2018 MLB Preview and Predictions

The Boys of Summer are set to begin the 2018 season

The crack of a bat ripping a line drive. The pop of a fastball into a catcher's mitt. Fireworks exploding. Hot dogs steaming.

It's that time again folks. The start of another season in Major League Baseball.

For the first time in 50 years, all MLB teams will experience Opening Day on the same date. That comes this Thursday, March 28, when 15 games will take place scattered at various times throughout the day and night.

Those first games will begin a regular season that will stretch out over more than six months, leading to the drama of the MLB playoffs as Fall arrives.

Which teams are most likely to reach those playoffs? Which players will stand out over the course of the 162-game MLB regular season?

Each year, I give you my picks for the final standings across each of MLB's six divisions, as well as my playoff predictions. I also make picks for some of baseball's most important awards.

A year ago in my 2017 MLB Preview and Predictions piece, I correctly picked the winners in five of those six divisional races. The biggest letdown from those picks was for the San Francisco Giants to edge out the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. The Giants collapsed to a last place finish after winning three World Series crowns in the previous seven seasons.

I had the Washington Nationals beating the Boston Red Sox in seven dramatic games a year ago. As we know now, it was the Houston Astros beating the Dodgers in six to capture their first-ever world championship.

So now it's time to make my team picks and my awards predictions for the upcoming 2018 MLB season. Would love to hear your own picks in the comments section below this piece. Here we go again, baseball fans.

2018 NATIONAL LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Kris Bryant, Chicago

Contenders: Corey Seager LAD, Bryce Harper WAS, Nolan Arenado COL, Paul Goldschmidt ARZ

CY YOUNG AWARD: Stephen Strasburg, Washington

Contenders: Clayton Kershaw LAD, Max Scherzer WAS, Noah Syndergaard NYM

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Lewis Brinson, Miami
Contenders: Jack Flaherty STL, Ronald Acuna ATL, Scott Kingery PHI, Nick Senzel CIN

MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Craig Counsell, Milwaukee
Contenders: Joe Maddon CHC, Dave Roberts LAD, Dave Martinez WAS, Gabe Kapler PHI

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Noah Syndergaard
Contenders: Adam Eaton WAS, Mark Melancon SF, Homer Bailey CIN

MLB 2016 Predictions: NL West Division

Our annual process of polling the staff at TBOH as to their predictions for the coming season has been completed, and so we’re rolling out those picks in a series of pieces.

The TBOH staff will reveal our cumulative staff choice, as well as our individual picks, for the order of finish in each of Major League Baseball’s six divisions, the two Wildcard teams from each league, and our World Series favorites.

To determine the staff cumulative pick for each division, I took the predicted order of finish from each of our writers and assigned a numerical value. 

Teams picked for first place received one point, teams picked to finish in fifth received five points. 

Thus, the lower your overall total points, the higher your predicted finish. The total points are listed next to each team name.

We’ll also be revealing our staffers picks for the Most Valuable Player Award in both the National and American Leagues, as well as the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year Award winners in both leagues.

Finally, our staffers have chosen their MLB manager who is most likely to become the first casualty of the season, the first to be fired this year.

Enjoy our picks, and we would love to hear your own. Please feel free to leave your choices in a comment. We’ll be sure to read them.

MLB 2016 Predictions: NL Central Division

Our annual process of polling the staff at TBOH as to their predictions for the coming season has been completed, and so we’re rolling out those picks in a series of pieces.

The TBOH staff will reveal our cumulative staff choice, as well as our individual picks, for the order of finish in each of Major League Baseball’s six divisions, the two Wildcard teams from each league, and our World Series favorites.

To determine the staff cumulative pick for each division, I took the predicted order of finish from each of our writers and assigned a numerical value. 

Teams picked for first place received one point, teams picked to finish in fifth received five points. 

Thus, the lower your overall total points, the higher your predicted finish. The total points are listed next to each team name.

We’ll also be revealing our staffers picks for the Most Valuable Player Award in both the National and American Leagues, as well as the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year Award winners in both leagues.

Finally, our staffers have chosen their MLB manager who is most likely to become the first casualty of the season, the first to be fired this year.

Enjoy our picks, and we would love to hear your own. Please feel free to leave your choices in a comment. We’ll be sure to read them.

MLB 2016 Predictions: NL East Division

Our annual process of polling the staff at TBOH as to their predictions for the coming season has been completed, and so we’ve been rolling out those picks in a series of pieces. 

The other five divisions were released yesterday, and today it’s the Phillies and their immediate division rivals.

The TBOH staff have revealed our cumulative staff choice, as well as our individual picks, for the order of finish in each of Major League Baseball’s six divisions. 

We will later be releasing the two Wildcard teams from each league, and our World Series favorites.

To determine the staff cumulative pick for each division, I took the predicted order of finish from each of our writers and assigned a numerical value. 

Teams picked for first place received one point, teams picked to finish in fifth received five points. 

Thus, the lower your overall total points, the higher your predicted finish. The total points are listed next to each team name.

MLB 2016 Predictions: AL West Division

Our annual process of polling the staff at TBOH as to their predictions for the coming season has been completed, and so we’re rolling out those picks in a series of pieces.

The TBOH staff will reveal our cumulative staff choice, as well as our individual picks, for the order of finish in each of Major League Baseball’s six divisions, the two Wildcard teams from each league, and our World Series favorites.

To determine the staff cumulative pick for each division, I took the predicted order of finish from each of our writers and assigned a numerical value. 

Teams picked for first place received one point, teams picked to finish in fifth received five points. Thus, the lower your overall total points, the higher your predicted finish. The total points are listed next to each team name.

We’ll also be revealing our staffers picks for the Most Valuable Player Award in both the National and American Leagues, as well as the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year Award winners in both leagues.

Finally, our staffers have chosen their MLB manager who is most likely to become the first casualty of the season, the first to be fired this year.

Enjoy our picks, and we would love to hear your own. Please feel free to leave your choices in a comment. We’ll be sure to read them.

MLB 2016 Predictions: AL Central Division

Our annual process of polling the staff here at TBOH as to their predictions for the coming season has been completed, and so we’re rolling out those picks in a series of pieces.

The TBOH staff will reveal our cumulative staff choice, as well as our individual picks, for the order of finish in each of Major League Baseball’s six divisions, the two Wildcard teams from each league, and our World Series favorites.

To determine the staff cumulative pick for each division, I took the predicted order of finish from each of our writers and assigned a numerical value. 

Teams picked for first place received one point, teams picked to finish in fifth received five points. 

Thus, the lower your overall total points, the higher your predicted finish. The total points are listed next to each team name.

We’ll also be revealing our staffers picks for the Most Valuable Player Award in both the National and American Leagues, as well as the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year Award winners in both leagues.

Finally, our staffers have chosen their MLB manager who is most likely to become the first casualty of the season, the first to be fired this year.

Enjoy our picks, and we would love to hear your own. Please feel free to leave your choices in a comment. We’ll be sure to read them.

MLB 2016 Predictions: AL East Division

Our annual process of polling the staff at TBOH as to their predictions for the coming season has been completed, and so we’re rolling out those picks in a series of pieces.

The TBOH staff will reveal our cumulative staff choice, as well as our individual picks, for the order of finish in each of Major League Baseball’s six divisions, the two Wildcard teams from each league, and our World Series favorites.

To determine the staff cumulative pick for each division, I took the predicted order of finish from each of our writers and assigned a numerical value. 

Teams picked for first place received one point, teams picked to finish in fifth received five points. 

Thus, the lower your overall total points, the higher your predicted finish. The total points are listed next to each team name.

We’ll also be revealing our staffers picks for the Most Valuable Player Award in both the National and American Leagues, as well as the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year Award winners in both leagues.

Finally, our staffers have chosen their MLB manager who is most likely to become the first casualty of the season, the first to be fired this year.

Enjoy our picks, and we would love to hear your own. Please feel free to leave your choices in a comment. We’ll be sure to read them.