Spring Training has concluded and Opening Day is tomorrow! This means it's time for some predictions:
AL East
With a top-5 farm system and two of the elite power hitters in the game (Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton), the Yankees are set up to be a force in baseball for years to come. Expectations are high, but barring health issues, they should meet them. The Red Sox countered the Stanton acquisition with J.D. Martinez, whose .690 slugging percentage last season was the highest in the majors leagues since Barry Bonds in 2004. Their roster is extremely talented and should keep them close to the Yankees all season long. The Blue Jays are my sleeper pick to snag a wild card spot if they can stay healthy. Josh Donaldson is in a contract year, so look for him to put up monster numbers. The Orioles should be decent, with Manny Machado and new pieces in their rotation. The rebuilding Rays round out the AL East.
AL Central
The Indians have had playoff heartbreak in the last few years, but they are still an extremely good team. Led by Corey Kluber, their rotation is strong and when healthy, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen turn games into seven innings. The position players are scary good as well, led by All-Stars Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez. If Michael Brantley and Bradley Zimmer (who are both returning from injury) can stay healthy in the outfield, the Indians should glide through the AL Central. The Twins might be due for a little bit of regression, but they had a nice offseason that should keep them in the AL Wild Card mix. I love Byron Buxton's game. The White Sox are more advanced in their rebuilding stages than the Tigers and Royals, and their young talent should shine bright at points in 2018.
AL West
As scary as it sounds, the Astros seem like a better team than the one that won the World Series a year ago. The acquisition of Gerrit Cole in the offseason boosted an already talented rotation, and they still have talent coming through the pipeline. The World Series hangover is always a thing to be worried about, but the 'Stros seem determined to not let it happen. The Angels made splash after splash in the winter months with the signings of of Shohei Ohtani, Justin Upton, and Zack Cozart. They also traded for Ian Kinsler. Plus, they have the best player in the game today in Mike Trout. I am normally a little wary of teams who try and build a playoff contender with veterans, but the Angels will contend for a wild card spot. As will the Mariners, if a oft-injured rotation can stay healthy. I do like what the Athletics are doing and the Rangers do have some intriguing talent, but this division is all about the Astros.
NL East
With a new manager in Dave Martinez, the Nationals stayed relatively quiet this winter. That is not necessarily a bad thing, however. They did win 97 games last year. For Washington, they are going to keep trying to get over the hump in the playoffs. It is especially meaningful this year, as Bryce Harper is set to hit free agency at the end of the season. The Phillies fast-tracked their rebuild with signings of Carlos Santana and Jake Arrieta, and talent from the minors is coming as well. Top 2B prospect Scott Kingery will open his season in Philly after signing an extension a few days ago, and J.P. Crawford, Rhys Hoskins, and Jorge Alfaro are expected to be in the lineup as well. Fun times are coming for Phillies baseball. The Mets should contend for a wildcard spot too, as they had an underrated offseason. For them, it is all about whether their rotation (especially Noah Syndergaard) can stay healthy. The Braves should be a lot of fun this season, especially when Ronald Acuna makes his debut. As for the Marlins, well, the rebuild is on.
NL Central
With Yu Darvish and a plethora of talent, the Cubs will contend for the title this year. Brandon Morrow should help a bullpen that struggled in the postseason last year. I really like the Cardinals' acquisition of Marcell Ozuna, and Tommy Pham seems like he could be a breakout star. The Brewers seem ready to contend after acquisitions of Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain, and their impressive outfield depth should lead to a trade sooner rather than later. Joey Votto wants the Reds to take a step forward this season, but the pitching is going to have to break out for that to happen. After losing Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole, the Pirates will need a lot to go right to avoid a losing season.
NL West
This is perhaps the most competitive division in all of baseball. The Dodgers are still the class of it, and Clayton Kershaw will win the NL CY Young if healthy. With a bulked up bullpen and a very good offense, the Rockies should contend for a wild card spot. As should the Diamondbacks, who lost J.D. Martinez but added elite defender Jarrod Dyson. Zack Grienke's spring performance is a little worrisome, but he should be fine. The Giants lost 98 games last year, but sought to plug the holes in their roster with an active offseason that included trades for Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen. Losing ace Madison Bumgarner to a fractured hand in spring was a bummer, though, and it does not look like closer Mark Melancon is healthy either. The Padres are still a few years away, and their rotation is iffy. Their position players should be better, though, with Eric Hosmer leading the way.
AL Wild Card: Red Sox, Blue Jays
NL Wild Card: Rockies, Cardinals
AL Champion: Indians
NL Champion: Dodgers
World Series Champion: Indians over Dodgers in 6
AL MVP: Mike Trout
AL CY Young: Chris Sale
AL Rookie of the Year: Willie Calhoun
AL Manager of the Year: Terry Francona
AL Comeback Player of the Year: Aaron Sanchez
NL MVP: Joey Votto
NL CY Young: Clayton Kershaw
NL Rookie of the Year: Ronald Acuna
NL Manager of the Year: Dave Martinez
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Noah Syndergaard
