Ah, yes…Opening Day is upon us as we embark on a new Major League Baseball season. For the majority of teams, this is a time of hope and optimism. For a few, there is more of a glance to the future than the present. As baseball fans, every year we throw out our predictions, hoping by mid-season they aren’t a big colossal mass of hilarity. I don’t take my predictions super-serious, but I’m always hopeful that I am at least within the vicinity of reality. So without further ado, my predictions for the upcoming season.

American League East

1. Boston Red Sox
2. Toronto Blue Jays
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. New York Yankees
5. Baltimore Orioles

American League Central

1. Cleveland Indians
2. Kansas City Royals
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Chicago White Sox

American League West

1. Houston Astros
2. Texas Rangers
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Los Angeles Angels
5. Oakland A’s

National League East

1. Washington Nationals
2. New York Mets
3. Miami Marlins
4. Philadelphia Phillies
5. Atlanta Braves

National League Central

1. Chicago Cubs
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Milwaukee Brewers

National League West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Colorado Rockies
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. San Diego Padres

Awards

American League MVP: Carlos Correa, Houston

American League Cy Young: Marcus Stroman, Toronto

American League Rookie of the Year: Andrew Benintendi, Boston

National League MVP: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona

National League Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles

National League Rookie of the Year: Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles

Playoff Teams 

American League

Division Winners: Boston, Cleveland, Houston

Wild Cards: Toronto, Kansas City

American League Champions: Toronto

National League

Division Winners: Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles

Wild Cards: New York, San Francisco

National League Champions: Washington

Am I super confident about my picks? Nope. Baseball is a funny thing, largely because of the length of the season. There are so many twists and turns that there is no way to truly predict how it will all shake down. What I can say with confidence is that another fun, memorable season is getting ready to start and I can’t wait. The best part about baseball is the storyline that it revolves around. I can’t wait to see how this whole thing unfolds. Last October, we had a great Cleveland/Chicago World Series; what do the baseball God’s have in store for us this year? Truly, only time will tell.