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Since John threw together his predictions for the MLB season, I thought there was no harm in throwing mine out there. I have been extremely consistent over the years on being absolutely horrible with Opening Day forecasts, so take that for what it’s worth.
AMERICAN LEAGUE:
Rookie of the Year: Hard to argue with John on this one. Andrew Benintendi is the No. 1 prospect in baseball for a reason. He will bat atop what should be a very productive top of the order in Boston. Only difference I have with John is I think he hits closer to .300. .300/.372/.450 with 13 home runs.
Runner up: Joey Gallo. He may be up right now while Beltre is on the shelf, but here’s to hoping he figures it out and sticks. And we get rewarded with some fun moonshots along the way.
MVP: Mike Trout. He’s still the best player in baseball, and while Mookie Betts may help the Red Sox to a division title, there will be plenty of stars with him in the lineup up that takeaway from the "Most Valuable" part of the tag, kind of the same reason Derek Jeter never won one.
Runner up: Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers surprise everyone as Daniel Norris and Michael Fulmer leave no doubt that they are true MLB-caliber pitchers, and Miggy leads the Tigers to a Wild Card.
Cy Young: Chris Archer. He had a terrible season last year, but his second half numbers were more in line. The Rays aren’t as bad as people think, and the ace of an exciting, young rotation will pitch some memorable moments this season.
Runner up: Chris Sale. Come on. He’s Chris Sale.
AL East Champs: Boston Red Sox
AL Central: Cleveland Indians
AL West: Houston Astros
Wild Card 1: Detroit Tigers
Wild Card 2: Seattle Mariners
AL Pennant: Houston Astros
NATIONAL LEAGUE:
Rookie of the Year: If you come to the site with any regularity, you know my pick already. Dansby Swanson will win the Rookie of the Year. People say to temper your expectations with him, but I say the sky's the limit. His leadership will make baseball fall in love with him and win the voting.
Runner up: Amir Garrett. He’s taken strides every season and now gets his chance in the big league rotation.
MVP: Nolan Arenado. The Colorado Rockies will surprise the baseball world this season and that’s because Arenado will post his third straight unreal season.
Runner up: Freddie Freeman. He continues to be the heartbeat in a middle of an up-and-coming lineup. He should have gotten more love last season.
Cy Young: Tough to argue with John after Carlos Martinez’s opening night performance, but I’ll throw another horse into the race. Noah Syndergaard is on the verge of greatness. This season, as long as his arm holds up, he achieves it.
Runner up: Jon Gray. Yep, I’m picking the Rockies as the surprise team of 2017, and their young stable will get them there.
NL East champs: New York Mets
NL Central Champs: Chicago Cubs
NL West Champs: Los Angeles Dodgers
Wild Card 1: Colorado Rockies
Wild Card 2: Pittsburgh Pirates
NL Pennant: Chicago Cubs
World Series: Cubs beat Astros in seven. Don't win another title for 109 years.
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