2013 MLB Season Predictions
My favorite part about Opening Day is looking into my crystal ball and predicting how the year will play out. By that, I mean pretending I'm an expert and probably being terribly wrong. Below are my picks and an explanation for my madness.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Awards
MVP: Mike Trout
Cy Young: Justin Verlander
ROY: Jackie Bradley Jr.
Standings
East: Blue Jays
Central: Tigers
West: Angels
Wild Cards: Rangers, Orioles
Champion: Tigers
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Awards
MVP: Andrew McCutchen
Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw
ROY: Shelby Miller
Standings
East: Nationals
Central: Reds
West: Dodgers
Wild Cards: Phillies, Giants
Champion: Nationals
I am fully on the Mike Trout bandwagon. I think he continues to produce the monster numbers that he put up last year to take home his first MVP. Same with Justin Verlander, fresh off a fat contract extension, and ready to prove that it was no mistake. He will grab his second Cy Young. I'm drinking the Jackie Bradley kool-aid for ROY, and I think he'll prove the hype is real this year.
I know I don't have the Pirates in the Postseason this year, but I think Andrew McCutchen puts up a year big enough that the voters can't deny him. It may be my man-crush on him, but I fully believe he'll be the first Pirate in 21 years to win the MVP. The Dodgers are quite possibly the most loaded team in baseball, and Clayton Kershaw leads that charge. I think he snags the Cy Young while leading the team back to greatness. Shelby Miller was just named the 5th starter for the St. Louis Cardinals, but I fully think he'll be the NL Rookie of the Year.
Now onto my World Series pick. The Washington Nationals can do it all and were arguably the most talented team in the game last year. Take that and add a true center fielder in Denard Span and a proven closer in Rafael Soriano. Not to mention that Stephen Strasburg will be fully unleashed this year, and Bryce Harper is on a mission to become the best player in the game.
I'd love to know what you all think is going to happen this season. Agree or disagree, I think we all can agree that we can't wait to see how this exciting season will play out.
What are your picks? Comment below.