Before the seasons starts I like to lay out my take on which teams are good and which teams are bad. I’ve tried in the past to make this predictions blog very long and very in depth, but the difficulty of getting these predictions right made writing 3-4 paragraphs explaining each one feel futile.
Last season, I found a process I quite liked, which was to pick how many games each team would win and the prediction with the first sentence that pops into my head about the team. I’m doing it again!
The AL East
- The Toronto Blue Jays (94-68)
I’d really like to be wrong and see this Blue Jays team that everyone was so charmed by last postseason crash and burn.
2. The Boston Red Sox (91-71)
I’m very jealous of the Red Sox pitching staff and I think it will carry them to a good season. I do look at the lineup and think they just don’t have enough to be a really good team and I think the best part for Orioles fans will be watching Red Sox fans turn on their team becuase they’re offense will be very frustrating.
3. The Baltimore Orioles (87-75)
It can’t happen again, right?
4. The New York Yankees (83-79)
Take a look at the rotation the Yankees are starting the season with and tell me you think that team is going to make the playoffs. Oh Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon will be back? Better be before the end of May or their going to be 15 games under .500 by then.
5. The Tampa Bay Rays (74-88)
Hmmm I thought the benefit of always churning over your roster, not paying anybody and making it so the fans can’t have any long term relationships with the players was that the team was supposed to always be competitive. It seems like maybe this front office over estimated itself and now their dealing with the same kind of extended rebuild that most teams have to go through even if they’re not geniuses.
The AL Central
- The Detroit Tigers
I’m all in this team. Imagine seeing them on your schedule and realizing that it lines up so that you’re getting Skubal game 1 and Valdez game 2. I think I would maybe find something else to do that weekend.
2. The Cleveland Guardians (86-76)
Looking at this teams roster, I don’t see how they’re not one of the worst teams in baseball, so naturally they’ll sneak into the playoffs.
3. The Kansas City Royals (84-78)
I wanted to like the Royals more but I look at the roster and just wonder why are there so many bad players.
4. The Chicago White Sox (66-96)
Incremental improvements for the worst team in modern baseball history.
5. Minnesota Twins (59-103)
Just one more Pohlad brother taking control of the team and running it the right way bro! Just one more Pohlad and it’ll all get better bro! We’re right there man don’t worry we got a different Pohlad brother in charge!
The AL West
- The Seattle Mariners (92-70)
A bunch of their players will be worse this year than last year and they’ll still win the division comfortably.
2. The Texas Rangers (83-79)
They won the World Series on the backs of incredible offense and then decided they were done hitting forever.
3. The Houston Astros (81-81)
It may be Houstover.
4. The Redacted Athletics (71-91)
Bad pitching. Really bad pitching.
5. The Los Angeles Angels (60-102)
The longer this goes on the more impressive prime Mike Trout winning 75 games a year with this organization gets. He was probably more like 15 WAR player.
The NL East
- The Philadelphia Phillies (101-61)
It’s a beautiful roster. Dave Dombrowski masterclass.
2. The New York Mets (90-72)
It can’t happen again, right?
3. The Atlanta Braves (83-79)
Oh no! It’s happening again!
4. The Miami Marlins (72-90)
It’s not happening again.
5. The Washington Nationals (63-99)
It’s tough to have to go straight from one rebuild to the next without any success in between, but that’s the hand the Nationals were dealt.
The NL Central
- The Chicago Cubs (92-70)
I’m worried about this rotation but I love the lineup and the defense will be excellent. They may have to grind out a few close ones but they’ve got the squad to do it.
2. The Milwaukee Brewers (89-73)
I’m just going to be on board with the whole Brewers thing until it stops working.
3. The Pittsburgh Pirates (83-79)
Every podcast and websites doing “bold predictions” be like: The Pirates are going to be good!
I’m here to tell you that they will be ok.
4. The Cinncinati Reds (78-84)
The injury bug seems to have already decided it’s not their year.
5. The St Louis Cardinals (73-89)
I respect how hard the Cardinals have resisted going in the tank but it’s time.
The NL West
- The Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64)
They’re inevitable.
2. The San Diego Padres (88-74)
An interesting kind of bad team that’s going to win every game were they lead after 7 innings and beat the pythag by 10.
3. The San Francisco Giants (82-80)
The midness calls out the Giants. They can’t escape it.
4. The Arizona Diamondbacks (75-87)
Did you have a disappointing season and then run it back with all your pitchers one year older and likely worse?
5. The Colorado Rockies (56-106)
Try and have fun out there boys!
The Dishwasher 
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