MLB Predictions: Scattered views precede 2019 opener

The Division Winners

National League East: A newly loaded division with a great deal of young talent will produce a division championship for the Phillies, according to our staff writers. Philadelphia put together an all-time Hot Stove season, torturous as it was. The pick count went as follows:

Philadelphia – 8 (chosen by Kristen Bentley, Jough Brasch, Josh Ejnes, Benjamin Fadden, Michael Francis, Trevor Hooth, Sarah Maninger, and Rick Soisson)

Washington – 3 (Bill Ferber, David Hill, Ryan Sanders)

Atlanta – 2 (Kyle Cardoza, Keith Corblis)

New York – 1 (Dylan Smith)

NL Central: Many here see the Cubs returning to glory or at least a chance at it, with perhaps one fewer real challenger than in the East. The score:

Chicago – 7 (Bentley, Cardoza, Corbliss, Fadden, Francis, Sanders, Smith)

St. Louis – 4 (Brasch, Ejnes, Ferber, Hill)

Milwaukee – 3 (Hooth, Maninger, Soisson)

NL West: There seems a clearer top and bottom in the West, with the Dodgers and Rockies at the top, then everybody else below. There were only two teams considered potential division champs:

Los Angeles – 10 (Cardoza, Corbliss, Ejnes, Fadden, Francis, Hill, Hooth, Maninger, Sanders, Smith)

Colorado – 4 (Bentley, Brasch, Ferber, Soisson)

If you’re counting, that’s nine of the NL’s 15 teams somebody on staff thinks can be a divisional champion. Are these MLB predictions or darts thrown at a board? Is there this much parity?

American League East: What you just read about the NL West applies here – two teams are considered far ahead of the rest. What may be very slightly surprising is the World Champion Red Sox were not closer in the vote to the Yankees or ahead of them:

New York – 9 (Brash, Corbliss, Ferber, Francis, Hill, Hooth, Sander, Smith, Soisson)

Boston – 5 (Bentley, Cardoza, Ejnes, Fadden, Maninger)

AL Central: With the second of three AL consensuses, the Indians are here a nearly unanimous pick, sweeping in every staff writer but Kristen Bentley, who is hereby designated Kristen the Outlier.

Cleveland – 13.

Minnesota – 1.

AL West:  The only unanimous division champion choice appears here, the Astros, chosen by all 14 writers. This outcome could say something profound about the weak competition in the division, the strength of the defending champion, or that everybody is missing the boat in considering the Athletics, winners of 97 games in ’18.

Simply put, all three divisions in the AL look like cut and dried matters, but are they?

The Wild Card Mash-Ups

Where are things that don’t strike the staff as very cut and dried? In picking the Wild Cards! Altogether, staff picked nine different teams to win the first NL Wild Card, with five teams picking up two votes (the Dodgers, Cardinals, Nationals, Reds, and Mets) and four teams with one vote apiece (the Brewers, Braves, Cubs, and Phillies). To take the second Wild Card, staff managed to name ten teams, adding the Rockies to the mix. Confused yet? Let’s put it this way, which will not help: The favorite for the second NL Wild Card is Milwaukee with 3 votes, the same number they have to win their division. You have to love the NL, people.

As for the AL, voting for Wild Cards seems a less scattered matter, but nonetheless, a bit less “apparent” than it was for the division champions. For 13 of the 14 writers involved here, the first AL Wild Card is predicted to be the Yankees or Red Sox, for many whichever of the two not picked to win the division. Boston got eight votes, New York five, and the Tampa Bay Rays picked up one lonely writer who thinks they’ll have home field for the AL one-and-done round. For the second Wild Card, staff went a bit “National League,” predicting six different teams, with the Rays leading the pack with four votes. Trailing were the Angels with one vote.

In other words, making MLB predictions for Wild Cards in March is edging towards insanity.

Final observation here? No one picked one of his or her predicted Wild Cards to win the World Series. Josh Ejnes did pick his first AL Wild Card to make the WS – and lose.

Let’s return to predictions linked to specific writers now. (Cue evil laugh soundtrack.)

The League Championship Races

NL: It’s hardly surprising, considering the scattered choices for division champions in the NL and the wildly scattered choices for the Wild Cards, that there was some disagreement about the league champion. A scoreboard with the writers who voted for the more likely teams:

Dodgers               Francis, Maninger, Smith

Braves                  Cardoza, Corbliss

Brewers               Hooth, Soisson

Cardinals             Ferber, Hill

Phillies                  Ejnes, Fadden

Rockies                Bentley, Brasch

Nationals             Sanders

After losing two World Series in a row, it might be said that the third time will be the charm for Los Angeles except for 11 doubters among the 14 voters.

AL: There was surprisingly little faith among the staff in the Red Sox repeating as the AL champions, but they did make the board:

Yankees               Brasch, Cardoza, Ejnes, Francis, Hill, Soisson

Astros                   Corbliss, Ferber, Hooth, Sanders, Smith

Red Sox                Fadden, Maninger

Twins                    Bentley

So, the Yankees seem a bit more of a sure thing in their league than the Dodgers may be, but that’s only if you believe in the notion of a plurality among a small sample of writers making MLB predictions.

The 2019 World Champion: The Biggest of MLB Predictions Goes Mushy

Perhaps the ultimate winner is the biggest of MLB predictions, but this was definitely a horse race in the staff voting, ultimately leaving a list so long there will be plenty who were wrong, wrong, wrong:

Astros 2               Corbliss, Smith

Brewers 2            Hooth, Soisson

Cardinals 2          Ferber, Hill

Dodgers 2            Francis, Maninger

Phillies 2              Ejnes, Fadden

Yankees 2            Brasch, Cardoza

Nationals 1         Sanders

Rockies 1             Bentley

Translation: You’re on your own, Bunky.

Individual MLB Predictions

Now that the staff voters are so thoroughly on the record that everyone will have been wrong several times, we’re going to skip naming them for the principal individual awards.  Totals only for these scattered MLB predictions (teams are listed as well for the potential Rookies of the Year since everyone may not know the kids well):

NL MVP: Nolan Arenado (3), Bryce Harper (3), Anthony Rendon (3), Paul Goldschmidt (2), Ronald Acuna (1), Javier Baez (1), J.T. Realmuto (1).

AL MVP: Mike Trout (7), Mookie Betts (3), Alex Bregman (1), Carlos Correa (1), Aaron Judge (1), Jose Ramirez(1).

NL Rookie of the Year: Fernando Tatis, Jr., Padres (5), Nick Senzel, Reds (3), Pete Alonso, Mets (2), Keston Hiura, Brewers (1), Chris Paddack, Padres (1), Victor Robles, Nationals (1), Alex Verdugo, Dodgers (1).

AL Rookie of the Year: Vlad Guerrero, Jr., Blue Jays (9), Elroy Jimenez, White Sox (2), Willians Astudillo, Twins (1), Shed Long, Mariners (1), Justus Sheffield, Mariners (1).

NL Cy Young: Jack Flaherty (4), Aaron Nola (4), Jacob deGrom (2), Walker Buehler (1), German Marquez (1), Mike Mikolas (1), Max Scherzer (1).

AL Cy Young: Chris Sale (4), Justin Verlander (4), Trevor Bauer (2), Jose Berrios (1), Mike Clevinger (1), Gerrit Cole (1), Corey Kluber (1).

If you’re standing at a betting window in Las Vegas and looking at this, you should be thinking, vote for a guy who got one vote.

MLB Predictions Commentary

NL East

Bill Ferber: With Scherzer and Strasburg in the lead, the Nationals pitching staff remains impressive enough to allow them to contend in the NL East. I for one believe the departure of Harper will allow Rendon to blossom as a true star and contender alongside Arenado as the game’s best third baseman. Freed from playing under Harper’s influence, I expect him to have an MVP-type season.

Rick Soisson: For some, it’s too obvious the Phillies will win the newly stacked NL East, but that should be only by inches over Atlanta and Washington, and no one knows which will be second. This presupposes one of the young Phillies starters not named Aaron Nola finally steps firmly forward. However, if Bryce Harper fails to earn his big money, the Fightin’s don’t figure out how to acquire or develop a left-hander for their rotation, or the team chemistry goes sour somehow, Philadelphia will be no better than second and more likely third. Washington’s pitching is scary on paper, but I’m not sure Anthony Rendon, as solid as he is, can actually put the offense on his back alone. An important question is how good can Victor Robles be? This much is true now, however: The Phillies should win this division.

Trevor Hooth: The Phillies had a wonderful winter; it is hard to see anyone beating them.

Benjamin Fadden: I really like what the Phillies have done this offseason, adding multiple All-Stars, including Harper and J.T. Realmuto, so I am confident that the offense will carry the team to the postseason.

NL Central

Bill Ferber: The Cardinals have bulked up in all the right places, especially with Goldschmidt. Their pitching is deep and balanced, very much in line with what it takes to survive a season. In Bader, Carpenter and Wong, they have a bunch of core guys who will bring effort every day. They need Ozuna and Martinez to be healthy, but injuries could derail any team.

Rick Soisson: The Brewers will prevail in this division because they have figured out what the next way to pitch is. They’ve gotten through the bushes and found the path. Go back and look at the way their pitchers were deployed last season, particularly when they were running down the Cubs. This is how pitching will be for a while. This is your least “statistical” idea among these MLB predictions. Oh, and Christian Yelich, Travis Shaw, and Lorenzo Cain play for the Brewers well. And Keston Hiura will be.

Trevor Hooth: The Brewers are a solid and scrappy team that just added Yasmani Grandal to the equation. Their rotation is questionable, but their bullpen is dominant.

Josh Ejnes: The hardest division winner to choose was probably the in the NL Central because four teams have a pretty realistic shot at making a run for it. I think the Cardinals are looking really strong with the addition of Paul Goldschmidt, and as long as their pitching holds it together, and Miles Mikolas proves last year wasn’t a fluke, they’re my favorites to win the division.

NL West

Kristen Bentley: With Arenado not having to worry about contracts and extensions, he will lead the Rockies to the franchise’s first World Series win in an epic battle of the north! There will be at least one snowstorm during the World Series! Of course, the Rox aren’t favorites for anything, which is why the win will be so satisfying.

Trevor Hooth: The West will be a tight race in a few years with San Diego, but not quite yet. Advantage Dodgers.

Benjamin Fadden: Although I don’t have them in the playoffs, I believe the Padres will be in the hunt for the second wild card spot until around the end of July.

AL East

Jough Brasch: Get ready baseball fans, here come the Yankees again. A lot of things went wrong for the Yankees in 2018. Gary Sanchez hit under the Mendoza Line and missed some time to injury. Aaron Judge played just 112 games due to a wrist injury. Giancarlo Stanton was pretty good, but he certainly wasn’t the same player that he was when he won the NL MVP in 2017. Nevertheless, the Yankees won 100 games and broke the team record for home runs in a single season. The Yankees didn’t add any of the best free agents this offseason, but they acquired some good pieces and their best players stand to improve. We’ve seen the Yankees play in just one World Series in the last 15 years, but right now, they have the best chance to win among 2019 winners designated by anyone making MLB predictions.

Trevor Hooth: The AL East still seems like a battle of the titans, Yankees and Red Sox.

Benjamin Fadden: The Red Sox are primed for success yet again in 2019, even after a slow offseason. It seems the bullpen will be the question again after Kimbrel seems to be heading to another team, but I still like their offensive potential with Betts and Martinez. Their rotation will be dominant again with the first full season of Nathan Eovaldi.

AL Central

Bill Ferber: I am not a believer in the rebuilding program afoot on Chicago’s South Side. Moncada and the rest are going to have to show me they are capable of building around. Detroit is going nowhere, Kansas City’s chances depend on an unreliable pitching staff becoming reliable, and while Minnesota could contend, the Twins need a boatload of comebacks from Buxton, Sano and others. That leaves the Indians, which will get consistent pitching and decisive contributions from Jose Ramirez — the next MVP — plus Lindor.

Kristen Bentley: My other strange pick is the Twins as AL Champions. The Twins have had some good signings that could help them succeed. When no one is paying attention to you, you have nothing to prove. Jonathan Schoop, who was not good in Milwaukee, will play like he did in 2017 when he represented the Orioles at the All-Star Game. Byron Buxton, Marwin Gonzalez, and Max Kepler will help lead the team to the top. Willians Astudillo will take the ROY. It’s the Twins time to be healthy and be the upset in these MLB predictions.

Jough Brasch: The White Sox are certainly the dark horse here of all MLB predictions. The top four spots in the AL seem to be locked down, but the final playoff spot is wide open. The White Sox were bad last year. I mean, really bad. They lost 100 games in one of the worst divisions in history. It’s easy to forget that people were predicting the White Sox to take a step forward in 2018, and there’s not much different about this team now. I see Yoan Moncada beginning to live up to his hype and Eloy Jimenez to put up a star-level rookie season. Lucas Giolito had the same number of wins as Jacob deGrom in 2018, and that certainly doesn’t show how the pitcher win is completely useless. I see the White Sox winning around 85 games, but I think that will barely be enough to secure the second Wild Card.

Trevor Hooth: The AL Central is probably the weakest in baseball. The front-runner Indians were shopping their Corey Kluber this off-season.

Josh Ejnes: The Twins are one of the teams I’m most excited to see this year. If Byron Buxton really is as good as he’s looked this spring that could be a game changer for the squad, and I’m pretty confident that Marwin Gonzalez will also help the team look a lot better than they have over the past few years. Add Willians Astudillo and young manager Rocco Baldelli, and you’ve got one of the most interesting groups in baseball; if the Indians aren’t careful I could even see the Twins making a run for the weak AL Central (though I don’t think it’s super likely among all MLB predictions possible).

AL West

Trevor Hooth: The AL West is, like the East, nothing crazy, with the Astros the choice. After last year the Athletics may not be a surprise, but man, are they fun. This seems like the year that Houston visits the World Series once again, only to lose to whichever NL Central team greets them there.

Kyle Cardoza: The two western divisions in baseball probably won’t have a prolonged, down-to-the-wire, two-team battle for dominance. And unless a meteor lands in Houston, it doesn’t seem like other teams have a chance to dethrone the Astros. Seattle is in a rebuilding phase now, surprising as it is, while the Rangers are just the Rangers. Oakland and the Los Angeles Angels are two of the more intriguing teams in the league primarily because of their rosters. Trout always shows up, and fans have to think that his teammates will eventually help him in claiming a playoff spot if they don’t want to wave him goodbye. Meanwhile, the Athletics somehow make themselves relevant in the MLB, and now they have actually have a blossomed pool of young players ready to showcase their talent. Still, even with all of the departures the Astros had this offseason, it would be rather silly to think they aren’t the MLB predictions favorite heading into the season. They still have their two budding prospects developing to become major contributors. But Justin Verlander and company have enough talent to retain their crown in the West once again.

Playoffs and World Series Commentaries

Dylan Smith: I believe that the Dodgers will take advantage of a weak division and represent the National League in the World Series for the third consecutive season. Even after shedding some salary, the Dodgers still have a deep roster that should be able to successfully navigate the NL Playoffs. They will benefit greatly from the addition of A.J. Pollock and the return of Corey Seager. I am also excited to see what they will be able to get from Julio Urias. From the American League side, it’s hard to ignore the Astros. The Red Sox and Yankees will be favorites, but Houston will inevitably win 100+ games for the third year in a row. (The safest of all MLB predictions?) Michael Brantley was a great signing to further balance out their lineup and we should be in store for a break out season from the injury-free Carlos Correa. Now, they do have some question marks in their starting rotation, but I can imagine that we will see a good amount of Forrest Whitely and a surprising number of plus innings from Collin McHugh, Brad Peacock, and Wade Miley.

Trevor Hooth:  The NL Wild Card spots both go to a LOADED Central. Honestly, the Cubs, Reds and Cardinals are interchangeable in those spots. It is a tough call. I keep St. Louis out, with a heavy heart, because I don’t believe Andrew Miller is the answer to their bullpen issues.

Michael Francis: The 2019 National League as a whole may be the most exciting league in recent memory. I wrote last month here how the National League could be the most competitive league of all time and it has only gotten better since then. With four teams legitimately vying for the division title in the East and potentially five teams in contention in the central, it should be one hell of a show all season long. However, in the end I believe that the talent up and down the Dodgers roster will be too much for the rest of the league to handle, and they will once again represent the senior circuit in the fall classic.

Sarah Maninger: My MLB predictions involve the Dodgers and the Red Sox meeting in the World Series once again because, going in to the new season, I think they are still the two strongest teams. At the start of the 2018 season, I predicted the Dodgers to meet the Astros in the World Series again. Clearly, that didn’t happen, but I am sticking with my gut and predicting a repeat matchup, this time with the Dodgers winning the series. I predict that the additions of Joe Kelly and A.J. Pollock with prove pivotal, helping the offense and the pen, two things the Dodgers were lacking in their World Series loss last season.

General Comments: Individual MLB Predictions

Kristen Bentley: It’s Justin Verlander‘s turn to finally win another Cy Young. He’s been working on his change-up this off-season and it’s been downright nasty. It’s also time to see Nolan Arenado win a much-deserved MVP. Mookie Betts will remain dangerous at the plate and on defense as well. And, Max Scherzer, well – he’s simply too good, and his ability to consistently strike out batters is worthy of another Cy Young. There are plenty of outstanding rookies, but Willians Astudillo will come out of nowhere and get the AL ROY because no one plays with sass like he does.

Trevor Hooth: The MVPs rarely get new candidates, but Paul Goldschmidt will love Busch and he will want to milk as much extension money as possible. His performance will be great, and he will remain a Cardinal after the season. Mookie Betts also gets the call because…well…he is Mookie Betts. This is a loaded rookie class with guys like Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Eloy Jiminez, Nick Senzel, Keston Hiura, and just a lot of talent. Essentially, pick two names out of a hat and they could be superstars. I went young on both Cy Young winners because they are filthy. At least one of them will be in the conversation. Jacob deGrom showed us that the pitcher’s team does not have to be good for the filthiness to matter, so keep an eye out for both Jack Flaherty and Jose Berrios.

Benjamin Fadden: Bryce Harper will have a huge first year with the Phillies with at least 30 home runs, and will be able to stay on the field to lead the team to the postseason. Mike Trout will win another MVP by a landslide regardless of all of the contract talks.

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NL MVP

Ryan Sanders: If I told you this was the year one of the league’s top third basemen took his team to the playoffs, folks would likely be thinking about Nolan Arenado. Not this year, and even with Bryce Harper now in Philly, Anthony Rendon is finally going to be appreciated for the star that he is. He has been as good as or better than Arenado. Look for Rendon to finally be recognized as one of the top players in the league this year. He will be taking the Nats to a divisional title and maybe past the first round of the playoffs.

Rick Soisson: Picking individual awardees is a little like throwing darts while facing an object 90 degrees away from the dartboard. Your peripheral vision might do it, but don’t bet money on that. However, reasons to consider J.T. Realmuto a good choice for the NL MVP are as follows: He has to be happy to be out of Miami; his OPS figures have gone straight uphill the past four years, from .696 in 2015 to .825 last season, and he should be hitting most of the season either before or after Bryce Harper, or else Gabe Kapler should be sued.

Michael Francis: The National League MVP race may be as much of a nail-biter as the divisional races themselves. With so many incredible players in the league this year, I probably had about five different names typed out for my MVP throughout this process. However, I had to finally go with the young phenom, Ronald Acuña Jr. Is he the favorite? No, probably not. Should he be? No, I still don’t think so. Then why would I go with the 21-year-old over proven MVP candidates Kris Bryant, Paul Goldschmidt, Bryce Harper and others? Because there has yet to be something that this young man cannot do. He set the majors on fire a year ago, he made adjustments faster than any player I’ve ever seen, and if there is a player who has more fun playing the game, I would love to know who it is. Acuña is incredibly fun to watch, and he is the kind of player that I would hitch my proverbial wagon to.

AL MVP

Ryan Sanders: Mike Trout is the best player in baseball. There is no more debating that fact, but that’s not how MVP voting works. The Angels will likely toil their way to another mediocre season. Meanwhile, Alex Bregman is going to keep mashing and playing ridiculous defense on his way to cementing himself as the face of the franchise in Houston.

Kristen Bentley: Mookie Betts will be the AL MVP because he is so consistent. His pure athletic ability allows him to be a force in the field and at the plate. There is little doubt in my mind that he will win at least one batting title – probably batting average, or possibly, OBP – especially now that managers might be more willing to intentionally walk him. He managed to get the MVP in 2018 even after he was sidelined for the first half of June. He’s also got the supporting cast that forces him to step up his game. He’s just entering his prime years at age 26 and should be even better in 2019!

Milwaukee Brewers

NL Rookie of the Year

Kyle Cardoza: For readers that don’t know about Keston Hiura yet, you should. Go watch a video of him at the plate, because you won’t be disappointed. The left-handed hitter boasted insane numbers in college, and he was a productive slugger at the Single-A and Double-A levels in 2018. While he is not a defensive guru, he will be able to get by, though he is one of those players you hope gets to become a designated hitter one day just to see his full potential without any injuries. It may be difficult for the rookie to maximize his playing time because the Brewers have a stacked infield, but it only takes one injury to allow a young prospect enough time to gain a following through his impressive numbers at the dish. Baseball fans have seen it before, and they are likely to see it again. Even with several other great prospects in the NL, my bet is on Hiura.

Bill Ferber: Riding with Fernando Tatis Jr. as NL Rookie of the Year is strictly a chalk bet. But hey, the chalk bets last year were Acuna and Soto, and those worked out pretty well. Senzel is certainly a viable alternative, but Tatis has the fuller minor league resume, and that makes him a better bet.

AL Rookie of the Year

Trevor Hooth: I picked Eloy Jimenez because Vlad Guerrero’s own GM said that, at 19, Vlad’s too young to be good at baseball. (Insert crying-laughing emoji here).

Kyle Cardoza:  A good revenge story would be fitting for the 2019 season. Before the Yankees reasonably provided Justus Sheffield with a chance to shine in the Bronx, they shipped him off for a much more seasoned – and talented – pitcher in James Paxton. Unless Paxton gets injured,
both teams will be winners from the trade. Nevertheless, Sheffield’s development will come to fruition for a team that won’t likely get much coverage this year. Projections don’t anticipate a solid season from the southpaw, but projections and algorithms aren’t the best with MLB predictions for awards, as most fans have seen throughout the past few seasons. But for Sheffield, it could be bittersweet, as he will watch his former team thrive and capture the 2019 World Series. Although he will have an individual accomplishment under his belt, he will always think of what could have been if he remained in pinstripes.

Michael Francis:  The AL Rookie of the Year race may be the most exciting race in the American League this year with all of the divisions being virtually set before the season even begins. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the odds on favorite, as he should be. What he was able to do in the upper minors last year as a 19-year-old was simply mind blowing. However, he won’t simply be given the trophy in April as he will have some stiff competition for the hardware. Eloy Jimenez had an outstanding 2018 in his own right and would be the clear favorite for such an award in most seasons. We must not forget that pitchers can also win this award and Forrest Whitley is one of the most heralded pitching prospects in recent memory. He will likely be kept on a tight innings limit this season after missing large chunks of last year due to injuries and a suspension, but if he dominates the league like he has his minor league competition, then he could legitimately push the two sluggers for the award by the end of the year.

NL Cy Young

Jough Brasch: The BBWAA loves to dismiss Rockies hitters, but they don’t seem to reciprocate by giving extra consideration to Rockies pitchers. German Marquez posted a 2.61 ERA with the peripherals to back it up, striking out 124 while walking just 20. Marquez is also establishing himself as a workhorse, ranking seventh in the National League in innings pitched in the past two years. The Rockies offense and bullpen are poised to improve in 2019, so Marquez will be able to get more wins, which, unfortunately, still matter to BBWAA voters.

Keith Corbliss: As the Phillies were upgrading their offense this offseason with the acquisitions of Bryce Harper, Andrew McCutchen, and J.T. Realmuto, the one thing the Phillies did not need to worry about is finding a staff ace to lead this rotation into playoff contention in the near future. Aaron Nola had a huge season for the Phillies last season going 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA and placed 3rd in the NL Cy Young award race. I think that he will take the next step and the 25 year-old will take the win in 2019.

Sarah Maninger: I’m picking Walker Buehler to win the NL Cy Young award. He had a great season last year (boasting a 2.62 ERA) and led the team to their first combined no-hitter against the Padres in Monterrey, Mexico. Over the past three seasons, Clayton Kershaw’s health has been a major question that the Dodgers have yet to find an answer to. Should Kershaw hit the IL (formerly the DL) again this season, Buehler will have to step up, and it could define his season. No matter where the Dodgers go this season, one thing is almost certain, Walker Buehler is going to be a huge part of it. Among MLB predictions, that’s sure.

AL Cy Young

Josh Ejnes: Chris Sale is in the last year of his contract, and though he always looks great, I expect him to look extra great this year. He’s coming off of a 6.9 bWAR season and could have put up even bigger numbers if injuries didn’t cause some hiccups down the stretch. Last year he finished fourth in the Cy Young voting, and if he can put in a full 30-plus starts this year, the award is as good as his.

Rick Soisson: Sometimes choices are made obvious by statistical examination. Do this: Go to the Baseball Reference page for Trevor Bauer and look at the ERA, FIP and WHIP figures for his career through 2017; then look at those figures for last season. He has developed a “devastating” slider. The right-handed All-Star rubs people the wrong way, we’re told, and has an allegedly odd training routine, but you have to love a guy who can say, “I’m not afraid to be disliked. I’ve been disliked a majority of my life, actually, by a lot of people.”

Again, where did we go wrong? Hit that Comments section, people.

What’s more, we’ll come back in October, and report how we did. Who else does that with their MLB predictions?