My 2019 MLB predictions

The 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) season is upon us, play ball! It is time for my MLB predictions. Over the course of the season, there will be injuries, call-ups, transactions, & managerial firings. Obviously, I cannot predict to whom those will occur, so these rankings are based on current information. As such, I will briefly explain my predictions.

AL East
1. Boston Red Sox
2. New York Yankees (AL wild card #1)
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Baltimore Orioles
This divisional race will be very close between the Red Sox & the Yankees. On the strength of a more experienced lineup & stronger rotation, the Red Sox will barely win, but this race could go down to the last few days of the regular season.

AL Central
1. Cleveland Indians
2. Minnesota Twins (AL wild card #2)
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Kansas City Royals
5. Detroit Tigers
The Indians will clinch this one not because they're good, but because the other four, especially the bottom three, aren't very good. The Twins quietly improved their team over the offseason, & they will surprise people when they win the second wild card spot.

AL West
1. Houston Astros
2. Los Angeles Angels
3. Oakland A's
4. Texas Rangers
5. Seattle Mariners
While the Astros will win this one going away & thereby end up with the best record in the AL, the Angels & A's will both battle the Twins for the second wild card. If the Angels stay healthy & perhaps pick a back end of the rotation player, they could snag that spot. Currently, the Twins are slightly better.

NL East
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Philadelphia Phillies (NL wild card #2)
3. Washington Nationals
4. New York Mets
5. Miami Marlins
Those poor Marlins. The top four teams are very close, & they all will beat up on the Marlins. Atlanta lacks a true ace, but all their pitchers are good. If they sign a true ace like Dallas Keuchel, they gain an advantage over everyone else. The Phillies improved their club the best this offseason, but are they ready to take that jump into contenders? I predict they'll settle for the second wild card spot simply because of the depth of this division. The Nationals lost Bryce Harper but their rotation has Scherzer & Strasburg, they have young hitters, & Brian Dozier will nicely fit on the team. The Mets have arguably the best pitching staff, but their whole season is dependent on health. If they stay healthy & their lineup comes through, they could conceivably jump up higher in the final standings.

NL Central
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Chicago Cubs (NL wild card #1)
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
Milwaukee smartly added Yasmani Grandal, St. Louis picked up Paul Goldschmidt, & the Reds acquired two outfielders. The Cubs stood pat, but they're banking on their team staying healthy. The rotation can be dominant if they all stay healthy. Because their margin for error is razor-thin, the Cubs will miss out on the divisional crown & win the wild card. At this point, the Pirates ought to overhaul. Trade Gregory Polanco, trade any impending free agents, admit defeat. Cause it's going to be a long season.

NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Colorado Rockies
3. San Diego Padres
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. San Francisco Giants
The Dodgers can lose players to injury & still win the division. They're that good. The Rockies lost Carlos Gonzalez, but they added Daniel Murphy, & David Dahl will be a force to be reckoned with this season. Their rotation is solid, but the Rockies could really use Craig Kimbrel. Their bullpen is their glaring weakness. At Coors Field, poor pitching late in games will cost them wins. The Padres signed Manny Machado & definitely have an improved lineup. Their pitching staff is so unproven. When all the starters grow together, when the team endures a losing streak, who will stop the bleeding? As for the Diamondbacks, losing Steven Souza Jr. hurt them. It's now an even weaker lineup with a shaky pitching staff. They'll be right alongside the Giants, who are full of fading veterans. If there's a team with a bevy of trade pieces, it's the Giants. Sell, sell, sell!

Wild Card games
AL: New York Yankees defeat the Minnesota Twins
The Yankees will have improved, they'll host this game, & in a one-game matchup, the Yankees bullpen will end the Twins season.
NL: Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies in a low scoring affair
Who will start for the Phillies, Aaron Nola or Jake Arrieta? The Cubs will start either Jon Lester or Kyle Hendricks. This game will be the first team to score three runs wins.

Divisional Series
AL: Houston Astros over the New York Yankees in 5 & Boston Red Sox pound the Cleveland Indians in 3
The Astros will outhit the Yankees merely because they won't strike out as often. More hits equal more runs. The Red Sox will win because they're better in every facet of the game. If the Indians want to win, Terry Francona will have to outmanage Alex Cora. Good luck with that.
NL: Los Angeles Dodgers over the Chicago Cubs in 4 & Milwaukee Brewers emerge in a hard-fought 5 game matchup over the Atlanta Braves
The Dodgers will best the Cubs because of they are a better overall team. Any of their starters could be an ace on a bad team. Can the Cubs say the same? As for the Brewers, I predict they will pick up a big impact player, probably a pitcher, who will significantly upgrade this team. The Braves will battle, but they'll fall in the end.

Championship Series
AL: Boston Red Sox over the Houston Astros in 6
The Red Sox will find a way. Their rotation will give them the lead late in games, & their bullpen issues will be resolved. J.D. Martinez will step up when needed, & they will return to the World Series
NL: Milwaukee Brewers over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 7
Wait, what? Yes, the Brewers will win the pennant. Christian Yelich will go off, Ryan Braun will find power once again, & the Brewers will rely heavily on their bullpen. Josh Hader & Corey Knebel will take care of business, & the Dodgers will leave Kenley Jansen in the bullpen as they cannot rally in Game 7.

World Series: Boston Red Sox repeat as World Series champions & celebrate at Fenway Park when they win in 5 games
The last repeat World Series champion was the New York Yankees who won three-straight from 1998-2000. These Red Sox are that good. Even with the loss of Craig Kimbrel, they're a World Series favorite. Their rotation & bullpen are deep. They have an excellent mix of veterans & young players. Even their young players like Jackie Bradley Jr., Xander Bogaerts, & Mookie Betts are accustomed to playing on a big stage. The Brewers will put up a valiant effort, but the Boston Red Sox will be too much to handle.

The Boston Red Sox will repeat as the 2019 World Series champions.