2015 MLB PREDICTIONS ON APRIL 13TH

Hello again, I am here to announce my official predictions for the current Major League Baseball season. To ensure that no biases have informed this post, I am announcing my picks after the season has been underway for a week. Please enjoy them and email me directly, travreyes@gmail.com, with your rebuttal. 

AL EAST

Top-to-bottom, the most mediocre division in the sport. 

1. Baltimore 

2. NYY 

3. Toronto

4. Boston 

5. Tampa Bay 

Wait...I don't remember telling you I was a Yankee fan...

AL CENTRAL 

Professional sportswriters have been sucking off Cleveland/the White Sox for nearly the entire off-season. I, however, do not see much change in divisional standings from last year. Kansas City plays a different brand of baseball than their division rivals, and I think that will again be enough to cancel out any perceived talent disparity. This is Detroit's swan song as an AL Central dynasty.

1. Detroit

2. Kansas City- Wild Card 

3. Cleveland

4. Chi Sox

5. Minnesota 

AL WEST 

Again, another puzzlingly overhyped team topping most of the internet's AL West lists. Seattle signs soon-to-be 35-year-old Nelson Cruz coming off a career year, haven't made the playoffs since fucking '01, and they're the favorites? Please. This is also a sneakily weak division. The balance of power in MLB has undoubtedly shifted over to the Senior Circuit. 

1. LA Angels

2. Oakland- Wild Card 

3. Seattle 

4. Houston

5. Texas 

NL EAST 

I feel vaguely amused by the New York Mets suddenly becoming a second-place team again. Although it may just be for a year; the media-darling hard-charging Marlins will be close and ready to fully pounce next season. 

1. Washington

2. NY Mets 

3. Miami 

4. Atlanta 

5. Philly 

NL CENTRAL

These MLB season predictions vary the least from the previous season's final standings than any I have ever made before. I guess this is growing up?

1. St. Louis

2. Pittsburgh- Wild Card

3. Chi Cubs

4. Cincinnati 

5. Milwaukee 

NL WEST 

I don't recall any a team revamping itself more dramatically in a single off-season than the San Diego Dads just did. Most writers have indicated that those moves won't really matter much by the end of the season, but I feel generally optimistic about their spree. Despite playing in baseball's now-toughest division, I will reward the Dads with a Wild-Card spot.

1. LA Dodgers 

2. San Diego- Wild Card 

3. San Francisco

4. Colorado

5. Arizona 

2015 PLAYOFF PICTURE 

Wild Card: Oakland over Kansas City, San Diego over Pittsburgh. 

Divisional: Detroit over Baltimore, LA Angels over Oakland. Washington over San Diego, LA Dodgers over St. Louis. 

LCS: Detroit over LA Angels, LA Dodgers over Washington. 

World Series: LA Dodgers over Detroit. 

...The Dodgers' time is now. I see the pieces falling into place for a late-90's Yankees-mini-dynasty redux. With unquestionably the deepest pockets in the sport, the Dodgers will be able to buy short-term fixes to plug holes as the Yankees once did. This season will be Yasiel Puig's true coming-out party, as he will become the controversial face of the National League.  

...The Nats' time is also now, and they reached these heights in a much more aesthetically pleasing, home-grown fashion. But there's something about the franchise coming up completely empty in their last two playoff appearances that tells me they lack a true enforcer/veteran leader.

...As I mentioned above, this will be Detroit's final shot. The nail in its relevance-coffin will come in the form of a crushingly familiar blown save in Game 6 of the World Series. I believe the franchise will follow-up with a swift rebuilding project in the off-season. 

...The Yankees are still stuck in the doldrums. Long live the Captain........

 

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