Time for my yearly MLB predictions, and I struggled a bit with this one because I don't typically like to go chalk or match what the experts have picked, but I'm going to be a bit boring over being bold.
This year's World Series will, in my opinion, be a rematch of the 1992 or the 1993 World Series. And officially, I'm picking 92.
But as much as I would like 1993 to repeat — up and to the point of Joe freaking Carter — I can't deny what I see with the Braves.
To me, the Jays and Braves are favorites today, and as I like to look at, they are the teams most prepared to make big splashes in July to bolster their chances. Their farm systems have what it takes to get the big fish in July.
The Blue Jays look really good, and I think we'll see MVP years out of Vlad Guerrero, Bo Bichette and Teoscar Hernandez. The pitching staff shouldn't miss a beat replacing Robbie Ray with Kevin Gausman, and they have a full year of Jose Berrios.
The Braves won the World Series last year and they did it without their best player, Ronald Acuna. They'll get him back, along with Mike Soroka to bolster the rotation, and even though Freddie Freeman is gone, I think they got better with Matt Olson. There's more pop and gold glove defense there that will help the young pitching out even more. And their bullpen should be a nightmare to face. On most days, Braves games will be finished after six.
Here are my division-by-division projections:
| NL East | W | L |
| Braves | 91 | 71 |
| Phillies | 88 | 74 |
| Mets | 81 | 81 |
| Marlins | 79 | 83 |
| Nationals | 67 | 95 |
Braves edge out the Phillies in this division. I was going to have the Braves run away with this after the Matt Olson trade, but this Phillies team is something to be afraid of. The lineup speaks for itself and the bullpen in improved. I don't think the defense is as bad as some suggest, and as Joe Girardi said, they just need to make the plays they're supposed to make and they'll be fine. Mets continue to falter. I could barely put them in third at this point because they seem to be jinxed. I still think the Marlins are too young to pull off third place, but I wouldn't be shocked if they do.
| NL Central | W | L |
| Brewers | 89 | 73 |
| Cardinals | 88 | 74 |
| Reds | 84 | 78 |
| Cubs | 80 | 82 |
| Pirates | 51 | 111 |
The Brewers pitching is going to be too much, but their offense will hold them back a bit. That's why the Cardinals will be in this until the very end. I think the Reds are far better than anyone is giving them credit for after their mini firesale, and I don't trust the Cubs to put together a winning season with the roster they have right now. Pirates could be one of the worst teams ever, especially after they trade Bryan Reynolds by the deadline.
| NL West | W | L |
| Dodgers | 97 | 65 |
| Padres | 91 | 71 |
| Giants | 83 | 79 |
| Rockies | 76 | 86 |
| DBacks | 64 | 98 |
The Dodgers still have the depth, despite the questions some have on their pitching staff. They've amassed a formidable bullpen and have a lineup that will mash. It's insane to think that the Giants will be 24 games worse than a year ago according to my projections, but I think that will speak to how much they over-performed in 2021. The loss of Buster Posey running that pitching staff cannot be taken lightly.
| AL East | W | L |
| Jays | 91 | 71 |
| Rays | 90 | 72 |
| Yankees | 86 | 76 |
| Red Sox | 86 | 76 |
| Orioles | 64 | 98 |
Jays and Rays all the way. They have the best collection of players top to bottom and the capital to get better at the trade deadline. The Yankees and Red Sox have far too many holes and questions marks and injury concerns for me to even consider them at the same level as the Jays and Rays.
| AL Central | W | L |
| White Sox | 91 | 71 |
| Royals | 85 | 77 |
| Twins | 84 | 78 |
| Detroit | 76 | 86 |
| Guardians | 63 | 99 |
White Sox should run away with this division. The gap may be even larger than what I have, but I'm giving the Royals a bit of a Witt bump. OK, more than just Witt. I do really like that lineup in Kansas City. The pitching will be the big question mark, but I think they'll be competitive and post a winning season. The Twins fall into the realm of the Yankees and the Red Sox, to me. They have some great pieces, but I'm just not too sure it's the right pieces to get to the playoffs.
| AL West | W | L |
| Mariners | 91 | 71 |
| Angels | 89 | 73 |
| Astros | 89 | 73 |
| Rangers | 83 | 79 |
| Athletics | 53 | 109 |
This is it! The Mariners end the drought. They win the AL West and go to the playoffs. Julio Rodriguez is going to be a star — not as big as Witt, of course — but he's going to be the catalyst on this offense, and Robbie Ray will lead a strong pitching staff to the postseason. Astros fall back without pitching depth and more questions in the lineup than they have had in recent memory. The Angels will make a push and finally get Mike Trout back to the playoffs... But the trip won't last long.
AWARDS PREDICTIONS
NL MVP: Bryce Harper
AL MVP: Vlad Guerrero Jr.
NL Cy Young: Max Fried
AL Cy Young: Jose Berrios
NL Rookie of the Year: CJ Abrams
AL Rookie of the Year: Julio Rodriguez
POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS
Wild Cards
Phillies over Padres
Brewers over Cards
Mariners over Astros
Rays over Angels
LDS
Dodgers over Phillies
Braves over Brewers
White Sox over Mariners
Jays over Rays
LCS
Braves over Dodgers
Jays over White Sox
World Series
Jays over Braves in 6
Comments