You smell that? Hot dogs on the grill, roasted peanuts, and cotton candy. The crack of the wood bat, snap of the glove. It’s time for the greatest sport that America has ever produced. Baseball season is arriving, as well as early predictions for how the season will go. With spring training underway, we have gotten a glimpse of what the season will look like, maybe not enough to get completely serious about who is winning the world series, but it’s never too early for Met’s fans to get their hopes up. So here is the divisional, playoff, and a not so confident World Series prediction.
When it comes to straight up team numbers, the AL East could be very interesting all around the board. With the Orioles who surprisingly went last in the division despite having Adley Rutschman, Cedric Mullins, Gunnar Henderson, and Jackson Holiday. But when it came to pitching, that’s where it seemed to be the biggest issue. With only one guy with an ERA below 4.0 in the starting rotation, it was clear that was the problem. If the Orioles want to succeed they need someone in the starting pitching rotation who can make an impact. Recently in the Off-season there have been a couple noticeable upgrades, with Ryan Hesley from the free agency, two solid starting pitchers in Zac Eflin and Shane Baz. But most importantly, another huge addition to the roster in first baseman Pete Alonso. Having one of the best bats in the league, it’s hard to think these guys won’t be contenders for an AL East title, which is why they could be the number one sleeper pick in the MLB.
Tampa on the other hand seemed to also have a mediocre year, so thinking on how the Orioles tried picking up their squad a little extra, maybe the Rays did the same as well. They did, however, but nothing blew the hats off anyone with what they picked up. In the lineup, Cedric Mullins and Brett Wisely, were probably the two biggest pick ups. On the pitching side Steven Matz was huge for them pitching wise to add to that strength they had last year, which really was their biggest threat. But with the thin pick ups and lack of bats in the order despite Yandy Diaz and a couple others. The Rays could see a hard set back this year.
Now to the trifecta of Boston, New York, and American League Champs Toronto, this could be either a battle for the top spot, or an expected finish. Boston finished 89-73 last year, making a wild card spot but losing there to the Yankees. The Red Sox are solid all the way around despite getting rid of one of their top players Raefal Devers towards the end of the season. But as we look towards free agency and the offseason, nothing really caught an eye as improvement for the loss of Devers and Alex Bregman. The only thing noticeable was the signing of infielder Isaiah Kiner-Falefa on a one-year deal. But that was really it, and honestly for a high market contender team like them, it was quite a surprise. Pitching wise, Garret Crochet is still the number one guy. On the flip side, the Red Sox have had great success in recent years completely based on the way they play. They haven’t always had the most talent, but the atmosphere and culture that has been built in that program, turns players into something more than a one trick pony.
For the Yanks, same old story. A large market roster, with popular names all across the board, including last year’s AL MVP. It’s no shock to say they will be a good team, and will most likely be a playoff caliber team, and this is before the mid season where they could buy out some players through trades. Obviously the big pick ups from recent years like Paul Goldschmidt, Trent Grisham, Jazz Chisolm, and Paul Blackburn. They are still at the pinnacle of their dynasty, and still pushing for another championship.
Lastly, Toronto, last year’s American League champs could potentially find them in another World Series run this season. With an already stacked line-up with Vlad Guerrero, Dalton Varsho, Andres Gimenez, and Alejandro Kirk with additions of Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, and KBO MVP Cody Ponce. They are molding another All-Star team that has a shot to top some of the best teams in baseball like the Dodgers and Yankees. But it will all come down to their team’s offensive production. The Blue Jays had the most hits last year and the highest team batting average with .265. It felt though, as if their postseason production wasn’t a great representation of how they played during the season, and maybe it was a lot of players’ first time with such bright lights like the Grandest stage of ‘em all. It really will just boil down to if they can bunker down and battle at the plate and stay productive in the strike zone, they will see themselves battling for another World Series.
The AL Central is an interesting division, because it almost seems as if there are only two top teams battling for a spot at the top. Between Cleveland and Detroit. But are the Royals completely out of it? Now, the other two, Minnesota and Chicago White Sox, can almost feel ruled out for a spot as they still seem to be in a rebuild or funk kind of stage. For the Twins, nothing wowed us last year, and nothing was impressive in the offseason. Picking up guys like Andrew Chafin, Cody Laweryson, and Tristan Gray are fine. But this won’t get them out of this thought of a “Learning” year if they keep going for guys like that. With the White Sox, they had an eye opening find in Japanese star Munetaka Murakami, but that was really it. For a team who had 102 losses last season, you would think they would try and fight for either a rebuild or new players, or even some farm team system players, but as if right now, we haven’t seen much. It will be interesting to see though, if these teams can pull something out, and have a productive season.
Kansas City grabbed veteran star Starling Marte, outfielder Lane Thomas, and second baseman Brandon Drury. For a team that was 82-80 last year, little deals like this could add to a lineup that had potential last year. Additions to Jac Cagiliaone, Bobby Witt Jr, and Salvador Perez could be crucial if they want a chance at a playoff run. Now, to say they are World Series contenders may be far-fetched, but to say they aren’t too far from something big, isn’t all that crazy to say. Might as well make one more push while Perez is still there.
Detroit has to be one of the most complete and competitive teams in the MLB. Guys like Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Gleyber Torres, and even some young stars like Max Clark and Dillon Dingler. Then from the rubber, Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander. This team has a shot, and if they stay away from the popular mindset of swinging for the fences every time there are people on base late in the game, they could be looking at a ring. Offensively they were 5th in Strikeouts and last in stolen bases. It just still seems like they are missing that “It” factor for what they need to be a World Series caliber team.
Cleveland could see a down year. They have had numerous chances basically since 2016 when they went to the world series to be something special, but could never find the spark to ignite a deep run. Guys like Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, and Kyle Manzardo almost feel as if they are being wasted in a program that can’t seem to get out of a postseason slump. They had the least amount of total hits, 3rd to last amount of runs, and 2nd to worst team batting average. Yet they still managed to make the playoffs and win the division. Why? They had the 4th lowest ERA. The guys on the bump were somewhat getting it done for Cleveland, but the bats didn’t match up. If they want to turn this around, these ebbs and flows of being a playoff contender to losing the division, they need to create a team, not add a couple stars. Because in baseball, ultimately, it isn’t won by a couple players.
The AL West is interesting, and it should be pretty competitive again. But if no one can stop the roar of the Emerald City, then what’s the goal for these other teams? Teams like the Angels who have been brutal for what seems like forever. Like the past couple of seasons have felt, LA seemed to have some key players. The obvious standouts are Mike Trout, Ben Joyce, and Logan O’hoppe. The only relative player picked up in Alek Manoah, adds a little bit of strength to the lineup, but I highly doubt they could turn this stuff around from one addition to the squad. Unless there is some Minor league hero that no one knows about, it’s going to be another long season for the Halos.
As for the Athletics, they have an intriguing young squad. Guys like Shea Langliers, Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, and Jake Lopez at least put the A’s on notice and on the map as a team to look out for. They’re pitching saw improvements, offense saw a boost, and even the all around atmosphere. A lot of behind the scenes, money related such problems with moving the team around seemed to have been an issue of course. The lack of fan supporters, lack of baseball related publicity almost brought shade over the entire franchise as whole. But just about these last 2 years, the A’s are becoming a dark horse. With a solid pick up in Scott Barlow, if this squad catches fire we could see a massive turn, and a flip in the AL West.
That is if Texas stops becoming a constant threat. Yes, they did miss the playoffs but the amount of talent that covers their roster can’t be overlooked. The recent World champs may have seemed to take a step back or two, and to be completely honest they still will probably be a .500 record team. They can’t be taken lightly, and they can’t be pushed aside completely. Cory Seager, Josh Jung, Evan Carter, Nathan Eovaldi, and recent pick up Andrew McCutchen, They’re solid all around. If they really wanted to go far and try and make another playoff run, they won’t really need anymore roster improvements. It’ll all boil down to if they do the “Baseball” side of things correctly. They were on the lower side in team hits and runs, but were 2nd in hits allowed and first in ERA. If they could solidify the offensive side of the game, it could be an interesting team to watch.
Houston battled it out with Seattle for the division title, and evidently lost. Believing that their dynasty run of being one of the top teams, may have slowly been coming to an end. This year could mark the finale. Jose Altuve at 35, Christian Walker at 34, and even Yordan Alveraz pushing 30. The loss of Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez, and Justin Verlander just seemed to have put the nail in the coffin. Pick ups like Mike Burrows and Nick Allen were good additions, but nothing that could quickly turn around a crumbling franchise. Nonetheless, they are still the Astros, still a solid team, and still shouldn’t be overlooked. But if they keep the same team demeanor of, middle of the pack OBP, Runs, and Batting Avg last year. They could maybe push for a second place spot again in the AL West.
Seattle will still be one of the top teams in baseball. With MVP Candidate Cal Raleigh, 2026 MVP favorite Julio Rodregiuz, and clutch situation players in Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena. Now the loss of Eugieno Suarez, Ben Williamson, and Jorge Polanco was a big surprise, the pick up of All-Star Brendan Donovan made up for it. The difference between this team and any other in baseball is that the atmosphere is electric. Similar to the neighboring Seahawk fans, the Mariner fans are no different. From towel waves, big hit eruptions, and even fourth of July firework shows and light effects. Plus having one of the best rotations in baseball, with Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Bryce Miller carving up lineups with a combined 3.96 ERA. If anything, the only add to that could make Seattle a World Series favorite, would be some more strength in the bullpen to add onto their impressive starting pitching rotation. They will still be one of the most dominant and feared teams in the league.
The National league is a fun one to talk about, with power houses all around the board. A clear view at a World Series caliber team is all over the league. The NL East is an interesting one. It was somewhat close in records across all the teams behind Philadelphia. But one team stood out as the bottom of the barrel, and no shock at all to see the Nationals there. Going 66-96, they had guys like James Wood, CJ Abrams, and Luis Garcia Jr in the lineup. In addition, Mackenzie Gore led in almost every pitching category on the team. But nothing seemed to come off the page at you. The only thing that really stuck out was the young star from Seattle Harry Ford added to the squad, which creates almost another Athletics situation with a young up and coming squad. The only fault is the pitching game still needs a lot of work, and if the Nationals can’t seem to work through adversity, these young stars could be gone within the next few years.
The 2021 World Series champs Atlanta Braves took the league by storm based on the strength and talent that covered their lineup. It was a situation that people couldn’t go away from because it meant a new face of the MLB. However, the addition of free agency and injuries put a stop to that almost instantaneously. Now, the Braves sat 4th in their division with a 76-86 record. Guys like Matt Olson, Ronald Acuna Jr, Drake Baldwin, and Austin Riley lit up the hits category with no one below 70 hits. Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, and Grant Holmes with 100 plus strikeouts and a ERA’s on the low end. The question is why are these guys not one of the best teams in baseball? One word, Injuries. Strider needed Tommy John a while back and hasn’t seemed to be the same player since. Jurickson Profar played 80 games, Riley played 102 games, Acuna Jr. played 95 games. These guys can’t stay healthy enough to last in the playoffs, and to even give themselves a chance to make it in general. Additions to their lineup in Robert Suarez, Mike Yastremski, and Ha-Seong Kim are great. But hopefully they also don’t also get the Atlanta Plague of injuries throughout the season.
Surprisingly enough the Marlins pulled a third place spot in the division that definitely was unexpected at first glance. Names like Kyle Stowers, Otto Lopez, and Xavier Edwards led the way in the batting category, then Edward Cabrera, Calvin Fulcher, and Tyler Phillips on the bump. These guys have a rare trait in which they don’t have a clear hole. Sure, they could strengthen their lineup or add a big bat. They could tack on a few guys in the rotation and they did with Closer Pete Fairbanks. Miami just has a weird upcoming season honestly. A basic squad, with talent to win games, but nothing blows you out of the water with them. Maybe that had a fluke year where the snuck a couple wins by going with the flow, and maybe this coming year they struggle and realize they need more then a one big name pick up at closing. But in the end, the Marlins seemed to stay around .500 last year, we could potentially see it again this coming year.
The New York Mets are a hot topic in today’s game. Getting rid of All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso, and thinking they must have a replacement. Well, not necessarily at first base do they, but seeing studs like Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr. Freddie Peralta, Jorge Polanco, and Luis Garcia added to their possible contentions for a run. This is probably one of the most complete teams we have seen come out of the Mets franchise since 2015. They have really used their money to their advantage, like every other high market team in the league, and I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t be a top team in the NL, or even the league. The only problem is the Mets will find a way to ruin it. We can’t get a clear view on how the teams stats look, since the big changes in the lineup, but despite that they had a high team OBP and gave up the least amount of Home runs in the pitching category. It just doesn’t seem like this team can struggle, with the amount of talent they have around them, the fan base, the division. I see big things coming from these guys soon.
The only team that could stand in their way is the NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies. The star studded team has thrived in the past 5 years, with the leadership of All-Star Bryce Harper and his representatives of Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber. Then on the bump, Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Matt Strahm, Cristopher Sanchez, and Jhoan Duran. The team looks great, the same problem with a lot of teams though is if they can make the crucial plays when it matters most. Picking up Postseason phenom Adolis Garcia is nice. But if the Phillies keep New York down in their division, we could see a real hard battle for the top. They were 3rd in Avg, 2nd in hits, and 4th in Slug%. These guys were lethal at the plate, and with the loss of only a few players we could see this happening again. Philadelphia is still a team to have circled on the schedule, and it could mean tough sledding for anyone who stands in their way.
The NL Central had three teams make the playoffs, by a margin of 5 and 14 wins. On the other side of the division, the Pittsburgh Pirates found themselves at the bottom. With a 71-91 record, they didn’t play horribly last year. Guys like Spencer Horwitz, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Oneil Cruz, and Tommy Pham make up the bulk of the lineup. Therefore in the rotation, Paul Skenes, Bailey Falter, and Joey Wentz. They had additions like Marcell Ozuna, Ryan O’Hearn, and Gregory Soto which will definitely help. But the rumors around Paul Skenes moving on has the Pittsburgh fanbase in a worry. If they can’t pull something off this year, at least a playoff run, then it could be an even bigger problem. In the game nowadays, guys are more apt to find that bigger market, a larger chunk of change. With a team like Pittsburgh, you’re not getting that. Especially with the way they have been run for the past 20 years. Pirates need something soon, and they got the athletes to do so, just need it fast.
Back in St. Louis, things seem to fall apart a little. Now, they didn’t do terribly last year with a 78-84 record, and with guys like Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker, and Matt Svanson they had a solid squad. But getting rid of players like Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donanvan, Wilson Contreras, and others. Just can not be the move unless there are some young talents we don’t know about. If this is the rebuild stage for them, then fine, we can disregard these next few seasons. But if it wasn’t, then we are all confused by the constant movement of some top players in the league. They did grab some other guys during the offseason, like Dustin May and Ramon Urias. But it just doesn’t feel right to have the Cards in a situation like this, unless you’re a Cubs fan.
Chicago has had one of the most exciting teams in the past few years, and holds some of the most exciting players like Pete Crow-Armstong, Dansby Swanson, and Seiya Suzuki. The Cubs snuck into the playoffs with a 92-70 record and even taking home the Team Golden Glove Award. With additions like Alex Bregman and Edward Cabrera, the Cubs seem to have their season under control. It’s hard to find a weakness in their game, and it’s hard to go against the fact that they are making a steady incline towards the top. But can their “Home grown” team top the money rolling franchises? It will be fun to watch, beings how well these guys compete and that is what to believe these guys can do. They have, especially last year, seemed to fight through every game, as if it was the last. These guys won’t go away easily, and they seriously could have something intriguing this year.
Cincinnati was the most surprising team to make the playoffs last year. Now, not to bash anything about their team, they have plenty of talent. Guys like Elly De La Cruz, TJ Friedl, Gavin Lux, and Austin Hays lit up the lineup with plenty of stats to pass around. However, it still seemed a little off that they made the playoffs. But at the same time it was well deserved. The only question is if they could pull off another playoff run like last year. They had a couple key pick ups like Eugenio Suarez and Caleb Ferguson, but will it be enough? They were middle of the pack in most categories team stats wise, but they won games and that’s all that matters. The Reds are a difficult team to predict because of how versatile they are, and from what they pulled off last year, who knows what they can do this year
Milwaukee had a great season last year only three wins shy of 100 wins. They had their studs across the board like long-time Brewer Christian Yelich, Brice Turang, and Sal Frelick. Not to forget Jacob Misiorowski who found himself on the All-Star team at 23 years old. This Brewers team is not one to take lightly, however it feels as if they have always had a good team but can’t get over that hump which is a Divisional win in the playoffs. They got a great offseason arm in Brandon Woodruff and Catcher Gary Sanchez, but it doesn’t seem like they needed much more. The thing is, they have a similar situation as Chicago in that their talent can top the big buck talent of the other high market teams. We will just have to watch and find out, it never stopped Yelich from being one of the top players in the league year after year.
Finally, we head to the NL West which should be one of the most competitive, tough, and hard fought divisions in all of the MLB. Last year we saw a glimpse of it midway through the season with a long-time three way tie at the top between San Diego, LA, and San Francisco with Arizona right on their tails. But now the Rockies have something to prove. Being the worst team in the league last year with a 43-119 record, the Rockies hit a wall with their season, and they needed something to bring them back to the Charlie Blackmon days. We could see some small bump up in numbers, and maybe even another dark horse in the league. The Rockies picked up Willie Castro, Jose Quinta, Michael Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Ryan Miller. This added on to Hunter Goodman, Mickey Moniak, and Kyle Freeland makes these guys interesting to keep an eye on. The thing about the Rockies is they always seem to find some way to stay in games, regardless of the roster. Now last year wasn’t a great representation of that, but it still can be a factor to how they play the games this year.
Here’s where the division got real interesting, with a team two wins back from the one ahead of it in the Diamondbacks. The Rattlers had a tough finish to the season, where they were just shy of a .500 season, but still fell short of third place. They still have a great team in Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo. As well as Merril Kelly and Carlos Santan from the offseason, you still can’t count out the Backs. They just couldn’t seem to find a consistent hot streak in the season to make them a playoff worthy competitor. If they want to make a push for another chance at the Greatest Stage in Baseball, they are going to have to find that rhythm, find the hot streak, and not get in over their heads. They were top 10 in hits, batting average, and On Base %. Although they were bottom half for ERA and Strikeouts, could this have been the factor they couldn’t stay hot as well? Zac Gallen can’t be the only one in the rotation to keep them in the race.
San Francisco took storm in the league after starting the season off largely ahead of everyone, or so we thought. The Linsanity slowly withered away and they went straight back to square one at .500 exactly at 81-81. They had a huge mid-season pick up in All-Star DH and First-baseman Rafael Devers, who added the big bat they needed in the lineup. However the loss of Mike Yastrzemski and Brett Wisely was noticeable at the least. During the offseason, they had two huge moves in 3-time batting title winner Luis Arraez and +100 hit man Harrison Bader has really pushed the limits of what the Giants can do. With the pitching talent that they have in Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Adrian Houser, and Ryan Walker plus the lineup with guys who have already proved themselves to be top players. The Giants really could be a dangerous team, and could give top market franchises a run for their money. The only problem is when the Giants are at a peak they seem almost unstoppable, but when they hit a low, they stay low for a long long time. Long enough to almost always keep them out of the playoff race. Mostly, it will all come down to the new skip in the dugout from Tennessee Tony Vitello, and his atmosphere he is trying to create. Will he be the key they needed to adjust this funk they have been in for the past couple of years?
Last but certainly not least, the reigning, defending, undisputed World Series champs. The Los Angeles Dodgers. Last year with guys like Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman to name a few, rolled through the regular season and playoffs to win the first back to back championships in franchise history. They are the juggernauts, the bad guys, the team to beat. They didn’t stop with who they had now either, they added Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz to add even more to their potential dynasty they are building here now. Really the biggest thing with any other MLB team in the league is if they want to win the Pennant this year, if they want to be successful, and be a champion. They will have to stop the Dodgers, plain and simple. But can the Dodgers stay out of their heads and push their ego aside. If they do, they will win another championship this coming year.
Evidently, the season should be a good one with plenty of teams with potential around the board. But will the high market teams have a say in what really goes down during the season, but regardless we will all just have to sit back and enjoy baseball for yet another season to come.
