Who to watch as the new season gets underway on Thursday.
The Major League Baseball regular season gets underway for most of the game on Thursday. Finally, we’re within one week of Opening Day! Hope springs eternal across the continent as diehard fans get ready to support their teams for 162 games and, for some, make plans for postseason parties.
Before the games begin, it’s a good time to look ahead and make some bold predictions for the coming season. Who will win the divisions? Which teams will make the playoffs? And who will take home the individual hardware at the end of the year? Let’s get into it!
Standings Predictions
National League East
- Philadelphia Phillies
- New York Mets
- Atlanta Braves
- Washington Nationals
- Miami Marlins
This could be the most competitive division in MLB this season. The Phillies appear to have the deepest roster, but the Mets and Braves have plenty of star power. Washington is developing a young core and should be better this year. They could make life miserable for their division rivals in some series later in the season.
National League Central
- Chicago Cubs
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Milwaukee Brewers
- Cincinnati Reds
- St. Louis Cardinals
With the Cardinals and Brewers both taking a step back this season, it looks like the Cubs have the best odds of coming out of the Central with a division flag. Don’t count the Pirates out, however. They’ll get a full season from Paul Skenes in the rotation and, hopefully, a healthy Oneil Cruz in the lineup.
National League West
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Arizona Diamondbacks
- San Francisco Giants
- San Diego Padres
- Colorado Rockies
The Dodgers sprinted through the regular season and all the way through October to a World Series Championship last year, and this year’s roster might be even better/deeper. Their rotation has some big additions, including Blake Snell, and their lineup is as stacked as it has been in years. They should go wire-to-wire in first place—if they can stay healthy.
Wild Card Predictions: New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks
Individual Award Predictions
MVP Prediction: Francisco Lindor, MetsLindor finished runner-up to Shohei Ohtani last year. There are two significant factors this season in putting Lindor at the top of the list: he’ll be joined in the Mets’ lineup by Juan Soto, and Ohtani will return to pitching for the Dodgers, which should take some away from the historic offensive totals he put up last year. Lindor plays exceptional defense at a premium position and should be a big factor in a playoff run for the Mets this season.
Cy Young Prediction: Zack Wheeler, Phillies
Wheeler finished runner-up to Chris Sale last year, and the gap between second and third was notable. Sale and Skenes should also be in the mix for this award when the season ends, but the Phillies winning their division could elevate Wheeler above the rest.
Rookie of the Year Prediction: Matt Shaw, Cubs
Shaw will get the nod as the primary third baseman for the Cubs this season. He’s a shortstop by trade who has hit well everywhere in the minors over three seasons since the Cubs made him the 13th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. He’ll be in a good position to succeed with some veterans around him in the Cubs’ lineup this season.
Manager of the Year Prediction: Carlos Mendoza, Mets
Mendoza will have some stiff competition for this award if Rob Thomson leads the Phillies to a division crown, Craig Counsell does the same with the Cubs in the Central, and Derek Shelton leads the Pirates to respectability. But there are some big expectations for the Mets this season, and they could do some special things.
