The 2018 MLB season officially begins on Thursday and the staff at FOX Sports 1340 AM gives their predictions on who will make the playoffs, take home the individual awards and win the World Series.
For the first time in Major League Baseball history, all 30 teams will celebrate Opening Day on Thursday. Everyone will start the campaign with a chance to make the 2018 season a special one.
The truth is, only so many teams have a realistic shot at being contenders this year.
The staff at FOX Sports 1340 AM has a strong group of baseball reporters who will be on site for Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals coverage, as well as national MLB contributors as well. Add in the rest of our personnel, and we have a diverse group of reporters. Our group of writers anonymously gave their predictions for each division winner, Wild Card teams, the MVP and Cy Young winners, and of course, the World Series champion.
It should come as no surprise that the team from Washington was a popular pick to represent the National League. The Nationals were a clean sweep to win the NL East, largely in part of the weak teams in the division. Bryce Harper was widely selected as the NL MVP, while both Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg got their share of votes to win the NL Cy Young award. A few even believe this is the year that the Nationals finally get over the hump and bring the Commissioner’s Trophy to the nation’s capital.
Related: Five questions for the Nationals during the 2018 MLB season
There were plenty of other sweeps in our staff predictions also. The Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers all received unanimous votes to win their respective divisions. The Boston Red Sox were picked by every writer to make the playoffs, whether it be by winning the AL East or as a wild-card team.
Here are the FOX Sports 1340 staff predictions for the 2018 MLB season:
Jake Hasan
Division Winners
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Astros
AL Wild Card: Red Sox & Angels
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Diamondbacks & Brewers
Individual Awards
AL MVP: Mike Trout
AL Cy Young: Chris Sale
NL MVP: Wilson Contreras
NL Cy Young: Noah Syndergaard
World Series: Dodgers vs. Yankees
Champion: Yankees
Diamond Holton
Division Winners
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Astros
AL Wild Card: Red Sox & Royals
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Diamondbacks & Brewers
Individual Awards
AL MVP: Giancarlo Stanton
AL Cy Young: Chris Sale
NL MVP: Bryce Harper
NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer
World Series: Dodgers vs. Astros
Champion: Astros
Sterling Blount
Division Winners
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Astros
AL Wild Card: Red Sox & Angels
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Cardinals & Giants
Individual Awards
AL MVP: Giancarlo Stanton
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
NL MVP: Yasiel Puig
NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer
World Series: Dodgers vs. Yankees
Champion: Dodgers
Kyle Andrews
Division Winners
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Astros
AL Wild Card: Red Sox & Orioles
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Rockies & Mets
Individual Awards
AL MVP: Manny Machado
AL Cy Young: Corey Kluber
NL MVP: Bryce Harper
NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer
World Series: Nationals vs. Astros
Champion: Astros
Michael Daalder
Division Winners
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Astros
AL Wild Card: Red Sox & Twins
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Diamondbacks & Brewers
Individual Awards
AL MVP: Mike Trout
AL Cy Young: Chris Sale
NL MVP: Bryce Harper
NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer
World Series: Nationals vs. Astros
Champion: Astros
Sydnee Williams
Division Winners
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Astros
AL Wild Card: Red Sox & Twins
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Brewers
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Rockies & Giants
Individual Awards
AL MVP: Aaron Judge
AL Cy Young: Chris Sale
NL MVP: Joey Votto
NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer
World Series: Dodgers vs. Astros
Champion: Dodgers
Fim Oshin
Division Winners
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Astros
AL Wild Card: Red Sox & Blue Jays
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Diamondbacks & Rockies
Individual Awards
AL MVP: Giancarlo Stanton
AL Cy Young: Corey Kluber
NL MVP: Bryce Harper
NL Cy Young: Stephen Strasburg
World Series: Nationals vs. Yankees
Champion: Nationals
Eric Himmelheber
Division Winners
AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Astros
AL Wild Card: Twins & Orioles
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Brewers
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Cardinals & Rockies
Individual Awards
AL MVP: Mike Trout
AL Cy Young: Chris Sale
NL MVP: Nolan Arenado
NL Cy Young: Stephen Strasburg
World Series: Nationals vs. Astros
Champion: Astros
Felix Trammel
Division Winners
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Astros
AL Wild Card: Red Sox & Orioles
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Phillies & Brewers
Individual Awards
AL MVP: Mike Trout
AL Cy Young: Chris Sale
NL MVP: Bryce Harper
NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer
World Series: Dodgers vs. Indians
Champion: Dodgers
Related: Five questions for the Orioles during the 2018 season
Joe Serpico
Division Winners
AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Astros
AL Wild Card: Yankees & Angels
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Rockies & Cardinals
Individual Awards
AL MVP: Mike Trout
AL Cy Young: Dallas Keuchel
NL MVP: Nolan Arenado
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw
World Series: Rockies vs. Indians
Champion: Indians
(Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images)
More predictions and analysis at Doc’s Sports.
