A new baseball season has dawned and will warm the hearts of fans every day until November. There's no telling what storylines will emerge between now and then, but that’s not gonna stop us from making some predictions.
As is our tradition at The Sporting News, our baseball experts have submitted for your perusal and approval, or disapproval, our prognostications for the MLB season. And as we point out every year, we completely realize that trying to predict a baseball season is one of the silliest things one can do. Baseball does what it wants, when it wants. Some predictions might feel pretty easy, while others feel more like playing baseball Mad Libs. But it’s all in good fun because nobody really knows anything and nothing really means anything in this great and ridiculous sport.
MORE: 23 reasons why baseball will be great in 2023
With that in mind, here are our best guesses for how things will unfold during the 2023 season. Feel free to bookmark this and laugh at us later.
Ryan Fagan, senior MLB writer (@RyanFagan)
American League races
East: Blue Jays
Central: Guardians
West: Astros
Wild cards: Mariners, Yankees, Twins
MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Angels
Cy Young: Jacob deGrom, Rangers
Rookie of the Year: Anthony Volpe, Yankees
National League races
East: Braves
Central: Cardinals
West: Dodgers
Wild cards: Padres, Mets, Phillies
MVP: Nolan Arenado, Cardinals
Cy Young: Sandy Alcantara, Marlins
Rookie of the Year: Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks
Postseason
AL champ: Mariners
NL champ: Cardinals
World Series champ: Mariners
Thoughts: I do say this every year, but it's always true: My favorite part of every baseball season is the unexpected. It's the Orioles shocking everyone and competing for a wild-card spot into September. It's Albert Pujols turning back the clock for a couple of magical months. Things of that nature. So what am I excited about? Basically, the things I don’t see coming. I don't mind being wrong about the baseball season. It's part of the fun.
When doing these predictions, there were teams and players I had a tough time leaving off. Like the Diamondbacks, for example. I love what they're building in the desert, and could easily see them competing for a wild-card spot, but are they going to have a better record than the Braves, Mets, Phillies, Dodgers or Padres? That’s a big ask. I want to pick Hunter Greene to win the NL Cy Young because this is the year he becomes elite, but Alcantara seems as primed for a Cy repeat as any elite pitcher I can remember, and also pitching in Cincy's ballpark doesn’t help potential Cy Young numbers. I would love to pick Julio Rodriguez to win the MVP, but Ohtani just might put together his best season yet, at 28 years old.
Jason Foster, senior MLB editor (@ByJasonFoster)
American League races
East: Blue Jays
Central: Guardians
West: Astros
Wild cards: Mariners, Yankees, White Sox
MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Angels
Cy Young: Jacob deGrom, Rangers
Rookie of the Year: Gunnar Henderson, Orioles
National League races
East: Braves
Central: Cardinals
West: Padres
Wild cards: Dodgers, Mets, Phillies
MVP: Nolan Arenado, Cardinals
Cy Young: Spencer Strider, Braves
Rookie of the Year: Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks
Postseason
AL champ: Blue Jays
NL champ: Braves
World Series champ: Braves
Thoughts: I continue to be fascinated and excited by Shohei Ohtani. It's must-watch entertainment whenever he's on the field. What he's doing is amazing, though it remains shockingly under-appreciated. He would probably have a big season, regardless, but with this being his walk year and a very, very lucrative free-agent opportunity awaiting this offseason, don't be surprised if he puts up crazy numbers in 2023 even by his standards. He should be the runaway MVP winner, assuming he stays healthy, unless someone else has a historic, 2022 Aaron Judge-type season. But even then, it's hard to not pick Ohtani.
In non-Ohtani thoughts, I'm excited to watch the NL East play out. Last season's race started as a laugher as the Mets grew a 10.5-game lead, but then grew intense and made for a lot of fun that carried us right through the last series of the season. It's the best division in baseball, so expect more of the same this season.
There's so much elite young talent in baseball right now, maybe more than there's ever been. Watching the young guys debut and then shine is always a treat, whether Julio Rodriguez, Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider last season, or soon-to-be stars such as Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Walker and Corbin Carroll. Not to mention the "old" young guys, such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ronald Acuna Jr. and Juan Soto. There's just so much to love.
Sloan Piva, betting & fantasy writer (@SloanPiva)
American League races
East: Blue Jays
Central: Twins
West: Astros
Wild cards: Yankees, Angels, Rays
MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Angels
Cy Young: Alek Manoah, Blue Jays
Rookie of the Year: Gunnar Henderson, Orioles
National League races
East: Mets
Central: Cardinals
West: Padres
Wild cards: Braves, Dodgers, Phillies
MVP: Manny Machado, Padres
Cy Young: Sandy Alcantara, Marlins
Rookie of the Year: Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks
Postseason
AL champ: Blue Jays
NL champ: Mets
World Series champ: Mets
Thoughts: The 2023 MLB season could provide plenty of interesting storylines and must-see TV. The ever-loaded AL East should be a wonder to behold — both the Yankees and Rays once again look like contenders, and the young, confident Orioles serve as a great dark-horse bet to make some noise. But the stacked (and healthy) Blue Jays — who suddenly appear overlooked — could be the club to ultimately storm through the AL.
The Astros lost Justin Verlander to the Mets, and both the Yanks and Guardians have injuries to sort through, primarily on the pitching front. Could this be the year we see the duo of Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout finally lead the Angels to the playoffs!? Will Manny Machado — who has finished top five in MVP voting four times in his career — finally win one? Will Sandy Alcantara take down a second Cy Young before Corbin Burnes? Will the Mets emerge out of a fantastic NL and finally win the franchise’s first World Series since 1986? I have "yes" written in pencil for all four of those questions, but a lot could change over the course of the next six months. Here's why I’m picking the Mets, even though they lost Edwin Diaz to a torn patellar tendon: With Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, anything's possible. When the going gets tough in the postseason — and the batter and pitch clocks, pickoff rules, and defensive shift governance become the most daunting — it will be the veteran superstar pitchers who take over and help make history for their team.
Kevin Skiver, content producer (@SkiverK9)
American League races
East: Blue Jays
Central: Twins
West: Astros
Wild cards: Mariners, Yankees, Angels
MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Angels
Cy Young: Dylan Cease, White Sox
Rookie of the Year: Anthony Volpe, Yankees
National League races
East: Mets
Central: Cardinals
West: Dodgers
Wild cards: Padres, Phillies, Braves
MVP: Manny Machado, Padres
Cy Young: Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks
Rookie of the Year: Miguel Vargas, Dodgers
Postseason
AL champ: Blue Jays
NL champ: Padres
World Series champ: Blue Jays
Thoughts: All I want is parity around the league and for new faces to thrive in new places. I think the league is at its best when new acquisitions can make an impact early. That means the rookies (Corbin Carroll in Arizona, Gunnar Henderson in Baltimore), trade acquisitions (Teoscar Hernandez in Seattle), and free agent signings (Trea Turner in Philadelphia, Xander Bogaerts in San Diego).
Baseball is at its best when there's ebb and flow in the standings, so hopefully we get some races this year as teams look to genuinely get better.
Edward Sutelan, content producer (@EdwardSutelan)
American League races
East: Blue Jays
Central: Guardians
West: Astros
Wild cards: Yankees, Angels, Mariners
MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Angels
Cy Young: Gerrit Cole, Yankees
Rookie of the Year: Hunter Brown, Astros
National League races
East: Braves
Central: Cardinals
West: Padres
Wild cards: Phillies, Dodgers, Mets
MVP: Trea Turner, Phillies
Cy Young: Jesus Luzardo, Marlins
Rookie of the Year: Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks
Postseason
AL champ: Blue Jays
NL champ: Padres
World Series champ: Blue Jays
Thoughts: This just has to be the year for the Angels to make the playoffs, right? We're not talking about winning the World Series or racking up 100 wins. But in Shohei Ohtani's last year under contract, surely the Angels will play meaningful baseball in October with him and Mike Trout. Pitching's been the anchor that's held them back, but the rotation of Ohtani, Patrick Sandoval, Tyler Anderson and Reid Detmers doesn't look too bad. It should be enough to at least mean we get two extra games of the two best players in the sport this year.
This also feels like the year it clicks for the Blue Jays. That core is built for October, and in a year when everyone is counting on the Yankees to finish ahead of them, it feels like Toronto is primed to become the team that everyone has expected for a while. Speaking of cores, how about the one in San Diego? Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts make up what looks like the toughest stretch of any batting order in baseball.
Everyone expects the American League Rookie of the Year to come down to two AL East shortstops. How about the latest arm to come from an organization that has been the best at developing pitchers in recent years? Hunter Brown's got ace stuff. If he can control his arsenal, he might be the new ace in Houston. And in the National League, a post-hype sleeper has won the NL Cy Young in three straight years. Jesus Luzardo throws as hard as any left-handed starter in baseball, with tons of movement on his slider and changeup. If he can stay healthy, the former top prospect has what it takes to give the Marlins a second straight Cy Young winner.
Joe Rivera, senior content producer (@JoeRiveraSN)
American League races
East: Yankees
Central: Guardians
West: Astros
Wild cards: Blue Jays, Rangers, Mariners
MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Angels
Cy Young: Gerrit Cole, Yankees
Rookie of the Year: Gunnar Henderson, Orioles
National League races
East: Braves
Central: Cardinals
West: Dodgers
Wild cards: Phillies, Mets, Padres
MVP: Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves
Cy Young: Jesus Luzardo, Marlins
Rookie of the Year: Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks
Postseason
AL champ: Yankees
NL champ: Dodgers
World Series champ: Dodgers
Thoughts: The American League should — should — be better than it was in 2023. The Orioles took strides. Jerry Dipoto's Mariners plan is finally paying off. The Rangers should be better with Bruce Bochy and Jacob deGrom. That all makes for very interesting races around the junior circuit.
That said, the AL is still a bit top heavy. The Yankees and Astros still pace the pack, while other powers — namely the Blue Jays — could stake a claim to be the AL's best.
The most interesting division in baseball, once again, is the NL East. The big-money Mets lost deGrom but added Justin Verlander. They'll heavy to tread water in the back end without Edwin Díaz for the entirety, if not the majority, of the season. The Phillies are defending NL champs, copying what the Braves did in 2021.
All of this to say it should be an exciting year of baseball. It's a beautiful day — let's play 162.
