The Braves winning the World Series is one of the most exciting moments of the year. There is a time and a place for it. The opening week of the MLB season is better late than never. With more playoff spots available, will your favorite team make a run in October? Will your favorite player win an award? We put 38 writers, analysts and editors on the spot to predict what will happen in baseball this year, from the wild-card contender all the way up to the World Series champion, plus the most valuable player and rookies of the year. We asked contributors why they chose what they did. Were they on the mark or off? If they post this page on social media, we will know about seven months from now. Here goes! Go to: NL awards and AL picks. Our pick is the Blue Jays. Who else got votes? The Yankees and Red Sox both had two. The Blue Jays are favored by a lot of voters. You picked the team. Tell us why. The opening week is here. Some of baseball's biggest names will be on the schedule for the first 888-400-5746 season. Reds-Braves will be on the air. The Red Sox andYankees are on the air.
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AL East
The name of the game is pitching and power hitting. In order to win 100 games in a season, you need lots of pitching and you have to hit home runs. No team has the pitching depth to match the ones in the Bay area, but the young arms of Luis Patino, and especially the one with the elbow injury, can improve or make an immediate impact. The BlueJays scored more runs than the Rays last season. The offense may have overachieved, but it will benefit from a full season from sophomore Wander Franco, who could win the batting title.
Our pick is the White Sox.
Who else got votes? The Twins have four.
The voters chose the White Sox to win the division. You picked the Twins. Explain yourself!
I'm leaning towards the great potential of their lineup. There is a lot of upside up the middle with Gary Sanchez, Carlos Correa, andJorge Polanco. You can make pitchers work with the addition of Luis Arraez and Miguel Sano. They were an above-average defensive team last season. The other young players, especially on the mound, have the talent to do well, but it will take some time.
The Astros received 35 votes.
Who else got votes? The Angels have two, the Mariners have one.
The Astros were the unanimous pick. You were the sole voter. Why Seattle and Houston?
A complete list of voters.
Brendan DeAngelis, Scott Beaman, Michael Bonzagni, Tim Keown, Elizabeth Baugh, and others.
Did you catch Seattle's offseason? Even though they became a known quantity last year, the Mariners are still loaded and can still play the underdog card. The addition of Ray might be the most important addition for the team. He fills a big void at the top of the rotation, while Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez bring the kind of veteran bats any team needs. The Astros lost their pitching coach. The latter change was important in helping along Houston's young pitchers. It will be a close race, but Seattle will prevail.
The Yankees got 30 votes, the Red Sox got 25 and the Rays got 24.
Who else got votes? Angels (9), Blue Jays (9), Mariners (9), Twins (9), White Sox (3), Astros (2), Rangers (1)
The Blue Jays, Yankees, and Red Sox are all in the same league. There is a rumor that the AL East has a fifth team, but that is unconfirmed at press time. What will make this division so dominant?
It starts with the Yankees setting a high bar for winning the division. The Yankees have posted a winning percentage of.537 or better in 26 of the 29 seasons they have played, which equates to 87 wins over a full season. That is the starting point for the three teams. The poor Orioles. All of the clubs that are in contention have built their rosters to be at least 87-wins good. None of the other teams in the American League's other divisions are projected to be better than.500. The wild-card races are not likely to be as good as the ones for the American League East because one or two of them will break out. The teams in the Central and West don't have to play the likes of the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Red Sox 19 times.
Our pick is the Blue Jays.
Who else got votes? The White Sox had 10, the Yankees had four, the Angels had one, and the Astros had one.
You picked the Yankees to win. What do you think gives them an edge over our favorites?
The Yankees are at least average at every spot except fifth starter and middle relief, and those are the easiest places to find unexpected contributors. With quality prospect depth, the pieces to make another major move if needed, and the inclination to go for it this year, I.
The Braves received 28 votes.
Who else got votes? The Mets and the Phillies both had two victories.
Jacob deGrom was told some bad news by the Mets. They are still your NL East pick. What makes you so enthusiastic about the Amazin's?
The front offices that scored big with major moves to the clubs that failed completely were graded.
David Schoenfield is a person.
Why did your team not add a new player?
Steve Cohen's money goes a long way toward filling prospective in-season roster holes, since it's clear he's not going to worry about silly things like the luxury tax, and I think he'd be much more apt to bring. Even without deGrom, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt are both great pitchers. I think Francisco Lindor will bounce back this year and I think Pete Alonso and Starling Marte will lead the offense. Cohen is not going to let injuries deplete the depth here.
The Brewers received 32 votes.
Who else got votes? The Cardinals have a number.
Tell us why you think the Brewers will be defeated.
The Brewers have great pitching, and it isn't as if the Cards made big moves in the off-season. The difference between the teams is very thin, and the internal push to get Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright to the end of their careers in style will fuel the push. In this case, the last dance of the trio will make the team stronger.
The Dodgers received 35 votes.
Who else got votes? The Giants have three.
The Dodgers won the NL West. You also picked them to win the World Series. You were not alone. What makes L.A. special?
The Dodgers have one of the best lineups in the last 10 years. They will have someone who can hit it out of the park. They scored a lot of runs last year. They have two players for a full season. Wow.
The Giants had 24 votes, the Mets had 23 and the Padres had 21.
Who else got votes? Braves, Dodgers, Brewers, Cubs, and Rockies all have one.
The Giants and Padres made the playoffs. Tell us why.
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The Dodgers will join the Giants in the playoffs after both teams won more than 100 games. The culture will be changed by the presence of Bob Melvin, who was rescued from the rubble in Oakland. A better rotation with Sean Manaea and more power will not hurt. The Giants have retooled with the deepest, if not the best, rotation in the NL despite the loss of retired catchers and spring injuries to Brandon Belt, Evan Longoria and LaMonte Wade Jr. A diverse right- left-right lineup is provided by Carlos Rodon, Anthony De Sclafani, Alex Wood, and Alex Cobb. The president of baseball operations, Farhan Zaidi, has unearthed a few more players who will write their redemption stories.
The Dodgers received 27 votes.
Who else got votes? Brewers, Braves, Giants, and Mets all have one.
Why did you take the Braves to repeat as NL champ?
The strength of how the Braves performed in the last three months of last season is not always appreciated. They won the World Series even without Ronald Acuna Jr., arguably baseball's best player, and now the postseason experience that the likes of Max Fried, Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies have accumulated will be used. They lost Freddie Freeman, but they added Matt Olson, Collin McHugh, Kenley Jansen and Acuna, who is expected to return early in the season.
The Dodgers received 16 votes.
Who else got votes? The Blue Jays had eight, the Braves had two, the Brewers had two, the Yankees had two, the Giants had one, and the Red Sox had one.
The Dodgers are the favorites to win the World Series, but the White Sox got a lot of votes. What makes them so dangerous?
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The way people talk about the Toronto BlueJays reminds me of how we used to talk about the WhiteSox. Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn are two of the top pitchers in the White Sox's rotation, while top prospect Michael Kopech could make a splash in fortifying this group. A full year of health from Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez would help take this lineup over the top, and while the team will certainly miss having Crochet in the back end of the bullpen, the team's depth across its roster will make it a favorite to win the World Series.
The Blue Jays won the World Series over the Dodgers. Why?
One of the few things that can compare with the Dodgers is their offense, led by George Springer, Bo Bichette, Matt Chapman and others. The rotation featuring Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, Hyun Jin Ryu, Alek Manoah, and Yusei Kikuchi looks better. They play with a lot of energy. They will win the final series of the season. The relatively young group will be tested and ready by then.
Our pick was Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Who else got votes? Shohei Ohtani (9), Mike Trout (9), Mike Judge (3), Yordan Alvarez (1), and Luis Robert (1) are some of the players.
In our vote for the American League's Most Valuable Player, Vladdy won a close three-way race over Ohtani and Trout. You took trout. Why did you choose him to bounce back?
I think Trout will play the way he always has. Trout is one of the most consistent athletes in all of sports, and his skill set will continue to age well as he progresses in his career. As the league adjusts to his success last year, I think he will take a small step back in 2022. Ohtani presents the biggest challenge to Trout, and I was very close to picking the two-way star as a back-to-back winner.
Our pick is Gerrit Cole.
Who else got votes? Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Justin Verlander, Kevin Gausman, Chris Sale, and Framber Valdez are all listed.
Cole was your pick in the race for the American League Cy Young. Why him?
Cole has finished fifth, second, fourth and second in the Cy Young voting over the past four seasons, with his only missed time coming last year when he contracted Covid-19. This is a durable power pitcher who had the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the American League and will benefit from an improved Yankees, but I am a little concerned that he didn't pitch as well after the crackdown on Spider Tack and other grip substances. He is due to win his first Cy Young Award.
Bobby Witt Jr. received 18 votes.
Who else got votes? Spencer Torkelson (9), Adley Rutschman (3), Riley Greene (2), Julio Rodriguez (2), Gabriel Arias (1), Josh Lowe (1), Gabriel Moreno (1), Jeremy Pena (1)
Witt is special, what makes it so? What can we expect from him this season?
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Witt is one of the most talented rookies we have seen. He was a prep underclassman who stood out against the older kids and has continued to beat expectations since then. His good-not-great pitch selection and power focused approach could see growing pains against the best pitchers in the world. He has never really failed on a baseball field in a meaningful way because he is plus at everything else. Hitting.260 with 20 home runs and real speed/defensive value is expected, with face-of-the-franchise upside as the next step.
Juan Soto got 19 votes.
Who else got votes? Ronald Acuna Jr. (3), Freddie Freeman (3), Austin Riley (3), Trea Turner (3), Francisco Lindor (2), Matt Olson (2), Mookie Betts (1), Nick Castellanos (1), BryceHarper (1)
He has finished in the top five in the NL most valuable player three times. Why is this the year that Soto finally wins it?
Soto has a 1.042 OPS since the beginning of the 2020 season. That gets him talking. At 23 he has a steeled work ethic and keeps making improvements to his plate approach. His walk rate has gone up in all four of his seasons. The past two seasons have been similar to Barry Bonds. A baseline of.330 BABIP is given to Soto when he makes contact at an elite level. In the Home Run Derby, we saw how much power Soto has. To put up a season for the ages, you need to match that raw power with game power for a full season. After the All-Star break last season, there was an isolated power figure of.291. If he stays on the field for at least 150 games this season, the numbers could be massive. He is motivated by the pursuit of a potential record-breaking contract extension.
Walker Buehler got 21 votes.
Who else got votes? Jacob deGrom (2), Brandon Woodruff (1), Sandy Alcantara (1), and Corbin Burnes (1) were the pitchers.
With deGrom on the shelf to start the season, Buehler became our runaway pick. What do you think will happen with him this year?
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For one, he is fearless and confident. The Dodgers noticed this immediately and watched him channel some of their biggest games over the past four years -- Game 163 against the Rockies in 2018, NLCS Game 7 against the Brewers later that October, NLCS Game 6 against the Braves in 2020, and World Series Game 3 against the Rays six. Buehler can command as many as six pitches, throws into the upper 90s and has established himself as the Dodgers' ace. He finished fourth in the NL Cy Young Award voting in 2021. He said he learned a lot. Buehler, 27, is poised to take the next step because of a potent offense and deep bullpen.
Seiya Suzuki got 16 votes.
Who else got votes? Oneil Cruz (12), Hunter Greene (12), Joey Bart (2),CJ Abrams (1), Edward Cabrera (1), Cade Cavalli (1), and Bryson Stott (1) were all present.
What are the Cubs expecting from Suzuki, and what is one thing fans might not know about him?
You don't pay a guy $17 million a year and expect big things. As Suzuki transitions to his new surroundings and league, the Cubs will be more than patient. One scout said he exhibits a right-handed swing, which is usually saved for left-handed hitters. Baseball fans should see Suzuki's sense of humor, as he has already proved to be fun and self-deprecating.
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