2017 MLB Predictions

Here are my predictions for the 2017 MLB season.

- American League

AL East
This is still the best division in baseball in which it will be very competitive yet again. The Boston Red Sox are the team to beat here due to their prolific offense led by their young core of Mookie Betts, Xander Boegarts, Jackie Bradley Jr, and AL Rookie of the Year favorite Andrew Benintendi. Although David Price is out to start the season due to an elbow injury, the rotation should be better with the addition of Chris Sale to pair with Price and reigning AL Cy Young winner Rick Porcello. The bullpen isn't great, but they do have a great closer in Craig Kimbrel and they should improve their pen at the trade deadline. The Toronto Blue Jays may have lost Edwin Encarnacion, but their offense will still be good with AL MVP candidate Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki, Jose Bautista, and new addition Kendrys Morales. Their pitching is perhaps their strength now with Marcus Stroman, JA Happ, and Aaron Sanchez atop the rotation. The bullpen is decent with closer Roberto Osuna, Joe Biagini, and Jason Grilli. The Baltimore Orioles overachieved a season ago and made the Wild Card game. Their offense will still be prolific with AL MVP candidate Manny Machado, Chris Davis, Adam Jones, and Mark Trumbo leading the way. Their starting pitching isn't that good unless they get breakouts from the duo of Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy and Chris Tillman pitches upto his capability. Their bullpen is a strength with Zach Britton closing games and Darren O'Day and Brad Brach are really good too. The New York Yankees are a team that have a mix of veterans and youngsters after the team traded a lot of pieces away last summer to get younger. The offense will be very good led by youngsters Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, and Rookie of the Year candidate Aaron Judge. The top of the starting rotation could be decent with Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, and Michael Pineda, but Sabathia and Pineda could be inconsistent at times. Their bullpen will be great due to the resigning of Aroldis Chapman to pair with Dellin Betances and Tyler Clippard. The Tampa Bay Rays aren't a last place team if they were in any of other five divisions. Evan Longoria had a nice bounce back season a year ago and he'll be good again and Corey Dickerson and Steven Souza Jr (when healthy) can mash. Their starting pitching is their strength again with Chris Archer, Alex Cobb, and Blake Snell leading the way. Alex Colome is a decent closer, but they don't have much in their bullpen outside of him.

1. Boston Red Sox (94-68)
2. Toronto Blue Jays (88-74) (Wild Card)
3. Baltimore Orioles (85-77)
4. New York Yankees (84-78)
5. Tampa Bay Rays (75-87)

AL Central
The Cleveland Indians not only look like the favorite in this division, but the team to beat in the American League. Edwin Encarnacion joins an offense that features Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor, and perhaps a healthy Michael Brantley. Their starting pitching is lights out that features Cy Young candidates in Corey Kluber, Danny Salzar, and Carlos Corrasco. Their bullpen is also very good with Andrew Miller and Cody Allen closing games out. The Detroit Tigers are a team that can be a contender or implode. Their offense will be good with guys like Miguel Cabrera, Justin Upton, Victor Martinez, and JD Martinez. Their starting pitching isn't great outside of Justin Verlander and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer. Their bullpen isn't great either, but they have a decent closer in Francisco Rodriguez. The Kansas City Royals, like the Tigers, can go either way. Their offense features a lot of guys in contract years like Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, who's coming back from an ACL injury. Their rotation took a huge hit when Yordano Ventura was killed in a car crash. Now they have to rely on guys like Danny Duffy and Jason Hammel. Their bullpen isn't as good as it once was after they traded away Wade Davis, but they still have Kelvin Herrera, who will close games out for them. The Minnesota Twins are still in rebuild mode, but their offense has potential with youngsters Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. Brian Dozier has been amazing the last two seasons and now he's a possible trade bait. Their rotation isn't good, but if veterans like Ervin Santana and Phil Hughes are somewhat decent, they can be trade assets. Their bullpen isn't good outside of closer Glen Perkins, who should also be trade bait. The Chicago White Sox kicked off a rebuild this past winter by trading away Chris Sale and Adam Eaton. Expect that continue this season as well with guys like Todd Frazier being moved. Outside of him, expect Yoan Moncada to get called up at some point to contribute offensively. Jose Quintana won't be on this team for long either and he's the ace of the staff until he's (probably) traded and than young prospect Lucas Giolito can get called up. David Robertson is still the closer, but he'll be moved at some point too.

1. Cleveland Indians (92-70)
2. Detroit Tigers (84-78)
3. Kansas City Royals (81-81)
4. Minnesota Twins (69-93)
5. Chicago White Sox (67-95)

AL West
This is one of the more interesting divisions in the league. The Houston Astros look like the team to beat here due to the fact they added Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran to a lineup that already features AL MVP candidate Carlos Correa, George Springer and Jose Altuve. Outside of Dallas Keuchel, their rotation isn't great, but they do have the prospects to make the move for someone (the White Sox's Jose Quintana?). The bullpen is solid with Ken Giles, Luke Gregerson, and Will Harris on the backend. The Texas Rangers look poised for a step back, but I still believe this is a very good team. Their offense is still going to be great with Adrian Beltre, Jonathan Lucroy, Rougned Odor, and free agent signing Mike Napoli. Their starting pitching isn't good outside of Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish. Their bullpen was inconsistent last season, but they have a decent closer in Jeremy Jeffress. The Seattle Mariners are an interesting team this season. Their offense is going to be really good led by the trio of Kyle Seager, Robinson Cano, and Nelson Cruz. Their starting pitching isn't great as Felix Hernandez could be approaching a different point in his career and Yovani Gallardo and Hisashi Iwakuma could provide good innings. The bullpen is solid with Edwin Diaz closing out games and Steve Cishek will get big outs as well. The Los Angeles Angels are improved on paper, but I'm not sure if it will translate to wins. Mike Trout will be in the AL MVP mix yet again, but I'm not sure if Albert Pujols will produce at a high level again. The starting pitching can be ok if Garrett Richards can come back healthy. The bullpen isn't very good and Huston Street will likely be the closer. The Oakland Athletics could be a surprise team this season, but I don't see it. Khris Davis will get his homeruns and I can see guys like Trevor Plouffe and Marcus Semien contributing offensively as well. Sonny Gray will start the season on the DL and outside of him, the starting pitching is mediocre with guys who have potential like Kendall Graveman and Sean Manaea. Their bullpen isn't great, but they have a solid closer in Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson is decent too, but those guys could be trade bait.

1. Houston Astros (91-71)
2. Texas Rangers (87-75) (Wild Card)
3. Seattle Mariners (85-77)
4. Los Angeles Angels (74-88)
5. Oakland Athletics (70-92)

NL  East
The battle for first place between the clear cut top two in this division will be so fun to watch. That said, I like the New York Mets to win this division. NL MVP candidate Yoenis Cespedes will lead the way offensively and they have other guys who can mash homeruns such as Curtis Granderson, Neil Walker, and Lucas Duda. Their rotation is the best in baseball with NL Cy Young candidate Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Steven Matz, who will return from injury at some point. Their bullpen is in pretty good shape once Jeurys Familia returns from his suspension. Addison Reed is one of the more underrated relievers in the league. The Washington Nationals will be right there with the Mets with all the talent they have. NL MVP candidate Bryce Harper will be motivated to have a good season after a disappointing one a year ago. Harper, Anthony Rendon, and breakout candidate Trea Turner lead the way for the Nats offense. The pitching staff is very good when Max Scherzer and Stephen Strausburg are healthy. Tanner Roark and Joe Ross are also solid in the rotation. Blake Treinen was named closer and Sean Kelley is a solid reliever, but they have to upgrade their pen again at the deadline if they want to go deep in October. The Miami Marlins could go either way this season. Their offense has a chance to be very good with led by the terrific outfield of Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, and Marcell Ozuna. Their starting pitching is a mess now after the death of Jose Fernandez. Adam Conley and Wei-Yen Chen are nice pitchers, but they're not aces by any stretch. Their bullpen is actually decent with AJ Ramos, David Phelps, and Brad Ziegler who are capable of getting big outs. The Philadelphia Phillies are a team that's heading in the right direction, but they're a few years away from being a contender. The offense has a ton of potential with youngsters like Mikael Franco and Tommy Joseph. It's possible that top prospects Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, and JP Crawford will be called up at some point. Their starting pitching is actually decent featuring youngsters Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez, and Jerad Eickhoff. Their bullpen has a lot of trade bait guys such as Pat Neshek and Joaquin Benoit. Veterans such as Howie Kendrick, Clay Buchholz, and Jeremy Hellickson should be trade bait as well. The Atlanta Braves, like the Phillies, are heading in the right direction. Freddie Freeman, Ender Inciarte, and NL Rookie of the Year favorite Dansby Swanson lead the way on offense and veterans such as Matt Kemp and Nick Markakis should be trade bait. Veteran starting pitchers Bartolo Colon and RA Dickey were signed this offseason, but expect them to be trade bait too. The bullpen isn't very good and closer Jim Johnson will be trade bait as well.

1. New York Mets (92-70)
2. Washington Nationals (90-72) (Wild Card)
3. Miami Marlins (76-86)
4. Philadelphia Phillies (72-90)
5. Atlanta Braves (70-92)

NL Central
The reigning World Series champion Chicago Cubs are the prohibitive favorites to take this division crown yet again due to the fact they are still baseballs best team. Reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo will be in the NL MVP conversation again and the offense will get even better with the return of Kyle Schwarber. The rotation is still very good with Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, and Jake Arrieta, who is in a contract year. The bullpen is decent as well although they lost Aroldis Chapman, who they replaced with Wade Davis. Hector Rondon, Justin Grimm, and Carl Edwards Jr are quality bullpen arms too. The St. Louis Cardinals are a team many people will take a step back, but I'm not totally buying that notion. Dexter Flower was a great acquisition for them and he'll join Matt Carpenter, Yadier Molina, Stephen Piscotty, and Randal Grichuk to form a great lineup. The starting pitching took a big hit when Alex Reyes had to get a Tommy John surgery, but Carlos Martinez and Adam Wainwright are still in that rotation and are pretty darn good. Lance Lynn also returns from Tommy John surgery, which will help. The bullpen was improved in the offseason with the acquisition of Brett Cecil to go with Kevin Siegrist, Jonathan Broxton, and closer Seung-hwan Oh. The Pittsburgh Pirates are a team that could go either way. Andrew McCutchen is in a contract year so he'll be motivated. Along with McCutchen, Gregory Polanco, Starling Marte, and Francisco Cervelli will lead the way offensively. The pitching staff has a chance to be good with Gerrit Cole and youngsters Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon. The bullpen isn't very good outside of closer Tony Watson, though. The Milwaukee Brewers are in rebuild mode so they'll probably be dealing veterans at the deadline. The offense isn't that bad with guys like Ryan Braun and youngsters Domingo Santana and Orlando Arcia. The starting pitching isn't very good and it features guys like Jimmy Nelson, Tommy Milone, and Wily Peralta. Outside of Neftali Feliz, the bullpen is not good. The Cincinnati Reds are also in rebuild mode. Like the Brewers, the offense is not bad with guys like Joey Votto, Adam Duvall, and speedster Billy Hamilton. Their starting pitching has a lot of youth with guys like Brandon Finnegan and Anthony DeSclefani. The bullpen is mediocre with guys like Drew Storen and Tony Cingrani.

1. Chicago Cubs (97-65)
2. St. Louis Cardinals (88-74) (Wild Card)
3. Pittsburgh Pirates (81-81)
4. Milwaukee Brewers (70-92)
5. Cincinnati Reds (69-93)

NL West
This division could be better than people think (outside of the last place team), but Los Angeles Dodgers look like the team the beat here and I believe they have a real shot to win the World Series this year. Reigning NL Rookie of the Year Corey Seager will be an NL MVP candidate this year and he, Adrian Gonzalez, Justin Turner, and trade acquisition Logan Forsythe are among the talented position players they have. Clayton Kershaw is still the best pitcher in the game and I expect the rotation will be better with a healthy Kershaw, a full season of Rich Hill, and the possible callup of Julio Urias. The bullpen should be decent with Kenley Jansen returning in free agency and I expect the team will make a move to make the bullpen even better. The San Francisco Giants are still very good and will be in the mix. Buster Posey, Joe Panik, Brandon Belt, and Hunter Pence will lead the way offensively. Madison Bumgarner is still awesome and Johnny Cueto is still very good too, but Jeff Samardzija has to be better in order for this rotation to be good. They improved their bullpen drastically by bringing in Mark Melancon. Will Smith and Hunter Strickland are quality arms out of the pen as well. The Colorado Rockies are a sleeper pick of some folks, but I'm not sure about that. Their offense will be lights out with NL MVP candidate Nolan Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez, Trevor Story, and new acquisition Ian Desmond leading the way. Their starting pitching has a chance to be decent led by breakout candidate Jon Gray and Tyler Chatwood. Their bullpen is actually decent with good arms like Greg Holland, Jason Motte, and Chad Qualls. The Arizona Diamondbacks were a total flop last season after making trades and free agency signings to make headlines. The offense should be better with a full season of AJ Pollock after he was lost for most of last season with a broken elbow. Along with Pollock, Paul Goldschmidt, Yasmany Tomas, and David Peralta will lead the way offensively. The starting pitching should be better and I don't think Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller will be as bad as they were last season and the trade acquisition of Taijuan Walker will help. The bullpen should be better with the acquisition of Fernando Rodney. The San Diego Padres look like the worst team in the league this season. The offense consists of Wil Myers, Yangervis Solarte, and NL Rookie of the Year candidates Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe. The starting pitching is not good with veterans who are either past their primes or mediocre like Jared Weaver, Trevor Cahill, and Jhoulys Chacin. The bullpen isn't good either and their closer is Brandon Mauer. Expect this team to flip some assets at the deadline come July.

2017 MLB Playoffs
- American League Wild Card
(WC2) Texas Rangers vs (WC1) Toronto Blue Jays: This should be a great one considering these two teams met in the ALDS the last two seasons. These teams are pretty much even, but I like the Blue Jays to move on because they have the home crowd and the bullpen edge.
Prediction: Blue Jays

- National League Wild Card
(WC2) St. Louis Cardinals vs (WC1) Washington Nationals: This should be a good one as well. Something tells me Bryce Harper and the Nats finally get over the hump and win a big game.
Prediction: Nationals

- American League Division Series
(WC1) Toronto Blue Jays vs (1) Boston Red Sox: This should be a fun series between these two divisional rivals. The Red Sox offense will carry them to the League Championship Series for the first time since 2013.
Prediction: Red Sox in five games.

(3) Houston Astros vs (2) Cleveland Indians: This series should also be a fun one as well. Give me the Indians starting pitching to lead the way for the Tribe back to the League Championship Series for the second year in a row.
Prediction: Indians in four games.

- National League Division Series
(WC1) Washington Nationals vs (1) Chicago Cubs: This series should be interesting, but I see the Cubs making quick work of the Nats here.
Prediction: Cubs in three games.

(3) New York Mets vs (2) Los Angeles Dodgers: This series should be fantastic because it's a rematch of the series where Chase Utley famously slid into Ruben Tejada two years ago. This time, I like Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers to advance to the League Championship Series for the second straight season.
Prediction: Dodgers in five games.

- American League Championship Series
(2) Cleveland Indians vs (1) Boston Red Sox: This should be a fun rematch of last years ALDS. The Indians starting pitching and bullpen will propel them back to the World Series again over a talented Red Sox team.
Prediction: Indians in six games.

- National League Championship Series
(2) Los Angeles Dodgers vs (1) Chicago Cubs: This should be a fantastic rematch of last years NLCS. This time around, I like the Dodgers to advance to their first World Series since 1988 in what should be a classic.
Prediction: Dodgers in seven games.

- World Series
(A2) Cleveland Indians vs (N2) Los Angeles Dodgers: This should be a great World Series between two evenly matched teams. This was a hard call, but give me the Dodgers to win the whole thing and Kershaw to finally win a ring.
Prediction: Dodgers in six games.