On Opening Day Eve Eve, everyone is throwing out their predictions for World Series matchups, MVP’s, Cy Young’s, and so on. I figured I’d get in on the fun. Here is my in depth A.L. preview/predictions for 2018.
Division Winners
A.L. East- New York Yankees
A.L. Central- Cleveland Indians
A.L. West- Houston Astros
Wild Card 1- Boston Red Sox
Wild Card 2- Los Angeles Angels
The Yankees took one of, if not the most powerful lineups in the league and decided to go out and add the reigning N.L. MVP in Giancarlo Stanton. Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, and Sonny Gray form a good if not great top 3, but the talk of this team will be all about the lineup. Expect them to easily lead the league in home runs and runs scored.
Cleveland got some scrutiny from fans and analysts for not really adding much this off-season. But it doesn’t matter. In an overall weak division, Cleveland should once again cruise to another division title lead by Cy Young winner Corey Kluber and one of the most exciting players in the game in Francisco Lindor. But with the White Sox and Twins on the rise and the Indians not getting and younger, their window for a World Series Championship is starting to shrink.
Not much to say about the Houston Astros here. The reigning World Series Champs return in 2018 with incredible odds to repeat in October. They have, in my opinion, the best rotation in baseball, and potentially the best lineup as well. If these guys stay healthy, they should cruise to another division crown.
The Boston Red Sox have an incredible baseball team. They could go out and win the East, but the Yankees just seem to have too much firepower to overcome over 162 games. Chris Sale will lead the rotation and if David Price can be the guy the Bo Sox envisioned him being, the rotation will boast a 1-2 punch better than the one in the Bronx. J.D Martinez will provide the power that was seriously lacking last year, and a full season of third baseman Rafael Devers should help the offense raise its numbers as well.
The Angels just barely missed the Wild Card last season, and that was with Mike Trout missing roughly half the year. If he can stay healthy, then the Angels should theoretically be a good bet to make the postseason in 2018. Then there’s Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese rookie sensation. If he can be as good as advertised, then both the Angels rotation and lineup will receive a massive boost.
Rookie Of The Year- Michael Kopech
I often get repetitive when talking about Michael Kopech so apologies in advance. I think Kopech is ready for the MLB right now. In fact, he is probably better than 4/5 of the current White Sox rotation at this very moment. So why keep him in the minors?
Control.
No not him controlling the strike zone, although he could fine tune that as well. No, I am talking about team control. Similar to what the Cubs did with Kris Bryant in 2015, the White Sox probably are keeping Kopech in Triple-A until they gain that extra year of team control. Now, he could and probably will use his time in the minors to work on his changeup, a plan he followed all of Spring Training. I expect him to come up no later than mid-June, especially if he dominates minor league batters like he did last season. If he comes up around that time, he should get enough starts to qualify for ROY honors. His stuff is good enough to where he could not only hold his own against MLB lineups, but shut them down completely, especially if he can throw his changeup more often and in fastball counts. Add in his makeup and literal obsession to be great, and the formula is there for him to bring home the award in 2018.
MVP- Mike Trout
Not a very bold prediction on my end here, but how can anyone bet against the MLB’s best player? If he stays healthy, he is always a threat to bat .330 with 30+ home runs, 30+ steals, and 30+ doubles. If he retired today I firmly believe he would be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He’s that good. Jose Altuve is incredible, and Giancarlo Stanton could go and hit 50 home runs. Hell, maybe even 60. But at the end of the day, I’m still rolling with the face of the league in Mike Trout.
Cy Young- Corey Kluber
Even as a White Sox fan, I have no shame in saying that Corey Kluber is incredible to watch. He already has 2 Cy Young awards to his name, and after a longer off-season he should be locked and loaded for 2018. Chris Sale actually has the best odds online, but he seems to fizz out towards the end of the year, which could hurt his chances. Kluber should get a ton of help from his lineup, making him a safe bet to win 20+ games. Until someone proves otherwise, Kluber is the best pitcher in the American League.
Playoff Matchups
Wild Card- Boston over Los Angeles
Division Series- Houston over Boston, New York over Cleveland
Championship Series- Houston over New York
A.L. Champion- Houston Astros
I said it in the beginning and I’ll say it again: Houston’s chances of repeating in 2018 are incredibly high. In the playoffs, you are only as good as your starting rotation. Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, Gerrit Cole, Lance McCullers, and Charlie Morton form arguably the best rotation in baseball. Pair that with their explosive lineup, and it’s hard not to pick them to come out of the A.L. for the second straight year.
