2021 MLB Predictions

2021 MLB Predictions

AL East

1. New York Yankees- Yankees are still one of the best teams in baseball, I do have some questions on their rotation, but their lineup and bullpen should carry, and their rotation is plenty good enough. For starters, Gerrit Cole is the ace and will be great. But after that more is going to be needed. Corey Kluber has been injured but banking on him being healthy and productive will be huge for the Yankees- that goes for Severino too. Taillon is a solid addition to the rotation, and it appears the Yankees are banking on development of their young arms, personally I like Deivi Garcia the most. The bullpen is rock solid once again. The lineup is very similar, and it should rake like it has in the past few years. I’m thinking/hoping for a full year of healthy Aaron Judge. Team MVP- Aaron Judge, Breakout Player- Deivi Garcia.

2. Tampa Bay Rays- Not sure why people suddenly think this team will struggle. Yes, I get they traded Blake Snell, but Tampa only reloads, and they still have one of the best prospect pools in baseball, including the best prospect in baseball, which is Wander Franco. He is not on the 40-man roster yet, but he is in spring training, and I think he is up in the big league by the end of the year. The lineup is very similar to last year’s world series run, with a few additions. The starting staff added a few veterans in Chris Archer, Rich Hill, and Michael Wacha. Bullpen is still elite and should dominate. This team is still very good and should be in the playoffs and they should compete for the division crown. Team MVP- Tyler Glasnow, Breakout Player- Francisco Mejia

3. Toronto Blue Jays- Very very excited to watch Toronto this year. Young talent everywhere-Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr, Nate Pearson, and of course, Vlad Guerrero Jr. They also made some great additions like adding on of the best centerfielders in baseball George Springer, Marcus Semien for the infield, and Kirby Yates in the back end of the bullpen, among others. Pitching is lacking elite arms outside of Hyun Jin Ryu and the potential upside of Nate Pearson, but this team can compete for the playoffs and will be (hopefully) lots of fun. Team MVP- George Springer, Breakout Player- Vlad Guerrero Jr, yes, I know he is already pretty well known and a good player, but he hasn’t fully broken out and he lost tons of weight in the offseason, which leads me to believe he will absolutely rake this year.

4. Boston Red Sox- Similarly to Baltimore, Boston’s lineup is great, but questions remain for pitching. Lineup is loaded. Xander Boegarts, Rafael Devers, JD Martinez, and young prospects like Alex Verdugo and Bobby Dalbec expect to emerge in the lineup. I think Adam Ottavino and Matt Barnes are a good 1-2 in the bullpen, but the bullpen is bad, and the best starters for them are Eduardo Rodriguez and Martin Perez? Not great and we aren’t sure when Chris Sale is coming back. Should be competitive but not good enough. Team MVP-Xander Boegarts, Breakout Player- Bobby Dalbec

5. Baltimore Orioles-They aren’t there yet. They honestly aren’t terrible but having to play in the toughest or second toughest division doesn’t help. I like a lot of the bats in the lineup for Baltimore like Trey Mancini, Ryan Mountcastle, and Anthony Santander. And top pick from 2019 Adley Rutschman could be in the majors soon. But the pitching is bad. Did you know Felix Hernandez is on this team? Me neither. Team MVP- Trey Mancini, Breakout Player- Ryan Mountcastle.

AL Central

1. Chicago White Sox- This time is very good, some 2015/2016 Chicago Cubs vibes. Elite young core with the additions of quality veterans. I love the lineup- everyone outside of right field is a great hitter and most of them can hit for tons of power. Don’t love the depth on this team, but a 1-2-3 rotation of Giolito, Keuchel, and Lance Lynn is really good. Young guys like Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, and Garrett Crochet should be getting looks as a starter or reliver, and the addition of Liam Hendricks locks down the bullpen. I really think this team can compete for a world series. Team MVP- Tim Anderson, Breakout Player- Andrew Vaughn.

2. Minnesota Twins- Pretty quiet offseason for Twins. Similar to years past, the lineup is fantastic, but rotation plus bullpen leaves more to be desired. Lineup is very similar except for the addition of Andrelton Simmons. The bullpen I think is pretty quality, but the starters lack elite pitching and depth. Berrios has supposed to have taken the next step going on 3 years in a row, and the number two is Kenta Maeda, which isn’t exactly ideal. Could be a playoff team, but unless a trade happens, this won’t be a team making a deep run. Team MVP- Josh Donaldson, Breakout Player- Ryan Jeffers.

3. Cleveland Indians- For losing three franchise players, and other impactful contributors, the team actually isn’t bad. The lineup isn’t very good outside of Jose Ramirez, who underrated because he is incredibly good, and Eddie Rosario, who is due for a bounce back season. The pitching is still good because Cleveland just grinds out quality pitching. Team MVP- Jose Ramirez, Breakout Player- Triston McKenzie.

4. Kansas City Royals- Kansas City made some solid veteran additions to the roster, and they will be competitive, just not good enough. Really like a couple of their guys in the lineup, and they brought up top prospects Brady Singer and Kris Bubic last year, both of whom should make a jump. Team MVP- Whit Merrifield, Breakout Player-Brady Singer

5. Detroit Tigers- First off, I love the hiring of AJ Hinch as manager. Second, this team is still rebuilding, and they aren’t realistically making the playoffs. Lots of young guys up, including top pitching prospects Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. But not enough juice in the lineup, even if number one overall pick from 2020 Spence Torkelson makes an appearance (I doubt it). Team MVP- I honestly have no clue, Breakout Player- Casey Mize.

AL West

1. Houston Astros- The Astros are still appearing at the top, mostly due to most of their core being intact. Losing Verlander doesn’t help, but the recent signing of Odorizzi gives Houston some quality pitching depth. To go along with a solid bullpen as well, the lineup is still just as good. Losing Springer is unfortunate, but Yordan Alvarez is back, going along with the lethal lineup of Alex Bregman, Michael Brantley, Carlos Correa, and Jose Altuve. This team should continue compete for the AL title. Team MVP-Alex Bregman, Breakout Player- Forrest Whitley, the top prospect who has dealt with a multitude of setbacks, I think he gets called up soon and makes an impact.

2. Oakland Athletics- The A’s still have a solid team and a great depth, but I don’t think they are as good as Houston. Still have a solid lineup, solid rotation, and solid bullpen, but nothing special and I don’t think they have enough star power to outlast Houston. Team MVP- Matt Chapman, Breakout Player- Jesus Luzardo.

3. Los Angeles Angels- The Angels still have two of the top players in baseball in Trout and Rendon and some solid young players coming up soon and already in the majors, but the lack of pitching and more solid players are concerning. The Angels lineup is banking on some role players stepping up to help out Trout and Rendon, like Justin Upton and Dexter Fowler, among with more young players hoping to make an impact like Jared Walsh, Jo Adell, and Brandon Marsh. Shohei Ohtani appears to be healthy and should make a big two-way impact. With him in the rotation, the Angels have a few solid arms but are hoping to develop Griffin Canning soon. The bullpen is very weak so that will be a concern. Team MVP- Mike Trout, Breakout Player- David Fletcher.

4. Seattle Mariners- The Mariners aren’t going to be great, but there is plenty of young talent on the roster and potentially coming up. Tons of young guys going up and down the roster should make this team fun to watch, but they aren’t competing for the playoffs. Team MVP- Kyle Lewis, Breakout Player- Taylor Trammell.

5. Texas Rangers- This team is bad. Like, really bad. I think this is probably a bottom 3 team in baseball. Nothing here really appealing outside of some young guys and Joey Gallo. Team MVP- Joey Gallo, Breakout Player- Dane Dunning.

NL East

1. New York Mets- The Mets had a big offseason, and I am very high on them. Especially if Syndergaard is back to full strength, this rotation is very strong. A solid group led by the best pitcher on the planet in Jacob DeGrom. The bullpen I think is very solid as well. Finally, the lineup can be really good. Led by Pete Alonso and the big offseason acquisition Francisco Lindor, the Mets also have great hitters like Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, JD Davis, and Jeff McNeil. This is a really tough division, but I am high on the Mets to win the division. Team MVP- Jacob DeGrom, Breakout Player- Marcus Stroman, Stroman has been in the league for a couple of years, but there are high expectations and belief that he could breakout into an elite pitcher this year.

2. Atlanta Braves- Coming off of the NLCS loss, the Braves are still really good. The lineup is about the same and adding top prospect Cristian Pache to play centerfield should help them, especially in the field. The starting pitching has depth and some elite talent like Fried and new addition Charlie Morton, but Soroka is still hurt and they will need for prospects to develop quickly while they wait for his return. I think the bullpen is shaky, and I am not totally sold on it. Team MVP- Ronald Acuna Jr, Breakout Player- Cristian Pache.

3. Washington Nationals- The Nationals appear to have a very solid team, but playing in a tough division isn’t helping them out. The starting pitching is good but old, which could stretch the depth, especially with Strasburg struggling to stay healthy. A good addition in the bullpen was Brad Hand, but other than that, it isn’t too great. The lineup is great, but still lacking some depth. Team MVP-Juan Soto, Breakout Player- Carter Kieboom.

4. Philadelphia Phillies- The Phillies have elite talent, but the depth is certainly lacking. Very good lineup and top end of the rotation, but the rest leaves a lot more to be desired. Team MVP- Bryce Harper, Breakout Player- Alec Bohm.

5. Miami Marlins- I think the playoff run last year had a little bit of luck involved, and they should be fun to watch but I don’t think they can put it together for 162. The youth movement will be exciting, with plenty of prospects breaking out in the majors and the minors. Team MVP- Brian Anderson, Breakout Player- Sandy Alcantera.

NL Central

1. Milwaukee Brewers- I’m not sure why, but I am pretty high on this Milwaukee team. The lineup is a little weird, but if Christian Yelich comes back to form, they should have a pretty good unit. The starting pitching has two great, under the radar starters in Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes, but the rest leaves more to be desired. Luckily, the best or second-best bullpen in baseball backs them up. I am high on Milwaukee, and I think they can win the division. Team MVP- Christian Yelich, Breakout Player- Keston Huira.

2. Chicago Cubs- The Cubs shed salary but should still be competitive in the NL Central this year. The slightly changed core of Bryant, Rizzo, Baez, Contreras, Happ, and Hendricks are all still here, with additions of Joc Pederson among other role players. Nico Hoerner looks to make a bigger impact this year, with a really good spring so far. They should compete for the division crown, but if they struggle early, I think some of the core will be traded off at the deadline. Team MVP- Wilson Contreras, Breakout Player- Nico Hoerner.

3. St. Louis Cardinals- Bias might be showing here, but I am not high on St. Louis this year. I think 1 through 3 or 4 in this division is pretty interchangeable, so there isn’t a big drop off or anything. They have two elite players in Goldschmidt and Arenado, but outside of that, there isn’t a whole lot of offensive firepower. The Cards will need Dylan Carlson to have a big jump in year two. Also, outside of ace Jack Flaherty, the rotation, and some of the bullpen is unimpressive. The pen has some solid arms, but the starting rotation is hoping on a lot of guys who haven’t pitched their best baseball in a few years. Team MVP- Nolan Arenado, Breakout Player- Genesis Cabrera.

4. Cincinnati Reds- The Reds still are going to compete with high end rotation pieces like Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo, but the depth of starters and especially the bullpen, will hold them back. There is also still some very solid bats in the lineup, but I don’t think they have the depth to make it 162. Team MVP- Sonny Gray, Breakout Player- Tyler Stephenson.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates- The Pirates are really really bad. They aren’t going to compete and there isn’t very much exciting talent to watch outside of Ke’Bryan Hayes, who made a big impact with his brief stint in 2020. Team MVP/Breakout Player- Ke’Bryan Hayes.

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers- The World Series champs somehow got even better this offseason. They still have young elite talent emerging on top off the already great core they have. They also get David Price back and signed the offseason prize in Trevor Bauer to make the rotation more elite. This is also still one of the best lineups in baseball that has remained intact from last year, and the bullpen is loaded with talented arms. Team MVP- Cody Bellinger, Breakout Player- Gavin Lux.

2. San Diego Padres- The deemed offseason winners made some big time moves to bolster an already young, exciting team. The prospect pool is still loaded, with plenty of arms and bats still not in the majors. But the current roster is still filled with talent, especially throughout the lineup with guys like Manny Machado and the face of baseball in Fernando Tatis Jr. The big two offseason acquisitions were made to acquire two aces in Yu Darvish and Blake Snell. The bullpen isn’t elite, but very solid with arms like Emilio Pagan and Drew Pomeranz. This team can’t catch the runaway freight train Dodgers, but this is one of the better teams in baseball and is a playoff team on paper. Team MVP- Fernando Tatis Jr, Breakout Player- Dinelson Lamet, as long as he can be healthy for opening day and stays healthy, Lamet has the stuff to be an all-star pitcher and make this rotation incredibly good.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks- The drop of from 2 to 3 is significant. The Diamondbacks I think will probably loom around 500 for the season, with a weak bullpen and a meh starting lineup. I like the starting pitching a lot, with 1-5 being solid reliable arms who are likely bouncing back from 2020 or building off of a great 2020. Team MVP/Breakout Player- Zac Gallen.

4. San Francisco Giants- I think the Giants have enough alright players to not bottom out, but certainly not enough to compete for a playoff spot. Meh starters, meh lineup, and a not great bullpen don’t add up to a ton of wins. Team MVP- Mike Yastrzemski, Breakout Player- Mauricio Dubon.

5. Colorado Rockies- The team is a mess. Paying a team to take one of the best players in franchise history still in his prime is absolutely crazy. I don’t get it. Its not like the team was any good with Arenado, but they didn’t get back any really good talent for him. Trevor Story is still awesome, and there is some solid bats and a couple good pitchers still around, but this is one of the worst teams in baseball. Team MVP- Trevor Story, Breakout Player- Brendan Rogers.

AL MVP: Mike Trout

AL Cy Young: Dallas Keuchel (might be the only person on the planet who thinks this)

AL ROTY: Andrew Vaughn

NL MVP: Juan Soto

NL Cy Young: Jacob DeGrom

NL ROTY: Ke’Bryan Hayes

Al Playoff Picture (right now it is the old 5 teams from each league, but it could change soon)

1. Chicago White Sox

2. New York Yankees

3. Houston Astros

WC 1 Tampa Bay Rays

WC 2 Toronto Blue Jays

NL Playoff Picture

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2. New York Mets

3. Milwaukee Brewers

WC 1 Atlanta Braves

WC 2 San Diego Padres

World Series: Dodgers over Yankees.