MLB Predictions: Scattered views precede 2019 opener
By Rick Soisson
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.)