The 2016 Major League Baseball season is here. America's past-time is back for another season of fun. So that begs the question, are you ready? I know I sure am.
The long journey to October is officially underway. Each team will have to go through 162 games through the course of the season. A lot can change from now until then, but that sure won't stop me from making some predictions for the season. Let's start with the division winners.
AL East
The Toronto Blue Jays may have the best offense in baseball. Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion are both older, but both are also in contract years. As long as they can stay healthy they will be integral parts of the offense. Pair that with the AL MVP Josh Donaldson and the Blue Jays still hold a ton of fire power. They have plenty of other bats to where the offense should not be an issue.
The pitching is the true question. Marcus Stroman will be a total ace however, and lead the Jays to a division title. Stroman will be better than David Price this season, mark it down. Aaron Sanchez will be a solid piece in the rotation, while JA Happ will be serviceable. Drew Hutchinson will be up at some point when for another servicable piece.
The division is not very strong overall, so the Jays should be able to bring home the title with their offense and Stroman leading the charge.
AL Central
Kansas City would be the easy pick and Detroit would be the standard pick. The Indians will have plenty of arms, but I do not trust the bats. Chicago I plain do not trust in being winners. So enter my surprise pick: The Minnesota Twins.
Byron Buxton will finally break out and deliver on that former top prospect title. Miguel Sano will hit close to 40 home runs as he leads the offense in run production. Brian Dozier will also provide another steady bat in the lineup.
Kyle Gibson will be one of the true breakout stars of the season, making himself the ace of the rotation. Imporved skills plus a friendly ballpark plus that former top prospect mantle as well will lead to a most people being surprised by his success. Add in these factors and the Twins are primed for a decent season.
AL West
The Texas Rangers are my favorites for the AL West. Adrian Beltre and Prince Fielder are solid veteran bats who will not be MVP candidates, but bring the experience needed for a division title run. Young prospects like Nomar Mazarro and Joey Gallo will both make contributions as well during the season. The Angels do not have any offense after Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. Seattle almost always disappoints and Oakland is a team that could surprise, but not one I feel comfortable picking to win the division.
Cole Hamels will lead the rotation. And after a month or so into the season, Texas is primed to have one of the best one-two punches in baseball when Yu Darvish returns. That will be a scary duo to face, with the offense helping pick up the team during other games.
NL East
Simply put, the Mets have so much pitching and its going to win them the division again. Jacob DeGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard are just the start. Then add in Steven Matz. Finally you will have Zach Wheeler returning at some point during the season. The bullpen is solid as well. So the Mets are poised to give up the least amount of runs of any team in baseball.
The offense will not be great but enough. With the pitching as good as it is and the division not that strong, the bats will not have to carry the team, The Nationals have not done much to improve, the Phillies are very young and the Braves are rebuilding. The Marlins could be a sleeper, but not enough to overcome the Mets arms.
NL Central
I may not be making any bold statements here, but I see the Cubs as the best team in baseball. So even though I like the Caridnals and Pirates, the Cubs are an easy pick here for me. Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester make a formidable top of the rotation. John Lackey adds a veteran presence, and Kyle Hendricks is a nice young arm. Throw in another veteran in Jason Hammel and the Cubs have a very solid rotation.
The lineup is scary good. Every position has a guy who could make the All Star Game. Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Jason Heyward will lead the way. Add in Ben Zobrist, Kyle Schwarber and Dexter Fowler. And to top it all off, Jorge Soler is coming off the bench, Talk about fire power. The Cubs will be scoring tons of runs this season, while also showcasing the pitching needed to win a title.
NL West
I like what the Diamondbacks this off season and I think Paul Goldschmidt is the NL MVP. However I think Zack Grienke and Shelby Miller do not live up to the hype, and the DBacks fail to win the division. That honor will go to the San Francisco Giants. It is an even number year you know.
Buster Posey will once again be the focal point of the offense. Brandon Belt, if he stays healthy, is poised to take another step forward, as is Brandon Crawford. Bring in veteran Denard Span in the outfield with Hunter Pence and the Giants have a decent amount of offense.
As for pitching, Madison Bumgarner will try to de-thrown Clayton Kershaw as the best arm in the NL West. Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija have been brought into the fold to help fill out the rotation. Cueto is now a World Series winner, while Samardzija has pitched best in his days in the NL, which he finally returns to. A friendly pitchers park will only help benefit both men.
WIld Card Winners
In the AL I will go with Houston as well as the Detroit Tigers, with the AL Central being the most fun and entertaining divisions of the season as the Kansas City Royals just miss the playoffs. All three teams from this division will be capable of making a run at it all this season. The Astros shouldn't be messed with either, as they boast a lot of young talent that will make some big noise this season.
In the NL, the Pirates and DBacks will take home the wild cards. Pittsburgh will once again find itself as not quite good enough for the division title, but good enough to be in the playoffs, while Goldschmidt will help propel the DBacks to the promised land.
World Series
Give me the Cubs over the Rangers. I love everything about the Cubs this season and are my pick hands down to be World Series champs. The AL was not an easy selection however. But the thought of Hamels and Darvish helped push the Rangers to the top in my opinion. Paired with some of their young bats mixed with veterans, I think they can be scary good.
While I think the Twins win the division, I see the Tigers as a big threat, and a team that makes a deeper playoff run. Justin Upton joins the lineup that already has Miggy Cabrera and JD Martinez.
MVPs
AL - Carlos Correa
NL - Paul Goldschmidt (Nolan Arenado close second)
Rookie of the Year
AL - Nomar Mazzaro, outfielder for the Rangers
NL - Trevor Story, Shortstop for the Rockies
So there you have it, the 2016 MLB season in a nutshell . It should be a season full of entertaining baseball and lots of great games. Who do you see winning each division? And who do you see as the 2016 World Series champs right now in April?