2016 MLB Predictions

Here are my predictions on how the 2016 MLB season will play out.

- American League

American League East
1. Boston Red Sox (90-72)- Boston is poised to go from worst to first this season, particularly because of their offseason moves and expected growth of their young players. Blake Swihart has shown some promise behind the plate. It will be interesting to see if Hanley Ramirz bounces back from a disastrous season and it should help that he's manning first base and not left field. Dustin Pedroia is always a steady one at second base when he's healthy. Xander Boegarts had a solid season last year and he should have an even better year this year. Travis Shaw has had a very good camp and he won the third base job over Pablo Sandoval, who was a disaster last season at the hot corner and also came into spring training overweight. In the outfield you have a platoon of Brock Holt and Chris Young in left, who have pop with their hats and Holt can play all over the place, Jackie Bradley Jr, who has shown highlight reel plays in all of the outfield spots and has some power with the bat, in center, and in right you have the talented Mookie Betts, who's a great defender and came close to a 20-20 season a year ago. Rusney Castillo, who they overpaid for two years ago, will be the teams fifth outfielder. This will be David Ortiz's final season and I'm sure he'll receive a ton of attention and deserves to go out on a high note. David Price taking his talents to Beantown makes their rotation a lot better, but you still have a ton of mid rotation guys that are really mid-rotation guys like Clay Buchholz, Joe Kelly, Rick Porcello, and Francisco Rodriguez. Rodriguez will start the season on the DL with a knee injury, but he can potentially make a jump this season once he comes back. Young prospect Henry Owens can see time in the rotation again this season and he showed promise in the bigs. The bullpen is vastly improved with trades for closer Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith, but Smith will start the season on the DL with a right flexor strain. Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa are still apart of this bullpen and they will bring depth to this bullpen now that Kimbrel and Smith will pitch the eighth and ninth innings. Despite some of the injuries to start the season, the youth of this team, Price being the ace they needed, and the front offices's ability to make a deadline move if necessary will net the Sox their first division crown since 2013 and return to the postseason in Big Papi's final season.

2. New York Yankees (88-74) (Wild Card)- The Yankees look to build on last year in which they lost in the AL Wild Card game against the upstart Houston Astros and they did improve their team by getting younger and more athletic, meanwhile they spent a grand total of zero dollars in free agency, but improved via trades. Brian McCann is still manning behind the plate. Mark Teixeira is in a contract year and is coming off a season ending knee injury. Greg Bird, who replaced Teixeira last season after he got injured, is out for the season with shoulder surgery. Starlin Castro is a massive upgrade at second base and he finished last season strong with the Cubs. Didi Gregorius finished last season strong as well and he should take a step forward. Chase Headley is coming off a disappointing season and looks to bounce back. In the outfield you have Brett Gardner, who had a poor second half and looks to rebound from that, Jacoby Ellsbury, who is often injured and looks to stay healthy and play consistently well this season, and Carlos Beltran, who still has a very good bat, but is a poor defender at this stage of his career. And we can't forget about A-Rod, who surprised everyone last season by hitting over thirty bombs a year after his one year PED suspension. The Yanks rotation has both a ton of upside and a ton of downside, depending on health and performance. Masahiro Tanaka has his lingering elbow issue that won't go away, but is capable of pitching like an ace. Luis Severino showed a ton of promise when he got called up last season and should be solid. Michael Pineda has shown dominant flashes, but is inconstant. Nathan Eovaldi was awesome for most of the season a year ago until he was placed on the DL because of an elbow issue. CC Sabathia will likely be the fifth starter, but it is not guaranteed. Ivan Nova is usually in the rotation, but is now projected to be a swingman type of pitcher. The bullpen is this teams strength led by arguably baseballs best three relievers in Adrolis Chapman, who will be suspended the first month of the season due to a domestic violence incident, Dellin Betances, and Andrew Miller, who just fractured his non-throwing hand in a spring training game (and thinks he'll be ready for the season). Due to the high powered (when healthy) offense, the dominant trio in that bullpen, and banking on the rotation being a bit better and healthier, the Yanks should be back in the Wild Card game for the second straight season although a division title can't be ruled out.

3. Toronto Blue Jays (86-76)- The Blue Jays are poised to build off their first division title in over two decades. They have the best offense in the American League and perhaps in the entire league as well and some of their young pitchers took strides as well. Russell Martin brings solid defense behind the plate and a very good bat. Chris Colabello and Justin Smoak isn't a bad platoon for first base because they both bring decent power and serviceable play at the position. Devon Travis was awesome as a rookie last season and is coming off of a season ending injury, so he should man second base. Troy Tulowitzki was acquired at the deadline last summer and was one of the key acquisitions that helped the Jays win the division. Reigning American League MVP Josh Donaldson will be at the hot corner and should once again be in the MVP conversation. The outfield consists of Michael Saunders in left, who hasn't been healthy in a while, a platoon of defensive whiz Kevin Pillar and youngster Dalton Pompey in center, who both have upside, and Jose Bautista in right, who's in a contract year and will probably hit over forty home runs if he is healthy the whole season. Edwin Encarnacion is another forty-plus home run guy who's in a contract year. David Price is now in Boston so there is a lot of pressure on Marcus Stroman to be the leader of the pitching staff. Marco Estrada was re-signed this past winter and she showed some promise, but could very well regress. RA Dickey still has that very good knuckleball, but he is getting up there in age. JA Haap was a very solid offseason pickup to be a mid rotation starter. Aaron Sanchez is now the fifth starter for the Jays. The bullpen got better as the team traded for Drew Storen and either him or Roberto Osuna will be the closer. The rest of the bullpen could be hit or miss for the team although I would put Sanchez in the pen and make him a swingman and insert underrated acquisition Jesse Chavez in the rotation. I do think the Jays can return to October, but the loss of Price might come back and haunt them, even if Stroman break outs.

4. Tampa Bay Rays (78-84)- Tampa quietly had a better season than most people thought last year in their first year with Kevin Kash at the helm. The Rays have the best starting pitching staff in the division and that will keep them in most games although their offense, while it should be improved, is certainly isn't a great one. Curt Casali and Hank Conger is the platoon behind the plate with Casali showing some pop toward the end of the season. James Loney is no longer on the team and now Logan Morrison and Steve Peace form a quality platoon at first and likely DH as well. Logan Forsythe had a solid season a year ago and will be playing second base. Trade acquisition Brad Miller is the new shortstop in town after Asdurbal Cabrera left in free agency. Evan Longoria is still at the hot corner, but hasn't been the same guy the last few seasons. The outfield constants of Desmond Jennings in left, who hasn't been healthy in a while, defensive whiz Kevin Keirmaier, who has shown offensive upside, and trade acquisition Corey Dickerson, who could either bring the team much needed power to the lineup or prove he was a product of Coors Field in Denver. The rotation (as I mentioned) is the best in the division led by ace Chris Archer, who will be a Cy Young candidate this season, Alex Cobb, who will be back later in the season is coming off Tommy John surgery and is also very good, Jake Odorizzi, who is an above average starter that's a mid rotation guy on this team, Drew Smyly, who is also a very good starter, and Matt Moore, who is a few years removed from Tommy John surgery and should be better. Blake Snell is a pitching prospect that could get called up this season after dominating the minor leagues last season. The bullpen did get worse due to the trading of Jake McGee and closer Brad Boxberger starting the season on the DL due to undergoing abdominal abductor surgery. Alex Colome, who started some games last season, will be a swingman for this team. There is a chance this team beats expectations again, but if Dickerson proves to be a Coors Field product and if the bullpen fares poorly without Boxberger and McGee could derail them.

5. Baltimore Orioles (77-85)- Buck Showalter is always good at getting a lot out of his players, but it might be tougher this season. The starting pitching is a concern, while the offense will still rake up its homeruns. Matt Wieters is dealing with elbow problems again this spring, but Caleb Joseph has shown that he can start in the bigs. Chris Davis is back with his new contract and it will be interesting to see if he lives up to the contract or not. Jonathan Schoop is an underrated player with that bat and the glove at second base. JJ Hardy is solid at shortstop with the glove, but the power numbers have dropped the last few seasons. Manny Machado is awesome at the hot corner and will be in the AL MVP conversation and his power has vastly improved. The outfield consists of Hyun-soo Kim in left, who is an intriguing player coming into the season because he comes from Japan (but the O's sent him to AAA to start the season), Adam Jones, who's a gold glove candidate every year and still has a very good bat, and trade acquisition Mark Trumbo, who provides a ton of power in his bat. Pedro Alvarez will be a very good DH and will mash homers. As mentioned, the rotation isn't very good. Chris Tillman has shown that he's ace quality, but he's inconstant. Kevin Gausman has shown flashes, but he's inconstant as well. The signing of Yovandi Gallardo was a good one and it should be interesting to see how he pitches. Ubaldo Jiminez has not lived upto the contract the O's paid him a few years back. Miguel Gonzalez was just released so the fifth starter is to be determined. The bullpen isn't bad though, with Zach Britton closing games and re-signing Darren O'Day. Things can break right and they can be in the playoff hunt, but the division is just too tough and someone has to finish in last.

American League Central
1. Kansas City Royals (94-68)- The defending champs are looking to be the first team to repeat since the 1998-2000 Yankees three-peat. Ben Zobrist and Johnny Cueto are gone, but this is still the team to beat in this division. The offense doesn't hit a ton of homeruns, but they don't strike out much, either. Reigning World Series MVP Salvador Perez is a rock behind the plate and he showed some power last season. Eric Hosmer has come into his own the last few seasons and expect him to be an AL MVP candidate. Omar Infante is currently slated to be the second baseman, but he was awful last season. Alcedes Escobar is an underrated shortstop who plays excellent defense and is a solid lead off hitter. At the hot corner you got Mike Moustakas, who has been getting better the last few seasons as well. The outfield consists of Alex Gordon, who's the face of the franchise and he re-signed with the club during the offseason, Lorenzo Cain, who is a very good hitter and defender out in center field, and in right, you got a platoon with Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando, which both players have shown promise and have a ton of speed. Kendrys Morales was great last season serving as a DH and it will be interesting to see if he has that good of a season again. The starting rotation isn't great, but it should be solid. The pressure is on Yondaro Ventura, who has been inconsistent since he's been in the bigs. Edinson Volquez eats up a ton of innings and can give you quality starts. They overpaid for Ian Kennedy in free agency, but he is solid and can clog up innings as well. Kris Melden is very intriguing because he was very good with the Braves a few seasons ago before he got injured and it will be interesting to see how he performs. Chris Young was very good for the Royals last season, especially in the postseason. The bullpen is still great with Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, and Joakim Soria (who replaces Greg Holland). Expect the Royals to return to the postseason for the third straight season.

2. Detroit Tigers (88-74) (Wild Card)- Detroit is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2015, so they improved their team in the offseason with some very flashy additions. They will score a ton of runs with the offense they have. James McCann showed a ton of promise in his rookie season, so he should be better this season. Miguel Cabrera is healthy and still among the games elite hitters and first baseman and will be back in the AL MVP conversation. Ian Kinsler is solid at second base and still has some pop in his bat. Jose Iglesias is a slick defender at shortstop but his offensive game is limited. Nick Castellanos has shown some pop with his bat, but he's been inconsistent since he's been in the big leagues. The outfield consists of newcomer Justin Upton in left, who will bring a ton of power to this offense, Anthony Gose, who's a decent defender in center, but has been inconsistent at the plate, and JD Martinez in right, who has hit a ton of homeruns the last two seasons. Victor Martinez wasn't good last season and he can't be that bad again this season. The rotation is better with the free agent signing of Jordan Zimmerman. Justin Verlander isn't the same pitcher as he was four-five years ago, but he did pitch better down the stretch last season. Anibal Sanchez is solid, but he hasn't been that good the last few seasons. Daniel Norris, who was acquired in the David Price trade last summer, is very intriguing and has a ton of upside. Mike Pelfrey is currently slated as the fifth starter, but I won't be surprised to see Buck Farmer, acquired in the Yoenis Cespedes trade last summer, get a crack in this rotation. The bullpen should be a lot better with the acquisitions of Francisco Rodriguez, Justin Wilson, and Mark Lowe. Because of that improved bullpen, the high powered offense, and the addition of Zimmerman and some intriguing youngsters in the rotation, I think they'll return to the playoffs after a one year hiatus.

3. Cleveland Indians (83-79)- The Indians are one of the more intriguing teams in the league and this team could go either way. The Tribes offense isn't great, but there are some intriguing guys in the lineup. Yan Gomes isn't bad behind the plate and he's shown pop with his bat. Mike Napoli is now the starting first baseman but he's getting older. Jason Kipnis is one of the more underrated second baseman in the league. The Tribe will get a full season out of Francisco Lindor, who could be a breakout player this season. Starting at the hot corner is Juan Uribe, who is another year older. Michael Brantley will start the season on the DL because he isn't ready to come back from offseason shoulder surgery. The other projected starting outfielders are Tyler Naquin and Lonnie Chisenhall and Chisenhall will start the season on the DL with a wrist injury, so Marlon Byrd will be playing in right field to start the season. Carlos Santana is still around as the DH and that's where he should be in this stage of his career. The strength of this team is clearly the starting pitching. Corey Kluber is a proven ace and a former Cy Young winner. Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salzar are the second and third starters and could be number ones on other teams. Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin round out this rotation. The bullpen isn't bad either with guys like closer Cody Allen, Zach McCallister, and Bryan Shaw. Expect the pitching to keep them in games, but their offense might not be enough unless they make a summer trade acquisition.

4. Minnesota Twins (78-84)- The Twins shocked the baseball world last season by winning 83 games, while everyone thought they were a last place lock. The Twins might not repeat last seasons success, but they'll be fun to watch. Behind the plate will be a platoon of Kurt Suzuki, who wasn't good last season and trade acquisition John Ryan Murphy, who was good for the Yankees last season. Joe Mauer is still a good player, but he hasn't been the same for a few seasons now. Brian Dozier had a career year last season and it would be interesting to see if he replicates that. Eduardo Escobar is solid at shortstop, but doesn't typically put up good offensive stats. Trevor Plouffe was awesome last season at the hot corner and some thought they'd trade Plouffe to open the hot corner for rising star Miguel Sano, who will be playing in right field now and showed a ton of power last season. This will be Byron Buxton's first full big league season and he should be better than last season. Eddie Rosario is starting in left field and he has shown some pop with the bat. Offseason acquisition Byung-ho Park will be manning DH and it will be interesting to see how his play translates from Korea. The Twins rotation isn't very good. This will be Ervin Santana's first full season since his PED suspension for part of last season. Phil Hughes and Kyle Gibson are very inconsistent. Tommy Milone has shown some flashes once before. Ricky Nolasco will be the fifth starter and he hasn't been good for a couple of seasons. Youngster Tyler Duffey could crack the rotation if someone gets hurt or isn't pitching well. The bullpen isn't very good either, but Glen Perkins (when healthy) is a very good closer. Kevin Jepsen isn't a bad reliever, either. But I personally feel this team was helped with a 30-19 start to last season and that is what led to 83 wins and I just don't see them replicating that since teams in their division got better.

5. Chicago White Sox (77-85)- The White Sox did improve this winter for sure, but we shall see how this transfers on the field. A platoon of Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro is an upgrade over the previous platoon Tyler Flowers and Giovanny Soto behind the plate. Jose Abreu is awesome, but he wasn't as good last season as he was his rookie season. Brett Lawrie is an upgrade at second base over a Micah Johnson and Carlos Sanchez platoon. Newcomer Jimmy Rollins is a year older and young shortstop prospect Tim Anderson isn't ready for the bigs yet. Perhaps one of the best offseason moves was trading for Todd Frazier, who is an awesome player with a ton of power and he'll be a great addition to the Sox. The outfield of this team consists of Melky Cabrera, Austin Jackson, Avasail Garcia and Adam Eaton and Eaton has breakout potential. One of those four guys will likely DH too because Adam LaRoche retired to do an incident where his son wasn't allowed in camp. The rotation is actually pretty solid led by ace Chris Sale. Jose Quintana and Carlos Rodon have breakout potential. John Danks is an innings eater and Mat Latos is one of the intriguing bounce back candidates in the league this season. The bullpen is in decent shape with David Robertson closing games and Zach Duke being the set-up man. Things can break right for the Sox and they can be in the playoff hunt, but I think there a few upgrades away from being really good.

American League West
1. Texas Rangers (93-69)- Texas came so damn close to reaching the ALCS last season and they probably would have if they didn't melt down in the seventh inning with all those errors which led to Jose Bautista's shot heard 'round the world. Currently starting behind the plate is Robinson Chirinos, but they have the farm system to upgrade the position (perhaps Milwaukee's Jonathan Lucroy?). Mitch Moreland showed some power last season and he's solid at first base. Rougned Odor is poised to have a breakout season after he was awesome in the second half last season. Elvis Andrus is overpaid but he's still a quality shortstop. Adrian Beltre is still very good at the hot corner. Joey Gallo is projected to be the third baseman of the future, but I believe he'll see time this season in the outfield too. Ian Desmond signed for a discount to play left field, but I do have questions about his ability to translate from the infield to the outfield (see: Hanley Ramirez last season). Center field you have Delino DeShields, who was quietly very good last season with his defense and with the bat. In right you have Shin-Soo Choo, who still has some power but is overpaid. Prince Fielder is still around as the DH and he should still smash homeruns out of Globe Life Park despite him aging. The pitching staff will receive a huge boost once they get Yu Darvish back from injury. Cole Hamels was last summers trade acquisition and he'll be around a full season. The rest of the rotation is solid with Derek Holland, Colby Perez, and Martin Perez. The bullpen was much improved last season with Shawn Tolleson closing games out and guys like Jake Diekman and Tom Wilhelmsen stepping up. I do think people are sleeping on this team and because of that offense, Darvish's return, and the improved bullpen, they'll come out of this division.

2. Houston Astros (87-75)- Houston is a very popular pick to win the division and even represent the American League in the Fall Classic this October because of what they did a year ago. I do think they can get there in a wide open American League, but it may be a tough task to even reach October. The offense will absolutely rake it's homeruns in Minute Maid Park. Behind the plate you have Jason Castro, who is decent. At first you have rookies Tyler White and AJ Reed, but White won the gig in spring training. Jose Aluve is awesome with his bat and his defense at second base. Carlos Correa is a popular pick for the American League MVP award and he may be the best shortstop in baseball already. Luis Valbuena is at the hot corner and he has some pop in his bat. The outfield consists of Colby Rasmus in left, who was solid last season and came back on a qualifying offer, Carlos Gomez in center, who is one of the more polarizing players in the league, and in right George Springer, who is one of the prime breakout candidates in the league. DH'ing will be Evan Gattis, who has some pop in his bat. The rotation is led by reigning Cy-Young winner Dallas Keuchel, who will be in the mix for that award again this season. Doug Fister replaces Scott Kazmir in the rotation, but Fister wasn't that good last season and Kazmir was very good last season. The rest of the rotation features Collin McHugh, who is solid, Mike Fiers, who threw a no-hitter last season, and Scott Feldman, who hasn't been good in a few years. The bullpen should be very good once again after acquiring closer Ken Giles from Philadelphia in the offseason (although they overpaid) and Giles will join Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek to form a nice trio. I do think this team can be special, but their competition is very strong and a good team like the Astros may have to sit this October out.

3. Seattle Mariners (77-85)- Seattle was the sexy pick to represent the American League in the Fall Classic this time last year, but a disappointing 2015 led to an overhaul and a managerial change. The offense should be fine although it's tough to hit bombs out of Safeco. Chris Iannetta is now the starting catcher, but he's inconsistent with the bat. Adam Lind is now the first baseman and he brings some power with his bat. Robinson Cano was a disappointment for most of last season, but he got hot later in the year and has been good in spring training. Youngster Ketel Marte is now the starting shortstop and it should be interesting to see how he fares. Kyle Seager is one of the more underrated third baseman in the game. The outfield is a bit shaky, though. It consists of Nori Aoki in left, Leonys Martin in center, and Seth Smith in right. Nelson Cruz is still around and he'll mostly DH and he brings a ton of power. The rotation has a chance to be good, especially if you have Felix Hernandez as an ace of your staff. Hisashi Iwakuma is back after he re-signed with the club in the offseason. Taijuan Walker has breakout potential. Trade acquisitions Wade Miley and Nathan Karns round out the rotation. James Paxton is an intriguing youngster who is now in AAA and could get called up at some point. The bullpen was overhauled with Joaquin Benoit now the closer and Steve Chisek as a set-up man, replacing Carson Smith and Fernando Rodney. Things can break right for the M's and they can sneak into the postseason, but there's some holes on this team that can prevent that.

4. Los Angeles Angels (77-85)- The Angels are in a tricky spot and a spot you don't want to be in and that is the middle. Their not a contender, but they aren't rebuilding either. Their lineup is not very good (outside of one certain player). Carlos Perez is starting behind the plate, who isn't good. CJ Cron is at first base, who's shown some promise but isn't great either. Johnny Giavotella is arguably the worst second baseman in baseball. Trade acquisition Andrelton Simmons will improve the defense, but his bat hasn't really come along yet. Yunel Escobar is starting at third base although he can start anywhere in the infield. The outfield (outside of a certain someone) isn't very good with Daniel Nava in left, the great Mike Trout in center, who will be the number one (and perhaps) only reason to watch the Angels this season, and Kole Calhoun in right, who's shown some pop in his bat. The rotation could be decent with Garrett Richards leading the way and has shown signs of ace capability. The two aging pitchers in Jered Weaver and CJ Wilson aren't the same guys. Youngsters Matt Shoemaker, Hector Santiago, and Andrew Heaney can make an impact in the rotation as well. The bullpen is mediocre though with guys like Joe Smith and Al Alburquerque. If the team sinks in the standings, expect some players to be on the move this summer thats not named Trout.

5. Oakland Athletics (74-88)- Oakland is arguably the worst team in the Junior Circuit although a few other teams have a case. The offense has a chance to be decent as long as they don't trade some of their veterans and if they can stay healthy. Stephen Vogt is coming off a career year, although he did tail off in the second half. Newcomer Yonder Alonso is starting at first base and has some pop in his bat. Jed Lowrie hasn't been the same guy in a few years and he's starting at second base. Marcus Semien was the worst defensive short stop in the league last season, but he should improve since it's only his second year in the bigs. Danny Valencia will be starting at third base and he finished strong last season. The outfield consists of trade acquisition Khris Davis in left, who has a ton of power, Billy Burns in center, who showed a ton of promise last season, and Josh Reddick, who is still very good in right. The fourth and fifth outfielders are projected to be Coco Crisp and Chris Coghlan, who are pretty decent. The rotation could be solid, especially when Sonny Gray is your ace, although he could be trade bait if things get sour. Veterans Rich Hill and Felix Doubront will be in this rotation along with youngsters Kendall Graveman and Chris Bassit. Jesse Hahn was demoted to AAA after a poor spring training. The A's did improve their bullpen, though with guys like Ryan Madson and John Axford. Things can break right for this team, but for right now, it looks like a last place team with a ton of potential trades coming.

- National League

National League East
1. New York Mets (92-70)- The defending National League champions will be back and will be poised to go back to the World Series again and perhaps win it. There offense should look a lot more like what we saw in the second half of last season. A step forward is expected from Travis d'Arnaud, both offensively and behind the plate. Lucas Duda has shown he can hit thirty-plus homeruns when he's healthy. Trade acquisition Neil Walker will prove to be an upgrade at second base over the inconsistent Daniel Murphy, who is now playing in DC. Asdurbal Cabrera is a defensive upgrade at shortstop over Wilmer Flores, who is now a bench player and Ruben Tejada, who is no longer on the team. David Wright has declined the last few seasons, but he's still the caption of this team and is very good when he's healthy. The starting outfield may not be great defensively, but there will be a ton of homeruns between them. Youngster Michael Conforto will be in left and showed a ton of promise last season after he was called up and now is expected to break out. Yoenis Cespedes re-signed with the club and that was huge and now they'll get a full season out of him. Curtis Granderson will be in right and he still has some power in his bat. Juan Lagares is a good defender, but he's the fourth outfielder and you'll see him late in games when they have a led potentially for defense. The starting pitching staff may just be the best one in baseball history. Matt Harvey gets all the attention of course, but Jacob de Grom is just as good and arguably better than Harvey. Noah Syndergaard is awesome too and he has a chance to be special this season too. Steven Matz is one of the National League Rookie of the Year favorites. Bartolo Colon is up there in age, but he'll be coming out of the 'pen once Zach Wheeler comes back from Tommy John surgery. The bullpen is solid with Jeurys Familia closing games and the addition of Antonio Bastardo. The Mets because of that special rotation and the return of Cespedes, will win it's second straight division title.

2. Washington Nationals (85-77)- The Nationals have been baseballs biggest disappointment perhaps the last three seasons. Out is Matt Williams and in is Dusty Baker and it will be interesting to see if the managerial change impacts the team or not. Wilson Ramos is behind the plate, but he really isn't that good. Ryan Zimmerman has to bounce back from a disappointing season from a year ago. Daniel Murphy isn't as good as his postseason numbers suggest, but he does have some pop in that bad along with bad defense. Danny Espinosa is now at shortstop, but he hasn't been that good in a few years, but young prospect Trea Turner is waiting in the wings. Anthony Rendon was injured most of last season and he has to have a similar year like he did two seasons ago. Jayson Werth is in left, but he's getting older and he hasn't been the same in a few seasons. Trade acquisition Ben Revere is in center and he'll be a good leadoff hitter for the Nats. Reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper is in right field and is awesome and will be considered for the award yet again. The rotation is pretty solid with Max Scherzer leading the way and will be in the conversation for the National League Cy Young award. Stephen Strausburg is in a contract year, so expect a big season from him. Gio Gonzalez is still around and he's pretty solid. Tanner Rorak and Joe Ross round out the rotation, but we could see young prospect Luis Giolito in the rotation at some point. The bullpen is mediocre with the trade of Drew Storen for Revere and head ache Jonathan Papelbon is still around. Shawn Kelley and Yusmeiro Petit should be good in the Nats bullpen, too. This team could win this division, but the rotation isn't as good as the Mets rotation, they could miss Storen, and there are some aging guys like Werth who aren't as good as they once were.

3. Miami Marlins (75-87)- Miami has a chance to be one of the leagues more improved teams because of better health of their star players, better performances from their youngsters and veterans, and the managerial change may help as well. Their offense is solid as long as their healthy. JT Realmuto showed a ton of promise behind the plate a season ago. First baseman Justin Bour showed some power last season in his rookie season. Dee Gordon might regress from a career year, but he's fun to watch. Adeiny Hechavarria is an underrated shortstop in the league and he makes highlight reel plays. Martin Prado is at the hot corner and when he's healthy he's pretty good. The outfield is one of the more intriguing ones in the league. Christian Yelich is in left and Marcell Ozuna is in center and they have failed to live up to expectations last season (Ozuna in particular) so they should be better. Giancarlo Stanton has yet to play a full season but he's a special player when he's on the field. Ichiro Suzuki is the fourth outfielder on this team. The pitching staff has a chance to be decent especially if ace Jose Fernandez stays on the field. Miami may have overpaid for Wei-Yin Chen, but he's a decent mid rotation starter. The rest of the rotation drops off after that with guys like Jarred Cosart, Tom Koehler, and Adam Conley. The bullpen is pretty shaky considering underrated closer Carter Capps on the shelf with Tommy John surgery. Edwin Jackson is supposed to be a long man out of the bullpen and there's not much in that bullpen. Things can go right and they can be in the hunt, but a lot hinges on health and how much Don Mattingly gets out of his new players.

4. Philadelphia Phillies (69-93)- Philadelphia is now in a rebuilding phase and all eyes are on the future. This season will be a long one in the City of Brotherly Love. The offense is among one of the worst in baseball. Behind the plate is an aging Carlos Ruiz and Cameron Rupp as a platoon. Ryan Howard is still around, but Darin Ruf may see playing time at first base. Cesar Harnandez is now the starting second baseman and he and shortstop Freddy Galvis are perhaps the worst starting middle infield in baseball. Young third baseman Mikael Franco is a star in the making and he could have a breakout season. The starting outfield isn't good either with Peter Bourjos in left, who's a decent defender, Odubel Herrera in center, who showed some flashes last season, and a platoon situation in right with either Cody Asche, Aaron Altherr, or Tyler Goeddel. The rotation isn't good outside of youngster Aaron Nola, who showed flashes last season. The rest of the rotation consists of Jeremy Hellickson, Charlie Morton, Vincent Velasquez, and Jerad Eickoff. Matt Harrison and Brett Oberholtzer will likely make starts through the season too. The bullpen had gotten worse after the team traded Ken Giles away to the Astros, so it's unknown who their closer will be. The future is bright in Philly, but this season won't be pretty again and there will likely be veterans moved at the trade deadline in July.

5. Atlanta Braves (66-96)- This team is perhaps the worst team in baseball, but it is set up very well for the future. The offense is probably the worst one in baseball. Behind the plate is a platoon of AJ Pierzynski and Tyler Flowers, which Pierzynski isn't the same player as he was five-six years ago and Flowers just isn't good. Freddie Freeman is a great player at first base, but no one good is protecting him in this lineup. Jace Peterson is at second base and he's shown some promise before. Erick Aybar is replacing the traded Andrelton Simmons at shortstop. Adonis Garcia is perhaps the worst starting third baseman in baseball. Hector Olivera is starting in left, who the team acquired in a trade with the Dodgers. In center field is Ender Incirate, who the team acquired in the Shelby Miller trade from the Diamondbacks. Nick Markakis is in right, but he didn't look like the player he was in Baltimore last season. The rotation is suspect behind Julio Teheran. After Teheran, the rotation is featuring guys like Matt Wisler, Bud Norris, Jhoulys Chacin, and Mike Foltynewicz. Manny Banuelos may see some starts as well. Jason Grilli is the teams closer and the rest of the bullpen is suspect outside of Eric O'Flaherty. Expect the Braves to move veterans at the deadline (and trades of Freeman and Terehan can't be rules out) and be among the worst teams in the league.

National League Central
1. Chicago Cubs (100-62)- The Cubs are going to be fun to watch this season and they'll be must see TV. This is the best team in baseball and it might not be close. Is this finally the year? That's to be determined. The offense has a chance to be the best in baseball this season. Behind the plate you have veteran Miguel Montero, who still has some pop in his bat. First baseman Anthony Rizzo is awesome and will be a National League MVP candidate. Ben Zobrist will be the second baseman and he brings the Cubs a ton of versatility. Addison Russell has a chance to break out this season. Kris Bryant is something special at the hot corner and has forty homerun potential and is also a National League MVP candidate. The outfield is pretty good as well with Kyle Schwarber in left, who can flat out hit seems like the perfect DH because he was projected a catcher and he wasn't great defensively and he isn't great defensively in the outfield too, Dexter Fowler returns to the team to play center field and will lead off, and free agent acquisition Jason Heyward will be in right field, who did not come cheap and his better days are ahead of him. The pitching staff is very good with reigning National League Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta leading the way. Jon Lester and John Lackey are pretty good number two and three starters. Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks are solid fourth and fifth starters as well. The bullpen is probably the weak link of this team, but they'll improve that at the trade deadline. Hector Rondon is slated to be the closer and they have some other good arms in that pen with Justin Grimm, Pedro Strop, and swingmen Adam Warren and Clayton Richard. Like I said, this is the best team in baseball and they'll make necessary improvements in the summer if necessary.

2. St. Louis Cardinals (95-67) (Wild Card)- The Cubs are getting all of the attention this spring (and rightfully so), but the Cardinals are still a pretty darn good team in their own right. Their offense is better than the numbers say (mainly because someone is usually injured). Yadier Molina has been injured a lot the last few season and his play has declined, but he's still good. First base you have Matt Adams, who missed most of last season with a groin injury. Kolten Wong is at second base and a breakout from him wouldn't be surprising. Jedd Gyorko will be starting the season at shortstop since Jhonny Peralta will be missing time coming off thumb surgery and Ruben Tejada is on the DL as well with a quad stain. Matt Carpenter had a career year last season and he's a very good third baseman. The outfield is pretty good despite losing Jason Heyward in free agency. Matt Holliday is still good in left, Randal Grichuk has breakout potential in center, and Stephen Piscotty showed a ton of promise last season in right. Tommy Pham may see some playing time as well and you have Brandon Moss coming off the bench, who still can get some big homeruns for you. The rotation is still very good too with Adam Wainwright coming back from injury. Michael Wacha is very good number two starter. The team will miss Lance Lynn who is out for the season because of Tommy John surgery and in result of that and John Lackey leaving the team in free agency, the Cards signed Mike Leake in free agency, who will do a nice job with the team. Jamie Garcia and Carlos Martinez round out the rotation and those guys shown a lot of promise in the bigs. The bullpen is decent with Trevor Rosenthal closing games out and guys like Jonathan Broxton and Kevin Siegrist in the mix. This is still one of the best teams in the league and expect these guys to grab a Wild Card spot.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates (90-72) (Wild Card)- Pittsburgh may have had a bit of a roster turnover this winter, but they are still a very good ball club. Their offense is still pretty good despite offseason turnover. Francisco Cervelli is underrated behind the plate and he was decent last season. John Jaso replaces Pedro Alvarez at first base. Josh Harrison moves from third to second after Neil Walker was traded. Jordy Mercer is still around at shortstop. Jung-ho Kang, coming off knee surgery, will now play third base and he was really good last season as a rookie. The outfield is perhaps the best in baseball with Starling Marte in left, who has improved the last few seasons, Andrew McCutchen in center, who's a top ten player in the league and a National League MVP candidate, and Gregory Polanco in right, who's a breakout candidate. The pitching staff is still pretty good led by ace Gerrit Cole. Francisco Liriano has been very good as a Pirate. The rest of the rotation consist of Jon Niese, who could turn out to be good for them, Jeff Locke, and Juan Nicasio. Don't be surprised if young prospects Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon crack the rotation at some point. The bullpen is good too led by closer Mark Melancon and probable set up man Neftali Feliz. Don't sleep on the Buccos because I think they'll be back in the Wild Card game for the fourth straight season.

4. Milwaukee Brewers (69-93)- Milwaukee is one of the few teams in the league that's rebuilding. It will be a few seasons before they're relevant again. The offense of the team might not be good if they trade off some veterans. Jonathan Lucroy may be one of the veterans that will be moved at the deadline. New comer Chris Carter is now the first baseman with a ton of power, but he'll likely be in another uniform this summer. Scooter Gennett is the starting second baseman and he's mediocre. Jonathan Villar will be the starting shortstop with Jean Segura traded away and young prospect Orlando Arcia waiting in the wings. Aaron Hill (acquired in the Segura trade) is starting at third base. Ryan Braun moves from right field to left field now that Khris Davis has been traded to Oakland which opens right field for youngster Domingo Santana. In center field you got Keon Broxton. The rotation isn't good featuring Matt Garza, who could be dealt this summer, Wily Peralta, Jimmy Nelson, Taylor Jungmann, and Chase Anderson. The bullpen isn't good either, especially that they traded Francisco Rodriguez away. It is unknown who the closer is now. As I said, this team is in rebuilding and expect players on this team to be moved.

5. Cincinnati Reds (67-95)- Like Milwaukee, Cincinnati is rebuilding as well and will be a while before their relevant. The offense actually has some decent players on it. Devin Mesoraco isn't bad behind the plate and he's shown some pop in his bad. Joey Votto is still an awesome player and it sucks that he's stuck on this team. Brandon Phillips is still around and he might get traded this summer. Zack Cozart is back from injury and he showed some pop with his bat before the injury. Eugenio Suarez is now the starting third baseman and she shown some promise as well. The outfield isn't good by any means with Scott Schebler in left, in center you got the inconsistent Billy Hamilton, and Jay Bruce in right field, who might be dealt this summer. Youngster Jose Peraza might get some playing time as well. The rotation is full of youngsters like Rasiel Iglesias, Brandon Finnegan, Jon Moscot, and Anthony DeSclafani. Alfredo Simon is in the rotation as well as veteran Homer Bailey who's coming off an injury. The bullpen is bad now that Adrolis Chapman had been traded to the Yankees. JJ Hoover might be the closer now. As I said, I expect the Reds to be awful and in the cellar and for veterans not named Votto to be moved.

National League West
1. San Francisco Giants (91-71)- It's an even year folks, so this is the the Giants year, right? That's to be determined. The team should have better health this season and Bruce Bochy should have them playing hard as always. Most of the offense remains intact led by Buster Posey, who's always in the National League MVP conversation and is perhaps the best catcher in baseball. Brandon Belt is coming off a great year at first base and he's very underrated. Second baseman Joe Panik is among the breakout candidates for this season and he's coming off an injury. Brandon Crawford is among the games underrated shortstops. Matt Duffy was surprisingly very good at the hot corner, but don't rule out regression this season. The outfield consists of Angel Pagan in left, who has been injured a ton of late, newcomer Denard Span, who should be batting leadoff, and Hunter Pence in right, who's still very good. The rotation should be better than it was a year ago with the additions of Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija as the second and third starters behind ace Madison Bumgarner. Jake Peavy and Matt Cain round out the rotation. The bullpen is still pretty decent with closer Hunter Strickland, set up man Sergio Romo, and swingman Chris Heston, who may start a few times. Expect Frisco to win the division for the first time since 2012.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (88-74)- The Dodgers are still among the National Leagues best teams, but some good teams could be left out of October and the Dodgers could very well be one of those teams. The offense is still decent although some guys aren't getting any older. Yasmani Grandal is the man behind the plate and he still has pop in his bat. Adrian Gonzalez is getting older but he's still capable of hitting balls out of the park. Second base will be a platoon of Chase Utley and Howie Kendrick. Corey Seager is a future superstar at shortstop and is a National League Rookie of the Year candidate. Justin Turner had a career year at third base last season, but he's due for regression. The outfield consists of Carl Crawford in left, who hasn't been good in a few seasons, Joc Pederson in center, who was great in the first half of last season and bad in the second half, and Yasiel Puig in right, who's a head case with his off field issues and is looking to have a bounce back season. Andre Eithier, Kiki Hernandez, Scott Van Slyke, and newcomer Tryce Thompson will also see playing time in the outfield. The rotation is still decent because Clayton Kerahaw is still the best pitcher in the game, but it's a drop off after that with Scott Kazmir, newcomer Kenta Maeda, who has a chance to emerge as a great starter, Alex Wood, and Carlos Frias. Hyun-jin Ryu will be back this season as well and don't rule out youngsters Julio Urias and Jose De Leon getting a crack in the rotation. Kenley Jansen is still a great closer but there's not much else in that bullpen although Pedro Baez and JP Howell aren't bad options. I still think this is a good team, but they'll miss Zack Greinke and regression may be coming for guys like Tuner and that may cost them a chance to play in October.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks (84-78)- Arizona is poised to make a jump this season after spending a ton of money this offseason. The offense of this team is among the best in the Senior Circuit. Welington Castillo will be starting behind the plate to start the season. Paul Goldschmidt is one of best players in baseball and will be a National League MVP candidate. Jean Segura replaces Aaron Hill at second base. Nick Ahmed showed some flashes last season at shortstop. Jake Lamb has shown a ton of promise at the hot corner and with his bat. The outfield took a huge blow when center fielder and budding star AJ Pollock fractured his elbow and is out indefinitely and it's unknown when he'll return. Reports are now that the team is trying to convert infielder Chris Owings to the outfield and the injury could also open the door for youngster Socrates Brito. The corner outfield spots consists of Yasmany Thomas in left and David Peralta in right. The rotation should be much improved with the free agent signing of Zack Greinke and the trade for Shelby Miller (although they grossly overpaid). Patrick Corbin is also very good and this will be his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. The rest of the rotation consists of youngsters Rubby De La Rosa and Robbie Ray. The bullpen is sneaky good with Brad Ziegler closing games and the free agent signing of set up man Tyler Clippard. The injury of Pollock is huge and that could very well cost the Snakes a playoff appearance although I'm not sure I would have picked this team if Pollock didn't get hurt.

4. San Diego Padres (70-92)- San Diego was a popular pick to make the postseason last season, but the team turned out to be a big dud, so they are about to enter in a rebuilding phase. The offense isn't very good because of losses in free agency and trades. Derek Norris is still around behind the plate and he's a trade candidate. Wil Myers transfers from the outfield to first base and he has some upside behind the plate. Cory Spangenberg is now the starting second baseman and he hasn't shown much. Alexei Ramirez is an upgrade at shortstop, but he isn't great by any stretch. Yangervis Solarte is starting at third base and he's shown some promise. The outfield isn't great by any stretch with Melvin Upton Jr in left, who hasn't been good in a while, Jon Jay is in center, who was typically good with the Cardinals, but we shall see how he fares with the Pads, and Matt Kemp in right, who was disappointing last season and now the team might trade him. The starting pitching is actually solid led by Tyson Ross, James Shields, and Andrew Cashner, although they all might be traded. Colin Rae and Robbie Erlin round out the rotation. The bullpen isn't very good, but you got Fernando Rodney closing and Drew Pomeranz likely setting up. Expect somewhat of a fire sale in San Diego as they begin a rebuild. At least the All-Star game will be in San Diego.

5. Colorado Rockies (68-94)- Colorado is expected to be among the worst teams in baseball this season. Their clearly focusing on the future as well. Their offense will be actually fun to watch though, especially at Coors Field. Behind the plate is Nick Hundley, who has shown some pop the last few seasons. Ben Paulsen showed some promise at the end of last season at first base. DJ LeMahieu was an All-Star last season at second base. Jose Reyes is expected to be suspended for sometime, so expect youngster Trevor Stroy to see playing time. Nolan Arenado is a stud at third base. The outfield is decent too with Gerardo Parra in left, Charlie Blackmon in center, and Carlos Gonzalez in right. The pitching staff is awful to say the least outside of Jorge de la Rosa. The rest of the rotation is Chad Bettis, Jordan Lyles, Tyler Chatwood, and Christian Bergman. Youngsters Jon Gray and Eddie Butler should see some time in the rotation as well. New closer Jake McGee will likely get traded at the deadline as well as Chad Qualls and other than those two, the bullpen isn't good. Expect a last place finish in the Mile High City.

2016 MLB Playoffs
- American League Wild Card Game
(AL-WC2) Detroit Tigers vs (AL-WC1) New York Yankees- Jordan Zimmerman vs Masahiro Tanaka. Give me the leagues best bullpen to help the Yanks win their first playoff game in four seasons.
Prediction: Yankees

- National League Wild Card Game
(NL-WC2) Pittsburgh Pirates vs (NL-WC1) St. Louis Cardinals- Gerrit Cole vs Adam Wainwright. Should be a good one, but Waino leads the Cards to a win and the Buccos lose in this spot for the third year in a row.
Prediction: Cardinals

- American League Division Series
(AL-WC1) New York Yankees vs (AL1) Kansas City Royals- Should be a fun series but October is typically when the Royals play their best baseball.
Prediction: Royals in five games.

(AL3) Boston Red Sox vs (AL2) Texas Rangers- The Rangers will have Yu Darvish back and he and Cole Hamels will be the difference against David Price and the Red Sox.
Prediction: Rangers in four games.

- National League Division Series
(NL-WC1) St. Louis Cardinals vs (NL1) Chicago Cubs- Arguably the leagues best rivalry right now, but the Cubs are more superior.
Prediction: Cubs in four games.

(NL3) San Francisco Giants vs (NL2) New York Mets- Should be an excellent series, but Madison Bumgarner in a big spot as well as this team in an even year will win a classic series against a great Mets pitching staff.
Prediction: Giants in five games.

- American League Championship Series
(AL2) Texas Rangers vs (AL1) Kansas City Royals- This should be a very fun series. Darvish and Hamels pushes the Rangers over the top in this series as they end the Royal October magic and go to the Fall Classic for the third time this decade.
Prediction: Rangers in six games.

- National League Championship Series
(NL3) San Francisco Giants vs (N1) Chicago Cubs- This has the makings for an all-timer. The Giants even year championship streak will finally come to end as the Cubs will take another step toward ending their long awaited championship drought.
Prediction: Cubs in seven games.

- World Series
(AL2) Texas Rangers vs (N1) Chicago Cubs- This should absolutely be a fun series. A ton of good pitching and hitting in this series as well. What it comes down to is, that the Cubs are the best team in baseball and may the best team win (although that's not always the case). Chicago will remember this one for a lifetime and I'm sure this tune will be playing the second the drought is over.
Prediction: Cubs in six games.