It’s the dawn of a new era in Major League Baseball.
The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies are no longer the top dogs, their free-spending ways a relic of a different time.
Traditional cellar dwellers like Washington, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Canada’s favourite, the Toronto Blue Jays, are all in the mix this year, making it one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory.
Teams that haven’t won in decades have a chance.
But who’s going to come out on top? With so many teams in the mix, it’s a tough call. That doesn’t mean we’re not up to the task.
Putting their sports reputations on the line, Thunder Bay Television’s Matt Skube, CKPR’s Bryan Wyatt and TB Newswatch's Jamie Smith and Leith Dunick and Dougall Media’s Ryan Gagnon, Ryan LaVia and Gilles Gallant have peered deep inside our crystal baseball to make our 2013 MLB predictions.
We’ll give you the division winners, wild-card picks and World Series winners, plus our choice for the MVP and Cy Young awards. We’ll look back in October and see how we fared.
Leith Dunick
Editor, Thunder Bay Source
NL East: Washington Nationals
NL Central: Cincinnati Reds
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
NL wild-cards: Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants
AL East: Tampa Bay Rays
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Los Angeles Angels
AL wild-cards: Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles
World Series: Washington Nationals over Detroit Tigers
NL MVP: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
AL MVP: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
NL Cy Young: Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
Thoughts: The Nationals have too much talent not to take the National League pennant in 2013. Led by Steven Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez on the mound and Bryce Harper at the dish, they’ll run away with the NL race. In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays are certainly Canada's choice, but I think injuries will take a toll on this team and the Detroit Tigers will be the team to beat in the junior circuit.
Jamie Smith
Reporter, tbnewswatch.com
NL East: Washington Nationals
NL Central: Cincinnati Reds
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
NL wild-cards: Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates
AL East: Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Los Angeles Angels
AL wild-cards: Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers
World Series: Washington Nationals over Detroit Tigers
NL MVP: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
AL MVP: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Thoughts: Yes it would be awesome to see the Blue Jays win a World Series after they pillaged everything but that terrible home run fountain from the Marlins this off season. But regardless of headlines, this is the year of the Washington Nationals. The second-youngest pitching staff in baseball mixed with the fourth youngest bats means there`s still room to improve on a 98 win season last year, which is madness. Still, as Bryan Wyatt`s beloved Tigers showed last year getting swept by the San Francisco Giants, October is a whole new ballgame. Detroit‘s best bat, pitcher and rotation in the game won‘t give up so easily again but with similar offensive production from both teams, Washington‘s slightly better defence will give them the edge they need to land the franchise‘s first World Series.
Matt?Skube
Reporter, Thunder?Bay Television
NL East: Washington Nationals
NL Central: Cincinnati Reds
NL West: San Francisco Giants
NL wild-cards: Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL East: Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Los Angeles Angels
AL wild-cards: Tampa Bay Rays, Kansas City Royals
World Series: Washington Nationals over Toronto Blue Jays
NL MVP: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
AL MVP: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
NL Cy Young: Stephen Strasburg,?Washington Nationals
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
Thoughts: It's simple – the two best teams on paper in the major leagues will duke it out in October for the World Series. But unfortunately for Toronto fans, Washington will come out on top. It's not about favourites, being a homer or making the easy picks, it's just what's going to happen. The Jays/Tigers ALCS will be a lot of fun to watch, as will the NLCS that'll feature the Nationals and Reds. But in the end, Leith Dunick will be happy to see his Montreal Exp- check that, Washington Nationals, return to baseball supremacy.
Bryan Wyatt
News director, CKPR?Radio
NL East: Washington Nationals
NL Central: Cincinnati Reds
NL West: San Francisco Giants
NL wild-cards: Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates
AL East: Tampa Bay Rays
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Los Angeles Angels
AL wild-cards: Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers
World Series: Detroit Tigers over Washington Nationals
NL MVP: Danny Espinosa,?Washington Nationals
AL MVP: Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels
NL Cy Young: Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
AL Cy Young: Justin?Verlander, Detroit Tigers
Thoughts: This year Detroit will win it all, learning from last year's loss to the Giants. Washington will falter in the World Series. I think they’re still one year away. The Toronto Blue Jays will be an exciting team, and they will be in the wild-card race and the American League East hunt for a while, but their bullpen will be a sore point, and knuckleballer R.A. Dickey won't have the same success he had last year.
Jeff Andreas
Reporter, CKPR?Radio
NL East: Washington Nationals
NL Central: Cincinnati Reds
NL West: San Francisco Giants
NL wild-cards: Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL East: Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Oakland A’s
AL wild-cards: Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays
World Series: San Francisco over Baltimore
NL MVP: Shin-Soo Choo, Cincinnati Reds
AL MVP: Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
AL Cy Young: Justin?Verlander, Detroit Tigers
Thoughts: This year we will see Buster Posey lead the San Francisco Giants to their third World Series title in four years, entering them into the dynasty discussion. They will be led by strong pitching and a return to form from ace Tim Lincecum. We are finally seeing the downfall of both the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and this year the American League's traditional powerhouses will miss the playoffs, while all three of their divisional rivals find their way into the post-season. Baltimore will make a surprising run to the World Serie, building on last year’s playoff experience, but will fall to the more experienced Giants and another ticker tape parade will be set in the City by the Bay in 2013.
Ryan Gagnon
Multi-media sales at Dougall Media (and fantasy baseball fanatic)
NL East: Washington Nationals
NL Central: Chicago Cubs
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
NL wild-cards: Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants
AL East: Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Los Angeles Angels
AL wild-cards: Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays
World Series: Washington Nationals over Los Angeles Angels
NL MVP: Ryan Braun, Brewers
AL MVP: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
NL Cy Young: Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
Thoughts: Biggest surprise, the Chicago Cubs make the playoffs. The World Series is staying in the National League with the Nats winning with strong pitching over a solid Angels team led by AL MVP Mike Trout. It is the year of the young guns with last year's rookies of the year Trout and Washington’s Bryce Harper having monster years. Ryan Braun will maintain his consistent self and win his second MVP in three years – either casting more suspicion or erasing all doubt of his PED use. Strasburg inches out L.A.’s Clayton Kershaw for NL CY Young, while Verlander and Tampa`s David Price battle for the AL Cy Young.
Ryan La Via
Multi-media sales at Dougall Media
NL East: Atlanta Braves
NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
NL wild-cards: Washington Nationals, Arizona Diamondbacks
AL East: Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Los Angeles Angels
AL wild-cards: New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox
World Series: Atlanta Braves over Toronto Blue Jays
NL MVP: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL MVP: Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL Cy Young: Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox
Thoughts: The fact that I'm the only one to pick the Yankees to make the post-season goes to show how much all these others really know about baseball. And it kills me to say that as I'm a die-hard Red Sox fan, but nonetheless I'm going nostalgic with my World Series pick and going back to good ole '92 except this time the Braves get the better of the Jays. I think the addition of the five-tool Upton brothers in the outfield, and the emergence of first baseman Freddie Freeman is enough to get this team back to the Promised Land. And you can't dismiss the Braves starters, especially their bullpen which has arguably the best closer in the game with Craig Kimbrel. But then again, what do I know right?
Gilles Gallant
Multi-media sales at Dougall Media
NL East: Washington Nationals
NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
NL wild-cards: Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds
AL East: Baltimore Orioles
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Los Angeles Angels
AL wild-cards: Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland A's
World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Los Angeles Angels
NL MVP: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL Cy Young: David Price, Tampa Bay Rays
Thoughts: The LA Dodgers are turning into the Yankees of the West Coast with their spending. But this is the most talented team they've fielded in some time and I think the injury concerns are overblown. Matt Kemp is the most complete player in baseball and finally has a supporting cast to take back the division from the SF Giants. The Nationals may be the darlings of the NL with Harper and Strasburg but if last year showed anything, having the best W-L record going into the playoffs means nothing. Detroit should steamroll in the AL Central but will face a tough task of repeating as AL Champs if they have to face Toronto or the LA Angels. So my prediction is for an Interstate-5 World Series with the Dodgers taking down the LA Angels and Magic Johnson getting a World Series ring for his "assist"
