2024 Pre-Season Profile: Milwaukee Brewers

 #26

The Milwaukee Brewers lost their manager and two aces this off-season, but they have a youth movement ready to become the new core for their next championship run.  Will the kids bring wins in 2024?

2023 Predictions

#22 - 3rd in NL Central

MIH - Christian Yelich

MIP - Devin Williams

PTW - Sal Frelick

FP - Corbin Burnes will be traded in the next 12 months.

2023 Results

#14 - 92-70, 1st in NL Central, lost in NLWC

Highest WAR (Position) - William Contreras

Highest WAR (Pitcher) - Corbin Burnes

The Brewers took advantage of an unpredictable division and rose to the top behind their strong pitching.  Although they didn't go far in the playoffs, the fact that they got there made the season a success.  From last year's article, "Could they win 90 games?  Maybe.  Could they lose 90?  Probably not, but maybe."  I skewed closer to the 90 losses than the 90 wins.  I missed on that prediction, however...

Additions / Subtractions

... my Fearless Prediction was right!  Corbin Burnes got his huge haul from the Orioles, and the Brewers couldn't say no.  Then, their other ace, Brandon Woodruff, was re-signed even though he probably won't pitch in 2024 with an injury.  Those are big losses, however the biggest loss may have been manager Craig Counsell leaving Milwaukee to manage the rival Cubs.  The only significant additions are first baseman Rhys Hoskins and catcher/hitter Gary Sanchez.

Most Important Hitter

Willy Adames

One of the biggest surprises of the 2021 season was the emergence of shortstop Willy Adames after his trade to Milwaukee from Tampa.  In under 100 games with the Brewers, he garnered MVP votes.  However, since that breakout season his production has been in a slow decline.  Topping out with a 137 OPS+ in 2021, since he has earned a 110 OPS+ in 2022 and 95 in 2023, making him a below average hitter last season.  The power was still there, hitting 24 homers, but the average and on base dipped.  If Adames can return to his All Star level of 2021, he will stabilize this young lineup ... or turn into a more valuable trade chip.

Most Important Pitcher

Freddy Peralta

Just like Adames, Freddy Peralta peaked in his young career in 2021 and has come back down to earth some over the last two seasons.  Now, with no Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta is going to be looked at as the ace.  After a solid, but not elite, 2023 season, Peralta gets the promotion, and he will show this season just how ready he is for it.

Prospect to Watch

Jackson Chourio

The Brewers took this step back heading into 2024 because their strong farm system is ready to provide their big league roster with a load of talent.  Sporting the 3rd best farm system in baseball, the Brewers feature 5 Top 100 prospects, however the prize of their system will be their Opening Day center fielder.  Jackson Chourio is a 20 year old phenom currently ranked as the 2nd best prospect in all of baseball.  He has all the tools and all the potential.  The Brewers believe in him so much that they gave him an 8 year, $82 million extension before ever playing an inning in the big leagues, a record contract for someone in his shoes.  He's going to be a star.  The question is if his star shines right out of the gate at age 20, or will he take some time to settle into the big leagues.  If he takes off, Chourio could become a must see star this season.  Add him to last year's top rook Sal Frelick and former MVP Christian Yelich, and the Brewers outfield could be fun to watch.

2024 Prediction

5th in NL Central

I think this is the first team that has a realistic shot at the postseason.  That's how deep the league is this year.  The Brewers are one of those teams that always seem to win and compete.  With that said, I think they have just lost a little too much this off-season to stay at the top of the Central.  There's a lot of interesting teams in this division that could easily fly or fail.  If they all fly, one of the reasons will be because the Brewers struggle.  Their lineup looks strong, but I can't see the pitching hold up.  You can't lose both aces off your staff and not replace them.  That's a rule.

Fearless Prediction

Jackson Chourio will spend time in AAA and still finish in the top 3 in Rookie of the Year.

It's not unprecedented that a young phenom has struggles when they first reach the big leagues.  Even Mike Trout struggled so much he was sent back down to the minors for some time.  Jackson Chourio is 20 years old.  Not everyone becomes an instant star at that age like Julio Rodriguez.  I see Chourio needing a reset within the first month or two after some initial struggles, but he will be ready once he's back.  Talk about a roller coaster season!

2023 Pre-Season Profile: Milwaukee Brewers

 #22

The Milwaukee Brewers have been consistently one of the top teams in the National League for most of the last decade.  Will this consistency continue in 2023, or are they due for a down year?

2022 Predictions

#5 - 1st in NL Central, lose in NLDS

MIH - Christian Yelich

MIP - Corbin Burnes

PTW - Ethan Small

2022 Results

#13 - 86-76, 2nd in NL Central

Highest WAR (Position) - Willy Adames

Highest WAR (Pitcher) - Corbin Burnes

For the first time since 2017, the Brewers missed the postseason even though they had an 86 win season and finished 2nd in their division.  While still in contention, they traded away their All Star closer (Josh Hader) at the Trade Deadline which made many people scratch their heads.  So they fell short of the playoffs while trying to ride the line of both selling and contending.

Additions / Subtractions

This offseason continued the trend of trying to sell while still contending.  They let outfielder Andrew McCutchen, catcher Omar Narvaez, and reliever Taylor Rogers leave in free agency.  They traded away second baseman Kolten Wong and outfielder Hunter Renfroe.  At the same time, they brought in All Star catcher William Contreras, infielder Abraham Toro, and former All Star outfielder Jesse Winker.

Most Important Hitter

Christian Yelich

Their best hitter the last few seasons may be Willy Adames, but the success of the Brewers ay be tied most directly to Christian Yelich.  Only entering his age 31 season, Yelich feels more like an old man as it's already his 11th season in the big leagues.  With the 2023 season, he will have been a Brewer longer than a Marlin!  After an MVP in 2018 and an MVP runner-up in 2019, injuries quickly seemed to drop him from one of the best players in the game to barely above average.  At his peak in 2018 and 2019, Yelich posted a 164 and 179 OPS+ in those two years.  Since then, his best season at the plate was 2022 with a 111 OPS+, with only a .252 average and 14 homers (he topped out in 2019 at .329 and 44 homers).  At least he played a full season, appearing in 154 games.  The Brewers don't need Yelich to be an MVP again (although they wouldn't argue with it).  They do need him to get back to borderline All Star level if they want their offense to work.

Most Important Pitcher

Devin Williams

The Brewers have one of the stronger one/two punches at the top of their rotation in all of baseball with Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, however none of that matters unless they have someone that can close out the game.  Enter Devin Williams.  With the trade of Josh Hader last season and the departure of Taylor Rogers in free agency, Williams is now the undeniable closer for the Brewers.  Although he has been dominant ever since he won Rookie of the Year in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he has never had to be the closer, and those final three outs of the game are always different.  Also, they are now missing someone at the level of Devin Williams to work the 8th inning as they didn't really bring in any other elite relievers.  So more potentially will be needed from Williams than ever as he may be the only reliever they can turn to in crunch time.

Prospect to Watch

Sal Frelick

The strength of the Brewers farm system is the outfield, with the top 4 or 5 players in their system being outfielders (3 of which in the Top 100).  The most intriguing prospect that could impact the 2023 season is Sal Frelick.  He may not be a big guy (5'10" 182lbs.), but the kid knows how to hit.  Ranked at #30 on the top prospects in baseball, Frelick projects to be a gap-hitting leadoff hitter that can wreak havoc on the bases.  He is currently opening eyes on team Italy in the World Baseball Classic.  He could definitely be an exciting player if the opportunity presents itself in 2023.

2023 Prediction

3rd in NL Central

The Milwaukee Brewers might be the biggest casualty of the new balanced schedule in 2023.  The NL Central has been one of, if not the, worst division in baseball over the last few seasons.  Now they will have less games against the likes of the Reds and the Pirates, which means their record will likely not be as strong as it has been the last few seasons.  This may seem a little low for a roster as talented as the Brewers.  The problem is there are about 8-10 teams this year that are in the middle of the pack.  Could they win 90 games?  Maybe.  Could they lose 90 games?  Probably not, but maybe.  With all the changes the Brewers have seen over the last few seasons, and the balanced schedule, I could see them easily being at the bottom of this middle pack.

Fearless Prediction

Corbin Burnes will be traded in the next 12 months.

Corbin Burnes has been one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball over the last few seasons, so much so that MLB Network named him the top starting pitcher in all of baseball this offseason.  He is also slowly creeping towards free agency and a huge payday.  Several teams asked about him this offseason, but the Brewers weren't ready to consider.  If 2023 is as average as I am predicting, maybe the Brewers start listening as early as the Trade Deadline.  Every contending team will be interested if one of the best pitchers in baseball suddenly becomes available.  If Burnes is on the trade block, someone will give a huge haul to get him.  The Brewers won't be able to say no.

2022 MLB Pre-Season Predictions: #10-1

We may be over a week into the season, but I wanted to finish my predictions before we got too far in.  Here's the top 10!

#10

Philadelphia Phillies

2021 Prediction: #14, 4th in NL East

2021 Fearless Prediction: Joe Girardi will be fired after the season.

2021 Result: #15, 82-80, 2nd in NL East

Most Important Hitter: Bryce Harper

Most Important Pitcher: Ranger Suarez

Prospect to Watch: Bryson Stott

2022 Prediction: 2nd in NL East, WILD CARD, lose in Wild Card Round

Bryce Harper rode a hot second half to the NL MVP.  If he is able to put another season together like that, it might finally be the time for this Phillies core group to make a postseason run.  If not, this will truly be the end of Joe Girardi's run in Philly.  It might also mean the dismantling of this roster.

#9

Los Angeles Angels

2021 Prediction: #16, 3rd in AL West

2021 Fearless Prediction: Justin Upton and Dexter Fowler will be traded for prospects at the Trade Deadline.

2021 Result: #19, 77-85, 4th in AL West

Most Important Hitter: Anthony Rendon

Most Important Pitcher: Noah Syndergaard

Prospect to Watch: Reid Detmers

2022 Prediction: 1st in AL West, lose in Wild Card Round

The success or failure of the Angels all has to do with health.  If Ohtani, Trout, Rendon, and Syndergaard all stay healthy for the majority of the season, then the Angels could surprise everyone and come away with this division.  Can you imagine the hysteria around the league if Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani finally play their first postseason games?  It would only make sense if they lose in the first round.

#8

Seattle Mariners

2021 Prediction: #22, 4th in AL West

2021 Fearless Prediction: The Mariners will have four straight Rookies of the Year.

2021 Result: #10, 90-72, 2nd in AL West

Most Important Hitter: Jesse Winker

Most Important Pitcher: Logan Gilbert

Prospect to Watch: Julio Rodriguez

2022 Prediction: 3rd in AL West, WILD CARD, lose in ALDS

As a Mariners fan, it scares me to place them this high in my preseason rankings.  Maybe that's why I'm predicting them to finish 3rd, but still make the playoffs and get out of the Wild Card Round.  The M's were a surprise success last year and have definitely upgraded the rotation and the lineup.  If everything pays off, the longest playoff draught around should end.

#7

Houston Astros

2021 Prediction: #13, 2nd in AL West

2021 Fearless Prediction: One of the Astros three core players left is playing their last season as an Astro.

2021 Result: #2, 95-67, 1st in AL West, lost in World Series

Most Important Hitter: Kyle Tucker

Most Important Pitcher: Justin Verlander

Prospect to Watch: Jeremy Pena

2022 Prediction: 2nd in AL West, WILD CARD, lose in ALDS

How many times can a team lose a superstar and not skip a beat?  After the 2019 season, Gerrit Cole (3rd in team WAR) signs with the Yankees.  After the 2020 season, George Springer (team leader in WAR) signs with the Blue Jays.  After the 2021 season, Carlos Correa (team leader in WAR) signs with the Twins.  Somehow they keep excelling.  They have to be coming to the end of this magical run though.

#6

San Diego Padres

2021 Prediction: #9, 2nd in NL West, WILD CARD, lose in Wild Card Game

2021 Fearless Prediction: The San Diego Padres will win the NL West in 2022.

2021 Result: #16, 79-83, 3rd in NL West

Most Important Hitter: Manny Machado

Most Important Pitcher: Yu Darvish

Prospect to Watch: C.J. Abrams

2022 Prediction: 2nd in NL West, WILD CARD, lose in NLDS

The Padres had an epic meltdown in 2021, going from one of the best teams in baseball in the first half to looking like a mess in the second half.  Now they have one of the best managers in the game, one of the best young stars in the game, and still one of the best storylines in the game.  The Padres are still ready to break out.  They might not win the division this year, but they have to take a step forward.

#5

Milwaukee Brewers

2021 Prediction: #15, 2nd in NL Central

2021 Fearless Prediction: The Brewers will have no offensive players make the All Star Team.

2021 Result: #3, 95-67, 1st in NL Central, lost in NLDS

Most Important Hitter: Christian Yelich

Most Important Pitcher: Corbin Burnes

Prospect to Watch: Ethan Small

2022 Prediction: 1st in NL Central, lose in NLDS

The Brewers rode one of the best pitching staffs in baseball to another playoff run.  They will need a repeat performance from the pitchers, led by reigning Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, and a resurgence from former MVP Christian Yelich, to make a deep run in 2022.

#4

New York Mets

2021 Prediction: #7, 2nd in NL East, WILD CARD, lose in NLDS

2021 Fearless Prediction: Robinson Cano has played his last game in the big leagues.

2021 Result: #17, 77-85, 3rd in NL East

Most Important Hitter: Francisco Lindor

Most Important Pitcher: Max Scherzer

Prospect to Watch: Brett Baty

2022 Prediction: 1st in NL East, lose in NLCS

If it was possible to buy a championship, the Mets did so this offseason.  Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Mark Canha, Chris Bassitt ... they definitely spent the most money over the offseason.  Now they have an All Star lineup with an old school veteran manager in Buck Showalter.  They just might have what it takes to make a deep run in 2022.

#3

Chicago White Sox

2021 Prediction: #2, 1st in AL Central, lose in World Series

2021 Fearless Prediction: Tony La Russa wins AL Manager of the Year.

2021 Result: #6, 93-69, 1st in AL Central, lose in ALDS

Most Important Hitter: Luis Robert

Most Important Pitcher: Michael Kopech

Prospect to Watch: Yoelqui Cespedes

2022 Prediction: 1st in AL Central, lose in ALCS

The White Sox have put together a terrific roster that looks ready to make a deep run in the postseason.  They have had some experience the last few years.  Even though they are starting the season with a bunch of injuries, they look ready to take another step forward this year.

#2

Los Angeles Dodgers

2021 Prediction: #3, 1st in NL West, lose in NLCS

2021 Fearless Prediction: This is the last year Clayton Kershaw wears Dodgers blue.

2021 Result: #2, 106-56, 2nd in NL West, lose in NLCS

Most Important Hitter: Cody Bellinger

Most Important Pitcher: Julio Urias

Prospect to Watch: Michael Busch

2022 Prediction: 1st in NL West, lose in World Series

The amount of talent on the Dodgers roster is borderline ridiculous.  To pick anyone other than the Dodgers to win it all should be considered controversial.  It's also extremely boring.  On top of that, the only time the Dodgers actually pulled out a championship during this run was the COVID-shortened 2020 season.  They will be right there again in 2022, but I have them just short once again.

#1

Toronto Blue Jays

2021 Prediction: #5, 2nd in AL East, WILD CARD, lose in ALDS

2021 Fearless Prediction: The Blue Jays will trade for a closer before Memorial Day.

2021 Result: #9, 91-71, 4th in AL East

Most Important Hitter: George Springer

Most Important Pitcher: Jose Berrios

Prospect to Watch: Gabriel Moreno

2022 Prediction: 1st in AL East, win World Series

No team has been through more adversity over the last two years than the Toronto Blue Jays.  The 2020 season was spent in Buffalo, the 2021 season was split between their Spring Training home, Buffalo, and finally Toronto when COVID protocols allowed the border to be opened enough to let them travel there.  They also play in probably the best division in baseball.  They also have one of the greatest young cores in the game.  They are battle tested, they have a perennial MVP candidate ... as long as their pitching can hold out, they have to be a candidate for the title.  I can see it happen in 2022!

2021 Pre-Season Profile: Milwaukee Brewers

 #15

The Milwaukee Brewers did not have a stellar run in the shortened 2020 season, making the playoffs despite a 4th place finish in the division.  Now they are looking at bouncing back and returning to the top of the division in 2021.  Do they have the roster to make it there?

2020 Predictions

#12 - 3rd in NL Central

MIH - Keston Hiura

MIP - Brandon Woodruff

PTW - Drew Rasmussen

2020 Results

#15 - 29-31, 4th in NL Central, lost in Wild Card Round

In 2020, the Brewers finished outside the top two of the division for the first time since 2016.  Only thanks to the expanded playoffs did they make it into the tournament, losing right away to the eventual champion Dodgers.  The majority of their lineup underwhelmed, which has always been the strength of the team.  The bullpen continued to be a strength, with Devin Williams winning Rookie of the Year, only giving up one run all season.  With all that said, 2020 is not to be seen as a successful season for Milwaukee after seeing the heights they can reach the past few seasons.

Additions / Subtractions

The Brewers always approach roster construction differently than any other team.  If you ask an average analyst, they would say the Brewers need more pitching.  Instead, they just add to their lineup depth.  After opting out in 2020, centerfielder Lorenzo Cain is back, and he will be moving around some with the signing of Jackie Bradley Jr.  On the infield, the Brewers signed second baseman Kolten Wong, moving Keston Hiura to first base.  So instead of addressing potential needs, they overload at positions of strength.  The only real subtraction is all-time Brewer Ryan Braun, who looking more and more like he will be calling it a career.

Most Important Hitter

Christian Yelich

The Brewers' lineup begins and ends with Christian Yelich.  After an MVP season in 2018 and an MVP runner up season in 2019, Yelich barely had a batting average over .200.  He did have enough production to post an OPS+ over 100 (111), but that was the lowest OPS+ of his career.  If Yelich is back to MVP-caliber production, the rest of the lineup works and becomes more productive.  If Yelich stays at his 2020 production, the Brewers will be looking for everyone else to step up and make up for lost production from their best player.

Most Important Pitcher

Josh Hader

More than any other team in baseball, the Brewers refuse to focus on their starting rotation.  They have some quality starters, with Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes coming off strong 2020 seasons.  However, the pitching staff of the Brewers is all about the bullpen, and the anchor of that bullpen is still Josh Hader.  Even with the emergence of Devin Williams last season, Hader is the guy.  As with a lot of elite bullpen arms (especially ones that burst on the scene at a young age), production has a potential to slightly fade as the velocity starts to slow down.  From 2017-2019, Hader was literally unhittable as he earned the reputation as the most electric bullpen arm in all of baseball.  With that said, his ERA has slowly been rising each season, reaching a career high 3.79 in 2020.  If the Brewers' bullpen is going to remain elite and the anchor of the pitching staff, Hader needs to reverse this trend and get back to the freak of years past.  If he struggles, he won't even be the closer for very long.

Prospect to Watch

Mario Feliciano

The Brewers have a pretty lackluster farm system, only boasting two Top 100 Prospects and neither are close to the big leagues.  Unless a random arm is going to come up and contribute out of the bullpen, Mario Feliciano might have the best chance of having an impact in 2021.  This 22 year-old catcher is a plus hitter and a solid defender.  The Brewers do have a decent crop of Major League catchers, but you can never have enough catchers, and Feliciano appears to be a future option at the position sooner rather than later.

2021 Prediction

2nd in NL Central

As I have said before, this division is wide open among the top four teams.  This could lead to them beating up on each other, which is why I only predict one team will make the playoffs from the NL Central.  It always confuses me how the Brewers have such great success every year, but I think they will show the sluggish season in 2020 was a sign of things to come.  That result might be different if the NL had a DH in 2021, as no NL roster seems more set up for that than the Brewers.  I mean, how do you carry Daniel Vogelbach on your roster if there is no DH???

Fearless Prediction

The Brewers will have no offensive players make the All Star Team.

This is mainly a statement on what kind of season I think Christian Yelich is going to have.  Is he as bad as he was in 2020?  No.  Is he going to get back to MVP level?  I don't think so.  I see him struggling out of the gate again, and although he might turn things around by the end of the season, I think he misses the All Star Game, leading to no offensive players being good enough to make the Mid-Summer Classic.  The pitching on the other hand has the potential to be well represented.

2019 Pre-Season Profile: Milwaukee Brewers

#9

The Milwaukee Brewers came one game short of the World Series in 2018.  Will 2019 bring about an NL pennant for the Brew Crew?

2018 Predictions

2nd in NL Central, WILD CARD, lose Wild Card Game

The Brewers will trade for an ace by the All Star Game.

2018 Results

96-67, 1st in NL Central, lost in NLCS

The Brewers exceeded most people's expectations in 2018 by making their way all the way to Game 7 of the NLCS before coming up just short.  They took a very unconventional approach to winning, leaning on a stellar bullpen in a way no one has before, especially in the playoffs.  They did trade for Gio Gonzalez at some point, but they viewed it more as depth than an ace.  Their ace was reliever Josh Hader.  Another surprise from 2018 was the MVP season from newly acquired Christian Yelich.  They knew he was good, but I don't know if anyone knew he would be that good.  I claimed their most important hitter was going to be Eric Thames, who found himself out of a job after the emergence of All Star Jesus Aguilar.  Few things went the way they were expected for the Brewers in 2018, but they all worked to their benefit.

Additions / Subtractions

The Brewers are entering 2019 with a very similar roster to what they ended 2018 with.  The biggest acquisition over the offseason was catcher Yasmani Grandal.  They re-signed Mike Moustakas, which was curious considering it kept them with the dilemma of having two third baseman.  The Brewers never seemed to mind overloading one position though.  With that in mind, another move they made was trading away Domingo Santana, an outfielder that hit 30 home runs in 2017 but was out of a job in 2018 after they acquired Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich.  He was sent to the Mariners for versitile speedster Ben Gamel.  They brought in lefty specialist Alex Claudio to help round out their bullpen, but that was about it.

Most Important Hitter

Christian Yelich

Especially in September, the Brewers rode the bat of Christian Yelich all the way to the division title and Yelich's MVP.  With the division actually getting more competitive in 2019, they will rely on Yelich to continue to emerge as one of the elite hitters in the entire league.  Looking at Yelich's career trajectory, and the fact that he is only entering his age 27 season, there is every indication that his success should continue.

Most Important Pitcher

Josh Hader

This is an easy one.  Josh Hader was by far their most important pitcher in 2018 as he was a freak on the mound all season.  His performance in the playoffs was out of this world as he seemed to pitch 2 or 3 innings every game.  It was a huge workload for the 24 year old, putting in 81 innings last season before the playoffs.  Hader seems to have everything aligned for a letdown season.  The Brewers cannot afford that, considering the injuries to closers Jeremy Jeffress and Corey Knebel they are starting the season with.  They need Hader to be as good, if not better, than last season with everything considered.  Looking at all the indicators, that is going to be hard to do.

Prospect to Watch

Keston Hiura

Many were surprised the Brewers brought back Mike Moustakas because it meant that either Moustakas or Shaw would have to play second base.  This move would block their top prospect, Keston Hiura, from having a spot in the majors.  Huira, a 22 year old second baseman picked in the first round of the 2017 draft, probably won't be ready to start the season in the big leagues but will be ready to some point this season.  His debut might need to wait until 2020 with the current roster, but if someone gets injured or if someone struggles, look for Hiura to come up and provide a spark in Milwaukee.

2019 Prediction

2nd in NL Central, WILD CARD, lose in Wild Card Game

Duplicating the success of 2018 is hard for any team to do, especially a team like the Brewers that leans so heavily on the bullpen, the most volatile part of a roster.  They have neglected to upgrade their rotation again.  I think they are good enough to compete all season and even make the playoffs, but they are not going to be able to do what they did last year.

Fearless Prediction

Craig Kimbrel will be a Brewer in 2019.

One of the craziest storylines entering the 2019 season is the fact that we have two All Stars still unsigned and without a team.  Starter Dallas Keuchel and closer Craig Kimbrel are still without a job.  Both of these players would be huge helps for the Brewers.  Knowing how the Brewers operate, and especially how they may be seriously lacking in the bullpen if their injuries are long term, Kimbrel to the Brewers just makes too much sense to not happen.

2018 MLB Pre-Season Profiles: #10-6

They may not win it all, but these teams will be able to claim that they made the playoffs in 2018.

#10

Los Angeles Angels

Most Important Hitter: Shohei Ohtani

Most Important Pticher: Shohei Ohtani

Prospect to Watch: Shohei Ohtani

2018 Prediction: 2nd in AL West, WILD CARD, lose Wild Card Game

Bold Prediction: Shohei Ohtani will have 15+ wins and 15+ home runs.

I may be overstating it a little bit, especially considering this team also has the best player in the world in Mike Trout, but Shohei Ohtani is the most fascinating player in baseball this season.  If he does what he is projected to do (and continues the success he has shown in the start of the season), the combination of Trout and Ohtani might lift the Angels back to the postseason.  The main concern is their bullpen, but their lineup is as complete as it has been since Trout broke into the league.  They won't go far, but the playoffs are within reach.

#9

Milwaukee Brewers

Most Important Hitter: Eric Thames

Most Important Pticher: Chase Anderson

Prospect to Watch: Brandon Woodruff

2018 Prediction: 2nd in NL Central, WILD CARD, lose in Wild Card Game

Bold Prediction: The Brewers will trade for an ace by the All Star Break.

I don't know what was more surprising: the Brewers' 2017 season or the Brewers 2018 offseason.  The Brewers came up just short of the playoffs in 2017, greatly surpassing most expectations.  Then, they go out in the offseason and improve their club more than almost anyone else, adding Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich to an already good outfield.  Many were surprised they also didn't land a frontline starter, which was the main area of concern entering the offseason.  That is why it would make sense if the Brewers use their depth in the outfield to go get a starter during the season.

#8

Boston Red Sox

Most Important Hitter: J.D. Martinez

Most Important Pticher: David Price

Prospect to Watch: Michael Chavis

2018 Prediction: 2nd in AL East, WILD CARD, lose in ALDS

Bold Prediction: J.D. Martinez will be the only Red Sox hitter over 20 home runs.

The Red Sox got the power hitter they were missing last year when they picked up J.D. Martinez part way through Spring Training.  They will have a successful season, but won't get too far.  It will be interesting to watch what happens with Michael Chavis this year.  He is the top prospect for the Red Sox, but was just suspended for 80 games.  He is also blocked from coming up to the big leagues by young phenom Rafael Devers.  Even though the Red Sox do not have a strong farm system anymore, it looks like Chavis might be the perfect trading chip mid-season.

#7

Cleveland Indians

Most Important Hitter: Jose Ramirez

Most Important Pticher: Trevor Bauer

Prospect to Watch: Francisco Mejia

2018 Prediction: 1st in AL Central, lose in ALDS

Bold Prediction: Corey Kluber will be the AL starting pitcher in the All Star Game.

The Indians have a loaded roster and should cruise through the AL Central.  Jose Ramirez will look to follow up an MVP-caliber 2017 season with another great year.  Trevor Bauer will be counted on to add depth to the rotation behind Kluber and Carlos Carrasco.  By Memorial Day, Francisco Mejia will be the Indians' starting catcher.  They might not get back to the World Series in 2018, but they will have a great season.

#6

Los Angeles Dodgers

Most Important Hitter: Cody Bellinger

Most Important Pticher: Kenta Maeda

Prospect to Watch: Walker Buehler

2018 Prediction: 1st in NL West, lose in NLDS

Bold Prediction: Clayton Kershaw will return in 2019 to the Dodgers.

The Dodgers still have an amazing roster and will be a serious contender to return to the World Series.  They will need another year from Cody Bellinger like he had in his rookie 2017 season.  Kenta Maeda, being the only right-hander in the Dodgers' rotation, needs to have a productive season.  Walker Buehler could help that rotation at some point as well.  The big story is whether Clayton Kershaw will opt out of his contract after the season and hit free agency.  Whether he opts out or not, he will be a Dodger in 2019.  How could he be anything else?