2018 MLB Season Predictions

Here are my predictions for the 2018 MLB season. Will the Astros repeat as champions? How will the Yankees fare with Giancarlo Stanton in that fearsome lineup now? How will Bryce Harper's possible last season in DC fare out? Find out here.

American League East
1. New York Yankees (97-65)
2. Boston Red Sox (93-69) (Wild Card)
3. Toronto Blue Jays (78-84)
4. Baltimore Orioles (74-88)
5. Tampa Bay Rays (72-90)

This division may not be as deep as it was the last few seasons. The New York Yankees are the favorites to win this division this season for a number of reasons. Reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton joins Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, and Didi Gregorius to form an amazing five-some in that loaded lineup. Bird will be out for the first two months of the season due to foot surgery, although that is a loss for them, they'll have Tyler Austin or Neil Walker play first for now. Don't sleep on the Yanks starting staff led by Luis Severino, who finished third in the AL Cy Young voting last season. Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, CC Sabathia, and Jordan Montgomery round out the rotation and when healthy that's a great five-some. The best unit on this team is the bullpen with a bunch of studs in Aroldis Chapman, David Robertson, Chad Green, Tommy Kahnle, and (when he's on his game) Dellin Betances. This Yankee team is loaded and destined for big things. The Boston Red Sox can't be ruled out in this division and it cannot be forgotten that they won the division a year ago meanwhile a bunch of their key players had disappointing seasons individually and have bounce back capability. Their offense will be better with the addition of JD Martinez to go with their young core of Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers. Their rotation (when healthy) is solid led by ace Chris Sale. Bounce back seasons from David Price, Rick Porcello, and Drew Pomeranz will help this team greatly. Their bullpen is solid as well led by closer Craig Kimbrel. Carson Smith is a solid reliever and so is Tyler Thornburg, who is starting the season on the DL. The Red Sox seem destined to host the American League Wild Card game. The Toronto Blue Jays had a bit of a makeover of their team by taking chances on either young guys to benefit from a change of scenery or veterans that can help them either this season or they can use as trade bait come July if they're out of contention. The offense should be solid led by Josh Donaldson, who is in a contract year and could be trade bait if things go south. New additions Randal Grichuk, Curtis Granderson, Yangervis Solarte, and Aledmys Diaz all are capable of helping them. The rotation cannot be slept on led by Marcus Stroman, who is capable of pitching like a top-10 pitcher. JA Happ and Marco Estrada are capable of pitching well on occasion as well. Their bullpen is mediocre, but have a solid closer in Roberto Osuna. Joe Bigiani and Aaron Sanchez are solid guys out of their bullpen although both of those guys can start too. The Blue Jays season could go either way depending on health and performance. The Baltimore Orioles are an interesting team this season for many of different seasons. Manny Machado and Adam Jones are in contract years and are two of the leaders on that team and of course in their lineup. Jonathan Schoop broke out last season and the O's lineup also features two rookies in Chance Sisco and Austin Hays. Their rotation isn't good although they recently signed Alex Cobb, who joins Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy to anchor that rotation. The O's bullpen cannot be slept on once closer Zach Britton comes back from injury and this bullpen also has Darren O'Day and Brad Brach in there. The O's seem destined for the bottom of the division and a trade deadline sell-off with guys like Machado, Jones, Britton, and Brach in contract years. The Tampa Bay Rays had an interesting offseason with the trading of some veterans and trading for some young guys with upside. Their offense will be subpar with the departures of Evan Longoria, Logan Morrison, and Steven Souza Jr and they'll be relying on new additions CJ Kron and Carlos Gomez to perform. The rotation isn't as good as it once was with the trading of Jake Odorizzi and the free agent departure of Alex Cobb. Chris Arhcer will anchor the rotation and guys like Blake Snell, Matt Andriese, and Nathan Eovaldi will be making starts for them. Their bullpen isn't good, but have a solid closer in Alex Colome and don't be shocked if Sergio Romo pitches well for them. The Rays, like the O's are destined for the bottom of the division with a trade deadline sell-off with guys like Archer, Colome, and maybe Romo and Miller if they perform well.

American League Central 
1. Cleveland Indians (94-68)
2. Minnesota Twins (84-78)
3. Chicago White Sox (77-85)
4. Kansas City Royals (68-94)
5. Detroit Tigers (65-97)

This division is perhaps the weakest in the game due to the fact two of the three leagues worst teams reside in this division. The Cleveland Indians are favorites in this division yet again although they did lose some key pieces in free agency. The offense should still be solid led by Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez and it would be great if Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis stay healthy. The rotation is among the leagues best led by reigning Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. Carlos Corrasco, Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin, and Mike Clevenger round out the rotation. Danny Salazar may start the season on the DL due to shoulder inflammation and he may end up as a reliever or even trade bait eventually. The bullpen is still solid despite the free agent departure of Bryan Shaw. Cody Allen and Andrew Miller is a very good duo that will be relied on heavily. The Indians should win this division by a landslide again this season. The Minnesota Twins made the American League Wild Card game a season ago and they improved their team. Logan Morrison joins a great lineup led by Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, and Miguel Sano. This team was dealt a blow though with Jorge Polanco suspended for eighty games due to PED's. The rotation will be better with the additions of Lance Lynn and Jake Odorizzi, although the team did not land an ace in the offseason. Their bullpen should be better with the additions of Addison Reed and Fernando Rodney. The Twins seem destined to fall short of expectations due to the Polanco suspension, Ervin Santana's injury and possible regression, and the fact that some competition around has improved too. The Chicago White Sox are a franchise heading in the right direction, but still is in the midst of their rebuild. Jose Abreu leads the way offensively and have a bunch of youngsters in the lineup with Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, and Matt Davidson. Their rotation won't be good as a whole this year, but young prospect Michael Kopech will be called up at some point and will be an American League Rookie of the Year candidate. James Shields is still around and he could be trade bait come July. The bullpen isn't good after they traded their best three relievers last July. Joakim Soria is slated to be the White Sox closer and he may be trade bait this season. The Kansas City Royals are starting what is probably going to be a long rebuild. Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain are gone and Mike Moustakas was brought back as well as Alcides Escobar. Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon are still around and the Royal will rely on those guys plus youngsters in Hunter Doizer, Whit Merrifield, and Cheslor Cuthbert. The rotation is not good and Danny Duffy is their best starter. The bullpen is not as good as it was in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, but they have a solid closer in Kelvin Herrera. The Royals are destined for the bottom of the division as well as a trade deadline sell-off with guys like Moustakas, Duffy, and Herrera likely to be dealt and even possibly Perez. The Detroit Tigers are also starting a long rebuild process. The offense isn't even close to what it was in the past although Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez are still around. Jeimer Candelario is a young guy that's probably going to be in this rebuild for the long haul. The rotation outside of Michael Fulmer is among the games worst although they do have prospects down in the minors that will be impactful down the road. The bullpen isn't good either and Shane Greene is slated to be their closer. The Tigers will also be a trade deadline seller and guys like Fulmer, Francisco Liriano, Greene, Alex Wilson, Nicholas Castellanos, and even Cabrera and Martinez could be traded this summer.

American League West
1. Houston Astros (96-66)
2. Los Angeles Angels (88-74) (Wild Card)
3. Seattle Mariners (78-84)
4. Texas Rangers (76-86)
5. Oakland Athletics (74-88)

This division has a chance to be the best in the league this season and the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros are the favorites to repeat in this division. The Astros offense is among the leagues best led by reigning American League MVP Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer, and Alex Bregman. The rotation is very good led by Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel and they added Gerrit Cole this past winter. Postseason heroes Lance McCullers Jr and Charlie Morton are very good in the back end of the rotation as well. The bullpen was improved in the offseason with the additions of Hector Rendon and Joe Smith. The bullpen would be among the games best if Ken Giles, Chris Devinksi, and Joe Harris pitch to their capabilities. The Astros are destined to be among the games elite this season. The Los Angeles Angels are going to be one of the leagues most improved teams. Mike Trout will be an American League MVP candidate yet again and he has help in his lineup with Justin Upton, Ian Kinsler, Zach Cozart, and perhaps if Albert Pujols can turn back the clock too. We shall see if Shohai Ohtani turns out to be as good as advertised or not after a disappointing spring training both at the plate and on the pound. The rotation along with Ohtani features Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, and Tyler Skaggs and Richards has shown ace-like capability in the past. The bullpen is not very good though and their closer is slated to be either Jim Johnson or Blake Parker. The Angels led by Trout and the improved offense along with a healthy Richards, should take the Angels to the playoffs. The Seattle Mariners made some interesting offseason moves. Their offense will be solid led by Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager, Robinson Cano, and new acquisitions Ryon Healy and Dee Gordon. The Mariners failed to improve their rotation and they're relying on Felix Hernandez to turn back the clock and for James Paxton to stay healthy and pitch like he did in the beginning of last season. The bullpen took a blow as David Phelps was lost for the season with Tommy John surgery. Edwin Diaz is slated to be their closer and he was decent last season. The M's season can go either way whether it's playoffs or trade deadline sell-off this summer. The Texas Rangers had an interesting off season as well. Their offense will be their strength led by Adrian Beltre, Rougned Odor, and Joey Gallo. The rotation is subpar outside of Cole Hamels and they added guys like Doug Fster, Matt Moore, and Mike Minor who are nice starters, but have seen better days. Their bullpen is not good and it's unknown who their closer will be and it maybe Jake Diekman or Alex Claudio. The Rangers and Mariners are similar from a standpoint from that their season can go either way. The Athletics are going to be improved this season and could be the leagues best last place team. The offense will be improved with the addition of Stephen Piscotty to go with Khris Davis and youngsters Matt Chapman and Matt Olson. The rotation should be better with the possible improvements from Kendall Graveman and Sean Manaea. The bullpen isn't as good as it was before they traded away some guys last summer and Blake Treinen is slated to be their closer. The A's should be improved although they will likely deal some guys this summer.

National League East
1. Washington Nationals (96-66)
2. New York Mets (84-78)
3. Philadelphia Phillies (78-84)
4. Atlanta Braves (77-85)
5. Miami Marlins (60-102)

This division will be better than it was a season ago, but the Washington Nationals are the team to beat in this division yet again. Bryce Harper is in a contract year and will be very motivated this season and he along with his teammates in Trea Turner, Anthony Rendon, Daniel Murphy (who's going to start the season on the DL due to his offseason knee surgery), and Adam Eaton (who's coming off a torn ACL) are going to lead the way offensively. The rotation is solid led by the dynamic duo of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strausburg. Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Rorak are also solid starters in their rotation. Their bullpen is improved as well with the guys they traded for last summer and they are all back with closer Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson, and Brandon Kintzler. The New York Mets should be improved this season due to guys coming back from injuries and improvement from younger players. The offense should be better with a healthy Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce coming back, Michael Conforto coming off injury, and youngsters Brandon Nimmo and Amed Rosario improving. The rotation should be better with Noah Syndergaard back from injury, Jacob deGrom, and a motivated Matt Harvey leading the way. The bullpen should be better with the return of Jeurys Familia and the addition of Anthony Swarzak. The Philadelphia Phillies will be one of the more improved teams in baseball this season. The lineup is going to be great with youngsters Rhys Hoskins, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Scott Kingery and veteran offseason acquisition Carlos Santana. The rotation is improved with free agent signee Jake Arrieta joining Aaron Nola and Vince Velasquez to form a nice three-some. The bullpen is improved as well with the signings of Pat Nishek and Tommy Hunter to go with closer Hector Neris. The Phillies season could go either way whether it's a playoff push or one last year of shipping away cheap veterans, but will be a fun watch. The Atlanta Braves are another team on the rise in this division. The lineup will be better with the inevitable call-up of Ronald Acuna, who is a National Rookie of the Year favorite joining Freddie Freeman to form a nice duo. The rotation will probably be better later in the season if young prospect Kyle Wright gets promoted to The Show at some point to join Julio Terehan and Mike Foltynewicz. Their bullpen is below average though, but have a solid closer in Arodys Viczaino. The Braves are going to be fun to watch this season as well. The Miami Marlins are among the leagues worst teams after trading away some great players this past winter. JT Realmuto is still around and he could very well among the next to get moved as well as Starlin Castro, who they got back in the Giancarlo Stanton trade. Although youngsters Brian Anderson, Lewis Brinson and Magneuris Sierra will be bright spots for them. Their rotation is among the worst in the game and Jose Urena is slated to start Opening Day. Their bullpen is also bad although they have two solid arms in Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa, who are also trade bait. This is a mess in Miami that's going to take a long time to turn around.

National League Central
1. Chicago Cubs (95-67)
2. St. Louis Cardinals (88-74) (Wild Card)
3. Milwaukee Brewers (87-75) (Wild Card)
4. Pittsburgh Pirates (72-90)
5. Cincinnati Reds (71-91)

This division is solid on top and very bad at the bottom. The Chicago Cubs remain the favorites in this division for a number of reasons. The offense is still very good led by Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Wilson Contreras. The rotation will be better with the free agent signing of Yu Darvish to go with Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, and Kyle Hendricks in that rotation. The bullpen is improved too with the free agent signing of Brandon Morrow to go with Pedro Strop, Justin Wilson, and Carl Edwards Jr. The Cubs are bound to be one of the games elite teams again this season. The St. Louis Cardinals will be an improved team this season as well. Marcell Ozuna brings power to a lineup featuring Matt Carpenter, Paul DeJong, Tommy Pham, and Yadier Molina. Although Adam Wainwright is starting the season on the DL due to a strained left hamstring, the rotation should be solid with Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha, Luke Weaver, young prospect Jack Flaherty, and perhaps Alex Reyes coming off of Tommy John surgery unless he goes to the 'pen. Luke Gregerson is starting the season on the DL due to a strain left hamstring as well. Guys like Brett Cecil and Tyler Lyons will be heavily relied on in that bullpen. The Cards are a candidate to make a trade this summer which will help them become a playoff team this season and I believe that's the case. The Milwaukee Brewers were a surprise team a season ago and look to build on that. Their offense is improved with the additions of Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich to go with Travis Shaw, Ryan Braun, and Danny Santana. The rotation isn't very good and maybe they add somebody to go with Chase Anderson and Jimmy Nelson in that rotation. The bullpen is solid with a Corey Knebel closing games out and they also have Matt Albers, Boone Logan, and Jared Jeffress in their 'pen. The Brewers are a team bound to make deadline splashes which will help them to a Wild Card spot. The Pittsburgh Pirates are team enduring a rebuild after trading away Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole. Josh Harrison may be next out the door and along with Harrison, they have guys Corey Dickerson, Josh Bell, Gregory Polanco, and Starling Marte on offense. Their rotation consists of Ivan Nova, Jameson Taillon, and perhaps Tyler Glasnow could see some starts as well. Their bullpen isn't good and Felipe Rivero is slated to be their closer. The Cincinnati Reds are still in the middle of their rebuilding process. Joey Votto is still around and he leads the way for the Reds offense as well as Adam Duvall, Scott Schebler, and perhaps Nick Senzel will be up at some point for them. Their rotation is subpar although Luis Castillo has shown promise as well as Brandon Finnegan and Anthony DeSclafani, who will both start the season on the DL. Their bullpen is subpar, but have a decent closer in Rafael Iglesias. The Reds are again destined for the bottom of the division.

National League West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (97-65)
2. Arizona Diamondbacks (85-77)
3. Colorado Rockies (82-80)
4. San Francisco Giants (71-91)
5. San Diego Padres (70-92)

This division has a chance to be better as a whole, but I doubt that. The Los Angeles Dodgers should be the favorites here yet again. The offense should be great with Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, and Justin Turner leading the way although Turner will start the season on the DL due to a broken wrist. Clayton Kershaw is in a contract year for the Dodgers and will be motivated. Alex Wood, Kenta Maeda, and Rich Hill are among those with Kershaw in the rotation and don't forget about Julio Urias, who'll be back in May coming off shoulder surgery. The bullpen took a hit with the free agent loss of Brandon Morrow, but still have the games best closer in Kenley Jansen and have solid relievers in Tony Cingrani, Josh Fields, and trade acquisition Scott Alexander. The Dodgers are going to be great yet again this season. The Arizona Diamondbacks are among the decent teams in the National League. The offense will still be solid (despite losing JD Martinez) led by Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Lamb, and trade acquisition Steven Souza Jr. The rotation should be good led by Zach Greinke, Robbie Ray, and Taijuan Walker. The bullpen took a hit with the free agent departure of Fernando Rodney, but they do have Archie Bradley and Brad Boxberger who are capable of closing games. The D-Backs should be in the hunt all season long. The Colorado Rockies has a great season last year and it should be interesting to see if they replicate it. The offense will be among the games better ones led by Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon and it will be interesting if stud prospect Brendan Rodgers gets called up at some point. The rotation isn't great, but Jon Gray evolved into an ace last season. German Marquez exceeded expectations as a rookie early in the season, but fell off in the second half. The bullpen is improved with the signings of Wade Davis and Bryan Shaw. The Rockies feel like a regression candidate to me. The San Francisco Giants are a fascinating team to watch this season for a number of reasons. The offense should be better with the additions of Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen to go with Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, and Brandon Crawford. Madison Bumgarner broke his pinky finger so he'll miss the first two months of the season and that is a giant blow to this team. The rest of the rotation features the likes of Johnny Cueto, Ty Blach, and Jeff Samardzija, who is also starting the season on the DL due to a right pectoral muscle strain. Their bullpen isn't that great, but a Mark Melancon bounce back season is a possibility and Sam Dyson, Hunter Strickland, and Tony Watson are solid arms too. With Bumgarner missing time and guys aging on the roster, it feels like destiny that this team is going to realize it's time to start a rebuild and perhaps a Bumgarner trade cannot be ruled out if a godfather offer comes around. The San Diego Padres rebuild is coming closer to an end as some of their prospects are nearing the bigs and they actually made some moves this winter. Eric Hosmer was paid big bucks by the Padres and Chase Headley was brought back this past winter and they join Hunter Renfroe, Miguel Margot, and Austin Hedges in that lineup. The rotation is subpar as Clayton Richard is slated to start Opening Day. The bullpen is also subpar and Brad Hand is their lone reliever that's good and he'll be trade bait. This is a franchise heading in the right direction, but still a year or two away.

2018 MLB Playoffs
- American League Wild Card
(WC2) Los Angeles Angels vs (WC1) Boston Red Sox: This game is destined to be Chris Sale out-dueling Garrett Richards and Craig Kimbrel closing it out to propel the Red Sox to the Divisional Round to face their arch-rival.
Prediction: Red Sox

- National League Wild Card
(WC2) Milwaukee Brewers vs (WC1) St. Louis Cardinals: A division rivalry in a one-game playoff is always fun. This would be such a fun game for so many reasons besides the rivalry, but give me Carlos Martinez to lead the Cards behind the Busch Stadium crowd to propel the Cards to the Divisional Round.
Prediction: Cardinals

- American League Division Series
(WC1) Boston Red Sox vs (1) New York Yankees: The games best rivalry takes on in the postseason. The Yanks are just the better team this season led by the great offense and bullpen as they'll advance to the League Championship Series for the second straight season.
Prediction: Yankees in four games

(3) Cleveland Indians vs (2) Houston Astros: What most folks thought what the League Championship Series would be a year ago, will end up taking place here. This should be a great series but give me the duo of Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander to lead the way as the Astros go to the League Championship Series for the third time in four seasons.
Prediction: Astros in five games

- National League Division Series
(WC1) St. Louis Cardinals vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers: This should be a fun series with all the talent on both sides. Give me Clayton Kershaw to lead the way for the Dodgers to their third straight League Championship Series.
Prediction: Dodgers in four games

(3) Chicago Cubs vs (2) Washington Nationals: Here we have a rematch of last years epic Divisional Round series. Something tells me it's the same outcome from last season except you have Yu Darvish pitching the decisive game five victory.
Prediction: Cubs in five games

- American League Championship Series
(2) Houston Astros vs (1) New York Yankees: Here we have a rematch of last years League Championship Series. I think this one goes seven games as well except the improved and deep Yankees break through to their first World Series since 2009.
Prediction: Yankees in seven games

- National League Championship Series
(3) Chicago Cubs vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers: Here we also have a rematch of last years League Championship Series. This time I think it goes a little bit longer than last season and more competitive as well as Kershaw and the Dodgers advance to their second straight World Series.
Prediction: Dodgers in six games

- World Series
(N1) Los Angeles Dodgers vs (A1) New York Yankees: A Broadway versus Hollywood World Series is something baseball fans would love and these are two of the three best teams in the league. Both teams are deep just about everywhere and both teams will improve their rosters even more at the trade deadline in July. This was a hard call, but the Yankees with home field advantage will propel them to their twenty-eighth championship in franchise history and their first since 2009.
Prediction: Yankees in six games