7 Bold MLB Predictions for 2018

Kevin Aherne

It is a long, loooong season - baseball. But this is a short, shooooort article -- assembled to lay out my 7 Bold Predictions for the 2018 MLB Season.
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• Are the Sox doomed to once again flail in October?
• Is Sohei Otani the next-coming of the Great Bambino?

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7. Yaseil Puig Moves East

It's no secret that the Dodgers have grown weary of their Cuban-defector's antics. Expect them to move him to an AL team (Detroit? Cleveland?) out east before the trade deadline. 

6. Shohei Can You See?

After two months of poor results at the plate, the Angels will give up on Shohei Otani as a hitter. By June, expect the team to shift their focus to his pitching, and scrap the idea that he can be a two-way player in the AL West. 

5. Pedroia's Final Ride

Lingering injuries and a loss of passion for the game will lead to Dusty Two-Sacks to hang up his cleats. Pedroia is probably a shoe-in for Cooperstown, but Pedroia's legacy in Boston has fallen on hard times in recent years. Expect him to walk away at season's end. 

4. Judge Isn't an Executioner

2018 will be good to the Bronx Bombers. But look for Aaron Judge to have a let-down season after his impressive 2017 slugfest. The Yankees will compete for a pennant, but the stat line for Judge may look a little like this: .245 / 24 HR / 65 RBI. 

3. Mojo Rising

Last season was the year of the Astros, the Dodgers, and the Yankees. In 2018, there will be some usual suspects in the mix (Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Astros), but here are a few teams I expect to outperform expectations this season:

Atlanta Braves
Philadelphia Phillies
Seattle Mariners
Minnesota Twins

2. Machado About Nothing

Baltimore's Manny Machado is one of the most intriguing names on the trade block / free agent market. Many expect that Machado will be moved during the season, as he is unlikely to resign in Baltimore longterm. Regardless of his 2019 plans, expect the 25 year old infielder to stay put all season. 

1. Nuts and Bolts

Here is how I expect the final standings to shake out:

American League
Boston (East)
Detroit (Central)
Seattle (West)
New York (WC -1)
Houston (WC -2)

National League
Philadelphia (East)
Chicago (Central)
San Francisco (West)
Los Angeles (WC-1)
Atlanta (WC-2)

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