Admit it, 60 games wasn’t nearly enough. But that’s all we got in 2020. COVID-19 had the final say, after all. Now, it’s 2021. And that means baseball is back to its pre-pandemic ways. What does that mean? 162 games. An April start. And fans in the stands. News-Gazette sports copy editor Joe Vozzelli Jr. makes his predictions for the 2021 season
NATIONAL LEAGUE (Predicted order of finish)
East Division
1. Braves (92-70)
2. Mets (90-72)
3. Phillies (82-80)
4. Nationals (81-81)
5. Marlins (75-87)
➜ Why the Braves: Freddie Freeman is among the best five players in the show. And he has an MVP award to prove it. There are some questions for Atlanta in the starting rotation. Will Max Fried repeat his 2020 success? Maybe. Also, watch out for the Mets after an offseason overhaul.
Central Division
1. Cardinals (92-70)
2. Brewers (85-77)
3. Cubs (81-81)
4. Cincinnati (77-85)
5. Pirates (60-102)
➜ Why the Cardinals: One name. Nolan Arenado. Sure, he was coming off a down 2020 season (.253/.303/.434 slash in 48 games), but he’s still one of the best two-way players in all of baseball. Expect Jack Flaherty to have a bounce-back season, as well, after a disappointing 2020.
West Division
1. Dodgers (101-61)
2. Padres (97-65)
3. Giants (75-87)
4. Diamondbacks (70-92)
5. Rockies (57-105)
➜ Why the Dodgers: A ninth consecutive division title will not be easy. Hello, Padres. The addition of Trevor Bauer to a Dodgers rotation already featuring Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler (great name) is a good place to start. Having Mookie Betts doesn’t hurt, either.
Postseason Predictions
➜ Wild Card Game: Padres over Mets
➜ Division Series: Dodgers over Padres (in 5); Cardinals over Braves (in 5)
➜ Championship Series: Dodgers over Cardinals (in 6)
AMERICAN LEAGUE (Predicted order of finish)
East Division
1. Yankees (95-67)
2. Rays (90-72)
3. Blue Jays (88-74)
4. Boston (78-84)
5. Orioles (60-102)
➜ Why the Yankees: Is this the year the Bronx Bombers finally put it all together? That answer will depend on whether Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge can stay healthy. A recurring problem in Stanton’s case. It helps having Gerrit Cole on the mound every fifth day.
Central Division
1. White Sox (88-74)
2. Twins (87-75)
3. Cleveland (80-82)
4. Royals (70-92)
5. Tigers (63-99)
➜ Why the White Sox: The loss of Eloy Jimenez hurts. A lot. The 24-year-old is expected to miss 5-6 months (pectoral tendon injury). Perhaps a September return? Tony LaRussa’s club may need all the help it can get down the stretch in what should be a highly competitive division race.
West Division
1. Astros (87-75)
2. Athletics (86-76)
3. Angels (82-80)
4. Mariners (72-90)
5. Rangers (70-92)
➜ Why the Astros: The villains of MLB — they earned that moniker — are still the best in the West. Barely. George Springer‘s departure leaves a major void. One that demands Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez return to form. The margin for error is slim for Houston in 2021.
Postseason predictions
➜ Wild Card Game: Rays over Blue Jays
➜ Division Series: Yankees over Rays (in 5); Astros over White Sox (in 4)
➜ Championship Series: Yankees over Astros (in 5)
World Series Champion
➜ Dodgers over Yankees (in 7). East Coast vs. West Coast. Two storied franchises. This is the dream Fall Classic matchup. In 2020, Mookie Betts and Co. won the franchise’s first World Series in 32 years. In 2021, the Dodgers will clinch a title at Dodger Stadium. It’s been 58 years since that last happened.
HANDING OUT THE HARDWARE: National League
Most-Valuable Player
➜ The pick is in: Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres
➜ Why Tatis Jr.: Why not him? The only question is: How will the 22-year-old hold up over an entire 162-game season? His numbers in 143 career MLB games? .301, 39 HR, 98 RBI. Perhaps a preview of what’s to come in 2021.
Cy-Young Award
➜ The pick is in: Jacob deGrom, Mets
➜ Why deGrom: He’s the model of consistency. Four of his seven seasons have featured 30 or more starts. The Mets right-hander also has five sub-3.00 ERA seasons. That’ll work. DeGrom will beat out Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty for the award.
Rookie of the Year
➜ The pick is in: Ke’Bryan Hayes, Pirates
➜ Why Hayes: Hayes got ROY votes in 2020, despite only playing 24 games. It’s hard to look past his impressive 2020 slash of .376/.442/.682. Eligible again in 2021, the slick-fielding third baseman is the clear front-runner.
Manager of the Year
➜ The pick is in: Luis Rojas, Mets
➜ Why Rojas: 2020 was quite the year for the 39-year-old. He got the first MLB managerial job in January of last year only after Carlos Beltran exited stage right. Then, COVID-19 hit. A 26-34 record in year one wasn’t great, but there are high hopes in 2021.
HANDING OUT THE HARDWARE: AMERICAN League
Most-Valuable Player
➜ The pick is in: Mike Trout, Angels
➜ Why Trout: He’s the best player in baseball. While management has done Trout no favors — the Angels haven’t been able to construct a playoff-worthy roster — the 29-year-old continues to produce year in and year out (.304 career average).
Cy-Young Award
➜ The pick is in: Gerrit Cole, Yankees
➜ Why Cole: The Yankees backed up a Brinks Truck to pay for Cole’s services in 2019. Try nine years, $324 million. The equivalent of $10,000 per pitch thrown. Cole had a solid first year in pinstripes (7-3, 2.84 ERA). Year two should see Cole reach another level.
Rookie of the Year
➜ The pick is in: Randy Arozarena, Rays
➜ Why Arozarena: He’s really the only name that makes sense. Especially after Arozarena had a 1.022 OPS in 23 regular-season games with the Rays last season and slugged 10 postseason home runs en route to ALCS MVP honors.
Manager of the Year
➜ The pick is in: Charlie Montoyo, Blue Jays
➜ Why Montoyo: Like the Mets, there are heightened expectations in Toronto. The Blue Jays were big spenders this offseason adding George Springer to a young roster brimming with talent. Montoyo gets the Blue Jays back to the playoffs.