Opening Day always brings excitement to the baseball world. For one day, every team is dead even in the standings. Now of course, that won’t last for long. So why not give some predictions on how these standings will shake out. I’ll break it down by division.
AL East: Big free agent signings in the offseason really made this division a two-horse race. The historic rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees will be in full swing this season as those two teams will be battling for the division once again. Both offenses will be spectacular this year. The Yankees have the bats to have a historic power season while the Sox have a deep lineup of professional hitters that are sure to produce. I think it will come down to who’s pitching holds up over a full 162. I have to give the edge here to the Yankees with one of the best bullpens in the league and a serviceable starting rotation. The Yankees will win the AL East, but it will be a close race.
AL Central: The Indians seem to be the clear favorite here as they kept the majority of their roster in tact from last year’s division title. The Tigers, Royals, and White Sox are all a few pieces away from truly competing. Don’t sleep on the Twins though. They had an amazing turn around season last year and look poised to build on it. The continued growth of speedster Byron Buxton will be key to their success. But in the end, I don’t think Minnesota has enough firepower to outrun the Indians. Cleveland will win their 10th AL Central title this year.
AL West: The defending champs are far and away the best team in this division. If they stay healthy, the Astros should run away with this division. The Angels will be fun to watch this year with Trout and Ohtani, but the roster is pretty weak after those two. The Rangers could compete but will probably need some trade deadline upgrades if they want to make a run at Houston. Houston was great last year, and with a full year of Verlander and the addition of Gerrit Cole, their in position to be even better. Expect them to clinch early.
NL EAST: This division is once again the Nationals’ to lose. The Mets have a decent roster but their season will hinge, once again, on the health of that starting rotation. The Marlins and Braves are destined for seasons at the bottom as they are in different phases of a rebuild. Watch out for the Phillies. I love the Arrieta signing here to bolster a young, talented team. They will be competitive this year and have a very bright future. But for now, the Nationals are still the team to beat.
NL Central: This division has always been tightly contested and I expect nothing less this year. The Cubs are definitely the front runners out of the gate but the Cards and the Brewers are not far back. It will be interesting to see if the Brewers can duplicate the unexpected success of last season. The Cardinals have a good roster right now, but I expect them to make a move around the deadline to really put pressure on Chicago. But will it be enough? I don’t think so. This Cubs lineup is too loaded with young talent that only seems to be getting better.
NL West: The NL West is one of the more intriguing divisions this season. Will the Giants shift to an older roster pay off? Will the Dodgers be able to duplicate last year’s success? And will the Diamondbacks be able to replace the power they got from JD Martinez? Yes to all of them. I love the moves that the Giants made and if they can keep all those old bodies healthy they will be playing meaningful games in September. The Dodgers have all the pieces in place to be dominant again. The D-backs did well to fill the Martinez gap. Souza Jr. will bring back some of that power and Jarrod Dyson will prove to be a great fourth outfielder with great speed and defense. The West will be close and I think the Giants will surprise some people and beat out the Dodgers for the title.
Wild Cards: First off, the addition of the second Wild Card a few years ago is one of the best changes the game has made in awhile. It adds so much excitement to the last few weeks of the season culminating with two insane win or go home games. This year will be no different. I believe the Red Sox will host the Twins in the AL and the Dodgers will host the Cardinals in the NL. All four teams will come real close to winning their divisions, but will have to settle for a high stakes play-in game.
World Series: When it is all said and done I believe we will be watching the Astros and the Cubs battle it out in October. We will see a matchup of the last two Champs and it will be one for the ages. A lot can change between now and October, but on day one this is my pick. And I’ve got the Astros coming out on top to repeat as World Series Champions.
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