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How will each team perform against its win-loss projection?

Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Another sign that the 2018 Major League Baseball season is nearing came Wednesday when Baseball Prospectus released its PECOTA projections forecasting win-loss totals for all 30 teams.

theScore's Michael Bradburn and Brandon Wile made their own predictions on whether each team will finish better than, worse than, or the same as their respective projections.

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

TEAM W-L projection BRADBURN WILE
Yankees 96-66 UNDER EVEN
Red Sox 87-75 OVER OVER
Rays 84-78 EVEN UNDER
Blue Jays 78-84 OVER OVER
Orioles 69-93 OVER OVER

The Red Sox won 93 games last season despite David Price, Dustin Pedroia, and Tyler Thornburg missing considerable time and a number of core players struggling while playing through injuries. Despite having yet to land the highly coveted middle-of-the-order bat, Boston should still be a 90-win team with its key contributors returning to health and a full season of Rafael Devers at third base. - Wile

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

TEAM W-L BRADBURN WILE
Indians 97-65 OVER UNDER
Twins 81-81 OVER EVEN
White Sox 73-89 UNDER EVEN
Tigers 68-94 UNDER OVER
Royals 66-96 OVER EVEN

Taking the over on the Indians (97 wins) may seem ambitious, but the club is coming off a 102-win campaign and its division hasn't gotten much better. Granted, Cleveland also didn't improve, filling a roster spot with Yonder Alonso that was previously held by Carlos Santana and calling it a winter. Even further, the bullpen lost substantial depth, and Jay Bruce left for a reunion with the Mets. On paper, it's not a great offseason. However, a full season of Bradley Zimmer will certainly help, and the starting rotation is still the best in the American League. - Bradburn

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

TEAM W-L BRADBURN WILE
Astros 99-63 UNDER EVEN
Mariners 83-79 UNDER EVEN
Angels 80-82 OVER OVER
Athletics 77-85 EVEN UNDER
Rangers 77-85 UNDER UNDER

The Angels arguably won the offseason. While they added older players like Ian Kinsler and Zack Cozart, the Halos have a bonafide infield for the first time in Mike Trout's tenure. Not only should the team with the best player in baseball cruise past the .500 mark, but Shohei Ohtani should help make it an early favorite for a wild-card spot. - Bradburn

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

TEAM W-L BRADBURN WILE
Nationals 89-73 OVER OVER
Mets 82-80 OVER EVEN
Phillies 78-84 EVEN EVEN
Braves 76-86 UNDER UNDER
Marlins 66-96 EVEN UNDER

The Mets are historically averse to spending substantial money during the offseason. However, a confluence of issues this winter led to the club recruiting both Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier. Hovering around .500 seems like a perfectly realistic expectation, but if the starting pitching stays healthy, Flushing could threaten for a spot in the postseason in a weak division, with only the Nationals posing a threat. - Bradburn

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

TEAM W-L BRADBURN WILE
Cubs 89-73 OVER OVER
Cardinals 84-78 EVEN OVER
Brewers 83-79 OVER EVEN
Pirates 78-84 UNDER UNDER
Reds 74-88 UNDER UNDER

Though the Cardinals weren't able to land Josh Donaldson, they still put together a strong offseason by addressing a number of needs. Marcell Ozuna and his 30-plus-homer bat now anchor the middle of the order and a strong outfield that also boasts Dexter Fowler and last year's breakout star, Tommy Pham. Top prospect Alex Reyes will return from Tommy John surgery and will be a strong addition to either the rotation or bullpen. After winning 83 games in 2017, there's no reason why the Cardinals can't make a four-to-five-win improvement. - Wile

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

TEAM W-L BRADBURN WILE
Dodgers 99-63 OVER UNDER
D-Backs 86-76 OVER EVEN
Giants 84-78 UNDER OVER
Rockies 78-84 OVER OVER
Padres 73-89 UNDER UNDER

The Giants are coming off a dreadful 98-loss campaign, but an active offseason and some better health should see them in the thick of the wild-card race. The additions of Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria give the club some much-needed help at two positions they struggled from last season, and also gives a power-starved lineup some more pop. Ace Madison Bumgarner and All-Star closer Mark Melancon were limited to 17 starts and 30 innings, respectively, and having them return to health will help anchor the rotation and bullpen. - Wile

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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