AL EAST: New York Yankees
Good offseason. Aaron Judge is healthy. Gary Sanchez is focused and Gerrit Cole is hungry. Watch out.
AL CENTRAL: Chicago White Sox
The rebuild will pay off. Tony La Russa was hired to lead them over the top. Anything less than making the playoffs and winning the Central is a failure.
AL WEST: Los Angeles Angels
Mike Trout will finally propel his team to win the West and make a playoff run. Joe Maddon was the answer.
AL Wild Cards: Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros
Blue Jays are the White Sox of the East. Astros’ window is closing and this is their last hurrah.
AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays)
Vlad Jr. is trim, his swing has improved and he’s locked in. 2021 will be a level up year for him. It’s his time.
AL CY YOUNG: Lucas Giolito (White Sox)
Giolito finally gets the respect he deserves. Sale will become a distant memory in the South Side.
AL ROOKIE OF YEAR: Alex Kirilloff (Twins)
No one talks about this guy, and that’s ridiculous. Kiriloff is a special, underrated talent. He’s also a central piece to the Twins’ future.
AL MANAGER OF YEAR: Charlie Montoyo (Blue Jays)
Speaking of underrated, enter Charlie Montoyo. He’s helming a talented team, whose expectations are higher than just winning the East.
NL EAST: Atlanta Braves
Braves will win a stacked division, but it won’t easy. They’ll have the Mets, Phillies and Nationals on their heels all year long.
NL CENTRAL: St. Louis Cardinals
If the Cardinals can’t win after trading for Nolan Arenado, than they’ll need to re-evaluate big time. Arenado is a future hall of famer, who should carry them deep.
NL WEST: Los Angeles Dodgers
It’s scary how good this team is. Even on paper! Dodgers vs. Padres will become the new Yankees vs. Red Sox. In the end, the Dodgers are left standing.
NL Wild Cards: San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals
The Padres will lose the West by a hair, but they’ll settle for making a playoff run. In the East, a Wild Card is destined. Expect the Nationals to take advantage of their offseason improvements.
NL MVP: Juan Soto (Nationals)
He is considered the next Ted Williams of this generation. Soto will give Mookie Betts and Mike Trout some competition as the best player in baseball after this season.
NL CY YOUNG: Jacob DeGrom (Mets)
DeGrom will claim his third Cy Young award in five years. Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer won’t be talked about as much after when he wins.
NL ROOKIE OF YEAR: Ke’Bryan Hayes (Pirates)
Hayes is about to put up some video game numbers for the Pirates.
NL MANAGER OF YEAR: Dave Roberts (Dodgers)
Having been cheated a couple times since his last best manager honors, Roberts takes home the trophy for the second time.
World Series Matchup: New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers
It’s hard not to put these two teams atop the league. Their rosters look damn near perfect. The legendary matchup returns for the first time since 1981.
Champions: Los Angeles Dodgers
And much like 1981, the Dodgers will become victorious again. They have more depth and experience in the big game. When the dust settles, it might all come down to pitching. If that’s the case, I give the edge to the Blue Crew.
