2014 MLB Season Predictions
St. Louis, MO. USA; The St. Louis Cardinals, led by ace starting pitcher
Adam Wainwright(50) and catcher
Yadier Molina(4) hope to deliver the Cardinals their 12th World Series Championship in 2014. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Opening day in Major League Baseball is the start to a grueling, 162 game regular season that extends over six months. Today is the day that all 30 teams and their fans have reason for hope. Sure, a month from now the expectations for roughly 1/4 of the league will start to dwindle, but for now, we can all enjoy the moment.
For the St. Louis Cardinals, the 2013 season ended two wins short of yet another World Championship. The pitching, which arguably is the deepest/most talented in baseball, should yet again lead the Cardinals to the postseason. The lineup, as consistent as any from top to bottom, figures to compliment the pitching staff quite nicely. I anticipate the Cardinals to avenge last season’s defeat and capture the 2014 World Series. You can check out the rest of my predictions below:
American League
East
1. Boston *
2. Tampa Bay *
3. Baltimore
4. New York (Yankees)
5. Toronto
Central
1. Detroit *
2. Cleveland
3. Kansas City
4. Chicago (White Sox)
5. Minnesota
West
1. Oakland *
2. Los Angeles (Angels) *
3. Texas
4. Seattle
5. Houston
* = Postseason birth
AL MVP – Mike Trout
AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez
AL Rookie of the Year – Xander Bogaerts
National League
East
1. Washington *
2. Atlanta *
3. Philadelphia
4. Florida
5. New York (Mets)
Central
1. St. Louis *
2. Cincinnati *
3. Pittsburgh
4. Milwaukee
5. Chicago (Cubs)
West
1. Los Angeles (Dodgers) *
2. San Francisco
3. Arizona
4. San Diego
5. Colorado
* = Postseason birth
NL MVP – Yadier Molina
NL Cy Young – Adam Wainwright
NL Rookie of the Year – Kolten Wong
(this may look biased, but it realistically could happen!)
Playoffs
AL 1 game playoff – Rays defeat Angels
ALDS – Tigers defeat Rays Red Sox defeat Athletics
ALCS – Tigers defeat Red Sox
NL 1 game playoff – Reds defeat Braves
NLDS – Cardinals defeat Reds Nationals defeat Dodgers
NLCS – Cardinals defeat Nationals
World Series – Cardinals defeat Tigers