MLB 2019 Regular Season Predictions

By LINDSEY KOMSON and ALEX LENNEBERG

You read their playoff predictions last fall, now it’s time for this dynamic duo’s newest prognostication.

National League

NL EAST

1. Philadelphia Phillies

The end of last season brought about many future positives for the Phillies. After Aaron Nola’s Cy Young candidacy, Odubel Herrera’s 45-game on-base streak, and Rhys Hoskins’ monster home runs, they still managed to fall short of .500 (by 2 games). But after management told the baseball world that they were ready to spend “stupid money” this offseason, they break spring with one of the most improved teams in the league. They signed MVP-caliber outfielder Bryce Harper to a 13-year, $330 million dollar deal, signed former MVP Andrew McCutchen, and made two blockbuster trades, acquiring elite catcher J.T Realmuto from the Marlins, and shortstop Jean Segura from the Mariners. The Fightin’ Phils look to be very promising this year, and don’t be surprised if they enter October at the top of the NL East.

2. Atlanta Braves

The reigning NL East champs have a great mix of young talent and veteran presence. Looking at the young players first, we direct our eyes to the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year Ronald Acuna Jr. with one of the smoothest swings from the right side of the plate. With his 26 homers and .293 batting average, Acuna bolstered the Braves’ lineup with power, contact and speed. Another young weapon for Atlanta is second baseman Ozzie Albies, who went dormant after a breakout first half. On the flip side, the veterans in the clubhouse bring great experience and leadership to these young players. Freddie Freeman, one of the best first basemen of this generation, provides power and contact from the lefty’s batter’s box. The always dangerous player will be a huge impact for the Braves going forward. The Braves only made one significant move this winter, signing former MVP Josh Donaldson to a 1 year deal. Donaldson hasn’t been himself since 2014, the year he won the award, but if the third baseman can stay on the field for the Braves, he can be considered the quietest, but highest quality offseason acquisition. With a much stronger division this year, the Braves will have a very difficult time repeating as division champs.

3. Washington Nationals

In the nation’s capital, it’s been a very interesting offseason to say the least. Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo has taken a very different approach to assembling his team. After a disappointing 2018 for the Nat’s, being loaded with talent and only finishing two games above .500. Rizzo lost his MVP caliber outfielder and face of the franchise, Bryce Harper, to a division rival for a 13-year deal. Although they lost Harper, they added Patrick Corbin to their already loaded pitching staff. The addition of Corbin with both Scherzer and Strasburg will fill out the top three of the star-studded rotation that the Nationals have. They also added a bunch of veteran talent, like closer Trevor Rosenthal, second baseman Brian Dozier, and catchers Kurt Suzuki and Yan Gomes. But two under-the-radar players, Anthony Rendon and Trea Turner, will fill out the top of the lineup. Don’t expect the Nationals to be at the top of the division, but you can definitely see them fighting for a wild card spot down the stretch.

4. New York Mets

By far the most intriguing team this offseason, the New York Mets are coming north with interesting decisions to be made. But first, we can’t ignore the tremendous work of first-year general manager Brodie van Wagenen. By refusing to tank like many other teams are doing in all sports nowadays, the Mets acquired a boatload of talent this winter, and will be a force to be reckoned with in the National League. By entering the offseason with Brodie’s “win now” mentality, his first move of this busy offseason was to acquire 8-time all-star second baseman Robinson Cano and 2018 MLB saves leader Edwin Diaz. He then went along to sign one of the top catchers on the market Wilson Ramos, second baseman Jed Lowrie, and he reunited the team with relief pitcher Jeurys Familia to add depth and talent to the ballclub. With a packed outfield that consists of leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo, proven star Michael Conforto, and 2014 gold-glove winner Juan Lagares, the Mets made great strides to improve their team. They also have the top-rated first base prospect in all of the majors, Pete Alonso. With an enormous amount of power, Alonso seems to be a potent right handed hitter who can fit nicely in the middle of this lefty-heavy lineup. And don’t forget about the starting rotation led by 2018 Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Zach Wheeler. This top three can match up with any in the league if they all stay off of the injured list. If this team can stay healthy all year, we may see some flashbacks to 2015 when they were the National League Champs.

5. Miami Marlins

The only thing that the Marlins will be competing for this season (likely against the Baltimore Orioles) is the #1 overall draft pick. It’s hard to imagine a team that had Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, Giancarlo Stanton, Dee Gordon, and Jose Fernandez couldn’t do anything with that talent. Now they’re all onto bigger and better things (except Jose Fernandez #RIP). But the Marlins CEO and Owner Derek Jeter has found a way to add some veteran pieces. Curtis Granderson and Neil Walker both signed with Miami this offseason just so they can keep playing at the big league level. There isn’t too much to be excited about this season if you’re a Marlins fan, but then again, most of you don’t show up at the games anyways.

NL CENTRAL

1. Milwaukee Brewers

They won a thrilling and rare 163rd game to declare themselves the champions of the Central. Then they fell just one game short of the World Series. After signing arguably the best catcher on the free agent market Yasmani Grandal, and resigning infielder Mike Moustakas, the Brewers are poised to make another deep run into October. They have one of the best outfield trios in all of the majors, consisting of Christian Yelich (2018 National League MVP), Lorenzo Cain (2 time All-Star), and Ryan Braun (2011 NL MVP). The three of them are ready to smash baseballs and track down everything in the spacious Miller Park outfield. Milwaukee’s bullpen is also very strong with Josh Hader, Jeremy Jeffress and Corey Knebel at the back end. These shutdown pitchers will be a key piece of Milwaukee’s success in 2019.

2. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals made two big moves this offseason trading for first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and signing lefty reliever Andrew Miller. They already had a nice core with infielders Matt Carpenter and Paul DeJong and outfielder Marcell Ozuna. Harrison Bader, 2018 Rookie of the Year candidate, brings strength to both the defensive and offensive sides of the game. Adding Goldschmidt to the middle of that lineup will make it very difficult to get outs when pitching against that part of the lineup. Oh, and don’t forget about the no-doubt Hall of Famer Yadier Molina behind the dish. His pitch-calling ability, along with a strong young pitching staff consisting of starters Miles Mikolas and Carlos Martinez and flamethrowing closer Jordan Hicks, the Cards will be striking out many opposing batters this year. The Red Birds are now looking to take over the NL Central after a three year drought. I don’t think they have enough star power to overcome the Brew Crew atop the central, but the Cardinals could be a very reasonable pick to host the Wild Card game this fall.

3. Chicago Cubs

After a very quiet offseason, the vastly predicted Cubs’ dynasty seems to be shortening very quickly. A slow start by first baseman Anthony Rizzo, an injury plagued season for both Kris Bryant and Yu Darvish, and a Jason Heyward contract that looks worse and worse every second, the Lovable Losers seem to be on the decline, even after bringing the NL Central to a tiebreaker game.  And not to mention the rotation is aging, with their top four starters entering their age 30 season. President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein didn’t make any significant offseason acquisitions when it seems like they could have really used one. Since their World Series victory in 2016, the Cubs have lost in the NLCS to the Dodgers the year after, in 2018 they lost in the NL Central tiebreaker game, and then again in the Wild Card game. They still have a great core, with assets such as Bryant, Rizzo and Baez, but if they worsen, especially in a division where three other teams greatly improved, I can’t see the Cubs winning over 90 games, something they haven’t done since 2014. Chicago’s North Siders will be an interesting storyline throughout the season, because they can either take over the division once again, or continue in their downward trend.

4. Cincinnati Reds

I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of impressed with what the Reds did over the offseason. They acquired big name players, such as Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp from the Dodgers. These two players can complement the already decent Cincinnati lineup, with Joey Votto, Scooter Gennett and Eugenio Suarez. They do have one weak point, and it happens to be extremely weak. The rotation sticks out like a sore thumb. The team ERA of 4.65 was the 7th worst in all of the majors. And acquiring starters Sonny Gray and Alex Wood isn’t a huge improvement from what the rotation is now. Without much improvement on the mound, the Reds could still struggle in the dog days of summer.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh doesn’t have too much going for them in 2019. They will have a sub-par lineup with Gregory Polanco, Starling Marte, and Corey Dickerson at the top. And this year, the Bucs will be relying on their starting rotation more. Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams, and Chris Archer will be a decent top three for the Pirates, who are just trying to hang around in a loaded NL Central. Taillion and Williams broke out in 2018, while Archer, an already established starter, will provide leadership to the two younger pitchers. The Pirates aren’t going to be a threat in 2019, but you can consider this to be a bridge year when they don’t go into full rebuild. After all, they won’t be atop the division at the end of September.

NL WEST

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Oh, the Dodgers. The Dodgers will once again be the National League favorite for victors of the league, but the question is, will they finally get the job done? They lost in the World Series in two straight years, but they have improved from 2018. They signed veteran center fielder AJ Pollock to a four year deal. They’ll be getting their star shortstop Corey Seager back after the entire year on the DL. But a star pitcher may just be the most important player for this ball club, not the former MVP and multiple Cy-Young award winner Clayton Kershaw, but the young flamethrower Walker Buehler out of Vanderbilt University. With his first full year under his belt, Buehler could arguably be the most valuable pitcher in this Dodgers’ rotation. Shifting to the offense, we all know what kind of talent they have. Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Max Muncy and, Corey Seager all look to make an impact in 2019 and help the Dodgers win their 7th consecutive National League West title. Is this the year that the Dodgers can finally crown themselves king of the entire Major League?

2. Colorado Rockies

The Rockies have always been known for one thing and one thing only: their home-field offensive production. But in 2018, starting pitchers Kyle Freeland, Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson and German Marquez all made huge steps forward to help make the Rockies a more complete team. Moving over to the offense, we all know what a lineup consisting of Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon and Daniel Murphy is capable of. There’s power, there’s contact and there are plenty of home runs to go around. These guys in the Colorado lineup can flat out hit, and it’s going to be fun to watch baseballs soar through the thin Denver air. The best offseason move for the franchise was to sign arguably the best third baseman in the league, Arenado, to a contract extension for 8 years. This locks up their best all around player, who performs at the highest of levels on both sides of the baseball. This ballclub has earned itself postseason berths for the past 2 seasons, and they sure hope that they can once again bring #Rocktober to the Mile High City.

3. San Diego Padres

For the past couple of years, the Padres have been the laughing stock of the league. But in the past two offseasons, they’ve signed two mega stars in Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer to long-term, high average annual value deals. With Machado, Hosmer and their homegrown Wil Myers, the Padres look to be in decent shape for the upcoming years. They have great offensive weapons and one of the best farm-systems in all of the bigs. Fernando Tatis Jr, Luis Urias and Francisco Mejia all had very great spring trainings with the big league ballclub. These three young players could make this Padres lineup extremely scary in upcoming years. But for now, I can’t see them winning more than 85 games. They just don’t have enough quality arms on their pitching staff to hoist them to the next level. Sure, they’ll be better than they had been, but is that really saying much?

4. San Francisco Giants

Despite last year being an even year, the Giants did not do as well as they should have. After a mediocre season for San Francisco, the team took to their advantage and signed a number of veteran guys for clubhouse presence, including 2-time Gold Glove outfielder Gerardo Parra and 2-time all-star catcher Stephen Vogt. On top of those additions, the team also inked 2016 all-star starter Drew Pomeranz for pitching depth. Re-signing Derek Holland bolsters the Giants’ staff alongside their own breakout pitcher last season Dereck Rodriguez who went 6-4 with a 2.81 ERA in 21 games. Despite the fact that longtime ace Madison Bumgarner missed a good portion of last season dealing with injury, the team will still be counting on him this year to lead by example. The only way the Giants can stay afloat in this division is with a stable pitching staff, but with their injury-ridden past, we can only see what the future holds.

5. Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks aren’t looking to impress many people in this upcoming season. After trading long-time face of the franchise Paul Goldschmidt and losing both A. J. Pollock and Patrick Corbin in free agency, Arizona won’t be making much of an effort to compete in 2019. They do have some positives in their rotation with both Robbie Ray and Zack Greinke serving as veteran hurlers. The D-backs lineup will be ok with free agent signing Adam Jones and players such as Jake Lamb, Ketel Marte and David Peralta. The D-backs won’t have a successful 2019 season, but we all can expect that. I think they’ll finish last in the division along with a top draft pick next year.

American League

AL EAST

1. New York Yankees

After winning 100 games last year, the Yankees somehow got better. They helped their pitching staff a lot. They bolstered what was already considered the best bullpen in baseball by adding all-star reliever Adam Ottavino, added to their shaky rotation by trading for flame-throwing lefty James Paxton and signing Gio Gonzalez. They also filled their hole at shortstop while all-star Didi Gregorius is recovering from Tommy John surgery by signing DJ Lemahieu and Troy Tulowitzki. They return a majority of the lineup that set a major league record for home runs in a season, led by Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez. Although they didn’t sign Bryce Harper or Manny Machado, general manager Brian Cashman had a very successful offseason. The Yankees should be exciting this year and win the AL East making a serious postseason run.

2. Boston Red Sox

The reigning World Series champions have high expectations for this year. They won 108 games last year and dominated all season. Their lineup from top to bottom is filled with dangerous hitters, including MVP candidates Mookie Betts and JD Martinez. Their pitching staff is loaded with top arms, led by Chris Sale and David Price. The biggest question mark for the Boston Red Sox is their bullpen. The loss of closer Craig Kimbrel will surely have a major impact on this season, as Kimbrel is one of the most dominant closers in baseball and the Red Sox are left without that sure thing in the back end of their bullpen. I still predict the Red Sox will make the playoffs because of their overpowering lineup and amazing rotation, but the Yankees’ acquisitions and the loss of Kimbrel puts them in second place in the AL East.

3. Tampa Bay Rays

The biggest surprise in baseball last season, the Rays look to improve once again and fight for a wild card spot in the American League. They bring back the reigning Cy Young award winner Blake Snell. Snell is a young star who looks to repeat his insane 2018, where he led the American League in wins (21) and ERA (1.89). Other than Snell, the Rays don’t have much star power. They have an excellent manager in Kevin Cash who somehow lead the team to 90 wins last season. Kevin Kiermaier is one of the best defensive center fielders in the league and a growing star, and Tommy Pham looks to build off a great end to 2018. The Rays are one of the more interesting teams this season and should be in the wild card hunt come September.

4. Toronto Blue Jays

In the midst of a rebuild, the Blue Jays have some intriguing up and coming talent, although they are at least a year away from being competitive. Their rotation looks to be very good again, headed by Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, both young and full of potential. As of now, their lineup is headlined by Justin Smoak and Randal Grichuk, but about 2 weeks into the season, the top prospect in all of baseball will make his anticipated major league debut. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., son of hall of famer Vladimir Guerrero, is one of the most highly regarded prospects in recent history. He and Fernando Tatis Jr. look to be the future of the Blue Jays, but don’t get your hopes up for this season.

5. Baltimore Orioles

By far the worst team in baseball, the Orioles will shock the baseball world if they win 50 games this year. After winning 47 last year, the Orioles have absolutely no expectations while in the midst of a full-blown rebuild. Their lineup is embarrassing, led by first baseman Chris Davis, who once hit 53 home runs in a season, but that was 6 years ago. Now he’s coming off a season where he hit a putrid .168 with 16 home runs while being paid $23 million. Ouch. Their pitching staff is abysmal, with their top two starters earning around 5.00 ERA last season, and they traded their all-star closer Zack Britton to the Yankees last season. There is little to no hope for the dumpster fire known as the Baltimore Orioles.

AL CENTRAL

1. Cleveland Indians

The Indians should win the Central again by default. There is no other team in this division that can compete with them. Their rotation is still stacked with Cy Young winner Corey Kluber dominating season after season. Trevor Bauer is becoming a star in the MLB, Carlos Carrasco has been consistently good over the last few years, and Mike Clevinger has the nicest hair in baseball. Their infield is still elite with young superstars Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor are among the top players in the MLB. The Indians should be playing into October once again.

2. Minnesota Twins

The Twins came nowhere close to expectations last year, missing the playoffs by a lot after losing in the Wild Card Game to the Yankees the year before. Now that all-time Twin Joe Mauer has retired, they finally have financial flexibility allowing them to sign designated hitting slugger Nelson Cruz all-star second baseman Jonathan Schoop and utility man Marwin Gonzalez. All three are huge upgrades from last year. Their bright spot on their pitching staff is young ace Jose Berrios, who is one the better young pitchers in the MLB and should improve on an impressive season last year. Expect the Twins to be in the Wild Card hunt most of the season until falling out of the race in early September.

3. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers shouldn’t be very watchable this year. The only two legitimate hitters they have are good ol’ Miguel Cabrera and Nicholas Castellanos. Their young ace Michael Fulmer,is out for the season with Tommy John Surgery, and they have no other pitching. Closer Shane Greene is the only bright spot in their bullpen. They will only finish third in the division because of how bad the White Sox and Royals will be this year.

4. Chicago White Sox

The White Sox will also not be very competitive this year. All-star Jose Abreu and rising star Eloy Jimenez should be their only feared hitters this year, as most of their other players are looking for new beginnings or don’t have much big league experience. The White Sox are hoping their once top prospects Yoan Moncada and Lucas Giolito build off a shaky rookie season and develop into the top young talents they’re supposed to be. The hope of Manny Machado this offseason gave White Sox fans hope, but once again the White Sox will be competing for last in the central.

5. Kansas City Royals

Although it’s only been 3 full seasons since the Royals were World Series champions, they’ve fully hit rock bottom. Almost every player from that team is gone and they’re left with a shell of Alex Gordon, a good young player in Whit Merrifield, a true speed guy with no hitting ability in Billy Hamilton, and a fading Danny Duffy. They have a weak bullpen, a bad pitching staff, and a shaky lineup. The Royals will be bad.

AL WEST

1. Houston Astros

Houston is one of the best teams in the MLB. Their lineup top to bottom is full of young All-Stars, including former MVP Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer and Alex Bregman. They filled some holes and signed Michael Brantley and Robinson Chirinos. Their rotation had 2 Cy Young candidates last year in Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole and should be dominant again. They have a very deep bullpen, topped off with closer Roberto Osuna. The ‘Stros should definitely win the West and will be competing with the Yankees and Red Sox come October.

2. Los Angeles Angels

After paying undoubtedly the game’s best player Mike Trout $430 million, the Angels now don’t have to worry about recruiting Trout next offseason and can focus on other positions and developing other players. The health of 2-way phenom and American League Rookie of the Year Shohei Ohtani will play a major role, as Ohtani is expected to only DH this year as a result of Tommy John surgery. The Angels were big spenders this offseason. Aside from the huge Trout contract, they signed Cody Allen, Jonathan Lucroy and Justin Bour. The Angels are hoping to take advantage of Mike Trout’s prime and make the playoffs for only the second time in his career. Expect the Angels to fight for one of the Wild Card spots this season.

3. Oakland A’s

The A’s will be one of the more interesting teams this year. They lost to the Yankees in the Wild Card game last year and were very competitive all season. They have reigning home run leader and superstar, Khris Davis, and arguably the best defensive third baseman in the MLB in Matt Chapman. Those two, along with Marcus Semien and Matt Olson, should make for an interesting lineup and infield alongside youngster Jurickson Profar. They have a top-flight closer in Blake Treinen along with an above average bullpen. Their weak spot will be their starting pitching as they don’t have a proven #1 starter or a strong rotation. The A’s should be in the Wild Card mix this year but I wouldn’t be surprised if they underperform.

4. Seattle Mariners

This year, the Mariners won’t be as bad as everyone says, but they still won’t be good. A team that’s looking to make only its second playoff appearance this decade, this might not be the year that happens. They did acquire slugger Edwin Encarnacion and Japanese phenom Yusei Kikuchi. Those two, along with Dee Gordon, Tim Beckham and a few other potential contributors could shake up things in the Wild Card race, but the Mariners’ weak pitching staff will hold them back from being successful this season.

5. Texas Rangers

The Rangers shouldn’t be very competitive this year. Their best hitter Adrian Beltre retired after last season. Alongside slugger Joey Gallo, they have some players who are a few years past their prime in Asdrubal Cabrera, Shin Soo-Choo and Elvis Andrus. They also have some interesting young talent in Nomar Mazara, and a very inconsistent but a true wild card in Rougned Odor. The Rangers have a weak overall pitching staff, missing a real ace and true closer. Although their hitting may not be that bad, their pitching will be what keeps them from being competitive this year.