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MLB: Updated (Again) Playoff Predictions as the Season Is Underway
MLB – Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Back in the middle of the offseason, there were playoff predictions, then again as spring training went underway. Now, with the season in full swing, how did the predictions change?
MLB is a beautiful organization home to the most beautiful sport in the world, baseball. In no other sport could the playoff picture shift in a mere month and a half, but in the game of baseball, it can shift daily. There are no "super teams" (Looking at you, Golden State), there is no Tom Brady who makes the Super Bowl every season. The game of baseball is ever-changing.
Baseball's "super teams" could easily crack under the pressure of playoff baseball, and our Tom Brady (Mike Trout) has seen just three playoff games. No other sport is as little influenced by one player. Instead, in baseball you need an entire team to make that beautiful playoff push.
Because of this, we often see the landscape of baseball shifting and changing by the day. One injury, one cold spell, one hot streak can change the entire dynamic of the league, causing baseball to be the best and most unpredictable sport we know and love.
Therefore, it is not absurd to think that the same predicted playoff teams may have fallen back to earth and fallen behind their opposition. Although we are only a week into the season, a lot can be told from the first few games. Yes, it is a very small sample size and it is unjust to rule a team out, but anyone with a keen eye can spot a contender from a pretender.
Therefore, with the MLB season officially underway, here is how the landscape of the MLB playoffs will likely look.
MLB – Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
AL West
Call it bold, but I genuinely think that the Texas Rangers will fall to the bottom of the division just a year after leading the AL in wins. No, I am not trying to hop onto some bandwagon because the Rangers have started the season 1-4, I have genuinely argued for months now that the Rangers cannot repeat the magic of last year. Leading the MLB in one-run games, the Rangers' luck shall run out.
The Angels have shown some promising play, yet lack the true depth to keep a consistent run throughout the season. Ace Garrett Richards has already continued his injury streak, and the roster is surprisingly thin. Expect Mike Trout to carry the team to challenge a .500 record, but anything more than that may be too far fetched.
As for the rest of the division, I had originally expected the Seattle Mariners to finally make the push to the postseason and top the division. While they will certainly still make the postseason, the Astros offense looks too good to place anything but first.
I think it will be a very tight race atop the AL West and will be one of the most interesting divisions to watch in all of baseball. With the best player on the planet only playing for the third best team, expect fireworks to flare out of the American League and its west coast.
MLB – Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
AL Central
Nothing really new here, as the AL Central is the Indians' division to dominate and the rest of the teams are merely taking part. The Indians should easily dance their way into a 99-63 record, with chances of hitting the 100-win mark. There is no real competition in this division, and if there was, the Indians are scary good.
The Tigers are seemingly only getting older, and lack that playoff flare that would ignite within their eyes just a few seasons ago. Miguel Cabrera will likely continue to be one of, if not the, best hitters in baseball, and we will see great performances from Ian Kinsler and Justin Verlander. However, the team is just too thin, and they will crack under the pressure as the season unfolds.
Now, many baseball minds are likely saying to shy away from the Twins' hot start, that it does not mean anything as they have defeated lackluster teams. However, this Twins team is ridiculously young and has a tremendous ceiling – I would expect them to turn some heads this season and fight their way to .500 ball.
As for the rest of the division, the Royals are seemingly entering an early rebuild mode preparing for the potential departures of Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer. The team has already dealt Jarrod Dyson and Wade Davis and will struggle again this year. As for the White Sox, well, we will be talking about how good they are in about four years.
MLB – Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
AL East
The top of the division remained the same, as the only real change was the Toronto Blue Jays securing home field advantage in the Wild Card Game opposed to being the visitors. However, it was the bottom of the division that experienced quite the shake-up, with one of these selections being very bold.
The Boston Red Sox should have no problem bullying their way atop the division as the season carries along. With a pitching staff that may be as good as we have ever seen, as soon as Boston irons out the details they will be extremely deadly. The Blue Jays as well hold a very young, promising staff led by Barstow native Aaron Sanchez.
Obviously, the boldest prediction of this entire list thus far is the Tampa Bay Rays shooting from being last in the division all the way to third and being above .500. While they may not have as much talent as the other teams, a young staff led by Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, and Alex Cobb can do great things, especially with Jose De Leon waiting.
The Orioles may have started 4-0, but when you rely so heavily on the long ball it may come back to bite you. With a pitching staff that is fairly underwhelming, the Orioles' power may become their own worst enemy.
As for the Yankees, I sold them very high heading into the season as a young powerhouse that can take the league by storm. The fact is, they may not be ready quite yet, especially with their pitching holding them back. However, a bright note in this is that the bottom four are only separated by five games, which leads to competitive, fun play.
MLB – Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
NL West
As a Dodgers fan, I am sticking to my guns and declaring that the boys in blue will win the division because they have far more depth than the other teams involved. However, although the team has only played six games I can admit that I am slightly worried. The Diamondbacks are playing like, well, they should have last year, and the Rockies' bats are proving to be thunderous.
Granted, the Diamondbacks beat the struggling Giants and the Rockies played the Brewers, but in the games the Dodgers have played they have struggled. However, it seems like every year the Rockies start hot, get one injury, and thinness is revealed and they plummet. With a pitching staff that is mediocre at best, it will be hard for the team to maintain a run.
The biggest move here is the Arizona Diamondbacks, I am likely jumping the gun as they are 5-1 in six games, but they do have the talent to make a postseason push. With Zack Greinke, Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, and countless others, the Diamondbacks do have the talent to maintain this run. While they may eventually miss some beats, to me they are legitimate playoff contenders.
As for the Giants, they have already shown similar struggles to last season. The team has already allowed 20 runs past the sixth inning, with the only game they won being one of two that they didn't allow a run past the sixth. The team will still be good, no question, but those same bullpen struggles will plague them as 2017 goes on.
The Padres, well, who really knows what to think of the Padres. The team has not won more than 77 games after their 90-win season in 2010, a year they still didn't make the playoffs. Heck, the team has only won one playoff game since 1999, and don't expect that to change this season.
MLB – Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
NL Central
To me, the NL Central remains the most predictable division in all of baseball. That is showcased here, as the only moves are regarding the bottom two teams, which in turn are two irrelevant teams. The Chicago Cubs should be able to dominate the division, with the only real competition being the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cubs are arguably still the best team in baseball, and while some are worried that they may be too fatigued from last year's Cinderella story, that is not the case. If anything, that run has made them hungrier for another, as they know exactly how it feels and what it takes. Although they have lost some key contributors, the team still remains one of the most dangerous in MLB.
The Cardinals will certainly be in the hunt for the NL Wild Card but will miss out on it by two games. The Rockies are a very bold choice for the first Wild Card, but they seemingly will outlast both the Cardinals and the other Wild Card team. The Cardinals stars of the past are only getting older, and their biggest prospect Alex Reyes is out for the year with Tommy John surgery.
As for the Reds and Brewers, they will likely battle each other for the worst spot in the division. The only reason the Reds outlast the Brewers is likely the eventual trade of slugger Ryan Braun.
MLB – Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
NL East
As you can see right off the bat, the NL Wild Card will be a very, very close race. The Mets secure the second Wild Card spot with 87 wins, with the Giants one game back at 86 and the Cardinals two games back at 85. It will be a very tight race, but what gives the Mets the edge is the young pitching staff that has a ceiling up to the moon.
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The Nationals look deadly heading into the season and have the potential to finally win that coveted World Series. Led by wonder kid Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, newly acquired Adam Eaton, and hitting specialist Daniel Murphy, the Nats may have the best offense in baseball. Add in reigning Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, and the Nationals may be the most well-rounded team in all of baseball.
The Marlins made it as close to the postseason last year as they have in quite some time, and while it was a step in the right direction it is hard to see them make that final push in 2017. With a thin roster, the Marlins' bats will carry them as long as Giancarlo Stanton can stay healthy.
I'll be honest, I bit way too hard on the Atlanta Braves hype, previously thinking that they could play close to .500 ball and make a push for the Wild Card. While that won't be the case, we should see the Braves get one step closer to a winning season as their young guys continue to develop.
As for the Phillies, well, they are the Phillies. While they do have some promising young talent that could surprise us all, it is hard to see the Phillies make a legitimate threat at any point of the season.
Well, there you have it, there are my updated playoff predictions now that the season is underway. All I know is that my Dodgers are finally going to win it all this year!
