Here are my award predictions for the 2020 MLB Season.
American League
MVP: Matt Chapman, Oakland Athletics: Chapman is widely known for his outstanding defense at third base, but he has become a prolific offensive player as well. I think he's in for a big season on a team that I view as a contender in the A's.
Runner up: Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians
Cy Young: Shane Bieber, Cleveland Indians: Instead of going chalk with Gerrit Cole, I went with someone who had a breakout 2019 in Bieber. The short season will benefit the Indians and that staff and Bieber is certainly capable of leading the American League in ERA this season.
Runner up: Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees
Rookie of the Year: Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox: Robert is someone that I believe that can become a flat out stud this season. He has shown so much of what he can do both with the bat and glove. Also, I believe the White Sox are a playoff team now and for years to come.
Runner up: Jesus Luzardo, Oakland Athletics
Manager of the Year: Rick Renteria, Chicago White Sox: Renteria is someone who is under some pressure this season for his team to succeed. I believe they will have success and he will rightfully get credit for it.
Runner up: Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Rays
National League
MVP: Juan Soto, Washington Nationals: Despite news breaking that Soto will miss time with Covid-19, I believe Soto could come back soon and pick off where he left off last season. He is a flat out stud and he will carry the Nationals to the postseason.
Runner up: Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
Cy Young: Mike Soroka, Atlanta Braves: Soroka was outstanding as a rookie a year and would have won Rookie of the Year had not been for Pete Alonso's historic rookie season. I believe he steps up his game more and comes away with this prestigious award.
Runner up: Luis Castillo, Cincinnati Reds
Rookie of the Year: Gavin Lux, Los Angeles Dodgers: Despite not starting the season with the big league club, I believe he will come up and show what he is capable of. He will certainly be better than what he showed last fall.
Runner up: Carter Kieboom, Washington Nationals
Manager of the Year: David Bell, Cincinnati Reds: With all the improvements the team made in the second half of last season and in the offseason, there's pressure on Bell to deliver. I believe he will get the job done and will get this award.
Runner up: Luis Rojas, New York Mets
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
2020 MLB Season Predictions
This is going to be a season like non other as we are entering a 60-game regular season, plus postseason, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, but hey, it's still baseball! And with hours away from the start of the MLB Season, the league announced that they would be expanding the playoffs to 16 teams (8 per league)! Can the Washington Nationals possibly repeat as World Series Champions? Will this be a Yankees vs Dodgers like most people expect or a surprise representative representing each league? Without further ado, here are my predictions for the 2020 MLB Season!
AL East
1. New York Yankees- 40-20
2. Tampa Bay Rays- 38-22
3. Boston Red Sox- 28-32
4. Toronto Blue Jays- 26-34
5. Baltimore Orioles- 20-40
The New York Yankees are unquestionably the favorites to take home the American League East crown for the second straight season. They made the sexiest move of the winter signing Gerrit Cole away from the Houston Astros as he leads their rotation with James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, JA Happ, and Jordan Montgomery behind him. Their offense is loaded with big names led by Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu, and Gary Sanchez. Their bullpen remains the best in the game led by closer Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Tommy Kahnle, and Adam Ottavino. The Tampa Bay Rays are a team many people expect to challenge the Yankees for the division title. Their rotation is among the best in the game led by their Big Three of Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Charlie Blackmon. Their bullpen is sneaky good led by closer Nick Anderson, Oliver Drake, and Jose Alvardo. Their offense is very solid led by Austin Meadows, new add Hunter Renfroe, Brandon Lowe, and Yandy Diaz. The Boston Red Sox will take a major step back after trading away Mookie Betts and David Price as well as ace pitcher Chris Sale being out for the season with Tommy John Surgery. Nathan Eovaldi will be their Opening Day starter as Eduardo Rodriguez is coming back from having Covid-19. The rest of their rotation is filled with unproven guys. Brandon Workman is slated to be their closer. Their offense will put up their runs led by JD Martinez, Rafael Devers, and Xander Bogaerts. The Toronto Blue Jays are a team that is certainly heading in the right direction. Hyun-Jin Ryu was their big free agent prize to lead their pitching staff and young pitching prospect Tanner Pearson could join the rotation at some point too. Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson were veterans the team also added to their rotation. Ken Giles is still around as their closer and is coming off one of his better seasons. Their offense is filled with youth and potential led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Bo Bichette, and Cavan Biggio. The Baltimore Orioles are a team that is still rebuilding. John Means is coming off a career year and is their best pitcher, but the rest of their rotation is bad. Their bullpen has some interesting guys such as closer Mychal Givens and Hunter Harvey. Their offense has guys like Renato Nunez and Hanser Alberto coming off career years, but are bound for regression. They will also miss veteran Trey Mancini since he is battling cancer.
AL Central
1. Cleveland Indians- 36-24
2. Chicago White Sox- 34-26
3. Minnesota Twins- 31-29
4. Kansas City Royals- 22-38
5. Detroit Tigers- 21-39
This is one of the more wide open divisions in all of baseball, and due to the season only being 60-games I give the advantage to the Cleveland Indians, who are being disrespected by some experts. Their loaded pitching staff is why they have the advantage here lead by Shane Bieber, Mike Clevenger and Carlos Corrasco. Their bullpen is solid too led by closer Brad Hand, Hunter Wood, and Adam Cimber. Their offense has potential to be very good too led by Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Carlos Santana, and Franmil Reyes. The Chicago White Sox have a chance at surprising some folks this season and I believe they will get into the postseason. Michael Kopech will be missed for the season as he's opted out, recovering from Tommy John Surgery. Lucas Giolito is coming off a breakout season and he and new addition Dallas Keuchel will lead that rotation. Their closer is Alex Colome and they have other veteran 'pen arms such as Steve Cishek and Kelvin Herrera. Their offense has a real shot of being awesome led by Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, and rookie Luis Robert with possibly second base prospect Nick Madrigal joining the team too. The Minnesota Twins had an unbelievable season last year, but I believe are due for some regression. Jose Berrios leads their rotation and Jake Odorizzi is coming off a career year. Veterans Kenta Maeda, Homer Bailey, and Rich Hill were added to help out. Their bullpen doesn't thrill me with Taylor Rodgers as their closer and veterans Tyler Clippard and Sergio Romo are there too. Their offense is even better than the one that broke the MLB single season home-run record with Josh Donaldson coming in free agency joining Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario, Mitch Garver, and Miguel Sano, although a few of those guys are due for some regression. The Kansas City Royals are still rebuilding. Top pitching prospect Brady Singer is expected to be apart of the rotation this season along with Brad Keller, Danny Duffy, and Jakob Junis. Their bullpen is not good and Ian Kennedy is their closer. Salvador Perez will be back after missing last season with Tommy John surgery and he'll join a young offense led by Jorge Soler, Hunter Dozier, and Adalebrto Mondesi. The Detroit Tigers are another young and rebuilding team in the division. Matthew Boyd is slated to start Opening Day and Michael Fulmer could be back in the mix this season too. I won't be shocked to see top pitching prospect Casey Mize pitch in the rotation at some point too. Their bullpen is not good, although Joe Jimenez isn't a bad closer. Their offense is among the worst in the game and Miguel Cabrera is not the same guy as he was even four years ago. They do have some tradable players like Jonathan School and CJ Cron if they live up to their reputations.
AL West
1. Oakland Athletics- 37-23
2. Houston Astros- 33-27
3. Texas Rangers- 29-31
4. Los Angeles Angels- 25-35
5. Seattle Mariners- 23-37
I do believe this division could be better than some people may think, but I am going to roll with the dice with the team that tends to play great in the hot weather in a normal season- the Oakland Athletics. The teams starting pitching has a chance to be the best in the division led by Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and young stud prospect Jesus Luzardo. Unfortunately, AJ Puk may not pitch this season due to a shoulder issue. The bullpen is really good led by closer Liam Hendricks, Joakim Soria, and Lou Trivino. The offense is among one of the leagues best and deepest led by Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Khris Davis. The Houston Astros could be in for some regression and turmoil due to the free agent loss of Gerrit Cole and AJ Hinch being fired due to the cheating scandal with Dusty Baker replacing him. Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke lead that rotation and they need Lance McCullers Jr to be the guy he was before Tommy John surgery and Josh James and Jose Urqidy must step up too. Their bullpen has some good pieces including closer Roberto Osuna, Chris Divenski, and Ryan Pressly. Their offense is still among the games best led by Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, George Springer, and Yordan Alvarez. The Texas Rangers have a chance to surprise some people this season and with the expanded playoffs now, they certainly have a shot to make it. They added Corey Kluber for their rotation to go with Lance Lynn and Mike Minor. Their bullpen is not very good with guys like closer Jose Leclerc, Jesse Chavez, and Luke Farrell. Their offense is not very good either although Joey Gallo is a star and guys like Rougned Odor, Todd Frazier, and Robinson Chirinos. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have a Joe Maddon as their manager in his second tenure, but this may be a long season for the team. Their rotation is suspect, but has some potential outside of Shohei Ohtani with guys like Griffin Canning, Dylan Bundy, and Julio Terehan. Their bullpen is not good and Hansel Robles is their closer. Their offense has Mike Trout, who people think could opt out and new addition Anthony Rendon, who is dealing with an oblique injury. The rest of the offense has guys like Albert Pujols and Justin Upton, who's best days are behind them. The Seattle Mariners are a team that's rebuilding. Marco Gonzalez is their likely Opening Day starter and Yusei Kikuchi is looking to have a better second season. Justin Dunn and Justus Sheffield are two young arms the team will be relying on too. Their closer is slated to be Matt Magill, but the rest of the bullpen is a mess. Their offense has some talented guys such as Daniel Vogelbach and Kyle Lewis and longtime third baseman Kyle Seager could be on the move.
NL East
1. Washington Nationals- 37-23
2. Atlanta Braves- 36-24
3. New York Mets- 35-25
4. Philadelphia Phillies- 30-30
5. Miami Marlins- 22-38
The Washington Nationals are the reigning World Series champions and I am picking them to claim the division crown for the first time in four seasons. Their rotation is loaded led by their Big Three of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin. Anibal Sanchez is also very good in the fourth spot. Their bullpen silenced some doubters last season led by closer Sean Doolittle, Roenis Elias, and new addition Will Harris. Their offense does take a major hit with Anthony Rendon departing as a free agent. Juan Soto is in for a big season and guys like Carter Kieboom, Trea Turner, and Adam Eaton must step up. The Atlanta Braves won the division crown the last two seasons, but I have them as a Wild Card this season. Mike Soroka has emerged as the ace of the pitching staff and Cole Hamels was added as a veteran arm that can help them. Guys like Mike Foltynewicz and Max Fried are very promising as well. The New York Mets finished last season strong and I believe they will snag the last Wild Card spot. Noah Syndergaard will be missed due to Tommy John surgery, but reigning two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom is still around and Marcus Stroman is in a contract year. Michael Wacha and Rick Porcello are one year fliers that can help them. The bullpen remains a question mark of some sorts, but closer Edwin Diaz could be in for a bounce back season and Dellin Betances was a great addition to go with Justin Wilson and Jeurys Familia as set up men. Their offense has a lot of potential led by Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto, and Yoenis Cespedes. The Philadelphia Phillies are a team that made some moves in the offseason with hopes to contend as well as hiring Joe Girardi as their new manager. Zach Wheeler was added to the rotation joining Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta. Their bullpen remains a weakness and their closer is slated to be Hector Neris and its unknown whether David Robertson will be back this season or not. Their offense will be solid led by Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, JT Realmuto, and new addition Didi Gregorius. The Miami Marlins are still in the midst of their rebuild. They have some promising rotation arms with guys like Sandy Alcantara, Jose Urena, and Caleb Smith. Brandon Kintzler is slated to be their closer and they have other solid 'pen arms such as Adam Conley and Ryne Stanek. Their offense has some veterans like Jonathan Villar and Jesus Aguilar and some young guys like Lewis Brinson, Jorge Alfaro, and Isan Diaz.
NL Central
1. Cincinnati Reds- 38-22
2. St. Louis Cardinals- 34-26
3. Chicago Cubs- 32-28
4. Milwaukee Brewers- 28-32
5. Pittsburgh Pirates- 23-37
The Cincinnati Reds made some big moves this offseason and showed significant improvement in the second half of the season to make themselves favorites to win this division. Luis Castillo, Trevor Bauer, and Sonny Gray are a terrific threesome to lead the rotation. Their bullpen is sneaky good led by closer Raisel Iglesias, Amir Garrett, and Pedro Strop. Nicholas Castellanos and Mike Moustakas join Eugenio Suarez and Joey Votto to form a formidable offense. The Cardinals are a team that should be solid yet again. Jack Flaherty leads the starting pitching after a breakout season a year ago and the rest of the rotation has the likes of Dakota Hudson, Adam Wainwright, and Carlos Martinez. The bullpen took a blow as Jordan Hicks opted out of the season and Andrew Miller is not the same guy anymore. Giovanny Gallegos is slated to be their closer, who had a nice year last year. The offense loses Marcell Ozuna, but still have Paul Goldschmidt, Paul DeJong, and Yadier Molina. The Chicago Cubs are a team thats championship window is closing (if it has not already) on this current core. The rotation consists of Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, Kyle Hendricks, and Yu Darvish. Their bullpen has a lot of questions, including whether closer Craig Kimbrel will bounce back from a disastrous season or not. The offense still has it's same current core guys including Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Kyle Schwarber. The Milwaukee Brewers are coming off back to back playoff appearances, but I do not see another one this season. Their starting pitching is nothing to ride home about with the likes of Brandon Woodruff, Brett Anderson, and Adrian Houser. Their bullpen is very good though led by all world closer Josh Hader, Corey Kneel, and Alex Claudio. Their offense is pretty good led by Christian Yelich and Keston Hiura. The Pittsburgh Pirates are another team that is rebuilding. Jamesion Taillon is out of the season still recovering from Tommy John surgery, so they have to rely on Trevor Williams and Joe Musgrove in their rotation and young prospect Mitch Keller also must step up for them. Their bullpen is not good although closer Keone Kela is solid. Their offense is not good either although they have a star player in Josh Bell and guys like Gregory Polanco must show some improvement.
NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers- 39-21
2. Arizona Diamondbacks- 34-26
3. San Diego Padres- 29-31
4. Colorado Rockies- 25-35
5. San Francisco Giants- 23-37
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the undisputed favorites to take home the National League West crown for the eighth year in a row. Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw will lead the rotation, although they won't have David Price since he opted out. Dustin May and Julio Urias must live up to potential in the middle/back of the rotation. Kenley Jansen has seen concerning decline over the past few seasons and new addition Blake Trienen must step up as a set-up man and Ross Stripling is capable of relieving and starting. Their offense is undoubtably great with the addition of Mookie Betts to go with Cody Bellinger, Justin Tuner, Max Muncy, and younger Gavin Lux. The Diamondbacks are a team that I believe will surprise folks this season. Madison Bumgarner was brought in to join Robbie Ray and Zach Gallen to form a nice threesome in their rotation. Archie Bradley has tantalizing stuff to be a very good closer, but the rest of the bullpen remains a question mark. The San Diego Padres are a team that are certainly on the rise. Chris Paddack and Dinelson Lamet lead the rotation and stud prospect Mackenzie Gore can join them at some point. Kirby Yates is one the best closers in all of baseball and Drew Pomeranz was added to help the 'pen. Their offense has a chance to be good led by Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, and new addition Tommy Pham. The Colorado Rockies are a team that could be heading closer to a rebuild. Their rotation has three polarizing arms in German Marquez, Kyle Freeland, and Jon Gray, who all have potential but have not put it all together. Their bullpen has some veteran arms such as closer Wade Davis and Scott Oberg. Their offense has a great threesome in Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, and Charlie Blackmon as well as Brendan Rogers, who could be a breakout playler. The San Francisco Giants are a team that is on the verge of a major rebuild. Johnny Cueto is the Opening Day Starter with Madison Bumgarner gone and the rest of the rotation has guys like Jeff Samardzija, Drew Smyly, and Kevin Gausman. Tony Watson is slated to be their closer and the rest of their bullpen is not good. Their offense took a giant hit when Buster Posey opted out for the season and veterans Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria are dealing with injuries. Mike Yastrzemski had a nice year last year, but could be in for regression.
MLB Playoffs
- AL First Round
(8) Texas Rangers vs (1) New York Yankees: The Rangers are going to be the team that not many would expect to make the playoffs in a normal. I don't love their chances here, even in a three game series with a solid pitching staff since their offense is not that good.
Pick: Yankees in two games
(7) Minnesota Twins vs (2) Oakland Athletics: This should be a fun series between two playoff teams from a season ago. I believe this one takes three and I like the Athletics due to the fact their pitching staff is better than the Twin's staff.
Pick: Athletics in three games
(6) Houston Astros vs (3) Cleveland Indians: This is a great matchup between two teams that met in the postseason two years ago. I believe this will also go to a third game and I think the Indians young pitching will come through here.
Pick: Indians in three games
(5) Chicago White Sox vs (4) Tampa Bay Rays: This should be an interesting series between two up and coming teams. This is the White Sox first taste of postseason with their current core, but I don't love their chances against a Rays team that gained experience last season.
Pick: Rays in two games
- National League First Round
(8) Chicago Cubs vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers: The networks would absolutely love this matchup with the two big markets. It's just unfortunate that this is not the same Cubs team as three-four years ago and the Dodgers are the much better team now.
(6) St. Louis Cardinals vs (3) Washington Nationals: Here we have a rematch of last season's NLCS in which the Nationals pulled off a sweep. This time around I think the Nats will get it done again, but not a sweep as the Cards will miss 'pen arm Jordan Hicks.
Pick: Nationals in three games
(5) New York Mets vs (4) Atlanta Braves: Here we have division rivals taking off in a three game series. If this was a one game playoff, I'd choose the Mets with Jacob deGrom presumably on the bump. Now, that its a best of three series, I will go with the Braves here to advance with their loaded lineup.
Pick: Braves in three games
- American League Division Series
(4) Tampa Bay Rays vs (1) New York Yankees: Here we have a division rival in the Division Round. The difference here will be the Yankees offense which is flat out better than the Rays and they will advance to the ALCS.
Pick: Yankees in four games
(3) Cleveland Indians vs (2) Oakland Athletics: This is a sneaky good playoff series between two solid teams. This was a tough call, but I think that the Athletics pitching steps up and the Indians won't be able to score with the A's.
Pick: Athletics in five games
- National League Division Series
(WC2) New York Mets vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers: This is a series that FOX would love with the big markets. The difference here is the Dodgers lineup is much better than the Mets led by Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger and Jacob deGrom can't pitch every game.
Pick: Dodgers in four games
(3) Washington Nationals vs (2) Cincinnati Reds: This is a sneaky good series between these two teams. Another tough call here, but I think the Reds new look offense and solid rotation will lead them to the NLCS as the Nationals will miss Anthony Rendon.
Pick: Reds in five games
- American League Championship Series
(2) Oakland Athletics vs (1) New York Yankees: This should be a sneaky fun series between two great teams. So many talented players and pitchers abound here, but ultimately prized free agent pickup Gerrit Cole will be the difference maker here for the Yankees to reach the Series for the first time in eleven years.
Pick: Yankees in six games
- National League Championship Series
(2) Cincinnati Reds vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers: This also should be a very fun championship series between these two clubs. The Reds should be proud of themselves if they make it this far, but I think the Dodgers lineup depth is too much for the Reds to handle as they'll go to their third World Series in four seasons.
Pick: Dodgers in six games
- World Series
(AL1) New York Yankees vs (NL1) Los Angeles Dodgers: Yes, I predicted this matchup the last two years, but I believe it will finally come into fruition, even in what could be a wacky season. Two great lineups, two solid rotations, but the difference here is the bullpens. The Yankees have the better 'pen and Kenley Jansen is on the decline. Give me the Bronx Bombers to take home their twenty-eighth championship in franchise history and their first in eleven years.
Pick: Yankees in six games
AL East
1. New York Yankees- 40-20
2. Tampa Bay Rays- 38-22
3. Boston Red Sox- 28-32
4. Toronto Blue Jays- 26-34
5. Baltimore Orioles- 20-40
The New York Yankees are unquestionably the favorites to take home the American League East crown for the second straight season. They made the sexiest move of the winter signing Gerrit Cole away from the Houston Astros as he leads their rotation with James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, JA Happ, and Jordan Montgomery behind him. Their offense is loaded with big names led by Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu, and Gary Sanchez. Their bullpen remains the best in the game led by closer Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Tommy Kahnle, and Adam Ottavino. The Tampa Bay Rays are a team many people expect to challenge the Yankees for the division title. Their rotation is among the best in the game led by their Big Three of Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Charlie Blackmon. Their bullpen is sneaky good led by closer Nick Anderson, Oliver Drake, and Jose Alvardo. Their offense is very solid led by Austin Meadows, new add Hunter Renfroe, Brandon Lowe, and Yandy Diaz. The Boston Red Sox will take a major step back after trading away Mookie Betts and David Price as well as ace pitcher Chris Sale being out for the season with Tommy John Surgery. Nathan Eovaldi will be their Opening Day starter as Eduardo Rodriguez is coming back from having Covid-19. The rest of their rotation is filled with unproven guys. Brandon Workman is slated to be their closer. Their offense will put up their runs led by JD Martinez, Rafael Devers, and Xander Bogaerts. The Toronto Blue Jays are a team that is certainly heading in the right direction. Hyun-Jin Ryu was their big free agent prize to lead their pitching staff and young pitching prospect Tanner Pearson could join the rotation at some point too. Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson were veterans the team also added to their rotation. Ken Giles is still around as their closer and is coming off one of his better seasons. Their offense is filled with youth and potential led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Bo Bichette, and Cavan Biggio. The Baltimore Orioles are a team that is still rebuilding. John Means is coming off a career year and is their best pitcher, but the rest of their rotation is bad. Their bullpen has some interesting guys such as closer Mychal Givens and Hunter Harvey. Their offense has guys like Renato Nunez and Hanser Alberto coming off career years, but are bound for regression. They will also miss veteran Trey Mancini since he is battling cancer.
AL Central
1. Cleveland Indians- 36-24
2. Chicago White Sox- 34-26
3. Minnesota Twins- 31-29
4. Kansas City Royals- 22-38
5. Detroit Tigers- 21-39
This is one of the more wide open divisions in all of baseball, and due to the season only being 60-games I give the advantage to the Cleveland Indians, who are being disrespected by some experts. Their loaded pitching staff is why they have the advantage here lead by Shane Bieber, Mike Clevenger and Carlos Corrasco. Their bullpen is solid too led by closer Brad Hand, Hunter Wood, and Adam Cimber. Their offense has potential to be very good too led by Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Carlos Santana, and Franmil Reyes. The Chicago White Sox have a chance at surprising some folks this season and I believe they will get into the postseason. Michael Kopech will be missed for the season as he's opted out, recovering from Tommy John Surgery. Lucas Giolito is coming off a breakout season and he and new addition Dallas Keuchel will lead that rotation. Their closer is Alex Colome and they have other veteran 'pen arms such as Steve Cishek and Kelvin Herrera. Their offense has a real shot of being awesome led by Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, and rookie Luis Robert with possibly second base prospect Nick Madrigal joining the team too. The Minnesota Twins had an unbelievable season last year, but I believe are due for some regression. Jose Berrios leads their rotation and Jake Odorizzi is coming off a career year. Veterans Kenta Maeda, Homer Bailey, and Rich Hill were added to help out. Their bullpen doesn't thrill me with Taylor Rodgers as their closer and veterans Tyler Clippard and Sergio Romo are there too. Their offense is even better than the one that broke the MLB single season home-run record with Josh Donaldson coming in free agency joining Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario, Mitch Garver, and Miguel Sano, although a few of those guys are due for some regression. The Kansas City Royals are still rebuilding. Top pitching prospect Brady Singer is expected to be apart of the rotation this season along with Brad Keller, Danny Duffy, and Jakob Junis. Their bullpen is not good and Ian Kennedy is their closer. Salvador Perez will be back after missing last season with Tommy John surgery and he'll join a young offense led by Jorge Soler, Hunter Dozier, and Adalebrto Mondesi. The Detroit Tigers are another young and rebuilding team in the division. Matthew Boyd is slated to start Opening Day and Michael Fulmer could be back in the mix this season too. I won't be shocked to see top pitching prospect Casey Mize pitch in the rotation at some point too. Their bullpen is not good, although Joe Jimenez isn't a bad closer. Their offense is among the worst in the game and Miguel Cabrera is not the same guy as he was even four years ago. They do have some tradable players like Jonathan School and CJ Cron if they live up to their reputations.
AL West
1. Oakland Athletics- 37-23
2. Houston Astros- 33-27
3. Texas Rangers- 29-31
4. Los Angeles Angels- 25-35
5. Seattle Mariners- 23-37
I do believe this division could be better than some people may think, but I am going to roll with the dice with the team that tends to play great in the hot weather in a normal season- the Oakland Athletics. The teams starting pitching has a chance to be the best in the division led by Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and young stud prospect Jesus Luzardo. Unfortunately, AJ Puk may not pitch this season due to a shoulder issue. The bullpen is really good led by closer Liam Hendricks, Joakim Soria, and Lou Trivino. The offense is among one of the leagues best and deepest led by Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Khris Davis. The Houston Astros could be in for some regression and turmoil due to the free agent loss of Gerrit Cole and AJ Hinch being fired due to the cheating scandal with Dusty Baker replacing him. Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke lead that rotation and they need Lance McCullers Jr to be the guy he was before Tommy John surgery and Josh James and Jose Urqidy must step up too. Their bullpen has some good pieces including closer Roberto Osuna, Chris Divenski, and Ryan Pressly. Their offense is still among the games best led by Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, George Springer, and Yordan Alvarez. The Texas Rangers have a chance to surprise some people this season and with the expanded playoffs now, they certainly have a shot to make it. They added Corey Kluber for their rotation to go with Lance Lynn and Mike Minor. Their bullpen is not very good with guys like closer Jose Leclerc, Jesse Chavez, and Luke Farrell. Their offense is not very good either although Joey Gallo is a star and guys like Rougned Odor, Todd Frazier, and Robinson Chirinos. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have a Joe Maddon as their manager in his second tenure, but this may be a long season for the team. Their rotation is suspect, but has some potential outside of Shohei Ohtani with guys like Griffin Canning, Dylan Bundy, and Julio Terehan. Their bullpen is not good and Hansel Robles is their closer. Their offense has Mike Trout, who people think could opt out and new addition Anthony Rendon, who is dealing with an oblique injury. The rest of the offense has guys like Albert Pujols and Justin Upton, who's best days are behind them. The Seattle Mariners are a team that's rebuilding. Marco Gonzalez is their likely Opening Day starter and Yusei Kikuchi is looking to have a better second season. Justin Dunn and Justus Sheffield are two young arms the team will be relying on too. Their closer is slated to be Matt Magill, but the rest of the bullpen is a mess. Their offense has some talented guys such as Daniel Vogelbach and Kyle Lewis and longtime third baseman Kyle Seager could be on the move.
NL East
1. Washington Nationals- 37-23
2. Atlanta Braves- 36-24
3. New York Mets- 35-25
4. Philadelphia Phillies- 30-30
5. Miami Marlins- 22-38
The Washington Nationals are the reigning World Series champions and I am picking them to claim the division crown for the first time in four seasons. Their rotation is loaded led by their Big Three of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin. Anibal Sanchez is also very good in the fourth spot. Their bullpen silenced some doubters last season led by closer Sean Doolittle, Roenis Elias, and new addition Will Harris. Their offense does take a major hit with Anthony Rendon departing as a free agent. Juan Soto is in for a big season and guys like Carter Kieboom, Trea Turner, and Adam Eaton must step up. The Atlanta Braves won the division crown the last two seasons, but I have them as a Wild Card this season. Mike Soroka has emerged as the ace of the pitching staff and Cole Hamels was added as a veteran arm that can help them. Guys like Mike Foltynewicz and Max Fried are very promising as well. The New York Mets finished last season strong and I believe they will snag the last Wild Card spot. Noah Syndergaard will be missed due to Tommy John surgery, but reigning two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom is still around and Marcus Stroman is in a contract year. Michael Wacha and Rick Porcello are one year fliers that can help them. The bullpen remains a question mark of some sorts, but closer Edwin Diaz could be in for a bounce back season and Dellin Betances was a great addition to go with Justin Wilson and Jeurys Familia as set up men. Their offense has a lot of potential led by Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto, and Yoenis Cespedes. The Philadelphia Phillies are a team that made some moves in the offseason with hopes to contend as well as hiring Joe Girardi as their new manager. Zach Wheeler was added to the rotation joining Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta. Their bullpen remains a weakness and their closer is slated to be Hector Neris and its unknown whether David Robertson will be back this season or not. Their offense will be solid led by Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, JT Realmuto, and new addition Didi Gregorius. The Miami Marlins are still in the midst of their rebuild. They have some promising rotation arms with guys like Sandy Alcantara, Jose Urena, and Caleb Smith. Brandon Kintzler is slated to be their closer and they have other solid 'pen arms such as Adam Conley and Ryne Stanek. Their offense has some veterans like Jonathan Villar and Jesus Aguilar and some young guys like Lewis Brinson, Jorge Alfaro, and Isan Diaz.
NL Central
1. Cincinnati Reds- 38-22
2. St. Louis Cardinals- 34-26
3. Chicago Cubs- 32-28
4. Milwaukee Brewers- 28-32
5. Pittsburgh Pirates- 23-37
The Cincinnati Reds made some big moves this offseason and showed significant improvement in the second half of the season to make themselves favorites to win this division. Luis Castillo, Trevor Bauer, and Sonny Gray are a terrific threesome to lead the rotation. Their bullpen is sneaky good led by closer Raisel Iglesias, Amir Garrett, and Pedro Strop. Nicholas Castellanos and Mike Moustakas join Eugenio Suarez and Joey Votto to form a formidable offense. The Cardinals are a team that should be solid yet again. Jack Flaherty leads the starting pitching after a breakout season a year ago and the rest of the rotation has the likes of Dakota Hudson, Adam Wainwright, and Carlos Martinez. The bullpen took a blow as Jordan Hicks opted out of the season and Andrew Miller is not the same guy anymore. Giovanny Gallegos is slated to be their closer, who had a nice year last year. The offense loses Marcell Ozuna, but still have Paul Goldschmidt, Paul DeJong, and Yadier Molina. The Chicago Cubs are a team thats championship window is closing (if it has not already) on this current core. The rotation consists of Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, Kyle Hendricks, and Yu Darvish. Their bullpen has a lot of questions, including whether closer Craig Kimbrel will bounce back from a disastrous season or not. The offense still has it's same current core guys including Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Kyle Schwarber. The Milwaukee Brewers are coming off back to back playoff appearances, but I do not see another one this season. Their starting pitching is nothing to ride home about with the likes of Brandon Woodruff, Brett Anderson, and Adrian Houser. Their bullpen is very good though led by all world closer Josh Hader, Corey Kneel, and Alex Claudio. Their offense is pretty good led by Christian Yelich and Keston Hiura. The Pittsburgh Pirates are another team that is rebuilding. Jamesion Taillon is out of the season still recovering from Tommy John surgery, so they have to rely on Trevor Williams and Joe Musgrove in their rotation and young prospect Mitch Keller also must step up for them. Their bullpen is not good although closer Keone Kela is solid. Their offense is not good either although they have a star player in Josh Bell and guys like Gregory Polanco must show some improvement.
NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers- 39-21
2. Arizona Diamondbacks- 34-26
3. San Diego Padres- 29-31
4. Colorado Rockies- 25-35
5. San Francisco Giants- 23-37
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the undisputed favorites to take home the National League West crown for the eighth year in a row. Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw will lead the rotation, although they won't have David Price since he opted out. Dustin May and Julio Urias must live up to potential in the middle/back of the rotation. Kenley Jansen has seen concerning decline over the past few seasons and new addition Blake Trienen must step up as a set-up man and Ross Stripling is capable of relieving and starting. Their offense is undoubtably great with the addition of Mookie Betts to go with Cody Bellinger, Justin Tuner, Max Muncy, and younger Gavin Lux. The Diamondbacks are a team that I believe will surprise folks this season. Madison Bumgarner was brought in to join Robbie Ray and Zach Gallen to form a nice threesome in their rotation. Archie Bradley has tantalizing stuff to be a very good closer, but the rest of the bullpen remains a question mark. The San Diego Padres are a team that are certainly on the rise. Chris Paddack and Dinelson Lamet lead the rotation and stud prospect Mackenzie Gore can join them at some point. Kirby Yates is one the best closers in all of baseball and Drew Pomeranz was added to help the 'pen. Their offense has a chance to be good led by Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, and new addition Tommy Pham. The Colorado Rockies are a team that could be heading closer to a rebuild. Their rotation has three polarizing arms in German Marquez, Kyle Freeland, and Jon Gray, who all have potential but have not put it all together. Their bullpen has some veteran arms such as closer Wade Davis and Scott Oberg. Their offense has a great threesome in Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, and Charlie Blackmon as well as Brendan Rogers, who could be a breakout playler. The San Francisco Giants are a team that is on the verge of a major rebuild. Johnny Cueto is the Opening Day Starter with Madison Bumgarner gone and the rest of the rotation has guys like Jeff Samardzija, Drew Smyly, and Kevin Gausman. Tony Watson is slated to be their closer and the rest of their bullpen is not good. Their offense took a giant hit when Buster Posey opted out for the season and veterans Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria are dealing with injuries. Mike Yastrzemski had a nice year last year, but could be in for regression.
MLB Playoffs
- AL First Round
(8) Texas Rangers vs (1) New York Yankees: The Rangers are going to be the team that not many would expect to make the playoffs in a normal. I don't love their chances here, even in a three game series with a solid pitching staff since their offense is not that good.
Pick: Yankees in two games
(7) Minnesota Twins vs (2) Oakland Athletics: This should be a fun series between two playoff teams from a season ago. I believe this one takes three and I like the Athletics due to the fact their pitching staff is better than the Twin's staff.
Pick: Athletics in three games
(6) Houston Astros vs (3) Cleveland Indians: This is a great matchup between two teams that met in the postseason two years ago. I believe this will also go to a third game and I think the Indians young pitching will come through here.
Pick: Indians in three games
(5) Chicago White Sox vs (4) Tampa Bay Rays: This should be an interesting series between two up and coming teams. This is the White Sox first taste of postseason with their current core, but I don't love their chances against a Rays team that gained experience last season.
Pick: Rays in two games
- National League First Round
(8) Chicago Cubs vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers: The networks would absolutely love this matchup with the two big markets. It's just unfortunate that this is not the same Cubs team as three-four years ago and the Dodgers are the much better team now.
Pick: Dodgers in two games
(7) Arizona Diamondbacks vs (2) Cincinnati Reds: This is another sneaky good first round series between two solid clubs. This could be an upset here, but I'm going to go with the Reds as their sneaky good bullpen is the difference here.
Pick: Reds in three games(6) St. Louis Cardinals vs (3) Washington Nationals: Here we have a rematch of last season's NLCS in which the Nationals pulled off a sweep. This time around I think the Nats will get it done again, but not a sweep as the Cards will miss 'pen arm Jordan Hicks.
Pick: Nationals in three games
(5) New York Mets vs (4) Atlanta Braves: Here we have division rivals taking off in a three game series. If this was a one game playoff, I'd choose the Mets with Jacob deGrom presumably on the bump. Now, that its a best of three series, I will go with the Braves here to advance with their loaded lineup.
Pick: Braves in three games
- American League Division Series
(4) Tampa Bay Rays vs (1) New York Yankees: Here we have a division rival in the Division Round. The difference here will be the Yankees offense which is flat out better than the Rays and they will advance to the ALCS.
Pick: Yankees in four games
(3) Cleveland Indians vs (2) Oakland Athletics: This is a sneaky good playoff series between two solid teams. This was a tough call, but I think that the Athletics pitching steps up and the Indians won't be able to score with the A's.
Pick: Athletics in five games
- National League Division Series
(WC2) New York Mets vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers: This is a series that FOX would love with the big markets. The difference here is the Dodgers lineup is much better than the Mets led by Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger and Jacob deGrom can't pitch every game.
Pick: Dodgers in four games
(3) Washington Nationals vs (2) Cincinnati Reds: This is a sneaky good series between these two teams. Another tough call here, but I think the Reds new look offense and solid rotation will lead them to the NLCS as the Nationals will miss Anthony Rendon.
Pick: Reds in five games
- American League Championship Series
(2) Oakland Athletics vs (1) New York Yankees: This should be a sneaky fun series between two great teams. So many talented players and pitchers abound here, but ultimately prized free agent pickup Gerrit Cole will be the difference maker here for the Yankees to reach the Series for the first time in eleven years.
Pick: Yankees in six games
- National League Championship Series
(2) Cincinnati Reds vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers: This also should be a very fun championship series between these two clubs. The Reds should be proud of themselves if they make it this far, but I think the Dodgers lineup depth is too much for the Reds to handle as they'll go to their third World Series in four seasons.
Pick: Dodgers in six games
- World Series
(AL1) New York Yankees vs (NL1) Los Angeles Dodgers: Yes, I predicted this matchup the last two years, but I believe it will finally come into fruition, even in what could be a wacky season. Two great lineups, two solid rotations, but the difference here is the bullpens. The Yankees have the better 'pen and Kenley Jansen is on the decline. Give me the Bronx Bombers to take home their twenty-eighth championship in franchise history and their first in eleven years.
Pick: Yankees in six games
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