I know that it has been well over a week, but baseball is back. Many people are not fans of the great game. It is boring they say. It is full of cheating, they yell. It is a sport that allows old white men to talk about the “good old days”, they lament. The thing is, all of this is true. Yet I still love baseball, and I am going to celebrate by making my 2019 MLB predictions. Now that the great game is underway, it is time to ask a few questions.

Let’s look at the American League first.

Is the AL East the best division in Baseball?

No, it is the second best division. The Yankees and Red Sox may have not started out well, but both teams will win close to, or over, 100 games. The Red Sox proved their greatness last year, and the Yankees will find the pieces they need to contend. The Tampa Bay Rays will continue to improve behind their great pitching and will win over 90 games. When Vlad Guerrero Jr is finally called up Toronto, the Blue Jays will be somewhat competitive. The Orioles are probably the worst team in all of baseball, and that is the number one reason the AL East is only the second best division in all of the MLB.

Will Cleveland win the AL Central again?

No doubt. The Indians have not improved, but neither has anyone else in the division. The Twins added a few veterans, but will it be enough? The Royals, Tigers and White Sox are all rebuilding. Cleveland can win the central with 90 wins, and they will.

Is the AL West even worse than the AL Central?

The AL West is the worst division in the MLB. Houston is otherworldly, but no one else in that division will be over 500. Oakland had a nice 2018, they will not repeat that success. Seattle and Texas are filled with young guys and retreads. The Angels just gave Mike Trout a billion dollars, and have nothing to surround the star with. Houston may have the division won by early August.

OK, Who is coming out of the AL?

The Yankees, Red Sox, and Astros may be the three best teams in all of baseball, but the majority of the league is terrible. Tampa and Minnesota will be competitive, but they cannot overtake the top teams. Cleveland will win their division because the Twins will not be quite ready yet.

In the end, Boston will win the East, Cleveland the Central, and Houston the West. The Wild Cards will be Tampa and New York. Boston and Houston will meet once again in the ALCS, with the Astros getting revenge and becoming the AL representative in the World Series.

Now time for the National League

How good is the NL East?

The NL East made a lot of headlines in the offseason, but the division is more hype than good. The Mets have great pitching, and very little else. The Nationals have Max Scherzer, and an old team around him. The Phillies added Bryce Harper, and nothing else. Those three teams made the headlines, but it will be the defending division champion Braves who will easily win the NL East.

Oh, and the Miami Marlins, they will be absolutely terrible again.

What about the NL Central?

The NL Central is the best division in baseball. Chicago, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis all have teams that could be over 500. This will be an extremely competitive division. In the end the Cardinals, and their experience, will beat Milwaukee, and their youth, to take the division title.

Wait, did you say the Cincinnati Reds will be good in 2019?

They will be competitive. The Reds will not win the division, but they are going to give other teams fits (note: the Reds are 1-7 on the day this article was written). Cincinnati went insane this offseason, unloading expensive busts, and adding a bunch of guys on the last year of their contracts. When, if, the offense gets going, the Reds will be one of the most exciting teams in all of baseball.

Will the Dodgers win the AL West again?

No, the Colorado Rockies will win the division. The West is another sneaky good division. San Diego is rising, and they added Manny Machado. Arizona may look down, but they still have Zack Greinke. San Francisco has been down lately, but I will never count a team run by Bruce Bochy. He is the Gregg Popovich of Major League Baseball. Yet with all that talk, the Rockies are ready to make the next step and finally dethrone the Dodgers as NL West champs.

OK, who is coming out of the NL?

Atlanta, St. Louis, and Colorado will win their divisions with Milwaukee and LA taking the Wild Cards. The Cardinals and Brewers will meet up in the NLCS, with St. Louis taking down the upstart Brewers.

What will be the biggest highlights of 2019?

The Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Mets will have historically good pitching seasons.

Bryce Harper and Manny Machado will have good seasons, but the biggest offseason acquisition will prove to be when the Cardinals traded for Paul Goldschmidt.

The Astros, Red Sox and Yankees will all have over 100 wins. The only other teams in the American League with a winning record will be Cleveland and Tampa.

Vlad Guerrero Jr will be the AL Rookie of the Year and the MVP.

The Chicago Cubs will be last place in the NL Central.

Who is going to win it all in 2019?

The Houston Astros are the best team in baseball, and they will easily win the World Series over the St. Louis Cardinals. It will be a four game sweep. The National League has more competitive teams, but the American League has the three best teams. The Astros are the best of those three great teams.

Enjoy the 2019 Major League Baseball season.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

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