2019 MLB Predictions

2019 Season Win Totals

Major League Baseball has not seen repeat champions since 1999-2000 when the Yankees won back-to-back titles. That does not bode well for the Red Sox, who captured their fourth championship since 2004 when they knocked off the Dodgers last October. In fact, there has not been a repeat World Series matchup since 1978, so the likelihood of Boston and Los Angeles hooking up this October is probably not in the cards.

With the season beginning this week, our stable of baseball handicappers were asked to provide their best OVER and UNDER season win total picks, along with pennant winners and World Series champions.

Several ‘cappers gave out their reasoning behind the season win total selections, starting with veteran MLB expert Joe Nelson on the Rangers. “Most view Texas as again one of the worst teams in the AL but it is not hard to envision seasons of decline for the Athletics (97 wins in 2018) and Mariners (89 wins in 2018) in the AL West. The Angels are also turning a page with new management while Houston doesn’t have much room to improve after winning 103 games last season. Texas went just 34-47 at home last season 28-48 in the division last year as there is a lot of potential for picking up ground. Texas went 6-13 vs. both the Angels and Athletics last season and getting closer to even in those series would provide a significant boost.”

Out in the desert, the Diamondbacks will hope to avoid taking a step back, but Matt Blunt believes that is inevitable, “Arizona experienced a bit of an exodus this winter with big names (Paul Goldschmidt) being moved, as it's clear management has decided that it might be time to take a step back and retool. The NL West has been owned by the L.A. Dodgers of late, and with Colorado still improving, and the Padres on the rise, Arizona is a team that's going to be left looking up at the rest of the division this year.”

“The Diamondbacks two stars - Zack Greinke and Adam Jones - have perennially been the "big fish in a little pond" throughout the majority of their careers in terms of being on bad teams - Jones only had 4 winning seasons of his 11 in Baltimore, and while they do have some young talent as a supporting cast (Jake Lamb, Ketel Marte), there isn't much past that to expect this team will even sniff a .500 record. Every division rival around them was already better, or got better this off-season and this should be a sub-70 win season for Torey Lovullo's squad,” Blunt notes.

Dave Cokin has a hunch that things will improve in Minnesota this season, “The Twins are poised for improvement and perhaps even a run at the Indians for the AL Central title. Minnesota has a potentially explosive offense and while the pitching staff isn't by any means top shelf, it has a chance to be serviceable. Nearly 60 games against the likes of the Royals, Tigers and White Sox means a very realistic opportunity for close to 35 wins. The American League is really unbalanced with several teams in the midst of major overhauls. This should benefit a team like the Twins who want to win right now. The oddsmakers did a good job of making this number a bit of a challenge, but I like the Twins to win about 88 games and I'm comfortable with the Over.”

Staying in the AL Central, Bruce Marshall is high on the Royals rebounding from a tough 2018, “After an encouraging September, the Royals finally have a bit of justified optimism. More so after the offseason addition of noted base thief Billy Hamilton, who along with holdovers Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi give KC three of the top eight base stealers in the bigs from last season. The rotation has a mix of young promise (Brad Keller, Jakob Junis) and vet moxie (Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy), and Wily Peralta hinted at becoming an effective closer down the stretch last season. Nice work by GM Dayton Moore to add serviceable C Martin Maldonado after Salvador Perez went down. Competing in the forgiving AL Central is an added bonus.”

2019 MLB Season Predictions
Handicapper Best Over Best Under AL Champion NL Champion WS Champion
Alex Smart Toronto Blue Jays Los Angeles Dodgers New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies
Antony Dinero San Francisco Giants New York Mets New York Yankees Los Angeles Dodgers New York Yankees
ASA Philadelphia Phillies Arizona Diamondbacks New York Yankees Los Angeles Dodgers New York Yankees
Ben Burns Arizona Diamondbacks Tampa Bay Rays Cleveland Indians Los Angeles Dodgers Cleveland Indians
Bruce Marshall Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Dodgers Houston Astros St. Louis Cardinals Houston Astros
Chip Chirimbes New York Mets Boston Red Sox Boston Red Sox New York Mets Boston Red Sox
Dave Cokin Minnesota Twins Chicago Cubs Boston Red Sox St. Louis Cardinals Boston Red Sox
Gary Bart Miami Marlins San Diego Padres New York Yankees Los Angeles Dodgers New York Yankees
Jimmy Adams Cincinnati Reds Baltimore Orioles Houston Astros Washington Nationals Houston Astros
Jimmy Boyd New York Yankees Chicago White Sox New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies New York Yankees
Joe Nelson Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers Houston Astros
Joe Williams Boston Red Sox Cleveland Indians Boston Red Sox Philadelphia Phillies Boston Red Sox
John Fisher Oakland Athletics Tampa Bay Rays New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies New York Yankees
Kevin Rogers Detroit Tigers Pittsburgh Pirates Houston Astros Chicago Cubs Houston Astros
Kyle Hunter Oakland Athletics Chicago White Sox New York Yankees Washington Nationals New York Yankees
Marc Lawrence Philadelphia Phillies San Diego Padres Houston Astros Chicago Cubs Houston Astros
Mark Franco San Diego Padres Miami Marlins New York Yankees St. Louis Cardinals New York Yankees
Matt Blunt Cincinnati Reds Arizona Diamondbacks Cleveland Indians New York Mets Cleveland Indians
NeiltheGreek Cleveland Indians Minnesota Twins Cleveland Indians Milwaukee Brewers Cleveland Indians
Scott Rickenbach Minnesota Twins Toronto Blue Jays Cleveland Indians Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies
Stephen Nover Milwaukee Brewers Los Angeles Dodgers Cleveland Indians Chicago Cubs Cleveland Indians
Vince Akins Arizona Diamondbacks Colorado Rockies Houston Astros Chicago Cubs Houston Astros