Play ball! The start of the 2016 baseball season is upon us, and so naturally it’s time to lock in predictions for the fresh campaign. While it’s nearly impossible to correctly predict a full year's worth of baseball, I’m going to give it my best shot.
Many teams improved coming into this season—some by player acquisitions and others by player progression. Teams throughout the American League sought to improve pitching. The Boston Red Sox signed and traded, respectively, for David Price and Craig Kimbrel. The New York Yankees traded for Aroldis Chapman to give them the best bullpen, on paper, in the game. While both Boston and New York have improved, neither team will be able to compete with the team from Canada. The Toronto Blue Jays look poised to have the game’s best offense once again. With Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Troy Tulowitzki leading the way, there won’t be much competition in the East.
In the AL West, the only state we’ll be talking about is Texas. Both the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers look to be legitimate contenders. The Astros have last season’s AL Rookie of the Year in 21-year-old Carlos Correa, poised to lead his team back to October. They also have Dallas Keuchel, a 28-year-old late bloomer who last year won the AL CY Young award. The Texas Rangers will be tough competition as well; they have an extremely deep team with loads of young talent in the minors that will contribute to the team’s playoff hopes.
In the National League, the New York Mets look poised to run away with the NL East. On paper, they have the best pitching in the league, and their offense isn’t too far behind. Some might say that the Washington Nationals are going to give them a run for their money. I’ll have to see it to believe it. The Nationals, year in and year out, have been predicted to achieve big things, only to disappoint. In the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Pittsburgh Pirates all have formidable squads. The Cubs have, arguably, the best team in Major League Baseball, and appear ready to break their World Series curse. This off season, they spent $184 million on Jayson Heyward alone to shore up their outfield defense, as well as provide themselves with the upside in the 26-year-old's bat. The Arizona Diamondbacks took a page out of Padres GM, AJ Preller’s, book and broke both the bank and their farm system by acquiring Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller. They seem to be a popular playoff pick among people in the industry. Playoff teams from last season further invested in themselves by spending considerable money on additional talent.
The playoffs are always hard to predict. In the American League, the only unpredictable spot comes out of the second wildcard. In my opinion, the Indians will take this spot. They have a solid offense, and their pitching is also pretty good. If not the White Sox, look for the Tigers or Indians to claim this spot. While these teams aren’t necessarily World Series contenders, they certainly have what it takes to make it into October. In terms of playoff success, look for the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers to fight for a World Series berth. On paper, they are the two best teams in the league.
The National League is pretty straightforward: The Mets and Cubs are almost guaranteed to make October. The remaining teams in the National League Central will all fight for playoff spots, and I think they will make it through the wildcard. The West is hard to predict, but the Dodgers have a good group of names that should perform well. Many are picking the Giants to make the playoffs, but personally, I don’t see it. The biggest threats in the National League are the Mets and Cubs. Look for the Cubs to make the World Series (where they’ll inevitably lose in heartbreaking fashion).
AL East: Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central: Kansas City Royals
AL West: Houston Astros
AL Wildcard 1: Texas Rangers
AL Wildcard 2: Chicago White Sox
NL East: New York Mets
NL Central: Chicago Cubs
NL West:Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Wildcard 1: St. Louis Cardinals
NL Wildcard 2: Pittsburgh Pirates
AL Champion: Houston Astros
NL Champion: Chicago Cubs
World Series Champion: Houston Astros
AL MVP: Carlos Correa (Astros)
NL MVP: Bryce Harper (Nationals)
AL CY Young: Chris Sale (White Sox)
NL CY Young: Matt Harvey (Mets)
AL Rookie of the Year: Byron Buxton (Twins)
NL Rookie of the Year: Corey Seager (Dodgers)
