2019 Season Predictions: Clint

Tomorrow is opening day. It’s like Christmas Eve. We always do the time-honored tradition of making our preseason picks the night before the season starts. This year is no different. You can see how we saw it playing out in 2018 here. Without further adieu, here are some things that are sure to be right; sure to be wrong, but definitely will be bold for 2019. 

AMERICAN LEAGUE

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

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

WEST
1. Houston Astros
2. Anaheim Angels
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Seattle Mariners
5. Texas Rangers

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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

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

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

*Wild Card teams

PLAYOFFS

Wild Card Games:
Atlanta Braves over St. Louis Cardinals
Boston Red Sox over Minnesota Twins

Division Series:
Houston Astros over Cleveland Indians
New York Yankees over Boston Red Sox
Atlanta Braves over Milwaukee Brewers
Los Angeles Dodgers over Philadelphia Phillies
Chicago Cubs over Los Angeles Dodgers

ALCS / NLCS:
New York Yankees over Houston Astros
Los Angeles Dodgers over Atlanta Braves

World Series:
New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers in 6

AL MVP
1. Alex Bregman
2. Aaron Judge
3. Mike Trout

NL MVP
1. Ronald Acuna
2. Bryce Harper
3. Corey Seager

AL CY YOUNG
1. Trevor Bauer
2. Justin Verlander
3. James Paxton

NL CY YOUNG
1. Aaron Nola
2. Max Scherzer
3. Walker Buehler

AL Rookie of the Year
1. Eloy Jimenez
2. Vlad Guerrero Jr.
3. Forrest Whitley

NL Rookie of the Year
1. Fernando Tatis Jr.
2. Nick Senzel
3. Victor Robles

AL Comeback Player of the Year
Byron Buxton

NL Comeback Player of the Year
Corey Seager

AL Bold Predictions

1. Byron Buxton falls just short of having a 30/30 season. He steals 35 and hits 21 homers in winning the AL Comeback Player of the Year. The upstart Twins and Rocco Baldelli make the AL Wildcard Game before being swallowed whole by the Red Sox.

2. Alex Bregman has the season of his life – in winning the MVP over Aaron Judge and Mike Trout. He literally carries Houston to the playoffs. In turn, Jose Altuve hits .270 and everyone feels like his world is ending.

3. Mike Trout misses significant time due to injury and plays in just 80 games.

4. David Price shocks the world – winning 22 games and striking out 213 hitters to capture the only CY Young Award he will ever win.

5. The Texas Rangers are a 100 loss team.

NL Bold Predictions

1. The Dodgers make a third straight World Series behind the return of Corey Seager. Joe Kelly is closing games by that time, and Kenley Jansen is finding himself in the set-up role. They get back to the World Series – however – lose to the Yankees.

2. The Reds win 84 games, Yasiel Puig hits 25 homers and misses some time due to injury. He signs an in-season extension in Cincinnati, and the Reds begin to turn their future for 2020 with Nick Senzel on the horizon.

3. Aaron Nola is baseball’s best pitcher, far and away. I am not sure on the stats but he becomes ‘the guy’ in 2019.

4. Nolan Arenado wins the triple crown but somehow does not finish in the top three in MVP voting.

5. The Philadelphia Phillies lose in five games in the NLCS with Bryce Harper. Harper finishes the year with the best numbers since his MVP season and second in NL MVP voting behind Ronald Acuna. Acuna goes 30/30 officially with a .315 average and wills the Braves through the Wildcard round of the playoffs where they push the Dodgers to the brink with thin pitching in seven games in the NLCS.

from Diamond Hoggers https://ift.tt/2TDWD1t