For years now, some college buddies and I have sent out our predictions for the upcoming baseball season days before each season begins.
We pick division winners, wild card teams, miscellaneous individual awards/distinctions and lots of other things, including win totals for our favorite teams.
Anyway, I know the season began on Sunday, but this list was completed just before Sunday's Pittsburgh-St. Louis game began. Here you go. Enjoy, and feel free to tell me how smart or stupid I am.
- NL West: Giants, Dodgers, D’Backs, Rockies, Padres
- NL Central: Cubs, Pirates, Cards, Brewers, Reds
- NL East: Nats, Mets, Marlins, Phillies, Braves
- AL West: Rangers, Astros, Mariners, Angels, A’s
- AL Central: Royals, Indians, Twins, Tigers, White Sox
- AL East: Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Rays, Orioles
Playoffs
- Wild Card: NL — Dodgers over Pirates; AL — Astros over Blue Jays
- Division: NLDS — Pirates over Nats
- NLDS — Cubs over Giants
- ALDS — Astros over Royals
- ALDS — Rangers over Yankees
- League: NLCS — Cubs over Pirates; ALCS — Rangers over Astros
- World Series — Rangers over Cubs
Award Winners
- NL MVP — Andrew McCutchen
- AL MVP — Carlos Correa
- NL CY — Clayton Kershaw
- AL CY — Carlos Carrasco
- NL ROY — Trevor Story
- AL ROY — Byron Buxton
- NL Mgr — Clint Hurdle
- AL Mgr — Terry Francona
- NL Comeback — Jose Fernandez
- AL Comeback — Yu Darvish
Other Notables
- First Fired skipper — Buck Showalter
- Biggest name to be traded — Sonny Gray
- Most HRs — Bryce Harper
- First Tommy John — Yordano Ventura
- Most wins at All-Star break — Nationals
- All-Star Game SPs — Matt Harvey/Chris Archer
- Closer with most saves — Ken Giles
- First team to clinch playoffs — Nationals
Season Win Predictions
- Cubs wins — 96
- Dodgers wins — 87
- Rangers wins — 91
- Cards wins — 84
- Royals wins — 88
Prediction: Ian Desmond makes All-Star Game as Rangers’ starting center fielder
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