 2006 National League representative, however, which may give reason for hope or rub salt in still festering wounds.  

Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.