Another baseball season is upon us, and we can't wait to see how it turns out. We always think we have an idea of how things will go between now and October, but baseball often has a way of writing its own script.
Sure, there will be some things that go as expected. But there will also be surprises. Finding out which teams and players fall into which category is part of the fun of a 162-game season.
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Before you get your fill of Opening Day action, take a gander at Sporting News' staff predictions for the 2019 MLB season.
Ryan Fagan
Storylines I'm following: The National League playoff race will be fascinating. In the East, the Phillies, Nationals, Braves and Mets are all very capable of winning the division title, and in the Central, the Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals are all talented enough to make a World Series push. So that’s seven playoff-worthy teams fighting for, at most, four postseason spots (two titles, two wild-cards). And then you have the Dodgers as the West favorites, with the Rockies bringing most of their primary pieces from last year’s NL wild-card club. So that’s nine worthy teams vying for six spots, and teams like the Reds and Padres could/should be significantly better this year. Cannot wait to see how it plays out. … The AL, on the other hand, isn’t quite as compelling. Barring catastrophic injury issues, the Red Sox, Yankees, Astros and Indians feel like playoff locks, and the only real question is which team will jump up to 91-ish wins and grab the second wild-card spot. … There are few things I enjoy more than watching young players become stars at the big-league level. Juan Soto and Ronald Acuna Jr. last year were great examples. This year, we’re promised extended looks at Eloy Jimenez, Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr., to name just a few. … And, of course, all eyes will be on Bryce Harper. How does Year 1 of 13 in Philly play out? It’ll be fun to see.
American League races
East: Red Sox
Central: Indians
West: Astros
Wild cards: Yankees, Angels
AL awards
MVP: Mike Trout, Angels (dark horse: Byron Buxton, Twins)
Cy Young: Trevor Bauer, Indians (dark horse: Mike Clevinger, Indians)
Rookie: Eloy Jimenez, White Sox (dark horse: Christin Stewart, Tigers)
FAGAN: 19 storylines to follow for the 2019 season
National League races
East: Phillies
Central: Cardinals
West: Dodgers
Wild cards: Cubs, Brewers
NL awards
MVP: Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals (dark horse: Josh Donaldson, Braves)
Cy Young: Max Scherzer, Nationals (dark horse: Jack Flaherty, Cardinals)
Rookie: Nick Senzel, Reds (dark horse: Chris Paddack, Padres)
Postseason
AL champ: Red Sox
NL champ: Cardinals
World Series champ: Red Sox
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Jason Foster
Storylines I'm following: The NL East will be the division to watch this season. Realistically, any one of the Phillies, Nationals, Braves or Mets could take the division crown (sorry, Marlins). Each team is stacked with young talent, and each one improved to varying degrees this offseason. ... When will Shohei Ohtani return, how much will he play, and how will he perform in a DH-only role? He's an exciting player at the plate, and I hope we get to see him build on what he started in his rookie year. ... Will Craig Kimbrel pitch this season? The best closer in the game doesn't have a home. Literally any team would benefit from having him. ... How big of a season will Mike Trout have after signing that giant extension? We know it'll be big, but Trout Big isn't the same as Normal MLB Big.
American League races
East: Yankees
Central: Indians
West: Astros
Wild cards: Red Sox, Angels
AL awards
MVP: Aaron Judge, Yankees
Cy Young: Corey Kluber, Indians
Rookie: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
FOSTER: 19 reasons why baseball will be great in 2019
National League races
East: Phillies
Central: Cardinals
West: Dodgers
Wild cards: Braves, Cubs
NL awards
MVP: Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves
Cy Young: Max Scherzer, Nationals
Rookie: Pete Alonso, Mets
Postseason
AL champ: Yankees
NL champ: Cardinals
World Series champ: Yankees
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Joe Rivera
Storylines I'm following: Can the Rockies' bullpen rebound after an atrocious 2018? Three guys got paid big bucks — Jake McGee, Wade Davis, Bryan Shaw — to be baseball's next super bullpen, and it went up in flames like the Jedi texts. Can Boston repeat their 2018 greatness? Can Oakland keep it together and secure a wild card? Who's the next to get extended? Mike Trout, Chris Sale and countless others have gotten big paydays from their teams before they're set to hit free agency, some well before.
American League races
East: Yankees
Central: Indians
West: Astros
Wild cards: Red Sox, A's
AL awards
MVP: Mike Trout, Angels
Cy Young: Chris Sale, Red Sox
Rookie: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
RIVERA: 19 questions to ponder for the 2019 season
National League races
East: Nationals
Central: Brewers
West: Dodgers
Wild cards: Phillies, Cubs
NL awards
MVP: Bryce Harper, Phillies
Cy Young: Jacob deGrom, Mets
Rookie: Victor Robles, Nationals
Postseason
AL champ: Yankees
NL champ: Cubs
World Series champ: Yankees
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Tom Gatto
Storylines I'm following: Will the new big-money stars (Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado) suffer letdowns now that they have gotten paid? When will the next generation of MLB stars (Eloy Jimenez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) begin their takeover? Will more teams become sellers with just one trade deadline in July? Can the Red Sox find a bullpen combination that works?
American League races
East: Yankees
Central: Twins
West: Astros
Wild cards: Red Sox, Rays
AL awards
MVP: Aaron Judge, Yankees
Cy Young: Gerrit Cole, Astros
Rookie: Eloy Jimenez, White Sox
MORE: Opening Day schedule for all 30 MLB teams
National League races
East: Nationals
Central: Cubs
West: Dodgers
Wild cards: Rockies, Phillies
NL awards
MVP: Kris Bryant, Cubs
Cy Young: Max Scherzer, Nationals
Rookie: Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres
Postseason
AL champ: Yankees
NL champ: Nationals
World Series champ: Nationals
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Bill Bender
Storylines I'm following: The Astros and Red Sox have won the past two World Series. Is it the Yankees turn? Will Aaron Judge lead that World Series run with an MVP season? The health of Luis Severino will be something to monitor if his absence stretches past May. … The Indians are the best team in the AL Central but it has not been the best offseason. Will an upstart team take advantage? … Bryce Harper and Mike Trout signed for ridiculous money. Can they lead their teams to the postseason? … San Diego and Cincinnati made some high-profile offseason signings. It will be interesting to see whether one (or both) challenge for wild-card berths. … As a super-fan of his father, I can’t wait for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to hit his first MLB home run.
American League races
East: Yankees
Central: Indians
West: Astros
Wild cards: Red Sox, A’s
AL awards
MVP: Aaron Judge, Yankees
Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Astros
Rookie: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
MORE: Adnan Virk on "ChangeUp" show, how to make baseball coverage fun
National League races
East: Nationals
Central: Cubs
West: Dodgers
Wild cards: Cardinals, Phillies
NL awards
MVP: Bryce Harper, Phillies
Cy Young: Jacob deGrom, Mets
Rookie: Victor Robles, Nationals
Postseason
AL champ: Yankees
NL champ: Cubs
World Series champ: Yankees
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Jacob Janower
Storylines I'm following: How will Bryce Harper and Manny Machado fare with their new teams? Will Harper see improved stats playing in a hitters' park, and will Machado struggle more at Petco Park? When and where will Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel sign? They will provide a boost to whoever adds them, but it might take some time before they're ready to pitch. Will the Rays and/or A's prove that 2018 wasn't a fluke? Both teams overachieved last year, but neither got signifcantly better over the offseason. Can they take advantage of a wide-open American League wild card race? How legitimate are the Reds and Mets, who both had big offseasons?
American League races
East: Red Sox
Central: Indians
West: Astros
Wild cards: Yankees, Angels
AL awards
MVP: Mike Trout, Angels
Cy Young: Chris Sale, Red Sox
Rookie: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
National League races
East: Nationals
Central: Cardinals
West: Dodgers
Wild cards: Cubs, Phillies
NL awards
MVP: Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals
Cy Young: Aaron Nola, Phillies
Rookie: Pete Alonso, Mets
Postseason
AL champ: Astros
NL champ: Cardinals
World Series champ: Astros
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Thomas Schlarp
Storylines I'm following: The American League playoff teams were decided with seemingly weeks to spare last season. Can the Twins at least challenge the Indians in the Central? Do the Angels have enough to challenge for a wild card? … The Giants didn’t do much this offseason. Who will Madison Bumgarner be pitching for in August?... The NL East may be the most competitive division in baseball. Does all the talent Philadelphia acquired translate to wins? With Bryce Harper gone, the Nationals may have one of the best young outfields with Juan Soto and Victor Robles. ... Will the Dodgers lose the World Series in LA for a third straight year? It may come down to Clayton Kershaw’s ability to stay healthy.
American League races
East: Yankees
Central: Indians
West: Astros
Wild cards: Red Sox, Rays
AL awards
MVP: Alex Bregman, Astros
Cy Young: Chris Sale, Red Sox
Rookie: Yusei Kikuchi, Mariners
National League races
East: Nationals
Central: Cardinals
West: Dodgers
Wild cards: Phillies, Brewers
NL awards
MVP: Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals
Cy Young: Max Scherzer, Nationals
Rookie: Chris Paddack, Padres
Postseason
AL champ: Astros
NL champ: Nationals
World Series champ: Astros
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David Steele
Storylines I’m following: Is Bryce Harper really the key to the Phillies becoming a dynasty, and is his going to the Phillies the key to him becoming the superstar he was destined to be? Could the Nationals really be as good, or better, without Harper and with the help of their years of drafting and development? Are the best division races going to be in the East in both leagues, and how many playoff teams will that produce (or not)? Does the heat on the Angels to make the most out of Mike Trout’s prime (in production and earnings) turn into an inferno? How will the Yankees do after missing the World Series last year and not grabbing any of the marquee free agents this offseason? How much, or how little, will baseball embrace the “opener”? The new reliever three-batter minimum rule … whaaaa?
American League races
East: Yankees
Central: Indians
West: Astros
Wild cards: Red Sox, Rays
AL awards
MVP: Aaron Judge, Yankees
Cy Young: Chris Sale, Red Sox
Rookie: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
National League races
East: Phillies
Central: Brewers
West: Dodgers
Wild cards: Nationals, Braves
NL awards
MVP: Ronald Acuna Jr., Braves
Cy Young: Noah Syndergaard, Mets
Rookie: Victor Robles, Nationals
Postseason
AL champ: Yankees
NL champ: Phillies
World Series champ: Phillies
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Sporting News also asked hosts of DAZN's new MLB show "ChangeUp" for their predictions. DAZN is the parent company of Sporting News.
Adnan Virk
American League races
East: Red Sox
Central: Twins
West: Astros
AL awards
MVP: José Ramirez, Indians
Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Astros
Rookie: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
National League races
East: Phillies
Central: Brewers
West: Dodgers
NL awards
MVP: Jesus Aguilar, Brewers
Cy Young: Max Scherzer, Nationals
Postseason
AL champ: Yankees
NL champ: Brewers
World Series champ: Yankees
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Lauren Gardner
American League races
East: Yankees
Central: Indians
West: Astros
National League races
East: Nationals
Central: Cardinals
West: Dodgers
AL awards
MVP: Mike Trout, Angels
Cy Young: Gerritt Cole, Astros
Home run leader: Aaron Judge, Yankees
NL awards
MVP: Nolan Arenado, Rockies
Cy Young: Max Scherzer, Nationals
Home run leader: Daniel Murphy, Rockies
Postseason
AL champ: Astros
NL champ: Nationals
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Scott Rogowsky
American League races
East: Red Sox
Central: Twins
West: Astros
AL awards
MVP: Mike Trout, Angels
Cy Young: Chris Sale, Red Sox
National League races
MVP: Rhys Hoskins, Phillies
Cy Young: Max Scherzer, Nationals
Postseason
AL champ: Red Sox
NL champ: Brewers
World Series champ: Brewers
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Jordan Shusterman
American League races
East: Yankees
Central: Indians
West: Astros
AL awards
MVP: Mike Trout, Angels
Cy Young: Chris Sale, Red Sox
National League races
East: Nationals
Central: Cardinals
West: Dodgers
NL awards
MVP: Juan Soto, Nationals
Cy Young: Max Scherzer, Nationals
Postseason
AL champ: Astros
NL champ: Nationals
World Series champ: Nationals
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Jake Mintz
American League races
East: Yankees
Central: Indians
West: Astros
AL awards
MVP: Mike Trout, Angels
Cy Young: Gerritt Cole, Astros
National League races
East: Nationals
Central: Cardinals
West: Dodgers
NL awards
MVP: Bryce Harper, Nationals
Cy Young: Jack Flaherty, Cardinals
Postseason
AL champ: Indians
NL champ: Dodgers
World Series champ: Dodgers
