The MLB season officially starts tonight in Houston, but for most teams, tomorrow is Opening Day.
This baseball season begins with some big changes.
The Houston Astros are in the American League now. Inter-league play will be apart of the schedule each and every day of the season. The Washington Nationals are the trendy pick to win the World Series. The New York Yankees are a trendy pick to finish last in the AL East.
Trying to predict the baseball season is almost impossible. The season is incredibly long. In September, when you look back at April, it will seem like it was a different world. Teams can go from being the best team in baseball during the early months of the season, to being out of the playoff picture before August. Injuries, trades, and young player that have yet to make a name for themselves in the major leagues will all factor in to who makes the playoffs and who wins the World Series, but most of that is hard to see at this point.
Despite all of that, here are my predictions for how the teams will finish in each division:
AL East:
Tampa
Toronto
Boston
Baltimore
New York
AL Central:
Detroit
Chicago
Cleveland
Minnesota
Kansas City
AL West:
Anaheim
Texas
Oakland
Seattle
Houston
Awards:
To pick anyone other than Justin Verlander to win the Cy Young is almost crazy, so give me David Price, with Verlander second, and King Felix third.
Mike Trout will win the AL MVP.
I don't know any rookies in the American League, but give me a player from Minnesota. They usually have some good young talent.
Manager of the Year usually goes to a team that wins its division, but I will pick Terry Francona because I think the Indians are going to be in the division race all the way to the end of the season.
NL East:
Atlanta
Washington
Philadelphia
New York
Miami
NL Central:
Cincinnati
St. Louis
Pittsburgh
Chicago
Milwaukee
NL West:
LA Dodgers
San Fransisco
Arizona
Colorado
San Diego
Awards:
Stephen Strausberg will win the NL Cy Young because everyone loves him. Give me Matt Cain second and Cole Hammels third.
The NL MVP will be Jason Heyward.
I truly believe that Julio Teheran will be the third or even second best starter for the Braves this season, so I think he will win the Rookie of the Year in the National League.
Fredi Gonzalez wins the Manager of the Year.
I know that people are going to think that these are some homer picks, and they are, but I think the Braves are in a fantastic position this year. Everyone thinks they are going to be good, but everyone expects the Nationals to be better.
Last year, the Nationals played well throughout the season, made a playoff run, sat Strausberg, and everyone pretty much expected them to fold at some point because, lets face it, they are still the Expos.
Winning after being an afterthought for so long is one thing, being the favorite to win not only the division, but many say the World Series, is very different. Year after year, the Braves were picked to win, and year after year in the 90's they won. Expectations are going to be a new obstacle for this team to maneuver, and I just don't think everything is going to come as easy for the Nationals as most people do.
Atlanta meanwhile, can fly under the radar a little bit. The Braves have an offense that is going to make the pitching staff look better than they are, and they are pretty good to start with. There is balance in the starting rotation, 3 righties, 2 lefties, and the Braves pretty much have a front line starting pitcher that they will pick up in the middle of the summer when Brandon Beachy returns from injury. Unless there is an injury in the starting rotation, I think Beachy will be the long man in the bullpen for the rest of this season and return to the starting rotation in 2014.
The Braves also have the best bullpen in baseball, with or without Johnny Venters. Kimbrell is the best closer in the game, and the depth in the bullpen will shorten games for the Braves. Kimbrell's save numbers may be down from last year, because I don't think the Braves are going to play so many close games this season.
There is one issue that I think might be a distraction for the Braves this season, and most people are going to think I'm crazy.
Brian McCann is going to be a free agent at the end of the season, and I don't think there is any chance the Braves are going to resign him. When the trade deadline comes around in July, the Braves might have a big decision on their hands. McCann might be an attractive piece for an American League club as a DH and part time catcher. If one of the Braves young catchers are having a good season, and if Gerald Laird is healthy, the Braves might trade McCann for a high level prospect (perhaps someone who can play third base, hm?).
However, if McCann is having a great season at the plate, the Braves will let him play out the end of his contract and deal with the business side of things after the season.
Again, I love this team. Other than Dan Uggla, who apparently has slimmed down (will being skinner help you figure out that you can hit the ball the other way once in a while?), I love every aspect of this team. The defense in the outfield, at shortstop, and at first base. The balanced power and speed of the lineup. The young pitching complimented by two veteran starters. I love hitting coaches and what they are going to be able to do with Justin Upton. I love the fact that both Juan Fransisco and Chris Johnson seem to have embraced the idea of sharing time at third, and it looks like each guys is just going to try to produce so much that you have to put him in the lineup. I love Kris Medlen and his Maddux like approach to pitching.
I love that every time a ball is hit to shallow left field this year Braves fans are going to scream "Infield Fly" at the top of their lungs. I love that Opening Night is going to be a standing room only crowd at Turner Field. I love Frank Wren for making moves to put a team on the field that is both young and capable of winning right now. I love that everyone is picking the Nationals.
I am more excited about this season that I have been about any Braves season since the mid '90's. You never know what could happen in the playoffs, so there is no reason to try and predict a World Series Champion, but if you told me that the Braves would win the World Series this year, I wouldn't be shocked at all.
This is going to be a great season in Atlanta and across Major League Baseball.
GO BRAVES!
