Predicting the Final 2020 MLB Standings
Hello everyone, Cory from Edwards Bros. Reviews here. Now that 2020 is finally upon us, we’re rapidly approaching the dawning of a new Major League Baseball season. While there are still many offseason moves yet to be made, the league has been shaken up quite a bit over the winter. So, without further ado, here are my predictions for the final 2020 MLB standings.
AL East
The AL East, in my opinion, is the Yanks’ to lose. The Yankees, after landing Gerrit Cole, are already a World Series favorite, but New York’s division-mates are nothing to gloss over. The Rays are in a decent spot to repeat their success from last season. Despite losing Tommy Pham and Avisail Garcia, the rest of their lineup is quite solid, especially with a healthy Brandon Lowe and Austin Meadows. The success of this team depends on their rotation, led by Charlie Morton and Tyler Glasnow. The Red Sox, with a roster full of sluggers, can easily bounce back and have a decent season, but they’ll have to do it without Chris Sale, who underwent Tommy John surgery in March, and Mookie Betts, who went to the Dodgers.
The Blue Jays, despite landing ace Hyun-Jin Ryu, aren’t going to make much of an impact in the AL East this year, in my opinion. While the team has young, interesting pieces like Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Cavan Biggio, I think it’ll take a few more years before this team can shine. Finally, the Baltimore Orioles are doomed for another miserable season. With a miserable pitching staff and a dismal lineup (made even worse by losing Jonathan Villar), I think O’s fans might wanna go ahead and prepare for 2021. Or 2022, for that matter.
To summarize, here’s how I see the AL East ending up:
1. Yankees
2. Rays
3. Red Sox
4. Blue Jays
5. Orioles
AL Central
The Twins are my favorite to replicate their success from last year and win the AL Central. With a bunch of sluggers and a solid rotation, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be just as good as last season. The White Sox, however, should be much improved after a boatload of offseason acquisitions: Edwin Encarnacion, Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez, Steve Cishek, Yasmani Grandal, and Nomar Mazara. With those additions, as well as great hitters like Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada, the Sox should be solid. The Indians, in my opinion, are on the decline. After losing Corey Kluber and with potential trade rumors surrounding Francisco Lindor and Mike Clevinger, it seems as though the Indians aren’t the contenders they used to be. Who knows though, and if they keep those two, they might be pretty good. Finally, the Royals and Tigers are both gonna linger at the bottom of the division once again. Here are my predictions for the AL Central:
1. Twins
2. White Sox
3. Indians
4. Royals
5. Tigers
AL West
Remember kids: cheaters never win, unless you’re the Astros! With the rest of the world turned against them, it’s difficult to know how the Astros will end up. Even ignoring the possible repercussions, the Astros are still negatively impacted by the loss of Gerrit Cole. Still, with Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke at the top of the rotation, and with that beastly lineup, the Astros should still be a solid team. So too should the Athletics, whose roster remains largely intact from last season. The Rangers and Angels have both made interesting offseason moves, gaining Corey Kluber and Anthony Rendon, respectively. The Mariners, however, have remained stagnant. Here’s how I think the AL West will end up:
1. Athletics
2. Astros
3. Angels
4. Rangers
5. Mariners
Hey, I gotta make bold predictions somewhere, right? The Athletics showed lots of promise last year, and I think they’ll only get better with the return of Frankie Montas and a healthy Sean Manaea.
AL Wild Card
For the two wild card spots, I think it’ll come down to the Astros, Rays, and White Sox. Ultimately though, I’m gonna go with the Astros with the first spot, then the White Sox with the second. If the Red Sox improve their pitching, then they could also snag the second spot. The Angels will also be near the top of the wild card race, but I don’t think the Angels have the pitching to secure a spot.
NL East
The Phillies have made some interesting moves, signing the likes of Didi Gregorius, Corey Dickerson, and Zack Wheeler. The Mets have also made some moves, adding Dellin Betances, Rick Porcello, and Michael Wacha. Those additions to a pitching staff already featuring Jacob Degrom and Marcus Stroman result in a rotation and bullpen full of potential, despite Noah Syndergaard’s absence. Not to mention a lineup with young pieces like Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, and Amed Rosario, as well as veterans like Robinson Cano, Wilson Ramos, and Yoenis Cespedes. This team is interesting, but can they surpass the Braves or Nationals? Only time will tell. The Braves have lost a few key pieces in Julio Teheran, Dallas Keuchel, and Josh Donaldson, but with the addition of Cole Hamels, I think the Braves’ star-studded lineup will lead them to NL East glory. Here’s how I see the NL East:
1. Braves
2. Nationals
3. Mets
4. Phillies
5. Marlins
NL Central
My beloved Redlegs seem to be going for it this year, adding slugger Mike Moustakas, lefty Wade Miley and outfielders Shogo Akiyama and Nick Castellanos. With a scary rotation of Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Trevor Bauer, Wade Miley, and Anthony DeSclafani, as well as a lineup featuring Eugenio Suarez, the aforementioned Moustakas and Akiyama, and Joey Votto, this team has the potential to be the best Reds team in years. They’re gonna need some bullpen help though, as well as a proper shortstop. The Cubs and Cardinals are two tough teams that the Reds will have to contend with, however. The Brewers, after losing Moustakas, do not seem to be faring as well. The Pirates are a sure-fire pick for last place in the division, in my opinion. Here’s how I see the NL central going:
1. Reds
2. Cardinals
3. Cubs
4. Brewers
5. Pirates
Perhaps I’m just being an optimistic fan, but I think the Reds are the best team in the division, especially if they add Francisco Lindor or another SS before the end of the season. Even without them, though, they’re still a solid team, but that bullpen needs a little help.
NL West
Let’s get this out of the way: the Dodgers will win the division easily, then choke in the playoffs. As for the rest of the division, the Padres have made some good additions with Tommy Pham and Zach Davies. With a lineup centered around Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer, and Fernando Tatis Jr., as well as a rotation led by Chris Paddack, this team could be decent. The Diamondbacks also made some moves, adding Madison Bumgarner (who I cannot believe is only 30 years old), and Kole Calhoun. The Giants and Rockies have remained pretty stagnant, so I don’t see them doing much this season. Here are my predictions for the NL West:
1. Dodgers
2. Diamondbacks
3. Padres
4. Giants
5. Rockies
NL Wild Card
The Cardinals, Nationals, Mets, and Diamondbacks are the teams I think will finish near the top of the wild card race. I think the Nationals will take the top spot, and the Cardinals will take the second. If the Mets live up to their potential, however, they could also easily snag one of the spots.
How do you see the MLB season ending up? Let me know in the comments below. When the postseason rolls around, I may do another prediction article for the World Series. Feel free to disagree with me in the comments, and check out our other articles. Thanks for reading!
