2023 MLB season predictions: Who will win each division, major award?
Our MLB editors Michael Bradburn, Josh Goldberg, Bryan Mcwilliam, Tom Ruminski, Travis Sawchik, Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb, and Brandon Wile make their predictions for the 2023 season:
The Blue Jays and Yankees once again appear poised to fight for top spot in the division. New York claimed the AL East by seven games last season but hasn't repeated as division champ since 2011-12. Toronto has finished atop the division just once (2015) since 1994 but should be considered one of the AL's best clubs after spending the offseason complementing a talented core. Of course, it's tough to write off the Rays, while even the Red Sox and Orioles should at least be competing for a wild-card spot.
The AL Central remains the most difficult division to predict, as the Guardians, Twins, and White Sox all received votes for top spot. Cleveland was one of the biggest surprises in the majors last season, while Minnesota and Chicago will look to bounce back after disappointing campaigns. The Royals and Tigers are consensus picks to finish at the bottom. Both teams finished third or worse in each of the last six seasons.
Houston has rattled off five AL West titles over the last six seasons, with the exception coming during the COVID-shortened campaign. The reigning champs are the favorite to claim another title, but the division should be much more competitive this year. Seattle hasn't won the division since 2001, while the Angels haven't finished as high as second since 2017.
The Braves, somewhat under the radar, have rattled off five straight NL East titles. It's expected that No. 6 will come with stiff competition following the Mets' lavish offseason spending spree. New York hasn't won the division since 2015, its only title in the last 16 years. The Phillies, who represented the NL in the World Series a season ago, improved their roster over the winter but are dealing with several key injuries to Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper, which will make it tough to challenge for the top spot.
The NL Central has had three different winners over the last three seasons, but it would be a shock if anyone but the Cardinals claimed top spot in 2023. Milwaukee missed the playoffs for the first time in five seasons a year ago and will be in a fight to grab a wild-card spot this time around. Still, the Brewers haven't finished worse than third in a full season since 2016. The Cubs, meanwhile, have finished under .500 in each of the last two years. Cincinnati last posted the worst record in the division in 2018.
Is there going to be a changing of the guard in the NL West? The Dodgers have ruled the division for the last decade, winning nine of the last 10 titles. San Diego is absolutely loaded and looks like a legitimate threat to win its first division title since 2006, when Adrian Gonzalez led the club in home runs. The rest of the field should be competitive, as both the Giants and D-Backs have rosters capable of claiming a wild-card spot, even if our group doesn't think they play in October this season.
Is a first World Series title in store for the Padres? Three of our editors seem to think so. San Diego lost its only two trips to the Fall Classic (1984, 1998). The Yankees haven't won a World Series - or played for one - since 2009, while the Blue Jays' last championship came in 1993. Houston would become MLB's first back-to-back champion since the Yankees three-peated from 1998-2000.