Baseball is officially back as all 32 clubs have kicked off the regular season. Opening Day has come and gone, but the quest for the postseason is already in full swing.
The 2015 season is set to be an interesting one with quite a few roster overhauls and dark horses seeking postseason appearances. We’ll take a look at divisional predictions, as well as potential playoff pictures, and some front runners for the biggest MLB awards. The season may have just begun, but spring training performances have had an impact on several predictions for this 2015 year.
Division-by-Division Predictions
AL East
Boston Red Sox
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
AL Central
Detroit Tigers
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals
AL West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Seattle Mariners
Oakland A’s
Houston Astros
Texas Rangers
NL East
Washington Nationals
Miami Marlins
Atlanta Braves
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals
Pittsburgh Pirates
Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinnati Reds
NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Colorado Rockies
Arizona Diamondbacks
American League Playoff Teams
American League East Champs: Boston Red Sox
After winning the World Series in 2013, the Sox finished in last place in the AL East with a 71-91 record. They had a very busy offseason, acquiring top free agents, including a pretty solid third baseman in Pablo Sandoval. They also added some depth to their rotation with the addition of Rick Porcello. They made a splash this winter, and it will pay off with a division title.
American League Central: Detroit Tigers
This makes for a very interesting division. The Tigers, White Sox, Royals, and Indians all have rosters capable of making a serious postseason run, but the Tigers have been the most successful and have one of the most threatening lineups in the bigs. They added Yoenis Cespedes this offseason, who will bat alongside Miguel Cabrera. They will be without Max Scherzer in the rotation, and Justin Verlander was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career, but the offense is capable of carrying this club.
American League West Champions: Angels
The Angels overcame adversity last season to take the West, while taking advantage of an A’s team that just fell downhill after the All Star Break. They took the division despite what could have been a detrimental hit to their playoff hopes when Garrett Richards went out with season ending surgery. They continue to have a phenomenal lineup, and while pitching is still their only true concern, their rotation is solid and the bullpen is vastly better than it was this time last year. The Mariners should give them a run for their money and the A’s look to be in the mix as well, but the Halos have the upper hand.
Wild Card Team 1: Seattle Mariners
With the addition of Nelson Cruz, the M’s will be a good team this year. They nearly made the postseason in 2014, but due to some offensive woes early in the season missed out. Cruz will provide plenty of pop and Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager will follow suit with timely hits providing a solid offense. Pitching wise, this rotation is one of the better staffs in the league. They have the King, Felix Hernandez, as well as Hisashi Iwakuma. There are high expectations for the Mariners this season, and they will deliver with a postseason appearance.
Wild Card Team 2: Chicago White Sox
Deciding on two Wild Card teams in the AL is tough this year. There are so many clubs showing improvement from last season, and big names added to some already good rosters. The Toronto Blue Jays are an interesting option, however with the loss of Marcus Stroman, their odds took a hit. They have a great lineup featuring several power hitters, but the pitching staff continues to be iffy at best. The White Sox look to be a much improved team this year, and can also be considered as a darkhorse. They now have a very good rotation and solid hitters. There are a few teams that will be battling for this second Wild Card, and the White Sox have what it takes to be a favorite to make the postseason.
American League Playoff Predictions
Wild Card Game: Mariners over White Sox
ALDS: Red Sox over Mariners
Tigers over Angels
ALCS: Red Sox over Tigers
American League Playoff Awards
MVP: Mike Trout
Trout is a young phenom and after winning the MVP honors last year, he’s a favorite to have a repeat season. He’s one of the biggest threats in the Angels lineup, and without him the Halos offense wouldn’t be the same. At only 23-years-old, Trout has finished in second, second, and first in MVP voting. There’s a few other options that could give Trout some competition, but the youngster continues to improve every year and is expected to have another MVP caliber season.
Cy Young: Felix Hernandez
King Felix is one of the best to ever step on the mound. He’s been in the league since he was 19-years-old and is the ace for the Seattle Mariners. With an improved roster and lineup, Hernandez can expect to see a rise in the win column behind some solid run support, something he has lacked, but still managed to win games. His stats will be even better in 2015, which will put him at the top of the list for AL Cy Young.
National League Playoff Teams
National League East: Washington Nationals
The Nationals are the favorite in the NL. Their rotation is arguably the best in baseball with Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman. They have the roster capable of taking this division again, and after a disappointing playoff appearance in which they lost to the San Francisco Giants, they will look to bounce back and make it all the way to the World Series behind lights out pitching.
National League Central: St. Louis Cardinals
This division looks to be a battle between the Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates, but it will be a battle the Cards will win. St. Louis has made the postseason four years in a row, and their pitching staff looks to be improved with the return of Michael Wacha.
The Cubbies could be a darkhorse in the division with a chance to surprise after an exciting offseason. Their roster will feature many of new faces, and while they will contend this season, it’s reaching to expect a playoff appearance.
National League West: Los Angeles Dodgers
The West looks to be quite an interesting division this year. Usually it’s a battle between the San Francisco Giants, who are the defending World Champs, and the Dodgers. This season, the San Diego Padres are an interesting darkhorse.
The Dodgers have one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball led by Clayton Kershaw. They’ve made the postseason the past few years, but haven’t had much success advancing. This year they hope to have resolved their clubhouse drama and bring a World Series title to Los Angeles.
The Padres have made an abundance of moves to improve for the 2015 campaign, including Matt Kemp and James Shields. They also look to be the Dodgers biggest competitor as the Rockies and Diamondbacks are expected to struggle and the defending World Series Champion Giants will be without one of the guys who carried them offensively for some time in Pablo Sandoval.
National Wild Card Team1: San Diego Padres
The Padres are my surprise team for 2015. They’ve made some impressive moves to significantly improve their roster, and being in a weaker division should help them this year with improving their record. They have a good chance to be a wild card team and make the postseason this year.
National League Wild Card Team 2: Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates will make the postseason again in hopes of advancing with the addition of A.J. Burnett to their rotation. They have a stacked roster and solid offensive production led by Andrew McCutchen.
National League Playoff Predictions
Wild Card: Padres over Pirates
NLDS: Nationals over Padres
Dodgers over Cardinals
NLCS: Nationals over Dodgers
National League Awards
MVP: Giancarlo Stanton
After receiving such an extravagant contract extension this offseason, Stanton enters the 2015 season with high expectations. The Marlins aren’t expected to be in the playoff picture, but Stanton is a big part of this organization's future. His statistics last year speak for themselves and, he only lost in MVP voting because Clayton Kershaw had an even better season. The slugger’s numbers will be similar to last year, which will help him earn MVP honors.
Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw
Kershaw won both MVP and Cy Young in 2014, and deservingly so. He’s the best pitcher in the National League, and his career numbers are phenomenal. He has what it takes to win the award again this year behind a solid Dodgers club with World Series aspirations.
World Series Predictions: Red Sox vs. Nationals
The Nationals will finally live up to the hype and become the 2015 World Series Champions.
The 2015 season is finally here, and the long road to October baseball has begun. In baseball anything can happen. Players have their ups and downs, with disappointing seasons, but then there’s the guys who just continually impress and improve when not even thought possible. Teams with great rosters on paper sometimes don’t find themselves to be as successful on the field, while sometimes low key undervalued players make the biggest noise. Regardless, this is all a part of the game known as America’s Pastime; and anything can happen from day to day.