Baseball is back and that is awesome. We’re in for a whole summer of home runs and head first slides, singles and strikeouts. One of the best things about the MLB is the way that it is an almost-constant backdrop to our normal lives. Somebody is always playing and there’s always something new to watch, read about, or follow.
Come Fall, the pennant races will heat up and the laziness of summer baseball will give way to the white-hot intensity of the playoff push. By the end of October, we’ll have another champion and a month later, we’ll know who won the biggest and most prestigious awards.
You, however, don’t have to wait that long, because you follow OTB. We’re going to tell you what happens so you don’t have to worry about paying attention for the next 6 months–the final results of the 2014 season are right here! In March! What follows are Max’s and Sean’s picks for the 6 divisions, the Wild Cards, the World Series and the individual awards.
For a more in depth look at each of the teams, take a look at our divisional Season Previews:
[button color=”red” link=”http://offthebenchbaseball.com/2014/03/03/season-preview-american-league-east/”]AL East[/button] [button color=”red” link=”http://offthebenchbaseball.com/2014/03/14/season-preview-al-central/”]AL Central[/button] [button color=”red” link=”http://offthebenchbaseball.com/2014/03/10/season-preview-american-league-west/”]AL West[/button] [button color=”blue” link=”http://offthebenchbaseball.com/2014/03/18/season-preview-nl-east/”]NL East[/button] [button color=”blue” link=”http://offthebenchbaseball.com/2014/03/21/season-preview-nl-central/”]NL Central[/button] [button color=”blue” link=”http://offthebenchbaseball.com/2014/03/25/season-preview-nl-west/”]NL West[/button](Quick note: While we already picked the divisional outcomes in the individual previews, we’re starting with a blank slate here, so things can change)
American League East:
Max: Yankees The Red Sox are obviously the defending champs and the Rays are the trendy pick, but I’m going with the Yankees. All 9 of their opening day starters will be different than last year’s squad which can only be a positive. There are questions at second and third and in the bullpen, but I like this roster and I like the starting pitching. This Yankee team could crash and burn spectacularly and that low floor is scary, but the ceiling for this group is sky high. Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka each will play a big role in how this season shakes out, but I think the Bombers will eek out the division crown.
Sean: Rays While I think the Bombers will be a better team than they were a year ago, the club’s problems will be difficult to cover over the course of the 162 game season. I’m picking the Rays thanks to their tremendous starting pitching and a healthy (for now) Evan Longoria. Desmond Jennings could be poised for a big breakout year, too.
American League Central:
Max: Tigers The Tigers are simply too good. I like the Royals and I think the Indians will be competitive too, but Detroit is going to win it on starting pitching strength alone. With Verlander and Scherzer at the top and Sanchez in the mix as well, the Tiger offense, which is led by the highest paid player ever in Miguel Cabrera, won’t have to stress too much as they cruise to the division crown.
Sean: Tigers Agree almost entirely with Max’s assessment–the Tigers are simply too good. The Royals could make the playoffs, but the Tigers could win 100 games.
American League West:
Max: Angels I had originally picked the Rangers to win the West in the preview, but I’m backtracking from that as fast as I can in light of recent injuries to Jurickson Profar and Yu Darvish and the ineffectiveness of Neftali Feliz. After further review, I’m going with the Angels to win the West. They have baseball’s best player in Mike Trout and I’m betting that resurgences by Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton will give the team enough offense to overcome their terrible pitching. If LA can add a starter at the deadline that might go a long way towards helping them out in October. The AL West will be ugly but the Angels will come out on top.
Sean: Angels The A’s and Rangers are both very talented teams, but have felt the injury bug already this year. Max chronicled the Rangers’ concerns above, but the A’s have their own problems. After two magical years with some serious pixie dust, things could go south quickly as they’ve already lost two projected starters from the rotation. Where everything has gone well for the A’s over the past two years, the Angels have taken all their bad luck. That should change this year. A little good luck and a starting pitching rotation that doesn’t include Joe Blanton and the Angels will make the playoffs.
National League East:
Max: Nationals I’m picking the Nationals to not only win this division but to run away with it. The Braves have been decimated by injuries to their starting pitching and I don’t think they’ll be able to keep up. Last year the Nats collectively underperformed but they turned it on late in the year. This year, their incredible pitching and potent offense will propel them to playoffs.
Sean: Nationals As much as I want to pick the Braves here, there are real concerns about a team that has decided to go to Aaron Harang to make a start in the first week of the season. The Nationals rotation is really good and so is the lineup. Nats easily.
National League Central:
Max: Cardinals I really like what the Cardinals have done this winter addressing areas of need in the outfield and at shortstop while also making room for some of their best young position players by clearing out some unnecessary parts. With Allen Craig, Yady Molina, and Matt Holiday still in the middle of the order and Matt Carpenter and Mat Adams around all year as well, they’ll make up for the production lost with the departure of Carlos Beltran. Finally, they have one of the top starting rotations in baseball with so much depth that Carlos Martinez was sent back to the bullpen to be one of baseball’s best setup men because he couldn’t crack the top 5. No other team in the Central is as good.
Sean: Cardinals The Cardinals are the deepest team in baseball and they’ve got high end talent, as well. The Reds and Pirates were both playoff teams a year ago, but aren’t as impressive as the Cards. I’ve got my concerns about a Cueto, Latos, Bailey rotation in Cincinnati and don’t trust the Pirates rotation to repeat its splendid 2013 performance while relying on Francisco Liriano and without AJ Burnett. The Cardinals are the safe pick and you can chastise me all you want for that.
National League West:
Max: Dodgers It’s the Dodgers and it’s not close. They have the best pitching in the division and the best hitting. Yasiel Puig is around for a full season and hopefully Matt Kemp will stay healthy, but even without Kemp they have enough firepower to run away with the weak West.
Sean: Dodgers There’s buzz about the Padres, and the Diamondbacks are optimistic, but neither is close to the Dodgers. A team to remember again is the Giants. I don’t think Matt Cain is still good enough to lead a rotation past the Dodgers, but he may not have to be thanks to Madison Bumgarner’s emergence.
American League Wild Cards:
Max: Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox
The Rangers and A’s will be close but the Rays pitching is too good and the Red Sox are too deep on both sides of the ball. Missing the playoffs again could cost Ron Washington his job in Texas.
Sean: Kansas City Royals and Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox should really push the Rays for their division crown, but I’ve got the Red Sox losing that battle and qualifying as a wild card team. The Royals may be a surprise pick for most, but I like their rotation and deep lineup. Also, the ease of their division could make the difference in what could be a crowded race among the Yankees, A’s, Rangers, and Indians.
National League Wild Cards:
Max: Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves
The Padres, Dbacks and Pirates should all be in the hunt but in the end I like the Reds and Braves. The Braves are a lot weaker this season than they were last year but the starting pitching will be good enough and Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman and Justin Upton are going to put this team into October. I will say that I’m very skeptical of Evan Gattis as an everyday catcher.
Cincinnati may come as a bit of a surprise pick but their offense remains strong and if Billy Hamilton is as good as he’s looked this spring he’ll be a unique and deadly weapon for them. I like Cueto, Latos, and Bailey in the rotation as well and I think Tony Cingrani is really good. Plus, their bullpen is solid.
Sean: Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves
I thought long and hard about excluding my Braves, but I wasn’t sold that any other NL team is as good. The Giants and Pirates present interesting competition but both have their own problems.
Major Awards:
American League:
Max: MVP: Mike Trout
Cy Young: Yu Darvish
Rookie of the Year: Masahiro Tanaka
With all the press around him, I think that Trout can have simply a very good season (not the otherwordly great year’s he’s just had) and win the MVP this year. Darvish is a strikeout machine who will get the credit he deserves this year after a stellar 2013. Tanaka will pitch like the veteran he is and emerge as the Yankees best starter. He’ll beat out a bunch of other really deserving candidates.
Sean:
MVP:
- Mike Trout
- Miguel Cabrera
- Adrian Beltre
- Evan Longoria
- Jose Bautista
Cy Young:
- Justin Verlander
- David Price
- Chris Sale
Rookie of the Year: Jose Abreu
National League:
Max: MVP: Joey Votto
Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw
Rookie of the Year: Oscar Taveras
If the Reds really do make the playoffs, Votto will play a big part in their success. He’s one of the most naturally talented hitters in the game. Kershaw is simply the best pitcher on earth and will win this award again and Taveras is a super prospect who will debut in May sometime most likely as a regular in the Cardinals outfield. He has a chance to be a fixture for them for a long time and has some really serious power.
Sean:
MVP
- Buster Posey
- Andrew McCutchen
- Matt Carpenter
- Justin Upton
- Yadier Molina
Cy Young:
- Clayton Kershaw
- Cliff Lee
- Jose Fernandez
World Series:
Max: Washington Nationals over New York Yankees
Baseball’s three best teams are all in the NL (St. Louis, Washington, and the Dodgers) and that’ll make for a very fun playoffs. The Yankees will beat the Red Sox in the ALCS in an extremely fitting end to Derek Jeter’s career before losing to the Nationals in the Series.
Sean: Los Angeles Dodgers over Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox manage to find their way to the World Series after surviving a Wild Card game? Yup.
Bottom line: It’ll be a fun month of October, regardless of who makes it; it’ll be a fun baseball season, regardless of the accuracy of our predictions.
-Max Frankel and Sean Morash
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