Opening day is here! One of my absolute favorite days of every year. With opening day here, it’s time for predictions. I will begin with the American League division winners.
American League East
- Baltimore
- Toronto
- Tampa Bay
- New York
- Boston
I didn’t see Baltimore winning the East last year. I was very surprised by the effectiveness of their pitching staff. The addition of Burns, a true ace, is huge. Their bullpen will not be as dominant this year. But their young hitters should be even better.
I got burned believing in Toronto last year. But I do believe they will come in second in the division and win a wildcard spot. Toronto has the best rotation in the division. Their offense should be better than it was last year.
Tampa Bay will need to hang in there until they get some of their injured pitchers back. They will do it well enough to finish third. Winning a wildcard spot will be tough though.
Soto is a huge addition for the Yankees. But their rotation is going to be a serious weakness. They are also going to have many players miss too many games.
Boston will once again finish last. They did next to nothing to improve their weak rotation. It’s amazing to see the Red Sox not even trying to compete.
American League West
- Texas
- Houston
- Seattle
- Los Angeles
- Oakland
The defending champs should win the AL West. Their offense will be elite. Their bullpen is solid. Their rotation will be fine and should get much stronger as injured pitchers return.
Houston will be a very good team again. They won’t be as good as Texas, but they should still win a wildcard.
Seattle could have the best rotation in the American League. Their offense, without nearly as many strikeouts, should be better. But they aren’t as good as Texas or Houston. Still, I think the West could have two wildcard teams this year.
Los Angeles is not going to be good. If it weren’t for Oakland, they would be last. As it is, they will be a distant fourth and will finish well under .500.
Oakland will be the worst team in baseball. They will lose well over 100 games. What is happening there is sad.
American League Central
- Minnesota
- Cleveland
- Kansas City
- Detroit
- Chicago
Minnesota will once again with the Central. I don’t think they will win 90 games, but they will win baseball’s worst division. They have a decent rotation and a decent bullpen. They have many solid players. But Buxton won’t stay healthy. Correa isn’t the player he used to be, but he will be better than last year.
Cleveland will finish second, but they may not finish at .500. Their offense still lacks power. Their pitching is solid. Their defense has to be better than it was last year. How well they defend will determine whether Cleveland can be a winning team.
Kansas City has some good young hitters. They added some solid veteran starters. They will be better than they have been in recent years. I wouldn’t be surprised in they had a winning season and finished second. But they could also struggle, trade away veteran pitching, and finish well below .500.
Detroit is improving. I feel like they are finally committed to building an organization. But they aren’t there yet. If everything goes pretty well, Detroit could finish second. If the young players either don’t take a step forward or aren’t as good as many think, they could finish way below .500.
Chicago is rebuilding. Except for Oakland, they will be the worst team in Major League Baseball.
American League Wildcard Winners
- Houston
- Seattle
- Toronto