Way Too Early MLB Predictions for the 2019 Season
Let’s dive into some “way too early” MLB predictions for the 2019 season. Will the Red Sox defend their World Championship? Read on to find out…
In the spirit of the New Year, let’s take a look at the 2019 season and make some MLB predictions. 2018 was an action-packed year around Major League Baseball and 2019 looks ready to be another fun season.
Will the Boston Red Sox defend their World Championship? Will the Los Angeles Dodgers win the National League Pennant for the third straight season? How will Bryce Harper and Manny Machado affect the fortunes of their new clubs? These are just a few of the many stories that could shape the upcoming year.
There has been a lot of player movement throughout this rumor-filled offseason, but the league’s biggest free agents are still on the market. As mentioned, Manny Machado and Bryce Harper have the ability to shape the future of Major League Baseball, so in turn, these predictions are “way too early”.
Even with that said, let’s dive into a few of the possibilities.
The 2019 MLB season could go many different ways, as every new season brings new opportunities. Successful teams will capitalize on their opportunities and make waves throughout the league.
To start, let’s look at some of the possible storylines from around the National League.
National League East: The Baby Braves Win the East, AGAIN
Baseball fans have been treated to a fun “arms race” as the NL East has been one of the league’s busiest divisions.
The NL East has seen an influx of stars such as Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, Wilson Ramos, Jean Segura, Andrew McCutchen, Josh Donaldson, and Patrick Corbin.
The New York Mets have been the division’s busiest club, but it is hard to imagine that they will have enough talent to pass the Atlanta Braves.
The Baby Braves took a huge step forward in 2018 and it is hard to imagine that the club won’t continue to improve.
The Braves have a deep roster and a farm system loaded with young talent. Their farm system will bolster their Major League roster while also serving as assets to use in trades.
Newly signed third baseman, Josh Donaldson, is a former MVP and is set to anchor a lineup which includes Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman.
The club lacks dominate starting pitching but they should have enough young pieces to carry them to a second consecutive division title.
National League Central: The Cardinals Are Very Good
The St. Louis Cardinals missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season in 2018, but they should have better luck in 2019.
The Cardinals enter this new year as a very good baseball team. The acquisition of Paul Goldschmidt will pay massive dividends as he should help tie together a deep Cardinals’ lineup. I can even see the club extending their new slugger. Could he even be the NL MVP?
Marcell Ozuna and Matt Carpenter should benefit from the protection that Goldschmidt will provide and you can’t forget about the talented bat of Paul DeJong and the emergence of Harrison Bader.
The Cardinals also have the makings of a solid pitching staff. A healthy Carlos Martinez will be huge for the club in 2019, but they should also be able to rely on Miles Mikolas and Jack Flaherty. The club will then be able to round out their rotation by mixing and matching between Michael Wacha, Alex Reyes, Adam Wainwright, and Jon Gant, who are all quality starting pitchers.
The Cardinals’ bullpen leaves a little to be desired, but the acquisition of Andrew Miller should help strengthen its effectiveness. Miller will likely serve as the bridge to Jordan Hicks, the Cardinals’ flame-throwing youngster.
The Cardinals, Brewers, and Cubs should all be highly competitive teams in 2019, which will likely make the National League Central a fun story to follow. Deciding the winner of the NL Central always seems to come down to the wire…
National League West: The Dodgers Remain Supreme and the Padres Are Good?
A major theme of the 2019 MLB season will be, “Bryce goes to Hollywood”.
Yes, I believe that Bryce Harper will open 2019 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The city fits his personality and to me, the Dodgers’ star-filled swap with the Reds seemed like a move meant to open up a roster spot for Harper. Now, the club might have to cut a little more salary, but Bryce Harper could be the missing piece needed to put the Dodgers over the top.
Magic Johnson helped the Lakers land LeBron James, is it that unreasonable to assume that Bryce Harper could be next?
With the addition of Harper, the Dodgers would once again be favorites to win the National League Pennant. Some may disagree, as the Dodgers were a mediocre team for a good portion of 2018, but it is hard to ignore their talented roster.
Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler form one of the best one-two pitching punches in baseball, while Hyun-Jin Ryu, Ross Stripling, Kenta Maeda, and Rich Hill can help form a very respectable starting rotation. The Dodgers also have the best closer in baseball and you can’t forget about the star power in their lineup. Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, and Corey Seager are all Major League stars. Add Bryce Harper into the mix and you have one scary roster.
The San Diego Padres should be the biggest surprise of the 2019 MLB season.
The Friars are a sleeping giant as they have Major League Baseball’s best farm system, with many of their prospects getting close to debuting.
In 2018, we were introduced to Framil Reyes, Fransisco Mejia, and Luis Urias. In 2019, we will meet many more of the Padres’ talented prospects.
The club has been in search of a front-end starting pitcher, which I believe that they will eventually find. This will be a big help to the Padres as they will be a fun team to watch in 2019. They won’t be a Playoff team, but they should surprise the baseball world with a competitive season.
American League East: Boston VS. New York-Round 2
In 2018, the American League East was one of baseball’s most fun divisions as the historic rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees was in full force. How will this change during the 2019 MLB season?
Will the Boston Red Sox continue to dominate or will the New York Yankees overtake the World Series Champions? Will the Tampa Bay Rays become more of a factor?
In the end, I think that the Yankees are inevitably destined to land Manny Machado, even after signing Troy Tulowitzki. Machado wants to be a Yankee and they have a spot for the slugging infielder. Machado’s recent Instagram details seem to be the cherry on top of his rumors, I wouldn’t be surprised if he signs with the Yankees within the next week.
Even with that said, I think that the Boston Red Sox have too much talent to not repeat as division champions.
If healthy, there is no reason why this team shouldn’t make a run at returning to their spot atop the AL East or even the World Series. Their only weakness will be their bullpen, but I would expect Dave Dombrowski to sure that up before the start of Spring Training.
The New York Yankees will be good, as they have and will continue to improve their roster, but in the end, I would not be surprised if they finish right behind the Boston Red Sox in the division for the third consecutive season.
American League Central: Indians Easily Win the Division, AGAIN
The Cleveland Indians have had a very savvy offseason. They are the best team in a bad division and they have been taking advantage of their situation.
Through their many moves, the Indians have managed to add prospects and cut salary, while still aiming to remain relevant.
With the firepower stored in the AL East/West, it is reasonable to assume that the Indians will not get very deep into the playoffs, but they will certainly win their division and provide for a competitive playoff series.
There isn’t much to discuss regarding the other teams in the division. The Twins will be better, but they should still be mediocre, while the Royals and Tigers will still be knee deep into organizational rebuilds.
The White Sox have been the topic of many rumors throughout the offseason, but they still seem to be a few years away from relevance. I do not think that they will land Harper or Machado and the club is still in need of pitching help. The White Sox should be more fun in 2019, as we should get to see prospects like Eloy Jimenez, but they will not be a factor in the AL Central.
American League West: Are the Astros a Dynasty?
The Houston Astros will end 2019 with their third consecutive 100 win season. Would that officially make them a dynasty?
I’ve left the best club for last, as the Astros will be my pick to win the 2019 World Series.
In 2018, we were treated to the emergence of Alex Bregman, but we can’t forget about his partner on the left side of their infield, Carlos Correa.
Correa is a definite candidate to be 2019’s bounce back player of the year. The young shortstop struggled with injuries throughout 2018. Could he also be the American League MVP? I don’t think that it is out of the question… I am very excited to see the season that Bregman and Correa will put together.
The Astros are a club already loaded with talent and they still having one of baseball’s best farm systems. We will likely see a healthy dose of Kyle Tucker and Forrest Whitely throughout the 2019 MLB season.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Now, the Astros will feel the losses of Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton, but they should have the depth to make due. The club can turn to Collin McHugh, Josh James, Brad Peacock, Framber Valdez, Forrest Whitely, and even J.B. Bukauskas to provide meaningful innings.
The Astros will once again win the AL West, followed by the A’s and the mediocre Angels.
Could this be the season where Mike Trout is traded?
I don’t think so, but the future of Trout should be one of the year’s most dominate storylines. The Angels won’t be bad, but they will need to think about rebuilding as they will be boxed out of the playoffs. The Astros will dominate in the division and the AL Wild Card spots will likely go to the Yankees and either the A’s or Rays. The accusations of Matt Harvey, Trevor Cahill, and Justin Bour won’t affect the fortunes of the Los Angeles Angels as they should miss the playoffs yet again.
Next. Grandal landing spots. dark
Could the Angels be next offseason’s version of the Seattle Mariners? Only time will tell, but I will definitely enjoy looking back at this MLB predictions column as the 2019 season swings into gear.